Page 108 of Tabitha

She dominates my thoughts to the extent that I can’t go five minutes without thinking about her. It should annoy me, but for the first time since before I was first deployed, I’m at peace.

My mind is calm, the constant state of readiness easing its vicious grip, and I can finally relax.

With her near, I’m no longer focused only on the job, and it’s an odd sensation.

I’ve been a soldier since before my eighteenth birthday. Despite leaving the army, military training has been bred into my very soul. After years of constant battles, being near Tabitha gives me a sense of peace that I didn’t know I desperately needed.

Like I can finally put away my weapons.

I’ll never retire completely, and I suspect Tabitha leads a life that will keep me on my toes. I’m actually looking forward to being her partner.

Her confidant.

Her protector.

And the one who hauls her out of trouble when River leads her astray. I suspect keeping her safe will become a full-time job, one that I gladly accept. I’ve been training for it for most of my life. The many years of pain and suffering eases, and a sense of rightness settles over me.

I’m where I finally belong—with her.

As if Tabitha finally recognizes me, she slowly drags the tip of her blade down my throat, over my collarbone, then against my chest hard enough to sting but not draw blood. It awakens something dark and dangerous in me, and the need to dominate her takes over.

I grab her wrists and wrench her hands above her head, then lurch up and twist. In seconds, she’s pinned beneath me, and a rumble of satisfaction fills my chest at the sight. Now that I finally have her exactly where I want her, I don’t ever plan to let her go.

* * *

TABITHA

Igasp when my back hits the mattress and Bast’s massive form looms over me, his amber eyes glowing like a jungle cat’s. Pinned to the bed beneath him, his broad shoulders blocking out everything but him, I feel dainty and feminine. Since I’m more than capable of taking care of myself in any situation, I don’t usually notice such things, so it’s a novel sensation. He tightens his hold on my wrists, squeezing until my fingers go numb and the blade clunks to the floor.

I pout at having my plaything taken away—both him and the knife.

A growl rumbles from Bast, his voice nothing but a rasp when he speaks so lowly I can feel his words in my bones. “If you’re going to be naughty, you don’t get to have any dessert.”

Against my will, my attention drops to his very naked chest just inches from my face, and I bite my bottom lip to keep from leaning forward and licking him. His spicy, teakwood scent fills my senses, and I struggle against the urge to bury my nose against him and just inhale.

Even with the distance, his scent is like a shot of pure bliss, and my worries drop away until there is nothing but him. It takes all my willpower to drag my attention back to his face. I release my abused lip, my interest piqued. “Dessert?”

A breathtaking smile steals across his face, distracting me, and I wrap my legs around his waist in case he thinks to escape. My shirt shifts up, settling around my hips, and there’s nothing between us but the thin layer of his boxer briefs.

His erection is thick and heavy and absolutely huge. I swear I can feel the individual veins and ridges as he settles the monstrous cock against my core. Feeling restless, I wiggle against him, a hum of pleasure catching in the back of my throat as my nerve endings catch fire.

“None of that now,” he chides.

Instead of taking me up on my offer, his body comes down on top of me. My breath catches in my chest as his cock hits my clit, then the air is squished out of me under his weight.

“Bastard,” I snarl, trying to buck him off, but the big oaf refuses to budge even an inch, no matter how much I struggle.

The opposite, in fact.

Each wiggle, each twitch, only pushes me closer to the edge. His chuckle has a touch of evil to it, the rumble vibrating against me so intimately that my core clenches, and I whimper at the empty sensation.

Pissed at being denied, I lean forward and bite his shoulder.

Bast curses, and that delicious rumble happens again, even louder than before. My nipples tighten, and I can’t hold back my whimper.

“Open your eyes,” he demands, and I obey without thought, his amber eyes blazing as he gazes down at me with so much lust that my breath catches. He switches his hold, his hands so large that he’s able to keep me pinned with one hand and little effort.

I think about fighting him for a moment, but I’m too curious to see what he will do next. He reaches over to the bedside, and it’s only then that I notice the gorgeous sundae dish filled with the most amazing sight—chocolate mousse.

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