Seduced by Danger (10 page)

One of
Teo’s
assailants fell to the ground, catching her attention, and she realized Cam had already laid out two of his men and was about to finish off the third.

She rose slowly to her feet, not wanting to startle Michael or draw his attention away from Bennett. But she wanted him to stop. She wanted him to finish this. Now. So they could leave and return to their son.

Bennett pressed forward again and Michael allowed him to get close enough to cut his arm.

Please, Michael. Please end this. I want to go home.

She didn’t say the words aloud but she knew Michael heard them through that same bond that allowed them to share their pain and their emotions. The expression on his face eased and for a split second, he caught her gaze.

“Michael, watch!”

Bennett took that moment to thrust his blade at Michael. A second too late to completely block the blow, Michael caught the blade in his side but grabbed Bennett before he could pull back and, lifting his sword, sliced right through Bennett’s neck.

The man’s face went from triumph to disbelief to the knowledge that he was going to die in the space of seconds.

Blood began to pour from Bennett’s neck and he fell to the floor, losing his grip on his dagger and clutching at the wound with both hands. Michael watched him fall, watched him struggle to breathe and, finally, watched him seize one more time until finally he went still.

Cara couldn’t take her eyes off Michael, couldn’t decipher his expression.

“Michael.”

His gaze lifted to hers and his eyes softened. “I love you, Cara.”

Then he crumpled to the ground, a puddle of blood leaking onto the floor at his side.

And Cara started to scream.

Chapter Eight

Michael knew there had to be a reason he was surprised to be alive when he woke.

But he just couldn’t seem to care because Cara was warm and naked next to him in the bed. Wrapped around her back, he had a pretty decent erection and a faint pain in his side.

It only took a slight movement to rub his cock into the crease of her silky ass, the friction causing his blood pressure to rise and his heart to pound.

As his hand began sliding from her hip toward the soft mound of her breast, she sighed and snuggled back against him.

He moved closer—and sucked in a breath as sharp pain lanced through his side and up to his chest.

“Oh shit.”

Cara gasped and turned as he rubbed a hand along the still-healing wound.

“Michael, thank the Gods. You’re awake. How are you feeling?”

Eyes wide, she looked into his for a split second then shifted down to look at his side.

What—

Oh yeah.

Her hands settled on his chest as she pushed him back to lie flat on the bed then sat up next to him. Naked. Beautiful.

The pain started to subside as his erection returned, drawn by the warmth of her hands as they feathered over his chest and down his stomach. She stroked over the already healing scar from the hole Bennett made with his blade. Someone did a damn fine job of healing that wound.

“Michael,
are
you okay?”

He winced, hating to hear the fear in her voice. “He’s dead, Cara. Right? He’s dead and gone and you’ll never have to worry about him again.”

Her gaze lifted back to his, her eyes wide. “Michael, you almost died! Yes, Bennett’s dead, but if I had lost you, I would have been furious with you!”

Seemed she
was
furious. So angry, he felt her emotions like waves of heat coming off her body. Heat that was driving out his pain and replacing it with passion.

He wanted her.

She was free of Bennett and he wanted her. And he had a momentary flash of fear that she would no longer want him.

He caught her gaze and she reached out and smacked him on the side of the head. Hard.

His mouth dropped open. She’d never hit him. He didn’t think she had it in her to hurt another living thing, unless their child was threatened. Then he could see her fighting like a mother bear to protect her young.

“Cara…what—”

“Oh no you don’t. You don’t get to play stupid male right now. I’m so angry with you for letting him
hurt
you. You could have died. And you were
playing
with him, Michael. I know what you were doing.”

Ah. Shame rose up then but not enough to conquer the heat of having her naked body right there.

“I wanted him to pay, Cara. I wanted him to die in agony and I didn’t want it to be slow.”

Her eyes dampened, as if she were hurting. “I know that, Michael. But I don’t want to lose you. And I nearly did.”

He held up his hands in classic surrender. He didn’t want to fight. “But I’m still here. Bennett’s gone and I’ll make sure my parents never bother us again. I’ll talk to them and if that doesn’t work, we’ll find a spell to block them. Everything will be okay. And I want you.”

She dropped her gaze to his throbbing erection then quickly met his eyes again. “You’re not healed. I can still feel your pain, Michael.”

His eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”

She took a short, sharp breath and bit her bottom lip, classic Cara distress signs.

“Cara?”

Finally she sighed. “It means we’re tied together more tightly than we first thought. I’ve noticed that I can feel some of what you’re feeling. Strong emotion, physical pain. Sometimes, if you’re thinking about me, I get a sense of what you’re thinking.”

Well…shit. He had the sense he should be worried that she could read him so well. And staring into her river-blue eyes, he knew she was worried that he would be angry about his.

Hell no. A fierce satisfaction lit through him, firing his desire even harder.

Another tie binding her to him. And him to her, but he knew he welcomed the binding. Did she?”

“Ooh, you stupid man.” She huffed and the disgust on her face made it clear she’d read him. Again. “If I can feel
your
emotions, you can feel
mine
. You just have to try. And if you did, you’d know I love you. And I don’t want to live without you.”

His mouth curved in a smile that made her eyes widen. He imagined he looked pretty much like a marauding beast. And he was about to pounce.

“You’re going to have to be very sure, Cara. I’m not an easy man to get rid of.”

Cara’s hands went to her hips, drawing his gaze down the length of her naked body. “Well then, I guess it’s a good thing I don’t want to get rid of you.”

He grabbed her around the neck and brought her mouth down to his, crushing her against him, sliding his tongue between her lips so he could taste her.

He hadn’t expected her to fall on him and take over the kiss as if she were starving for him. But he certainly didn’t push her away. It wouldn’t matter if he were dying. He’d give her whatever she wanted.

As he pulled her closer, her body stretched to lie along his, soft flesh warm against his harder body from chest to thighs. Her kiss gentled but her hands took up the cause, stroking and firing his nerve endings with pleasure and heat.

His.

His arms wrapped around her, pressing her even closer, hands flattening on her back then stroking down to her ass and shifting her until she lay on top of him. Her legs falling on either side of his, she rubbed her mound against the throbbing length of his engorged cock.

His eyes closed as he absorbed the pure pleasure of her lips on his, her sex against his.

Cara shifted above him, breaking contact with his lips. He opened his eyes to see her plant her hands on either side of his head and lift her upper body away from his. Staring down into his eyes, she deliberately set about easing her wet lower lips up and down his erection. Her juices coated him, her expression tightening as a flush suffused her cheeks.

“I love you, Cara.”

Her eyes widened and she paused for a brief second. Then her lips curved in a breath-stealing smile and she slid onto his cock.

Ecstasy spread through his body like quicksilver and he grabbed her hips to help her down those last few centimeters until she took him completely.

She stilled for a few seconds before starting to move, a sleek, sinuous glide that still managed enough friction to make him pant.

She started slow and kept that pace even as her own breathing became labored.

It felt like torture. The most wonderful torture he could ever imagine. He ached to flip her over and pound into her, to make her cry out his name as he fucked her through several orgasms.

Instead, she held him captive with her eyes and forced him to obey her, to allow her to take him.

And when his name fell from her lips in a moan and her sheath contracted around him in a violent flurry, he arched his hips and came, groaning her name.

She collapsed against him, her head falling to his shoulder and her lips settling against his jaw so he felt her breath against his skin when she said, “I love you.”

“We’re safe now, baby. You and
Aron
. And I don’t want to lose you. Wherever you want to live, whatever you want to do, you only have to ask. We’ll stay in Reading, close to Lacey. Hell, I’ll even work for the de
Feos
if they’ll have me.”

He didn’t add that he didn’t think anyone else would hire him but maybe he’d get a job as an accountant with an
eteri
firm. He’d have to fake his employment history but the de
Feos
could probably help with that as well.

“I won’t care where we live, as long as we’re together.”

“Always, babe. Always.”

The End

About the Author

Stephanie Julian is an avid reader, who used to have a book-a-day habit. Then she realized she not only wanted to read books but write them, too. Romance has always been her first love, the sexier the better. Hot men, strong women and a heaping helping of magic dominate (and she does mean dominate) her blazing hot stories.

When she’s not writing, she’s, well…she’s certainly not cleaning. And she only cooks when her guys complain that they’re hungry (
ain’t
cereal grand!). Otherwise, she’s got her fingers on a keyboard, her butt in a chair and her head in the stars.

Stephanie welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and e-mail address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

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Also by Stephanie Julian

Magical Seduction 1: Seduced by Magic

Magical Seduction 2: Seduced in Shadow

Magical Seduction 3: Seduced and Ensnared

Magical Seduction 4: Seduced and Enchanted

Magical Seduction 5: Seduced by Chaos

Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.

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