familiar v oice answered. “Hello?”
Stavros opened his mouth to speak and nothing came out. He disconnected the call and sat staring at the phone in his hand. It wasn’t the first time in the last few months that he’d reach out for a connection to his previous life. But as usual , when he heard Casey’s voice he couldn’t bring himself to say “ I’m alive. ” Those guys didn’t need a burden , they needed a brother in arms , and he wasn’t one . Not the way he was now. This was his life , and the only saving grace of it was Amari.
H e’d fallen for her big time but kept it to himself. She was the reason he lived , a breath of fresh air in his life. How could a gorgeous , ebony goddess want anything to do wit h a broken scarred man like him? She felt pity for him and nothing more, yet that didn’t make the longing to hold her and kiss her any less.
Standing in front of the mirror , he closed his eyes an d brought her face into his mem ory. The soft choc o late - brown eyes that always held laughter and caring, the sweet , oval shape of her face , and her full bottom lip that made him long to kiss and nibbled the tender flesh. Her skin was an amazing brown that looked like satin fabric. The time he held her hand , when the pain became almost unbearable he never wanted to let go. Sh e even knew what he was and didn’t bat an eye. Stavros’s lips curved in a smile when he thought back to the first time she saw him shift.
“You’re in so much pain, Stavros . Y ou should let me get you to a hospital in Ancho rage . ” Amari touched her hand to his forehead. “I don’t even need a thermometer to feel you ’re feverish . Y our skin is flushed.”
“Maybe it ’ s because I’m around such a beautiful woman,” he teased weakly.
“You’re such a charmer,” Amari said with a smile. “Seriously , I would like to get you evacuated by chopper to the hospital . Y ou need a full course of antibiotics for your injuries. I don’t understand why you aren’t in a military hospital.”
He’d told her about how he got hurt in Afghanistan , and she was like a dog with a bone and wouldn’t let go of the fact that he coul d be getting better care. He didn’ t tell her all the rest . B ut for him to get past this stage in his healing , h e would need to be in his second skin in order to speed up his body ’s restoration .
He cleared his throat uncomfortably before speaking. “ Listen , I need to do something to help me get better and to take away some of the pain.”
Amari frowned. “You mean dru gs , don’t you? I know a lot of soldiers come back and get messed up , but I can help you with cravings and even get you methadone if you need it to take the edge off.”
Stavros shook his head. “No , nothing like that shit . I’m not a drug addict.”
She looked at him with apparent confusion. “Then what?”
“I’m something more than just a man, I’m a shifter.” Stavros explained.
Amari laughed. “Ok ay, your fever has you hallucinating, Stavros . T here is no such thing.”
“Don’t freak out , ok ay? P lease don’t,” he begged and slowly moved from the bed to stand. “I’m still me even after you see this.”
Stavros , you shouldn’t even be up . G et back in bed please . ”.
He didn’t listen but called out to his second nature as quickly as he could. Shifting was causing a great deal of p ain over wounded muscles and skin , but he embraced it a nd let it flow over him. He heard a small scream come from her lips , and saw her scramble up on the bed against the headboard. He thought she would run away as fast as she could , but Amari sat where she was with her knees pulled up to her chest and watched him with wide eyes. When he was in his tiger form he gave a sign of relief , already feeling his body trying to heal itself. He sagged to the floor and stared at her , waiting to see what she would do next. She moved toward him slowly until she was on her knees on the hard wooden
Stavros opened his mouth to speak and nothing came out. He disconnected the call and sat staring at the phone in his hand. It wasn’t the first time in the last few months that he’d reach out for a connection to his previous life. But as usual , when he heard Casey’s voice he couldn’t bring himself to say “ I’m alive. ” Those guys didn’t need a burden , they needed a brother in arms , and he wasn’t one . Not the way he was now. This was his life , and the only saving grace of it was Amari.
H e’d fallen for her big time but kept it to himself. She was the reason he lived , a breath of fresh air in his life. How could a gorgeous , ebony goddess want anything to do wit h a broken scarred man like him? She felt pity for him and nothing more, yet that didn’t make the longing to hold her and kiss her any less.
Standing in front of the mirror , he closed his eyes an d brought her face into his mem ory. The soft choc o late - brown eyes that always held laughter and caring, the sweet , oval shape of her face , and her full bottom lip that made him long to kiss and nibbled the tender flesh. Her skin was an amazing brown that looked like satin fabric. The time he held her hand , when the pain became almost unbearable he never wanted to let go. Sh e even knew what he was and didn’t bat an eye. Stavros’s lips curved in a smile when he thought back to the first time she saw him shift.
“You’re in so much pain, Stavros . Y ou should let me get you to a hospital in Ancho rage . ” Amari touched her hand to his forehead. “I don’t even need a thermometer to feel you ’re feverish . Y our skin is flushed.”
“Maybe it ’ s because I’m around such a beautiful woman,” he teased weakly.
“You’re such a charmer,” Amari said with a smile. “Seriously , I would like to get you evacuated by chopper to the hospital . Y ou need a full course of antibiotics for your injuries. I don’t understand why you aren’t in a military hospital.”
He’d told her about how he got hurt in Afghanistan , and she was like a dog with a bone and wouldn’t let go of the fact that he coul d be getting better care. He didn’ t tell her all the rest . B ut for him to get past this stage in his healing , h e would need to be in his second skin in order to speed up his body ’s restoration .
He cleared his throat uncomfortably before speaking. “ Listen , I need to do something to help me get better and to take away some of the pain.”
Amari frowned. “You mean dru gs , don’t you? I know a lot of soldiers come back and get messed up , but I can help you with cravings and even get you methadone if you need it to take the edge off.”
Stavros shook his head. “No , nothing like that shit . I’m not a drug addict.”
She looked at him with apparent confusion. “Then what?”
“I’m something more than just a man, I’m a shifter.” Stavros explained.
Amari laughed. “Ok ay, your fever has you hallucinating, Stavros . T here is no such thing.”
“Don’t freak out , ok ay? P lease don’t,” he begged and slowly moved from the bed to stand. “I’m still me even after you see this.”
Stavros , you shouldn’t even be up . G et back in bed please . ”.
He didn’t listen but called out to his second nature as quickly as he could. Shifting was causing a great deal of p ain over wounded muscles and skin , but he embraced it a nd let it flow over him. He heard a small scream come from her lips , and saw her scramble up on the bed against the headboard. He thought she would run away as fast as she could , but Amari sat where she was with her knees pulled up to her chest and watched him with wide eyes. When he was in his tiger form he gave a sign of relief , already feeling his body trying to heal itself. He sagged to the floor and stared at her , waiting to see what she would do next. She moved toward him slowly until she was on her knees on the hard wooden
Similar Books
