Hot Blooded by Donna Grant Page A

it was me they were after?”
    â€œPositive.” He motioned to the cottage. “Let’s get you inside.”
    *   *   *
    Iona was never more conscious of a man as she was of Laith in her house. A wall separated them, and she found she hated that wall. She also hated that she couldn’t stop thinking about Laith. How she looked for any opportunity to get close to him that he might touch her. How sad was that?
    She closed her eyes and groaned. She was sad. Sad and depressed. Was she that hard up for some attention that she was willing to practically throw herself at a man who might not be as interested as she hoped he was? She sighed and opened her eyes. Laith was a man who went after what he wanted. If he wanted her, he would have made a move already.
    With the towel in hand, she wrung out her hair and stripped out of her clothes before wiping herself down. She put on a new pair of panties and a bra. As she looked in her bag, she realized she didn’t have anything to wear. All of it was in need of washing.
    Iona wrapped the towel around her and hurried from her room to her father’s. She opened three drawers before she found a pair of sweatpants and a shirt. She let the towel drop to the floor and stepped into the sweats that were several sizes too big. She rolled them up repeatedly at the waist. Iona reached for the shirt she had tossed on the bed when she looked to the doorway and found Laith.
    He said nothing, simply stared, his eyes slowly drifting down her body before moving back up again. Her mouth went dry. Iona slowly straightened as their gazes locked, held.
    Laith stepped into the room and closed the distance between them. He halted in front of her, his hands resting on her hips. Iona shivered again, this time for an entirely different reason.
    Heat infused her wherever Laith touched. Breathing became difficult as he caressed up her sides until he cupped her face. His head lowered, and she rose up to meet him. Their lips met, sending sparks of desire and need zipping through her. He moaned, low and needful, causing her knees to weaken. She wrapped her arms around his waist and simply held on.
    There was nothing else to do. Laith captured her interest, her mind, and her body with simply a look. Iona was out of her element, adrift in a sea of passion she couldn’t navigate.
    And for once, she didn’t want to.
    He kissed her again, pulling her lower lip into his mouth before releasing her. Iona sunk her nails into his back, silently begging him to continue. His lips found her again, except this time he wasn’t content with just tasting her lips. His tongue slid into her mouth while his arms moved to wrap around her and tug her tighter.
    The kiss deepened as Iona opened for him. The longer they kissed, the hotter the fire inside her burned. His hands were all over her back, in her hair, and on her hips pressing her against his arousal.
    Iona was trembling with fierce need the like she hadn’t known existed. She was reaching for his shirt when a pounding came from her front door.
    Laith ended the kiss and stared down at her, not bothering to disguise the desire darkening his gunmetal eyes. She didn’t want to stop, didn’t want anything to interrupt whatever had taken them.
    But Laith was already releasing her.
    â€œGet dressed,” he said softly and ran his thumb over her bottom lip.
    He turned to walk out when she tried to stop him. “Wait. You don’t know who’s out there. It could be more of those guys.”
    â€œIt’s no’,” he said without stopping.
    Iona threw on her shirt and rushed out of the bedroom as Laith opened the door. She slid to a stop when she spotted Tristan, Ryder, and another man she didn’t recognize. Two of the three were from Dreagan, and she was willing to bet everything she had that the third was as well.
    She looked from the men to Laith and watched how they greeted him. It was there before