buy an animal who was a potential killer? "How long do you intend to keep him?" she asked in a wavering voice.
"I don't know," Stefan replied. "I'll work with him for a while longer, then decide."
The passion Joanna felt moments before was replaced by anger, and it was all she could do to keep from pounding her fists against Stefan's chest. Instead, she said, in a clipped dry tone, "What makes you finally decide when to get rid of him? When he attacks you and you end up with brain damage, or get your arm ripped off like Klaus Haufchild?"
Stefan looked at her with a start. "How do you know about Haufchild?"
"Walter pointed him out tonight."
Stefan's eyes flashed with alarm. "Where was he?"
"In the audience. Why do I get the feeling this man is in some way a threat?"
Stefan ignored her question. "What was Haufchild doing?"
"Just watching you. He left right after you were finished, when he saw Walter." Joanna studied Stefan's face. "What's going on? You're acting the same way Walter did."
Stefan shrugged. "I'm just curious why Haufchild is here." His eyes drifted off momentarily, then he gave Joanna a guarded smile, and said, "Don't worry, honey, I won't end up like him. And what you saw tonight won't happen again."
"You can't possibly give me that assurance," Joanna said, angry with his constant denial. "Look at the scars on you! Every time you got clawed I'm certain you assured everyone, including yourself, that it would never happen again." Her gaze dropped to the scar low on his belly. She reached down and lowered his breeches until a brush of pubic hair, divided by a bald band of scar tissue, emerged. "Rafat already tried to emasculate you. Do you intend to wait until he completes the job before you get rid of him!" she said, frustrated with Stefan for keeping the dreadful lion. " Or maybe he already did and that's why your wife left you !" she cried, then immediately regretted her words.
Stefan's eyes darkened. "Rafat did not reach his mark, but if you need proof that I'm still a man capable of taking care of you as my wife, if it comes to that, then I'll give you that proof. There are enough issues coming between us without this being one of them." He shoved her hand aside and tugged on the lacings on his breeches.
"Stefan, no, wait, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply—"Joanna stopped short and stared in shocked silence, not at the scar, but at the perfection of even that part of Stefan, large and full and thrusting upward. The scar veered around his hardened shaft and terminated above one full round testicle. It was obvious he'd had multiple stitches to close the wound. But it was also clear that he would have no trouble satisfying a woman.
"Maybe you won't be so lucky next time," she said in a weak voice, continuing to stare at him, realizing she wanted to be that woman, knowing it was an impossible dream.
Stefan packed himself back inside his breeches. "Rafat will not get another chance at me. At least not there. I wear a cod piece whenever I work with the cats."
"And you think Rafat could not rip that cod piece off you, along with what's beneath it, with one swipe of his paw!" Joanna's eyes filled with tears.
"Honey don’t—" Stefan took her face between his hands, looked at her solemnly, and said, "Sweetheart, let me make love to you. Let me take all that stress away. I know you've never been with a man before so you have no idea what happens. But you will feel a release that's beyond your comprehension until it happens. Give me your body for one night. Let me pleasure you in ways you cannot imagine."
"No, Stefan," she said, backing away from him. "Your making love to me won’t work because it will only make me want you more than I already do. And in the end, it won't stop you from going back into the cage with your cats. And I will never understand how you can gamble your life like that when you know the odds are against you. I can't live with that. So please just go now... stay away from
"I don't know," Stefan replied. "I'll work with him for a while longer, then decide."
The passion Joanna felt moments before was replaced by anger, and it was all she could do to keep from pounding her fists against Stefan's chest. Instead, she said, in a clipped dry tone, "What makes you finally decide when to get rid of him? When he attacks you and you end up with brain damage, or get your arm ripped off like Klaus Haufchild?"
Stefan looked at her with a start. "How do you know about Haufchild?"
"Walter pointed him out tonight."
Stefan's eyes flashed with alarm. "Where was he?"
"In the audience. Why do I get the feeling this man is in some way a threat?"
Stefan ignored her question. "What was Haufchild doing?"
"Just watching you. He left right after you were finished, when he saw Walter." Joanna studied Stefan's face. "What's going on? You're acting the same way Walter did."
Stefan shrugged. "I'm just curious why Haufchild is here." His eyes drifted off momentarily, then he gave Joanna a guarded smile, and said, "Don't worry, honey, I won't end up like him. And what you saw tonight won't happen again."
"You can't possibly give me that assurance," Joanna said, angry with his constant denial. "Look at the scars on you! Every time you got clawed I'm certain you assured everyone, including yourself, that it would never happen again." Her gaze dropped to the scar low on his belly. She reached down and lowered his breeches until a brush of pubic hair, divided by a bald band of scar tissue, emerged. "Rafat already tried to emasculate you. Do you intend to wait until he completes the job before you get rid of him!" she said, frustrated with Stefan for keeping the dreadful lion. " Or maybe he already did and that's why your wife left you !" she cried, then immediately regretted her words.
Stefan's eyes darkened. "Rafat did not reach his mark, but if you need proof that I'm still a man capable of taking care of you as my wife, if it comes to that, then I'll give you that proof. There are enough issues coming between us without this being one of them." He shoved her hand aside and tugged on the lacings on his breeches.
"Stefan, no, wait, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply—"Joanna stopped short and stared in shocked silence, not at the scar, but at the perfection of even that part of Stefan, large and full and thrusting upward. The scar veered around his hardened shaft and terminated above one full round testicle. It was obvious he'd had multiple stitches to close the wound. But it was also clear that he would have no trouble satisfying a woman.
"Maybe you won't be so lucky next time," she said in a weak voice, continuing to stare at him, realizing she wanted to be that woman, knowing it was an impossible dream.
Stefan packed himself back inside his breeches. "Rafat will not get another chance at me. At least not there. I wear a cod piece whenever I work with the cats."
"And you think Rafat could not rip that cod piece off you, along with what's beneath it, with one swipe of his paw!" Joanna's eyes filled with tears.
"Honey don’t—" Stefan took her face between his hands, looked at her solemnly, and said, "Sweetheart, let me make love to you. Let me take all that stress away. I know you've never been with a man before so you have no idea what happens. But you will feel a release that's beyond your comprehension until it happens. Give me your body for one night. Let me pleasure you in ways you cannot imagine."
"No, Stefan," she said, backing away from him. "Your making love to me won’t work because it will only make me want you more than I already do. And in the end, it won't stop you from going back into the cage with your cats. And I will never understand how you can gamble your life like that when you know the odds are against you. I can't live with that. So please just go now... stay away from
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