lying there unable to sleep? In her
state of exhaustion it seemed like forever.
Vulcan glanced at her from across the hut. She snapped her
eyes shut. The distance between them was too great to distinguish whether she
was sleeping or not but she wouldn’t chance him catching her awake. She
couldn’t stomach another confrontation.
She separated her lashes and peeked. He’d returned his
attention to the fire, tending it with a gnarled stick. He really was a
gorgeous man. Rugged and frightening at a glance but gorgeous. And the way his
arms flexed when stirring the ashes stirred her tummy as well. From the moment
she’d met him he’d invaded her thoughts. She even told Ivy she would occupy her
mind with visions of him while Sledge forced her to mate. Vulcan refused to
subject her to that type of treatment. Inevitably Sledge would take her against
her will. Her own clansman. The one who’d whipped her so harshly she’d bled.
Yet Vulcan set her free.
Perhaps he’d killed the Flesh Eater to protect his tribe.
After all, the Flesh Eaters were killers and had run her clan from their home
and killed her siblings. It might have been only a short time before
reinforcements arrived in an attempt to wipe out the Barbarians.
Maybe she’d gotten it all wrong. Maybe she should
place reputation aside and accept Vulcan for the man she’d encountered at the
lake. The man who’d embraced her gently and given her that first kiss. The man
who’d released her the instant she’d asked. The man who said he’d cherish her
entire body with his mouth and hands.
Heat rose to her face and her tummy stirred yet again with
warmth from the memory of those words.
Yes, perhaps she’d gotten it wrong. She currently shared a
space with the man who’d treated her with kindness and seemed to care about her
the most. He’d even led his own tribe into believing he’d sliced her arm on
Grunt’s behalf. If Vulcan intended to hurt her, he would’ve done so by now.
Would he forgive her? Could he?
She quietly tossed the fur aside and slowly stood, hoping
she wouldn’t draw attention to herself. If he looked at her now she may lose
the nerve to apologize for the way she’d acted.
As inconspicuously as possible she sauntered across the hut.
Only a few steps remained when he turned and looked into her eyes. Her belly rolled
nervously but he shunned her, returning his attention to the fire. She sat down
directly beside him, folding her legs to the side before reaching upward to
touch his shoulder. She lost her nerve and retracted her hand.
Silence droned parallel to her tumultuous emotions while she
stared at the orange and yellow flames that romped in the pit. She inhaled a
deep breath, switching her gaze from the fire to his body. Dark hair covered
his legs and sitting close enough to touch it sent thrills along her spine.
Though tempted to reach sideways and slide her hand along his thigh, she
wouldn’t dare, not knowing the ramifications of touching him so personally
while he ultimately remained upset with her.
Laying her hands in her lap, she glanced at his profile where
the fire glowed along his chiseled features. “Vulcan, I’m sorry,” she said
softly.
His jaw twitched as he turned and peered at her for a mere
second but it was enough time to see the flames reflected in his eyes. Eyes the
color of a night sky, infused with so much emotion she could have wept. “I
don’t want to fight. I want things as they were before. Like when you held and
kissed me.”
She turned his head sideways and lifted his chin. “Look at
me,” she whispered, using the command he’d effectively used on her.
For a long, intense moment his gaze played over her face,
causing her lips to tremble and throat to thicken. “I’m sorry,” she repeated.
She’d never been in a situation to beg for forgiveness and she wasn’t sure what
to say. “Please don’t be mad at me. I can’t help it that I fear the Barbarians.
I need you to know that to help you
state of exhaustion it seemed like forever.
Vulcan glanced at her from across the hut. She snapped her
eyes shut. The distance between them was too great to distinguish whether she
was sleeping or not but she wouldn’t chance him catching her awake. She
couldn’t stomach another confrontation.
She separated her lashes and peeked. He’d returned his
attention to the fire, tending it with a gnarled stick. He really was a
gorgeous man. Rugged and frightening at a glance but gorgeous. And the way his
arms flexed when stirring the ashes stirred her tummy as well. From the moment
she’d met him he’d invaded her thoughts. She even told Ivy she would occupy her
mind with visions of him while Sledge forced her to mate. Vulcan refused to
subject her to that type of treatment. Inevitably Sledge would take her against
her will. Her own clansman. The one who’d whipped her so harshly she’d bled.
Yet Vulcan set her free.
Perhaps he’d killed the Flesh Eater to protect his tribe.
After all, the Flesh Eaters were killers and had run her clan from their home
and killed her siblings. It might have been only a short time before
reinforcements arrived in an attempt to wipe out the Barbarians.
Maybe she’d gotten it all wrong. Maybe she should
place reputation aside and accept Vulcan for the man she’d encountered at the
lake. The man who’d embraced her gently and given her that first kiss. The man
who’d released her the instant she’d asked. The man who said he’d cherish her
entire body with his mouth and hands.
Heat rose to her face and her tummy stirred yet again with
warmth from the memory of those words.
Yes, perhaps she’d gotten it wrong. She currently shared a
space with the man who’d treated her with kindness and seemed to care about her
the most. He’d even led his own tribe into believing he’d sliced her arm on
Grunt’s behalf. If Vulcan intended to hurt her, he would’ve done so by now.
Would he forgive her? Could he?
She quietly tossed the fur aside and slowly stood, hoping
she wouldn’t draw attention to herself. If he looked at her now she may lose
the nerve to apologize for the way she’d acted.
As inconspicuously as possible she sauntered across the hut.
Only a few steps remained when he turned and looked into her eyes. Her belly rolled
nervously but he shunned her, returning his attention to the fire. She sat down
directly beside him, folding her legs to the side before reaching upward to
touch his shoulder. She lost her nerve and retracted her hand.
Silence droned parallel to her tumultuous emotions while she
stared at the orange and yellow flames that romped in the pit. She inhaled a
deep breath, switching her gaze from the fire to his body. Dark hair covered
his legs and sitting close enough to touch it sent thrills along her spine.
Though tempted to reach sideways and slide her hand along his thigh, she
wouldn’t dare, not knowing the ramifications of touching him so personally
while he ultimately remained upset with her.
Laying her hands in her lap, she glanced at his profile where
the fire glowed along his chiseled features. “Vulcan, I’m sorry,” she said
softly.
His jaw twitched as he turned and peered at her for a mere
second but it was enough time to see the flames reflected in his eyes. Eyes the
color of a night sky, infused with so much emotion she could have wept. “I
don’t want to fight. I want things as they were before. Like when you held and
kissed me.”
She turned his head sideways and lifted his chin. “Look at
me,” she whispered, using the command he’d effectively used on her.
For a long, intense moment his gaze played over her face,
causing her lips to tremble and throat to thicken. “I’m sorry,” she repeated.
She’d never been in a situation to beg for forgiveness and she wasn’t sure what
to say. “Please don’t be mad at me. I can’t help it that I fear the Barbarians.
I need you to know that to help you
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