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above her head.
 What is going on, Styx? Kate demanded.  Stop
jerking me around and give me the truth for a
change& or else you can just get the hell out right
now.
 Nico, he corrected.
 Styx, she countermanded angrily.  Nico
implies a level of intimacy, and I don t know you at
all, now do I?
He ground his teeth.  Fine& but that discussion
is far from over.
 I m waiting, she reminded him.
 All right, he replied. But the expression on his
face suggested he d far rather be sitting in a dentist s
chair right now rather than having this discussion.
 Okay. Zack and I are& we re helping Crispin with a
case.
Her eyes narrowed again. Did he really think
she was going to buy, for one damn minute, that he
was suddenly some kind of undercover agent? Next,
he d be trying to get her to believe he was an alien
from some other damn planet.
 What case?
His gaze searched her face, and he drew a deep
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breath.  Have you noticed anything strange in the
ER? Victims coming in with& severe blood loss?
Strange wounds? A higher number of mortalities
passing through the ER, particularly young,
attractive females. Have you heard any strange
stories coming from the morgue?
That caught her attention, and she peered hard
into his eyes. Rumors, gossip around the nurses
station suddenly came back to her.  What are you
trying to tell me? That there s a serial killer slashing
his way through Tacoma? Some kind of monster
tearing his victim s throats out like a rabid animal?
As soon as she said the last, her eyes widened.
That s exactly what he was trying to tell her. She
could see it in his eyes.
 That woman that lured you to the alley 
 No  she gasped, shaking her head.
Impossible.
 Yes, he argued.  She s involved.
 My God, Kate whispered. If her hand had been
free, she would have instinctively clutched at her
own throat.
As if he d read her mind, Styx nodded and
pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of her nose, then
dropped his forehead to hers.
 But& why you? Why would the police ask you
and Zack for help?
 You could say we have& prior experience with
this sort of thing. He smiled wryly down at her,
lifting his head from hers.  Not too long ago, we had
a similar& problem& in L.A. Cole and I were in a
position to help identify the Rogue and 
 Rogue?
 Ah& the killer. We had the perfect cover, as the
Ro& the killer had targeted the Hu& the music
industry. Closing his eyes, Styx shook his head,
then refocused on her face. His expression grim.
 This killer seems to have fixated on you.
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Cravings
 The stalker&  A fresh wave of chills crashed
through her.  Oh my God, I didn t& I didn t connect
them& I assumed&  Panic welled in the back of her
throat, cutting off her words. Cutting off her supply
of air.
 Shh, he whispered, pressing soft kisses to the
corner of her mouth, her cheek, just below her ear.
As distractions went, that worked quite
effectively. The scent of his skin, the warmth of his
lips pushed heat through her veins, dispelling the
chill that has settled bone deep.
 I swear to you, querida. I will keep you safe.
His lips returned to hers, brushing light as a
butterfly s wings.  Trust in me. His legs released
hers, and one powerful thigh slipped between hers.
Instinctively, Kate lifted her knee, allowing him to
settle farther into the cradle of her thighs. He
caught her lower lip between his teeth, then gently
suckled.  I will protect you with my life, querida.
God help her, but she believed his impassioned
pledge. What kind of fool was she? He d lied to her
once already.
Maybe he d thought he d had no choice&
Kate lifted her head from the mattress, seeking
his lips with her own.
His mouth settled over hers, hot and greedy.
Above her head, his hand released her wrists, and he
linked his fingers with hers. Slanting his head, his
tongue thrust past her parted lips and plundered her
mouth, stealing her breath. Grinding any second
thoughts to dust. Smashing through any hesitancy.
Demolishing her defenses.
Kate lifted her knee higher, hooking her calf
over his thigh, tilting her hips to rub at him in an
unmistakable, timeless invitation. Styx groaned low
in his throat and bucked his hips against her. He
released her hands. One large, warm palm found its
way to her breast, where it cupped and kneaded
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Brenda Huber
with desperate determination. His other hand
slipped beneath her head, his fingers tangled in her
hair, cupping the back of her head.
 Mi corazón, he whispered fervently between
kisses. His scorching lips blazed a trail of fire from
her lips to her ear.  Quiero hacerte el amor.
That wonderful, wicked mouth licked and
nibbled down the side of her throat, turning her
limbs to jelly. Kate caught her breath as he suckled
hard at the pulse racing at the base of her throat. He
mumbled something else against her skin, but she
couldn t make out the words. His voice was deeper,
hoarse& saturated with need& and it resonated
through her body, striking an unfamiliar chord deep,
deep inside. She could happily spend the rest of her
life simply steeping herself in the textures of his
voice.
The heat of his palm dipped beneath the hem of
her sweatshirt, skimming up over the sensitive flesh
of her stomach, and, in a flash, her bra came
unhooked. Slightly abrasive, deliciously warm skin
covered her breast, seducing her with friction.
Weighing. Molding. Kneading. Caressing. Desire
pooled, hot and moist, low in the pit of her belly.
Kate grasped at his broad shoulders, frantic to get
closer.
Her fingers pushed up his neck, sinking deep
into his hair. She gripped his skull, pressing him
closer still. In a flurry of movement, he whisked the
sweatshirt up and over her head. She had no idea
where it landed, couldn t have cared less. Her bra
soon went the way of her shirt, and Kate s breath
left her completely as his sculpted, smooth chest
settled heavily atop hers, crushing her in an
avalanche of decadent sensations.
His lips seized hers, possessive& intoxicating.
His hard hands gripped her hips, dragging her up [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]