Page 21 of Law

Her lips parted as he turned his back to her. It took her a moment to realize he was counting. “Ten. Nine. Eight. You aren’t hiding, little fairy cat. I thought we were playing hide and seek. Seven. Six.”

Oops. He was right. She had to move.

Laughing for the first time in what felt like an eternity, she raced toward the left corner of the yard before veering back to the right. Hoping to trick him, she hid behind the thick trunk of a tree at the edge of the clearing.

His voice was deep and menacing when he spoke. “It’s all about the thrill of hiding, seeking, and what happens once Daddy finds you.”

He chuckled, and that was wicked, too. And delicious. Then he began counting again. “Five. Four. Three. Two. Run.”

She nearly laughed as the thrill of the chase surged through her. She turned just in time to hear his gravelly voice. “Ready or not, fairy cat, here I come.”

Setting aside her trickery and concentrating on staying as still and quiet as possible, she did her best to remain hidden from her Viking. After all, that was what Law was: a formidable Viking with a singular purpose- to find her.

CHAPTER 8

Each second felt like an hour, at least that was how it seemed as Lovie strained to hear any sound that would give her a clue about Law’s whereabouts. To be a marauding Viking warrior, he moved with the silence of a ghost. If they were going to play games like this often—and she hoped they would— she needed to learn that trick.

While she waited, holding her breath to avoid detection, she used the time to search for her next hiding place. Facing the woods, the obvious choice seemed to be to run in that direction. She would be much harder to spot, lost among the dense trees and underbrush.

Only, as she looked more closely, she noticed there wasn’t much underbrush. The close-knit trees remained, but Law had cleared the ground between them to make walking and running easier. The roots, fallen branches, and hazardous plants had been removed.

That must have required a lot of work. He couldn’t have done it in preparation for their game. Did he play these games with manypeople? Just how many Little girls did he regularly chase through the woods? Suddenly, she didn’t feel so special after all.

“I’m not sure you understand the main premise of hide and seek, kitten. You’re supposed to hide.”

Lovie let out a muffled yelp when a large hand covered her mouth, pulling her back into a solid chest. Slowly, he turned her to face him, and she lost her breath as he smiled down at her.

“I was hiding,” she protested. “Do you chase girls through the trees often?”

Her question surprised him. Good, she liked the fact she’d caught him off guard. Maybe now he understood how she felt. Crossing her arms over her chest, she struggled to keep from tapping her foot. “Well?”

“Why would you think that?”

She pointed to the forest. “I just noticed the grounds around here are cleared so they’re easy to navigate. Why is that? Do you invite girls to play games so often it keeps the forest floor clear?”

His eyes narrowed. And why wouldn’t they? She was acting like a crazy person. Where was this jealousy coming from? She had no right to feel that way. She’d just met the man. He didn’t owe her anything at all.

She should be grateful for all he’d done for her. And she was. But whether it was the stress of the day, the fact that he’d saved her from the General and all his various henchmen, or just the fact that they seemed to fit somehow… she wanted to scream at the thought of him running after any other woman.

He was her Viking. Before she realized she had moved, she stepped closer to him. Wrapping her hands around his neck, she pulled down. He bent over, and as soon as he was close enough, she ran the flat of her tongue along the artery pulsing down his neck. She paused behind his ear before pulling away. A wave of self-satisfaction filled her. He tasted of salt and spruce and heat. “There.”

When she loosened her grip, his eyebrows nearly brushed his hairline. Yet his eyes burned with intensity. “Did you just lick me to mark me as yours, little fairy cat?”

The gravel in his deep voice shot sparks straight to her core. The ability to speak deserted her, so she opted for a slow nod because that was precisely what she’d done.

The flames in his eyes burned brighter. He lowered his face so close to hers that his breath caressed her skin as he spoke. “Well then, babygirl. Allow me to return the favor.”

Before she could process what he intended, his lips slammed down onto hers. Warm. Firm. Insistent. Wonderful.

He twisted his fingers in her hair, tugging her head to the side, exposing her neck. “If we’re claiming each other, let me show you how I mark what’s mine.”

He nipped the lobe of her ear, causing her to gasp. Closing his lips over the mark, he lapped the spot with his tongue, easing the twinge of pain.

She arched against him, her nipples hardening and pressing against his chest. A throbbing need settled in her core. What was he doing to her?

He ran his tongue down her jugular, controlling her movements and position with her hair. He set her on fire. She’d never had anyone ever take such complete control over her.

When he reached the base of her neck, he bit her right above the sensitive slope from her neck to her shoulder. Not hard enough to break the skin, but hard enough to leave a mark.

---