Page 60 of Primal Bonds

“I brought you a gift.”

“A gift?” A delicate black eyebrow winged up.

He indicated Nika. “She attacked one of my men in Grace Harbor. I figured your brother might want to question her.”

“Grace Harbor isn’t our territory.”

He shrugged. “Close enough.” Which she knew as well as him.

Upstream, another dolphin was making a beeline for them. Adric stepped closer, fingered a wet black ringlet. “I have to go.”

He prided himself on his control. He’d never have made alpha without it. But then Rosana moistened her full lower lip and his control broke with an almost audible snap. With a growl, he speared his fingers into her hair and dragged her up against him.

She went stick straight—and then she gripped his shoulders and opened her mouth. Adric sank into her. There was no other word for it. He went deep and mindless. One hand tangled in her hair while the other smoothed over her firm ass, urged her up against his aching cock. His tongue sought hers and they tasted each other. One slow, sweet kiss.

His heart slammed against his rib cage. His head swam with her scent—fresh water and green grass layered over something that was all woman…a fragrance that could only be Rosana do Rio.

A furious snarl sounded from the river. A young, hard-driving tenente named Davi rose from the water, his gaze lethal.

Adric raised his head and resolutely set Rosana from him.

Behind him, Marjani had backed up the jeep. She shoved open the passenger-side door. “Get in, you ass.”

He ignored her to touch Rosana’s cheek. One last stroke of her downy skin.

Her throat worked. She captured his hand—and set it firmly against his chest. “Goodbye, Lord Adric.”

“Rosana—” He was close to begging…and he’d never begged a woman in his life.

Davi strode toward them. “What the fuck’s going on?”

“It’s all right.” Rosana slapped a palm on the tenente’s chest. “Go,” she told Adric.

His cougar gnashed its teeth at seeing her touch another man. But Marjani was right. Rosana do Rio wasn’t for him—and not just because he was alpha of an earth fada clan and she was a river fada. No, there were other, darker reasons he couldn’t allow himself to take Rosana.

With a mocking salute to Davi, he hopped into the jeep. The Rock Run man growled and started toward them, but Marjani slammed her foot on the gas pedal and they sped off in a hail of gravel.

His sister shook her head. “God’s cat, Ric. You have to get over this obsession with her.”

“I don’t want her.” It was a lie, and his stomach lurched in response. “Not for more than a fuck,” he amended.

Marjani snorted and he scowled at her. They drove in silence until she reached the main road. Then her eyes creased with amusement. “Dion’s going to go insane trying to figure out why we left Nika here.”

It wasn’t a smile, but it was the closest she’d come in a long while. Adric blew out a breath—and wrenched his mind away from the sexy Rock Run female.

“And then he’ll give up,” he said, “and have his mate ’port her back to Iceland or wherever the hell she’s from.”

“Either way, she’ll be taken care of. Smart.”

“Exactly.” Adric smirked and tapped his quartz. “Zuri? Any news?”

Chapter 18

“So,” Kyler said, “are you going to sleep with him?”

“Jesus.” Evie’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “You’re my brother, not my dad.”

“You’re all I have.”

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