Page 40 of The Bear's Chosen Mate
Under her hand, James’s chest continued to heave, pulsing with each heavy breath.His bloodshot eyes seemed unfocused, and she could swear his fangs were slightly out as he attempted to find the man she sensed inching toward safety behind her.
“He touched you,” James growled, far more animal than man.
“He did not,” Kaylee said.
It was true.Between her knocking his hand away and Lara acting like a freaking ninja warrior princess by taking down the guy bothering Kayleeandthe next one in the lineup, she’d barely had time to get worried.
“Touched you.”This time it came out a roar.
Okay.Now it was time to get worried.There was no reasoning with him when he was like this.He was leaving human thought behind and moving rapidly to fight or flight.
And right now, his bear didn’t have a flight reflex.
It was the only thing Kaylee could think of to stop bloodshed from occurring—well, more than the bloody noses and blackened eyes already visible strewn on the floor between their table and where they now stood.
She fisted the front of his shirt with both hands and dragged herself up against him, using her body as a shield in an attempt to calm him down.
“I’m safe.I’m okay.”
James was having trouble focusing, and he was still growling.
Kaylee slid her hands up his chest until she could cup his face.When he didn’t look at her, she gave into frustration and caught hold of him by the ears, tugging sharply to get his attention.
His bear stared back.
“I’m going for a run,” she said as haughtily as possible.“Maybe if you catch me we can have a discussion about your behaviour tonight.”
His arm swung out as if he would grab her in an enormous hug, but she wasn’t a cat for nothing.She dropped to the floor, and with a quick finger wave at her friends, headed for the exit.
Somebody in the crowd was alert enough to realize she needed a little help, shoving the door open then darting out of the way.It was a good thing, because she was using both hands to tear off her shirt.She made it through the opening and hung a hard right, all but throwing herself to the ground as she jerked off her skirt, kicked off her boots and shifted.
James was seconds behind her.Somebody must’ve gotten in his way for long enough to give her that much of a head start, but it was enough.She raced toward the path conveniently located at the side of the parking lot.The one that headed into the wilderness, with multiple hunting trails and jogging paths for when the human community wanted to get out into the great outdoors as well.
Warm air rushed past her.Kaylee took deep breaths and let the distance vanish beneath her feet.She would’ve been quicker on snow, but the thick padding on her paws let her cover the branch-strewn spaces between the trees as she darted from one path to the next, leading James away from anyone he might get in trouble for decapitating.
She slowed and ducked around a tree—and damn near bumped into him, his massive bulk sitting in the middle of the path like a door stop.
Kaylee backpedaled, darting away and through a patch of prickly brambles, ducking low enough that she could fit without losing more than a few tufts of fur.
She ran through the open space on the opposite side as rapidly as possible, looking to get ahead of him.He’d have to go around the entire area, and the extra distance would give her time to—
Only, when she popped back out on the trail, he was there, lying across the path as if he were a Playboy model.One furry leg bent up and crossed over another, head supported on a paw.
He’s cute,her cat said.He’s not supposed to be that cute.
Cute, but oh so annoying.
I’d kiss him, her cat said with shocking agreeability.
Which changed things to the nth degree.Her cat rarely liked anyonethatway.Kaylee padded over to where James was waiting, now rolled onto his belly, watching her closely.
What the hell?Kaylee let her wild side do what she wanted, which was to nip the tip of his ear.
James batted his enormous powerful paw against her so delicately he wouldn’t have disturbed the wings on a butterfly.
Quickly, she was shifting, and so was he, as he pulled her into his arms and brought her to the ground with him.He kept his body under hers, taking her lips possessively.The low rumble that had been pouring from his chest finally faded away after he’d kissed her hard enough to leave her gasping.
She knelt over him, palms pressed to his naked torso, staring down into his big brown eyes.“I don’t need you to hurt people for me,” she scolded.
