Page 26 of Pretty Little Prey
Summoning all of her daring and confidence, she stormed out of the bathroom and into the living room where she heard the men speaking to each other.
Water dripped from her onto the hardwood floors.
She weaved down the long hallway to enter the common room. Kobe and Sly sat on either end of a wide sofa while Bastille sat in a regal-looking, black vinyl wingback chair with brass nail-headed trim. Nikolai stood—or maybe it would be better to use the word “lurked”—by the grand fireplace. The flames cast shadows and golden light around the room—considering the sun had gone down hours ago, it was the only gleam that made the four dangerous men visible.
At the sound of her bare feet slapping over the hardwood, the men looked up, stopping their conversation as she entered the room.
Kobe shot up to his feet as soon as he saw her. Sly and Nikolai’s eyes widened before narrowing on her.
Bastille, cool as a sexy cucumber, sat on his elegant chair and gazed at her bare thighs, revealed by the short towel wrapped around her. His expression may have remained indifferent, but his stare burned into her skin. He hungrily brushed a thumb across his lower lip as his gaze raked over her.
Theyallgazed hungrily at her.Thank goodness I won’t be producing any prey pheromones for a bit. Because arousal twisted low in her stomach as they perused her dripping body.
“Do you need help toweling yourself dry, Princess?” Bastille asked. “You’re dripping water all over my floor.”
“I’m sure this is the first time a woman has been wet in front of you, Bastille.” Feigning confidence and power, she tipped her chin up and demanded, “I need clothes.”
The men did not reply for several seconds. In fact, the four of them glanced at each other then went back to ogling her. Sly grinned like all his dreams were coming true, amusement pouring from his bright eyes. Her damp hair continued to drip water on the floor, which she did nothing to stop because: screw them, they were keeping her hostage.
She repeated, “I need clothes.”
“Do you?” Bastille shot back.
“I vote ‘no’ on clothes,” Sly remarked.
Meanwhile, Kobe began to strip himself. The muscles in his thick arms strained as he pulled his dark blue shirt over his head, revealing a set of abs that took Luna’s breath away. The werewolf was made of pure muscle. Broad shoulders, meaty arms, and…wow. Luna wanted to explore the dips and ridges of his torso with her tongue.
But he was a wolf like Rohan.Stop lusting after him!
Still, Kobehadmade her a grilled cheese and been the nicest to her so far.
Kobe cautiously took a few steps closer to her, reaching out to offer her his shirt. She hesitantly took it from him, trying not to stare at those sexy as hell abs. The warmth from the fabric of the shirt seeped into her. Surprisingly, something about his scent comforted her. He smelled like a run through the forest—pine and earth and crisp morning air. Familiar. Home.
Sly snorted. “Damn, Kobe, you going to give her your pants too?”
Kobe looked down at himself then back at Luna with a questioning expression. His fingers dipped to the waistband of his sweatpants, and she choked out a gasp.
“N-No. This is fine.” She clutched the shirt to her chest. Kobe was a large man, and his shirt was sure to cover a huge portion of her body. No worries about flashing the men if she bent over in it. “I just, uh, needed something to sleep in for the night.” But would it just be one night? How long did they plan on keeping her?
“We should get her some baby doll nightgowns,” Sly joked but was clearly scrolling on his phone as if he had just started the online shopping. “Do you prefer pink or light blue? We all know Bastille would prefer you in black lace.”
Bastille still silently stared at her. His gaze flicked down to her pale thighs once more.
“Which bedroom am I sleeping in?” she asked.
The men glanced at each other again.
“Rock, paper, scissors?” Sly asked.
Bastille tsked. “Is the couch not good enough for you, Princess?”
“You can sleep with me, Moonbeam,” Kobe offered.
She shook her head, trying to clear out the thoughts of slumbering beside the sexy shirtless man. She might end up grinding against him in her sleep with how horny she was. “To be clear, I will not be sleeping with anyone. I just need a bed. An empty one.”
Notsleep with his mate? That kind of thing was unnatural. Kobe already had a hard time not touching her or being in the same room as her. He had given her as much distance as possible after she seemed so scared of him upon meeting, but he was reaching his limit. His entire life, he had wished to find his mate. His true soul and heart match. He wished to not feel alone anymore.
When his pack left him behind so many years ago, he found Bastille and the others, but he still craved acceptance and love from a mate.
