Page 6 of Awaken the Dragon
The truck began to move and the interior grew darker. She attempted to relax again, clasping her hands in her lap and letting her mind wander. It was best to focus on the plan, to replay it over and over in her mind so she wouldn’t forget any part, but she couldn’t ignore him.
He dominated the space, not the pure breadth of him, but his simple presence. The scent of his leather jacket filled her nostrils pouring something primitive into her with every breath she took. And she was certain she would never forget the cadence of his breathing because it was like getting a song stuck in her head, even when he wasn’t near she could still hear it. It was the silliest thing she’d ever encountered, to be so taken by someone she didn’t even know.
“What is your name?”
More words blurting from her mouth. She really needed to find some control.
He hesitated as if he were considering whether or not to share this nominal bit of information.
“Theo.” A simple name said in a simple way.
“I am Shola.”
“I know. You’re the bride-to-be.”
She stilled at the sound of those words. Shewasa bride-to-be. She was going to marry the man she’d been promised to. The man she must kill.
Chapter Three
Hell yeah, he was horny.
That was the only answer for how badly he wanted to touch her. To run his hands over the smooth curve of her shoulders, the upward slope of her cheek, that hollow at her neck where the pendant rested. He needed a woman, any woman, and first thing tomorrow morning he would be on that task, no doubt. But right now, he had to deal with her.
“There are three windows in the bedroom. I’ve closed the blinds and pulled the curtains tight. Stay away from them.”
He stopped in the center of the living room area of the suite and looked around. She wasn’t there. Icy tendrils snaked up the back of his neck and he traced his steps back toward the bedroom. She wasn’t in there because that’s where he’d just come from. He moved past that doorway a short distance to a small bathroom but she wasn’t in there. A thump sounded and he raced back to see her staring down at one suitcase while holding the other in one hand.
“Where were you?” he asked because he was losing his damn mind. She hadn’t been standing here just a few minutes ago.
“There was only one bag here. I had two. So I went into the closest and there was the second one.” She pointed to the door along the wall in the opposite direction.
Cursing was pointless but he definitely needed to get away from her because if his mind stayed intact, his abilities were definitely slipping.
“I’ll put them in your room.” Picking up the bag from the floor was no problem but grazing his hand across hers as he reached for the one she was holding caused a bolt of awareness to streak through his body. He snatched the bag from her and walked away.
The touch of her feet covered in flat-soled shoes landing on the carpeted floor was a muffled sound to his ears. She huffed out a breath and the warmth drifted through the air settling somewhere in his chest area. He coughed and set the bags down the second they were in the room. When he turned to leave she was directly in front of him.
She looked up because she was shorter than his six-feet-five-inch height. He stared down estimating she’d be eye level with his chest if her chin weren’t tilted in defiance, her reddish-brown eyes pinning him with a pointed stare.
“Why are you here alone? Where’s your family?” His body was betraying him and his mind was playing an on and off again trick, but he was determined to get answer.
“Because I’m an adult who is about to be...married. My family will be here when it is time for the wedding.”
Her voice caught on the word “married.” A little hiccup that had the beast inside scrapping against his skin.
“Then why didn’t your husband meet you tonight?” Because if she were his woman, she wouldn’t be traveling to another country alone, not while there were things like demonics and him out here.
“I believe there is a custom about men seeing the bride before the wedding. But I am not sure why that matters to you. I am here at the hotel now and I am safe.”
Both of her neatly arched brows raised and she stood with one hip thrust forward giving just enough attitude to skate the line between sexy and aggressive. Or maybe he just saw the sexy and wanted to toss that into the mix.
“You’re safe and I’m staying.” He moved around her and walked to the door. “Sleep tight.”
He was three steps through the doorway when he heard the door shut and the lock click into place behind him.
Good girl. She needed to lock that door because the way the beast inside him was showing off there was no telling what type of hell could break loose in here tonight.
Where was it?
