Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“What? No! I mean…” She trailed off, biting her lip. Lynx had the idea she wanted them to stay with her, but didn’t know how to ask them.
“Would you like us to stay, then?” he asked. “And cast the Aura of Protection over you for the rest of the night?”
“I guess so, only I’m not…not wearing any clothes.” She tugged the sheet a little higher, a look of shame crossing her pretty face.
“That actually makes the Aura work better,” Lynx reminded her.
“I know, but…” She trailed off again.
“She’s worried about us trying something in the middle of the night,” Saxon growled. “And I don’t blame her, after the way I talked earlier.”
Looking down, he captured Mirabella’s gaze with his own—Lynx could see the pale blue fire of his eyes in the dim room.
“Little Mistress,” Saxon rumbled. “I spoke out of turn before—I never should have said what I did. I’m sorry if I gave you reason to fear me.”
Mirabella lifted her chin.
“I’m not afraid of you,” she declared.
Lynx felt a swell of admiration for her. Not many people could face down his fierce Bond-Brother like this little scrap of a female was doing. Mirabella had courage to spare!
“I’m glad you’re not afraid of me,” Saxon said gravely. “Does that mean you’ll let us stay here tonight and keep you safe?”
Mirabella shifted uncomfortably.
“Do…do the two of you have to be naked, too?” she asked at last.
Lynx shook his head.
“As long as you’re unclothed it should be enough. What we need is sufficient skin-to-skin contact,” he told her. “If Saxon and I both have our vests off but leave our trousers on, it should be enough just to cradle you between the two of us.”
“Don’t you mean skin-to-fur contact?” she murmured, brushing her fingertips lightly over the fur on his chest.
The soft, playful touch sent a shiver through Lynx’s entire body and he felt his shaft getting hard. Gods, the longer he was with her, the more he wanted her! But he tried to push the feelings away. He knew Saxon would feel his emotions through their link and his Bond-Brother wasn’t yet ready to feel for another female that way…Lynx wondered if he ever would be.
“We’re partially-Shifted,” he said, pushing the troubling thoughts to one side. “But we can de-Shift—go back to our Skin Forms completely—if you’d prefer it.”
Lynx fully expected her to agree that this was the best thing for them to do, but to his surprise, Mirabella shook her head.
“No,” she said, stroking the fur on his chest again. “No, I like this. It’s like…touching velvet.”
Then she did something even more surprising. Turning, she ran her fingers over Saxon’s short, dense, silvery coat as well.
“Yours is a little more coarse, but it still feels good,” she informed him.
“I’m so glad my fur meets with my Mistress’s approval,” Saxon rumbled dryly, but he was teasing and it was clear in his tone.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean—” Mirabella drew back her hand and Lynx thought she might be blushing.
“It’s all right.” Saxon captured her hand again and put it firmly on his bare chest. “I like the feel of your hands on me, little one. So touch me if you want to—it doesn’t bother me.”
“Oh…” Mirabella’s voice was slightly breathless and suddenly Lynx smelled her desire—a warm, rich, feminine scent that tickled his nose and made his cock swell even more.
But we’re not here to pleasure her—or let her pleasure us, he reminded himself. We’re just here to protect her.
“So you’ll sleep between us and let us cast the Aura of Protection over you then, my Lady?” he asked, drawing her attention gently away.
“Oh, uh, yes.” Mirabella had to draw her eyes away from Saxon’s—the two of them had been having quite a little staring contest as she caressed the fur on his chest. “Yes, as long as nothing…you know…sexual happens,” she finished, taking her hand away from the Lykan Shifter’s chest at last.
“You have our word on it, little Mistress,” Saxon rumbled.
“If it will make you feel better, we’ll both keep our trousers on,” Lynx added. “Though I do think we should take off our boots.”
“All right. That’s…I guess that will be all right.” Mirabella sounded slightly uncertain again, but not worried or unhappy, which was good, Lynx thought.
“Very well then, my Lady,” he told her. “Then if you’d like to lie down in the center of the bed, Saxon and I will take off our boots and lie on either side of you.”
“All right,” she murmured again. And then, keeping the sheet over her as much as possible, she scooted over to lay in the middle of the bed.
THIRTEEN
MIRABELLA
Miri couldn’t believe she was doing this! Hadn’t she sworn to herself that she wouldn’t let the two big Monstrum warriors get her naked between them? Yet that was exactly what was about to happen and she had agreed to it without a fight—without so much as a murmur of disagreement!