Leopard's Kiss (Shadow Guardians) (Shadows Guardians Book 1) by Stephanie Rowe

Author:Stephanie Rowe [Rowe, Stephanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781940968292
Publisher: SBD Press
Published: 2016-06-10T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

She wanted to pretend there was nothing outside the shield of his arms.

Anya closed her eyes, listening to the steady thump of Slade's heart beneath her cheek. Her body was sated, but not drained. His arms were tight around her, his fingers drifting through her hair.

"How are you?" he asked, his voice cautious.

Her heart softened at his concern, and she rolled on top of him, propping her elbows up on his chest. "I'm fine."

He searched her face, his gaze intense as he inspected her. Then, finally, a small smile curved the corner of his mouth. "You're okay."

She grinned. "I am. I knew you could kiss me without hurting me."

He tugged lightly at her hair, his face more relaxed than she'd ever seen. He looked much younger, making her wonder exactly how old he was. Had the hard years he'd lived stolen part of his youth? "It's never been like that," he said. "It was...surreal."

The reverence in his voice made her throat tighten. "I agree." She loved being sprawled across him. His body was hard and warm, making her feel safe and sexy at the same time.

He was watching her hair fall from his fingers, tumbling over her shoulders. The awe on his face made her feel like some supernova who'd illuminated his world. It had been so long since she'd been truly relaxed. It felt like an eternity since anyone had looked at her like she really mattered. She knew that they had to keep searching for Julia, that this moment was nothing more than a brief oasis in an ugly, terrifying hunt for her best friend, but she needed this moment. Simply being there with him was healing some of the pain that had haunted her for so long, breathing new life and energy into her.

He frowned as he played with her hair. "As I said before, I never thought about the word soft before," he said. "But your hair makes me contemplate the concept."

"I'm getting that impression." She smiled as she watched him. He looked like a little boy experiencing the world for the first time. "Soft isn't a bad thing," she said.

"I always thought it was." He lifted another lock of hair and let it fall to her shoulder. "To me, soft means weak. It meant you were going to get killed, or get someone you cared about killed." He tangled his fingers in her hair and tugged lightly. "But this soft makes me want to pause and experience it." His gaze flicked to hers. "I'm not used to that."

His wariness made her smile. "It's not so bad, is it?"

He shrugged. "It might be." He let out his breath and looked at her. "These people who have Julia are dangerous."

Her contentment faded. "I know."

"You don't have any idea." He clasped his hands behind his head, his gaze still fixed on her. The position made his biceps flex, reminding her of the pure deadliness of the man she was with. "My father was a mercenary. His main gig was to find missing people.

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