Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 159487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 532(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 159487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 797(@200wpm)___ 638(@250wpm)___ 532(@300wpm)
Then Ravik moved in behind her.
Cassie tensed but there was no way to prepare for being held by someone so large. His body curved around hers like a wall of heat—one massive arm sliding carefully over her waist.
To the big Beast Kindred’s credit, he did not put his hand under her nightgown. He didn’t touch her breasts or her thighs or anywhere he shouldn’t have. He just gathered her close, gentle despite his size, and buried his face in her hair with a deep, shuddering breath.
Cassie was stiff at first—of course she was—she barely knew this male. He was half-infected, half-feral, and entirely convinced she belonged to him. She should have been terrified—she should have been plotting how to get away from him. She should have been thinking about locked doors and escape routes and how long she could survive outside if this all went bad.
Instead, all she could think was that he was warm—so incredibly, deliciously warm.
Warm in a way Sskarth never was. Warm in a way Mitch hadn’t been either, since her first husband had hated to cuddle.
Ravik, however, didn’t seem to mind cuddling at all. He drew her closer and his heat sank into her back and shoulders, into her chilled arms and aching muscles. His breath moved softly against her hair and the heavy weight of his arm over her waist didn’t frighten her, for some reason. She should have felt held down—instead she felt…comforted.
But there was something missing. No—someone, she realized. Severin.
“Come here.” She patted the space in front of her, the same way Ravik had when he was trying to get her to lie down with him. “Come closer. I mean, in case something, uh, happens,” she added, feeling unexpectedly shy.
The Blood Kindred scooted closer until he was lying beside her, facing her. He had taken off his glasses and his eyes were piercing blue as he studied her face—studiously keeping his eyes above her neck, she noticed.
“Is this all right?” he asked quietly.
To Cassie’s surprise, the answer was ‘Yes.’ She wouldn’t have expected to feel comfortable sleeping half-naked between two men she’d met only that afternoon. Being bracketed by the two huge, muscular male bodies should have felt like a trap.
Instead, it felt more like…shelter.
Which was dangerous, because if life had taught her anything lately it was that she couldn’t depend on a man for shelter and safety and comfort.
You’d better not get used to this, whispered a little voice in her head. You need to be strong, Cassie. You could still wind up back out in the Dead Zone if you’re not careful or if you go full-Infected.
But she didn’t want to think about those things—not now when she felt so comfortable…so strangely right between the two big Kindred warriors.
“Yes, this is fine,” she told Severin. “Now we can all relax.”
Ravik’s arm tightened slightly and she felt him shift behind her.
“Cassie is safe,” he rumbled and his deep voice seemed to vibrate through her.
She swallowed hard.
“Yeah,” she whispered. “Maybe.”
Severin said nothing, but his gaze lingered on her face in a way that made her feel shy for some reason.
“Um, just so you know, I’m in perimenopause so I can’t promise I won’t have a hot flash tonight,” she said to him, just to make conversation. “I might get you both all sweaty.”
A slight smile touched the corner of Severin’s mouth.
“If I were a cruder male I might say that I wouldn’t mind getting ‘all sweaty’ with you,” he murmured.
Cassie felt her cheeks go pink and wondered if he could see her blushing in the dim amber light of the Visskous mating chamber.
“Yeah, well you’d better keep that kind of thing to yourself,” she said, but her words lacked sharpness.
“I only said I would say it if I was a crude kind of male—which I try not to be,” Severin said. “And you’ll have to forgive me for staring at your breasts earlier. They’re very full and ripe and it’s been a long time since Ravik and I have been around such a beautiful woman.”
His words, spoken in that soft, deep voice and the way his blue eyes were half-lidded as he looked at her seemed to do something to Cassie. Once again she felt desired—by both of them—at least if the Beast Kindred’s rigid shaft pressing against her ass was anything to go by.
But she felt strangely safe too—no one was trying anything—they were both keeping their hands to themselves. And as for the way Ravik’s cock was pressing against her behind, well, that was just a natural reaction to being close.
“I forgive you for looking,” she said and arched her back, trying to get more comfortable—or so she told herself. But to be honest, she was very aware that lying on her side this way pushed her breasts together and the tiny nighty she was wearing showed a lot of cleavage. She could feel her nipples—which were still extremely tight—pressing against the red silk fabric.