Hunting Season: Werewolf Bodyguard Romance (Guarded by the Shifter Book 1) by Kate Rudolph (e novels to read online .TXT) 📕

one for religion. But the thing passing between her and Owen was greater than either one of them and deeper than it had any right to be.

She couldn't call it love, not now, not so soon. But it was much deeper, much truer, than simple lust.

There was nothing simple about this.

She knew deep in her heart that there was no letting Owen go, not now that she had her hooks in him. But figuring out what that meant was going to take work.

The worries washed away as she began to move on top of him, setting the rhythm of their dance. Her body was already taut and teetering at the edge of release, and Owen wouldn't be far behind her.

And then she was rippling around him, crying out his name and babbling nonsense that she was going to pretend she didn't understand. Owen gripped her tight as he came right after her, emptying himself into the condom.

It wasn't over. Not as they separated and he took care of the condom. Not as he lay back down in bed beside her, somehow realizing she wanted a cuddle even if she'd never dare ask for it.

If anything, she wanted him more than she had at the start.

"Stay here tonight." It felt vulnerable to say it. He might have just been buried inside of her, her body still stretched with the memory of him, but some of the hormones had washed away and her defenses were building themselves back up. But were they leaving a door for Owen to slip through?

"Yeah?" He looked thrilled. He wasn't like her. He didn't hide his emotions, he had no secrets. Everything was right there on the surface for anyone to see and it was a kind of bravery Stasia would never possess.

Was this more than a fling to him? Was it possible he was feeling what she was feeling? If she could believe the look on his face, maybe it was real.

But she couldn't just ask. She couldn't be that open. "We've got two more condoms."

He laughed, as if he saw right through her and kissed her.

She was in so much trouble.

Chapter Fifteen

Stasia didn't mean to let Owen move into her room. It just sort of happened. In the morning he started kissing her and her body was way too sated to kick him out of bed. Plus, he gave really good cuddles, something she'd never really wanted before.

Of course, by the time they came down for breakfast Em had to know what was going on. She grinned at them like they were the funniest pair she'd ever seen, but out of some form of kindness for Stasia's tender nerves, she didn't mention anything.

It was another lazy day around the house. Em was happy for the boredom since her days would be scheduled down to the minute once she was back on tour. Stasia would have been going stir crazy, but Owen and Em managed to keep her entertained.

They watched the sequel to the comedy they'd watched the night before and Owen sat right next to her again, one arm slung across her shoulders. She didn't even notice at first when she snuggled against him, but by the time she did it was too late to pull away.

And she didn't want to.

And then that night Owen followed her to her room and pulled out a pack of condoms he'd unearthed from her bathroom. It was a bit arrogant, but she loved it. Things just fell into place when it came to him, no matter that the circumstances for their meeting sucked. He felt right and when he kissed her, she saw stars.

If there was any doubt that they were sexually compatible, that went up in flames on the second night. He had her twisted in knots, physically and emotionally, contortions she didn't know were possible. And she still wanted more.

"Do you like being a bodyguard?" she asked when she couldn't fall asleep. She was right next to him, tracing her fingers up and down his abs.

Owen shivered under her touch. "It's a living."

"That's not an answer." She was dealing with her own career crisis and knew just how bad it could be. She didn't want Owen facing the same issues.

"I like being your bodyguard." He kissed the side of her neck and nipped her with his teeth, probably leaving a mark she'd be embarrassed of in the morning.

"I bet you say that to all the girls."

She meant it as a joke, but he grew serious. "Just you. This has never happened before."

"Sleeping with a client?" It still sent a zing of the forbidden through her brain, but now that they'd taken the plunge Stasia wasn't going to pull back until she had no other choice.

"Falling for a client." Their eyes met and there was no hint of a joke. He meant every word.

It was way too fast. It normally took Stasia a week to decide if she was even willing to consider going on one date with a guy, and in half that time she'd let Owen into her bed—twice!—and couldn't imagine letting him go.

"Too much?" he asked.

She could reject him now. His eyes would dim and he wouldn't hold her as tight. She could tell him she needed more time or that this was just a fling while they were locked in her house and her brother hunted down the people who meant her harm.

But none of that would be true. She'd just be trying to defend herself from the pain that he could bring her if he ever broke her heart.

"Not too much." She couldn't give him more, she wasn't as open as him, but she wasn't about to push him away. Not now. "Tell me something special about you. You have to have secrets." If her soul felt flayed, she wanted him equally exposed.

He stiffened and a strange look crossed his face.

"You can say you shot a man in Reno just to watch him die if you don't want to tell me."