Burned Deep Read Free

I wasn’t the reckless sort, yet a scintillating sensation flared within me.
    His gaze remained connected with mine as he spoke to the spiky-haired guy. “I think you owe the lady an apology.”
    â€œI didn’t know she came with a bodyguard,” the blond ground out. Craning his neck to look around the broad-shouldered man caging him, he acridly added, “Sorry, sweetheart.” The stranger released him and stepped away. The blond skulked off with his friends, muttering “Asshole” under his breath.
    â€œCome on, Ari,” Sean said as he gently took my hand—the first wholly innocent gesture in this incident.
    Yet I recoiled again, breaking the trancelike gaze with emerald eyes I would never forget, and hissed out, “Everybody stop touching me.” My heart thundered as anxiety mounted.
    I sidestepped the group. A concerned Grace asked, “Are you okay? I called Security.”
    â€œWe’re good—I’m good,” I told her. “Sorry for the trouble. That was all my fault.”
    â€œNo, it wasn’t. I called Security on Tattoo Guy,” she said. “He shouldn’t have grabbed you. Looked like it hurt.”
    â€œIt’s fine,” I lied. My arm smarted.
    She whispered, “Who’s Dark and Dangerous?”
    Clearly, she meant the gorgeous green-eyed stranger. “I don’t know.”
    â€œInteresting,” she murmured. “He’s been watching you since you made your grand entrance. He is smokin’ hot. The best man is damn good-looking, too. Lucky you, all the way around.”
    Heat burst on my cheeks. “Not interested,” I said, trying to compose myself as the groomsmen paid up and I herded them toward the door.
    My pulse still jumped. Not just from the sexy stranger—and the way he’d put an immediate stop to what could have been a disastrous altercation. Competing with the excitement he elicited was a bit of apprehension, because I didn’t like anyone moving in too close. These guys bumped against my boundaries. Only one of them hadn’t touched me, or tried to.
    â€œRelax, Ari,” a groomsman scoffed as he shrugged into his jacket, not knowing the true source of my consternation. “Weddings never start on time.”
    â€œMine do.” Feeling that smoldering gaze again, I turned around. The stranger stood facing me—an impressive six-foot-two or-three inches tall. Muscular. Strong. Powerful. Formidable.
    His eyes narrowed. My stomach fluttered. I couldn’t explain why.
    â€œThanks,” I said tentatively.
    His emerald gaze flicked to Kyle before the now-disgruntled best man disappeared out the door, then returned to me. “Try to be a little more careful.”
    â€œRight.” I bristled slightly at the admonishment but brushed it off. I needed to leave, yet my feet remained rooted where they were. His mesmerizing gaze held me captive. I couldn’t breathe again. It took several seconds to return to myself and head to the door.
    â€œAri.”
    His tone was low this time. Rich. Sensual. The warm timbre worked its way through my body and slid slowly, tantalizingly down my spine. Chasing away the apprehension. Making me shiver and inciting a tickle along my clit that had my inner walls clenching as my thighs pressed together.
    I glanced back. “Yes?” My voice was suddenly much too soft and breathy. I was deeply aroused by the way he so intimately said my name—the fact that he’d paid close enough attention to pick up on it.
    His jaw clenched briefly. Then he asked, “Are you all right?”
    I stared at him for several suspended seconds. Why did it matter to him?
    Given his size and agility, he probably felt duty bound to rescue girls like me, who never went looking for trouble but somehow inadvertently found it from time to time.
    â€œSure,” I finally said, then dragged my gaze away and forced myself to walk out.
    I left the