Rage & Killian Read Free Page B

night.”
    “Ugh.” She glared at him, pretending her heart wasn’t racing and her palms sweating. Christ, what was it with this male? Did he have some sort of direct connection to her deepest urges? “You haven’t changed.”
    “You have.” Without warning he prowled forward, the glow of the overhead light adding a gloss to the ebony satin of his hair and shimmering in the amazing violet eyes. Slowly his hand lifted to brush over her cheek before he was reaching to tug at the scrunchie that contained her long hair in a ponytail, allowing the reddish-gold curls to cascade down her back. A low growl rumbled in his chest. “If it wasn’t for your scent, I would never have recognized you.”
    Lucie took a shocked step backward, slamming into the cabinets behind her as she struggled to breathe.
    “What are you doing?”
    The scent of his musk deepened, saturating the air with his male arousal.
    “There’s no need to panic.” He combed his fingers through her hair, as if he was savoring the feel of the strands sliding against his skin. “Unlike you, I don’t bite.” He leaned down to whisper directly in her ear. “Not unless you ask really…really nice.”
     

Chapter 2
    Rage was lost in sensations.
    It was crazy.
    He’d spent over six hours searching from one end of New Orleans to another trying to locate Lucie Gaudet. He was tired, hungry, and pissed that Parish was wasting his skills. He should be hunting down the bastards who were responsible for capturing Pantera and treating them as their personal test animals.
    But then he’d caught Lucie’s scent.
    He’d recognized it immediately. A fragrant, enticing musk. Like primroses. Sweet, with the danger of prickles beneath the velvet blooms. He had no idea why it seemed so familiar. As if the smell had been a part of his unconsciousness for years. Perhaps decades.
    Then he’d caught sight of his prey and it felt as if his entire world had been turned upside down.
    It wasn’t just her unexpected beauty, although he’d been stunned at his first glimpse. Who knew that once the tangles were combed out of her hair, it would prove to be a glorious gold that was threaded with hints of fire? Even pulled into a tight ponytail, he’d known it would look perfect spread across his pillowcase. Or that her too-thin face would mature into elegant lines that emphasized the bright gold eyes rimmed with jade?
    It was the lingering resemblance to a tiny wood sprite he used to glimpse in the trees. She was elusive and untamable. Like quicksilver.
    And it wasn’t until he caught sight of her again that he realized just how much he’d missed her presence in the Wildlands. Oh, he’d been aggravated by her outrageous behavior. And his human side had considered her a childish pest. But deep inside it was as if his cat had been waiting, always knowing that he would once again cross paths with Lucie.
    The knowledge was terrifying.
    Unfortunately, it didn’t keep him from being obsessed with the need to touch the wary young female. Not even when she was glaring at him as if she wanted to punch him in the junk.
    Stroking his fingers through the warm silk of her hair, he watched in fasciation as it brushed against the milky softness of her cheek. At the base of her throat he could see her pulse fluttering, the evocative scent of primroses clouding his mind.
    He had to have a taste.
    Now.
    Bending down, he skimmed his lips over her forehead. The caress was light, giving her the opportunity to turn away. Just because his cat was furiously trying to get close to her didn’t mean she was equally eager.
    She stiffened. Was she going to shove him away?
    The question was answered when she tilted her head back to give him better access. Rage didn’t hesitate. With a low growl, he covered her lips in a kiss that had nothing to do with his usual skilled seduction.
    This was raw and needy and way too demanding for a first kiss.
    Framing her face in his hands, Rage continued to plunder her