To Master and Defend (The Dungeon Fantasy Club Book 2) Read Free Page A

refrigerator. His kitchen color scheme was like the rest of the place, dark wood and black, with stainless steel appliances breaking up the monotony.
    He approached her, then, kneeling in front of her, he removed her feathered mask, which she'd completely forgotten about with the entire hubbub. He lightly gripped her chin, angling her face as he inspected the damage, and then placed a frozen bag of peas against her jaw.
    "Ow," she murmured. She winced, hissing, staring into his sensual amber eyes framed by some of the longest inky eyelashes she'd ever seen. There were women she knew in this town who would kill for a set of eyelashes like his.
    "Sorry, you're going to have quite the bruise there. Are you sure you don't want to press charges?" he said.
    Like a complete ninny, she couldn't stop the tears as they spilled on to her cheeks. Ophelia had never been exposed to violence like that, even though she'd lived in LA her entire life. She'd never even seen the pictures from her parents' fatal car crash. Mom and Dad had used time out and other punishment tactics growing up. Even though she'd had a few frenemies throughout high school, not one of them had ever struck her. It burned her to her core that she couldn't seem to stop shaking. Ophelia wished with everything inside her that what had transpired downstairs hadn't decimated her sensibilities, but she'd be lying.
    "No, I just want to forget it ever happened. No one's ever—" she blubbered, unable to stop the tears. She observed him through watery eyes, trying to finish her explanation, but found that words escaped her. God, she must look horrible, holding a bag of frozen peas against her right cheek, tears leaking down her face, her left arm wrapped around her body as if she could hold herself together by will alone.
    "Hell," her beefy, gorgeous rescuer muttered.
    Her world upended itself as he lifted her up into his arms, turned and seated the two of them on the sofa. He cradled her against his chest, his warmth seeping into her frigid limbs, and held her with such gentle chivalry. A dam burst inside her and she wept on his firm shoulder. All the while, he comforted. His large hands stroked her hair, her back, cuddling her close while she unleashed her sorrow upon him. As the storm abated, he held a tissue up to her nose.
    "Blow," he commanded.
    She did as he instructed. She kept her face buried in his chest as embarrassment replaced the tears. What must he think of her? Falling apart like this, with a stranger, no less? After her experience tonight, she should be freaked out that she was alone with a man she didn't know, but she felt safe with him. Unlike her attacker, he didn't make her skin crawl. In fact, she became more aware as her crying jag subsided. Warmth had seeped inside her at every spot their bodies touched. Ophelia was curled up like a cat on his lap, her face buried in his firm shoulder, plastered to the contours of his body. He felt marvelous.
    His rather large hands rested on her. They had stopped stroking her as some point during her waterworks, and were now motionless. One hand had curled around her waist, the other rested on her thigh, teasing the hem line of her dress. For the first time, she noticed his warm scent, a little spicy, mixed with deeper notes that made her think of the great redwood forest and set off her pheromones.
    Still holding the bag of peas she angled her head back, taking in just how masculine this man was. This was no poser, no mama's boy, or metrosexual, but an unabashed, unapologetic alpha male who exuded confidence, dominating the world with his presence. Her body had plastered itself to his, melting in a puddle, and she perceived how nicely she fit inside his arms. Her softness met with his corded muscles, not finding an inch of give.
    He was sexy, dangerous and, studying his tousled burnished copper locks, she had the distinct urge to run her hands through it, to see if it was as soft as it seemed. She knew she should say