Free Claiming Their Cat by Maggie O'Malley

look like a cow. Running around without clothes is just sick.”
    “First of all, I’m not a pervert , and y ou ’re the cutest cow I’ve ever seen . And running around naked — is immensely appealing. Now, get them off.”
    The edge in his voice conveyed that he would do it , but Cat stood her ground. “Where was all that talk about protecting me?”
    “I am protecting you by keeping you from running.”
    “That’s just twisted.”
    “Uh-huh. Now strip.”
    What choice did she have? He was bigger and stronger and meaner which gave him all the leverage.
    Cat blushed as she pushed her pants down and let them drop. Why couldn’t the goodie bag have had panties in it? “What makes you think I won’t bash you in the head and then put my clothes back on and run?”
    “I’m going to lock them in my bag. So you can bash my head in, but you’ll have to do your running in those itty -bitty towels from the bathroom or a bed sheet.” His brows shot up letting her know he didn’t believe she’d actually do that.
    Great. Now he’s calling me fat. She snatched her shirt over her head, picked up her pants, balled them both up, and threw them at him. “Are you happy now?”
    “Almost.” He rose from the bed—naked—and strolled to his travel bag. She tried to see if his bag really had a lock. His hulking frame blocked the view, but his muscular back tapered down to a very nice ass. Then there were his strong legs. The whole package was a marvelous caramel brown. All she could think of was a centerfold in Killers-R-Us magazine. Hell, she’d even buy a subscription.
    “You’re staring at my ass,” he said over his shoulder.
    What? Did he have eyes in the back of his head? Or is that what he expected her to do? “Says who?”
    He spun to face her. “ Says me.” Yep, he caught her, and he was grinning from ear to ear. His smile actually reached his eyes, making him more human, less—scary.
    She cleared her mind and rolled her eyes. His heated gaze traveled to her breasts and back to her face causing her belly to quiver. Why was she still standing instead of hiding under a sheet? “Which side do you want me to sleep on? Next to the lamp or next to the door?”
    “ L amp.”
    “Good. I wo n’t have to go too far to use it on your thick head .”
    Before she could move, he’d crossed the room and stood before her. She took a step back. Her eyes flicked down. He was semi-hard.
    He stepped again, almost touching her, so close she felt the heat from his body. “I just want you to know I think you’re sexy as hell, and if I wasn’t so damned tired, I’d try to seduce you. But you need your sleep, and so do I.”
    Okay, she certainly didn’t expect that. “You got a thing for pregnant women?”
    “Nope. Just you.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Riiight.”
    Maybe he was suffering from a mental disease that skewed his thinking. He hadn’t touched her, but she felt like he had with those piercing eyes.
    “And.” He cupped her face with his big, rough hands. “I will seduce you when you’re safe.” He slowly moved his face towards hers. Oh my God, he was going to kiss her.
    In anticipation, her breath caught in her throat. She should move, step back, but she was frozen in place. Then he smiled and moved to the bed. She blinked. He slipped between the sheets and patted her side of the bed.
    Cat felt like a fool. Of course, he wouldn’t kiss her. It was a game she wasn’t even skilled at playing, much less winning. He pulled the sheet down on her side. She should refuse, and pile up in the chair, but she didn’t think her back could take it. Cat climbed in, noticing how the bed dipped towards him. She turned off the light and rolled on her right side away from him fighting the downhill slippery slope. Damn, it’s going to be a long night.
    She closed her eyes and tried to force calmness over her, but the double bed wasn’t helping any. Rio was too big for this bed and with her extra belly, keeping a sliver