Free Galin by Kathi S. Barton Page A

to. But
no one else knows how much I would like to sit you on the counter again and
taste the rest of your skin. Do you suppose all of you would taste that delicious?
I wonder.
    You should behave yourself. And no…I mean, I
don’t know if I taste that way. But you’re not going to get to find out. Dusty realized she
was speaking to him the way he had her. Why can I talk to you this way? I’ve
never been able to do that before.
    I would imagine it is because you are going
to be my wife, and that is the way of things with our kind. She looked at him,
shaking her head. I don’t want it either and I’m trying to figure out how
this came to pass. It was tricky of Him, I’ll give Him that, but still…. And we
might have to try something else if we’re to get out of this without having
sex. But I have to say, even kissing you brings all manner of thoughts to my
mind. All of them have us both naked.
    What do you mean, “He was tricky”? Who? She looked in the
direction he nodded and saw Boss, ignoring his comment about them being naked.
She looked back to Galin. You think He planned for you to take me on the…for
you to kiss me like….
    I believe when He told me I was to protect
the boy it was to put me in your sights. I don’t care for His tactics, but
nothing more is going to come of it. Not if we’re careful. I think we should
work together until we have figured this out.
    You keep saying that. Figure what out? Because
I’m not going to marry you. Not for all the money in the world. She felt his laughter
and she wanted to hit him. You listen here, buddy, right now I’m hard
pressed not to get up and bash your head in. If I had to marry you, you’d not
make it to the end of the day.
    I’m immortal. You will be as well if we were
ever to give in to our desires and have sex. But that isn’t going to happen. At
least I hope not. Actually, I do want it to happen, but not enough to wed you.
I’ve no desire to have a wife. Dusty felt her anger build up and it didn’t
help when he laughed again. You are simply lovely when you are fired up.
    Standing up, she started toward him but he
stood as well. She wasn’t sure what he had been planning but she was leaving.
Looking at Kip, she put out her hand. She wasn’t sure he was going to take it,
and when he did, the two of them moved toward the door. Agon, another arrogant
man, stepped in front of her.
    He stared at her for several seconds before
he threw back his head and laughed. He moved out of her way and she stopped
before leaving just to look at him. He bowed low and smiled at her when he
stood up.
    “I was going to ask you if you thought it safe
to leave here, but I can see that whatever tried to take you on might be
getting more than he bargained for. You are very…angry, are you not?” Not
bothering to answer him, she went out of the house and to her car. Kip got into
the passenger’s side without her saying anything to him and she started the
car. Dusty was glad she’d not had to remind him to buckle up. They were on the
highway when he finally spoke.
    “Those people have wings and they’re in your
house. I’m not…what do you suppose they want?” She glanced over at him and tried
to think how to answer him when he spoke again. “The man in my dreams had wings,
but his were dark, a bloody red dark, and he looked…hot.”
    “Hot?” He nodded and she looked out the window
again. “I have no answer to that, Kip. I’m sorry. But he called me. Today when
I got back from the store. He said he was going to…he said he was going to take
you from me. And I’m pretty sure he’s going to try, but I’m not going to let
anyone take you from me.”
    Kip sat there through the next three lights
without saying a word. When she pulled into a pizza place he turned to look at
her. She felt her heart break for him. When he looked out the window again she
wondered if he was going to speak and waited.
    “Why not?” He looked at her when she didn’t
answer him.