Free Foxy Lady by Marie Harte Page B

flash sharp and white in the dark. “I, ah, that is, I didn’t mean to—”
    “To wave that pretty tail at me? To get me so worked up I couldn’t think past the need to fuck that sweet pussy?” His crude words aroused her, and he seemed to know it. “So many secrets. Prim and proper Julia likes it rough, and she likes it dirty. If you hadn’t already wrung me dry, I’d do you all over again.”
    Her face felt hot enough to melt the sun. “Ty.”
    “It’s true. And I came hard inside you, baby. Too late to stop that now, but next time we’ll use protection. Maybe.”
    She couldn’t miss the odd look on his face, nor could she mistake his intention when he rubbed her belly.
    “Wh— I didn’t— I can’t—” She couldn’t breathe. What if she had kits? What if her babes came out…different? Oh my God. What a mess.
    “Julia?” Ty frowned and withdrew. “It’ll be all right. No matter what, I’ll take care of you.”
    She started hyperventilating, and he shushed her and rocked her in his arms.
    “I know neither of us planned this, but you have to admit it’s been building for a while. How about we let this relationship run its course? You and me, what’s not to like? Even your aunt can’t say I’m not good enough for you.”
    “True,” she agreed, still blindsided from her stupidity. How could she have let him come inside her?
    “We could get married to seal the deal,” he teased. “Want to hang around until Saturday and let Ned walk you down the aisle to me?” The sudden passion in his bright eyes blinded her. “Honey, what’s wrong?”
    “I can’t marry you.” Her sisters would be disowned and cast out. Ty would hate her as soon as he learned what she really was. The good girl she’d strived to be her whole life would no longer matter once she lost what meant so much to her. Acceptance, a place in society. Her home. Ty’s love.
    He paused and glanced away. “I was just teasing, Julia. Relax.”
    Her face flamed. Of course Ty wasn’t asking her to marry him. The most eligible bachelor in town didn’t want Julia. Though an Easton, she was little more than an orphaned fox with little standing in the community.
    “Question number one, why wouldn’t you marry me, if I was asking, that is?”
    “Are you kidding me? You want to play twenty questions now ?” She couldn’t believe she’d acted so uninhibited with him. God, I actually begged him to come in me. I am seriously losing it. Because thoughts of having Ty’s baby pleased the hell out of her.
    “You want me to smooth things over with the council, answer my questions. Honestly. I can smell a lie.”
    Foxes couldn’t do that, could they? She never had been able to smell with that degree of precision, but Ty was the sheriff. Perhaps his sense of smell accounted for what she’d always attributed to a cunning mind.
    “But, Ty—”
    “If I have to ask again, I’m going to go back and tell the council Meghan not only left Cougar Falls for a man, but that his family is a bunch of hunters who kill for sport.”
    “That’s a lie.”
    “It’s true. They hunt for sport. They’re just not Hunters.”
    She fumed. “Blackmail?” Before he could open his mouth to retort, she stopped him. “Fine. I wouldn’t marry you because I don’t—” Love you? That would be a lie. She loved him. And that was a big part of the problem.
    “You don’t what?”
    “I don’t want to get hurt.” There. That was the truth.
    He frowned. “I’d never harm you, Julia. I admit, I was a bit rough before, but I’m the one carrying bite marks.” He glanced down at his arms, looking pleased.
    “Not physically harmed. Emotionally. You have a lot of girlfriends. I couldn’t marry a man who wouldn’t be loyal.”
    “ Had a lot of girlfriends, and there weren’t actually that many. Does it bother you I dated women who weren’t fox?”
    “Not at all. I think the clan’s too narrow-minded for their own good.” The one thing she’d always