Free Edge of Danger by Cherry Adair Page B

gathered inside her.
     
      “Close your eyes.”
     
      “Go to hell.”
     
      The sudden flash of blinding white light seemed to pierce her brain. Eden screamed, and kept on screaming as she fell through space.
     
      The moment they arrived in the castle’s vast dining room Gabriel waited for her screams to peter out.
     
      “Jesus. Fuck. What the hell did you do to her?” Sebastian demanded.
     
      Gabriel leaned against the long, carved mahogany sideboard, arms crossed. Dr. Eden Cahill, she of the curly dark hair and snapping brown eyes, was curled in a tight little ball on the Aubusson carpet in his dining room. At least she’d stopped screaming. The scent of tuberose, warm female skin, and obstinacy filled his senses.
     
      He’d been too close to her for those few seconds before they’d teleported, and his heart was still racing and sweat dampened his forehead. Even his goddamned skin felt too tight. He dragged in a deep breath, held it, let it out slowly, but his self-control didn’t extend to his thoughts.
     
      Sebastian snapped his fingers to get his attention. “Yo. Up here.”
     
      He dragged his attention away from Dr. Cahill to glance at Sebastian. “She refused to close her eyes.” Plucking a lemon from the filled blue-and-gold Murano glass bowl beside him, Gabriel brought the fruit to his nose. His pulse was throbbing through his veins like a freight train, but he made sure neither his impassive expression nor his posture betrayed his thoughts to his friend.
     
      Desire, sharp and strong, continued surging through his body. The hunger clawing at him was invasive, blinding. Dangerous as hell because the temptation to put his hands on her was almost overwhelming and damned hard to resist.
     
      He wasn’t sure how he knew that by touching Eden Cahill he’d be lost. He just— knew.
     
      How fast could he do this?
     
      Right now she was disoriented, weak, vulnerable. Desperately he tried again. A quick hard push at her mind.
     
      Soft, fragrant, and still fucking closed to him.
     
      Her eyes were squeezed shut, her white teeth embedded in her lower lip as she lay without moving. Twisting the small lemon between his long, elegant fingers, Gabriel inhaled the sharp citrus smell, but it did little to blot out the fragrance of her.
     
      Jesus. He was insane to have brought her here. He’d never felt such lust in his life and he had a pretty good idea of why. Which only made a bad situation a whole shitload worse.
     
      “You can open your eyes now, Doctor.” He’d tried bringing her to orgasm one last time in the lab earlier. As frightened as she’d been, as confused as her rising libido had made her, she’d still managed to deny herself. And him.
     
      He was out of choices.
     
      Gabriel loathed having his hand forced. He didn’t want her here. He didn’t want this woman any-fucking-where near him. Yet here she was. Sprawled out on his carpet. Easily within reach. Everything about her was profoundly sensual, calling to him on every level.
     
      He’d be fine, he assured himself, as long as he didn’t touch her. Unfortunately, that was what his beleaguered brain was insisting he do. “I know you’re conscious, Doctor. Open your eyes or I’ll have my friend here tip a jug of ice water over you.”
     
      “Christ, Gabriel. Is this really necessary?”
     
      He sent a warning glance in Sebastian’s general direction. “My question exactly. Eyes, Doctor. Now.”
     
      Both eyes shot open to spear him at ankle level. Still dazed, she frowned, letting her gaze climb his legs and continue all the way up to his face. “What did you do to me, you sick bastard?”
     
      “Much as I relish nicknames,” Gabriel told her dryly, “my real name is Gabriel Edge.”
     
      “Sick bastard works for me.” She struggled to sit up, but her eyes lost focus and she slumped back to the carpet. He knew the room was spinning for her. Reentry could take