Free Unleashed Temptation by Savannah Stuart Page B

from. Listen, thank you for the flowers but I’m
    at work so I have to go.” She disconnected before he could respond.
    She was probably being paranoid, but she didn’t like the fact that someone she
    didn’t know had sent flowers to her place of employment and gotten her phone number
    without asking her for it first. It was just plain weird. Oh well, she’d practically hung up
    on him, so he’d no doubt gotten the hint.
    * * * * *
    Asha clenched his cell phone tightly in his hand. He resisted the urge to slam it
    against the kitchen counter. The stupid bitch was lying to him. She wasn’t seeing
    anyone. Even if she was fucking that lycan from the party, he hadn’t marked her, which
    meant she was fair game.
    His skin practically itched at the woman’s rejection. Women never said no to him.
    She was the perfect blend of innocence and sexuality. As long as he had steady sex, he
    could keep his power up so it wasn’t even that he needed her. No, he wanted this one.
    64

    Unleashed Temptation
    After pouring himself a healthy glass of scotch, he stalked up the stairs. His slave
    had been unusually quiet all morning. He allowed her to watch television and work
    out, but in the last hour he hadn’t heard any movement. He’d been a little rough with
    her last night so maybe she’d fallen asleep.
    Glancing around his dark room, he frowned to discover it empty.
    “Slave, come here!”
    When she didn’t respond, he headed for the small workout room at the end of the
    hallway. It was empty.
    She couldn’t have escaped. Of that, he was sure. With bulletproof, reinforced
    windows and biometric scanners on all the exits, it was next to impossible for anyone to
    enter or leave without his knowledge. And none of the motion sensors outside had been
    triggered.
    He walked back to his massive room and opened the bathroom door. His lips
    curled up in disgust. The woman’s head fell to the side unnaturally and her silky
    blonde hair fell over the side of the clawfoot tub. Splatters of crimson covered the tile
    floor and white walls.
    He cursed when he saw the broken mirror.
    Careful to step around the shards of glass, he strode across the room. Though he
    hated to get his hands dirty, he reached into the brackish water and pulled the plug. As
    the water decreased, he could see the jagged wounds slicing across her wrists.
    “Stupid bitch,” he muttered. Now he’d have to clean up the mess and dispose of
    her body.
    Not to mention he’d be without sex for a few days. If he got desperate, he could
    find a prostitute, but he preferred his women to look clean and innocent.
    Now he knew it was fate that the redhead had fallen into his path. One way or
    another, the woman would be his.
    * * * * *
    65

    Savannah Stuart
    Nick scowled at Stephan as he stalked across the garage toward him. “What the hell
    was that? You were sniffing Carly’s office like a mangy dog.”
    His brother simply grinned and leaned against the Mercedes Nick had been
    working on all morning. “Whatever, Bro. I didn’t expect to walk in and smell your
    fucking scent everywhere. Good God man, did you fuck all weekend?”
    Nick took a deep breath. He knew his brother wasn’t trying to get under his skin.
    “It’s more than that.”
    Stephan snorted. “I kind of guessed. Does she know…about the family?”
    “No, and I plan to keep it that way for a while.”
    Stephan nodded. “I understand.”
    He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “There’s more to it than the whole
    shifter thing. She hates dogs, man.”
    His brother’s dark brows rose in amusement and he let out a loud bark of laughter.
    “Are you serious?”
    “Yep. She was attacked when she was a kid. She not only hates them, but she’s
    afraid of them too.”
    “Damn.”
    “I know. It’s not that big of a deal but it’s going to be hard enough telling her
    without this added.” The world was full of shifters, fairies, Immortals, and even a few
    vampires were still around, but