Free Animal Instincts by Gena Showalter

the effect. Too, the lines around his mouth were taut. Desire still held him in its clasp.
    “That’s good,” he said, no emotion in his voice. “I didn’t ask you to.”
    A shudder, this one having nothing to do with desire, racked me. He didn’t want me to fill the damn thing out because—I could only guess at the answer, and I didn’t like it. Either he viewed me as so far beneath him I was non-bridal material, which offended me in an ironic sort of way, or he already knew he wanted a commitment from me.
    Commitment …just the word made me want to vomit. Commitment with a client—I think I really did throw up in my mouth a little. Being tied down to someone wasn’t what bothered me. It was the thought of being tied to someone who would one day treat me badly, one day lose all interest in me, one day stop loving me.
    One day make me feel like I was worth less than garbage.
    Richard had treated me very well in the beginning of our relationship. He’d catered to my every need. He’d done everything in his power to ensure my happiness. How quickly that had faded once he had me tied to him.
    Maybe I was assuming too much here, though. Maybe Royce called every woman sweetheart. Maybe he didn’t see me as bride material, but as the perfect candidate for some sort of bizarre sexual ritual he’d picked up on his many travels. A ritual I was perfectly willing to experience.
    Wasn’t I? I was so confused at the moment.
    “What do you want from me?” I asked softly.
    He gave no reply. But a muscle ticked in his jaw, I noticed.
    “You’re a handsome man, Royce, and you have money. You can have any woman you want. Why make them fill out applications? Are you that desperate to get married?”
    The ticking branched to his eyes. Combined with the fury now flickering in his gaze, it made him appear truly menacing. A man who made his enemies tremble with fear and his lovers shiver with desire. “That’s not your concern, Naomi.” Pause. “Is it?”
    Undeterred, I persisted. “A new reality show? You wanted to build a portfolio of naked pictures? You’re tired of online dating?”
    Silence. Heavy, stilted silence.
    Finally, watching me all the while, he said, “Maybe it was forced on me. Maybe I offered up a challenge—think you know so much about what I need, then findme the perfect girl—and someone took the initiative. Maybe, when the applications started pouring in, I realized I’m getting older and I’ve never been in love. Maybe,” he ended in a quiet tone, “I saw my chance.”
    My blood alternately turned hot and cold. Even if he hadn’t liked the situation at first, he’d just admitted he was seriously considering those stupid applications now. That he was looking for a wife. “So you really mean to do it? You really mean to choose a bride?”
    He shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
    I gulped. “Either way, I’m not the one for you.” My head fell forward and I stared down at my hands. “I don’t want your love or a ring. And I—” Come on. Just say it. “And I don’t want your kisses.”
    His expression darkened, and his lips edged into a fierce frown. “I don’t recall asking for your love or your hand in marriage.”
    Ouch. “I’ve been in love before,” I explained, to ease the sting of my words. “I didn’t like it.”
    He reached out slowly, giving me every opportunity to run away. Stupid me, I didn’t. One more touch would be okay. I could handle one more touch. His fingers closed around my wrists gently and tugged, maneuvering me back into a kissable position.
    “I liked the taste of you,” he said. “A lot.” He trailed feathery kisses along the length of my jaw and I liquefied again. Even my Tigress purred her enjoyment. He licked the seam of my lips. “And I think you liked the taste of me. A lot.”
    A sharp lance of desire warred with a cold knot of regret. “No,” I forced myself to say. “No.”
    He looked disbelieving and aroused and oh, so tempting all at