Free Kalen by Tianna Xander

imagined her arms and legs, smooth legs, he noticed. He also noticed how she remembered her slim body and the way she looked fresh from the shower.
    His cock hardened at the thought. As much as he was sure he didn’t want a mate, he wondered what it would be like to come home to this woman every afternoon, to make love to her every night. His breathing grew shallow as he thought of their bodies pressed together, his lips against hers. What would it be like to sink his cock deep inside her?
    “You’re a pervert, Kalen,” Ally said as she curled up in a little ball. “Did you think I couldn’t pick up on your thoughts while you were so tuned into mine?”
    Kalen pulled from her thoughts and gave her a sheepish grin. “Sorry about that. I think it was your image of yourself, fresh from the shower that did it.”
    “Ha! If I remember correctly, you got hard at my legs, you degenerate. Now, give me my clothes and turn around.”
    Kalen did as she asked. He didn’t need to watch her dress with the image of her naked still fresh in his mind. “I think it may have had something to do with the way you smell as well.” He grinned. “It may have been my thoughts that took you there, but you can’t deny the thought aroused you.”
    “Yes, I can,” she sniped as he listened to her pull his shirt over her head. “Okay. I’m as decent as I can get, I suppose. You can turn around now.”
    Kalen turned back to her, his gaze traveling up from her feet and pausing at her thighs for a moment as he wondered if they were as soft and creamy as they looked.
    “Hey, lothario, my face is up here,” Ally practically snarled as she waved her hands in his face.
    She may deny her feelings, but Kalen knew she was just as attracted to him beneath that veneer of indifference. As she mentioned his arousal, so did he sense hers whether she cared to admit it or not.
    Kalen allowed his gaze to linger a bit longer before he raised his gaze to hers and smiled. It wasn’t the easy grin he gave everyone. The smile was the one he practiced in the mirror to catch the attention of any female he wanted, and while he hated to admit it, he wanted this one. His wolf was impatient to feel her submission. It seemed that, like it or not, Kalen had just lost his freedom.
    “Let’s go.” Kalen held out his hand. “The sooner we get there and leave, the better off we’ll be.” Who knew what Richard Thornton had in mind? If she was lucky, he would forget about her, but Kalen doubted it.
    Nothing about Dr. Richard Thornton was predictable. He was like an injured and hungry animal, traveling with no real destination in mind until he heard from his henchmen about a safe laboratory where he could again set up his experiments.
    If Kalen and his friends had their way, that would never happen. In a perfect world, they would finally apprehend and eradicate the rabid doctor with extreme prejudice. As far as he was concerned, no one deserved it more.
    Ally stood looking at his proffered hand for a moment before she gingerly rested her hand in his. He looked down into her beautiful violet gaze and wondered how long she would continue to push him away.
    Now that he had come to terms with the fact that she was his mate, whether he thought he was ready for one or not, he planned to jump in with both feet and take their relationship wherever it would go.
    Apparently, she still didn’t want it to go anywhere. While the human half of Kalen might have been okay with that, his wolf demanded its mate. It had waited long enough and planned to claim her, come hell or high water.
    “Let’s try to keep out of sight, shall we?” He pulled her gently to the edge of the woods where they walked until he noticed her discomfort. Looking down, he cursed. “Why didn’t you remind me you had no shoes?” Bending, he swung her up in his arms, cradling her to his chest.
    “Because I knew you would do something like this and I didn’t want you to feel obligated to be my taxi.” She