Free Taber by Aliyah Burke and Taige Crenshaw Page A

on her face at the realisation it wouldn’t be finished, he’d fixed it for her.
    When his employees had asked him, he’d lied and said Talios and Candace had helped him through the night. All of it had been worth seeing the absolute joy on her face when she’d viewed it.
    Now, she stood in there with him and two cats that were waking up from being drugged. She wasn’t scared. If anything she looked excited. Wondrous. That was a look he wanted to keep on her face, forever. Shelter her from the things that would want to hurt her and share joy with her at the things she did. Until Lainey, he’d never truly lived. Sure there had been women, but he was old and had been around for a while—he was no monk.
    “This is a bad idea,” he said.
    “Why is that? I’ve seen you shift, I’ve seen you do a lot of things. Why is keeping me safe from them a bad idea, if the need arises?”
    He snorted and shook his head. “You don’t like my powers. I thought you said you wanted me to find a woman who would be impressed by them.”
    “Go find her then. I’m not stopping you. But I’m not leaving until they wake and I know they’re okay.”
    “Damn you and your stubbornness.” He didn’t get a response and he sighed. Looking at her, he paused at the rapt focus on her face as she stared beyond him.
    “Oh, Taber, look.”
    He spun around and watched as Chet lurched to his feet. The liger shook his head a few times and chuffed. When he saw Allie lying a few steps away, he lumbered over to her and nosed her. When Lainey moved up beside Taber and rested her hand upon his arm, all of his senses went haywire.
    When Chet looked in their direction he sent soothing thoughts to the cat, who lay down protectively beside Allie. Lainey’s fingers tightened on his arm and he felt it straight through to his cock.
    He had no idea what he would have to do to keep her but he swore he would do just that. Her touch revitalised a part of him that had died the day she had pushed him away.
    “Come on, girl, you can do it,” Lainey whispered soft encouragement and he again put his attention on the cats.
    Never before had he been so distracted with the new arrivals. Allie stirred. It took her a bit more to get up but she eventually managed to do so and with Chet beside her they headed off to explore their new surroundings.
    Taber knew the moment Lainey realised they were all alone. She dropped her hand immediately and tried to step away from him. He grabbed her hand, refusing to let her go.
    “We talk now, Lainey. Now.”
    “I’m tired, Taber. It’s been a long day.”
    “What I have to say won’t take long. You can hear me out.”
    She stiffened at the finality in his order. “Get on with it then.”
    “I don’t know what you want from me,” he said.
    “I never wanted anything from you except honesty, Taber.”
    “Is this still about me not telling you I was a god?”
    “That’s part of it, yes. But then adding on the spying and the pure arrogance that it wouldn’t matter. That is the rest of it.”
    He mulled over her words for a moment before kissing her. She held herself rigid in his arms for a few seconds then with a moan of surrender melted into him. He swept his tongue deep into her mouth, touching, tasting and indulging in her unique flavour.
    I’ll fight to keep you, Lainey. The other half of my soul and now that I’ve found you, I’m not giving you up.
    He almost shared that thought with her but kept it to himself at the last moment. She was already jumpy—that may send her into full flight mode. He knew of her thoughts about leaving and dismissed them. He wouldn’t let that happen. Things didn’t seem so bad now that she was in his arms, but he knew that feeling would vanish once the kiss ended.
    Another reason not to let it end. He held her tighter, allowing his hands to roam over her, memorising the shape, her curves—all he could. Eventually he ended the kiss and brushed her hair back as he stared down into her