Free Claiming Their Cat by Maggie O'Malley Page A

of a distance between them was going to be hard. Minutes passed, but she couldn’ t detect his even breathing or a snore. She almost laughed aloud. How many people that were still alive had ever heard Rio snore? Well, whom was she kidding? There were probably several women who’d heard him snore.
    “Do you need me to help you relax?”
    As if he could do that. “Yes. I’m sure I’d sleep better if you were on the floor.”
    She yelped when a strong hand wound around her middle and pulled her against a hard body. “I’ve slept in harder places, like the caves in Afghanistan, on a dirt floor littered with pebbles that somehow align with your spine. I had to fight the scorpions for that patch of dirt, so you understand if I don’t choose to do so.”
    His calloused hand cupped her pelvis and pressed her butt against his groin. She struggled to form words, lash out with something to wound him, but how could she? Apparently, he’d fought in Afghanistan serving his country, but, on the other hand , the government probably trained him to be the efficient killer that he was.
    “Damn, you smell good.” He buried his nose into the crook of her neck and nuzzled her. Chills wove down her spine.
    “Stop.”
    His deep laugh reverberated against her back. “Soon, my little Cat, I will have you screaming my name, begging me to let you come.”
    “I’m going to scream right now if you don’t back off.”
    “You’re safe—for now.”
    Safe? That was almost laughable. She’d never be safe again, not until Alvarez was dead. That had as much of a chance of happening as installing an ice machine in hell.
    “But, if you get horny during the night, just wake me up, and I’ll see what I can do.”
    “You are such an arrogant prick.”
    P ressed against his body was hell on her defenses. She’d never slept naked with anyone. Oh sure, she’d had sex and lots of it, but it was usually a quickie and then she’d go home. No harm. No foul. Waking up beside someone you didn’t actually know and heaven forbid you didn’t want to get to know, was something she’d avoided at all costs. Even in that hellhole brothel in Mexico, she’d run as soon as she could . That sex was fantastic, but she didn’t do morning afters .
    “I’m a lot of things you don’t even want to know about, but I can—and will—give you so much pleasure that you’ll think you’re dying.”
    “Save it for someone who cares.”
    His hand drifted lower, found the little bundle of nerves. “Don’t make me prove my point, little girl, because I can forgo sleep if I have too. I’m horny as hell, and would love to sink my cock into your hot slick pussy .”
    Rio’s voice held amusement. She didn’t know if his words or his thumb swirling over her clit that caused little shards of pleasure to shoot through her. She held her breath as his finger dipped between her folds. “You’re wet—for me.”
    Hell yeah. And it all started with him running around naked. The why still escaped her. She knew she wasn’t pretty even before she started running from Alvarez. Cat considered herself plain , with eyes too wide. They were blue, but no one had ever commented on them. Her hair was a nondescript dishwater blonde , but it did have some body to it when she took the time care for it. She felt like a haggard whore, so why was this centerfold paying any attention to her? She sucked in a breath and forced the denial between her teeth. “No. It’s just hormones.”
    Cat yelped when he nipped her neck. “Don’t ever lie to me, my sweet Cat, because I’ll paddle your ass. In fact, I may do it anyway. I bet it blushes a pretty pink. Would you like that?”
    His voice didn’t sound like a threat, but a spanking sounded totally degrading. He continued sliding his finger in and out, slowly, teasing. He had to stop. It wasn’t right. She wouldn’t let him seduce her. She blinked as an idea formed in her mind. Seduce? Maybe it would work. What if she seduced him?