Free Fate of the Alpha: The Complete Bundle by Tasha Black Page B

escaped Erik’s wound and the whole cloud dissolved like fog on the wind.
    Incredible.
    Ainsley went to Erik and rolled him gently onto his side.
    He was out again, but his expression was peaceful now and his breathing steady.
    Ainsley cradled Erik’s head tenderly in her arms. The indescribable expression with which she studied him thrust Julian far back in his memory to a visit to La Pieta. Ainsley’s ecstasy and despair reminded him of the Mother. A moment so intimate that Julian had to look away.
    Grace lifted her eyes to meet his.
    He braced himself for the comeuppance he richly deserved.
    It never came. Grace’s knees buckled.
    Julian was just able to catch her.
    Here it was, the magic would take its price. She would be lucky to survive.
    He was surprised to notice how good she felt in his arms. Her small body was very feminine in spite of its straight lines and hard angles. Somehow she fit him exactly. She smelled just like the jasmine he had dreamt of, but she was burning hot - her clothes were soaked through and clung to her frame.
    Her eyelids fluttered, and then he was rewarded with that sable gaze. She observed him with confusion. And something else.
    Something in her disposition had changed. Her fierceness was gone.
    Why was she looking at him that way - like a fox in a henhouse?
    Though Julian did not want to take advantage of her in her weakened state, his body did not agree. He could already feel himself responding to the question in her eyes. His heart pounded.
    Her lips parted and he longed to taste her.
    As if in a dream, she lifted herself to him, fulfilling his wish with a kiss so light it maddened him.
    He forgot himself then and pulled her close, coaxing her mouth open and tasting her. She tasted like citrus and he could feel her tiny nipples press into his chest, hard as pebbles. She was warm, so warm. Too warm.
    Just as he remembered the circumstances and tried to pull back, he felt the bite of her nails on his chest.
    He groaned as the bittersweet pleasure overtook him and he dove back into her, not caring about anything except losing himself in her.
    Grace seemed to melt into him. Her hands slid down from his shoulders to mold his chest, then further still.
    His erection strained against his trousers, anticipating her gentle touch.
    Instead, she stiffened in his arms and pulled away.
    Her absence left him cold and aching. He closed his eyes for a second to try and find his balance.
    When he opened them, he found Ainsley was staring at him in wonder.
    Grace ducked her head and darted out of the room.
    “I have to go,” she called as the front door slammed behind her.
    Julian stood speechless, feeling for all the world like Cinderella’s prince at midnight.

Chapter 11
    G race burst in the door of her apartment and pulled it shut behind her, then leaned back against it, panting.
    Now that she was home safely, she had no idea what to do. She realized in a panic that she felt no better than she had when she left Ainsley’s house. Her breasts ached and her nipples were so hard they hurt. She had never been taken by the feelings so completely.
    Against her wishes, she thought of Julian’s kiss. His body had been so perfectly matched to hers, and his tongue. Oh god.
    Her phone began to buzz.
    Damn it.
    It would be Ainsley.
    Wondering why Grace had been all over Julian.
    In total violation of the code of friendship as pertained to ex-boyfriends.
    And more importantly, as Ainsley’s true mate lay practically dying and bereft of his nature.
    How could she explain that the magic had made her forget…herself? That she had known nothing except the exquisite touch of the man who held her?
    A man who didn’t respect her, she reminded herself, and whom she found to be pompous and repugnant.
    What was with Julian Magie?
    If it weren’t for the fact that he clearly held her in contempt, she would have been sure he had put a spell on her.
    Why did she feel like the earth was dropping out from under her