Free Hunted by Ellie Ferguson Page B

pulling me back. For a moment, panic flared. My heart thudded and my breath caught. The first thought my sleep-fogged brain formed was that Michael had finally found me. But that couldn’t be right. If he had, there was no way I’d have gone willingly to bed with him and, since I wasn’t bound in any way and the only aches I felt most definitely hadn’t come from a beating, the only explanation for me being in bed with anyone was that I’d wanted to be.
    Matt .
    Memory of how he’d almost shyly escorted me into his bedroom the night before returned. Gone was the confident man who’d joined me in the shower that afternoon. That was probably a good thing because, once alone in the house with him, I’d turned tongue-tied and shy. I’d wanted him just as much as ever, maybe even more. But now, for the first time, it was real. My days of running, God willing, were gone and I was home.
    “Don’t get up,” Matt murmured, his breath warm against my neck.
    “I have to.” My bladder was reminding that I had things needing to be taken care of now that I was awake. Even so, I rolled over and rested my head against his chest. His heart beat slowly, reassuringly beneath my cheek. “Be right back.”
    As I slid out of bed, he sighed and threw an arm over his eyes. When he growled as the birds once more started their morning song, I chuckled softly. For some reason, it thrilled me to know he was no more of a morning person that was I.
    When I emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, a pang of guilt stabbed at me, followed quickly by frustration. The bed was empty and Matt was nowhere to be seen. So much for spending the morning in bed. Still, I should have realized he couldn’t lounge around all day. He had taken most of yesterday off so he could be with me. It only made sense that he had to make up for it today.
    I found him in the kitchen, putting on the coffee. Dressed in only a pair of jeans, his hair sleep-tousled, he still managed to look as appealing as he had the night before. Desire flared. But, just then, I needed coffee more than I needed him. Still, he might be a great accompaniment to coffee.
    Smiling, I moved across the cool tile floor until I stood behind him. He chuckled softly as I slid my arms around his waist and leaned into him.
    “Thank you.”
    He carefully turned, not quite breaking my hold on him. Then he cupped my chin in one hand and tilted my head up so I looked into his incredible blue eyes. I didn’t try to look away as he bent to lightly kiss me. Who gives a damn about morning breath when you have someone like Matt to wake up to?
    “For what?” His thumb gently rubbed my cheek.
    “Coffee.” I grinned when he cocked an eyebrow. “And yesterday and last night and everything.” Tongue-tied again, I swallowed. I had to explain. “Matt, you’ve offered me a home, one I feel safe in. You didn’t have to and you sure didn’t have to agree to my offer to be your mate. I know that could put you at odds with some of the others in the clan.” Funny, after talking with Sharon, and even Gillespie, last night, I didn’t worry about the pride.
    “I want you to know I did not make the offer lightly. I will do everything I can to help you be a stronger leader and to help keep pride and clan safe. I don’t know any other way to say it except this: you saved me and I will always thank you for that.”
    For several long moments he looked at me. Then he took my hand and led me to the table. The way he held a chair out for me reminded me of how my mother used to tell me gentlemen should behave. I swallowed hard against the lump in my throat as memory and reality collided. He left me sitting there long enough to pour us each a mug of coffee. Then he was back, sitting next to me.
    “Finn, we need to talk.” He ran a hand over the tabletop and it dawned on me he was nervous. “I know you think, at least on some level, that I believe you made your offer only so I’d protect you from Jennings. But