Free Break This! (A 300 Moons Book) by Tasha Black Page B

her in his arms and kiss the truth out of her. “I thought I was supposed to be here to protect you.”
    “You’ll get your chance tomorrow night, don’t worry,” she smiled.
    Tomorrow.
    Chance glanced around for his carry-on. He’d been planning to leave. To sneak out on her, like a coward.
    He didn’t see the bag anywhere.
    “I can hardly wait,” he said wryly.
    “Let’s get you up and into a real bed, so you can get some rest,” she said, offering him a hand.
    “I’m okay,” he said, hopping up.
    His legs buckled under him immediately.
    Thea’s warm arm wrapped around his rib cage, offering support. She was stronger than he would have guessed.
    “Yeah,” she muttered. “You seem fine.”
    He couldn’t hide his smile.
    Thea smiled back and guided him to the bed. After a few steps, he didn’t need to lean on her anymore. But he kept his arm around her just the same. She felt so good pressed against him, so warm and soft, so inviting. Her dark hair tickled his arm.
    Chance’s body was suddenly throbbing with need. Desperately, he tried to push away the thought of holding her, burying himself in her sweetness.
    She helped lower him onto the bed and he hoped she wouldn’t notice the evidence of his raging lust.
    He looked away from her, trying to clear his mind, and then he saw his bag on the dresser.
    She must have moved it.
    She hadn’t said anything. Hadn’t tried to make him explain himself.
    Of course, he wasn’t going anywhere now. He owed her. He needed to help her.
    And strangely, he wanted to help her. Wanted to make sure nothing bad ever touched her life again. Wanted to plant that big smile on her face and keep it there.
    She sat next to him, the light spilling in from the hall making a soft halo around her form.
    She was beautiful. Chance had thought it from the first second he’d seen her.
    But in that moment, she seemed so real, so present, like there had been a veil between him and everyone else his whole life, and someone had just yanked it away.
    The tension between them became palpable. The bear sensed her heart beat picking up, her breathing deepening, the sweet scent of her interest. Chance lost himself in her dark eyes.
    She blinked and seemed to remember herself.
    “I… think I’ll go set up the sofa. See you in the—” she began, her voice a bit high.
    Chance leaned forward without thinking and stopped her with a kiss.
    Thea’s body froze for a moment, then she melted into him, as though she had been made for kissing him.
    Chance didn’t know why she had made the choices she’d made, but in that moment, he knew he didn’t care. Thea was special.
    That was all that mattered.

17
    T hea was floating , lost in the warmth of Chance’s lips, and the woodsy scent of him, the whole world dropping away.
    She hadn’t realized she wanted this, but now that he was pressed against her, she wanted it more than anything, more than her next breath.
    He wrapped a big hand around her arm and she felt the energy flowing through him. Chance’s energy was both sweet and aggressive, like nothing she’d ever felt. It almost seemed to beckon her.
    But that was crazy. Her power didn’t work on people. At least it never had before. But something was different about her lately, even if she wasn’t exactly sure what, or why.
    Tentatively, Thea reached out and allowed herself to take in just a taste of the energy radiating off Chance in waves. Like dipping a tiny toe into the surf at the beach.
    The strength of him was explosive. Raw, animal power flooded into her.
    Trees sprung up before her inner eye and her hands were hitting the ground, exploding into massive paws, her claws splintering the bark on a log as she leapt over it, the reverberations from her heavy tread rippling pleasantly through muscles and glossy fur.
    Her heart soared, but she pulled herself back and let go of the stream of his energy.
    And just like that, she was back in his arms, stunned. No energy had ever given her