Free A Conquest Like No Other by Emma Anderson

“It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re safe.”
    “What happened?” came the groggy
response.
    “You don’t remember?”
    “I was having a bad dream. You
were there, but you couldn’t get past some shield that Paul had put up.”
    “Sweetheart, it was your dream.
Paul had no control over the setting,” Viper said gently, trying to ease her
into the idea that the shield was her own.
    That got her attention. She
pushed up on her hands and stared earnestly into his eyes. “What do you mean? Who
put the shield there, then?”
    “The same person who puts up a
wall in front of any man you meet,” he said, offering her a gentle squeeze.
“Your trust issues are understandable. It just means any man worth his while
would fight to break that wall down and win your trust.”
    “I don’t know if that’s possible,
Tatts,” Nikki said, dropping her chin down on her stacked hands on his chest.
    “Anything is possible,
sweetheart. And you’re definitely worth it.”
    “Is that what you’ve been doing
all this time? Trying to earn my trust?”
      Giving her hair a slight tug, Viper replied
honestly, “And I will continue to do so until I have it completely.”
    “Why?”
    “Why do you think?” he asked,
hoping what she knew of the mating bond had given her a clue.
    “Because with Devil and Gabby’s
mating, I’m now part of the family,” she replied, though she appeared to be
asking rather than stating.
    “Have no doubt you are part of
the family but not because of Devil and Gabby’s mating. Though that’s a
conversation we’ll have when you’re ready. Now sleep, sweetheart. I will be
here to watch over you.” He rolled to his side, allowing her the comfort of the
bed. “We’ll talk some more in the morning.”
    As she rolled over so he could
spoon her, she offered him a weary, “Thank you, Tatts.” For the second time
that evening, she allowed sleep to take her. This time, though, it would seem
her dreams were filled with much happier things. Especially if her moans were
anything to go by. Viper finally fell asleep, his hard, needy cock nestled in
the crease of his mate’s backside.
     

Chapter
Nine
     
    Nikki woke up the next morning
well rested and alone. Looking around the room, she took it in. It was only the
second time she had been there. The first time was controlled by her need to
escape the hunky man who had saved her. Now she took her time to appreciate
everything there was about the room. Every bit of furniture screamed
masculinity, with the large wooden bed, black leather high back reading chairs
and big screen television, but still it wasn’t overpowering. The earth tones
seemed to mute the testosterone-fueled homeware.
    Once her curiosity was fed, other
requirements made themselves known. Heading toward the toilet, she also decided
a shower was called for. With none of her own clothes to wear, she grabbed one
of Viper’s shirts out of the huge walk-in wardrobe on the way to the bathroom.
Thankfully the huge frame that was usually housed within the shirt guaranteed
it would act more like a dress for her tiny body.
    Viper must have heard her
movements because after her shower she found him standing in the kitchen,
wearing dark work pants and a shirt similar to the one she now wore. He was
cooking. It smelled like bacon and eggs were on the menu for breakfast. Her
stomach chose that moment to verbalize its approval of the smells greeting her
nose.
    “Morning, sweetheart,” Viper said
as he looked over his shoulder. “How did you sleep?”
    “Much better, thanks to you,” she
replied shyly.
    “Damn, sweetheart, that shirt
looks way better on you than it ever did on me.”
    If any other man had said that to
her, Nikki would be running scared. But not with Viper. Hell, she’d even slept
in the same bed as him last night and allowed him to comfort her. No other man
had been able to touch her since her attack without her flinching away from
them. Even her doctors during her recovery had to