Free Charming (A Seven World Novel) by Dannika Dark Page A

shirt when her nipples hardened against his chest.
    His promise to help her find Alex had filled him with a sense of purpose. A Packmaster’s life was demanding, but he often missed the days when decisions were made by actions and not words. This beguiling woman had managed to make him feel more alive in one night than he had in centuries.
    An image flashed in his mind of Kat’s nude body straddling the back of the Mage and the way she swung her eyes up to Prince’s with willful determination. He arched his back as he imagined what it would feel like to be the man beneath her—to have a Shifter as dominant as she astride him, her hips rocking, her sable eyes latched on his. An insatiable craving began.
    One that made him relinquish a vow he’d made four hundred years ago.



Chapter 6
     
    “Hey, honeypie.”
    “Denver, what are you doing here?” Nadia said from a short distance away.
    Kat groaned into her pillow and rubbed her face against it, squinting as she peered toward the front hallway to see what was going on.
    “Look, I just wanted to stop by because I feel kind of shitty about how things went. It wasn’t your fault; you were great. I’ve just found the girl I want and—”
    Nadia’s voice was smooth like honey. “No need to explain. If you want the truth, I think you can do better, but I don’t believe in competing for any man’s attention. My love life is not a game show.”
    The man named Denver chuckled and leaned against the doorjamb. “Did you ever watch The Love Connection? ”
    Kat smiled, since she loved game shows.
    Denver was easy on the eyes, with blond hair and a cartoon character on his T-shirt. Although Kat was too far away to see what it said, she could have sworn it was Fraggle Rock . He seemed like the kind of guy Kat would normally hang out with, so naturally it came as a surprise that he and Nadia had been dating.
    “Is that all you wanted to say?” Nadia asked, folding her arms.
    “I’ve been thinking about what happened all week and… I don’t want you to think I’m a dick. We just weren’t peanut butter and jelly together. Anyhow, Naya respects you, and uh… I hope you don’t hold this against her.”
    “So that’s what this visit is about. Don’t be ridiculous. Naya’s a good friend who’s connected me with a number of buyers. I’m not petty enough to punish her for a service I paid for.” A moment of awkward silence fell between the two. Nadia inspected her shoes. “Are you sure you won’t change your mind?”
    Denver hiked up his baggy jeans—shredded at the knees—and plucked a piece of candy from his pocket. It looked like a gumball or jawbreaker and caused his left cheek to puff out when he attempted to smile. “That’s one thing I’m sure of. This is a permanent deal and, no offense, but there’s no way in Hades I could do any better. Anyhow, just wanted to smooth things over and make sure I didn’t mess up your business relationship with Naya. I’ll keep my eyes open, but I don’t know what kind of men you go for.”
    “That won’t be necessary. I’m not looking for a mate. Give your woman my best.”
    The blond-haired man inched into the hallway and waved before turning away.
    Nadia slammed the door and Kat sat up, eyes alert.
    Habit.
    “I wasn’t sure if you were going to sleep until noon or get up with the civilized world. Am I okay to leave you here alone today?” Nadia glanced at her slim gold watch, which complemented her olive-green pencil skirt and white blouse. Her hair was beautifully combed and parted down the middle.
    Kat rubbed her eyes and blew her hair out of her face. Mornings were her least favorite time of day. “Given I don’t have any pants, that kind of limits my daily agenda. I promise I won’t paint anything, if that’s what you’re concerned about.” She briefly looked at the floor and made sure her dagger was where she’d left it.
    “I’m asking nicely for you to keep Prince out of our affairs. Promise