The Awakening Aidan - By Abby Niles Page 0,34
stumbled to a halt, her fear vanishing as he sprinted to her across the deck…naked.
She couldn’t breathe, swallow, do anything but gawk.
She’d seen naked men before, but when the Dea had created Aidan she’d had perfection in mind. His body came together with powerful muscles that flexed with each movement. His sculpted abdomen and well-defined pecs appeared carved from stone. He had shoulders that screamed dominator. And his arms? Bulging, veiny, and lethal.
Her gaze dipped down and she almost lost the ability to stand. Even hanging flaccid among manscaped ginger hair, he was large.
When he reached her, he didn’t hesitate to thrust her behind him. “What’s the matter?”
She was reminded of why she ran out here in the first place. “There was a man in the kitchen.”
The growl vibrating from his body comforted her, but she wasn’t afraid anymore. Hadn’t been since she saw him. She was beginning to wonder if it was from the shock of seeing him naked for the first time or simply because he hadn’t hesitated to come to her rescue the moment he’d heard her scream. Probably a little of both, actually.
She felt safe. Protected.
With all her fear gone, she was conscious of only Aidan. How close he stood to her, his woodsy scent driving her mad. Steps came from inside the house. Growling again, Aidan shifted his body back toward her, bringing an arm behind him to shield her, eyes never leaving the door, and she felt the overwhelming need to lean in to his body, touch him. She really needed to step away, break this hold he had on her, but she couldn’t.
His back rubbed against her breasts, making her nipple tighten. The tense muscles between his shoulder blades begged to be kissed. Lust rushed through her, pooling low in her belly. Aidan stiffened and glanced over his shoulder, questions in his eyes.
The man poked his head out of the door. “I’m sorry, Mr. O’Connell. I didn’t mean to frighten the lady.”
Aidan relaxed and chuckled. The sound sent a shiver through her, and she realized how much she actually loved that sound, how much it was so Aidan.
He turned and pulled her in front of him. “Jaylin, I’d like you to met Rafael. He’ll be our personal chief slash housekeeper for the next few days.”
“Oh. I’m sorry, you scared me.” On second glance, he shouldn’t have. He was older, maybe fifties with graying brown hair. Muscular, but nothing menacing about him.
“You scared me too. I was finishing up some last-minute preparations for your arrival and had my earbuds in.” He held up an iPod, a contrite grimace on his face. “I hadn’t realized you were already here.”
She caught the scent in the air. “You’re a shifter.”
The man nodded.
She quirked a brow at Aidan. “How did you ensure getting a shifter?”
“I have my ways.”
She frowned. That cocky edge was back on his face, reminding her of how she got here in the first place, reminding her she had to keep her distance from him, because this Aidan was capable of anything. “I’m going back to my room.”
“You will not spend our time here hiding in your room, Jaylin. If need be, every lock in this house will be removed. Do you understand?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Asshole doesn’t suit you, Aidan.”
He stepped closer to her. She tilted her head back, refusing to move away as his naked chest brushed her forearms. “Coward doesn’t suit you.”
That did make her step back. “I’m not being a coward!”
“Really? Go on, then. Hide in your room and then tell me you’re not being one.”
“You’re misinterpreting rejection for cowardice.”
His jaw tightened; blue flashed in his eyes. “Rafael. The locks will be removed on the master suite. The other bedrooms will be bolted shut,” he said while never taking his gaze off her.
“Yes, sir.”
“And Rafael?” He paused, a twitch going to town in his cheek. “Move my luggage to Dr. Avgar’s room.”
“You wouldn’t!”
“Oh yes, my love, I would.”
With that, he turned away and walked back into the house.
Jaylin stood gaping after him. The shock of his audacity was nothing compared to his last words.
My love.
Even more shocking was the shiver of pleasure that phrase induced. Escaping Aidan was going to be hard enough, but how was she supposed to escape herself?
Chapter Six
Aidan shoved his legs into a pair of khaki cargo shorts and buttoned them. He decided against a shirt, which would piss Jaylin off, but he really didn’t care. He planned to spend the next few days