Forbidden Harmony (Harmony Falls #3) - Elizabeth Kelly Page 0,8

that guy,” his friend said. “Let’s go.”

“You fucking pussy,” Gary said. “He can’t take all of us.”

“Yeah, he fucking can,” the third man said. “You’re just too drunk to fucking realize it.”

Gary glared at his friends. They were already starting to back away and he stared at them with another look of disgust before muttering, “pussies” under his breath again. He turned and followed them to a large black truck.

As the four of them climbed in and started the engine, Addison continued to cling to Preacher’s forearm. His hand was smoothing up and down her hip and when Gary and the others roared out of the parking lot in a cloud of exhaust and dust, she jerked wildly.

“It’s fine, Sunshine. Let’s get you back inside,” Preacher said.

He released her and took a step back. He grabbed her hand when she swayed a little and she held it in a death grip. “My shoes. I – I need my shoes.”

He led her to where her shoes were, and she watched numbly as he bent and helped her slip into her heels. He grinned up at her. “There you go, Cinderella.”

She tried to laugh but all that came out of her was a weird coughing, hiccupping noise. Stupidly, tears were threatening, and she blinked them back grimly as Preacher stood and reached for her hand again. It was lost in his big one and she stared at their linked hands as he walked her slowly back to the pub.

When he reached for the door, she shook her head and dropped his hand. She backed up until she felt the cold brick wall against her back as the tattoo artist stared silently at her.

“I – I just need a minute,” she gasped.

Her head was spinning, and she felt sick to her stomach. If Preacher hadn’t been outside, if he hadn’t come to her rescue…

Her stomach roiled and she bent over, clutching at her stomach and willing herself not to vomit. If she threw up on Preacher’s boots, she’d die of shame. His warm hand gripped the back of her neck as he bent down and said, “Take deep breaths, Sunshine.”

She was feeling faint and there was a tightness to her chest that made her feel like she couldn’t breathe.

“Deep breaths,” Preacher said again. The command in his voice oddly enough got her lungs working again and she gulped in air as his hand kneaded her neck.

“Nice and slow,” he demanded.

She slowed her breathing, concentrating on pushing air in and out and the feel of his fingers massaging her neck. When she no longer felt like she was going to throw up or faint, she straightened slowly. He was still cupping the back of her neck and she stared up at him mutely as he studied her.

She was suddenly aware of how close he was standing to her. Her breasts were nearly brushing against him and the heat of his body felt like it was warming her to her core. Her nipples tightened and her pussy tingled in an unfamiliar but decidedly enjoyable way.

Addison! Say thank you and leave!

“I – thank you for rescuing me,” she whispered.

He cocked his head and studied her for a moment longer before leaning down, his deep voice a low rasp. “If you were mine, you’d always be safe.”

His words made the muscles of her pussy clench in agonizing pleasure. For a moment, she could almost imagine what it would be like to belong to this man. To know that he would always take care of her, to know that every night he would take her to his bed and show her more pleasure than she could ever imagine. Her lips parted at the thought of being naked underneath him and Preacher’s gaze dropped to her mouth.

“Do you know what you do to me, Sunshine?” he said.

Before she could reply, his hard mouth was on hers and his tongue was pushing past her lips to take what belonged to him.

* * *

What he was doing was all sorts of wrong. The schoolteacher had a goddamn fiancé and here he was shoving his tongue down her throat. Preacher pulled away with regret. He wasn’t going to steal another man’s woman – not even a douche like Harrison Frank – no matter how much he wanted her.

Of course, he hadn’t counted on the little schoolteacher standing on her tiptoes, fisting her hands in his shirt, and mashing her mouth back onto his. At the first tentative swipe of her tongue against