Prideful Savage (A Warrior's Redemption #1) - Miranda Bridges Page 0,31

than anything.

He strokes the column of my throat, just over the spot where my pulse flutters crazily. “You don’t realize how important a simple touch can be until you put a time limit on it. But you?” He smiles, and it’s genuine, more beautiful than it should be. “I have felt the softness of your skin pressed against my body and had your tiny frame in my arms longer than any other. This,” he says, placing his hand over mine, trapping it on his chest, “is not something I want to let go of anytime soon. So unless you feel weakened, you are not to be further than I can reach.”

I’m speechless. There’s really no other way to describe what’s happening to me. I could lie to him and say I don’t feel well, but knowing I’m the only woman he can hold for an extended period of time makes my head spin and my heart warm.

I tilt my head as a thought occurs to me. “Why do you sleep with females outside your species if there are Incarus women?”

From one breath to the next, Bravik reverses our positions and rests me on top of him. He plants his hands on the small of my back, anchoring me to him.

“I sense this conversation is far from over, so I wanted to be more comfortable,” he says, gliding his palms down until he’s loosely gripping my bare ass. “Now, to answer your question. When an Incarus male has sex with an Incarus female, she drains him in the same way that we do females from other species. You’re the exception, of course.”

He winks at me, and I just continue to stare at him. First he threatened me, and now he’s flirting with me. I can’t keep up with these mood swings, and I sure as hell haven’t had time to process everything. With that being said, I’m a little too comfortable sprawled across him, soaking in his warmth. Until I remember the weapon hidden under the pillow.

Can he feel it? Oh crap.

“What’s wrong?” Bravik’s fingers dig into my ass when his hands flex with tension. “I sense a change in you.”

Not wanting him to know about the gun or my former intent to shoot him with it, I voice the first thing that pops into my head. “How do you know I’m what you need to get rid of the curse? And why can you touch me without it affecting me?”

“This tattoo,” he says, bringing the tribal band to my attention, “appeared as soon as my brethren and I drank the sacred water, the connection between our actions and the curse manifested. When I first walked into the bar where you were, it started to burn. There was no pain, but the sensation was hard to ignore. I think it was guiding me to you. And as far as why I’m able to touch you without penalty? I don’t know, but I plan on doing it as much as possible until it puts you at risk.”

After that intense declaration, he lightly runs his fingers along my spine as if I’m his lover and this is the most natural thing in the world. I still haven’t been able to wrap my head around any of this, and there’s a part of me that wonders if I’ll ever will.

“Are you tired?” He curls a loose tendril of my hair around his finger. The action is so intimate, yet casual enough that it almost feels natural. “Perhaps you should rest.”

“Yes, but not in the ‘you’re about to kill me’ way. I’m a safe sleepy, if that’s a thing.”

When I move to get off him, his grip on my backside strengthens and he immediately stops playing with my hair. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asks with a brow raised. “Did I not just tell you that you’re staying here with me? If you were my mate, I would spank you for forcing me to repeat myself.”

I’m pretty sure my face is bright red. And if he had his way, my ass would be too.

I clear my throat, finding it difficult to speak. “I wanted to grab something to sleep in besides this shirt.”

He grins as he traces the almost-dry wet spots where my nipples tent the material. “I quite like this attire for you…but you are right. You should have a proper nighttime wardrobe.”

My smile at his understanding dies when he rips my shirt from me.

“Perfect,” he says. “Now you are truly ready