Page 4 of His to Defend

“I’m not going to hurt you.”

“I certainly hope not.” Her voice washed over him and through him, into his veins.

She removed her hand and the shock on her face was replaced with a sexy smile. A smile? I could have been an attacker. Or a wild animal. Hell. I am a wild animal.

Ryker shook his head and took a step toward the woman. “You shouldn’t be out here,” he said. “It’s not safe.”

“Oh yeah?” She took a step toward him, meeting him so they were only inches apart. From the close proximity, Ryker could see that her eyes were a striking blue. “Maybe you could protect me?” She reached out and ran one finger down his chest.

Ryker caught her finger in his hand. He ignored the sear of heat from her touch and stared at her. “Who said I’m not the danger?”

Her pupils flashed with desire, and her chest heaved, her breasts straining against the button of her blouse. Just one flick of my finger would set them free. Just—no.

Ryker swallowed hard and tried not to draw a deep breath. Her scent filled him, overpowering every one of his senses that should be telling him no. That should be telling him to back off and walk away. She was a human and he had no business with a human.

Not even for one night?

The thought hit him hard and his bear growled with approval. She was obviously attracted to him. It wouldn’t hurt.

“Well, I certainly hope you are.” She shimmied a little closer and Ryker couldn’t help it—he took a breath. A deep one. And the moment he did so, his cock sprang to life, pressing almost painfully into the fly of his jeans.

To hell with it.

He reached out and slipped his hand behind her neck to pull her closer. “You don’t know what you’re playing at.”

Her pink tongue slipped between her lips just for a moment before she said, “Oh, I think I know exactly what I’m playing at.”

Fuck it.

Ryker pulled her close so her breasts pressed into his hard chest. He was desperate to taste that sweet honey for himself, but moments before his lips touched hers, a voice split the air.

“Nina?”

The woman Ryker quickly put together as Nina pulled away, leaving him aching, hard, and unusually cold in her absence.

“Shit. What time is it?”

Ryker shook his head, needing a moment to figure out what was happening. His lips should be on hers. He should be tasting her, drinking her in, tearing off that ridiculously tight blouse so he could palm each of those delectable tits in turn before pulling each nipple one by—

“I’ve gotta go.”

She was leaving? She was leaving!

Ryker lunged after her, but at once pulled himself back again.

He was scattered all over the place and couldn’t pull his thoughts together fast enough. It was unusual and unsettling and completely foreign. Ryker was always in control. Never rattled. It’s what made him so damn good at his job.

It took him another moment, but then Ryker pulled himself together and took off after the beauty he now knew was called Nina.

CHAPTER THREE

“Where have you been?” Harper ran toward her and for a minute Nina felt a flicker of guilt for taking off the way she had. But then she remembered the sexy man who’d stolen her attention. Sure, she’d been forward. Really forward, but it was a sign really. She’d just finished convincing herself to let loose and have a little fun and there he was.

Like it was meant to be.

And if the six-foot-sexy-something with muscles she could see through his T-shirt wasn’t meant to be, she didn’t know what was.

“Sorry.” Nina shrugged. “I just went to check out the stars and I guess I lost track of time.” She flipped her hair back from her face and flashed her best friend a smile. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”