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An Excerpt From: WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN
Copyright © KATE STEELE, 2008
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing,
Inc.
Kyle groaned and stirred. Eyes closed, his growing
awareness presented him with several impressions. The surface beneath his
body was firm yet soft, the air against his skin warm. He was also naked
and his wrists were tied. “What the fuck?” he exclaimed, trying to bolt
upright. His efforts were wasted. Not only were his wrists tied but his ankles
as well. All his limbs were securely fastened, one to each of the four
corners of the bed on which he lay, leaving him spread-eagled and
vulnerable.
From across the dimly lit room, a voice spoke. “So
you’ve finally decided to wake up. How do you feel?”
Squinting, Kyle could make out a man with short, tawny
blond hair sitting in an overstuffed chair. He held a book on his lap. On
the table next to him was a reading lamp and in its glow he could see a cup
and an empty plate. Kyle found his mouth watering at the smell of bread,
cheese and meat. His captor had obviously finished a meal not long ago. It
had been awhile since he himself last ate and he tended to burn through
calories fast. His stomach actually emitted a faint rumble.
“I’m fine, except for this,” Kyle answered with a
sarcastic grunt, ignoring his protesting stomach. He pulled at his bound
arms and legs. “What’s the deal here? Untie me, asshole.”
Laying his book aside, the man rose from his chair and
approached. He was barefoot and wore jeans topped with a dark green
t-shirt. Recognition kicked in when Kyle saw him move. It was Bryan Gallier. The one who’d played the dirty trick that
knocked him out of the sky. The one he’d been lusting over for the past
several months, but even lust couldn’t block his anger.
“You lousy bastard. You almost got me killed! What’s the
matter, you afraid if I’m not tied down I’ll beat the shit out of you?”
“As if,” Bryan
scoffed, looming over Kyle. “You got what you deserved and now it’s my turn
for a few answers.” He reached out and lightly plucked Kyle’s nearer
nipple. “And maybe a little fun.”
“Hey, cut it out,” Kyle commanded as sternly as possible
despite his rising anxiety. He admired the steady strength of his own
voice. Considering the zing of wickedly arousing sensation that winged its
way through his body at Bryan’s
touch, he considered himself lucky not to have squeaked like a
lightning-struck mouse.
“Why? Does my touch turn you on?”
“How did you put it? As if.” A slow smile curved Bryan’s lips, and
under any other circumstances Kyle would have been fascinated by it, but
now it sent a skitter of alarm down his spine.
“Your nipple’s hard.”
Momentarily shocked, Kyle opened his mouth but found
nothing to say until Bryan
seated himself on the bed. Panicked, he practically spit out an
explanation. “Yours would be too if someone pinched it.”
“Well, maybe you’ll get that chance. If you cooperate.”
“What the hell do you want? Why have you got me tied
up?”
“You’ve been teasing me for the past couple of weeks. I
just thought I’d return the favor.”
“You mean because I stole your bunnies?”
“Yeah. Not that I’d starve without them. I only take
them to satisfy my cat’s desire to hunt, but I still want to know why.”
“Is that all?”
“That’s it.”
“That’s simple. I just thought it would be fun.”
“Fun.”
“Yeah, fun.”
“There was no other motive than that?”
“No, why would there be?” Kyle stared into Bryan’s eyes, willing
all the sincerity he could dredge up into his own expression. He waited, every muscle tight with a fine tension.
Bryan
returned his look, then shrugged. “All right.”
Kyle let out his pent-up breath and relaxed when Bryan swiveled where
he sat, his hands going to the soft rope at Kyle’s ankle. Kyle could feel
his fingers touch the knots, only to pause.
“You know,” Bryan
began, his back to Kyle, “you went to a lot of
trouble for just a little fun.” Slightly calloused fingertips began
stroking Kyle’s ankle. “You had to have been watching me, learning my
habits, waiting for me to go hunting.” Bryan’s hand moved in a long, slow glide
as it followed the natural curve of Kyle’s leg. Kyle swallowed the
unexpected whimper that rose in his throat. “You may not think I noticed,
but I’ve seen you at the Shadow Den.”
“So what? Lots of shifters go there,” Kyle commented
breathlessly. He swallowed hard, then snapped, “Stop that!” when Bryan continued to
caress him.
“Why? I like the way your skin feels. It’s soft, but
what’s underneath is firm. I notice you have very little body hair. I like
that. It’s really smooth.” Bryan
slid his hand higher. “Are all bird shifters this way?”
“How should I know?”
“I assume you’ve dated other birds. I went out with a
swan once. That one time was definitely enough. Swans have such a royalty
complex. He kept looking down his nose at everything I liked. Or should I
say looking down his beak?” Bryan
chuckled.
By this time Bryan’s
hand had traveled to his knee and Kyle was getting desperate. His skin felt
flushed, his heart was starting to pound and there was a distinct, heavy
ache awakening in his groin. He subtly shifted his leg, hoping to encourage
Bryan to
let go. It didn’t work.
“I’ve heard that about swans but I never dated one.
Look, I don’t know what kind of answer you’re angling for, but like I said,
it was just a joke. You know? Good, clean fun.”
Bryan
released his grip and twisted back to face Kyle. His hand casually
reassumed its place on Kyle’s knee. Giving it a squeeze, he smiled. “Liar.”
CLOSE WINDOW
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