Page 34 of Tempting the Tiger

But that was the night before.

“I’m going home. I’m sorry that your, your, henchman, brought me here.”

“Tarek is not a henchman. He is our head of security.”

Grace waved a hand, dismissing his explanation. She really didn’t care who the guy was. All she cared about was getting out of here. Her only option was to turn over and crawl to the other side of the bed. The move would leave her completely vulnerable to the big tiger shifter. He had removed all of her clothing—even her panties. If she crawled on her stomach, her flappy ass would be revealed. He had yet to see that in all its glory despite the many nights they had spent together.

Damn, she thought. Why couldn’t it have lasted just a little bit longer? She’d really gotten to like the guy. And the sex?! Who wouldn’t like the sex? He made her feel beautiful and wanted all at once. She felt the tears start to gather in her eyes and closed them, taking a deep, steadying breath that ended in a half sob.

“Grace, sweetheart, tell me what is wrong?” She felt the bed move as he sat down beside her.

“Just stop it, Keair. I know you don’t want to see me anymore. That—”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

She refused to say another word, her mouth closed in a thin, straight line.

“Grace, what is going on?” Keair’s expression turned black as a thundercloud and she had the craziest impulse to smooth away the furrow that appeared on his brow. She should not be wanting to comfort him in any way. Confront him, yes. Comfort, no.

Since it appeared she was not going to get out of this conversation, she crossed her arms over her chest, ignoring the fact that it plumped up her breasts. She was angry and he most certainly was not still attracted to her so it really didn’t matter what she looked like.

Keair rose from the bed and began pacing by the bed. Grace frowned. He was not behaving as she thought he would. She assumed he wanted her out of his life as quickly as possible. She started to rise.

“Sit,” he commanded in a low, controlled voice.

She hesitated but sat back down. She pulled the hem of the t-shirt down, trying to cover her knees. When that didn’t work, she crossed her feet at her ankles and threaded her hands together. She flicked her hair over her shoulder and locked her gaze on him. He had called her obstinate once and now he was going to find out just how stubborn she could be.

He stopped pacing and stood facing her, his hands on his hips. “Tell me what sent you running, Grace.”

At his words, Grace did stand up, meeting his gaze ahead on. Even though he was a shifter, an alpha tiger shifter, that didn’t mean she was going to simply bow to his commands. Those words in the hallway had cut through her heart like a sharp sword. “You know exactly what you did.”

“I do not, woman!” he roared.

“Well, I know what I did. I allowed myself to do what women are so good at doing. I allowed myself to be wooed by a very persuasive man without stopping to consider why someone like him would be interested in someone like me.”

But that was a lie, she thought, even as she said the words. She had considered the reasons he would want to be with her. They were carnal and very primitive. The pull of lust and desire. And she had thought, for a very short period of time, that it would be enough.

It hadn’t been.

“Damn it, Grace. I love you. You. No one else.” He took a deep breath and she knew he was trying to control his anger. “You are my mate, Grace.”

“Am I, Keair? What about that, that, wanna-be-Disney princess I saw you with in the hallway? Your arms wrapped around her? What about your duty to lead her streak? You can’t just throw that all away.”

Keair sneered. “Can’t I? That’s exactly what my streak did to me.”

Grace’s heart broke for him. He’d told her some about his childhood, but not everything.

“Oh, Keair.”

“I don’t want your pity, woman. I want you. I knew I wanted you the moment I saw your lush ass backing out of that van. If you can deny that, that you don’t feel the same way, then you’re lying to yourself and to me.”

Grace searched his face for any trace of deception. Her last boyfriend had been a consummate liar. Something she would have realized if she had taken the time to notice all the little things about him that set off warning bells.

She realized that she had never had those same feelings concerning Keair. Not once.

He apparently did that almost mind-reading thing because with the next breath he was almost shouting. It was fascinating to see him lose his composure. He ran his fingers through his hair in agitation, growling, and pacing. “Grace, I am not ‘other men’. I have never been ‘other men’. I will never be ‘other men’. I am a shifter. An alpha, and I damn well know what I want!” His last sentence was more of an intelligible roar than words.

Grace trembled at the power behind them. The power of this man standing before her, his shoulders huge and solid.