Assassin: Fall of the Golden Valefar (A Paranormal Romance—Book #6 in the Demon Kissed Series) by H.M. Ward Page B

“Eric?”
    Flinching, he turned his face in her direction. Pushing
himself off the stone, he walked toward her. His chest was bare, as were his
feet. Dark jeans hugged his narrow hips. The way the sunlight sparkled on his
hair, made her heart race. He was beautiful. Eric could feel the change in her
pulse, but didn’t realize what she was reacting to.
    “How are you feeling?” He stopped in front of her, looking
down at her sitting up in his bed.
    Her blue eyes were weary, “As good as can be expected.” Shame
colored her face, and she lowered her gaze. Images from the brothel flooded
into her mind. She wasn’t sure why she was blushing, but for some reason, the
idea of seeing Eric there made her squirm. That wasn’t something that she
intended on sharing. She hated that she had to go there, but she did. It was in
her nature. It was something she needed to survive.
    Natalia stared at the bed sheets. There was no trace that
Eric had laid next to her and rested last night. The
spot next to her was smooth. Pressing her fingers to the bed, she shifted her
weight. Last night ended so poorly with her foot crashing into his skull, and
after all of that he saved her. Again. Her stomach
twisted. There was no way he was the man she was looking for. He couldn’t be. Not
after that. If he was the vindictive bastard that slaughtered her mother, he
wouldn’t have been so kind. It was that kindness that rattled her. True
kindness was something that was rare, but Eric had it in him, and when it came
out, she was afraid.
    “Eric, about last night…” but he cut her off. Gazing up at
him, she saw his amber gaze drift away from her face.
    “Nothing happened between us last night.” Folding his arms
against his chest, he leaned back against a piece of rubble that had once been
a mighty stone wall.
    “Eric, I can’t forget last night. I want to…” her voice
trailed off. No, she had to spit it out, “But, I shouldn’t have done that. I
knew Carina would kill me and I—”
    He nodded, his eyes piercing hers so hard that she gasped,
“She will. If she gets her hands on you, you’re dead. You don’t screw over a
person like Carina, and you did. The only reason you’re alive right now… Ah
fuck.” He ran his hands through his hair, and turned away from her. He did it
again. He saved her. He saved her from Carina. He saved her from the Valefar. What
was wrong with him?
    “The only reason I’m alive right now is because of you. I
know. I get it. I can’t survive on my own. I’m obviously too stupid to be
alive.” She sat on the bed, her lips falling lower and lower at the corners. Eric
would give anything to know what she was thinking, why she was at Carina’s in
the first place, but she didn’t say. And he wouldn’t ask.
    He turned back to her, “Either that or you have a death
wish.” It felt like he was punched in the stomach when she looked up. Her cold
blue eyes struck him, but he didn’t regret his words.
    Lowering her lashes, she tried to hide her reasons, “I
don’t have a death wish.”
    “Then why are you constantly around people who can kill
you? A few well-placed kicks won’t save you.” His voice was soft.
    “It saved me from you.”
    His smile tightened, as did his voice, “I wouldn’t brag about
that, if I were you. You caught me off-guard. I didn’t leave you alone to hand
you over to Carina. I went to find her to…” he stopped speaking. Running his
hands through his hair, he pushed off the wall and turned away. Why’d he tell
her that?
    “To, what?” she asked.
    Eric glanced at her. Natalia’s lips were parted. They were
perfectly pink and completely confused. She looked so good sitting there in his
shirt. He took a deep breath and decided to tell her. “To buy
you. To spare you from her. I had no intention
of handing you over to Carina.”
    Natalia’s eyes narrowed. She gazed at him like she didn’t
know who he was. “But you said…”
    “I know what I said. I know what I