Predator's Kiss by Rosanna Leo

looking for Lia.
    * * * *
    Lia sat like a board on Ryland’s bed, bunching up his duvet in her fists, and stared around at his room.
    She was in Ryland’s suite, had been holed up there all day. The thought made her mind spin with the delicious possibilities, as his name streaked over and over through her consciousness.
    “No,” she whispered to herself. “Look what your presence here has already done.”
    But as much as she tried to deny her strong attraction to the bear man, every item in his room, every inconsequential nothing, only served to remind her of him and his hungry gaze. His fresh, woodsy scent was clinging to his bed, and she wanted to bury her face in it and soak him in. A couple of his big shirts were tossed carelessly over a chair back, and it was all she could do to not grab them and put them on. And peeking out of what must be his underwear drawer was a pair of sexy black boxer briefs, the kind that looked so soft to the touch.
    Being in his room was nothing short of torture. Especially for someone like her who needed to come like it was nobody’s business. It had been so long since she’d been lost in the throes of an ecstatic orgasm, she doubted she had the ability to come anymore at all.
    Maybe she could persuade him to put her back in her own room, but she knew he’d never agree to it. He’d been so upset at losing Harry Little he’d insisted Lia stay in his room so he could watch over her.
    And to be frank, she hadn’t really argued the point, she was so tempted by him.
    Oh, he makes me want to be so bad .
    He’d been about to kiss her at the fish fry, she just knew it. And she’d wanted it. But then Soren had surprised the piss out of her by doing it instead. That kiss taught her something too. It taught her that even if a woman was severely hard up, the wrong man’s kiss didn’t do a thing for her.
    Oh, Soren was cute. Devastatingly handsome, if truth be told, but he didn’t send shivers down her spine like Ryland did. And Ryland had barely touched her.
    What if he did?
    No. I need to find a way off this island, and need to make a new life somewhere far away where the press will never find me. Perhaps Nunavut or the Yukon . Did they get Entertainment Tonight up there?
    There was a knock at the door, making her jump. Ryland’s voice called out, calming her instantly. “Lia, it’s me. Are you decent?”
    Yes, but I’d like to get indecent with you, you big hunk of man . “Uh, sure. Come in.”
    Ryland walked in and she was assaulted by the same case of shivers she got each time he so much as raised a black eyebrow in her direction. “Hey. You doin’ all right?”
    “Yeah, thanks.” She smiled and relaxed her hold on his bunched-up duvet, smoothing it flat. “Last night was a bit of a scare.”
    “Lia, I have no idea how the reporter got so close. I had my people looking out for any nonshifters. We obviously dropped the ball. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
    She stood, feeling on shaky ground. “You’re not to blame, Ryland. It’s not your fault the press has decided they can have a free-for-all with my life. It’s not your fault some crazed stalker wants to lay me out on a rack and insert cucumbers into my lady parts.”
    Ryland’s face paled so much at her imagery he was the color of cream cheese. “Was that in one of his notes?”
    “It might have been.”
    He let out the breath he was holding. “Well, we won’t let it come to that.”
    “It’s already too late. The world knows I’m here, Ryland. Because of me, you and Soren are in a bad situation. It’s better if I just go.” She fought the urge to cry and blinked back the hot sting of tears.
    He must have seen her reaction. How could he have missed it? He was staring at her so intently. Ryland stepped toward her. “Look, this isn’t just a mess of your making. To be honest, Soren has people looking for him too because of his indiscretions. If Harry Little hadn’t found you, someone else would