PrimalHunger by Dawn Montgomery Page A

This kind of courtesy was new to her. And while not unpleasant, it
took getting used to. She was used to calling the shots in all aspects of her
life. Hell, when you worked in a pleasure palace, you learned to take what you
could, when you could.
    Their return to the Palace would be insane. Azros was cut
from the stuff wet dreams were made of. He could throw her world into chaos. Of
course, that was the problem, wasn’t it? Her life was already chaotic enough.
It wouldn’t be good to become attached.
    He pressed a light kiss against her hand.
    Once they got back to the Palace, and this mating thing
ended, she’d have to give him up. Azros had already gone to great lengths to
reassure her this wasn’t permanent. He was looking for temporary as well.
Right? You’re thinking too much!
    He eased into the deep pool and guided her steps. Healing
warmth immediately settled into her skin, easing aches she’d accumulated
through three days of full-body abuse and minimal sleep. Knots of tension
loosened, and she put disturbing thoughts out of her head. She chose to live in
the moment. For now.
    He pulled her into his arms, dragging her back to his chest.
She rested her head against his shoulder and let the warmth of Azros and the
hot springs do their magic. His chest rumbled in a low purr, relaxing her
further. Her mind slowed in sated warmth. Kendra was never one to worry too
much about the future. Why was she letting one man drive her crazy? She’d worry
about tomorrow when it arrived. Their breathing synchronized, and she drifted
into a light doze.
    The perimeter chime jerked her awake. Kendra scanned the
room. She moved his hands from around her. All senses aware.
    “What was that?”
    “An alarm.” She moved to the edge of the pool and jumped up
on the edge. Water sluiced off her body. They had several minutes before anyone
would find them. The scattered clothes were swept up and she moved back down
the hall. She was unsurprised to find him shadowing her. The alarm sounded
again. “We have company.”
    His curse followed her down the corridor. She jogged to the
stairwell door and slowly opened it. They slipped through and she walked to the
back of the stairs and opened a recessed panel. The clothes were dropped and
forgotten. She spared a glance at Azros, appreciating the fact that he’d
already grabbed his pants from wherever he’d hidden them earlier.
    She tossed him a thigh holster. The stunner followed. He
tossed her the pants and shirt. She caught them and dragged them on in record
time. With quick tugs on the straps, she had her temporary thigh holder
tightened and ready. A stunner wasn’t ideal, but she’d work with what she had.
On the next trip out, she’d upgrade all the weapons and ensure she didn’t lock
her own piece in the damn safe.
    Azros took point and she followed with weapon drawn,
reminding herself that he had extrasensory advantage. She inhaled, but could
only smell the residual odor of minerals and the rich scent of Azros.
    They reached ground level and he paused, muscles rippling
across his back. He was comfortable, almost in his element. It made her wonder.
How did get caught in the first place?
    He opened the door and they both winced at the slight creak.
With quick hand signals he laid out the plan, and Kendra gave a nod with a jerk
of her head. They took the room, slowly making their way to the next door. She
took a breath, gave the signal, and palmed the door open.
    Azros entered the room, weapon drawn, moving along the edge.
Kendra took the other side, checking behind the furniture, wishing she could
rely on more than just her eyes and ears. She inhaled deeply. What good was
this extrasensory stuff if you couldn’t call it at will? A strange odor slipped
through the sterile scents of the facility.
    She paused, but he continued on, a growl deep in his throat.
A familiar floral scent tickled the back of her throat. Something moved. She
placed the scent with her memory. “Azros!” He