Unclaimed by Sara Humphreys Page A

smiled. “Not exactly a bustling metropolis, but that’s fine by me.”
    â€œTatiana I are used to rural towns,” Matt chimed in.
    Dominic turned and gave the kid a bored look.
    â€œCome on.” Layla chuckled. She grabbed one of the bags off the couch and gave Matt a friendly pat on the shoulder. “I’ll show you where the bedrooms are.”
    â€œI call whichever room has a view of that,” Tatiana said, pointing to the back windows of the house. “I miss Oregon, but I’ve got to admit, those mountains make for one breathtaking skyline,” she said on a sigh.
    Tatiana strode toward the back of the cabin and tugged open the glass sliders. She stepped out onto the small deck and leaned on the railing. Dominic’s gaze skimmed up her well-shaped legs, which were bronzed from the summer sun, then wandered along the curve of her hip and up her toned arms.
    Images of her naked body curled around his flooded his mind…
    â€œCan we swim in that pond?” She looked at him over her shoulder and smirked as she caught him checking her out.
    â€œWhat?” He blinked and shook his head, but those images of her still wandered through his imagination. “I’m sorry. What?”
    â€œDominic?” Smiling, she looked back out to the mirrorlike body of water in the distance. “That pond? Can we swim in it?”
    â€œIt’s not a pond, actually. It’s a swimming pool.” He moved closer so he stood next to her, but not close enough to accidentally touch her. “It’s a freshwater swimming pool complete with heat in the winter and lights at night. Salinda had it designed to look like a pond so it wouldn’t ruin the natural landscape.”
    Heat radiated from her body, and even amid the thick summer air, he could feel it rippling over him like a siren song. Calling him. Daring him to touch her again. Tempting him to break the stupid deal he made with her, throw her on the ground, and kiss her silly.
    Why did he make that deal? That was the dumbest fucking move ever.
    Dominic tightened his grip on the railing and squared his shoulders against the all-consuming urge to stroke that gorgeous skin. Instead, he focused on the setting sun and grit his teeth against the driving, physical need to connect with her.
    â€œAre you alright?” Tatiana’s voice, soft and delicate, drifted over him with the breeze.
    â€œNo,” he said, his voice tight with restraint. Dominic looked down into those huge brown eyes, and he knew he was a goner. “I’m not alright. Not at all.”
    Without thinking he brushed a lock of dark hair off her forehead, and as her warm skin rushed beneath his fingertips, a wave of static electricity rippled up his arm and shot through his body. Her eyes widened, and those red lips that tasted like cherries parted temptingly as she sucked in a slow, quivering breath.
    â€œI’m doing my best to be a gentleman and keep my word,” he whispered as he trailed one finger along her jawline. Her body wavered closer, her eyes searched his for answers, but none came as the ripples of nerve-tingling electricity slowed. “I have a feeling I’m going to renege on our deal.”
    â€œI think we should try to stay clear of each other,” Tatiana murmured. She nodded slowly. Her tongued darted out, moistening her plump lower lip.
    â€œIt’s really the best way to handle this situation. Neither of us wants a mate, so the smart thing to do would be to forget it. We still have free will. Don’t we?”
    Tatiana inched nearer in spite of what she was saying. Her hand brushed his as it curled along the weathered wood railing, and that same zapping sensation fired through his body. An odd buzzing filled Dominic’s head as their energy signatures whipped through the air like an invisible tornado, dancing around them like a whirling dervish. The buzzing reached a crescendo, and with one final pass,