Cats in Heat Read Online Free PDF Page B

until she passed out.
    She was either incredibly stupid or incredibly powerful. He hadn’t quite decided which, but she gave him sanctuary and that was all that mattered.
    While she slept, he allowed himself a long look over her. Her long black hair was tucked over her shoulder, exposing her face in peaceful repose. Dark lashes fanned out, naturally thick and dramatic. She wore a tank top and long pajama bottoms, neither quite meeting and showing a few inches of soft dark skin at her waist. Her hips were full and womanly, flaring from a small waist. Her arms were tucked up by her chest, hands folded under her head.
    Before he could rise, her eyes opened abruptly and shoulders drew in, startled as she immediately met his gaze.
    Erik held his breath, braced for her to bolt.
    But she didn’t, instead warily sitting up and scratching the side of her head, brushing back her hair. “I guess I fell asleep,” she said with a yawn.
    Still not running. This was...interesting.
    “The phone lines are fine,” she said. “I can call an ambulance—”
    “No!” he said, harsher than he meant to.
    She leaned back abruptly as if she’d been about to rise and her eyes grew warier.
    Shit. “I mean, they can’t...” You were seeking sanctuary, thinking death was imminent. You didn’t actually plan for help. “They can’t help me.” His head tilted to the side, waiting to see if she’d fill in the blanks.
    “So I wasn’t seeing things,” she said calmly.
    This wasn’t right—every part of him was shooting up red flags of warning. Unless she was going into shock, how could she not be outright doubting her own sanity by now? “You weren’t.”
    She nodded, more to herself than him. Maybe a breakdown was on its way. But Addie blinked, alertness returning to her eyes. “How do you feel?”
    His lips parted to answer, then he paused to really think about it. His head throbbed and he felt like he’d been hit by a truck, but he was alive, wasn’t he? “Not...bad. All things considered.”
    “You lost a lot of blood.”
    He had. His side twinged a bit but the wound was definitely closing.
    “I thought it might be infected. You have a fever still.”
    Normally he fought off sickness quickly, but not in the rundown state he was in. “It’s not bad.”
    She pursed her lips and swung her legs around so her feet sat flat on the floor. “Better than last night.”
    “Good as new.” He started to rise but his body betrayed his words, faltering as he clutched the quilt and tried to get onto his knees. The world spun and spots played over his eyes.
    “Easy there.”
    He blinked and there was Adelaide at his side, helping to ease him back down onto the hardwood.
    He was bigger than her by at least a foot—she was downright petite next to him—but still she held herself with power, power he didn’t think she was even aware of. She pulled a pillow from the couch and got it under his head as he lay back. Erik groaned with irritation. Not with her but with himself for being in this condition, forced to have someone take care of it.
    It was an altogether strange feeling. His nerves were still strung tightly and if he’d been anywhere else, anywhere with sudden noises or people, he expected he’d have already tried to run off. But here was...quiet. Warmth came off her in waves with the sudden hum of magic. Whatever she was, she didn’t know it, he didn’t think.
    Still, he wouldn’t test any of his theories just in case.
    Adelaide leaned over him, her soft, small hands brushing his torso. A not-unpleasant heat rushed everywhere she touched, awakening his body in ways he cursed and concentrated on pushing back against. She pulled back the bandages at his side and frowned.
    “What?” he chanced, unable to see it from his position.
    “Nothing, it just...doesn’t look as bad.” Her fingertips lightly glided over the wound and tingles rushed through his skin. Erik took in a sharp breath and she met his eyes. “Did that