Forget Me Not Read Online Free PDF Page A

the edges. Elina lay on a stone floor, purple blood pooling beneath her. Her hair lay limp and still, partially covering the damage that had been done to her body. Multiple stab wounds left her skin gaping open. Standing over her was a giant of a man, rage heaving in his chest and twisting his features into a snarl. In his fist he clutched a glossy black knife with a foot-long blade, stained with her blood.
    Adria felt the horror associated with that image. She felt the grief and rage of the man who’d shown it to her. That giant man had done this to Elina, and Adria would stop at nothing to make him pay.
    Anger burned hot in her gut. Tears of loss streamed down her cheeks. A low, throttled moan vibrated in her chest and tore at her throat.
    “I will fucking kill him,” she vowed. Her voice was rough and strained, warbling with the grief crouching inside of her. She felt as she had in the days after William had died—consumed with rage and loss so sharp she was sure those keen edges would slice her in two. Time had muted that pain, but now it was all back, thrashing around and making her bleed all over again.
    “You felt too much,” he said, a slight catch in his voice. “I am sorry for that. It was not my intent.”
    Hot fingers stroked her scalp as if he were trying to soothe her. He pulled her against his bare chest, and she let him, craving any comfort he could offer.
    His skin was warm and firm under her cheek. She could hear his heart pounding, slow and steady. The scent of campfires still clung to his skin, familiar and reassuring, reminding her of safe, happy times when the whole world was hers to shape to fit her dreams.
    Slowly, as the visions he’d shown her faded from sight, allowing her to see her real surroundings, the strength of the emotions she had experienced eased. The knot of grief in her chest loosened, and her throat relaxed. She saw her fingers clutching his shoulder, not even making indentations in his tough skin. One of his hands cradled her head, the other wrapped around her waist, holding her in place as if he feared she might fall over. His long hair curled around her wrist, giving off a living kind of warmth as it stroked her skin. It was softer than anything on a man his size had the right to be, but right now she was grateful for a bit of softness.
    Clinging to him chafed at her independence, but it wasn’t every day that a woman had her brain invaded by an alien. She felt she had a right to cling just a little.
    “You should speak now and reassure me that I did no lasting damage.” He managed to sound both insecure and demanding at the same time.
    She shifted muscles to move away, and his hold on her tightened—even the hair around her wrist coiled closer to her skin.
    “I’m fine,” she said, her voice making it sound like a lie. “Just a little rattled. You can let me go.”
    “You nearly collapsed.”
    “I’m better now. Promise.”
    He didn’t seem inclined to let her go, and while this whole cuddling with a hot man thing was really nice, she didn’t like it that he ignored her request. She didn’t care what planet he was from. When it came to her body, she got to decide who touched and who didn’t.
    “Let me go,” she ordered, making it clear she wasn’t asking.
    He released her slowly, and every one of his fingertips slid across her skin in a caress she felt all the way to her toes. Singing pleasure winged through her nerve endings, making her all too aware of the way her breasts tightened and her belly fluttered. By the time he took a small step back, she felt like she’d been petted from top to bottom and back again.
    It had been a long time since anyone had wanted to touch her like that—even longer since she’d wanted anyone to do so. He’d obeyed her order, but rather than feeling satisfied, she was left shaking, cold and alone, aching for things she refused to name.
    Adria brushed her hair from her face, and saw her hands trembling. She tried to cover