The Dark Places Read Online Free PDF Page B

absolutely no idea that I would
be getting married that night when my frantic hands snatched this particular
set of silky undergarments—fortuitously situated atop the clean linen pile—in
my mad scramble to dress for work. At least these were sexier than my normal
staid white cottons. Finally—you got
something right, Kailiri! My lips curved in self-congratulatory smile, and
I wondered if Matt appreciated them.
    He removed only his tunic. I
glimpsed an intriguing swirling pattern of dark hair above his navel and pant’s
waistband before he laid his nicely muscled, tanned torso beside me with his
head sharing my big fluffy pillow. “Something has made you smile again. It’s
the first I’ve seen since we left the restaurant,” Matt said as he smoothed
back a curl from my cheek. “Does this mean you’ve abandoned plans to escape
me?”
    “What do you mean?” My heart and
smile froze. How does he know?
    “You’re now a part of me through
our imprinting.”
    Those quiet words spread more ice
throughout my bones. He leaned over and claimed my lips. I wanted to draw away,
but I couldn’t. When he pulled back long, breathless moments later, I forced
myself to speak quickly before my treacherous body betrayed me again and my
brain stopped working.
    “You keep saying that—I don’t
understand what you mean when you say we’re imprinted on each other, Matt.
Please tell me— what are you talking
about?”
    “It’s a rare occurrence, doll.
People are always rhapsodizing about waiting their entire lives to experience the
one overwhelming heart affinity between two people. People on my world believe
that whenever they find each other across life’s adversity and the webs of time
and space, their souls enmesh and their thoughts bind each other. Imprinting is
what we called it where I come from. My mother’s people said it goes beyond
reason and emotion. It’s a reclaiming of a missing part of one’s soul.”
    Matt gave me a gentle, wry smile, the
mesmerizing sparks in his eyes’ center glowed. “And I thought I was only
rescuing a fair maiden from entrapment today upon Harnaru. I never suspected
Fate would contrive to bring me the missing part in my soul now , of all times.” His brows descended
in a dark frown. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve claimed and married you, Kailiri
Summers Lorins. And I’m holding on to you as long as I possibly can.” He said
this last part in a determined, hard tone. His hand curved around my hip and
forced my stomach in flush contact upon his.
    Conflicting alarm mingling with a
curious melting in my heart confused my emotions. His words sounded as if our
marriage had been an unexpected interference in his life too. Something told me
he hadn’t revealed everything about my imprinting. Would the full truth
frighten me witless, if I knew? How should I feel? Flattered? Afraid? Intrigued? Certainly a sizzling spark within had flickered to life and
responded to him at the Lilith, and his kisses had mesmerized me into marrying
him. But I didn’t know if he was the one I’d waited all my life to meet.
Despite his descriptions about imprinting, my overwhelming physical attraction
to him, which left me brainless sometimes, didn’t feel like a forever phenomena.
    Then there was that soul-enmeshing,
thought-binding matter….
    “How can you tell for certain if
this is your imprinting event or just basic attraction and desire between two
people?”
    “I felt the binding when I first
kissed you, Kailiri. And so did you. You can’t deny it. There’s a deep chill
running through you from it—right? Are you still cold?”
    “Yes….”
    “It will pass soon.” His lips
captured mine, and I was left no wiser about my mysterious condition.
    Further questions slipped from my
thoughts as my body arched toward his. My hands slid across his wide, sleek
shoulders and along his neck. Time slowed down into crystallized moments
wherein he trailed seductive kisses along my face and neck. His hand