The Leopard King Read Online Free PDF Page A

cock throbbed with an ache so long unfelt that he’d almost forgotten it. While his heart might be buried, his body wanted to fuck.
    “Be careful,” he said. “Use lukewarm water in case your body temperature is still low.”
    “I will. One near-death experience a day is my limit.”
    How could she take this shit so lightly? It rankled, but before he could lay into her, she was gone. Realizing he couldn’t let her out of his sight, he followed her to the bathroom, where she shut the door in his face. He paced the whole time. She might try to drown herself in the bath or open up a vein with his razor. Before he knew it, he was banging on the door.
    “Hurry up, I don’t trust you.”
    “Still alive.” She emerged in a cloud of steam to tease him.
    To tease him. Like there was anything funny about their situation.
    Pru stood there, still dripping wet, and wrapped in a towel. Much to his frustration, his cock held firm at half-mast, and so much dewy, freckled skin didn’t help. Dom didn’t know where to look and finally settled on her injured arm. Her bandage was soaked, and he clenched his jaw over how little she cared about her own welfare. Maybe Slay really did send her to die. Unless he guessed I couldn’t just watch it happen. But in all honesty, he wasn’t sure his second had the cunning to come up with such a Machiavellian plan.
    “Put some clothes on, then come to the kitchen for hot tea and dry bandages.”
    Her brilliant smile actually made him back up a step. “You’re getting bossy again. That’s a good sign.”
    “Don’t,” he said, unsure what he was even protesting.
    “Okay. Do you have something I can put on? I only brought one change of clothes.”
    Dom didn’t want to share his things because the intimacy seemed overwhelming, but he couldn’t leave her in a towel or blanket indefinitely. Begrudgingly, he found a ratty shirt and briefs, then offered them to her, and when she emerged from her room a few minutes later, he could only stare, transfixed by the thought, Pru is wearing my underwear. She looked small and disarmingly feminine. None of this felt real, as prior to her arrival, his existence had dwindled into a predictable nightmare of loneliness and liquor.
    She followed him to the kitchen, where he filled the kettle and turned it on. While they waited for the water to boil, he checked her cuts, then cleaned and wrapped them. Afterward, in silence that was both awkward and not, they drank tea together.
    She’s winning, he thought. Like he’d forced warmth back into her chilled body, she was reviving him, one provocation at a time.
    “My heart can’t take any more excitement,” he said, once they finished. “I want a shower too, but I’m afraid you’ll do something stupid.”
    “You already took one.”
    His mouth flattened. “And then I nearly froze looking for you.”
    With dawning chagrin, she seemed to realize that he might need warming too. “Sorry.”
    “The problem is, the last time I left you unsupervised—”
    “I’ll stay outside the bathroom while you shower. I’ll talk to you, so you know I’m still there. Is that good enough?”
    “I suppose it has to be,” he growled.
    Dom set their cups in the sink and took Pru by her unwounded wrist. If she’d fought him on the way to the bathroom, he might’ve lost control because while they sat, innocently sipping tea, that insistent need wouldn’t go away. He didn’t want to shower for warmth, but he desperately required privacy. Just five minutes. Damn . The way he felt, so tight and sprung, it might be less.
    “What should I talk about?” she asked, as he shut the door between them.
    “I don’t care. Tell me a story. Tell me a secret. Whatever you want.”
    Since he was already half-undressed, he only had to shuck his pants and briefs. To lend credence to his claims, Dom turned on the water and stepped under the spray. His cock leapt before he even touched it, anticipating his intentions. It’s been so