To the Edge and Back [The Royal Wolves] (Siren Publishing Allure) Read Online Free PDF Page B

that if it were real, I would become addicted and then lose myself. I can’t do that.” She moved closer into his arms, silent tears burning his chest, manifesting physically on his chest in his bed even as his scent wrapped around her physical form on her bed.
    Pressing her closer, Janos rubbed her back gently. “Shh, Mina, don’t cry, honey,” he murmured softly, her tears a physical pain to him. “If it were real, little one, it would be better. It would be give and take,” he said softly. “You might lose a little of yourself, but you might gain something more.”
    “I wish you were right.” She had seen it too many times, the girls who needed out of the home. They would give themselves to “love” and “those” men, become pregnant, and then be alone, with a child. It was a horrible and vicious cycle to be sure.
    Good gods, what was he talking about? He knew nothing about relationships, and yet that was where his mind was heading, talking her into something more and in a damned dream no less.
    “If only you didn’t hate humans as much as you do, Janos, I might one day find the courage to touch you in real life and not only in my dreams.”
    “I don’t hate humans,” he told her quietly, “but you do drive me to some serious thinking on finding ways to get good and drunk some days.”
    Turning her face up to him, she kissed the base of his neck and then the underside of his chin. “Thank you for just holding me. The sex in my dreams is mind blowing, earth shattering, and soul searing, but this, this is perfection.” Simply being held as if she meant something more than a piece of meat to assuage a need was wonderful.
    Moving his hand up, he gently massaged her neck as he held her close. “If you ever get the urge to touch me, let me know. I’ll even stand still for you if you feel like petting me.” Now that idea had some merit, he thought with a half smile.
    “Considering the fact that I will never see you again except in my dreams, I think that I will survive.” Her hands did stroke him now, however, petted him as if he were her own personal love to hold, to keep, and to protect. “I need to rest, Janos. I want to stay here talking to you all night in my sleep, but I need to rest because tomorrow is laundry day.”
    Lifting his brows, he chuckled. “You need to rest for laundry day?” he asked softly. “I never knew it was so stressful that you need to get so much sleep.” Stroking her hair lightly, he pressed her cheek to his chest. “Sleep, Mina,” he murmured, breathing her in even as his body in his own bed shifted and he winced in the dream.
    “When you do laundry for yourself, your landlady, and her five kids, and have to ride the city bus to the coin mat, yes, laundry day is one where I need to rest beforehand.” It really wasn’t a bad life. She had a roof over her head, food in her belly, most days, and by doing the laundry for her landlady, she cut an extra thirty dollars a week off her rent, and it was good all the way around.
    Frowning at her words, Janos shook his head, his chin rubbing over the top of her head at the motion. “Sounds like a lot of work,” he murmured softly even though he had a definite other opinion of the situation. To him it sounded like she was being taken advantage of, her and her generous nature.
    It felt nice, sleeping in her bed as she was and feeling his chest under her cheek. It was nice to feel like, for that moment, someone cared for her. No strings attached, just cared for her. “I can’t get over how nice this feels. To be held in your arms like this, it’s really very nice.” Too bad she was too chicken to try to see if in real life he could feel this nice. Nope, she was going on major avoidance from here on out.
    “I’m glad, Mina,” he told her honestly. “But you need to sleep, honey,” he added, feeling something tugging at him to wake. He wanted her really out of it so she wouldn’t notice he wasn’t there.
    What the hell