CONCEPTION (The Others) (46 page)

His blood spilled between them. The gift she’d never
consciously accepted. Red flames leapt in his gaze. His cock thickened and
surged. His breath caught. She rose, bringing her mouth to the life-giving
flow. He froze above her, every muscle hardened in agony as he waited, battling
the hope he didn’t want her to see, projecting an indifference she knew he
didn’t feel.

Holding his gaze, she drank, letting the emotion pour from
her to him, following it with her mind. With the courage that was so much a
part of him, he let her seek out the darkest corners of his soul, allowing her
to see his strengths and vulnerabilities. Holding nothing back. She closed her
eyes against the onslaught, against the hurt he harbored inside, the conviction
that her human heart would always want something better.

She shook her head. That was so unacceptable. She lapped at
the dwindling flow of blood before placing her hand over his heart, the beat as
steady as the man himself. Deuce was everything she’d ever wanted in a package
she’d never dreamed big enough to imagine. He was strength, passion. Love. So
much love. It poured through her in a never-ending flow of invisible light,
burning out insecurity and fear—leaving only confidence in its wake. She was not
alone. Would never be alone again.

She was a Chosen mate, forever bathed in the light of
Deuce’s love and protection.

And if he thought he was getting out of knowing that same
security he was so mistaken. She caught the path of his emotion and forged her own
inside it. One just as bright and just as strong. Into it she poured every bit
of emotion she felt—her happiness, her satisfaction. Her love. Every single bit
of her love.

And then she sent it back, pushing it deep into his soul,
finding all the fears he harbored in the deepest, darkest corners, paying
special attention to that lingering uncertainty, and burned them away. There
was no room for doubt in their relationship.

She was his. Completely. Without reservation.

Beneath her hand, his muscles flinched. In her mind his joy
grew, but in his gaze a question lingered. She dropped back to the mattress,
shaking her head at his determination to protect her even from herself. She
wrapped her fingers in his hair and pulled his mouth down to hers.

Against his growing smile, she whispered. “Just try to get
rid of me.”

# # # # #

About the author:

Sarah has traveled extensively throughout her life, living
in other cultures, sometimes in areas where electricity was a concept awaiting
fruition and a book was an extreme luxury. While she could easily adjust to the
lack of electricity, living without the comfort of a good book was intolerable.
To fill the void, she bought pencil and paper and sketched out her own story.
In the process, Sarah discovered the joy of writing.

Sarah writes what she loves to read; fast paced stories with
vivid dialogue, intense emotion and well-developed characters. Her attention to
detail in her stories has earned her multiple awards and a reserved spot on
Keeper shelves everywhere.

Sarah writes for Harlequin HQN, Berkley HEAT and Berkley
SENSATION.

Sarah welcomes comments from readers.

For other titles by Sarah McCarty, visit her website at
www.sarahmccarty.net