by Paige Tyler
They sat in silence, Minka’s head on his shoulder, Zarina watching sadly from the chair on the other side of the table, until a movement outside the door caught his eye. He turned his head, half expecting to see that asshole Coleman, but instead he found Ivy standing there. The sight of the feline shifter pissed him off almost as much as if it had been the deputy director.
Ivy should be the one in here helping Minka, dammit. She’d been tortured by those doctors just like Minka. She might even be able to teach Minka how to contain her animal half. But for whatever reason, Ivy preferred to pretend Minka didn’t exist.
Anger suddenly burned hot in the pit of his stomach, and before he realized what he was doing, he tipped Minka’s chin up and told her that he’d be right back, then got up and walked out of the room.
“I heard about what happened,” Ivy said. “How’s she doing?”
Angelo folded his arms over his chest. “What, you suddenly care now?”
Ivy’s eyes narrowed at his tone, but the fire went out of them just as quickly. “I care. I really do. But it’s…complicated.”
“No, it’s really not.” He pointed at Zarina’s office. “There’s a young woman in that room confused as hell and scared to death. Minka is terrified of what she is and even more afraid that someone like Coleman is going to put her in a cage—or worse.” Ivy opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off. “You could help her if you wanted to. Hell, you have more in common with her than anyone else in this world. But for whatever reason, you’d rather stand on the sidelines and watch her suffer. That isn’t complicated. It’s selfish.”
Ivy looked down at the floor. “I can’t help her. I’m sorry.”
“Why the hell not?” he demanded. “Is it because you’re worried everyone will figure out your little secret about breaking the rules and marrying your partner? If it is, I’ll tell them right now. Then maybe you can stop worrying about yourself long enough to finally care about a scared young woman who never asked for any of this shit to happen to her.”
Ivy’s eyes flared green, and she took a step toward him. To do what, Angelo wasn’t sure. But he didn’t move. Ivy could have torn him to pieces if she wanted to, but for the first time, she seemed like she was finally engaged in the issue.
“That’s not it at all,” she growled. “I couldn’t care less if the DCO finds out that Landon and I are married. The worst they’d do is fire both of us.”
“Then what the hell is it?” he asked. “Look, I know you don’t want to have to face what those doctors did to you out in Washington, but maybe it’s time you did.”
Ivy’s fangs came out, the tips a flash of white against her lips. She put a hand on his chest and shoved him back against the wall like it was nothing—and he had at least a hundred pounds on her, probably more.
She jabbed a single, clawed finger into his pecs. “You don’t have a clue what it was like having those doctors experiment on me,” she growled.
He glared back at her. “No, I don’t know what it was like. But Minka does.”
Ivy bared her teeth in a snarl, then turned and walked away.
Angelo stared after her, stunned. He hadn’t thought Ivy was the type to run away from anything, but that’s what she was doing. And for the love of God, he had no idea why.
* * *
Minka frowned at the iPod sitting in the docking station in Landon’s apartment. It shouldn’t have been so difficult to figure out how to turn it on. She’d seen American soldiers use them before at the base where she worked. She would have asked Angelo how to do it, but he was already in the bathroom, taking a shower, and she wasn’t going to get anywhere near that door until he was finished and fully dressed. She had almost walked in on him the past two nights, and she didn’t want to risk it happening again. Just thinking about it made her mind go places it shouldn’t, like wondering what would happen if she slipped into the shower with him.
Feeling her face heat up, she returned her attention to the iPod. After the day she’d been through, listening to music would be nice—if she could turn it on. She moved the button on the side back and forth, but nothing happened. Maybe the thing was broken.
She stared at it, replaying the day’s events as she tried to figure out how to make the iPod work. She and Angelo had been in Zarina’s office the whole day, with them trying to convince her that she wasn’t a rabid animal who belonged in a cage. She wasn’t so sure. If Angelo hadn’t been there, she wasn’t sure what would have happened.
“Minka, I’m not going to sit here and let you beat yourself up over this,” Angelo had told her firmly. “You didn’t hurt anyone, even though Coleman gave you every excuse in the world to do it. The animal inside you was more interested in running away than hurting them. You wouldn’t have done that a few days ago.”
Part of Minka knew he was right, but that didn’t keep her from worrying anyway. “If I continue to have these violent outbursts, sooner or later, someone like Dick will lock me away,” she’d told him. The thought had broken her heart. “I couldn’t live like that, especially if it means being kept away from you.”
Angelo had cupped her face in his big hand, his dark eyes fierce. “That is never going to happen. I won’t let anyone do that to you. I promise.”
Minka wasn’t sure if that was a promise Angelo could even keep, but it had made her feel better anyway.
“Angelo is right,” Zarina had added. “I’ve been helping Tanner for almost a year now, and he still has bad days, when he loses control, too. And nobody is trying to lock him in a cage. You’re doing much better than he did when he first got here, but you have to accept that this is going to be a long process. Learning to control the animal inside you is kind of like eating an elephant—you have to do it one little bite at a time.”
Minka was laughing to herself at the idea of eating a whole elephant as she ran her thumb over the front of the iPod. Music suddenly filled the apartment, making her jump.
It was American music, of course, but even though she’d never heard the song before, she decided she liked the beat. It was very rhythmic and made her want to move her feet. That was exactly what she’d been looking for—something to help put this bad day completely behind her.
She spun in a circle, lifting her hands to the side and clapping lightly before spinning back in the other direction. She hadn’t danced since she was a teen back in Dushanbe, but as she started moving around the room, she found herself naturally falling into the traditional Tajik dance steps and combining them with the more modern movements she’d picked up while living in Tajikistan’s capital.
Suddenly remembering where she was, she glanced over her shoulder at the bathroom, to make sure Angelo was still in the shower. She liked dancing, but she’d be embarrassed if he saw her. Just because she enjoyed dancing didn’t mean she was good at it.
But the water was still running, so he would probably be a few more minutes. She would hear him long before he came out.
She made a circuit around the couch, spinning and twirling, clapping her hands and even putting a little wiggle into her hips as she went. She laughed. It was impossible to dance and not be happy.
She was just starting her third lap around the living room when a tingling sensation along the back of her neck made her whirl around. Angelo was standing right behind her wearing a fresh pair of jeans and a black T-shirt, a big smile on his face.
Minka stopped so suddenly she almost fell over. She was considering making a dash for the bedroom when Angelo took her hands in his.
“Why’d you stop?” he asked, tugging her a little closer. “You looked like you were having fun.”
Before she realized what he was doing, Angelo started moving in time to the music. She automatically moved with him. She wasn’t feeling nearly as embarrassed to have him see her dance as she’d expected. In fact, being this close to his big, muscular body made her almost completely forget about everything except how amazing he was.
She laughed as he spun her
in a circle, then wrapped one arm around her waist and moved her around the floor in a dance step that she’d never seen before but picked up quickly. He was very graceful for such a big man.
“I love your laugh,” he said softly. “It’s very beautiful—like you.”
She ducked her head at that, not necessarily embarrassed by his compliment, but definitely feeling her face grow warmer. “Thank you.”
She glanced up at him from under her lashes and felt her tummy flutter at the way he was looking at her—as if he were seeing her for the first time and liking what he saw.
Minka moved a little closer to him. While she was having a hard time paying attention to anything but the way Angelo was looking at her, some part of her realized that the music had changed. The rhythm was noticeably slower, deeper, more insistent, and her movements became less playful and more suggestive. She’d never danced with a man like this before, but with Angelo, it felt…right.
He spun her in another circle, but this time he stopped her before she came all the way around, and she found herself with her back to him, looking at him over her shoulder as he slid his hands down to her hips and danced behind her. She instinctively moved in time with him, almost moaning at how the heat of his body felt against her back.
She took a step closer, seeking more of that warmth. That was when her bottom brushed up against him. She should have moved away, but she couldn’t. It felt too good. She could hear his heartbeat quicken as the thin material of her yoga pants came into contact with something very firm under his jeans. She was inexperienced, but not naive. She knew exactly what that bulge was. The thought that she aroused Angelo made her feel very…powerful.
Minka realized that her heart was beating just as fast as his. She tried to tell herself it was simply because she was dancing, but that was silly. She’d been dancing much faster earlier and her heart hadn’t been racing anything like it was now. No, her heart was pounding because she was so close to Angelo. She’d never felt arousal like that, and for a moment, she wondered if it was the animal inside her that was making her feel it.
Then Angelo spun her around and pulled her into his arms, and she stopped caring why she felt it. It felt good. That was all that mattered. Smiling, she wrapped one arm around him. She wanted to feel his body pressed against hers, wanted to touch all of him.
She wasn’t sure how long they stood there, gazing at each other before Angelo bent his head and kissed her. A delightful little shiver ran through her body. It was almost the same thing she felt when the beast was about to take over. But instead of feeling scary, this was…exhilarating.
He buried one hand in her hair, holding her gently as his mouth opened a bit and his tongue ventured out to explore. She parted her lips in invitation, almost growling at how delicious he tasted.
She hadn’t realized she was kissing him back until he groaned. That was when she discovered that now her tongue was in his mouth, exploring all on its own. She was surprised at how aggressive she was. She was normally not like that in any situation. Then again, she was a different person now.
Minka had never kissed a man in her life. The right situation—and the right man—had never come along. Even though she had nothing to compare them to, something told her Angelo’s kisses were special.
As changes went, this was one she could definitely live with.
She moaned as Angelo slipped one hand down to the curve of her bottom and pulled her tightly against him. She could feel his hardness press against her even through his jeans. She actually trembled a little at the thought of what was hidden in there.
Minka slipped her hand into his long, silky hair, kissing him with a passion she’d never realized a person could feel. Maybe it was the beast inside her, or maybe it was just being with Angelo. Either way, right then, she was much more aware of her body than she’d ever been before. There were little sparks of electricity running all along her skin. Her fingernails and teeth were tingling like mad, like they were just on the edge of coming out but didn’t want to for fear of ruining the moment. And more than anything else, she felt an insistent pulsing between her legs.
She slid her other hand down his stomach, not sure where she was going to let it wander, when Angelo suddenly caught her wrist and pulled away with a groan.
The move was jarring and so frustrating that she thought for a moment the beast would respond like it did when threatened, and attack Angelo. But she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, savoring Angelo’s taste on her lips. When she opened her eyes again, it was to see him gazing down at her with something that could only be hunger in his dark eyes. That confused her even more. If he enjoyed what they were doing, then…
“Why did you stop kissing me?” she asked. “Did I do something wrong?”
He let out a breathless laugh and shook his head. “You didn’t do anything wrong, trust me. But if we don’t stop now, things might go a little further than we intend.”
Minka smiled, pleased that she’d been right about him being just as excited as she was. “Would that be bad—if things went further?”
He cupped her face, caressing her cheek with his thumb, his eyes soft. “No—God no. But there’s no need to rush. Things are always better when you take your time.”
Minka supposed she could agree with that, though there was a part of her that was more than ready to take it as far as Angelo wanted to go. But she could wait—as long as she didn’t have to wait too long.
“Should we just go to bed instead?” she asked. She was looking forward to curling up with him on the couch. Perhaps they could even kiss a little more.
He smiled. “In a little while. We might want to watch TV first to…you know, calm down. Although, right now, I think I might need to take another shower—a cold one, this time.”
Minka wasn’t sure why he’d need to take another shower, especially a cold one, until she remembered the very large bulge in his jeans. Then a cold shower made complete sense. She had to bite her tongue to keep from admitting she didn’t mind if he was hard down there when they went to bed. Then again, if he was that aroused, she doubted either of them would get much sleep—not that she would have complained, of course.
Chapter 9
“Do you want me to stay?” Angelo asked. “I can hang out in the hallway, make sure Coleman and his morons don’t bother you again.”
She and Angelo had gotten to Layla Halliwell’s office for her first session with the DCO’s psychologist a few minutes ago, and now Angelo was standing in the doorway looking like he was more than ready to camp outside all day if she asked him to.
“Thank you, but I don’t think that will be necessary,” she told him. “I doubt Dick is going to bother me while I am with Layla.”
Angelo didn’t seem convinced. “Maybe I’ll just wait until Tanner gets here.”
Minka couldn’t help smiling. It would be silly for him to wait in the hallway, not to mention very boring.
“I will likely be with Layla for hours and would feel terrible knowing you were sitting on the floor in the hallway with nothing to do,” she said. “Go find Landon and spend some time with him.”
When Angelo hesitated, Minka thought she might have to say something else to convince him, but then he leaned closer—close enough that his scent filled her nose and did crazy things to her pulse—and kissed her on the cheek. “Okay. But if you need me, tell Layla to call Landon on his cell phone and I’ll come running.”
While the chaste kiss hardly compared to last night’s fiery ones, it still sent a little charge of electricity zipping through her. She almost reached up to pull him in for a real kiss but caught herself. Even though she knew Americans were less reserved when it came to public displays of affection, it might have been a bit wrong to kiss him in front of Layla.
So she satisfied herself with reaching up to casually caress his slightly scruffy jawline with her finger. “I will call if there is a problem. Promise.”
Angelo gazed down at her for a moment, then n
odded in Layla’s direction. “See you later. Tell Tanner I said hey.”
Then he was gone, and Minka found herself closing her eyes so she could hold on to his scent and the feel of his lips on her cheek for a few moments longer. When she finally turned back to where Layla was sitting on the big U-shaped couch in the corner of her office, it was to see the psychologist smiling at her.
“What?” Minka asked.
She couldn’t keep from blushing as she walked over to join Layla on the couch. Tall and slender with long, dark hair and brown eyes, Layla was a younger version of her sister Ivy. Only nicer.
“Nothing,” Layla said. “Zarina said there’s a serious connection between you and Angelo. She wasn’t kidding. How did you and Angelo meet anyway?” She picked up her mug from the low table and took a sip. “Zarina said it was in Tajikistan but didn’t give me any of the details.”
Minka reached for the mug of coffee Layla had been kind enough to pour for her earlier and sipped the hot beverage, letting its warmth seep into her as she told Layla the story about how Angelo had saved her in that village, then carried her in his arms for miles to a helicopter before getting on a plane with her and cradling her on his lap the whole flight to the United States.
She hadn’t intended to reveal more than that, but Layla was extremely adept at getting her to open up, and before she knew it, Minka was telling her about kissing Angelo last night. The experience was so vivid in her mind, she could practically taste him on her lips.
“I’ve never felt that way before,” she added. “Is it normal to be so…excited by a man? Or am I feeling that way because of what those doctors did to me?”
Layla regarded her thoughtfully. “Before I answer that, do you mind if I ask how much experience you have with men?”
Minka looked down at her hands. “None. I know that must sound strange to you since I am twenty-six, but though the town I lived in—Khorugh—is very beautiful, it is also very small. Most of the younger men leave to find work elsewhere and do not return until they are older. My parents didn’t think any of them would make a suitable husband, so instead of getting married, I spent my time working, either as a translator at the military base nearby or in my father’s business.”
