She is His Destined Mate

Being a doctor is something I enjoy, yet it has consumed an enormous amount of my time. Time that other women could have spent going on dates, getting married, and having children. Every so often I wonder whether I should have spent my time that way as well. Rather than long nights spent studying, there could have been long nights filled with far better memories. I wish I could have thrown away even a single night on studying and come away with just one wild memory. I held out, and now at 28 it feels as though every relationship comes down to whether you're the marrying kind.Not that I had many relationships to speak of in the first place. My family was small and not particularly close. All the effort I poured into becoming a physician had left little room for anything else. I had relocated many times for school and residency, and now I'd moved to a new town for this job. I had a handful of friends, though I would scarcely describe them as close. Desperate was the only word that capt

I tugged my skirt back into place and attempted to slip around him toward the door. With a single powerful arm, he blocked my way. As he pressed me against the wall with his hip, I finally grasped the true scale of his size. I sensed the shape of him pressing hot against my belly. It hit me what he probably believed I 'owed' him, and my eyes flew open. A horrified breath caught in my throat as I scanned his face.He was gazing down at me with a smile, not a trace of cruelty in his expression. "You are perfect," he whispered, then brushed a chaste kiss across my forehead.I have no idea how I made it through the remainder of dinner with Jeff. I returned to the table clutching my sweater in a death grip, hiding the wet spot above my right breast. That dampness never got cleaned up, and by now it felt a hundred times worse.I had been too panicked to pause and retrieve my panties, so it felt like I was drenching the back of my skirt. Making matters worse, I couldn't make sense of Mr. Tal

"I couldn't help but notice that everything you had to eat was either frozen, prepackaged, or came in single servings. Having grown up in a big family, I never ate that way. There wasn't anything fresh either, and we always keep fresh food on hand to eat."I stood there stunned, wondering how this man could possibly know anything about what I ate. I squinted and folded my arms over my chest."How could you possibly know that?""Last night I filled your kitchen for my Al-, for Mr. Latro, because he was worried you had nothing to eat. He was concerned about your safety too, since your driving isn't the greatest.""Who is Mr. Latro?" was the only thing my mind could produceSaul arched an eyebrow, let out a sigh, and said, "You ran into him a few nights back at Luna Ferus, and from what I've been told, he's not an easy man to forget. The two of you had a brief but memorable encounter at the restaurant.""You're talking about the guy from the ... restroom?" I asked in a soft voice."That'

Out of nowhere, the driver who had been there before was now at our table, and I gave a small start."Sir, the car is prepared, just as you asked; I apologize for the disturbance." Then he stepped back, watching his boss with an expectant look.I sprang from the booth. "Oh no, am I running late?" I dug frantically through my pockets for my cell phone, silently cursing myself for never remembering to put on a watch.Joel appeared to find my abrupt movements amusing, and he slipped out to sit beside me. "You're not late, love. I wouldn't allow that to happen."I rolled my eyes at the condescending tone he slipped into so effortlessly. It was clear he was accustomed to holding authority.While we made our way to the exit, I mulled over this odd, unexpected encounter. My sense of ease with Joel Latro exceeded anything I had grounds for. From what I could tally, he had cornered me in a bathroom, had me tailed, burglarized my home, and pursued me at my workplace. Even though my instincts to

From a small chest in the room he drew out a quilt and laid it across my bare body. After casting one last look in my direction, he stepped out and shut the door behind him.For a few minutes the cabin was filled with voices, then an engine turned over and it sounded as though the van was pulling away. I strained to listen, hardly daring to breathe, waiting for what I felt certain was about to happen. The heavy thud of boots on the floor returned to the door and then fell silent. When the door was pushed open, the giant appeared once more in the doorway and moved to drop heavily onto the bed.With a rusty blade he sliced through the grimy gag at my cheek and drew it off me. He moved around to stand at my back. Slipping his hand beneath the blanket, he fiddled with my bound wrists for several minutes. Behind me, his breathing grew harsh and rose by several degrees. The handcuffs came apart into two pieces with a metallic clink, and he let out a grunt of satisfaction. The ropes around m