Wake a Sleeping Tiger

bast

Breed genetics had bec

adn’t reemerged. There

tion and advanced streng

art, he was no more Bre

the s

couldn’t show the

risks in placing Chelsea

his desk, he left th

de to the parking garage

o tight hi

ard anything about Che

ne dared give him the

bably throw a punc

one that in a d

brother, namely—he’d

dec

ntil it cam

wanted to do was have d

cousin Claire—or Cat,

ployer, Cassie Sinclair

o

t another list of locat

possible times

ng for, Chelsea didn’t

s far more interesting th

e’d been bored to tear

en. She simply couldn’t

had been just what she n

er woman wanted to keep

r her. It was really g

ce the jo

rother, or work?” she m

lists of times

invited her to dinner;

e the job as Cat’s

eed to get her killed.

ey lived dangerous liv

ed. And those particular

se to how dangerous

for dinner would no do

e man was so damned nos

ng some kind of interest

Agency worried her. G

ut Chelsea’s cousin Cat.

e, Chelsea hadn’t

e shower to the attac

t what to wear, bu

d require at least a dr

nderground bars on the

fferent sor

. There were plenty of

s, raided and not always

t several of the more pop

ati

were frequented by a

al status. Having Breed

forcers always seemed t

less Cullen’s Agency ma

n could be conv

ll

he mis

im, arguing with him,

at he laughed much after

rom everyone then, cl

ise up the ranks of th

y ins

s? she wondered. He us

Several times, they’d ac

n invited as well. Graem

p with Cat never failed t

the best chef

though. Dinner where

r night staking out ille

whoever the

ns, dec

nitely hurt after all th

e more of an effort to ca

d pulled her out of

er before she left, ei

crashing adrenaline and

tion of tears and emotio

ped he’d

the need; her neck ach

e morning she resig

some nights if she dared

d. She’d lie awake, reliv

e knew he wasn’t ab

sh

eme’s and risking havi

more than she

T-shirt from the closet

on the bed mutinously.

actually become too imm

n. That or she’d

back. She wasn’t going

nforcers had taken down

t of the Breed society.

nvisioned, merciless ki

g more. He must have som

om her truck and taken o

ouldn’t possibly be

anties, she frowned at

on. No matter how many ti

son for the attack didn’t

sn’t going to let it spoo

spoo

could have died. She

ng quickly, she fought back th

ntrating on the job inst

sie had sent. A few of th

others, she might need to

ws to get h

and was just picking u

ecessities in when the so

twisting

sister, Isabelle, makin

as attending Graeme’s

ften invited to the dinn

the hell out of her if

in

namics—go

she gave a quick turn o

ng to check to see who

ld have

ething hot and achy ti

her heart seemed to pause

cing in

it had been forever sin

ed with that hint of war

r expression made her ach

eeted her, his voice lo

nu

and a long-sleeved whit

he looked far too handso

netics he possessed mi

Breed males possesse

green eyes, to the long

darker brown hues, to the

ssence of a woman’s mos

usted after his arrogant

ht into her bed and jus

ped out of her mouth be

ked into a hint of an am

eard he was now sporting

a b

ee how you were doing?

ng a thrill of sensation

re still

ill furious with him,

feeling that she should

is f

n’t just make friendly

ad a reason

ass,” she informed him,

a cup of coffee bef

self. She had a job to

former boss or lusting

me’s dressed in jeans

e in hi

e’s.” She kept her back

lf with the

st made her feel

mned aroused. Thank G

sessed. Like that pesky s

as aroused by them. Tha

ncerned. On s

tant tonight than mak

n your life?” he asked, t

f his dinner parties i

ous, yo

he picked up both cups,

his as he stood in the doo

rossed his arms over his

d back, leaned against th

the while ho

involve himself in her

n’t exact

nd I both will surviv

get-togethers,”

wingly. It wasn’t a smile

certainty and

ther very well, Chelse

a little mocking. “He se

at Coyote attack the othe

ned as his expression tu

I’m a bit con

of coffee on the coun

r her thoughts than to k

h

he scoffed, turning bac

eks, and now you’re sup

disbelief at the very tho

t have time to stand here

ittle interest in the p

r. If he had been the one

t least been there

between heavy goldtipped dark brown lashes. Sh

hen only during interro

from behind a two-way m

that look o

bit uns

elsea?” He questioned h

second. “And who are yo

he desert would have ca

n for a lit

disgust surging inside

better

limb out of my business

hurt in her voice. “Wha

n’t concern you in the l

. Reme

grace in the way he st

his expression tightenin

believe that those Bre

hing but

g from the Agency meant

His lips peeled back in

helsea, sweetheart, you

ht in th

warning. That tone of

ed at the dark undertone

ng c

nown better—why?” sh

im warily. “I haven’t he

mother.” She swallowed t

t she couldn’t

t four years doing every

were trained before thr

it out the words angrily

as though it’s

the fact that he was les

hile his eyes flickered w

ee

the color in someone’s

een his eyes do it. And

xactly what she was doin

r

I’m doing, Cullen, and

ave contacted you myself

, narrowing her eyes b

and. “And you don’t get

d you want to. I don’t

iendship?” he asked, til

ulating gleam en

pulate her. She knew

ch tactics almost every

ldw

least a small amount of

et’s not pretend you do

hat kept her in that care

llen seemed determin

the anger and protective

ush

idea that I have no re

counter on each side of

could become lost in t

he could often deciphe

whatever she showed the

ten tried

hands lifted, pushing

hen he refu

assured her. “What wou

in

to him that she would

four years working toge

en his closest friend, a

ct fo

ips was filled with hurt

t her, something he hadn

’t want

ears for the field.”

ou wouldn’t even let me

k of respect for me and t

lea

eren’t

erned, I’ll never be re

chest again, the sudden,

him unaware. Enough so t

rtunity to p

Hell, he should let he

lse was even thought, he

rapping her ag

a summer rainfall in the

sweet and fraught with

dizzy. The scent of he

l he swore he could tast

The whispered gasp b

through him. “Dammit, C

er I piss

she pisse

kiss you whenever I’m p

’d have been kissing you

think you live

he did

rised lips, his tongue

ving taste a man could ev

s kiss or passion. Her li

s even as he slipped it

t heat, and he loved i

e had kept him awake ni

of her, of this need, w

rget, no matter h

become a

r hip, at first in prote

atever reason might have

murmur of pleasure sw

hought of releasing t

neck with his free hand

ips slanting over hers,

round his neck, her finge

ils scraping ag

h him like a drug. Her

ht for supremacy of the

ve of heat rushing

hard it was nearly agon

er bare and take her right

from her neck to the hem

it up with a desperation

ough his system, wiping

him to take he

hers, her protesting cr

, tasting her, licking agai

raked ag

ifted closer, her head ti

ive skin as he bit and l

f taste, every cry of

ore, needed nothing mor

heated little cries from

f her a

bend of her neck where

her breast, the warmth

barely covered by the t

than he could bear, tho

the swollen bud of her n

li

e of her nipple against

, gripping, lifting her

e pulled the cup of her

ned pretty, but he was

not when he needed the t

ss against. The need for

te every inch of her. No

of

st or a cry of pleasure

ips covered the taut, che

gainst h