He had enough money from the less than legitimate work he had done over the years, so she wouldn’t miss the material things she was used to, because he could provide them. But she was still President Vernon Marion’s daughter. Raised to marry an acceptable, elite member of society and to know she was not meant for the dregs of humanity. Kiowa was the dregs of humanity. Hell, some days, he wondered if there was even any humanity left within him.
Long minutes later, freshly showered and dressed in jeans and black t-shirt, he left the bathroom and stared at Amanda as she sat silently in the middle of the bed. She stared back at him with chilly silence, her hazel eyes resentful.
“I’ll fix breakfast. You have half an hour,” he informed her quietly, pushing the dark needs and his own anger deep into the place he had created for them years ago.
“You have half an hour to think then. ” She rose from the bed, staring back at him with haughty distain.
“You can discuss this, and come to a reasonable solution, or you can start making plans on how best to lock me up. Because this is not going to continue. ”
“I hope ham and eggs work for you,” he said calmly. “I’ll have to go down to the storehouse later. ”
Her lips thinned furiously. “Fix whatever the hell you like. You’ll be eating it alone. And think about this, Kiowa. The vote on Breed Law comes up day after tomorrow. How long do you think you can force me to stay here after that?”
She swept past him, her head held high, her hair swirling around her like a short earthen cape as she stomped to the bathroom.
“Never thought I could keep you to begin with,” he murmured, quietly. “But that doesn’t keep a fool from trying. ”
Chapter Twenty-Two
He was placing the eggs and ham on plates when she walked from the bedroom. Her long hair was still damp, her face pale as she flicked a glance at him.
“Call Dr. Grace back up here,” she stated her demand clearly, her voice snapping with authority. “I want those blood tests now. ”
The arousal was feeding through her body; he could smell it, hotter, brighter than ever before and she was snapping orders at him like a general in the middle of a war zone. Unfortunately for her, Kiowa hadn’t joined the Armed Forces simply because he wasn’t enamored of orders.
“Eat your breakfast,” he growled instead. “Then we’ll see if we can’t do something to improve your mood. ”
The smell of her heat was making his mouth water to taste it, to feel it consuming him. Her head raised slowly, her eyes glittering with fury, with lust when she straightened her shoulders and said, “Over my dead body. I refuse to fuck you again until I’ve finished those tests. ”
He frowned at that. He knew how painful the arousal could become. Could she really keep the stubbornness intact that long?
He smiled slowly, remembering the first time, how she had pleaded so sweetly, so heatedly.
“No. ”
Strangely, a look of hurt passed across her face, as though he had wounded her with that one word.
“I’m not hungry,” she said then and turned for the door, swinging it open forcibly before stalking out to the porch, and God only knew how much further.
He stared at the opened door in shock. She was in heat, clearly as aroused as she ever had been, and she was walking away from him? He shook his head before following more slowly, curious as to what she thought she was going to do, or where she was going to go.
&nbs
p; Two wolves guarded the porch. Amanda stood at the steps, staring down at the animals that watched her with challenging canine expressions. When she glanced back at him, Kiowa nearly winced at the fury reflecting in her eyes.
“Amanda…” He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and hunched his shoulders defensively. “I cannot stand the thought of the pain you’ll be in. Even for the blood tests alone. ”
“It is not your choice,” she snapped, turning away from him and staring down at the wolves. “Tell them to move. ”
He breathed in roughly. The woman was going to rip his heart from his chest and she didn’t even see it. Had no concept of the hell she was forcing him to face.
“It’s my place to protect you,” he said softly. “How can I do that if I let you do something that will so clearly cause you such pain?” He shook his head in confusion, fighting the impulses to do as she wished and the instinctive howl of the animal that demanded she know no pain.
“Do you think this arousal doesn’t hurt?” She turned on him then and the scent of her need had lust ripping through his loins. “High and mighty Coyote Kiowa really doesn’t give a fuck though, does he?”
she snarled. “If you don’t get that scientist back up here, for those tests, then you can watch me hurt anyway, Kiowa. And hurt and hurt. Because you will not touch me until I do this. ”
“Why is this so important?” He fought the flames of his own anger, the emotion fighting to be free.