Behind her, Urag froze.
As if physically burned by her stuttered refusal, he recoiled, sitting up in one sharp, fluid motion.
The heavy blankets tumbled off his massive shoulders as he reached down, his hands seizing her waist with sudden strength.
Before she could gasp or pull away, he effortlessly shifted her small frame, turning her body and hauling her directly onto his lap.
The shock of his speed left her breathless.
He sat cross-legged on the mattress, holding her firmly against his chest, his broad arms anchored around her like iron bands.
The heat radiating off him was almost suffocating, trapping her flush against him so she had nowhere to hide, nowhere to look except up into his face.
His jaw was clenched so tight the muscles pulsed, and his eyes burned down at her , shadowed with a terrifying mix of raw panic, deep, aching hurt.
"What did you just say to me?" Urag rasped.
