Unbound Read Online Free Page B

zing straight to his crotch. Both of them stilled after the mere hint of contact, and he flicked his surprised eyes to hers. She’d felt it too. Her cheeks were pink, and he sensed her body was humming with tension.
    Zachary breathed deeply as her distinctly feminine scent filled his head, enhancing the sudden and unexpected surge of desire. He couldn’t think of a time that his body had responded so strongly or so quickly to a woman—and he’d had lots of women. Holding her stare, he cradled her wrist in his hand and read out loud the name inscribed in flowing script letters on the silver disk. “Annabelle.”
    â€œThat’s me,” she murmured. “Annabelle.”
    â€œNice to meet you, Annabelle.” Zachary gently released her and sat up, needing to put some distance between them. He was having a hard time thinking straight because all the blood was rushing to his crotch. “You have a last name, don’t you?”
    â€œYes. Of course I do… It’s Johnson.” Her tongue flicked out and moistened her lower lip. “Annabelle Johnson.”
    â€œRight.” He knew she was lying about her last name. There was too much of a pause, as though she were thinking one up as opposed to simply saying her name. She looked so scared and alone, it took all of his willpower not to gather her in his arms and comfort her. Instead, he stuck his hand out to her like some kind of dorky teenager. “Zachary McKenna.”
    She looked at him for a moment, as though deciding whether or not to shake his hand. A hint of a smile played at her lips, and some of the tension eased before she finally put her hand in his. The instant her soft skin settled against his, warmth washed over him and need tightened in his gut. Zachary glanced down at their interlocked hands, and recognition flooded him. He rasped his thumb along the edge of her palm and turned it just enough so he could see her long, delicate fingers.
    Clearing his throat, he quickly released her hand, the warmth of her flesh suddenly and noticeably absent. Zach’s gaze skittered over those deep auburn locks, and his muscles tensed as a vaguely familiar energy signature throbbed through the air. It was like music; a slow, light tinkling in the air that was almost unreadable but was growing louder with each passing moment.
    He sharpened his focus, reaching out with his own energy. Zachary tuned in to her and, as the sound of the waves crashed in the background, he knew.
    Memories of the dream realm came roaring into focus…it was her .
    Annabelle was the woman from the dream realm—and his mate. Holy shit. She was here. Right here in front of him and he didn’t have the first fucking clue what he was supposed to do. How ironic. Zachary had been with countless women and was never at a loss for words. Yet here he was, with the woman he was destined to spend eternity with, and he was a tongue-tied boob.
    Great. Thank God Dominic wasn’t here, because Zach would never live this down.
    â€œAre you alright?” Her voice, soft and concerned, pulled him from his thoughts. “Zachary?”
    Zach just nodded, holding her green-eyed stare, and he noticed she was fiddling with her bracelet again. He was feeling a little fidgety himself. Rising to his feet, he started to pace the room, needing to put some space between him and the woman the universe had tossed at his doorstep. Her energy signature grew stronger and whirled around him in the air, faster with each second. It was both unsettling and oddly comforting at the same time.
    â€œSo let me get this straight.” He stopped in front of the breakfast bar that separated the kitchen from the living room and folded his arms over his chest. “You came to Mexico alone. With one bag. No clothes. No suntan lotion. Just a bag with your identification and some money? That’s it? And that bag, with everything in it, is now gone.”
    â€œYes.” She