Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 94653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Along with our past.
After nearly five years of silence, he refuses to be ignored.
My steps stutter to a halt as I return his penetrating stare.
Deep in my bones, I know that if I slide in beside him, everything will explode between us. Thick tension has been brewing for days.
I’m afraid of what will happen if it does.
I rip my gaze from his before swinging toward the alleyway. A heartbeat passes. Then another before a car door slams shut in the distance. I startle and quicken my step, knowing that he’ll come after me. The frigid air crackles with tension as a mixture of nerves and excitement ignites at the bottom of my belly.
Even though I realize it’s coming, a squeak escapes from me when his fingers tighten around my bicep.
His voice cracks like thunder in the velvety darkness that presses in on us. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
Before I can respond, he turns me around and backs me up until my spine hits the rough brick of the building. Much like earlier, he presses his bigger body against mine, caging me in, making me feel small as I stare with wide eyes.
“Walking home.”
“Like hell you are,” he growls.
“You don’t make decisions for me.”
“Maybe not, but Miles would want me to look out for you.”
Hearing him bring my brother up for the second time in one night is all it takes for the anger to bubble up like a geyser. My hands tighten into fists before I slam them into Wolf’s steely chest.
A hiss of breath escapes from me as pain radiates throughout my knuckles, and I shake them out. I’ve probably caused more damage to myself than him, which only pisses me off more.
“Stop bringing him up! Stop trying to resurrect the past!” I hate the hot tears that sting my eyes.
His hands wrap around my clenched fists before lifting them to his lips and kissing each knuckle. A heartbeat later, he drags me closer. His arms band around me as I stare at the broad expanse of his chest and attempt to stave off the riotous emotion that is seconds away from clawing its way out.
“The last thing I want to do is hurt you, Fallyn.”
The soft admission is all it takes for the dam to break as wetness slides down my cheeks. His arms tighten even more, crushing me as he drops a kiss against the crown of my head. Heat blooms at the bottom of my belly as strong fingers slide beneath my chin and lift it so he can rain kisses down upon my face.
As much as I try to hold it in, a whimper of need escapes from me right before his lips sweep across mine. His other hand rises until both are able to cup my cheeks, and I have no other choice but to meet his heavy-lidded stare. The heat that now fills his eyes is enough to scorch me alive.
He breaks the caress long enough to say, “Do you know how long I’ve waited to do that?”
Chapter 21
Wolf
The question hangs heavy in the chilled air between us.
A dazed expression fills her eyes as they silently sift through mine.
It’s so damn tempting to crush my lips to hers for a second time this evening.
I’m starving for another taste.
Unable to resist the lure, I nip at her plump lower lip and am rewarded with a swift intake of air. Her unrestrained response is enough to turn my cock to steel.
“We can’t,” she whispers, eyes pleading with mine.
“Why not?” My voice is rough and animal-like. The beast I have forever tried to keep trapped beneath the surface where this girl is concerned.
My hands continue to cradle her cheeks. I don’t want to ever let go. It’s only when I’m touching her that I feel the blood rush through my veins and oxygen fill my lungs again.
It’s been so long that I almost forgot what it felt like to be alive.
“Because there’s no point.”
When her tongue darts out to moisten her lips, a groan breaks loose from deep within my chest.
“We’re not friends anymore.”
I’m not sure if she’s trying to convince me or herself of that.
“We’ve always been friends, Fallyn. There’s never been a time when I didn’t care about you or think about you.” Obsessively. But I keep that part to myself, knowing it would probably push her even further away when all I want to do is tug her closer. I want her bound to me forever.
Instead of arguing, I lower my mouth and wait for her to either shove me away or protest the growing closeness. When she does neither, my tongue drifts across her lips, willing her to open and let me in.
That’s all I’ve ever wanted.
For her to let me in.
It’s almost a surprise when her fingers curl into the thick material of my sweatshirt and tug me closer. When I brush my tongue across the seam of her lips for a second time, she opens just a bit.