Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 95748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Her fingers slid up the back of his neck, nails scraping lightly as if she could tether herself to him. His groan rumbled through their joined mouths, sending a pulse of awareness straight to her core.
He lifted her effortlessly, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. The solid strength of his body against hers sent a new shock of desire through her system.
Heat rolled off him, his breath ragged as he held her tightly against his chest. The pressure of his hand splayed across her lower back kept her anchored, even as she clung to his shoulders.
Her world spun, and her control shattered. She kissed him harder, her body surging with a strength she hadn’t felt in months. A warning flickered somewhere in the back of her mind, but she shoved it aside, lost in the storm of Jackson’s heat and strength.
This was so wrong.
She didn’t care.
Both of his hands dropped to cup her ass, fingers flexing as he moved with purpose. She had no idea where they were headed, and she didn’t care. His kiss consumed her, fierce and unrelenting, as if she were the only thing that mattered in his world. For this moment, she knew she was.
Her back hit a wall, the impact stealing a gasp from her lips as she arched into him. Her legs still clung tightly to his waist, her body instinctively seeking the heat and strength of his.
He broke the kiss, his breath ragged as his forehead rested against hers. “Did I hurt you?”
“No,” she panted, her lungs fighting for air, her pulse thundering in her ears. When he leaned back, she could only stare at him.
His eyes blazed a deep, enigmatic blue. Not the color of a river, lake, or ocean, but something darker and more intense. A color she couldn’t even name.
His gaze locked onto hers, hunger carving harsh lines into his face, his nostrils flaring like a wolf that had just caught a scent.
He was the ultimate predator.
“Emily,” he growled, her name rough like a warning.
Her legs trembled, her strength faltering as the adrenaline started to wane.
He adjusted his grip, holding her firmly with absolute strength. Easy strength. All Jackson.
The heat of his palms seared her through the thin fabric of her borrowed scrubs, each touch igniting a pulse of need low in her belly. The scent of pine and earth clung to his skin, grounding her even as her heartbeats quickened.
“You’re hurt,” he said, though the words sounded more like a reminder than a statement.
“I’m fine,” she whispered, breathless and aching.
His grin was slow and knowing, a dangerous curve that sent a fresh wave of heat through her blood. The firelight flickered across his features, casting shadows that emphasized the hard lines of his jaw and the intensity in his eyes. The air between them thickened, heavy with need and hunger.
“I wondered,” he murmured.
“I wondered, too,” she admitted, her gaze falling to his mouth. It was just as talented as before. Even more so, really. How many dreams had she had throughout the years about that simple kiss at the lake?
He’d only been a boy then.
The adult wolf holding her now had shed any semblance of boyhood. The memory of its heat lingered on her lips. His breath was warm, brushing her skin as if teasing her to close the distance.
She wanted to do just that and get lost in him. To forget reality for a short time. “That kiss was just as good as I remembered.”
“Ditto.” His hands flexed against her, the possessive squeeze making her pulse stutter. The rough calluses on his fingertips sent sparks of sensation through her, even through the cotton blend of the scrubs.
The warmth from the fireplace mixed with the heat of his body, enveloping her in a cocoon of safety. Temptation. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt, feeling the taut muscle beneath, and her breath hitched when he leaned in just enough that his lips hovered near hers, their breaths mingling.
Her body craved him, but that mistake couldn’t be made. Her heart pounded, urging her forward, but her mind whispered about the consequences.
She’d fail to protect her pack if she made a move like that. No one besides her doctors could know the truth. Not only was she growing weaker, but any children she might have could face the same fate. The future of her bloodline was uncertain, fragile in a way she would have to admit to him, just to be fair.
Her father should have had more children. At least there was Nadia now, though the female wasn’t a fighter. But that didn’t erase the weight of Emily’s responsibility, pressing against her chest like a stone.
If she went any further with Jackson, she owed him the truth. While she doubted her illness was contagious, considering only the females in her ancestry had caught it, she wouldn’t keep a secret like that from him. Not from someone who wanted to mate her.