I stared in shock at Lucien above me, pressing me into the ground with an expression furious enough to melt paint. “You nearly got yourself trampled.” He was furious, I could see it in his eyes. Felt it in the tension of his body caged over mine.
But my wolf? She practically purred under the attention, the close physical contact, all of it.
My breath hitched in my chest as I tried to form words, tried to tell him to get off me-the rowdy ball-chasing centaurs he’d protected me from had already galloped nearly out of sight, weaving through the columns and back out onto the beach. But damn it, he felt incredible.
The weight of him was warm, solid-making me want to rub up against him, not push him away.
I stared into his piercing amber eyes, unable to articulate exactly how I felt. His expression darkened, and he leaned in closer, erasing the distance between us in a way that was at once thrilling and terrifying. He buried his nose against my neck, just below my ear, and inhaled slowly, as if he never wanted to forget the scent.
“You keep looking at me like that, hellcat, and we’re going to end up in bed together. And that’s a very bad idea.” He whispered the words against my throat, pressing a hot, firm kiss there before pushing himself up off the ground. I was frozen, the electricity in my veins after the erotic threat and the warm press of his lips… Goddess. I wanted to scissor my thighs together, chase the unfamiliar heat he’d stirred inside me again. If he could drive me crazy with just a kiss, what would it be like, falling into bed with a man as experienced as he was?
Would he mind that I was still a virgin? I bit my lip, the thought making me anxious. When was the right time to tell a man that
? It just felt awkward no matter when it came up.
Lucien waited patiently, offering me a hand up from the ground, but I hesitated, staring at it like a snake about to strike.
We were dancing around the connection between us, and taking that hand… It felt like saying yes to something I didn’t fully understand.
But I wanted to. So badly.
I placed my hand in his, the simple touch electric as he hauled me to my feet like I weighed nothing.
He didn’t let me go right away, inspecting me with those unreadable eyes, that signature mysterious expression which was so uniquely Lucien.
“Come on, hellcat. Let’s catch up to the group before we cause an interspecies incident.” He tucked my hand around his biceps, keeping me close as we crossed the shady pavilion.
I knew it was for safety. He didn’t want his mate to die stupidly under a thunder of hooves.
Reasonable. Kind. Understandable.
But my heart had taken the leap, and I was much more concerned about the thundering in my chest from such a small touch. Because my hand on his arm might have been innocent, but I wanted a hell of a lot more.
None of it innocent.Lucien
The island of Nis? M?thou was a beautiful contradiction: lush Mediterranean greenery sprouting from every nook and cranny, modern amenities designed for the centaurs’ larger size and unique ambulatory needs, and all of it was crammed into classic Roman architecture.
But as Laurana droned on about what the various buildings were that we were passing, I didn’t hear a word. Every inch of my being was fixated on the small, soft hand on my bare arm. Her touch was distracting in an unholy way.
I’d been with a lot of women in my lifetime. Hundreds, easily. When promiscuity was your coping mechanism, you stopped counting and started denying the facts.
So why did one little touch make me feel like I was a teenager all over again? It had to be the mating magic.
I wasn’t one of those who believed the stories about your mate having the other half of your soul. It seemed illogical, if nothing else. Were we all supposed to believe we were wandering around half formed, until we found the elusive “one” right person? No.
Skeptic. That was me.
Except the pull toward Olivia-from her juicy, sugary scent to the way her touch calmed my wolf instantly-was anything but normal. And I couldn’t deny that anymore.
Her allure was too much to resist, even though I knew there were about a thousand things wrong with us getting together.
The way she’d melted underneath me when I tackled her out of the way of the stampeding centaurs was going to live rent-free in my head for the rest of my life. Perfect submission and her devastating beauty were a deadly combination.
And I needed more. Now that I’d had her under me, knew what she felt like, how soft those curves were? Fuck, I wasn’t going to stop until I got her under me again. With a hell of a lot less clothing next time.
But there was this innocence about her I couldn’t shake. She was twenty-four, so I doubted she was a virgin, but I was no high school sweetheart boyfriend. I could seduce her. Convince her to follow me back to my room whenever the politics were done for the day.
The thought was incredibly appealing, on one hand. But on the other, she wasn’t some quick lay I could forget about in the morning.
Not to mention, I’d already hurt her once by accident. The horror at seeing her blood on my hands was never going to leave me. To think I could now hurt her on purpose? No. Not going to happen.
She was mine, forever. And if I slept with her, the bond between us would only strengthen, and I ran a very real risk of my wolf refusing any other female company.
His furious growl in response to that thought confirmed that I was too late on that front-it was my hellcat or nobody.
I should’ve hated the restriction, but damn if I wasn’t thrilled to have one more reason to pursue her. I shouldn’t; I was damaged goods. But that hadn’t stopped me so far, even if it should’ve.
But as riled up as my wolf was, I’d scare her off if I pushed things too fast. I’d have to take things slow, at her pace.
I could do that, right?
My wolf snarled again, but I actually found that one comforting. He wouldn’t ever let me push her past what she was comfortable with. He was my guardrail, my safety net. There was a measure of peace in that.
“And here we are, at the leader’s residence. My father has had light refreshments prepared for your party while you wait. Please help yourselves, and I will go ensure our guest lodgings are ready, should you need them.” Laurana bowed, one horse leg bending, as she motioned with her arms, the move incredibly graceful before she trotted off.
We all exchanged glances, but after a shrug, Reed led the way inside.
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