The moment stretched thin and breathless between us. Electric tension sparked and snapped, leaving the air heavy with unspoken promise. My body burned with a need I could barely understand, but I felt it at the core of me, pulsing and raw. Desire flooded every vein, setting my skin ablaze with the unbearable longing to close the last inches between us.
“Sawyer,” he murmured, his voice a deep, rough caress. The sound of my name on his lips broke something inside me, tore down the walls I’d built, and left me exposed. It was enough to make my knees weak and my heart pound so fiercely I feared it might burst. “I couldn’t stay away.”
He took a step closer, and I felt the world narrow to the charged, impossible space that held only us. Only this. Only now. His scent—earth and forest, power and want—enveloped me, seeped into my bones and took root. It left me helpless and breathless, a girl with nothing left to lose.
Nothing left to fear.
The single light over the kitchen peninsula flickered above us, a strobe to mark the dizzy spin of my thoughts. My hands twitched, reaching for him, then pulling back as I hovered on the edge of reckless abandon.
Of losing myself completely.
His gaze never left mine. Hazel eyes shimmered with promise, with hunger, with the same reckless need that tore through me. That made me want to forget every terror, every plan, every doubt I’d harbored.
When he touched me, I thought I might shatter. His hands, strong and sure, cupped the back of my neck and pulled me in. My breath hitched. My pulse exploded. There was no hesitation, no holding back, only the fierce press of his lips on mine, unyielding and absolute.
It set fire to everything.
I melted against him, against his solid warmth and the unrelenting surety of his touch. The world shifted, dizzy and unfocused, a blur of light and dark as he pulled me closer.
“I tried to go home after our run. Saw your light still on.” He had my head in his hands, fingers massaging my scalp as his breath brushed my lips.
“You need to lock your goddamn door,” he said. Then, his lips crashed onto mine. Consuming every thought in my head except for his taste, the feel of his lips, his tongue, as it dominated my mouth.
My arms reached around his waist as I held on for dear life.
He slowed his assault on my mouth, easing into soft, simple kisses across my mouth and face. His breath came in pants until he was back in control of his emotions. My breathing slowed as well, and I looked into his beautiful hazel eyes that tonight were more gray than anything.
“I don’t want you to stay away.” I told him.
He kissed my forehead. Serious, suddenly.
“I’ll be by in the morning about seven. We need to talk about your future around here. I need to get back to my regular schedule at my auto dealership, and I want to be sure you are squared away.”
This was not the conversation I expected after those kisses. “Oh, uh, okay. That sounds great. I’d like that. I guess.” I know I sounded like an idiot. Gah. I needed to try to sound more mature. “Uh, I mean, yes, I’d like to know more about where I can fit in around here.”
His grin was so beautiful. Standing in my house with his six-pack on display, sweat-soaked hair, looking like sex on a stick, after all but fucking my mouth with his tongue, he wants to havethisconversation.
He gave me another forehead kiss. “Good. I’ll see you in the morning at seven sharp, Red. Lock this door and set the alarm.” He said over his shoulder as he shut the door behind him.
I followed him to the door to lock it. “See you in my dreams, Bridger.” I whispered under my breath as I set the alarm. I knew at that moment I was staying.
Chapter 4
Menace
Isat outside Sawyer’s apartment, a goddamn masochist. There was a fresh and dangerous pull between us, the lights in her window taunting me with their late-night glow. I didn’t know the first fucking thing about her except I couldn’t get enough of the taste of her. She was more than what she seemed, a delicacy my wolf had already claimed in a far more honest way than I could bring myself to admit. I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel and let a low growl escape my throat, struggling to find some honorable ground between claiming her secrets or claiming her body. The truth was, I didn’t know which one I’d take first. If she were smarter than she looked, she’d be miles away by morning.
She’d come from money; that much was obvious. Too much polish. Too much refinement. I’d seen girls like her before, but none had been a match for my wolf. Not one. The fire of her hair and the stubborn way she held herself told me she was more than just another pretty face. They told me she’d hold out. That she’d burn me with her spirit before she gave in. And damn if that wasn’t what made me want her more.
I tapped the wheel again, watching as shadows shifted in the room above, making my heart and wolf pound in tandem. Even if I knew nothing about her past, I had to give her credit for one thing: she’d ditched whatever easy life she’d had to take a gambleon something darker. On something rougher. On something that would make or break her. I could feel the fine thread of her vulnerability stretching all the way to the truck, a lifeline I’d either pull tight or let slip.
And goddamn it, she was too young. Thirteen years was a sizeable difference. Her voice and the edge in it echoed through my head, taunting me with the knowledge that I’d already claimed her in every practical way. I wasn’t sure if she was crazy or just gutsy, but my wolf had recognized her and hers. He’d settled in, curled up like he already had what he wanted.
How the hell was I supposed to make this work?
I growled low again, my breath clouding the cab in front of me. There were so many pieces to this puzzle I couldn’t even begin to map it out. The only thing I knew was that she was meant to be with us. With me.
I stared at her window, the shadow of her moving through my mind like a memory I hadn’t earned. The instinct to protect her flared hot and fast. What the hell did I know about her? About someone so proper? Wasn’t much, but as far as what kind of future she’d have here? What kind of job could I arrange for her? I could sure as shit tell she didn’t belong in a waitress uniform. No, it would take a hell of a lot longer to get her on my payroll than Bronc’s.
