I bite his lower lip, hard enough to sting. His growl vibrates through my bones.
In one fluid motion, he spins us, pressing my back against rough bark. The tree at my spine anchors me as his body pins mine, solid and unmovable. His thigh pushes between my legs, creating delicious pressure exactly where I need it.
“Tell me to stop,” he demands against my throat, teeth grazing sensitive skin.
“No.”
His hands are everywhere—under my shirt, mapping my ribs, claiming territory. I rake my nails down his back, feeling muscle bunch and shift beneath his skin. He hisses, the sound of pure animal satisfaction.
My magic flares in response to his touch, little sparks dancing where his fingers trace. He notices, eyes flashing.
“Your magic likes me,” he murmurs.
“Shut up,” I gasp as his hand finds the bare skin of my stomach.
He laughs—a dark, dangerous sound that makes my knees weak. “Make me.”
I pull his mouth back to mine, silencing him with another kiss. This one is deeper, wetter, our tongues sliding against each other in a preview of what we both want. His hands find the button of my jeans, hesitating there—not from uncertainty but from restraint. He’s waiting for permission.
I arch against him, a wordless answer.
I grab the hem of Dane’s shirt, yanking it up with desperate hands. He breaks away just long enough to pull it over his head, revealing a landscape of muscle and scars. The late afternoon sun cuts through the trees, lighting him golden. My fingers trace a long scar that runs from his collarbone to his ribs, feeling the raised tissue.
“Off,” he growls, tugging at my jacket.
I shrug out of it, then pull my thin henley over my head. The forest air hits my skin, raising goosebumps across my flesh. Dane’s eyes darken as he takes in my black sports bra, his hands immediately moving to cup my breasts through the fabric.
“Fuck,” he hisses when he finds my nipples already hard against his palms.
His mouth returns to my neck, teeth scraping sensitive skin as he pushes my bra up. The rough bark scrapes against my back, but I don’t care. His hands are warm against my bare breasts, thumbs circling my nipples in a way that makes my breath catch.
Dane unbuckles my jeans with quick, efficient movements. There’s nothing tentative about him—all predatory confidence as he slides his hand inside, cupping me through my underwear.
“You’re soaked,” he says against my throat, satisfaction rumbling through his chest.
I’m already working at his belt, tugging it open with unsteady fingers. “Shut up and fuck me.”
He laughs—a deep, dangerous sound—and pushes my jeans down my hips. I kick off my boots, then the pants, until I’mstanding in just my underwear and pushed-up bra. His hand slides beneath the cotton, fingers finding my wet slit.
“Christ, Nova,” he groans when he feels how ready I am.
I manage to get his jeans open, shoving them down his hips along with his boxer briefs. His cock springs free—thick, hard, already leaking at the tip. I wrap my hand around him, and his whole body jerks.
“Now,” I demand, stroking him once, twice. “I need you now.”
His fingers press into me, one and then two, stretching me while his thumb circles my clit. It’s good—so good—but not what I want. I need more. Need him.
Dane seems to understand. He hooks his fingers in my underwear and tears it away with a single sharp motion. Before I can react, he lifts me, hands gripping my thighs, and pins me back against the tree.
“Wrap your legs around me,” he orders.
I comply, locking my ankles behind his back. The position opens me completely to him. His cock presses against my entrance, hot and heavy, and I feel my entire body clench with anticipation.
“Look at me,” he demands.
I meet his gaze. His eyes have gone molten gold, his wolf right at the surface. I know mine must be the same: violet burning into amber. Something passes between us that’s more than physical. Recognition. Claim.
He pushes into me slowly this time, inch by devastating inch. I feel every ridge, every pulse of heat as he fills me completely. We both freeze, panting. The stretch burns deliciously, my body adjusting to his size.
