“Foreplay,” Rory says.
Vale chuckles as he keeps walking.
“It is not,” I hiss.
“It could be if you let it,” Rory whispers. “It could be so damn good.”
The hint of a growl in his words has slick gathering and my arousal, which I’d been fighting to ignore, igniting and obliterating every thought. It would take one touch in the right spot, and I would come so hard, so easily.
I wrap my legs around his, thrust up, and roll us until I’m on top. This is not better, this is worse. So much worse.
His hands find my hips, urging me into a movement that will undo us both.
“Enough,” I snarl.
He stops immediately, to my complete shock, his hands falling to his sides.
“I’ve stopped.”
I hesitate a long moment, then shove up. “Don’t stay out here long going to the toilet; we need everyone in bed early for the bad weather that’s coming. We’re going to need to find shelter.”
He looks at me, but he’s not smiling.
“Do you hate me for saying no?” I snarl, irritated with him. That would just be so like them. I want them, no, I need them to be the bad guys.
Surprise washes across his face. “Of course not. Did you think I would need to force you? Want to force you? When you fuck me, you’re going to do it because not doing it would be worse than death.”
His utter confidence is completely disarming, and I have a feeling he’s right. Because I do want to fuck him, almost more than my next breath. Resisting them is becoming the fight of my life.
I sit back, and he sits up so we’re face-to-face. “No, I-” I cut off, biting my lip and looking away.
“I am an asshole,” he touches my chin, and when I look at him, he smiles, “to everyone else on this planet, but not to you. Never to you.”
This is too much; he’s too much. I stand up, putting several much-needed feet between us. He follows slowly, his arms up as if to show he’s harmless. What a joke, he’s lethal just breathing. If I could fuck them and not get emotionally ruined by them, it would solve everything, but just being near them is destroying everything I’ve built.
I take a step back, holding a hand up when he tries to follow. Dark has fallen, and though I know the way back, I feel lost. I don’t even know why I feel like this. I don’t have a reason, just feelings of panic.
“I would never hurt you, Bonnie. Well, not again.”
I nod in acknowledgment. “I know that.” And I did know that. I trust him out here.
I remember what Cyn told me about his parents, and my chest aches. I glance back towards the camp, then dart towards him. He doesn’t expect it, and so, when I collide with him, he lets out a surprised oof. I wrap my arms around his middle and lay my head on his chest.
His heart beats loud in my ear, and his scent stirs up this desire to just throw caution to the wind.
“I’m not scared of you. But I’m not the same omega that I was.” It’s a strangled half admission that I am embarrassed comes out, but I don’t take it back.
Rory strokes a hand down my back. There is nothing sexual about it, only comfort and a gentleness that I doubt many see from this alpha.
But his scent stirs in the air around us, softer, and I get the impression that I’ve done something that has completely challenged the way he expected me to act or behave.
“Hug me back, Rory.”
He lifts his arms and hugs me, squeezing tight. We stay like that until the air gets chilly. When I pull away, he lets me go, but I can almost sense his confusion.
“You are so much more than I expected,” he murmurs.
“What did you expect?”
