Willow couldn’t breathe as his silver eyes darkened to the color of graphite. When her tongue nervously wet her lips, his gaze latched onto the movement. Her heart lurched, and her fingers curled into his shirt before digging into the wall of his thickly muscled chest.
She couldn’t count the number of times she dreamt about kissing him, but in her dreams, there were no consequences. Unfortunately, in reality, there were plenty of them.
He was a senior member of the Alliance, Ronan’s secondhand man, and a complete mystery to her. She had a feeling that if she took what she wanted now, it would be one of the most amazing experiences of her life. And it could turn into the biggest mistake of her life.
Do not get involved with someone you work with!Disappointment filled her as her eyes fell from his mouth to the forest floor. Not getting involved with him was not the choice she preferred, but it was the one she’d make.
Willow’s warring emotions battered Declan as she lowered her eyes to stare at the ground. He buried his frustration; they shouldn’t be this close. He shouldn’t be holding her. He’d spent years controlling his emotions and impulses, and she made him forget all his training and discipline. If he wasn’t careful, he could become a threat to her.
The possibility he could attack her was enough to douse his desire, but he still couldn’t bring himself to part from her. If he weren’t so enamored with her, he would set her aside and walk away. It was the best choice for her, but as much as she rattled his control, she also calmed him, and he wasn’t ready to part with her yet.
He couldn’t resist running his fingers over a strand of hair that had fallen free of its tie. In the dim light, he could make out the strands of gold and pale blonde in her hair.
“I hope I didn’t offend you by holding you,” he said. “You were shivering, and I was trying to warm you up.”
Willow swallowed the bitter disappointment choking her throat. She should have kissed him. She’d nearly died and might never get another chance with him. That should have been enough to make her live in the moment a little more. Instead, she couldn’t get out of her head.
“Not at all,” she murmured. “Thank you.”
She couldn’t kiss him, but she found herself burrowing closer to the warmth he emitted. Even if she couldn’t seize the moment, she wasn’t ready to give up her position in his arms. He was so warm and secure around her. Beneath his bomber jacket, she felt the power coursing through the corded muscles surrounding her.
“Have you heard anything from them?” she asked.
“No.”
“Nothing?” Willow asked as she lifted her head to meet his stare.
“Nothing.”
Willow anxiously searched the shadows as the swaying tree branches clicked together over her head. The wind created a low, mournful sound as it blew over the land. Despite the heat of Declan’s arms, a chill ran through her.
“Why does that not make me feel as good as I assumed it would?” she asked.
“We probably lost them in the woods.”
Willow wanted to believe him, but… “They’re stubborn. I spent two nights in that tree; they should have moved on from the area, but they were still hunting it when I descended.”
“They either knew you were still somewhere nearby, or they suspected someone else was.”
Dismay clogged her throat. “Do you think we left someone behind?”
“No,” he said. “I think they were looking for you.”
“Why?”
“Because while I think Lucien still has a chance of being alive, I don’t think anyone else is,” he said honestly. “They wouldn’t have been so focused on you if there were others to distract them. The Savages probably found the river, assumed you went in, and followed it until they picked up your trail again.”
“I hate them.”
“So do I,” he said as he idly twirled her hair around his finger.
“What are we going to do?”
“We’ll keep heading west until we find something. We have to run across civilization eventually.”
“I hope so. I’d love a hot shower and a mattress. You’re warm, but you’re not exactly the most comfortable bed in the world.”
The sexy smile curving his mouth made her understand the term butterflies in the belly as a strange sensation fluttered to life there. She had a couple of crushes as a teen and some experience with men over the years, but they were all immature little boys compared to Declan.
