Not an answer. She and one of her brothers never spoke because he was an ass. But the answer was in the way his gaze lingered on the photo and the quiet yearning that echoed in the air between them. Was she imagining it? Or did she really feel that?
“What about the rest of your family?”
“Mom and Dad split up after Roy died. Dad was never comfortable with shifter stuff, and this was the last straw. He passed from a heart attack a couple years ago. Mom’s the shifter. She moved to Traverse City soon afterwards.”
“More wild places to roam?”
His lips curled into a soft smile. “Better skiing. She’s started freeheeling it since she got tired of snowboarding.”
Of course, she did. “And your sister?”
“In Alaska right now studying wolves. It’s the family shame. You’d think she’d be interested in bears, but no. It’s all about the dogs for her.”
“Is she a shifter, too?”
He nodded. “But not a strong one. She had her first change at nineteen and then never since.”
He took the picture from her hand and gently set it back in its place. She was about to ask about his unit and the guy he was fake choking, but he didn’t give her the chance. He stroked her cheek and his eyes turned dark and hungry. She thought for a moment of the Taser in her pocket, but she didn’t grab it. She didn’t feel any threat from him. Just the same hungry intensity that simmered inside her.
“I like you here among my things,” he said. “I like you looking at my family and not shying away when I touch you.”
She didn’t know how to answer that. Especially since her mouth was dry and her heart was hammering in her throat. And yet, deep inside, she was calm. Quiet. As if this was exactly how it was supposed to be.
“Is this the magic?” she whispered.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Does it matter?”
It should. It absolutely should. She wanted to believe that her emotions were her own. Her desire, her interest, even the throbbing in her womb. She wanted those to come from inside, not some mystical force.
“Hank—”
“Do you have the Taser?”
“You know I do.” He’d given it to her and made her put on her lab coat to hide it in her pocket.
“Good. Grab it and be ready.”
She pulled back so she could look at him more squarely. “You want me to Tase you?”
“I want you to hold it.” He took a deep breath, and damn it, it was hard not to notice how his chest expanded and his shoulders stretched wide. “I’m going to kiss you, Cecilia. I’m going to kiss you once, and then I’m going to go take a cold shower.” He paused. “Is that okay?”
“Um, I think the cold shower is going to suck.”
His expression lightened and his lips curved up. “Yeah it will. But if I can leave you alone, then I’m in control. I can walk away from you because that will be my choice.”
She nodded, understanding where he was going. But what if she didn’t want him to walk away. “What if I…what if I can’t control myself? What if the magic is too strong for me?”
Then his lips did widen into a smile. “Then I’ll tie you up and go take my cold shower.” He arched a brow. “Unless you want the shower?”
She shook her head. “I’ll take the kiss and no more.” At least that was her plan. And she knew it would be just as much of a test for her as it was for him. They had to know that they controlled themselves. That they were the ones who…
Her mind was still talking, but her body was completely ignoring her. She’d already put her hands on his shoulders and was drawing him in close. Her lips met his eagerly, moving in a wholly instinctive way. She touched their mouths together, feeling his breath, the texture of his lips, and the way he smiled just as they met. She wanted to push forward hard, but he kept himself back, and he held her in place with his hands on her hips.
Hot hands like brands on her hips. Hot lips moving across hers, teasing with his tongue and teeth as he nipped at her lips but didn’t push inside.
Damn it, it was frustrating! She wanted a kiss, not a tease, but he would not be hurried. And when she was just about to say something, he spoke in that low growly tone that she felt at the base of her spine.
“I only get one,” he said. “I want to make it good.”
