Page 22 of Unforgivable Fate

“Nova…” His voice was low, husky, barely a whisper. “I want to kiss you.”

“I know but... Not here. Not now.”

“Why?”

“Leo’s just outside.” She clung to the truth of that statement even as her body swayed closer to Griffin. “He could come in at any second.”

“That’s why you think we should wait?” Griffin smiled down at her, stroking his thumb over her cheekbone. “No. I think that’s exactly why you’re going to let me kiss you right here and right now. Because you know it’s safe. Because he’ll interrupt us before we go too far and lose control. And that’s what you need to feel safe with me right? Control?”

Nova licked her lips, the words on the tip of her tongue to tell him that he was wrong. Only they didn’t come out. What came out instead was a small whimper that would no doubt embarrass her upon retrospection of this moment, but for now, she didn’t have an argument.

“Okay.” She managed a jerky nod.

“You want it?”

She nodded again.

“Say it, Nova.” Griffin was still holding her face, still stroking her cheek, but his eyes were darker now, hungry with a desire that felt like it might swallow them both alive.

“I want you to kiss me.” She admitted and before she could think about how it would change everything, his lips were on hers.

Griffin kissed her and the rest of the world melted away. Her brain tried to hold on to logic and reason. It told her that it was only a kiss, one kiss, but she knew it for the lie that it was. This was so much more than just a kiss and they both knew it.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Griffin couldn’t believe it was really happening. He was kissing his mate. He was kissing Nova and she was kissing him back. And not only that but it felt even more perfect, even more right, than he had ever dreamed it would to have her in his arms.

She tasted like oranges. Sweet and tangy on his tongue. He loved it. Loved the way she parted her lips for him when he slid his tongue along the seam. She opened, letting him in, tilting her head back to give him a better angle as he delved deeper, licking and sucking that incredible taste of her into him until he was certain he’d never be able to eat an orange without thinking of her ever again.

The mate bond exploded between them, strengthening as their kiss went on and on.

He wanted to wrap her in his arms and pull her close. He wanted to press her against the counter and rub their bodies together. He wanted to lift her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist and grind herself against him but he knew better than to make any sudden movements.

Even as he kissed her and he lost sight of the rest of the world, of everything he had been before this moment and everything he would become after, he held on to his control like the lifeline that it was. He couldn’t lose control with her. She didn’t trust him enough for that. Not yet. And if he had a chance in hell of convincing her he was worthy of her trust then he couldn’t push too hard and too fast.

His wolf growled inside of him, wanting Griffin to bite her, to draw blood, to mark her as their mate. He felt his wolf push at his skin and groaned when he felt Nova’s wolf answer in response. Their wolves wanted one another and they were practically rubbing themselves against one another even though they were still stuck inside the confines of their human’s skin.

That was enough, he tried to console his wolf. This was enough. Knowing that her wolf wanted this just as much as he did. It had to be enough for now because there was no way he could let his wolf break the surface in the Crescent Pack Alpha’s kitchen.

Instead he mentally pushed his wolf back down and slid his other hand to Nova’s face, cradling her cheeks as she sighed into his mouth. He could literally feel her defenses dropping as she gave in to the kiss. The bond surged again and he swore he could feel it thickening and growing into something that couldn’t easily be broken.

This kiss, it was everything he had ever wanted.

This was his mate. His world. His everything. She had been made for him and he for her. This was just the first of a lifetime of kisses, he reminded himself. They had an eternity together and this was just the first step in sealing their bond.

Nova was sweet and soft against him. She felt so good in his arms. Kissing her felt like coming home and he knew the moment he was forced to release her lips that he would feel the loss like a kick in the chest.

When Nova’s hands came up to clench at his shirt, Griffin forced himself to slowly withdraw from the kiss. Nova’s lips followed him for a moment but he held her face steady. He pulled back enough to look at her and his heart ached at the absolute beauty of her with her lips soft and wet and her eyes hooded with desire.

He stroked her cheeks softly, meeting her gaze when she blinked up at him, “Was that okay?”

“I…” Nova blew out a shaky breath and nodded. “I’m okay.”

That wasn’t really what he had asked but he would take it. He brushed a light kiss over her forehead and then released her. He stepped back, giving her a little bit of space.

She touched her lips with her fingers and he tried not to smile. She looked absolutely wrecked from that kiss, as if he’d just turned everything she thought she knew upside down. Maybe that shouldn’t make him so damn proud but it did, because now she knew how good it could be between them.

His lips still tingled from the power of the kiss and he knew hers must as well. The bond, which had been just the barest hint of a string tied from his heart to hers this morning, was suddenly as thick as a braided rope and so strong he could already feel pieces of Nova through it. He could feel that she was struggling to reconcile just how much she’d enjoyed his kiss with her need to keep him at arms-length but he didn’t reach out to her or try to reassure her again.

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