“Bury him!”
Blood rushed in my ears as I bent over and called the shot, then struck. The ball sank, and before I could stand up, Rowan's hands slid around my waist, his touch scorching. Wolf whistles and cheers erupted around us.
“Why did you do that?” I whispered.
Rowan’s voice was low. “You’ll never have to wonder if I’ll take the fall for you.” He stepped back and dropped his boxers. The cheers were deafening, and my brain short-circuited. Rowan Steele, naked as the day he was born, in front of his entire pack. In front of the entire pub.
For me.
It was the ultimate display of vulnerability from an alpha. Of trust. My tough shell of a heart cracked wide open, every protective instinct surging to the surface. I wanted to cherish him, worship him, claim him as mine.
Right this second.
When our gazes locked again, the rest of the world fell away. Nothing existed except the two of us and the electric current flowing between us. I took a shuddering breath, struggling for control. “Can you give me a ride home?”
Rowan’s mouth quirked. “Do you want?—”
“Now. Please.”
His grin widened. He quickly pulled up his boxers and grabbed the rest of our clothes, then grabbed my hand and pulled me to the door.
Chapter
Twenty-Six
Rowan
My heart pounded against my ribs as we ran out the door, hoots and hollers following us out into the night.
"Hell of a game, Rowan!" Liam called after me, grinning.
“You’re welcome!” I threw them a sly smile over my shoulder as I guided Evelyn to my truck with a possessive hand at the small of her back. She was still in her underwear, and I was more than okay with that. Opening the passenger door, I helped her inside with a hand cupping her upper thigh.
The instant I slid behind the wheel and started the engine, Evelyn transformed before my eyes. Gone was the cautious, reserved she-wolf. A wild, feral creature sat in her place, eyes blazing with untamed desire.
Her hand crept up my thigh, sending sparks through my body. I sucked in a sharp breath as I backed up and pulled out of the parking lot. "Evelyn?—"
But she was already crawling into my lap, straddling me, pinning me back against the seat. Her mouth claiming mine in a searing kiss that obliterated every thought.
Blindly, I yanked the wheel to the side, bringing the truck to a screeching halt on the shoulder a block from the pub. I was panting as I wrenched my lips from hers.
"I won't take you for the first time in my damn truck."
She attacked my mouth again, hands fisting in my hair. "I don't care where," she growled against my lips. "I just need you. Now."
With a groan, I surrendered to the inferno raging between us. Our tongues battle for dominance as I gripped her hips, grinding her against me.
This was madness. The lust. The need. I'd never experienced anything like it. Every fiber of my being screamed to make her mine.
But I can't. Not yet.
My wolf howled inside me, a primal need to claim our mate thundering through my veins. But a tiny, rational part of me resisted. I gentled my touch, stroking her back as I slowed our frenzied kisses.
"Evelyn, look at me," I rasped.
When her eyes opened, the blend of green and gold was nearly swallowed by black. The same desire, need, and desperation. I saw it all reflected there and felt it radiating through our bond.
I pushed a stray tendril of hair from her face. "I want you more than my next breath. But not like this. Not something quick and rough. When we bond, I'm going to take my time. I’m going to worship every inch of you."