Page 23 of Forbidden Daddy Mate

My heart pounded and my breath caught in my throat, and not because I was claustrophobic. It was the fact that it would be impossible to avoid Malcolm in this space. We’d be brushing up against one another the entire time. There would be no escaping his scent, and no way of forcing myself not to think about what had happened the previous night. It still raced through my head, the whole situation feeling surreal. It had been the best sex I’d ever had, and the fact that Malcolm had found it wrong or inappropriate chafed at me. It hadn’t felt like either of those things to me, but I’d kept my mouth shut because I could tell arguing or saying I felt different wouldn’t change anything. It would only make things worse.

But the urge to be near him, to press my lips to his, had increased tenfold since we’d had sex. We’d been walking away from vampires, and half the time, all I could think about was how it would feel if we’d fucked in the snow.

It had been bad enough before. Now, in this cramped space, I wasn’t sure how I was going to hold myself back.

“How are you doing?” Malcolm asked, pulling my thoughts away from our new surroundings. “Do you need a fire? How’s the arm?”

“Okay, yes, and still hurts, but I’ll live,” I answered.

He nodded. “One thing at a time, then.” He glanced outside. “I’ll grab some wood and be back in a bit.”

He left, taking the axe that had been by the door. Now that I was alone, the panic and terror I’d been holding at bay began to sneak their way in. I’d been so close to being taken. If Malcolm hadn’t been there, I would have. I’d been aware of that before, but now that I was alone for the first time since it happened, the reality of it all slammed home.

I took a deep breath, and then another. But it did nothing to stop my swirling, racing thoughts. My hands trembled as I took deep, desperate gulps of air. I felt like I was drowning. My arm throbbed in painful memory of the way Tyr had held me, how he’d nearly succeeded in dragging me away to do who knew what. I’d been completely helpless. If it happened again, I might not get as lucky. I could practically feel his hand on my shoulder, his ice-cold breath on my neck.

Just as I was going into a full-blown panic attack, the door burst open. I jumped, nearly screaming, certain it was Tyr, that he’d found me already. But it was Malcolm, carrying in a load of logs.

“Let me get the fire started and you’ll be warm in no time.” He paused, taking in my pale, frightened face, and dropped the firewood. “What happened? Is everything all right?”

I nodded, pushing the dark thoughts away. Now that he was here, it was easier to push those thoughts out of my mind.

Sensing my panic and discomfort, Malcolm dropped the logs and walked over to me. Strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me into him. I took a deep breath, inhaling his scent.

“Sorry,” I muttered, feeling heat creeping up my face. “I’m being silly, I know.”

“You’re fine,” he said. He stroked my head, and I instinctively leaned my head against his chest. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”

We stayed like that for a while. Eventually, my breathing slowed. I let myself drown in his scent, taking deep breaths until I finally stepped back.

“I’m fine,” I said.

He studied me, those gray eyes scrutinizing me intensely. My skin prickled. I expected him to argue with me, or tell me I was a terrible liar, but all he did was nod and say, “Let’s get that fire going for you, okay?”

I stayed motionless, watching him as he busied himself with the wood and lit a match. The fire crackled to life. He came back over to me.

“Come on.” He took me by the shoulders and moved me to stand in front of the flames. The heat began radiating through my bones, easing some of the tension that had been building inside me since the night before. My body began to sag as the cold ebbed away.

“Thanks,” I said.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

I took a deep breath, and nodded, giving a smile. “Just still a little jumpy,” I said. “Been a weird twenty-four hours, you know. On a lot of fronts.”

Malcolm snorted in acknowledgment, understanding that I wasn’t just talking about the vampires.

“Anyway, just a lot to take in,” I said. “I’m fine.”

Malcolm looked me up and down, and my whole body warmed. It had nothing to do with the fire.

“You know, you’re handling this a lot better than I thought you would,” he said.

I snorted. “That’s a backhanded compliment if I ever heard one,” I retorted. “And also a load of bullshit. I’ve been on the verge of a meltdown the entire time. You almost saw one the instant you came through the door.” I didn’t want to add that he was the only reason I hadn’t.

“Hardly. I’ve seen grown men freak out in less dire circumstances. I would expect just about anyone to be pretty on edge. But you’re keeping your cool.” He grinned. “You could’ve been a Silver Wolf if you’d wanted to be one.”

I shook my head. “Appreciate it, but I don’t think it had anything to do with my being able to keep my head and everything to do with the fact that I was under a trance for a good portion of it."

“You were still able to shake it off,” he said.

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