Page 76 of What a Wolf Demands

More tears streaked down her face, but these were different. As his scent filled her lungs, something in her loosened.

Shifted.

Where there had been sorrow and loss, now there was something different. Deep within her, a tendril of hope struggled through the dark, heavy despair that had covered her heart for so long.

“I realized I want to live,” he said. “I’ve got to die someday, I guess.” Still covering her hand with his, he rested his forehead against hers.

She breathed in his scent, letting it fill up all the empty places in her soul.

“But not yet,” he whispered.

13

He didn’t say where they were going, and she didn’t ask.

It was enough to sit beside him, her head resting on his shoulder as he drove through the night.

He hadn’t said a word about seat belts when she slid across the seat and tucked her body against his. He’d just pulled her closer and buckled his belt over both of them.

That was okay, too. She’d wear a hundred seat belts if it made him feel better.

Whatever it took. That’s what people did when they loved someone, right?

Lily bolted upright. Whoa. When had she decided she loved him?

Did she love him? Or was she just infatuated? Lust could do that.

And she was definitely in lust with him.

Dom put a hand on her thigh. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she said a little too loudly. She cleared her throat. “Just . . . where are we going?”

If he was suspicious about her sudden interest in their destination, he didn’t show it. “There’s a motel just ahead.” He glanced at her. “It’s nothing fancy, but it’s better than sitting in the SUV all night.”

She smiled. “I’m more comfortable with non-fancy than fancy. I’m sure it’s fine.”

As it turned out, the motel was a charming throwback to an earlier era. Built in an L-shape, it featured quaint rooms decorated with vintage movie posters. The interior was spotless, with cozy double beds and a potbellied stove in the corner.

“You can take the shower first,” Dom said as he squatted in front of the stove, feeding logs through the little door. “I’ll keep watch.”

She paused in the middle of pulling clothes from her duffel bag. “Are you expecting trouble?”

He must have heard the apprehension in her voice because he stood and faced her. “Expecting it? No. But we’re still in the Louisiana Territory.” He sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. “To be honest, I won’t feel totally relaxed until we’re in New York.”

Well, that made one of them. She wasn’t kidding herself that going to New York meant she was off the hook for Charlie’s murder—and possibly Luc’s. She’d definitely wounded him in the basement. He’d staggered back, his hand on his chest. If the bullet she’d fired had penetrated his heart or another vital organ, he might die.

Her knees loosened.

“Hey.” Dom crossed the room and put his hands on her upper arms.

She fought the urge to sag against him. He’d already saved her once today. Playing damsel in distress might be easier, but she’d rather have his respect.

Especially since she wasn’t quite sure what they were to each other right now.

His gaze searched hers, his blue eyes intense.

She forced a smile.

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