Page 53 of Ruthless Moon

“Well, I’ve been face-to-face with a grizzly bear before and if it was a man in a bear’s skin, he didn’t let on he had a conscience.”

She huffs out a laugh. “Not every wolf is one of us, Liam. The same would be true for bears.”

I take a bite of my bacon and lean back, tipping the chair slightly onto the two back legs. “But we can tell when wolves are just plain wolves or Moonbound wolves. One, we’re a bit bigger. And we can sense them. Smell them.”

She gives a cute little shrug of her shoulders. “I think it would be cool. Maybe if we had a dragon shifter friend we’d have a chance at our real fate instead of the one my father dictates. A dragon could beat my father.” The hopeful words do little to disguise the melancholy in her voice.

I’m on board with a fantasy world where I get to keep Gen. Dragons. Bears. I don’t give a shit. Whatever it takes. I wish to Fate it was real.

The simmering desire in my blood burns to touch her again. It’s been too long. Sitting across the table isn’t enough. I thought it would help, but being close only makes me want to be closer. It’s not taking the edge off.

Listening to her laugh makes me want more of her. Seeing her smile makes me selfishly want to be the only man who makes her smile again. She’s mine and yet she’s not and that reality is crushing me.

“What are we going to do, Liam?”

Fuck.

I stare into her deep ocean-blue eyes and grind my teeth until they hurt. The need surges, insatiable. And I see the same mirrored desperation reflected in her gaze.

I get up from the table and pull her from her chair into my arms. I cover the tiny squeak that comes out of her mouth with a growl. Gripping her waist, I anchor her body to mine.

Her lips are like coming home. Every nerve ending ignites. We move in sync. Her taste is sweet with a hint of coffee and something so intrinsically her, a flavor I will spend eternity wishing for more.

Gen’s fingers clutch at my shirt, her soft body melting into mine. It’s so much more than a kiss. It’s a promise. An apology. A plea. All the words we can’t say are voiced in the choreography of our lips and tangling tongues.

The world falls away, leaving nothing but her. I cradle her closer, one hand slipping up to cup the back of her head, my fingers gripping her hair.

The wildfire consumes, threatening to burn us both to ashes. But at this moment, I’d gladly surrender to the flames. And that’s dangerous, but it’s a danger I intend to ignore for a while longer.

“I need to touch more of you,” I say hoarsely.

She nods.

I scoop her up. It’s a short distance to the bathroom and the shower stall where I intend to do everything but bond with her.

Shoving the door closed behind us, I set her on her feet and she surprises me, immediately reaching for the buttons on my shirt.

Her shaky fingers work their way to the hem and she pushes it back and off my arms, dropping it to the floor behind me. Next, my pants. I return the favor, stripping her down until we’re both standing there...waiting.

The shower springs to life with a flick of my wrist, steam filling the small bathroom as hot water cascades down from the overhead shower. “We should cool down,” I say, struggling to form words when all I can think about is her body and the way her scent fills my lungs.

“Really?” She smiles, a knowing twinkle of mischief in her eyes as she steps under the stream, pulling me along with her. “You know you turned on the hot water.”

“I did.” I step inside and close the glass door behind me. Then I grab and roll up one of the towels from the bar on the far side of the shower and toss it to the ground at her feet.

I kneel, putting my knees on the soggy towel.

She takes a surprised step back, but the shower wall doesn’t allow for more than a few inches of retreat. “Liam.”

I shouldn’t be doing this. We’re dancing on the edge of a cliff, but I can keep myself from going over the edge. I know I can. And I need her with a desperation I don’t know how to communicate.

“Please.” I wrap an arm around one of her thighs and pull her closer. So close that it would barely take any effort at all to taste her. I can smell her arousal even through the steam of the shower. She smells like the sweetest honey.

A low pounding echoes in the distance of my mind. I focus my hearing. Muffled voices rise to the surface, but I don’t care. I want her.

“Liam. There are people here.” She heard them too. Her hands are pushing on my shoulders, holding me back, pushing me away. “Liam.”

Fuck.I hang my head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t... I—”

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