Page 116 of The Beta's Blind Date

“I was so terrified the other night,” he says, clutching me tighter, his other arm encircling me. “I’ve never known true fear until I was racing through the forest, tracking your scent, seeing your blood stain the snow, hearing your screams, and feeling your terror through our bond—Goddess, I thought I’d lost you.”

“You didn’t lose me. You saved me.”

His chest puffs up, and he stands up straighter. “I did, didn’t I?”

“Yes.” I chuckle, lifting my head and resting my chin on his chest. “You’re my knight in shining fur.”

He rolls his eyes. “Okay, now you’re just being cheesy.”

“You like it,” I tease.

His lips twitch. “Yes. I do. Can you put that on a shirt for me? Reid Thomas, Knight in Shining Fur?”

“I’ll think about it.”

His eyes flick down to my lips, and his face moves towards mine, but he stops short of my lips, his nose brushing mine and lingering there, nuzzling me.

“Reid…” I sigh, my breath mixing with his.

“Cadet?” He moves in closer until his mouth brushes mine.

I bite back a groan. Just that simple brushing of two sets of lips together sets off a chain reaction. The sparks from the bond erupt and ignite, fizzing and tingling across my skin. My fingers clutch at his bare skin, warm and smooth beneath my touch, and I melt, using his body for support. My wolf purrs and rolls onto her back, and my entire body heats from the inside out, a pool of passion welling up inside me.

I need him. I need him more than I need air or food or water. The temptation to give in to the lust and the need and take this moment further is almost too much to bear.

“Wait,” I grit out, pulling my head back before our lips meet in an actual kiss, before we take it too far. “I need—” I swallow against the lump forming in my throat, against the urge to dash away from him and hide until the storm passes. I can’t do that. I promised myself I wouldn’t.

“You need what?”

I breathe out slowly. “I need to tell you something.”

His hand moves to caress my neck as he searches my eyes. “Okay. Tell me.”

“I’m scared,” I whisper. “I’m so scared to tell you.”

He moves us backwards until he’s leaning against the counter, his legs spread and me between them, my hands resting on his chest and his arms around me. “You can tell me anything. I told you, I’m all in.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. I’m afraid if I tell you, you’ll change your mind. I know, I know—” I say, covering his lips with my finger as he opens his mouth to speak. “I know you say you’ve changed, and you want me; you want to have a mate. And I can feel it. But this”—I shake my head—“this could change everything.”

“But if you don’t tell me, how will you know if it will be what scares me away?”

“That’s why I’m so torn. I want to tell you, but I’m afraid of losing you. And I don’t want to lie to you. But if I don’t tell you, I’ll never know how you’ll react. And yes, I’m aware how crazy that must make me sound. I’m aware I’m talking in circles.” I close my eyes for a second, then look at him again. “I don’t know if I’m ready to tell you. But you at least deserve to know there is something—something important—that I need to tell you.”

He nods while I talk, his brow furrowing as he thinks about everything I’m saying. He moves his strong, warm hands to my cheeks, holding my gaze with his. “Tell me when you’re ready, then. Take as long as you need. Let me prove myself to you. Let me show you I am serious, so when you are ready to tell me, you have faith in me. So when you tell me, you know I’ll stay right here, right where we both said we wanted to be—at each other’s side and in each other’s arms.”

I close my eyes and nod, pinching my lips together. He kisses my forehead again, and I hug him tighter. “Thank you,” I say against his chest.

“I’m not going anywhere, Taryn. I promise. And I promise I will show you that you can trust me.”

I rise onto my toes and put my lips on his, giving us what we both want, what we both need. His thumbs press into my cheekbones, his hands gripping me tighter as our mouths move. My fingertips slide up and down his sides, tracing each hardened muscle of his abdomen, memorizing the lines and the feel of his skin beneath my touch.

He makes a low noise in his throat, and his kiss turns more demanding, his tongue swiping at the seam of my lips, asking for entry.

But instead of opening up for him, I pull away, a teasing smile growing on my lips. “Look at you. Breaking rule number one and rule number two at the same time.”

His brow furrows. “How? Rule number two is no Crescent Lake members.”

“Oh, but I am a Crescent Lake member,”I mindlink him.“So, does this count as breaking rule number two?”

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