Page 17 of Wolf's Mark

So much so I was lightheaded, my chest constricting so much I had to fight to breathe.

His breathing was just as labored as mine as he took my glass from my hand. Every gesture he made was methodical, allowing me to push him away if I wanted.

But I didn’t.

Looking into his hypnotizing eyes wasn’t possible. I was too lost in the fear of failing myself at this moment. I could tell by the slight thud he’d placed his drink down as well. Why did the man have to be so damn good looking?

“You’ve been hurt,” he said as he placed the tip of his finger under my chin, slowly turning my head.

“Haven’t we all at least once in our lives?” Maybe not him. He was as close to perfection as I’d met.

The unwary girl hovering inside reminded me that many times, looks and initial actions could be deceiving.

“How true.”

Maybe it was the fact he was much older than I was. Maybe my inclination to trust him to a point was simply because contrary to words I’d spouted off to Mattie, I was very lonely. Or maybemy slow yet growing reason was because he was so damn good looking.

I’d question my reactions and my motives later, but for now, I wanted nothing more than to feel a couple of hours of passion.

I placed my hand on his chest, struggling with the unwavering vibrations flowing from head to toe.

His nostrils flaring, he shifted his hand to my face, curling his fingers and brushing his knuckles lightly across my cheek. I studied his face, savoring his strong jaw and his striking blue-gray eyes. They still seemed luminescent, soulful in a way I hadn’t seen before.

He slid the same hand around the nape of my neck, pulling me closer.

“I don’t know if this is a good idea.” I had about a million reasons why but didn’t want to muddy the mood.

“Maybe not. But right now, I don’t care. Do you?”

There was no need to think about my answer. “No.”

He allowed the single word to answer all those for the evening. As he captured my mouth, he tugged me onto my toes. The kiss was soft at first, but there was a strong sense of urgency in both of us. So much so, I rubbed my hand forcibly up his back, tangling my fingers in his hair.

There was nothing more powerful or alluring than a man who knew how to use his lips. Not just for kissing but for other things as well.

I was such a bad girl all of a sudden. How could I be thinking about something so naughty?

To hell with it. I wasn’t that girl on this night.

There was nothing like the protective, comforting feeling of having a powerful man’s arms wrapped around you.

The way he rubbed his hands up and down my back was electrifying.

The thought was truly maddening. This man was a stranger, a dark and mysterious savior who’d insisted I have a drink with him. Yet everything about him was intoxicating.

His stunning good looks.

His thudding heartbeat.

The heat of his skin and softness of his lips.

The way he held me.

My stomach twisted as I tried to catch my breath.

The kiss became even more of a passionate roar, a moment caught in time I wished could last forever. Everything about the man consumed me. Instinctively everything about him also screamed of danger. Not that the tiniest and darkest part of me didn’t crave the kind of adventure he was offering.

Jax pulled me away from the counter, taking his time lowering his hands until he slipped them under my bottom. As he lifted me into the air, I straddled his legs, able to feel the huge bulge between them. I wiggled my feet, trying to keep from reacting as my shoes slowly dropped to the floor. I felt completely underdressed in comparison to his expensive attire, but I was grateful Mattie had pushed me into purchasing something sexy.

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