Page 39 of Fury

The edge in his tone had caught her attention as did the smoke beginning to fill the vehicle. It was difficult to be sure, but it looked like Sawyer had suddenly gone pale, making his scars more prominent than before and the muscle in his jaw jumped repeatedly. Not to mention he was breathing heavier than before. Tirade be damned. Something wasn't right.

“What's wrong?” The question no sooner left her mouth when it dawned on her. They weren't inside of a burning building, but they were surrounded by smoke. This had to be a stark reminder of the ordeal he went through inside Club Diablo the night it burned.

“Oh shit. Are you having a panic attack?”

He growled in response, even going so far as to bear his teeth and they weren't all human considering some of them were long and pretty much pointy looking.

“Please don't do that shifting thing right now. I won't know how to help you if you do.” She grappled for her seat belt buckle and clicked it free.

“I might not be able to stop it.” The words came out kind of garbled, but she understood them.

“Then focus on that.” She searched around the seats for a bottle of water or anything that she might be able to utilize to diffuse this situation. She had a fair amount of training when it came to this kind of thing, but she—dammit—she needed something to provide as a distraction.

When she came up empty handed and looked over again at Sawyer, there was only one idea she thought might work. She peeled the jacket from her shoulders and shifted around the front seats until she was across his lap and facing him.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his words still coming out harsh and rough.

“Whatever it takes to get you through this.” She gently grabbed his face and locked her gaze with his. “Now look at me and only me. Think about me. About what I am to you. Who cares where we are or what chaos surrounds us. For the moment, we're alone and we’re together and you've got answers that I need.”

Sawyer shook his head. “Got to get out there.”

“Nope. You said you've got a whole pack, right? Let them deal with the assholes out there for a few minutes more. Focus on me, Sawyer.”

He nodded, his teeth audibly grinding. Then there was the eerie dilation of his eyes along with their golden glow color change. If she were in her right mind, she would run as fast and as far away from this island as she could get.

Yet, she didn't. She wanted—no needed—to help him. She started by stroking her thumb across his bottom lip.

He was seriously the whole package when it came to looks. Full lips, strong bone structure, nose perfectly proportionate with his face. Thick, brown hair that she imagined her hands running through when they made love. The image of them intimate together formed in her mind so crystal clear it could have been real.

“Penelope,” Sawyer choked out.

Her body jerked, forcing her attention back to their situation instead of her wayward fantasies. “I'm sorry, did I hurt you?” Somewhere in that few seconds of distracted thoughts she’d leaned forward until their lips were barely a breath apart.

“No.”

That single word rumbled from his mouth in a way that sent a shiver racing up her spine. This kind of attraction confounded her. The only way she could think to describe it was—magnetic. Her previous encounters with men were thought out, even prepared for. They certainly didn’t include even an inkling of wanting to jump someone she barely knew in the front seat of an SUV.

“Babe, shifters have heightened senses. We can see and hear far better than any human, but one of our most prized abilities is our sense of smell. Different emotions carry unique scents and that allows us a distinct advantage when faced with a dangerous or perplexed human.”

She squirmed in his lap, still trying to regain her equilibrium. Unfortunately, this close proximity between them did little to ease her sudden craving for so much more.

“Are you listening?”

She bit her lip and nodded despite the fact she wasn’t focused on his words. His voice on the other hand, that she heard loud and clear all the way to the tips of her now curled toes.

“That also means I can scent your need.”

“Uh huh,” she said, his words completely lost on her.

“Penelope!”

The sharp tone of his voice broke through the din of her thoughts, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Wait. What did you say?”

“Your arousal.” He hesitated. “I can scent it. And as your mate, potential or otherwise, it is my duty to take care of that need.”

That definitely got her attention. She reared back, pushing against his chest. “Your duty,” she choked. “What the hell? I am not now or will I ever be someone’s duty.” The fog in her brain began to clear and she turned to climb back to her seat. What had she been thinking? She’d been thinking he needed her help that’s what and instead he’d used some sort of pheromone trick to ensnare her.

Jesus, if she was going to be dealing with a bunch of man- wolves she was going to have to get up to speed on the animal kingdom and what kind of tactical advantages they might have before they used them against her.

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