Page 11 of The Wolf's Pregnant Rejected Mate

Ryder pointed at the door. “You saw how many of them there were. If it was about killing me, they would have all ambushed us, not just three of them.”

“Well, I don’t know what—” Tess’s red cheeks rapidly lost their color. She stepped back, wrapping one arm around her chest while covering her sex with the other hand.

Ryder opened his mouth—to continue trying to stress the importance of figuring it out or snapping at her for suddenly being scared of her nakedness, he wasn’t sure. But even as he did so, Tess’s gaze flickered to the junction of his thighs. Oh. He was half-erect, his loins tight with arousal.

Damn it! Even in an untenable situation, he was still turned on by Tess's fight with the demons. She had been such a sight. It was clear she had no training, yet she’d put every fiber of strength into it. She’d even played ‘dead,’ so to speak, to get the element of surprise.

The tension in the air shifted. No more that anger, it switched to something else. Here they were, both utterly naked. The blood of the fight pounded through them, and clearly, their emotions were high.

Ryder’s wolf snarled in arousal. How would Tess react if he crossed the distance between them? If he captured her perfectly plump lips with his? If he touched her? Is his hands traced over the flare of her hips, the curve of her breasts? What did her skin feel like? What did it look like when she orgasmed?

He wanted so badly to forget propriety. Forget all the reasons why he shouldn’t and just fall to his knees. To bury his face deep into her and taste what it was like to be with such a woman.

He turned away, hiding himself from her. He couldn’t. As much as he wanted her, he couldn’t even ask, let alone accost her. She was hiding herself, for fuck’s sake! She hated him. The last thing she wanted was for him to jump on her while they were out here alone.

It was the gentlemanly thing to dress again. So he pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. The cloth was harsh against this skin. It was stifling to squeeze his body into such an oppressive garment.

Tess retrieved her blanket and wrapped it around herself. She let out a shaky sigh. Ryder’s shoulders tensed. Was she going to call him out on his arousal?

Awkward seconds ticked by, turning into awkward minutes. Eventually, he relaxed again. Of course, that was when Tess decided to speak.

“You’re bleeding through your shirt. Maybe I should take care of that injury.” Her voice was low, meek. Clearly, she was still upset about the whole… thing. Now that she mentioned his injury, though, Ryder felt it throbbing. Tess cleared her throat. “We don’t want it to get infected.”

The thought of her hands on him made his jeans feel far too tight. He glanced down, his bulge becoming more prominent. If she touched him, he wouldn’t be able to control himself. She might be covered, but he had seen her delicious curves. And there was only a blanket, a barrier that was so easily removed it might as well not even be there.

“No,” he said, his voice strangled. “It’s not bad. We should save the supplies in case we need them. Were you injured?”

He didn’t look at her. For the same reason that he couldn’t allow her to touch him.

“No,” Tess said.

Ryder nodded as he stationed himself at the window. He opened a shutter slightly so he could peer out. The demons were still below them, staring at the cabin as though they were just waiting for him to toss Tess down to them.

“We’ll wait here, then,” he decided as he shut the window again. “It won’t be long before Hayden sends someone after us. We just have to wait them out.”

Tess was quiet.

Ryder risked a glance at her. Her gaze was on the floor, her hands tightly clenched into fists. He opened his mouth to say she didn’t have to be afraid. But then closed it again. She knew that, didn’t she?

A soft, ragged sigh escaped her lips. She lifted her head and threw back her shoulders. “So. Do you get turned on by screaming at me?”

The boldness of her question took him by surprise. As Ryder looked into her eyes, he saw a whirl of emotion in them: fear, curiosity, and arousal. His breath cut short as his wolf whimpered hopefully. Was she as aroused as he was?

Her fists shook as she waited for his answer. Ryder licked his lips. What was he supposed to say now?

Chapter 7 - Tess

Some men were like that.

They liked to shout and scream. They liked seeing their women cry or cower. From everything she heard, Monroe was like that. It made her sick to her stomach to think Ryder was one of them. He’d always seemed to be such a kind, considerate person when they were growing up. But he must have seen a lot in the special ops. That sort of thing could change a man.

“Well?” she demanded. It was bad enough that she had asked the question, but if Ryder didn’t answer? Then he’d know what she feared, and she wouldn’t have an answer.

Ryder cleared his throat and looked away, his cheeks turning red.

Wait, was he embarrassed? Tess’s clenched fists relaxed.

“No,” he said, his voice rough. “I’m not turned on by fighting. At least, not that sort of fighting. It’s not the shouting that gets me. It was… how you fought against the demons.”

---