Page 16 of Claimed By My Fiancé's Brother

Then he began to unbutton his shirt.

My knees went weak as my mind unhelpfully supplied images of last night—of Alexander holding me down, touching me, tasting me.

“The room…you can’t…we can’t…” I stuttered, my composure far gone, but Alexander didn’t let me finish.

“Another room has been prepared for them.” He shrugged, then pulled off his shirt.

Lara whimpered within me, hot desire flowing straight to my core. We had to get closer to our mate. Touch him, scent him, take—no.No.

I needed to think instead of acting impulsively. I needed to figure out what this mating bond between us meant, and process what Dylan said earlier.

“Please excuse me,” I said, turning away from him and heading for the door as fast as my legs would carry me. “Father will need to speak to me about?—”

My voice cut off abruptly as I felt Alexander move behind me, his breath on my neck.

“I’ve discussed this at length with him,” Alexander said, his fingers trailing up the back of my neck. “He’s more than happy to give you away, as long as his alliance is secure.”

Of course Father had accepted our mating. He wanted me out of his pack almost as much as I wanted him out of my life.

But now, I had no more excuses. I was trapped.

Alexander swept my hair off one shoulder, baring my mark to him.

“Are you afraid, little rabbit?” he taunted, snapping me out of the haze I was in.

Little rabbit. He’d started calling me that because I’d been so jumpy in the initial days after he’d tried to kill me, and he’d never let me live it down.

Bastard.

“You wish,” I snapped, turning to face him.

I realized my mistake almost immediately. This close to him, holding his gaze while trying to resist the pull between us was impossible.

“Good,” Alexander said, a glimmer of dark satisfaction in his ocean-blue gaze.

Cradling the back of my neck, he drew me closer, his lips dipping to his mark on me.

He hadn’t even touched my skin yet, but my throat was closing up.

“We…need to talk,” I managed to get out, my fingers twitching with the urge to touch him.

“Of course,” Alexander agreed, but he didn’t let go of me.

Pulling back slightly, his gaze steady on mine, he traced his thumb over my lips, leaving my skin tingling.

I stopped trying to remember what I had to say. Placing my hands on Alexander’s chest, I leaned in to kiss him, my eyes falling shut.

But the kiss never happened.

I felt Alexander’s finger on my lips, stopping me midway, and my eyes flew open.

“This won’t do,” Alexander said casually, taking a step away from me and picking up his shirt.

“What?” I blinked, unable to understand what was happening with my head still spinning from his touch.

Alexander shrugged on his shirt but didn’t bother buttoning it, his blue eyes cold and distant once more.

“Last night was a one-time event, Eleanor. I have no intention of touching you again.”

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