Page 69 of Wolf's Chance

“I’m fine.” I turned to look at her fully, and she threw her hands up in the air. “Okay, I’m not fine, but I’m better.”

That was good enough for me. “Good.” Walking past her, I ducked into the small bathroom. “We leave in ten minutes.”

“You said we could talk!”

“I say a lot of things, Willow.” I dropped her toiletries ontoher stuff. When I saw she wasn’t moving, I fought back the groan. “You don’t trust me fully, I get it, but you’ve trusted me some. I just need a little bit more. We need to move.”

Heavy footsteps sounded outside the room, and Willow watched me with wide eyes when she saw me freeze. Putting my finger to my lips, I watched her nod that she understood she was to be quiet. I knew I needed to throw the shifter outside off the scent of the two of us.

Scent of the two of us. It could work…

Willow turned from apprehensive to guarded in a heartbeat. “Whatever you’re thinking, don’t,” she warned in a low whisper as I approached her, her eyes locked onto mine with a mix of suspicion and irritation.

It was such a familiar look from her that I couldn’t help but smirk. “Relax. I’ve got it under control.” I pulled her unresisting body into my arms. “Punch me later,” I whispered into her ear.

“Wh—”

But before she could say more, I moved, taking the chance. My hand cupped her cheek, and my lips crashed against hers with a force that sent a jolt of electricity through me.

For a brief second, the only thing I could focus on was the intensity of the kiss—the heat, the unexpected softness, the way her scent seemed to envelop me like a warm, inviting cloud. When I kissed her, her body went stiff with surprise, but as I moved my mouth over hers, I felt her loosen. Slowly, her hands reached up and rested on my shoulders. When I pulled her closer, she came willingly. My tongue tasted her bottom lip, and Willow parted for me.

She tasted sweet. Fresh.

I took a deeper taste of her. I felt her hands slip into my hair as she melted against me, kissing me back. Her scent changed, her pheromones letting anyone with that extra sense of smell know she was here freely and hinting that we weren’t to be disturbed.

I heard the footsteps move away from the room. I knew the room on the other side of us was already occupied. I’d checked them out the first night, and Shelby’s guest book told me they were here until the day after tomorrow. Which meant the shifter was in the room at the far end of the hall.

I heard the door open and close in the distance, my attention split between the woman in my arms and the threat that was two doors down.

Pulling my head back, I broke the kiss. I didn’t miss the flushed look on her face or the slight hitch in her breath, but I pretended I didn’t see it.

“Um…”

“You did well,” I told her, moving away and going to the door, pressing my ear against it. “Thanks.”

“Thanks?”

I should have noticed the lack of emotion in her flat voice. Despite my earlier comment, I should have been more alert when I turned around, completely taken aback by the unexpected slap.

Willow glared at me. “You are an asshole! What the hell was that?” she demanded, her chest heaving, a flush creeping up her neck.

Somehow, her indignant glare and put-uponattitude rubbed me the wrong way. Massaging my jaw, I looked her over slowly, enjoying seeing the flush burn brighter across her cheeks. “A distraction,” I replied casually.

“A distraction?” Willow’s incredulous hiss sliced through the air, her hand rubbing the sting on her palm that mirrored the dull ache on my cheek. A twisted satisfaction flickered within me, knowing that she had hurt herself slapping me. “A distraction from what?”

“You,” I explained, and I could anticipate her next question, so I elaborated. “You were freaking out.”

Willow’s eyes burned bright with anger as she glared at me. “You’re a dick,” she snapped.

“Probably am,” I conceded, my gaze dropping briefly to her lips before meeting her eyes again, “but it worked, didn’t it?”

Turning her back to me, I knew she was still pissed, but I could still smell her arousal from the kiss. I gave her a moment to compose herself. I could hear her heartbeat still pounding.

With her back turned to me, I took a moment to catch up with what had just happened. I could still feel the imprint of her lips against mine, the shadow of the sensation I knew wasn’t a good idea to remember but one I wanted to explore more of.

A bad idea indeed.

Willow walked over to her small luggage bag. “Next time,” she hissed, refusing to look at me, “warn me before you pull a stunt like that again.”

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