My fingers curl into fists, and the words slip out before I can stop them. “Never say that about yourself.”
She leans back and looks at me with a raised eyebrow.
“You’re not a freak,” I say firmly, willing her to understand.
“Yeah, I am,” she says, her voice heavy with self-deprecation. “I’m a hybrid. A witch. None of those are good things, Damien.”
“Bullshit.”
“What?”
“They’re bullshit. You’re not a freak. You’re beautiful and strong and brave, and the fact that you had to survive on your own in a world full of wolves who would kill you on sight just makes you tougher. It doesn’t make you any less.”
Jade gapes at me, clearly taken aback by my declaration, and a surge of protectiveness rushes through me.
“Jade…”
She shakes her head and looks away, her gaze landing on some random spot on the wall. I can’t let her get lost in her own doubts.
Not anymore.
“Hey,” I say, reaching up to tilt her chin toward me. “Look at me.”
Her dark eyes meet mine, and there’s a vulnerability there, a crack in her carefully constructed facade that hits me straight in the chest.
“You are not a freak,” I say again, emphasizing every word. “You’re perfect. Absolutely fucking perfect.”
And before she can argue, before she can find a reason not to believe me, I kiss her.
I press my lips to hers and pour every ounce of my feelings into the kiss, hoping she can feel what I can’t find the words to say.
I want her. I need her. She is everything.
Her fingers curl in the front of my shirt, and her tongue sweeps along the seam of my lips, demanding more. I oblige. Gripping her hips, I drag her into my lap, and her legs settle on either side of my thighs, her hot core pressing against the growing bulge in my pants.
The feel of her pressed against me, her body flush with mine, has every nerve ending tingling. A groan escapes my lips as I deepen the kiss, exploring her mouth, her tongue, her lips until we’re both panting and breathless.
Jade pulls back, her eyes glazed and pupils dilated. Her fingers grip my shirt, and her breasts rise and fall with every ragged breath. She licks her lips, and the action sends a rush of desire through me.
“God, Jade,” I whisper. “I need you.”
She doesn’t reply; she doesn’t have to. Her lips crash against mine, and the force of the kiss sends a wave of lust rolling through me. My fingers tighten around her hips, and she grinds her ass against my straining cock, eliciting a groan.
I reach down and tug her dress over her head, tossing it aside and drinking in the sight of her bare breasts and the smooth curve of her waist. Her nipples are already hard, and when I take one in my mouth, sucking and nipping, she arches her back, offering herself up to me.
“Fuck,” she gasps.
I flick my tongue over the sensitive bud, and her fingers slide into my hair, holding me to her. When I’m satisfied that her breast is swollen and glistening, I move to the other, repeating the same attention and relishing the soft moans that spill from her lips.
Her hips rock against me, and I can feel her wetness through my pants. I need her naked, and I need it now.
Gently, I lift her off my lap and lay her on the futon, sliding her panties down her legs and spreading her thighs. The moonlight streaming through the window illuminates her perfect pussy, and I can’t help but stare.
She’s fucking gorgeous.
“Damien,” she pleads, her voice husky with need.
I trail my fingers up the inside of her leg, teasing her, and watch as her thighs tremble and her pussy clenches, begging for more.