Page 32 of Can't Be Love

I hefted my suitcase onto the opposite side of the bed to retrieve my stuff.

“I don’t know. The couch? Either of the two guest rooms,” I said in my snarkiest voice.

Thomas rose from the bed and walked around to me, placing his hands on either side of the bed, effectively trapping me as I turned to face him. I gulped at the look of desire in his eyes. “That’s not what’s going to happen here,” he said, lowering his head and kissing my neck.

“That’s not fair. You aren’t playing by the rules,” I said in a shaky voice.

Thomas pulled back and grinned. “There are no rules, Lily,” he said, throwing my own words back at me.

I started to laugh and push him away, but not fast enough. His lips crashed down on mine possessively. I stiffened in surprise, but my body quickly took over before my brain could even register what was happening.

He gently lifted me on to the bed. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer to me. My fingers wound through his hair. But then my brain engaged as reality set in like whiplash. I jerked away abruptly and breathlessly.

My palms were now flat against his chest, his hard, rigid bare chest, so I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts as I unwrapped my legs from around him and gave him a slight push.

“I’m sorry, Thomas. I don’t know what came over me. I’m still confused and unsure about us, and I don’t want to lead you on,” I told him honestly. “This mating pull is just so damn strong sometimes.”

I saw the hurt in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared as that crooked grin appeared on his face. He stepped back. “Don’t worry about it, slugger. It’s been a long day. Go get ready for bed and we’ll call it a night.”

My mouth was dry and my nerves high, but I managed to smile and nod as I turned and pulled out my pajamas and travel case and took them to the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I still looked like me, but I definitely didn’t feel like me. I had no clue what had come over me to make me act so, well, primal towards that kiss. It wasn’t like I’ve never kissed a guy before. My fingers felt my swollen lips as I remembered. God, Thomas knew how to kiss.

I considered a quick shower, but my wolf protested, enjoying the scent of our mate on me. I was too tired and confused to argue. After changing, I brushed my teeth and washed my face before quietly exiting the bathroom.

Thomas lay on top of the covers, his arms tucked behind his head.When the hell did he get all those muscles?I wondered as I tried not to stare.

The only light remaining was the lamp next to my side of the bed. He had pulled back the covers for me, though he remained on top of them. I acknowledged for a brief moment what a sweet thought that was as I slithered in and pulled the sheets up around me. Reaching over to the nightstand, I turned off the light. “Goodnight,” I whispered.

“Goodnight Lily,” he said in a husky voice that made my body tremble.

I scooted a little further away and turned on my side so my back was toward him. We didn’t say another word, and as his breathing began to even out in a steady rhythm, I was lulled to sleep.

My next coherent memory was the unique and intoxicating scent of my mate. A smile tugged at my lips before my eyes even opened. Thomas. There was a part of me that still didn’t trust him. The part that wanted to hate him, but I had seen a different side to him already, and it was waging war with everything I thought I had known about him.

A loud snore rumbled through Thomas. It surprised me, but even more so that I actually felt it. I stretched alongside his hard body and froze. I slowly opened my eyes and realized I was using him as my own personal body pillow. I lifted my head and looked around.

Great,I thought. He was in exactly the same position and I was on the wrong side of the bed. Me, not him. To make matters worse, I was horrified to see a small puddle of drool on his chest where my head had just been. I quickly wiped it off as he continued to snore loudly, and I tried to roll back to my side of the bed. With any luck he’d never even know I’d breached the gap between us in my sleep.

As I moved, so did he. He rolled to his side, and without opening his eyes, snagged me mid-escape and pulled me back to him. He nuzzled my hair, taking a deep breath like he was memorizing my scent.

“Good morning,” he said.

I wiggled to try to get away, but he just wrapped his arms around me even tighter, pulling me flush against him as he spooned me from behind. I could feel every inch of him, including the hard erection poking me in the backside.

“Oh my God!” I squealed, trying to pull away from him.

“What?” he asked, on full alert as I dramatically motioned towards his lower half.

He laughed, brushing it off like it was no big deal.

“Don’t you ‘what’ me,” I protested.

He gave me that panty-melting crooked grin, but I was too embarrassed to be affected by it.

“You practically slept on top of me all night. What did you think was going to happen?”

“Go take a cold shower or something,” I demanded.

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