Page 50 of TBR: Dead But Well Read

I was finding it difficult to focus with his spicy scent in my nose, his taste on my lips, and his muscular body pressing me into the bed. The men were great at turning me on, but their follow through reminded me of my mini golf games as a human. The first putt always went great, but no matter how close to theedge I got, or how many strokes I used, I could never get the ball in the hole.

He pressed a kiss to the hollow of my throat. “Axelle, I want to make love to you. I want to make you mine.”

“Wh-what?” I asked, voice cracking.

This man wasn’t playing around.

Lifting his head, Rhodes caught my gaze and held it. He’d dropped any pretense of being the tough, confident leader and was letting me see his raw desire for me.

There was something else in his eyes, though. Fear. What would a powerful man like Rhodes have to be afraid of?

The same thing I was afraid of. Rejection.

“I wanted to be patient and give you time to sort through your feelings. And if you decided to accept us as your circle, I wanted to let you figure out who you wanted to be with first.” Rhodes looked away, and his mouth tightened. “But it feels like I have a wild dog shredding my insides every waking minute. I found you in the library that first day we were in town, and you do not know how hard it was to keep from kissing you.”

He was wrong. I knew how hard it was because I’d desperately wanted to kiss him, too.

“Hades! It makes me sound like a creep, but if you had let me, I would’ve wrapped your legs around me and buried myself inside you right there on the spot.” His head dropped to rest against my chest. “I swear I’ve never been like this. It’s you. Since meeting you, I’ve felt as though my blood is gasoline and you’ve set me on fire.”

Lifting a trembling hand, I brushed my fingers through his hair. The truth was that I wanted him too, but the moment I said those words, there would be no going back. Was I ready for my world to change forever?

“I’m selfish and stubborn,” Rhodes continued. “It should be your decision who you want to bond with first, but it’s makingme crazy. When Lochlan came back from the library and talked about his time with you, I wanted to rip him apart. In the tunnels, when you healed us, I was too weak to do anything. Hearing you climax with Evander was more painful than being attacked by the reaper. Trying to remain in control while watching Lochlan taste you was a special kind of torture. When I came downstairs to find Evander kissing you, touching you, I couldn’t take it anymore.”

Rhodes began kissing his way up my neck. “I am going out of my mind. It is still your choice, and I will respect whatever you desire, but I can’t remain quiet any longer. Axelle, I want to make love to you.”

I hesitated, struggling to voice what I needed to say before things went any further. “Rhodes, if we do this, you know it will change things. I don’t think this pull between us will be a one-night-stand.”

“This isn’t a one-night stand. This is forever.” His lips brushed across mine. “We’ll belong to each other. Heart and body.”

Swallowing hard, I whispered, “I keep hearing that I’m supposed to fade away. What if that happens and I leave you?”

His fingers curled in my hair, tilting my head back so I could see the hard set of his face. “I will not let that happen.”

“But what if it does?”

Rhodes dipped his head to kiss my chin. “Then I will be thankful for every minute of heaven I spent with you.” He trailed slow, erotic kisses down the column of my neck.

“Oooh,” I moaned, my vision blurring. “Rhodes? I know you guys said you were okay with sharing, but there is another man?—”

Rhodes’ fingers tightened in my hair, turning my head to the side as his teeth pressed against my neck. “I won’t let himtake you from me.” His deep, guttural growl caused the window panes to rattle.

“It’s not that. He knows about you guys—” I tried to explain, but I wasn’t sure Rhodes was even listening.

“Is that where you went the night you ghosted us?” Rhodes’ arm snaked beneath me, pulling my body hard against his.

As though they had a mind of their own, my legs hooked around his waist. “Yes, but it was an accident.”

“Did he touch you?” Rhodes asked harshly.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, clinging to him. “Yes.”

Rhodes’ hand slid from my waist to cup my butt. “Did he make you come?”

“Yes.” The room was becoming unbearably hot. Had someone turned on the heat?

“Did he claim your body with his?” Rhodes snarled, grinding his hard length against my aching core.

“No,” I whimpered.

---