Page 70 of Crimson Born

He felt unbelievably big and strong, and suddenly I didn’tmindbeing overpowered.

Ceasing my struggle, I melted back against his body. But Reece didn’t immediately release me. We stayed in place, his arms wrapped around me, both breathing hard now.

“I should... let you go,” he said in a guttural voice on the edge of pain.

I nodded, but I didn’t step forward out of his grasp. Instead, I turned in his arms. Or maybe he turned me? I wasn’t sure, but it didn’t really matter. The end result was the same—we were face to face, our bodies pressed together.

The strain I’d detected in Reece’s voice was on his face as well. His hands slid down my back and settled on my waist, but instead of pushing me away he pulled me tighter.

Our faces were so close together I couldn’t see him clearly—but I could feel him. I was aware of every part of him, and that awareness filled me with a sense of longing so powerful it felt like I literally could not survive if he didn’t kiss me.

“Abbi,” he groaned through clenched teeth. His eyes squeezed shut as if he was searching inside himself for strength. “We’ve got to stop. I can’t do this. I’m Bloodbound.”

“Not yet,” I whispered, going up on tiptoe to accommodate our height difference and get closer to his lips.

My next words were whispered against them. “But you will be in two days. And then you’ll be bound to your vows forever. Don’t you want to know what you’ll be missing?”

His eyelids opened and flared, and then his mouth was on mine. The pleasure of it was almost paralyzing. Almost.

Though it was my first kiss and I had no idea what I was doing, my lips were having no trouble figuring things out.

They moved with Reece’s, slowly at first but growing steadily in intensity. I pushed even more tightly against him, bringing my hands up to bracket his face.

I wanted to hold him there forever, to never leave this secluded spot, never stop what we were doing.

This.Thiswas the thing I’d longed for without ever realizing what was missing in my former life. Apparently Reece felt something similar because he kissed me like he was starving.

Possessive hands roamed up and down my back, shoulders, neck, and face. He pushed his fingers into my hair, delving beneath it to clasp the back of my head and caress the nape of my neck.

It felt so good I would have happily stayed there all night touching him, molding my mouth to his. But Reece broke the kiss abruptly.

With a curse, he pushed me away, moving toward the hedge and turning his back to me. His shoulders heaved with his heavy breaths as he seemed to struggle to master himself.

Moving toward him, I touched his shoulder, and he leapt away as if my touch burned him. Glaring at me now, his face was a harsh mask.

“That can’t happen again.”

He sounded so angry. Did he blame me for what had just happened? I was no expert but there was no doubt in my mind—he had wanted that kiss just as much as I had.

“Why not? There’s obviously something between us. It’s been there since the night we met. Why should we ignore it?”

“I’m not ignoring it,” he barked. Then more quietly, he said, “There’s nothing to ignore. As I’ve already told you, I simply... don’t feel that way about you.”

I gave an incredulous laugh. “Well I’d love to see how you’d act with a girl youwereactually attracted to.”

His complexion darkened. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to hurt your feelings. But that... I haven’t been with anyone in a long time. Too long.”

The words were like a hard slap, stinging my eyes and nose. Instead of making me cry, though, his denial made me angry. Furious, actually.

“So that was just a physical reflex then? It had nothing to do with me?” Not believing it for a minute, I stepped close again and reached for him.

He jerked back. “Don’t touch me. I...” He drew a long breath before continuing. “We should get back. It’s nearly dawn.”

“Fine.” I stomped out of the maze and back to the cavern. I would love to have left him behind, but he kept pace with me and made it look maddeningly easy.

At the entrance, I turned to him.

“I just want you to know that you don’t have to worry. I won’t be bothering you anymore with myannoyinginfatuation. I’m sorry I embarrassed us both by chasing you when you had no interest in me. I get it now though. And I’m done. If I don’t see you before the ceremony—or afterward—let me be the first to congratulate you on taking your vows.”

---