Page 42 of Savage Hope

It's an offer on the verge of a plea as her skin warms beneath my touch.

I feel the corner of her mouth tilt up in a silent grin, a snicker threatening to ripple from her throat. “Trusting you seems like the worst thing I could do.”

“Low blow,” I whisper, leaning back, and our noses touch as I position her face in front of mine again. But this time, I let go of her chin and place my hand on my chest. “Please, I'm a stand-up wolf. Besides, I've got a solid forty-five minutes before my wolf takes over and zero chance of any fun after that.”

That's the downside to finding her at a full moon party, but it’s just my luck to find a mystery in the night, and there's a time constraint on it.

She doesn't seem to understand the importance of that because she snickers for real this time. “You're insufferable.”

I shrug. “Am I? Or do I just know what I want?” I retort, and she grins, her hands lifting to my chest, tugging me closer as I place both hands on her waist, blindly curling my fingers into the belt loops on her jeans. One small tug and we're hip to hip.

“And what’s that?”

“You. What I want is you.”

Her pupils dilate, but the grin is still playful. She's not just fighting me now; she's fighting herself. Her next words confirm my observation.

“Nice. Do those words work on everyone?”

“I’m a ladies’ man with an ego to match. There's no use denying it,” I say with a shrug. She'll see it for herself. Come tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after, this is just who I am.

Her lips purse a little as she assesses me, and I can't help but stare at them, eager to feel if they're as plump as they look and as soft as they promise.

Her fingers curl around the neckline of my t-shirt and my body tenses, excitement buzzing through my veins as I expect her to yank me closer and eliminate the remaining distance between us. I love a woman with control that promises to send me over the edge, but unfortunately for me, that's not what she offers.

“Unfortunately, I'm the opposite of what you're looking for.” She moves to take a step back, but I stop her before she can move a single inch.

“I can't think of a single reason for that to be true,” I insist, acutely aware that I'm pushing the same line that Dean just was. But she's not pushing me away like she did him. Not yet, at least.

She stiffens her shoulders, eyeballs glaring into mine as she tries to tell both herself and me at the same time. “I can tell you if you?—”

Her words are cut short as I slam my mouth to hers, crushing our lips together, and I groan. Her lips are soft and full, just as I expected, but the stunned pause is not. Gently molding my lips to hers, I encourage a response, and just when I think she's notgoing to move, the slightest pressure pushes against my mouth, and the world around me ceases to exist.

Her fingernails claw into my neck, pulling me closer as I pry her lips open with my tongue, devouring every inch of her. She tastes just as delicious as I hoped, just as sweet, just as wicked, just…midnight.

Slipping my hands under the back of her shirt, her skin prickles even more intensely under my touch, goosebumps left in my wake as she battles for control, desperate for more. I need everything she has to offer. I yank back, lightheaded and dizzy, and stare deep into her eyes. She slowly flutters hers open.

“Tell me how you think this wouldn't be a perfect end to the night?” I insist, and she sighs, the harsh sound becoming a scoff.

She runs her fingers down the side of my face as if she’s committing me to memory. Something passes in her eyes, and I know whatever she’s about to say is going to ruin me.

“Because it’s experience you're looking for, and I'm a virgin.”

18

POLARIS

His hold on me drops away like I just slapped him. His blue eyes are bright and wide, practically bulging out of his head as he rakes them over me from head to toe. He runs his fingers through his brown hair, failing to sweep it back off his face as an individual curl falls forward.

It's hard to hide the smirk as I watch his reaction, and for the first time tonight, I don’t feel a single ounce of embarrassment. There’s no burning in my cheeks, no desire for the ground to open up and swallow me whole, just a shimmering of glee and delight as I watch this man struggle to find any words.

I had a feeling the impending truth that hung in the air between us would shock him, but leaving him speechless was far greater than I could have hoped. Although, there’s a tiny piece of me that regrets admitting it. Especially when the alternative is having his lips plastered against mine.

Damn.

I thought I had been kissed before, but nothing with T ever,ever, felt like that. This was something else entirely.

One moment, I am being mauled by some vampire who doesn’t take no for an answer, and the next, I am letting this mando the exact same thing. The only difference is that I wanted him to.

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