Page 60 of Why Cruise

Her hands flew to her helmet, frantic with the strap. She yanked it off and tossed it aside. It made dull thudding sounds as it bounced down the ravine. She swept the hair off her shoulder and tilted her head, baring her neck to me. “Better?”

I buried my nose in her throat, breathing in deep. I staggered as citrus washed through me like sunshine. I nodded, unable to form words.

Mackenzie

Justice put me on a picnic table. And I was terrified.

For Justice. He felt… wrong. Like he wasn’t fully in this world with me anymore. He snatched a bottle of water and a first aid kit from the tour staff and ripped into it.

“Justice?”

He ignored questions from the staff and concerned members of our tour. His hands shook as he splashed water down my leg to wash away the blood.

“I’m fine. We’re fine.” I put my hands up like I could push back the crowd of faces around us. “Just give us a minute,” I said to shoo them away.

“Justice,” I tried again, more softly this time.

He tore open an alcohol wipe with his teeth, and grabbed my calf, harder than he probably intended. His fingers dug into me, but he was gentle, dabbing my scraped knee. I bit my lip to hold back a hiss from the stinging alcohol.

He fumbled with the bandaid, pausing to wipe his forehead with the back of his hand. His fingers shook, he blinked rapidlylike something was in his eyes. He was getting more and more agitated as the bandaid wouldn’t obey.

I took his face in my hands and pressed my lips to his. He shook his head slightly, not to pull away, but like he’d just been splashed with cold water. I wrapped one arm around his neck to keep him where he was, with me. He made a desperate sound, and the kiss turned fierce. He dug his hands into my messy hair. I hooked my leg around his hip and pulled him into my body, using everything I had, my body, my scent, my breath, wrapping him in my aura.

He shuddered and paused and sank into me. And then everything changed. I felt his aura ripple against mine, like he reached through me to pull himself back and whatever was there fell away. His touch turned soft and hot. His tongue explored my mouth with desire, not desperation.

This was Justice now, not whatever alpha instinct had sent him somewhere else. A small moan escaped me and was answered by a purr. He traced circles on my back and teased my mouth with lips and tongue like he wanted to pull that sound from me again. He trailed his kisses down my neck and took a steadying breath.

I gently cupped his face and brought it to me. His eyes were so dark they were almost black. So not exactly back to normal.

“I’m fine.” I cut him to the chase, somehow knowing he’d blame himself. “Quick, do that thingie with your finger.”

“What?”

“The finger thingie? Check my eyes?” I wiggled a finger in the few inches between us. I think I needed the comic relief more than he did. “Oh no!” I dramatically put my hand to my forehead, coughed twice, and fell backward. Justice, of course, gently caught me up in his arms.

“You didn’t kiss it,” I said brightly as he sat me back up.

“I… kind of… I thought I did?” He cocked his head and looked mildly confused. The color brightened in his eyes.

“The boo boo.” I said, while swinging my injured leg. I ignored the twinge of pain. “When you scrape your knee, someone has to kiss it better.”

“Right.” He huffed out a breath. It wasn’t quite a laugh, but it was progress.

He went down on one knee, propping my leg up on his. I sat on my hands to keep myself from running fingers through his messy hair. He had no issues with the bandaid this time and even managed to produce a bit of ointment from the first aid kit. He smoothed the bandaid in place. Looking up at me with tortured eyes full of self-blame and regret, kissed my knee and dragged fingers up my thigh as he stood. He smoothed out my hair from the damage of the helmet.

I tapped my lip. “I might have scraped right here too.”

His smile was indulgent, like he had just won permission to put his hand in the cookie jar, as if alphas needed permission. His lips pressed mine softly and way way way too briefly. Over his shoulder I could see people getting on to the bus.

“The bus is ready.” I whispered, absolutely not wanting to move from this spot.

Justice grasped me around the waist and lifted me off the table. I was far too heavy for that, but he did it anyway. He lowered me to my feet gently, like he had to check that I was actually fit for walking. He took a step back, his hands falling away from me, and he grimaced, almost like it hurt.

I slid my hand into his and tugged him forward. “We should take the front seat. I don’t know if it’s safe for you to sit in the back knowing that the mean girls just watched Justice Twill kiss someone.”

He barked out a laugh and rubbed his forehead. “That might be better conversation than dragon jets.”

“I didn’t graduate high school and even I know you can’t make a dragon shaped jet.”

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