Page 21 of Fire Bound

Her words sear into me like a hot poker. The next time she swings her fists at me, I catch them, halting her assault. “Wanted? You think I wanted this? Fuck, Remington. You think if I truly had a choice this is what I would have picked?” I snarl at her. She tries to jerk her hands free, but I hold them up and away from her body. She attempts one more time, but this time I shove her backward until her back collides with the brick wall. “Do you think it’s easy for me to sit back and watch you drown when all I want to do is offer you my hand.” I pin her arms to the wall above her head. “I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention, but I’m not allowed to have anything that Iwant.”

I wanted a normal childhood, but that was taken from me. I wanted to see the ocean with my mother, but Sterling killed her. I want Remington, but the lingering fear I might kill her keeps me from claiming what I want.

She stops fighting against my hold and tilts her chin up to look at me. “Don’t say that,” Remi bites out. “Don’t stand here and tell me that you want me.”

“Even if it’s the truth?” I ask against my better judgment.

“Yes, especially then!” she cries. “It’s exhausting hating you. It takes every ounce of my willpower to keep that hatred alive and hearing you say that makes me want to give in.”

Our chests heave in pained breaths. We stand so close to each other I can feel her rib cage expand with each breath. “Why do you insist on hating me?”

Ocean blue eyes lock with mine. “Because it wouldn’t be fair if I felt anything else.” My gaze locks on her mouth when the tip of her pink tongue swipes across her bottom lip.

“Wouldn’t be fair to who, love?” I press.

Remi doesn’t answer my question, she’s too busy drinking in every inch of my face. It’s like she’s allowing herself to truly look at me for the first time in a year. “I’m so tired, Jax.”

“I know,” I tell her. “What do you need, Remington?”

Her body goes lax. Whatever fight that remains melts from her body as she releases a long, pained breath. It’s like she’s been holding it in for months. “For just a moment, can we pretend that you’re not you and I’m not me? Can we pretend we don’t have a past and that our future isn’t so bleak? Just for a moment, let’s pretend we’re perfect strangers.”

Remington Weylyn will never be a stranger to me. My soul will always recognize hers. A year or a lifetime apart wouldn’t allow me to forget her. She’s imprinted herself in my bones.

My hands loosen on her wrists, but she doesn’t make any move to pull them away from me.

“And what happens after?”

“Nothing changes,” Remi answers without hesitation.

Dropping one of my hands from her wrists, I brush my fingers down the side of her face until I reach her chin. It’s then that I grab her face and force her to truly look at me. I need to be sure that she wants this. She’s sobered up since I first found her. There isn’t an ounce of haziness in those blue orbs. She’s fully here with me. “You told me earlier you wanted a man who knew nothing about you to fuck you against a wall,” I rumble lowly. “I’m not that man. Iknowyou, Remington.”

“Pretend you don’t.” Her eyes burn with need. “Let’s play pretend for just a little while.”

Every ounce of my body knows this is a bad idea, but the part of me that craves her like I crave oxygen drowns out the doubt. My wolf grins in my head with glee. He knows I’m going to cave before I do.

I see the flames in Remi’s eyes and feel as they burn away my last bit of resolve.

Kissing Remington is like taking my first breath of air. My body soars to life, every nerve ending in my body comes alive. My blood burns as the heat of her body mingles with mine.

She tastes of whatever fruity drink she’d been sipping on earlier—like a piece of candy. When her tongue brushes against mine tentatively a low animalistic rumble comes from my chest. Needing her closer, I release her hands I’d been holding hostage. In one fluid movement, I bend down and grasp the back of her thighs so I can hoist her up.

Remington needs no instructions. Her arms and legs immediately wrap around me as I press her to the wall once more. She whimpers as I grind my pelvis into hers, with each lick of her tongue against mine, the harder my dick becomes in my pants.

She tilts her hips, grinding against my hardening length as our mouths devour each other.

Her short black dress has ridden up once more and for the first time tonight, I’m happy she elected to not wear panties. Her bare flesh rubs against the fabric of my jeans. Remington gasps against my mouth before she tosses her head back.

With the beautiful column of her neck exposed to me, I dip my head so I can swipe my tongue over where her pulse thunders. A shifter marks their mate by biting the juncture of their neck. Never in my life has my wolf been remotely interested in marking someone, but now as I lave her neck with open mouth kisses, I can’t help the thought from crossing my mind.

The scent of Remi’s arousal fills the dark alleyway, making me groan in her ear. “You smell so fucking good.” Like a forbidden dessert. “Touch yourself,” I order her.

Without objection, Remington dips her hand between her thighs. I pull away from her neck just long enough to watch her play with herself. Her finger swirls around her clit, once, twice, three times, before she slowly slips one inside of her. Just like at the hotel, the sight of her touching herself is mesmerizing.

Groaning, I return to her mouth. She doesn’t open for me immediately like I want her to, but that changes when I give her a warning nip to her bottom lip. She growls unhappily at me but doesn’t protest as I sweep into her hot mouth.

She sucks on my tongue, making my own need increase as I think of what it would feel like to have her do the same thing to my cock. To have her hot mouth suck everything I have to give out of me.

Remington begins to pant harder against my mouth as she brings herself closer to her impending release. “Oh God,” she whimpers, the nails of her free hand digging into my shoulder.

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