Page 52 of Tempted By the Alpha Outlaw

“I’ll sleep outside,” I say quickly, the words rough and unsteady, tumbling out before I can lose the last shred of control I’m clinging to. “There’s enough room out there for me to?—”

“Don’t,” she interrupts, her voice soft but firm, the single word cutting through my scattered thoughts.

I freeze, every nerve in my body on high alert as I turn to look at her. Her eyes are wide, unguarded, and when they meet mine, it feels like something cracks open between us, raw and aching and impossible to ignore.

“Stay,” she says, her fingers brushing my arm again. Her touch is careful, hesitant, but there’s no mistaking the intent behind it. “Please.”

It’s not fair. The way she looks at me, the way she says my name—it’s like she knows exactly what she’s doing, like she knows she’s unraveling me and she’s okay with it. She doesn’t understand what she’s asking, what it’s costing me to keep my hands off her.

I take a step back, my heart pounding in my chest like a drumbeat. “Magnolia?—”

“Please,” she whispers, and it hits me like a punch to the gut.

My wolf growls low in my chest, the sound vibrating through me, urging me to close the gap between us. To give her what she’s asking for, to give her everything she wants and more.

But this—her—this would change everything. And I don’t know if I’m ready for that.

I don’t know if I can survive it.

She reaches out and tentatively touches my arm, sliding it to grasp my bicep…coming closer. I don’t move, I don’t dare move. I glance down at her hand, at the way her grip tightens just slightly, as though she’s holding onto her resolve. When I meet her gaze again, her eyes are wide and bright, and I can see it all there—her nervousness, her hope, and the decision she’s already made.

“We both feel it, right?” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “This…whatever it is between us. And I want it. I want you.” She swallows hard, her fingers trembling where they touch me. “I don’t want to keep pretending I don’t.”

Her words are so quiet, so vulnerable, that they nearly shatter me. My chest tightens, my wolf snarling low and possessive in my mind. I can feel her nervousness, the way she’s trying to hold onto her courage even as her voice shakes. She’s not some kind of seductress, she never will be; this is the result of a decision she made way before we even left on this trip. She wants me.

And that’s a weight I don’t know if I can bear.

“You are way too good a girl for me,” I rasp, every second a battle to keep myself from pulling her into me. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’m not that fragile,” she says, her voice firm despite the slight quiver. “And I’m not perfect, Colt. You think I am, but I’m not.”

She takes another step closer, her hand sliding up my arm, her touch firmer now, bolder. Her face tilts up toward mine, and I can see the way her chest rises and falls with every shaky breath, how her lips part as she gathers her courage.

“I’ve made my choice,” she says quietly, her voice trembling but full of conviction. “And I’m choosing you.”

My restraint shatters. My hands twitch at my sides, my chest tightening as her words sink in. She doesn’t understand what she’s asking for, what this would mean—for both of us. But the look in her eyes, the way she’s standing there, so nervous but so brave, undoes me completely.

“Magnolia…” I growl, her name slipping from my lips like a warning.

She doesn’t back down. Her gaze holds mine, steady and unflinching, even as her breath catches in her throat. “I want this, Colt,” she whispers. “I want you.”

I move without thinking. My hand reaches for her arm, sliding up to her shoulder, then to the curve of her neck, where her pulse flutters beneath my fingers. I can feel the tension in her body, the way she’s trembling slightly—but she doesn’t pull away. She leans into me, her eyes never leaving mine, and the trust I see there nearly breaks me.

“You don’t know what you’re asking for,” I rasp, my voice low and rough, barely holding onto the last shreds of my restraint. “What I want to do to you…”

Her breath hitches, her lips parting slightly. “Then do it,” she whispers, her voice shaking but sure. “I’m not afraid of you.”

Her words hit me like a lightning strike, burning away the last of my resistance. My hand tangles in her hair, pulling her closer as I lean down, my breath mingling with hers. She gasps, and the sound drives me over the edge.

“Damn it, Magnolia,” I mutter, my voice rough and low, a curse and a prayer all at once. “You’re gonna ruin me.”

Her lips tremble into a small, shaky smile. “Then let me,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

And just like that, I’m gone.

I crash into her, my lips finding hers in a kiss that’s raw, consuming, and unrelenting. It’s not gentle—it’s a clash of heat and need, a release of everything I’ve been holding back for far too long. Her lips are soft but urgent, and the way she moves against me sends a shockwave of sensation through my entire body. It’s like a dam breaking, the flood of desire impossible to stop.

Her hands grip my shirt, bunching the fabric in her fists as she pulls me closer, like she’s afraid I might pull away. But I’m not going anywhere—not now, not ever. I deepen the kiss, sliding my hand to the small of her back, pressing her against me, and the sound that escapes her—a soft, breathy moan—reverberates through me like a spark catching fire.

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