Page 53 of Tempted By the Alpha Outlaw

She’s everything—soft and bold, nervous and certain—and I’m completely undone. My restraint is gone, replaced by a need so overwhelming that I know there’s no going back. My hand tangles in her curls, angling her head so I can kiss her deeper, my teeth grazing her bottom lip just enough to make her gasp. Her fingers slide up to my shoulders, gripping me like I’m the only solid thing in her world.

“Magnolia,” I growl against her lips, her name a raw, unsteady whisper. I don’t even know what I’m saying, only that I need her to know what this is doing to me—what she’s doing to me. She answers by arching into me, her body pressing against mine in a way that obliterates any remaining thought of holding back.

Her scent surrounds me—sweet and warm, like honey and wildflowers—and it mixes with the heat radiating off her skin, making my senses swim. Every inch of me feels like it’s on fire, like she’s ignited something in me that I didn’t even know was there.

My hand slides lower, skimming over the curve of her waist, and her breath catches. She tilts her head back slightly, giving me access to the delicate line of her jaw, and I take it, trailing kisses down her neck, savoring the way her pulse races under my lips.

“Colt,” she whispers, her voice trembling but sure, and the sound of my name on her lips destroys me. I pull back just enough to meet her gaze, her wide, dark eyes searching mine.

She’s made her choice, and it’s me.

“I don’t think I can stop,” I admit, my voice rough and low, my hands still holding her like she might vanish if I let go.

“Then don’t,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper, but it hits me like a shout. Her hands slide to the back of my neck, pulling me back to her, and this time, there’s no hesitation. There’s only heat, only us, and the undeniable pull that’s been building between us from the moment we met.

Her lips are soft, her kiss hungry, and I lose myself in her completely. The world outside the observatory fades away, leaving only the sound of her breath, the feel of her body against mine, and the relentless beat of my heart pounding in my ears. She’s all I can think about, all I can feel, and for the first time in a long time, I stop fighting what I want. What we both want.

Because this isn’t just a kiss. It’s a promise. A declaration. A beginning. And I know—no matter what comes next—I’ll never be able to let her go.

19

MAGNOLIA

His kiss consumes me, unrelenting and raw, and I sink into it, into him, like it’s the only thing keeping me grounded. My hands thread through his hair, pulling him closer, because close isn’t enough—I need him. All of him. The world around us feels distant and unimportant; all I can focus on is the heat of his lips, the way his hands grip my waist like he’s afraid to let go.

When he pulls back, just enough to look at me, his breath ragged, I feel like I’m about to fall apart. His eyes are dark, intense, searching mine like he’s looking for some kind of reassurance. Like he’s waiting for me to say I’ve changed my mind.

But I haven’t. I won’t.

“Magnolia,” he rasps, his voice rough, like he’s barely holding on. His hands tighten on my waist, his thumbs brushing against the bare skin under my shirt, and the sensation sends a shiver through me. “You sure about this?”

My heart is pounding so hard I’m surprised he can’t hear it. I’m nervous—terrified, even—but I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. I nod, my lips parting to speak, but no words come out. Instead, I reach for him again, my fingers brushing against his jaw as I guide his mouth back to mine.

The kiss is softer this time, slower, but no less intense. It’s like we’re both trying to savor this moment, to memorize every detail, every sensation, because we know it’s going to change everything.

And I want it to.

I squeak when Colt suddenly lifts me off my feet, sweeping me into a bridal carry to bring me across the threshold and into the nest I made earlier. He kneels in the blankets and sets me down, then he takes my face in his hands, searching my eyes.

He’s looking at me like he’s seeing me for the first time—and maybe he is.

Or maybe he’s looked at me this way from the beginning, and I just didn’t know what it meant.

My breath comes out in a shuddering gasp, and he frowns, his thumbs grazing my cheeks. “You’re shaking,” he murmurs. “You good?”

“I’m…” My cheeks burn, flushing bright red. “I think it’s because I’m…because I’m excited? Is that silly?”

His lips quirk up in a smile, warm and gentle. "Not at all, Magnolia," he says, his voice low and husky. His gaze softens, his thumbs tracing the curve of my cheeks. He lowers his head to press a kiss to my forehead, then another to my nose, then finally to my lips.

The kiss is slow, languid. A complete contrast from our earlier frenzy. It's filled with promises yet to be fulfilled, with the anticipation of what's to come. His hands slide down from my face to rest on my waist, fingers gripping lightly as he breaks the kiss.

“I won’t…” he pauses, though I can see that it isn’t easy for him. “I won’t fuck you without birth control, Magnolia. Do you have?—”

“I brought condoms,” I interrupt, awkward. “I thought?—”

He’s kissing me again, smiling against my lips. “Of course you fucking did,” he growls, chuckling at my surprised expression. "You're always so prepared, aren't you?"

His fingers find the hem of my shirt, slowly inching it upwards. He breaks away from our kiss just long enough to pull it over my head, leaving me in the remnants of my modesty. I watch his eyes, dark and filled with desire, as they roam over me. There's a reverence there too, a quiet awe that makes my heart pound louder in anticipation.

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