Page 23 of Tempted By the Alpha Outlaw

She studies me, and for a moment, I think she’s going to say no. Not because she doesn’t trust me, but because she knows better. Knows I’m not the kind of man you take risks on.

But then she nods, a small, barely-there motion that makes her curls shift against her shoulder. “Okay,” she says.

It’s just one word, but it flips something over in me. I don’t know if I want to feel redeemed or ruined by her, but either way, it feels inevitable. I step aside to let her lead the way, and as she moves past me, her scent—sweet and warm—catches in the air. It clings to me long after she’s already turned toward the door.

And when I follow her, I’m already questioning what the hell I think I’m doing.

But there’s no stopping it now.

9

MAGNOLIA

Aboy is walking me home.

No…not a boy. A man. A man who smells like all the things I find most delicious, temptation incarnate. I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want to press closer to him right now.

I’ve never been kissed, never been touched like that—but tonight, for the first time, I understand what all the fuss is about. The way Colt looks at me, the way his voice curls around my name, low and rough—it makes me feel like the apple in the Garden of Eden.

I would hand myself over to him with no regrets.

We walk at a leisurely pace away from the community center, toward the clump of little cabins and houses where a few of our families have taken up residence. I’ve been offered a place in the den proper more than once–Peaches says I could even be her roommate, like young women did before the Convergence–but I’ve never wanted to leave home. There’s been too much to do, helping out with Lucy, cooking with my dad, making lesson plans with my mom.

Right now, though? Right now I wish I lived with Peaches and not with my parents.

Because if my mom finds out Colt is walking me home, she is not going to be happy.

Colt’s overwhelming, intoxicating presence is impossible to ignore, walking close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from him, close enough that his scent fills up my senses. It makes me lightheaded, that scent. Makes me want to do things that never even seemed appealing before.

I tell myself to focus on anything else. The sound of the gravel crunching beneath my shoes. The faint rustle of leaves in the breeze. Anything but him.

But every time I try, my attention drifts back. To the way he moves, so steady and sure. To the way his gaze flicks toward me, unashamed, like he wants me to know he’s looking.

This man is shameless, and it speaks to a part of me that’s been quiet my whole life…until now.

“You’re quiet,” he says, like he’s reading my mind. It sends a little shiver down my spine, but I shake it off, glancing at him with what I hope is a casual smile.

“Just tired,” I lie. “It’s been a long day.”

“I can imagine,” he says with a wry smile. “You’re the most popular girl in the pack, as far as I can tell.

I snort. “There’s a difference between ‘popular’ and ‘needed’,” I tell him. “I think I land much more on the needed side of the spectrum.”

He shakes his head. “Nah…people love you. It’s written all over their faces, you can hear it in their voices. Every conversation you have…it’s pretty incredible.”

I blush, chancing a glance at him. He’s staring, as usual. “So you’ve been watching me?” I whisper.

His canine snags on his lower lip in a half-smile. “You’re nice to look at.”

My cheeks heat almost to the point of making me sweat, and I find myself incredibly grateful for the low light. Cicadas sing all around us, a Texas lullaby…or maybe a love song.

“So what does a guy have to do to get a plush place in the neighborhood?” he asks, gesturing around at the cabins–some of which are still under construction. “This is a far cry from the den; you get a house because you’re the teacher?”

“No,” I laugh. “It’s silly, but…the Jones family, we’re kind of a legacy around here? One of the only families that’s still together from before the Convergence. My folks were already pregnant with me when everything went wrong, and then they were leaders in the uprising in Austin. I have three siblings, and we all live together in the house.”

His eyebrows lift slightly, and for the first time tonight, I see genuine surprise flicker across his face. “All of you?” he repeats. “That’s…”

“...noisy,” I finish for him. I laugh, the sound soft and self-deprecating. “It’s a lot, but Reyes was kind enough to give us the only big house on the property, so I at least have my own bedroom. But it’s how we’ve always done things. My parents like keeping everyone close.”

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