Page 37 of Howling Night

His lips brushed against mine, and a burst of electricity tore through my body. Instead of pulling away, I leaned into him.

ChapterSeventeen

My hands slid up his chest, feeling his warm skin and the steady beat of his heart beneath my fingertips. The kiss deepened, and a small sound escaped from between my lips as his hands moved to my waist, drawing me closer.

All my doubts and fears seemed to fall away for the moment, replaced by something I hadn’t felt in longer than I could remember. It was almost as if I couldn’t refuse whatever it was that was happening.

In the back of my mind, I knew it was a mistake letting someone get close to me again, but for once, I didn’t care. There was absolutely no reason I could think of to not just relax for once and enjoy myself, even though I didn’t know how we got to this.

Ryder pulled me even closer, his hands gliding around my hips with an urgency that made my breath catch. I reached up, tangling my fingers in his thick hair, allowing myself to get lost in the warmth of his mouth and the sensation of his beard against my skin.

I grabbed his shirt, pulling him back toward the couch. A chorus of howls caused him to stop in his tracks, his eyes darting toward the nearest window.

Ryder broke away from me instantly, his body going rigid. “Son of a bitch.”

I dragged my finger across my lips as if I could still feel him there. My pulse was pounding, but this time it wasn’t because of the howling wolves nearby.

His eyes darkened as he stepped up to the window. “I should stay tonight.”

“Um,” I said, looking around as if I’d find the right words to say. I mean, kissing was great, but staying the night seemed a bit fast.

He shook his head quickly. “Not that. The wolves. I don’t trust Kellan to leave you alone.”

“Oh,” I said, clearing my throat. “Yeah, right? I just thought maybe the couch was too small.”

“I can sleep anywhere,” he said, flicking me a quick look.

“Good,” I said, twisting my fingers. “I feel safer with you here. Especially without my SUV to run away in.”

His head bobbed. “I’m not going anywhere unless I know for a fact he won’t bother you or I can arrange for someone else to guard the vicinity.”

As the night wore on, it was almost as if I weren’t there at all. Ryder paced from window to window, checking the yard with his phone in his hand. The soft glow of his screen illuminated his face as he fired off text after text. Whatever moment we’d shared earlier had vanished, replaced by this vigilant protector who seemed to have forgotten I was even in the room.

After watching him make his third complete circle around my house, I sighed. “I think I’m going to get ready for bed.”

“Okay,” he said, barely glancing my way.

In the bathroom, I splashed cold water on my face, trying to clear my head. What the hell was I doing? One minute, I was practically melting into Ryder’s arms, and the next, I was being completely ignored. This was just another reason never to let anyone get too close.

I brushed my teeth and quickly changed into a fresh pair of pajamas — a worn soft t-shirt with a deep V-neck and a pair of loose pajama pants that always slid down to my hips. They were incredibly comfortable, and that’s all that mattered, even though I had company.

I walked back out to the kitchen to get a drink of water, finding Ryder at the back door tapping an aggressive message into his phone. He didn’t even bother to look up, although I was sure he’d heard me two feet away from where he stood.

I rolled my eyes. “Well, goodnight then.”

“Night,” he said, flicking his eyes up for a second. His eyes widened, and he turned back to me, a low rumbling noise escaping from his throat.

“Wow,” he said, the single word carrying more weight than it should have.

My cheeks warmed. “Can I get you anything? Water? Extra blanket? I’m sorry, I don’t have any pajamas that would fit you.”

Ryder seemed speechless, his eyes lingering on me in a way that made my skin tingle. “I’m fine,” he finally managed. His eyes remained fixed on me, traveling from my face down to my loose pajama pants before quickly snapping back up, almost like he was fighting with himself. “I probably won’t get to do much sleeping anyway. Usually don’t.”

“I’ll get you a blanket just in case,” I said, walking to the hall closet to pull out my softest blanket.

I set it on the couch, smoothing it out more than necessary just to give my hands something to do. Ryder stood, running a hand through his hair.

“Sleep well, Everly,” he said, his voice lower and rougher than before.

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