Page 313 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

I hadn’t felt that for so long.

I wanted it again. I wanted tofeelagain.

I met Noah’s gaze, full of heat, desire, and something stronger, more powerful. Not just lust, but something resembling…awe.

No one had ever looked at me like that. Like I was a magical and beautiful creation.

I didn’t just want him to kiss me, I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to taste his lips, feel his mouth on mine. I wanted to explore our connection as far as it would take us.

His hand slid around my jaw, cradling it, coaxing me closer. My eyes closed, and I leaned in.

Ever so slowly, his warm, smooth lips pressed against mine in the gentlest, softest kiss I’d ever had. My body melted into a puddle of bliss. Tiny bolts of lightning zapped through my middle, sparking along my limbs, creating a wild, maddening burst of pleasure.

Wow. If he could do this with the press of his lips, I bet this guy was amazing in bed.

When he hesitated, I moved closer, silently giving him the okay to continue.

His tongue teased along my bottom lip and I barely held back my moan. I parted my lips for him, letting go of any restraint. Not that I had much to begin with.

His free hand cradled the other side of my jaw, tightening his hold, angling my head slightly to deepen the kiss. My shoulders sagged into his embrace, giving in to all the sensations swirling through my body.

For years, I’d lost myself. Lost who I was, what I wanted in life. I lived in the shadow of my mother’s poor choices, spending each waking moment gasping for breath.

This kiss breathed life back into my soul. Right here and now, Noah found me.

His grip on my jaw hardened a fraction, not painfully but enough to flip alarm bells. Noah tensed, his lips still touching mine. I opened my eyes. His were bright, alert, side-eyeing the waterfall.

In an instant, he jerked back and slapped a hand over my mouth, pinning my back against the rock.

What the hell?I grabbed his wrist to pull his hand away, but he applied more pressure. With his free hand, he held his index finger against his lips.

My heart sped for an entirely different reason. Was this some kind of joke?

Noah cocked his ear toward the waterfall as though listening for something I could neither hear nor see. His legs no longer playfully kicking back and forth. Now, his ridged body was alert as though sensing a hidden danger.

He looked back at me. Desire and heat no longer consumed his gaze, instead replaced with cold ice blue, the color so clear his eyes almost glowed in the filtered light.

“Don’t make a sound,” he whispered.

When I nodded, he lowered his hand. I couldn’t move, so frozen with fear of the unknown. What the hell was out there?

As though on cue, through the lens of the waterfall, a shadow stalked along the bank toward our belongings. Tall. Like the size of a bulky male or very well-built female. Maybe the same height as Noah.

Noah said this was his family’s land. Why was he hiding from family?

“Who is it?” I whispered.

I doubted someone he didn’t know would wander this far onto his property. Unless they meant harm. If that were the case, we were safe, hidden behind the falls. I hoped.

The look in Noah’s glare said otherwise. “Shhh.”

I glanced back at the shadow. The person paused, then crouched where we left our belongings. Were they looking for something? Shit. My phone was inside my bag. If the guy stole it, I was screwed.

The person stood again. Adrenaline coursed through my body making my stomach twist and swirl until I thought I’d vomit.

Noah squeezed my hand. Some of my tension trickled from me as though a magical link connected us. I wiggled closer.

The weirdo stalked around the bank of the pool. Obviously, searching for the owner of the clothes. I sucked in a sharp breath when they reached the edge of the pool and couldn’t go any further without getting into the water.

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