Page 87 of Marked

Letting go of her ass, I slid my hands across her chest to her breasts, gently pinching her hard nipples. Cameron moaned into my mouth, a deep, throaty sound of desire. God, I wanted to have her.Neededto have her. I’d never wanted anything more in my life. I could imagine what she felt like, the warmth and softness of her pussy as I slid into her. The wet, clenching tightness around my cock as I thrust into her, driving her to orgasm.

Finally breaking the kiss, I ran my lips down her chin to her neck, nibbling and sucking her throat, my hands massaging and kneading her breasts.

“Nate. Oh God, Nate,” she whispered as I suckled at her earlobe, her hips moving against me faster.

Every ounce of willpower I had was fleeing by the second. Nothing mattered but her. I didn’t give a shit that we were in the middle of a public park. I wanted to fuck her right there, beneath the trees. Nothing was more important than that, nothing could ever satisfy me but that. Every other dream or hope or thought I had was gone. All I wanted was to feel her body clenching around me as she came.

Licking her collarbone, I slipped my hands under her shirt and over her flat stomach, up to the swell of her breasts. Flicking the underside of her sports bra, my fingertips probed, then invaded the fabric, peeling it back. An instant later, her breasts were in my hands, warm and soft and heavy.

“No. I can’t,” Cameron cried, and scooted off my lap.

The abrupt end to the intense moment left me dizzy and confused. I sat there, blinking as if coming out of a dream.

“Did I do something wrong?” I asked, gaping at her. “I’m sorry if I did, but?—”

“It’s Rick,” Cameron said, her face buried in her hands.

The heat that had been surging through my body vanished, my blood going cold. Was she seriously still hung up on that rich fuck? I wasn’t easily offended, but the thought of her wanting to be with that asshole struck me hard, denting my emotional confidence. My wolf snarled at the mention of the other shifter’s name, and that, along with the sexual frustration, made me want to scream. My rapidly softening cock ached with unrequited need.

“Cameron, you can’t still want to be with him, can you? You saw what he was like last night.” I laughed humorlessly. “Maybeyou remember him trying to blow my fucking brains out fortalkingto you?”

Why did that prick get to meet her first? The only woman I’d ever felt any true connection to in my life, and she was hung up on some controlling millionaire douchebag.

“No,” she said. “I don’t want to be with him anymore. But I can’t start something new until everything between him and me is settled. He didn’t take the hint when I broke up with him. I need to make sure he understands we’re through. Fully and completely done. Until then, I don’t want to drag you into this.”

“I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m already in this,” I said, unable to keep the bitterness from my voice.

Was she just saying that because she didn’t really want to be with me? This never should have happened. I got too close too fast. It was a mistake. I never let anyone get to me the way she had. What I needed to do was sever all contact with Cameron as soon as possible. That would be the only way to keep this from going any further. Yet, I couldn’t quite work up the will to actually do it. I didn’t think I had the heart to.

I liked this woman who was hugging her knees and rocking back and forth. Cameron had touched something deep inside me that no other woman could even unearth. Something I didn’t think I had. Her wit, intelligence, how she so fiercely cared for her family—it made her seem like someone I could actuallywantto be with. Plus, now that I knew how she tasted, I hated the idea of her being Rick’s mate even more than I had before. She’d ensnared my mind somehow. Now I had to figure out how to keep going.

“Why don’t we talk about this?” I suggested.

Cameron got to her feet, dusting her leggings off and readjusting her shirt. “There’s nothing to talk about. This can’t happen again,” Cameron said, gesturing around at the woods surrounding us. “Not again. Not right now.”

She was basically rejecting me. Telling me she didn’t want me. I didn’t know why I’d let myself think something could be different. It never was. If my life had shown me anything, it was that I wasn’t worthy of love or affection. Not really. Why wouldanyonewant to hitch their wagon to some filthy, drifter lone wolf?

My inner wolf growled in my mind, and I couldn’t be sure if he was agreeing or disagreeing with me.

Standing up, I dusted myself off as well, nodding my head bitterly. “Right. I get it.”

“Nate,” she said, eyebrows furrowing, “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“It’s fine,” I said, straightening. “Let’s get you back. Come on.”

I turned and walked through the woods toward the footpath again. After a moment’s hesitation, Cameron followed, her feet hissing through the leaves. On the path, she moved up to walk beside me.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just don’t want to jump into something like this. It’s what my mother always did, and it never worked out well for her. I want my next relationship to be more.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” I said, my voice low and monotone.

“Can you look at me, Nate?” she pleaded.

“No need,” I grunted, picking up my pace.

She grabbed my wrist and tugged me to a halt. Turning, I found Cameron staring at me with big, scared eyes.

“I wasn’t thinking clearly, Nate. I’m sorry if I… I don’t know, offended you or made you think something that wasn’t true. This has nothing to do with you or anything you did wrong. It’s me.”

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