Page 41 of Flare
The kiss deepened. Weeks of longing and years of wondering channeled into this one perfect moment. Ward’s hand slid down to the small of her back, pulling her closer, while Emily’s fingers dug into his shoulders.
Ward’s bear roared in triumph inside him as she made a small, needy sound in the back of her throat. Heat bloomed between them, urgent and raw.
Abruptly, Emily pulled away, her breathing as ragged as his own.
“I-I can’t,” she whispered, her voice unsteady.“Ward, I’m sorry, but I can’t do this. Not right now.”
Ward dropped his hands and gave her the space she needed, though every instinct screamed to pull her back into his arms.
“I’m the one who should apologize,” he said, his voice rough.“I didn’t mean to rush you.”
Emily shook her head.“You’re a great guy, Ward. The best. But it’s too soon. I’m dealing with everything that happened with Andrew, and I just need time.”
“Of course. I totally understand,” Ward said, even as his bear grumbled in protest.“Take all the time you need.”
She studied his face for a long moment.“I appreciate that. You make me feel… safe.”
Ward reveled in the compliment as Emily unlocked her car. She slid into the driver’s seat and closed the door, rolling down the window as she started the engine.
“Goodnight,” she said.“Thank you again for dinner.”
“Goodnight,” he replied, stepping back as she reversed out of the parking space.“Drive safely.”
Ward stood motionless, watching until her taillights disappeared around the corner. The phantom sensation of her lips against his lingered, and he touched his mouth with his fingertips, trying to preserve the feeling.
His bear paced restlessly inside him, agitated by Emily’s departure.
And Ward wanted her, more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life. His cock was rock hard, painfully imprisoned in his tight jeans.
He began walking home. The cool night air did little to clear his head, which was spinning with implications and complications.
Andrew Brunborn had marked Emily as his mate—a bond that was supposed to be unbreakable. But Andrew had terrorized Emily until she’d fled hundreds of miles to escape him. He’d had his chance, and he’d chosen to treat Emily like a possession rather than cherish her as a mate should.
Now it was up to Ward to protect her hard-won freedom, to give her the space and time she needed to heal.
The practical, logical part of him warned him to back off, to be Emily’s friend and nothing more. To respect the mating bond, even if Andrew hadn’t.
His bear growled, rejecting any suggestion of letting Emily go. And their kiss replayed in his mind—how utterly right she’d felt in his arms, and the way she’d responded to him with such intensity before pulling away.
Ward didn’t know if pursuing Emily was right or wrong in the grand scheme of things.
He knew only one thing with absolute certainty: he had to protect her from the abusive mate she’d rightfully rejected.
Chapter 11
Intrusion
Grizzly Creek Ranch
Friday, May 15
Emily hummed softly to herself as her car bumped up the winding gravel driveway toward her cabin the next afternoon.
She’d ended her first week at Cinnamon + Sugar on a high note, organizing months of neglected invoices, establishing a filing system that even the most organization-averse person could follow, and setting up a bookkeeping software package to automate future invoices and payments.
But if she was being honest, her new job wasn’t the reason she’d been smiling all day.
Even now, she could feel Ward’s lips against hers. Last night, his kiss had been tender at first and then hungry with a need that had made her knees weak.
