And the expression behind that alpha glow…
“No,” I said again. “I’m healing fine. Alpha werewolf here, remember? I need half an hour and a drink of water, Declan. I promise.”
“Good.” The sheer relief in that one word sent a shiver through me. He’d been afraid for me. And I didn’t ever want Declan to be afraid of anything, but on the other hand—gods, he’d beenafraid. Forme. His expression changed, brows drawing together, and his eyes flickered to my mouth. “I’m sorry,” he said slowly, and took a deep, shuddering breath. “I was waiting for you to ask me. A decent man would keep waiting. But I can’t wait anymore.”
Seriously? This was the second time he’d had something cryptic to say about me “asking him.” What the fuck did he—
But I stopped caring about it when he leaned down, gently, coaxingly shifting his grip on my neck and tipping my head back.
And when he closed that small gap between us and pressed his lips to mine, I didn’t care about anything else in the world.
Chapter 20
Ten Years Ago
No matter how many times I’d daydreamed about Declan kissing me, the reality far outstripped the fantasy—and how often could you say that about anything? His mouth took control of mine the same way his body had taken control of me so many times, opening me and tasting me and laying me bare for him to use however he wanted.
Which happened to be what I wanted too, so badly that I ached for it. His tongue teased between my lips and twined with mine as his arms tightened, gathering me so close that not a millimeter of space was left in between us.
Declan kissed me until I couldn’t breathe, my lungs hot and laboring. All the pain and fear of the last few hours melted away, a much better and more natural kind of magic than the ones I’d experienced so far tonight.
I pressed against him, kissing him back with everything I had, trying to spread my legs and wrap myself around him and take him into me so that he’d never leave.
Declan tore his mouth away and lifted his head, leaving my lips tingling and throbbing, suddenly chilled and bereft. I moaned a little protest and blinked my eyes open.
He gazed down at me, eyes wide.
“I’m sorry,” he said again. Sorry? He wassorry? At the first possible opportunity, I’d be giving him a piece of my mind about apologizing and showing regret immediately after giving me the best kiss of my life. “You’re hurt. We’re in the middle of fucking nowhere. And if I don’t stop now, I’m going to fuck you on the ground right here.”
At the best of times I’d have been all for it. Even the fading aches and stings of my injuries wouldn’t have slowed me down.
But now that I’d tuned back in to reality, I had to admit that the distant sounds of Walter moaning in pain and Declan’s men cleaning up the scene weren’t the best aphrodisiac.
Walter’s moans abruptly cut off, and I peeked over Declan’s shoulder to see what was going on in time to catch one of Declan’s guys carrying him away, slung limp over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
The scent on the air read like blood, not death, but he sure looked dead.
“Don’t worry about him,” Declan said, voice so low and grim it made me desperately glad I wasn’t the target of his rage.
I looked back up at him to find his eyes still fixed on my face. Had he so much as glanced away since he’d reached me? I didn’t think so, and I couldn’t help smiling.
“What?” he asked, sounding actually worried about the answer. As if he cared what I thought and what I felt, as if he were really afraid I’d be angry about him kissing me. As if he cared aboutme.
His actions suggested he did. But I couldn’t quite bring myself to believe it. Maybe he simply felt responsible, seeing as Walter—the man Declan had told me over and over again could be trusted—had kidnapped and tried to kill me out of jealousy.
“Why did you come after me? And how did you come after me? And I’m not worried about Walter, although I’m hoping the guy I clawed isn’t dead. What are they doing with them? Won’t they bleed out without a real healer?”
Declan’s eyebrows went up. “You clawed one of them? I didn’t exactly wait to check out the carnage.” I nodded, and he grinned, sharp and predatory. “You rescued yourself, Blake. Fucking good for you. I wish I’d seen it.”
I soaked up his praise, as thirsty for it as the desert sands around me were for a single drop of water. Not that I didn’t notice he’d managed to deflect all of my questions, of course.
“I want answers, Declan,” I said as firmly as I could manage after having my spine and my brain melted into goo by that kiss. “Stop trying to distract me by telling me how amazing I am?” I couldn’t help the way that came out as a question, damn it.
“Yeah,” he said, voice gone a little rough. “Yeah, you’re fucking amazing.”
He still held me so tightly I barely knew where he ended and I began. And he was standing here in this miserable desert, in the moonlight, with an unofficial crime-scene clean-up—cover-up might be more accurate—happening fifty yards away, and telling me I was amazing! But he still wouldn’t—he still didn’t—
“You were breaking up with me a few hours ago!” It burst out of me, practically a shout. “You told me you didn’t want this anymore. I don’t even know how you found me, I don’t know anything! You’re acting like you regret kissing me, and I don’t—”