Page 118 of Awakened
Aiden was completely unbothered. “This was just a battle, Les—we’re in for a much larger war. He’ll get his.” He patted me on the shoulder and walked away, leaving Seth and me on the edge of the excited group.
I rested my forehead against Seth’s shoulder, the exhaustion of the run and nerves finally hitting me. “Is it time for bed?”
“Not yet. Gotta get you home first.” Seth circled his arms around me.
My face smooshed into his chest, I mumbled, “Can’t you just carry me there? I’ll sleep, and you can do all the work?”
His laugh vibrated through my cheek. “Sorry, Charlie. Youhave to be alert for the ride to the border. We don’t know if they have something else planned.”
I leaned back so he could see my displeasure. “Ugh. If I didn’t hate those assholes before, I really do now.”
“Yeah, they’re not great.” Seth pulled a leaf out of my hair and chuckled. “You look wild, Les.”
“I’ve been told I pull it off.” I gave him my best smize.
His eyes glowed as he studied my face. “You do. You can pull off anything.”
I shivered from the cold, and he opened his jacket, wrapping it around me. Angling his head down, our mouths were just an inch apart. When he exhaled, his breath caressed my lips. He slipped his cold hands under my thermal, his calloused fingertips lightly grazing my back. All reason flew out of my head, and I arched into him, lifting onto my toes to close the distance until a buzzing in my back pocket stopped me.
“Ah!” I jumped back from Seth and took the fucking burner out. I hadn’t had it before the rescue. Hell, I assumed it was lost in the cabin fire.
Glancing at Seth, I noticed he hadn’t moved an inch. “Give me a second, okay?”
He gave me a curt nod, his focus on the phone.
Opening the text, I blew out a breath.
SECRET DOUCHEBAGS (CUTE, LES)
You have 3 hours to clear the territory. Get out now.
“Son of a bitch. Seth, rally the troops. We’re heading out.”
When he didn’t respond, I looked up, surprised to find him much closer than before.
“Les,” he murmured, settling one hand on the small of my back and pulling me closer. Tracing my bottom lip with his thumb, his gaze grew intense.
“I don’t think?—”
And then his lips pressed against mine.
TWENTY-THREE
Maybe it was the high from the rescue, or perhaps it was my newfound appreciation of my own mortality, or it could’ve been the fact that I’d never really stopped loving him, but when Seth kissed me, I didn’t push him away.
No.
I gripped his jacket so tight that it would’ve taken a surgical team to remove my hands from the leather. Seth’s fingers tangled in my curls, tilting my head to deepen the kiss.
It was all wrong, but he felt perfect. I pressed my body firmly against his but kept still, afraid that he would realize what he was doing and pull away if I rubbed up against him like I wanted to—a wolf in heat. He seemed to follow the same plan as he kept his hands still, only moving his lips.
Oh, and those lips. So fucking demanding. They curved to mine perfectly, never giving a second of relief.
I inhaled, struggling to get enough air to my lungs. Seth groaned against my mouth, his tongue lightly tracing my lips until they parted. I tentatively brushed his tongue with my own, wanting a taste. Just a taste couldn’t hurt. His growl of approval reverberated through me, stirring up a passion I’d denied myself for far too long.
My hands, no longer content on his chest, plowed through his long waves, lightly tugging as I reached the knotted ends. All the adrenaline from our mission’s success coursed through my veins, heightening the urgency of our situation.
Seth walked us until my back hit a tree, his body weight pinning me against the rough bark. Standing on my tiptoes, I tried to get the upper hand, but Seth looped his fingers through my hair, keeping me right where he wanted. He gripped my hip with his other hand, his cold thumb rubbing the skin peeking out from under my winter gear.
