Page 20 of Forbidden Pregnant Mate

“Of course I do,” she said.

“Fine. The truth is you’re incredibly dense and infuriating.”

Heat flashed in her eyes, and her shoulders stiffened. “You’re not really good at politeness, are you?”

“Oh, I’m great at it when I need to be,” I said. “But I’m also great at making idiots see sense when they’re being stubborn asses.”

“I’m not a—”

“Oh, trust me. If you think I don’t care about you or are too dense to see it, you’re definitely a stubborn ass.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

I glowered and rolled my eyes. “It means that I care more about your safety than just about anything. I’ve always cared about you, ever since we were kids.”

The glare in those beautiful hazel eyes dimmed, and she blinked in confusion at me. I could see some of that fire subsiding as she looked at me.

“What?” she asked, her voice almost a whisper.

“You heard me.” I looked down at her stupefied face. “Don’t act like my offering to look after you is out of the blue or hasanythingto do with your father. I like your dad, don’t get me wrong, but he’s not the reason I offered to stay behind.”

“No. Freya is.”

“Are you really that oblivious?” Her claim was so absurd that I started laughing. When I finally managed to get it under control, I stood straight and came closer to her. “Jenn, no matter what our relationship is or how we act toward one another, I will always want to protect you. Hell, I’ve liked you since before I started training with your dad, when you were still that obnoxious, sassy kid who tried putting salt on my ice cream. I’m not about to let some asshole with delusions of claiming you get anywhere near you. There’s no way I’ll be anywhere but here until I know you’re safe.”

I trailed off, realizing I’d said way more than I’d meant to. Panic clenched my insides. I’d gotten way too close to admitting something I’d been keeping from her for years.

Jenn blinked up at me, and again, I was struck by just how stunning she was, even in the moonlight. She was breathing heavily as if she’d been running, her breasts moving up and down distractingly.

“You’ve liked me since we were kids?” she asked slowly, rolling the words as if trying to get used to them.

“Of course I have,” my mouth said without consulting my brain.

I was so close to telling her everything then. It had been years, and she deserved an explanation. But I was too aware of her scent, that enticing smell that reminded me of Christmas. It was all around us.

I really looked at her. She wasn’t wearing a bra. The shorts she’d been sleeping in hugged her hips perfectly. My wolf growled his approval, claws flexing as he urged me to move closer. And looking into her eyes, I could see she was sizing me up the same way.

We stayed there for a long moment, looking at each other as if we’d never seen each other before. I’d been fighting the attraction ever since I’d seen her that night at dinner.

I was done fighting.

Growling low, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward me. Her body pressed against mine, and she looked up at me. I gave her the space of a breath where she could push me away, and when I felt her lean into me, I bent down and pressed my lips against hers.

There was no stiffness in her body. Her arms wrapped around my back, her fingers digging into my skin and holding me in place. Her lips opened eagerly as I explored her mouth. I could feel her nipples hardening beneath the fabric of her shirt as her body continued to press against mine, and the scent of arousal coming off her was dizzying.

My hand flew to her hair, fingers tangling in it as she moaned softly. The sound made that growing need intensify, and my cock stiffened.

My free hand slipped beneath her shirt, running up her taut stomach toward her firm breasts. She jerked slightly when I pinched one firm nipple.

“Watch it,” she growled, but her eyes told a different story. Her breathing had gone shallow, and arousal was rolling off her in a way that was making me dizzy.

I grinned wickedly. “Make me.”

Her hand went to my chest as if to push me away, but I grabbed her wrist and held it above her head as my mouth moved to her neck, kissing her delicately.

I’d wanted this for years, since before I left for the military. I needed her body. Needed her.

“I’m taking you to my bedroom,” I murmured into her ear. “So you have exactly five seconds to tell me to stop, or I don’t think I’ll be able to control myself. One…”

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