Page 14 of Kept By the Kraken

She moves closer, standing above me as the pine knot catches. “I know you were with me that day in the water.”

The flames dance, and I watch the oranges and reds flicker, so I don’t have to meet her gaze.

She continues her unending questions. “How did you get down there?”

Heat blazes between us, a combination of the fire and her presence.

“I’m a good listener. Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

Nothing good will come from indulging her. We are only dangerous to one another.But the urge to take her in my arms, to give in and spill everything to her is overwhelming.

I back away from the fire and stand, my body crowding hers.

She holds her ground, her beautiful face set in stubborn lines. “You can trust me.”

“But you shouldn’t trust me,” I growl. I’m torn in two, the pull between us a physical ache that I’m not sure I can refuse much longer.

Her finger outlines the black raised lines of a rune on my forearm. I freeze at the contact, closing my eyes momentarily as I soak in her touch. It’s been so long since I have touched anyone outside of battle. The moment between us earlier when my Beast took control was the first in lifetimes that I’ve felt alive.

The soft caress almost tickles as she moves to my wrist. My pulse thumps wildly as she traces my newest rune. It’s her mark, the one she awakened. Her touch stirs the magic between us, a magnetic charge that pulls us together without my permission.

“You’re glowing,” she says in wonder. “And I can feel you somehow. What is happening to me?”

It’s the mate call. With our chance encounter in the water, she awakened the bond. The nearer we are to one another, the stronger it will become until I won’t be able to resist my Beast’s need to claim her. I’ve never known anyone to resist the lure of a mate, but I’ve got to try.I turn away from her touch even though every cell in my body urges me to wrap her in my arms.

The past assaults me, flashing a reel of bloody nightmares. My stomach turns at the reminder. I refuse to go down that path again. I harden my heart. I don’t want to betray my vows or bring death to Penelope.

My Beast roars in protest, his tentacles trying to seep through the small cracks in the veil.

In the bathroom, I hastily grab towels. I need distance from her. Miles and states won’t matter if I can’t leave this house.

She peeks her head into the bathroom, then steps into the doorway, crossing her arms. Her T-shirt is soaked through, and the pose draws attention to the hard peaks of her nipples. The urge to trace them with my tongue, to pull her closer and devour her until she’s panting with heat, overwhelms me. I grind my jaw and flex my fingers.

“You can’t ignore me forever.” She scowls at me, but the effect is lost on her sweet face. She doesn’t have a menacing bone in her body.

I toss her a towel, push past her, and go to my closet. Riffling through my drawers, I find an old pair of warm sweatpants, a flannel, and a pair of thick socks. “Change and leave.”

Her arms pull at her wet clothing, revealing pale skin.

I force myself to look away.

The sound of her sopping shirt hitting the floor echoes between us. Another slap as more of her wet clothing hits the floor.

“I’m not going anywhere until I get some answers, Bjorn.”

My name on her lips will be my undoing. I want to know how it sounds when she says it in the throes of passion, what it feels like when she comes apart screaming my name.

“I won’t tell anyone. I’m not looking to get you in trouble. I just want to understand what happened that day in the water. Why do I feel this connection between us?”

The fabric rustles. I remember the feel of her curves beneath me, tasting her on my tongue.

Despite my desire, I walk away. It’s harder this time than the last.

In the kitchen, I take another swig from the moonshine bottle, hoping it will make me brave enough to do what I must. Outside, the storm beats against the old house, but it feels as though it lives inside me, battering my insides.

My Beast lurks at the boundary between us, urging me to give in to his control. I shouldn’t. I should walk out of this house, get in my Jeep, and drive until the distance between us is enough to clear my head.

“Bjorn?”

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