Page 27 of Gather the Storm

I forced my gaze away and gestured at the clothes. “I can’t wear these!”

“You can and you will.” His tone made it clear this wasn’t a negotiation. “Unless you want to change your mind, in which case I can be out of your way in under five minutes.”

“This is… this is…” I sputtered, trying to find the words to express how totally outrageous it was to expect me to wear the clothes hanging in my new closet — clothes he’d obviously bought just to make me uncomfortable. “This is insane.”

He stalked into the closet and pulled out a black dress that looked more like a fabric remnant. It was so small I couldn’t make out the details, but I doubted it would cover my ass and there was no bra in the world that was going to work under the top.

He advanced on me until I was backed up against the wall of the closet, his body just an inch from mine. I could almost feel the heat pulsing between us, like the waves that rose up from asphalt on a scorching summer day.

“You know what I think?” he asked, still holding the dress as he stared down at me.

I was scared, my heart beating like a trapped bird.

But if I was scared of Jace Kane I was more scared of myself and the torrent of lust surging through my body as his scent burrowed under my skin.

“I don’t care.” I was trying for defiant but the effect was lost when my voice cracked a little.

God help me, I was wet. Like soaking wet for fucking Jace Kane.

“I think you’re scared of these clothes like you’re scared of everything else.” I gasped as he shoved a hand between mythighs, the friction on my clit sending a spike of electricity through my core as he moved his hand back and forth over my jeans. “Maybe you’re afraid you don’t know yourself at all. Maybe you’re afraid of who you really are. Of what you really want. Isn’t that why you’ve still got your V-card after all these years?”

His words had been hypnotic, almost soothing until the last part. The last part — the part about me being a virgin (how the fuck did he know?) — was spat out like a bitter pill.

“That’s none of your business,” I said.

His flashed an evil grin. “It is now.”

There was a promise in his voice. A tempting, terrifying promise.

“What’s going on?” I couldn’t see past Jace’s ginormous body, but the question came from Wolf, standing in the door of the closet.

“Not a thing,” Jace said, removing his hand. Was it bad that I wanted it back between my thighs? That was bad, right? “Just introducing the princess here to her new wardrobe.”

He shoved the black dress at me, forcing me to take it, and stepped away.

Wolf came into view, standing in the doorway and staring at Jace.

And if I’d hoped for a reprieve from the horniness prompted by Jace’s hand between my thighs, I definitely wasn’t going to get it looking at Wolf, who was all dark hair, blue eyes, and brooding scowl. He was wearing a sleeveless black shirt that put his inked biceps on full display and jeans with just enough slouch that I could imagine sliding them off his hips, getting access to his—

Hold the phone. This wasnothow this was supposed to go.

I hadn’t brought the Beasts here to fantasize about them. I’d brought them here to figure out what had really happened the night of Blake’s murder.

What the actual fuck was wrong with me?

Wolf tipped his head at me in what was probably supposed to be a casual nod but ended up looking like something a movie bad boy would do to make the girl’s panties wet. “Hey.”

“Hey,” I said weakly.

“Help me bring in some stuff,” he said to Jace.

Judging from Wolf’s bulging muscles, I was guessing he didn’t really need the help but was trying to help me out by getting Jace away from me.

It should have made me feel better, but as Jace ambled toward Wolf, following him out of the room, relief wasn’t at all what I was feeling. Because if my only hope of dodging the angry hot whirlwind of Jace Kane was the equally tempting Wolf LaForte, I was totally and completely screwed.

Chapter 14

Wolf

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