Page 76 of Lifebound

Nowhewas the one who leaned closer, and my heart was on her face again.

“Don’t test me, Wildcat.” This he said in a low whisper that had all the hairs on the back of my neck standing at attention. “I’m running all out of patience.”

“Funny because you were smiling just now,” I muttered, and I’d lie if I said I wasn’t afraid.

Not because of what he would do to me, mind you. But because of what I would do to him if he kept coming closer and my brain insisted that he would not mind at all if I kissed him.

Like I said—just to get him out of my system, that’s all.

“I’m not smiling anymore, am I?” the asshole said.

I swallowed hard and licked my dry lips, though I had a tube of gloss with me that I’d been putting on when I had the chance. His eyes immediately fell on my tongue and I thought,maybe he really wouldn’t mind…

“What happened tothey’ll have to go through meand all that?” I muttered because,bad, bad Nilah. Don’t you dare kiss him!

But now my eyes were traitors, too, because I couldn’t tear them away from his lips. They were so close. I could taste them if I only rose on my tiptoes.

“Still true. Nobody else can hurt you, butme?” He leaned his head to the side, and his fingertips were under my chin. He raised my head to make me look at him—of course, because I was looking at hislips.

His eyes had become so dark—or maybe it was because the closest light to us was possibly fifteen feet away by the nearest building. Fuck, it was suddenly so hot here, though the lower the sun went behind the horizon, the colder the wind became.

“I will do whatever I have to do to get you to the Seelie Court sooner,” he finished, and his breath was warm as it blew against my parted lips and slipped inside my mouth almost sneakily.

“Rune?” I whispered. I wasthisclose to asking him to kiss me or slamming my lips to his.

And he wasn’t making it any easier. He was still standing there with those bloodshot eyes on me, holding up my head, looking at my lips, as if the same thoughts were going throughhishead, too. As if he was just barely holding himself back.

Thankfully, one of the horses neighed, and the sound reminded me of more important things than kissing Rune (not many made that cut, to be honest).

But stuff likemy lifedid.

“Hmm?” he said, and for a moment, I tried to imagine what he’d sound like when he moaned.

Something told me I would like it very,verymuch.

“I am not getting on that horse.”

He stopped.

He leaned back and took his hand away from my chin.

Regret made a hole the size of a mountain in my chest—why in the hell did I just say that?!

“You’re going to make me lose my mind,” he said, and he said itcalmly,so excuse me for not believing him.

I shrugged. “If that’s what it takes…”

“Wildcat, we’re wasting time here,” he said through gritted teeth, and now I was tempted to believe he was pissed for real—but at the same time, I was starting to kind of like that nickname.

Just an observation.

“So, let’s find a place to sleep. It’s dark outside anyway.”

“There are no safe places in this part of town.”

I grabbed my hips. “Well, I’m tired. My legs hurt.” Which didn’t surprise him since we’d been walking all day.

“That’s why we need to ride horses.”

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