Page 55 of Claimed By the Wolf
“No! Emeric and I would kill each other if we were together. No. My best friend. But she left Willow Grove territory, and he never really got over it.”
Suddenly, Emeric makes a lot more sense to me, and I can see Brynn understands him, too.
“Poor guy,” she murmurs. “I wonder where she is?”
Alessa’s grin remains. “Only fate knows the answer to that question,” she sings, spinning away, her long, black hair fanning behind her. “It’s been fun. See you around!”
She’s gone as quickly as she arrived, leaving us the opportunity to do the same.
I climb into the driver’s seat and back out, taking Brynn’s hand.
“Are you going to take me home now, Nox?” she asks hopefully.
“Yes, my love,” I promise her. “And I’m never letting you go again.”
CHAPTER 16
BRYNN
The ride back to Nox’s estate is a blur, curled in the passenger seat next to my mate. I can’t keep my hands off him, my fingers exploring the bare skin of his arm, trailing over the fine hairs, and relishing the pores of his flesh.
“Do you think we’ll be okay?” I ask him worriedly, twisting my body toward him.
His eyes dart toward me every couple of seconds, and I can see he’s having a difficult time focusing on the road. His eyes trail toward the rearview to ensure Brax is following us safely off Emeric’s ranch.
My gaze strays back to look, and I see my brother’s dark SUV in tow, but when we reach a fork in the road, Nox veers to the right.
“We’re going to be fine,” he responds to my question.
I catch my brother’s baffled look as he passes us on the left, but Nox continues through the countryside, down the dirt path, and through a thick of cypress trees.
“What are you doing?” But I already know.
He won’t last until we get home, not with my hands all over him and this pulsating pressure building for weeks, not when the bond between us has been tried and tested beyond breaking.
He pulls off to the side of the road and barely parks before I grab for him, cupping his face between my palms eagerly.
“Is it really over?” I breathe. “Can we be together?”
His answer is to kiss me, deeply and with so much passion, it knocks the wind out of me. This kiss is better than the first one, because it’s guilt-free and real. Every ounce of yearning and desire I’ve had mounting inside me spills into the locking of our lips. Our mouths part, his seatbelt unbuckling, so Nox can press his weight against me. A familiar heat surges through me, consuming me from head to toe.
“I’ve been dying without you,” he murmurs against my lips, his breath warm on my skin. “Every single day has been torture.”
“I know,” I whisper back, my hands already reaching for him, desperate to feel his skin against mine. “I felt it too. Like I was missing half of myself.”
Heady with need, I allow him to maneuver the seats back, creating more space between us. My shirt peels away slowly, his hands reverent as they trace every inch of newly exposed skin. The fabric lands somewhere on the passenger side floor, forgotten. He releases me long enough to guide me carefully along the lowered front seats and into the back, his movements deliberate and tender as he lays me down on my back.
His eyes drink me in as if seeing me for the first time, and I feel beautiful under his gaze. Slowly, he strips away the rest of my clothing until I’m entirely naked beneath him. My eyes bore into his longingly, our gazes clashing and electrified.
“I love you,” he rasps, his voice thick with emotion. “I didn’t tell you that after that first time you said it to me. But I need you to know I’ve loved you this entire time, probably even before the bond snapped into place.”
My heart swells, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. “I love you, too, Nox. And I think I’ve loved you my entire life.” Ireach up for him again, to crush his lips back toward me, my naked legs wrapping around his clothed waist.
The hard length of him presses against my core through his pants, and I arch upward instinctively, seeking more contact. His kisses trail lower, leaving a blazing path along my neck and shoulders, each touch sending goosebumps over my entire body.
“I want to taste you,” I plead breathlessly, my hands already working at his shirt.
He raises his head to meet my eyes again, his pupils blown wide with desire. Without a word, he sits back on his heels, and I scramble up toward him, my hands shaking slightly as they explore the planes of his chest. I press soft kisses along his chin and neck, inhaling his spicy, masculine scent that makes my head spin with want.
