Page 17 of Horned to be Wild
“You make me look… heroic,” he said, his voice raw. “Stronger than I am.”
“You are strong.” She reached out and took his hand as he carefully placed the painting down next to him. “And kind. And generous. You’ve helped me without expecting anything in return. You’ve shown me a world of beauty I never knew existed. You’re not ‘just’ anything. You’re a talented, amazing person who deserves to be recognized for his gifts. Your father and your ex were wrong. You’re so much more than they thought.”
His eyes met hers, full of wonder and hope, and then he was reaching for her, pulling her into his lap, and his mouth was on hers.
The kiss was an explosion of hunger and need. She melted into him, surrendering to the desire that had been building between them over the past few days. His mouth claimed hers, tongue delving deep to taste her, and her body responded instinctively, arching against him as she reached for his horns.
He groaned and one huge hand came up to cover her breast. She pressed herself into his touch, and when his thumb feathered across her aching nipple, she cried out. He immediately pulled back.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked, and she could see the fear in his eyes—the fear that he was too large, too rough, too much. She could see him retreating, withdrawing behind his defenses, but she refused to let that happen.
“No. It feels incredible. Don’t stop.” She took his hand and placed it back over her breast, her eyes locked on his. “Please, Torin. I want you to touch me.”
His eyes darkened, and he groaned again, low and deep in his chest, and then he was kissing her with a desperation that sent a wave of heat through her entire body. He teased and toyed with her nipple until she was gasping into his mouth, then he pulled back, panting, and stared down at her
“We shouldn’t do this.” His voice came out harsh and strained. “I’m too big. I’ll hurt you.”
“You won’t,” she said firmly, and leaned back against his arm as she pulled his head down to her breast. He nuzzled the soft flesh and then that wide mouth clamped down on her nipple, sucking it through the thin fabric of her t-shirt. His other hand slid up her thigh, teasing the seam of her shorts, and she arched her hips, silently begging for his touch. He groaned again, and then one thick finger slipped beneath the denim and rubbed the damp lace covering her clit as he tugged and licked at her nipples, moving from one breast to the other.
The sensation was incredible—intense and overwhelming and absolutely perfect. Her body quivered on the edge of climax, and then he gently bit down on a taut peak and she broke, her orgasm washing over her in waves of pleasure. He held her through it, his finger never ceasing its slow, torturous circles on her clit, and when she finally collapsed against him, he kissed her softly and withdrew his hand from her shorts.
She immediately missed the contact, but the ache between her thighs and the thick insistent length throbbing beneath her reminded her that there was so much more they could share. Her eyelids fluttered open and she found him watching her. Shecould see the satisfaction on his face but also the beginning of doubt, and her heart ached for him.
“I wanted that,” she assured him as she sat up in his lap. Despite his obvious concern, his gaze immediately went to her nipples, clearly visible through the now wet t-shirt, and she hid a smile as his cock jerked beneath her. The doubt was still there, but it no longer dominated his expression.
“I should go,” he said, his voice a rough whisper.
Disappointed, but not entirely surprised, she nodded. But then his thumb brushed her cheek in a gentle caress that made her heart stutter.
“I… I thought we could start on the siding tomorrow. If you want,” he added quickly.
“I want very much,” she said, meaning much more than help with the siding. She smiled up at him and was rewarded with a shy, almost hesitant smile in return.
He rose to his feet, carrying her with him as if she weighed no more than a feather, then set her gently on her feet. Despite his words he didn’t move for a long moment. The twilight deepened around them, fireflies beginning to blink in the gathering darkness.
“I’ll be back,” he said finally, and she felt the promise in those words.
A step forward, she thought as he picked up a sleeping Mabel and carried her into the woods. She just hoped it wouldn’t be followed by a step backwards.
CHAPTER TEN
As Lila stepped into Cool Beans, the bustling Harmony Glen coffee shop, the bells above the door announced her arrival with a cheerful jingle. After two days of cutting back the vines and bushes surrounding her cottage in preparation for the siding work, Torin had told her that he needed to spend the day delivering wood. His obvious reluctance made it clear he wasn’t retreating again, and she’d decided that maybe a day apart was a good thing.
Their developing relationship—whatever it was—had left her feeling both giddy and unsettled. He hadn’t touched her again the way he had on the porch, but the memory of it lingered between them, charging each casual touch, each quick glance. He’d kissed her—more than once—but he always pulled back before things could escalate, leaving her frustrated and aching. The knowledge that he was equally as frustrated was small consolation.
Despite that, she wouldn’t have missed any of their time together. She loved being with him, whether they were discussing artistic principles or working on the cottage or justsitting on the porch with a glass of wine. She loved cooking for him and eating with him, and she especially loved teasing him into giving her that small half-smile he seemed to reserve just for her.
She’d spent the day working in her studio, trying to channel her jumbled thoughts into something productive. But her thoughts kept returning to the feeling of his mouth on hers, the sensation of his hands on her body, and the overwhelming desire that surged through her whenever he was near. By late afternoon, she’d had enough and decided to come into town in search of a friendly face.
The warm aroma of fresh coffee enveloped her as she joined the line, mentally reviewing her to-do list. Now that they’d cleared away the vegetation they could actually start on the siding.Well, mainly Torin can start on it, she thought ruefully. She helped as much as she could but he did most of the work. Her thoughts drifted back to his big capable hands, the way his muscles flexed beneath his russet fur, the rare smile that transformed his usually guarded face.
I’m in so much trouble, she thought as she paid for her coffee. Etta had been right—she was falling for the grumpy minotaur. He occupied her thoughts in a way that no man ever had, and her body ached for him. The fact that he was a minotaur didn’t matter to her. What mattered was that he was kind, thoughtful, and talented, not to mention extremely sexy.
“Lila!”
The sound of her name brought her back to the present and she looked over to see Marigold waving at her from a corner table. She was sitting with an older, blue-haired woman with green slit-pupiled eyes behind a pair of rhinestone-studded glasses.
“Lila, this is Mrs. Grable. She’s the librarian at the elementary school. Mrs. Grable, this is Lila.”
