Page 24 of Wild Wolf
Jordan paced, the sheer fabric flowing behind her. Tonight she was expected to consummate their union. Yet the unspoken question hung between herself and Nolan like acurtain.
Can you forgive me for what I said toyou?
The bedroom door opened. She whirled, watched Nolan walk inside, his dinner jacket slung over one shoulder, hooked on an indexfinger.
He joined her on the deck and tugged off his black silktie.
In the darkness, her wolf senses perked up. Eyesight saw his gaze rove over her body, the satin clinging to her skin, her nipples hard in the coolair.
Wolf hearing picked up the increased beat of his heart, the vein throbbing in his neck and the desire tightening hismuscles.
“You look beautiful,” he said quietly. “It’s chilly outside. I’ll light us afire.”
Jordan followed him back into the bedroom and shut the door behind her. She leaned against it as Nolan tossed his jacket onto the chair and then rolled up his shirt sleeves. He squatted down by the hearth. His shirt stretched across his broad back, muscles playing beneath thefabric.
She retrieved the jacket, hung it in the walk-in closet and returned to the chair, sitting on it as he poked at the now flickeringfire.
“We should talk,” she toldhim.
He turned, a question in hiseyes.
Jordan clasped her hands, unsure where to begin. She opened her hands, squeezed them tightagain.
“About the note… what I said… how I left.” Words fled her. She didn’t want to begin their mated life with this hanging over them like a darkcloud.
Nolan simply stood by the fire, his arms folded, his expressioninscrutable.
He wasn’t making this easy. Then again, did she deserveeasy?
Taking a deep breath, she plunged ahead. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I never meant to hurt you. I only said those things to make sure you didn’t follow me. I didn’t want you stopping me and the best way, hard as it was, was to get you to hate me so you’d forget aboutme.”
He strode to the oak dresser and pulled open the top drawer. Nolan withdrew a sheet of notebookpaper.
Her heart sank as he unfolded it and began to readaloud.
Nolan, it’s over between us. Not that we ever really began. The sex was ok, but you’re not worth sticking around for because you’ll always do exactly as daddy says instead of standing on your own two feet. Yeah, I used you, I’ll admit it, because I wanted to brag that I laid the alpha’s son. I’m leaving now and never returning. Your family is controlling and tight-fisted and your father is an arrogant, selfish prick anyway.Jordan.
Oh, that was cringe-worthy. Jordan flinched, wishing she’d never penned the note. Wishing she’d simply run away that night, and did her best to erase her tracks. But she’d been terrified that Nolan, with his superior tracking and hunting skills, would find her, bring her back and then she’d have to face what happened thatnight.
Twisting her hands in her lap, she gave a helpless shrug. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t want to hurt you. I only wanted to keep you from findingme.”
Damn, this was not the time to get into this kind of discussion. But better now than tomorrow. She couldn’t sleep with him again with this hovering overthem.
Nolan gazed at her. “Why did you write it, Jordan? Why did you run off? Did you hate me thatmuch?”
“No. That’s not true.” She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. “I only wanted to be free. Maybe someday, I’ll tell you. For now, I want you to know everything in that letter was a lie. I only wrote it to distance myself fromyou.”
“Isee.”
“I wish… we could start over. I wish I had never writtenit.”
He folded it in half, and then into thirds. Nolan crossed theroom.
Stunned, she watched him crush the letter with his fist and then toss it into the fire. Flames ate the paper as shadows danced over Nolan’s face. She went to him, staring up at him as heturned.
His expression turned gentle. “The past is over now, Jordan. From this moment on, we start fresh.Deal?”
“Deal.” Relief poured through her, made her limbs shaky. “Let’s shake on it like we did when we werekids.”
