Page 5 of Brody
She shifted her weight, the simple motion causing her hips to sway in a way that made my mouth go desert dry, my enhanced hearing catching the subtle rhythm of her heartbeat accelerating as she spotted me.Her lips parted slightly as she prepared to speak, the pink tip of her tongue darting out to wet them, and I couldn’t help wondering how they’d feel against mine, how they’d taste after all these years, whether she’d bite down in anger or yield in forgiveness.
She walked right up to me, her jasmine-and-vanilla scent intensifying with the heat of her anger, then raised her fist like she was about to punch me in the throat.For a moment, I almost hoped she would; physical pain would be a welcome distraction from the agony of being this close to her without touching.Then she lowered it, stepping back, but not before I caught the tremor in her hand.The fury in her expression mirrored the mistake I’d made, every sleepless night I’d caused her, every tear she’d likely shed because of my cowardice.Years of pain condensed into a single condemning glare.
Her wrath was justified—hell, it was merciful compared to what I deserved.She should have shifted right there, let her cheetah tear strips from my flesh, marked me with scars that matched the ones I’d left on her heart.
My animal half whimpered, not with fear but with shame, the sound echoing through my mind like a wounded pup’s cry.Even the predator in me, the apex wolf accustomed to dominating every situation, recognized the depth of our betrayal.The wolf lowered its head in submission to her rage, acknowledging our sin.
She and I stared at each other silently, the sounds of the airport fading away until all I could hear was her breathing, slightly elevated, and the quickened rhythm of her heart that betrayed her outward composure.
My arousal twitched with desire as I took in a lungful of her jasmine-and-vanilla fragrance, heady, exotic, and sensual, now mixed with the spicy scent of her anger—cinnamon and cloves and righteous fury.The connection between us vibrated, sending waves of heat through my body that had nothing to do with the summer temperature.Each second in her presence intensified the electric current between us, making it harder to focus on anything but the primal need to claim what was mine… her.
Mine.
The beast within slammed against the mental barriers I’d fortified for all these years, mental walls crumbling like sandcastles against the tide.His howls of frustration reverberated through my skull.Claim her now, he demanded, claws raking against my insides.
She hates us, I argued back, the words tasting like ash and regret on my tongue.
Your fault.Fix it.Weneedher, he snarled, his desperation flooding my senses until I could barely think straight.The barrier between my inner animal and me thinned until we were nearly one consciousness, wolf and man merging in our shared need.
Without her, we die anyway,my wolf growled, the truth of it ricocheting through every cell in my body, a cold certainty that had been growing for months.At least fighting for her gives us purpose before the end.
I pushed him back with waning strength.My canines lengthened against my will, pricking my bottom lip.The coppery taste of my own blood filled my mouth, triggering predatory instincts that darkened my thoughts further.And God, I wanted to claim and fuck her from behind, right here against the SUV, consequences be damned.I imagined sinking my cock deep into her pussy, feeling her wet heat grip me as I pounded into her while I grabbed her hair, bringing her mouth to mine, swallowing her cries of my name, her body remembering what her mind rejected, that she was mine, would always be mine by the laws of nature that governed our kind.
Not now.Not like this.Not when she gazed at me with a quarter century of justified resentment burning in her expression.
I flinched when she erupted in laughter, her face tilted skyward.“The universe has truly fucked me once again,” she said, her laugh sharp enough to cut glass.
Pedestrians eyed her warily, diverting around us and her luggage.
“Lady, you can’t just block the sidewalk,” a man in a business suit snapped as he squeezed past.
I grabbed her elbow to move her out of the way.Big damn mistake.
“Don’t.Fucking.Touch.Me.”Each word dripped with venom as she snatched her arm away like my touch had burned her.
I retreated with my hands raised in surrender.“Apologies.I was?—”
“Go away,” she cut me off, her stare flashing with indignation.“I’ll get my own ride to Black Forest.”She grabbed her luggage and stalked away, spine rigid with hostility, each step a dagger in my gut as the distance between us increased.
I moved to block her path, my body reacting of its own accord.“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said, fighting to keep my voice steady.“You can’t leave.”
She studied me up and down, her gaze carving into me like ice picks, leaving frost in its wake.
“Why the hell not?You did.”
The truth of her words doubled me over from the inside, stealing the air from my lungs more effectively than any combat strike I’d ever taken.Each syllable found the weak points in the armor I’d constructed around my heart, sliding between the ribs of my excuses with surgical precision.My wolf whimpered, belly-up in submission to her righteous fury, acknowledging the justice in her attack.Blood roared in my ears, drowning out the airport noise, leaving nothing but her accusation echoing in the sudden silence of my mind.
And I deserved every wound and would take a thousand more if it meant standing in her presence for just one more minute.
“Didn’t Quinn tell you that you’re in danger?”I asked, forcing steel into my voice, dragging myself back to the present crisis.I scanned the parking lot, nostrils flaring as I searched for threats among the travelers.
“What happens to me is none of your damn business,” she said, getting right in my space with her finger pointing in my face.Despite being a foot shorter, she tilted her head back and somehow made me feel like I was the one being loomed over.Her petite, voluptuous five-four frame vibrated with ferocity as she glared up at my six-four height, completely unintimidated by the predator towering over her.“You gave up that right when you rejected me.”The scent of her rage was intoxicating, wild and potent and alive in ways my carefully controlled existence hadn’t been for years.
“You have every right to be livid with me for what I did, but be fucking sensible.”I inched closer, near enough to catch the subtle changes in her aroma, jasmine and vanilla but layered with the sharp tang of irritation and something else, the faint musk of arousal she couldn’t completely hide from my enhanced senses.It made my animal pace restlessly beneath my skin, claws scoring my insides.“Let me drive you to town, and after that…” My voice roughened with the effort of maintaining control.
“You’ll stay away from me.”She crossed her arms defiantly, the movement pushing her breasts together beneath her travel-rumpled top.My gaze dropped for a millisecond before I forced it back to her eyes.
Wrong.If she only knew.
