Page 72 of Summoned
On one side, I spot… a patch of darkness, deeper than the rest.
The wolf roars, close enough to taste me. My muscles tense. The beast gathers itself, preparing to leap. Without thinking, I raise my arms to shield myself from the thorns,close my eyes, andthrow myselfinto the hedge.
The next instant, I land on something soft.
Flesh?
My eyes snap open. Gaetano’s face is inches from mine, his body underneath me, lying flat on the ground. I’m straddling him, my torso pressed to his. The heat against my waist tells me I’ve lost the red hood and am back in my sports bra. And his arms are wrapped around me.
My heart pounds between us, echoing through his chest and back into mine, growing stronger each time. A glance to the side confirms we’re in the forest near the trail. The sky is darkening, and we’re alone.
He allows me to lift myself off him slightly before his arms lock around me again. His glare pins me in place. “How did you do it?”
“What…do what?”
“How did you know where I was?”
I scowl. “I took a chance… And how the hell did we end up in this position?”
“You jumped on me and shattered the illusion. You were either going to hit the ground hard, or I had to soften the fall.”
I raise an eyebrow, full of contempt. “Oh, thanks. Now, would you mind letting go of me?”
“No.”
His fingers dig into my bare skin, and with a sharp motion, he flips me under him. My back hits the ground. He grabs my wrists and pins them over my head. Then his thighs press into mine, trapping me. “How did you figure out where I was?”
The question finally clicks. He doesn’t know that his presence—or his magic—has a scent? Could this be the advantage I’ve been seeking?
“I took a wild guess,” I say.
His grip tightens around my wrists. “I could force it out of you, Nicole.”
My breath comes in short bursts. The stones sting my back, but I’ll be damned if I answer him. “What are you going to do? Enchant me?”
“I don’t need to.”
He shifts, wedging his hips between my thighs, his hardness pushing against the thin fabric of my leggings. A wave of heat washes over me, a throbbing desire building between my legs.
His lips curl at the corners, as if he’s felt every one of my reactions. “Magic isn’t my only weapon. And you know that.”
I try to focus on his grip, on the fear that still lingers, on the danger I know hasn’t passed. This is the witcher I stabbed two nights ago—the one who terrifies me. And yet, when he shifts again and presses against my core, my pulse surges with fresh adrenaline, betraying every ounce of reason. I jerk against his hold, struggling to break free. In doing so, my chest lifts and presses againsthis. The closeness floods me with that intoxicating scent of his once more. “You’re torturing me with pleasure now, is that it?” My voice is low, trying to hide what’s rising inside me.
He leans in closer, close enough for his hair to brush my face, and whispers in my ear, “How easily you admit the effect I have on you.”
My lips part when he rubs against me again. I scowl. “You can’t be serious…”
He grazes the edge of my ear with his lips, and every part of me jolts. “How did you figure out the exit from the illusion?” he asks in time with his next slow thrust against me.
“I guessed…”
He presses into me with growing intent, as if he’s slipping inside me through the fabric. The darkened rims of his irises send a chill down my spine.
For a breathless moment, I imagine there’s no barrier between us. No clothes, no reason. Just him, bare and poised above me. I bet those same runes are etched across his body. I bet he’s as dangerous in bed as he is outside of it. Heat builds in my stomach and spread through every fiber of my being.His lips stay on my throat, teeth grazing my skin lightly.
Just when my body starts to curl with the tension, he stops. “Tell me how you found me.”
The heat in my core burns, aching, with nowhere to release. “I…I guessed…”
