Page 68 of The Tracker's Secret
I nodded. “I’m sorry. That was a cheap shot.”
“I wish you would’ve trusted me.”
I huffed. “Like you did?”
“Fair enough.” He heaved a heavy sigh. “Are you sure you’re all right? The side effects are all gone? There’s no chance it could become permanent?”
I shuddered at that. I would be lying if I said I didn’t worry about it. My nonna, who trained me, had reassured me there was no risk of that happening, so I chose to trust her. Our tracking abilities worked differently—she experienced nothing more than fatigue after using her skills—but in her experience and knowledge of other trackers, she believed that using my skills would not permanently diminish my senses.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, feeling and sounding certain thanks to Nonna.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me,” Jake said, placing a hand on my shoulder and steering me gently until I was facing him.
After a moment, his gaze fell to my mouth. My body responded with a shiver. Involuntarily, I licked my lips, and that was all it took.
“Fuck it!” He leaned in and kissed me, his strong hands falling to my waist and hoisting me upward until I lay in the middle of the bed.
One of his hands slid up my side while I planted both of mine on his hard chest and returned his kiss. He pulled back from our desperate kissing, and we stared into each other’s eyes. His pupils were wide with want. His other hand sneaked under my tank top, moving tentatively, almost unwillingly, as if he were having second thoughts already.
He wet his lips and inclined his head so slowly that it made me ache right in my core. I closed my eyes, anticipating the warm pressure of his mouth on mine. He teased me, the tiniest brush of his lower lip on mine. I reared up and caught his lip between my teeth.
With a groan of pleasure, he settled his weight on me, fitting perfectly between my legs. A thrill ran up my belly as his hardness came to rest on me. He slid a hand under my leg and pulled it up for a better fit. A wave of pleasure rolled through my body. I threw my head back, ready for so much more.
Jake’s mouth found my neck. His tongue darted out, licking, sending electricity into every corner of my being. In one motion, he pushed up and removed his shirt. His fine, smooth muscles rippled. My legs trembled with desire. I reached a hand up to caress him, but he snatched it, pulled me to a sitting position, and slowly, enjoying every second of it, removed my tank top. My skin quivered with chills.
Hungry, silver eyes examined my chest. My breath caught as my body responded to his expression of wild hunger. He bit his lower lip, pressed a hand to my shoulder, and pushed me back down. My head hit the pillow. Jake lowered himself on top of me, his erection pressing firmly to my middle. A moan escaped me as he rocked his hips.
Without breaking eye contact, he let his fingers travel up my naked stomach to the edge of my bra. He pushed one strap out of the way and kissed my collarbone. I wrapped my hands around his neck, digging in my nails.
He hissed in pain and pulled back, surprised.
Oh, no! Not my nails. My claws!
I clenched my fists tightly, hiding the evidence, and pushed against Jake’s chest. He rolled off of me, and I jumped out of the bed, snatching my discarded shirt, and dug my claws into the palms of my hand. The pain sobered me. I rushed into the tiny bathroom and slammed the door shut. Frantically, I ran my hands under cold water and revealed the half-moon wounds I’d made. I pumped soap into them and hissed at the sting that followed, but that bit of extra pain made the claws retreat.
A stream of blood washed down the sink. I watched in awe as the wounds closed, leaving smooth skin behind without a trace of what I’d done.
Holy witchlights!That was a new one.
I splashed cold water onto my hot face. It hardly felt like enough. I needed an ice bath to put out the heat and desire that was coursing through my body. I wanted to stay locked in the bathroom, but I gathered my courage, slipped on my tank top, and walked back out.
Jake was sitting at the edge of the bed, his head buried in his hands. His shirt was also back on, which sent a pang of regret into my heart.
God, I wanted him so badly, but I didn’t have the answers I needed to understand the werewolf world.
“I... I’m sorry,” I said. “It suddenly occurred to me that maybe having sex wasn’t such a good idea—even if my entire body disagrees with my brain.”
He glanced up, straightening. He ran a hand behind his neck, then looked at his fingers, rubbing his thumb over his index finger, peering at the tiny bit of blood I’d drawn. He stood and walked to me, his eyes intense, his desire still simmering.
Crap, if he kissed me again, I didn’t think I would have the strength to stop him, and he would find out the truth.
“Um, we shouldn’t... you know... it’s a bad idea.” I wrung the front of my tank top, twisting it like an old rag.
Part of me, like 99.99% of it, wished he would argue and say “to hell with it,” but he didn’t. He just watched me closely for a long moment, then nodded in agreement.
“I don’t mean to complicate things or make things harder for you... and me. It’s just,” he paused and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear, “I lose my head whenever I’m around you.”
“Ditto.” I smiled sheepishly.
