Page 38 of Lone Wolf in Lights
As he moved to pour her a glass, Willow let her gaze travel over the interior of his home. It was sparsely decorated, with hints of Eli’s life—an old bronc riding trophy perched on a shelf and photographs of Eli bull riding. Yet, there was a tenderness here, a vulnerability in the way he cared for this space, and that he’d built it all with his own hands—that made her heart swell.
“Here you go,” Eli said, handing her a glass with a single cube of ice clinking softly against the sides.
“Perfect, thank you.” She took a sip, the whiskey warming her from the inside out, spreading a slow, delicious burn through her veins.
While Eli fixed them a fire in the fireplace, Willow moved to his worn-in couch and nestled deeper into the soft cushions as she savored the whiskey’s lingering heat. The dim lighting of the room cast a golden hue on their surroundings, and with every breath, she inhaled the faint scent of leather and pine that seemed to emanate from the very walls of his home. Andhim.
When the fire caught, Eli sank down beside her, an easy silence stretching between them before he turned to her with a gentle curiosity in his eyes. “You talk about your family a lot,” he observed. “They mean a lot to you?”
“More than anything,” Willow admitted. “When I told my parents I was moving to Timber Falls, my mom thought I’d lost my mind—like I was having some kind of breakdown.” She laughed softly at the memory. “But then they saw how much I needed the change. They know how important it is for me to stand on my own, especially after...everything.”
Eli inclined his head in understanding.
“But I think it’s more of the story behind how we found Timber Falls and the pact and everything that they had trouble following,” she said.
“What was the pact that you made again?” he asked, before taking a sip of his whiskey.
“Right after college, Charly, Aubrey and I came to Timber Falls on a girls’ trip to celebrate graduating. We made this silly pact that if any of us weren’t happy with where we were in life by the time we hit twenty-eight, we’d pack up and move here.”
“Sounds like destiny to me,” he commented, but there was something powerful in his statement.
“Maybe it was,” she mused. “Maybe it was even the legend. It brought us here, and then it saved me.” He stared at her intently, and she liked the way he watched her, always so focused. The familiar heat rose between them, like it always did. Unyielding and overwhelming. She leaned forward slightly getting closer to his warmth as she shared her truth. “I think there’s something magical about this place. It drew me here...for a reason...like I needed to be here.”
He stared deeply into her eyes, as if suddenly everything made sense to him, a clear awareness on his face. “Maybe it brought you to me too...tothismoment...”
She couldn’t help it. Her gaze fell to his lips, and with just them there, nothing stopping them from embracing the heat sizzling between them, it didn’t seem like it was a question anymore.
She wanted those lips on hers.
She wanted themeverywhere.
And she could no longer find a reason to not let that happen.
Their eyes locked, their breaths mingling, and in that moment, she knew. There was no shoving him away this time. His eyes, usually so guarded, now burned with a hunger that mirrored her own.
The air between them crackled, charged with an electricity that Willow could almost reach out and touch. She felt the warmth radiating from Eli’s body against her side, igniting a flame within her that she thought had been long extinguished. Her breath hitched in her throat as she realized how close they were—so near she could count every shade of green in his eyes.
With a shaky exhale, she leaned in, closing the space between them, and her reward was immediate. Eli’s arm enveloped her, their bodies pressed impossibly close as their lips met in a fiery kiss. Heat exploded through her veins as his mouth moved against hers, each caress, each nibble, igniting a fire she only wanted to burn hotter. His hands roamed her back, leaving a trail of shivers in their wake, and she instinctively arched into him, craving more of him.
He plucked her glass from her hand and set it next to his on the table, as Willow’s hands found their way into his hair as she pulled him closer, her need growing with each passing second.
His kisses trailed down her jawline, his stubble leaving a delicious trail of goose bumps on her sensitive skin. “Eli,” she breathed, hearing the desire in her voice.
“Shh,” he whispered against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. “I’ll take care of you,” he murmured, trailing his lips along her collarbone.
She couldn’t get enough as his hands moved to her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt his hard cock against her sex, her core throbbing in response.
“Eli,” she breathed again.
He deepened the kiss, his tongue delving into her mouth, exploring every corner, teasing and tasting.
She whimpered, tangling her fingers in his hair, holding him close. He grunted, and in one fluid motion, he rose, laying her out on the couch before him, his hips grinding against her core. “You have no idea how much I’ve wanted this,” he growled, his voice raw with need. His hand slid up her thigh, lifting her leg to wrap around his, pressing himself even closer.
The contact sent shivers down her spine, and she ground against him. “I want this,” she told him. “I want you.”
With a groan, Eli’s lips skated down her jawline, kissing a trail of fire along her neck, each touch causing her to rub herself harder against his hardened length. Her breath caught as Eli’s hands now moved with tender precision to lift her sweater, pulling it over her head. Then he reached back and started on her bra. Each flick sent another blast of heat overwhelming her, until the fabric peeled away.
His gaze never wavered from hers, hungry eyes blazing a trail of silent promises, and in their depths, Willow saw not just desire but safety.
