Page 39 of Don't Bait Me (Nora Jacobs 3)

“I’m in control,” he promises, but his voice is gruff. His wolf is very close to the surface. “I don’t like seeing you upset.”

I don’t have the energy to fight him. Or the desire, if I’m being honest. I tuck my head under his chin and snuggle against his chest. His grip around me tightens, and his wolf growls another low, rumbly purr. “I’m not upset,” I promise, stroking his forearm. “I’m just, I don’t know, processing, I guess.”

Rook’s lips brush the top of my head. “I don’t like it. That asshole bound himself to you without your consent and expects to become your lover. One of yourmanylovers, apparently.”

This time when Rook growls, it’s not in content. He’s angry. Very angry. That’s why his wolf is close. He’s controlling himself, but he’s hanging by a thin thread. I wish I could do or say something to make him feel better, but I just don’t have any answers. “I’m sorry,” I murmur. “I don’t know what to say.”

Rook lifts my chin up, and that’s all the warning I get before he smashes his lips on mine. I’m startled by the zealous kiss and don’t have a chance to respond to it before he pulls back. “I need you, Nora,” he says in a voice so fervent it raises goose bumps on my arms. “My wolf, he—we—need you.”

He lowers his mouth to mine again, and this time I’m ready for him. Our lips connect, and we ignite. His kiss is fire. It’s rough and needy. His tongue demands entrance into my mouth, and for once I open up to him without hesitation. It’s the most passionate kiss I’ve ever had.

After a few moments, Rook’s hand digs into my hair, and he gently pulls my head back. He slides my scarf free from my neck, and his lips immediately start burning trails over my throat.“Rook,”I breathe, unfamiliar with the sensations I’m feeling.

His mouth finds my ear, and he gently nips at it. I gasp again. His chest rumbles in response, and he nuzzles my neck, breathing in my scent. “You smell like heaven.”

His breath blankets my neck, and his lips brush a sensitive spot just behind my ear that makes me shudder violently. I’m completely at his mercy. I can’t do anything but feel.

He unzips my coat and slides his hand inside, gliding it over my stomach. His touch burns through my sweater. He grips my side, splaying his fingers over my ribs. I stiffen when his hand moves up and grazes the side of my breast.

When I tense up, Rook freezes. He pulls his head back to read my face. “Have you never been touched by a man?”

His directness makes me blush, but Rook isn’t trying to embarrass me. His question is full of concern. I swallow hard and shake my head. “Not by anyone who had my permission.”

The glow of the wolf in his eyes dims, and his face softens. His gaze is full of sadness for me, but somehow it’s not pity. I’m grateful for that. “May I?” is all he says.

My heart skips, but it’s not out of fear. Well, not only fear. As scared as I am right now, I want this. I want to experience this in a positive situation. I want to know what it’s like to welcome touch and not fear it. Unable to speak, I nod once.

He doesn’t move right away. He watches me carefully, as if gauging whether I mean it or not. Eventually, he brings his hand to my face. He cups my cheek and places a soft kiss on my lips. Slowly, while he continues to peck loving kisses on my face, he lowers his fingers down my throat. His touch is so light it feels like a feather gliding over my skin. My eyes fall shut, and my muscles start to relax. His fingers move to the hem of my shirt, the tips grazing the bare skin of my stomach. “If you want me to stop,” he murmurs against my temple, “all you have to do is say so.”

I believe him. He’s in complete control of himself right now. His thoughts are wholly unselfish. His focus is solely on me.She deserves this—to know pleasure from physical touch. She deserves to be loved, worshipped.

When he finally slips his hand fully beneath my shirt, touching me in a way I’ve never welcomed until this very moment, I suck in a sharp breath and arch my back. A new kind of pleasure surges through me.

“Are you okay?” Rook asks.

“Yes.” I gasp.

I’m more than okay. My desire is startling. Never have I felt anything like this. My reaction to his touch brings his wolf back to the surface, and he claims my lips again in another heated kiss. His mouth devours mine, and he continues to explore my chest, introducing me to a new level of intimacy.

After a few minutes, Rook tears himself away from me, breathing heavily. “I’d better stop,” he says gruffly.

I still can’t speak. I’m in awe of what just happened. I’ve never been able to be that intimate with anyone. It’s a freeing feeling, full of hope for the future.

Recognizing that I’m completely overwhelmed, Rook settles his arms around me again and simply holds me. We sit in silence while I try to make sense of my emotions. I’m on the verge of tears, and I don’t know why. Good tears, I think. A sniffle escapes me, and Rook pulls my head from beneath his chin to look down at me. “You okay?” he asks.

I nod.

“You sure?”

I swallow and nod again.

He lets out a long breath and rubs a single tear from my cheek. “Let’s go do something,” he says.

The change of subject is just what I need to pull myself together. “I need to go to the FUA office.”

Rook glances at the clock on the dash and squeezes me tighter. “You don’t have to go right this minute. Oliver and Nick won’t be in until four, and Terrance doesn’t want you working on the case without Parker anyway. We have a few hours to kill. Let’s go do something to take your mind off everything. Just for a little while. We can worry about everything else this evening.”

His offer is too tempting to resist. Taking one last, deep breath, I pull myself back over to my own seat. As I try to focus my thoughts, I look around the cab of the truck and a laugh escapes me. “We fogged up the windows.”

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