But then he kissed me. Only this wasn’t a sweet,
chaste kiss like the one we’d had in the snow. This was a hungry, possessive
kiss. I surrendered to the passion, my desire for him consuming me. My fingers
slid back into his long, silky hair, clutching fistfuls and enjoying the growl
rumbling his chest. He got up from his stool without breaking the kiss and
lifted me into his arms as though I weighed nothing.
My teeth grazed his lower lip as he carried me
down the hall toward the master bedroom. Holding me with one arm, he closed the
door and then lowered me until my feet touched the ground. I slid my hands
under his shirt, lifting it over his head, and he did the same to mine before
claiming my lips again. The heat from his body warmed me all over as he held me
tight against him, and I suddenly needed to get rid of my bra, my pants— Hell,
everything had to go. I didn’t want anything coming between us. Ever.
“Need you naked,” I gasped into the kiss, my
voice so breathless I almost didn’t recognize it.
Dear god, I’d never seen such a sexy smile on
Asher’s face before. Wolfish. Damn, if he ever discovered the power of that
grin, I was in trouble.
“You first.” His voice was deep, raw, and even
sexier than his smile, if that was possible. He had my bra unhooked and off in
record time. His fingers worked on my jeans as he kissed me again. My hardened
nipples brushed his chest and I moaned, heat curling low in my belly. I ran my hands
down his chiseled abs and unbuttoned his pants. I slid his boxers and jeans
down over his perfect ass. He caught the front before his erection got in the
way, and his pants fell to the floor.
I wriggled out of my own, and suddenly,
insecurity swamped me. I hadn’t been naked with a man of my own choosing since
before I was bitten, and with no one at all since I gave birth to twins in that
storage facility. The last time I’d had a boyfriend, I didn’t have stretch
marks right below my belly button, my boobs were probably perkier, and although
I was still fit, my bikini body was long gone.
Asher’s gaze wandered over me, and I fought the
urge to cover myself. His head cocked slightly. “What’s wrong?”
I walked my fingers up his tan, rock-hard abs
and finally met his eyes. “Truth?”
“Always.” His large hand slid up my back as he
drew me closer to him. His touch was reassuring, and while his erection pulsed
between us, his gaze remained patient. The desire was there, but he clearly
wasn’t going to rush me.
And I loved him for that.
Wait, I what?
He frowned. “We can slow this down. I’m not
going anywhere.”
I shook my head, pushing the shock of my
revelation away. “No, I want this.” I chuckled, rolling my eyes. “It’s just…I
wish I was as hot as you are.”
“You’re shitting me.” His smile made my heart
skip. “You are so beautiful, Naomi.” For a moment, he seemed to be
searching for words, then finally chuckled. “I have never in my life wanted a
woman more than I want you right now. I…” He shook his head. “Sorry, it’s tough
to get the blood back up to my brain.” His admission made me laugh, and his
brow rose. “I’m not kidding. I wouldn’t change a single thing about you.”
Read an Excerpt from Sedona Seduction:
The scent of Vance’s blood hit
my nostrils, alerting my wolf that her mate was injured before he entered the
house behind Asher.
“Where are Naomi and the boys?”
Asher asked.
“Locked in the safe room.” I
moved past him, frowning at the dark-red stain on Vance’s shirt. “What
happened?”
Vance peered down at his chest
and shook his head. “It’s nothing. Are you all right?”
“Yeah.” As he got closer, it
was impossible to miss the hole in his shirt. And unlike the scratch he’d
gotten in my parking lot the other night, this bullet hit its target. “This
isn’t nothing. You got shot again.”
I wrapped my arm around his
waist and walked him down the hallway toward the guest bathroom.
“Keep Vance in there,” Asher
said. “The police are almost here. I don’t want to have to explain a gunshot
wound.”
I would never get used to this
part of my life.
“What about the others?” I
asked Asher as Vance went into the bathroom.
“We’ll have to wing it.” Red
lights flashed on the walls through the large picture window. “We’ve got
company.”
I followed Vance inside and
closed the door, engaging the lock. He already had his shirt off when I turned
around, treating me to the sight of his well-muscled torso, but the blood
dripping down from a new hole in his shoulder lowered the sexy factor
substantially. Flashbacks of my ex-boyfriend’s mangled body on the floor
filled my head. Chet had died because of me. I couldn’t let Vance do the same
thing.
My hands trembled as I opened
the cabinet under the sink and took out the first aid kit. “Sit on the toilet
and I’ll see if I can clean up the wound.”
Anything to stop thinking about
what might have been tonight. He could have died more than once. My mate had a
death wish.
My mate.
Focus.
Cole had filled all of the pack
first aid kits with enough supplies and equipment to complete minor surgeries
if necessary. He hadn’t trained all of us on how to perform them, though. I was
a master at treating burns in the kitchen, but gunshot wounds? Not so
much.
“What happened?” I kept my
voice low as I took out the gauze pads and hydrogen peroxide.
“I found Duane, but he had
backup.” Vance caught my hand. “Look at me. Please?”
The second my eyes met his, the
reality that I could have lost him forever hit me like a ton of bricks. My
vision wavered as I shook my head. “If you had died—”
“But I didn’t.” He cupped my
cheek, his thumb stroking my skin, warming my blood. “I’ve always been tough to
kill, but I’m bulletproof right now.”
I rolled my eyes. “How do you
figure that?”
“Because I never had a reason
to live before.” He searched my eyes. “I want to be around long enough to earn
your forgiveness. I’ll admit, tonight I almost lost myself in the killing, but
you pulled me back from the dark. Don’t give up on me, kitten.”
This sounds like a great series. Nice covers!
ReplyDeleteGood books for summer reading.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the contest.