Bending Steele by Sadie Hart Page B

shaky breath and stepped away
from him, moving around a shadowy pine tree. She needed space.
Time.
    A chance to figure out why the hell she’d
kissed him.
    That was the true stumper. Except she knew
the answer. After months of trying to get her to let him in, of
trying to befriend her, after four days of sharing his home with
her…he was finally beginning to win. She was beginning to care.
Steele closed her eyes briefly against the knowledge. This was a
dangerous slope, one that could so easily lead to hurt.
    “Steele?”
    “I’m fine.”
    She curled the familiar hardness around her
like a blanket and huddled into the wind-tossed snow, just
breathing. Trying to get a hold of herself again. She had a poacher
to catch and analyzing whatever she might have felt for Hexe when
he’d been all comforting and shit, that just wasn’t on the
menu.
    Steele scented the air, but the wind wasn’t
in her favor. The temperature had dropped too, ice prickling her
nose as she inhaled too much, trying to force it. Damn. “I’m going
to check the trail.”
    Hexe caught her by her arm and held fast. She
turned her head back only to find him stepping closer, his eyes
fierce. He caught her under her chin and tilted her head back.
Steele stiffened. “Now’s not a good time.”
    His lips flexed in a small smile. “It
probably never will be.”
    Hexe dropped his head a notch and Steele
thought about fighting him, but she didn’t want to. It had nothing
to do with winning, or strength, or being a coward if she ran. It
had everything to do with the fact that Hexe understood her. Had
probably for months, but right now, she wanted to taste his kiss
even if it was just once. She couldn’t let herself love him, but
one kiss…she could give herself that.
    Steele leaned forward, stretching up on the
balls of her feet. Her chest tightened, unsure, but the slow smile
that finished curving Hexe’s lips staved off the fear. His lips
brushed hers in a gentle touch, fleeting. As soft as a snowflake
gracing her mouth, over and over again, before Hexe pulled her
tighter. He released her chin, only to slide one hand behind her
neck and hold her to him.
    Probably to keep her from running.
    He didn’t have to worry. On a shudder, Steele
reached for him, her hands fisting in the thick padding of his
parka. She dragged him flat against her, opened her mouth and
swallowed him down. If she were only going to have one kiss, than
damn it, she was going to kiss him with everything she had.
    She’d know the taste of him, so when she
walked away, she’d know exactly what she was leaving behind.
    Except, Hexe wasn’t going to be that easy to
forget. His kiss was ravenous, devouring, like a starved man
finally getting what he’d wanted all along. His hands tightened
around her, unyielding. The pressure of his mouth drew a soft groan
from her, his lips and tongue demanding, dominant.
    There was nothing about him that would be
denied and for the first time, Steele didn’t want to hold back. She
crushed herself against him, her tongue running along the length of
his. A groan rose in his throat, a feral, desperate sound. Hexe
stepped into her, hard, and Steele stumbled back, slipping in the
snow.
    He caught her before she hit the ground, but
it was enough to break the kiss. He towered over her, breath
ragged. Hanging above the ground, held by nothing but his hands, it
made her feel vulnerable. Weak. Steele started to struggle and
Hexe’s hands turned hard, holding her tighter. The erotic tinge to
his gaze darkened with hunger.
    She remembered the rigid length of his
erection pressed against her after their fight and swallowed. Hexe
was a warrior. A fighter. Strength seemed to call to him, and a
good fight no doubt turned him on. Steele went still. “I think we
should get back to the hunt.”
    Silence stretched between them as he stared
at her, his cat eyes unblinking. The flames in his gaze not at all
banked by her words. Then, slowly, Hexe hauled her up to her