held her gaze for another long second, then shifted his attention to her lips. Her heart hammered at the intensity of his scrutiny, and she felt an unexpected twinge of desire.
In one swift motion, he scooped her up and settled her on his lap so she faced him. Heat steamed her cheeks with embarrassment, and she palmed his chest to keep distance between them.
How’d he move that fast? And he lifted her as if she weighed less than a rag doll.
“Let me show you.” He tugged down the neckline of his dark T-shirt and revealed a tattoo. One exactly like hers. As in same size, same…everything.
She was pretty sure he hadn’t had that when she first saw him in the diner. No, it didn’t just appear. Did it?
The corner of his mouth curved upward. “Be calm, love.”
She huffed.
“My Mark etched into my skin when we made contact.” Finally, his curving lips formed a brilliant, full smile. It filled his face, lit his eyes, and she realized his spiced cinnamon scent overwhelmed her. It beelined for her stomach, too. In the most pleasurable way.
She shifted back. Distance. She needed distance. Straddling him so intimately wasn’t right. Yet it was, and she felt it all the way to her core.
No! This was not happening. What she felt was because of what had just happened. He couldn’t just barge into her life and boss her around.
“Sadie,” he said.
Her name sounded absolutely perfect coming from his full lips, which shone as if he’d just licked them. Smooth, tawny skin reflected the moon above. He damn near glowed. She shook her head free of the thoughts.
“Do you remember?”
As if the question triggered it, the memory of when she’d touched him at the campus security offices came storming into her mind. He’d grimaced while holding her, but not until she wove her arm around his neck. Their skin touched. She remembered the silky warmth of it, and the ends of his hair tickling her forearm.
“I see you do.”
She slid a lazy gaze over his firm jaw, along the curve of his neck, where she saw the beat of his pulse through his thin skin, to the tattoo.
“It’s our Ahavah brand,” he said, tightening his hold on her.
She resisted, though. Despite how much her body wanted to settle against his. “A what?”
“A-ha-vah.”
“I ask what again.” She tried for sarcasm, but it sounded pretty pathetic.
He eased forward until only inches separated their faces. She told herself to lean back, but her traitorous body disobeyed. Despite the lack of light, she made out his hazel eyes.
The orange swirled around both of his irises now. Like streams of fire. Intriguing. Intoxicating. Addicting.
His hand found the nape of her neck, while the other slowly slid around her waist, urging her forward. Logic and arousal warred within her mind.
Total stranger.
Honorable.
Not human.
Strong.
Scared.
Trustworthy.
He captured her gaze once again. A swirl of cinnamon wrapped around her senses, and she took a deep breath, drinking it in.
His breath was warm against her lips. What would he taste like? At that moment, nothing else on earth mattered. She had to know.
She closed her eyes and leaned forward.
“Hey, guys!” Justin yelled from behind Theo.
His body tensed beneath her hands, and her eyes shot open. He’d stopped less than an inch from her mouth.
What was she doing? She shouldn’t be here, wanting to kiss this…this… creature the way she did. It was absurd. Insane.
But God, she wanted it.
“Damn it, Justin,” he said, barely louder than a whisper.
His eyes closed, and he shook his head. His grip around her tightened even more, but it wasn’t in passion. More frustration. Anger maybe?
“Am I interrupting something?” Justin slapped Theo’s shoulder.
What was she thinking? She cleared her throat, willing away the hold lust had on her brain—and her body. “Take me home. Now.”
“I’m sorry, Sadie, you can’t go back there.” Theo released his grip, but not before she saw a flash of hurt
In one swift motion, he scooped her up and settled her on his lap so she faced him. Heat steamed her cheeks with embarrassment, and she palmed his chest to keep distance between them.
How’d he move that fast? And he lifted her as if she weighed less than a rag doll.
“Let me show you.” He tugged down the neckline of his dark T-shirt and revealed a tattoo. One exactly like hers. As in same size, same…everything.
She was pretty sure he hadn’t had that when she first saw him in the diner. No, it didn’t just appear. Did it?
The corner of his mouth curved upward. “Be calm, love.”
She huffed.
“My Mark etched into my skin when we made contact.” Finally, his curving lips formed a brilliant, full smile. It filled his face, lit his eyes, and she realized his spiced cinnamon scent overwhelmed her. It beelined for her stomach, too. In the most pleasurable way.
She shifted back. Distance. She needed distance. Straddling him so intimately wasn’t right. Yet it was, and she felt it all the way to her core.
No! This was not happening. What she felt was because of what had just happened. He couldn’t just barge into her life and boss her around.
“Sadie,” he said.
Her name sounded absolutely perfect coming from his full lips, which shone as if he’d just licked them. Smooth, tawny skin reflected the moon above. He damn near glowed. She shook her head free of the thoughts.
“Do you remember?”
As if the question triggered it, the memory of when she’d touched him at the campus security offices came storming into her mind. He’d grimaced while holding her, but not until she wove her arm around his neck. Their skin touched. She remembered the silky warmth of it, and the ends of his hair tickling her forearm.
“I see you do.”
She slid a lazy gaze over his firm jaw, along the curve of his neck, where she saw the beat of his pulse through his thin skin, to the tattoo.
“It’s our Ahavah brand,” he said, tightening his hold on her.
She resisted, though. Despite how much her body wanted to settle against his. “A what?”
“A-ha-vah.”
“I ask what again.” She tried for sarcasm, but it sounded pretty pathetic.
He eased forward until only inches separated their faces. She told herself to lean back, but her traitorous body disobeyed. Despite the lack of light, she made out his hazel eyes.
The orange swirled around both of his irises now. Like streams of fire. Intriguing. Intoxicating. Addicting.
His hand found the nape of her neck, while the other slowly slid around her waist, urging her forward. Logic and arousal warred within her mind.
Total stranger.
Honorable.
Not human.
Strong.
Scared.
Trustworthy.
He captured her gaze once again. A swirl of cinnamon wrapped around her senses, and she took a deep breath, drinking it in.
His breath was warm against her lips. What would he taste like? At that moment, nothing else on earth mattered. She had to know.
She closed her eyes and leaned forward.
“Hey, guys!” Justin yelled from behind Theo.
His body tensed beneath her hands, and her eyes shot open. He’d stopped less than an inch from her mouth.
What was she doing? She shouldn’t be here, wanting to kiss this…this… creature the way she did. It was absurd. Insane.
But God, she wanted it.
“Damn it, Justin,” he said, barely louder than a whisper.
His eyes closed, and he shook his head. His grip around her tightened even more, but it wasn’t in passion. More frustration. Anger maybe?
“Am I interrupting something?” Justin slapped Theo’s shoulder.
What was she thinking? She cleared her throat, willing away the hold lust had on her brain—and her body. “Take me home. Now.”
“I’m sorry, Sadie, you can’t go back there.” Theo released his grip, but not before she saw a flash of hurt
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