dry lips. “I don’t know what to say.” All my thoughts are jumbled and scattered and…mean .
Her body warred with her mind. Ever since he’d arrived she’d had the urge to wrap her arms around his middle, squeeze him tight, feel his warmth, relax. Instead, she’d managed to distance herself and stay on edge.
She couldn’t decide if she was teetering at the top of a mountain peak, trying desperately to avoid falling, or if she had actually already fallen and was in a free spin, flailing toward the ground.
Either way, she wished she could control her body’s reaction to this man. Her palms sweated, her face flushed, her nipples wouldn’t stop poking into her bra.
“I know I make you uncomfortable and that’s to be expected, I guess. You’ve been through hell. It seemed prudent for me to leave you alone for as long as possible, and perhaps it’s selfish of me to come forward even now, but it also would be unfair of me to keep our connection to myself and not give you the opportunity to tell me to take a hike.” He grinned.
“It’s not you. I’m…empty inside. Not whole. I don’t know when or if I’ll ever be normal again. It would be unfair of me to keep you on a leash tethered to a woman who may or may not ever be able to look you in the eye.”
“I’m only asking you to give me a chance. You don’t know me. Maybe I’m a good guy. Maybe I can rise to the challenge and be your everything.”
“Maybe I will destroy your faith and make your life a living hell.” She cringed.
“I doubt that. I’m tough.” He approached her slowly.
She shook, her arms and legs stiff and tight as he knelt in front of her. In this position, his face was lower than hers and he looked up at her with pleading eyes.
Shocking herself, she unleashed one arm from around her knees and grazed a finger across his cheekbone. So firm and masculine. Warm.
He lifted his own hand, encompassed her small one in his larger one, and tipped his head sideways to snuggle into her touch.
Her mouth went dry. Holy mother of God . She froze. Her eyes wouldn’t close to blink. She stared into his unwavering gaze and drank him in. As though the contact united them in some ancient way of wolves, she struggled to breathe. Her world tipped on its axis, making her dizzy. She released her grip around her knees and leaned forward until their faces were mere inches apart. Her body calmed and warmed and came alive all at the same time.
Her breath mingled with his, and she shifted her gaze to his lips. What would they feel like? With the hand he held against his cheek, she reached her thumb out to stroke across his lower lip. He gasped and she smiled inwardly at her ability to affect him. Thank God she wasn’t alone in this.
Ashley reached with her free hand to set it on his chest. The resistance of his rock-hard pecs made her shiver. She’d never intentionally touched Damon’s chest, but he didn’t work out. She’d always thought him soft and scrawny. Evan was everything Damon would never be.
Large, foreboding. Hard. A gentle giant. Kind.
Again she wished she had met him five years ago instead of yesterday. Her life would have been so normal, not filled with pain and suffering.
Evan reached tentatively with his free hand toward her face. He swiped his thumb across her cheek, catching a tear she hadn’t known had escaped from her eye. His sensitivity astounded her. Her body came alive under his touch. Her jeans felt tight and rubbed against her pussy, stifling the folds of her sex and squishing her clit under its hood.
Ashley squeezed her legs together, closed her eyes, and inhaled long and deep the scent of her mate. It felt so right.
And then he scooted closer and she opened her eyes to gaze at him once more. Lust darkened his chocolate eyes to a deeper shade, almost black.
She panicked. Fear flooding her system as she shuffled away from him with both feet, jerking her hands from his grip and his shirt, leaning back in the chair
Her body warred with her mind. Ever since he’d arrived she’d had the urge to wrap her arms around his middle, squeeze him tight, feel his warmth, relax. Instead, she’d managed to distance herself and stay on edge.
She couldn’t decide if she was teetering at the top of a mountain peak, trying desperately to avoid falling, or if she had actually already fallen and was in a free spin, flailing toward the ground.
Either way, she wished she could control her body’s reaction to this man. Her palms sweated, her face flushed, her nipples wouldn’t stop poking into her bra.
“I know I make you uncomfortable and that’s to be expected, I guess. You’ve been through hell. It seemed prudent for me to leave you alone for as long as possible, and perhaps it’s selfish of me to come forward even now, but it also would be unfair of me to keep our connection to myself and not give you the opportunity to tell me to take a hike.” He grinned.
“It’s not you. I’m…empty inside. Not whole. I don’t know when or if I’ll ever be normal again. It would be unfair of me to keep you on a leash tethered to a woman who may or may not ever be able to look you in the eye.”
“I’m only asking you to give me a chance. You don’t know me. Maybe I’m a good guy. Maybe I can rise to the challenge and be your everything.”
“Maybe I will destroy your faith and make your life a living hell.” She cringed.
“I doubt that. I’m tough.” He approached her slowly.
She shook, her arms and legs stiff and tight as he knelt in front of her. In this position, his face was lower than hers and he looked up at her with pleading eyes.
Shocking herself, she unleashed one arm from around her knees and grazed a finger across his cheekbone. So firm and masculine. Warm.
He lifted his own hand, encompassed her small one in his larger one, and tipped his head sideways to snuggle into her touch.
Her mouth went dry. Holy mother of God . She froze. Her eyes wouldn’t close to blink. She stared into his unwavering gaze and drank him in. As though the contact united them in some ancient way of wolves, she struggled to breathe. Her world tipped on its axis, making her dizzy. She released her grip around her knees and leaned forward until their faces were mere inches apart. Her body calmed and warmed and came alive all at the same time.
Her breath mingled with his, and she shifted her gaze to his lips. What would they feel like? With the hand he held against his cheek, she reached her thumb out to stroke across his lower lip. He gasped and she smiled inwardly at her ability to affect him. Thank God she wasn’t alone in this.
Ashley reached with her free hand to set it on his chest. The resistance of his rock-hard pecs made her shiver. She’d never intentionally touched Damon’s chest, but he didn’t work out. She’d always thought him soft and scrawny. Evan was everything Damon would never be.
Large, foreboding. Hard. A gentle giant. Kind.
Again she wished she had met him five years ago instead of yesterday. Her life would have been so normal, not filled with pain and suffering.
Evan reached tentatively with his free hand toward her face. He swiped his thumb across her cheek, catching a tear she hadn’t known had escaped from her eye. His sensitivity astounded her. Her body came alive under his touch. Her jeans felt tight and rubbed against her pussy, stifling the folds of her sex and squishing her clit under its hood.
Ashley squeezed her legs together, closed her eyes, and inhaled long and deep the scent of her mate. It felt so right.
And then he scooted closer and she opened her eyes to gaze at him once more. Lust darkened his chocolate eyes to a deeper shade, almost black.
She panicked. Fear flooding her system as she shuffled away from him with both feet, jerking her hands from his grip and his shirt, leaning back in the chair
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