Runt of the Litter (Halfbreed Chronicles Book 1) by Isabelle Hemlock

my soul to her, but because I just don’t feel like getting it into it with
an audience.  She must sense my tension, because suddenly, without much
warning, she lunges forward and kisses me so hard, that I can’t help but wrap
my arms around her to brace myself.  Any thought I had about my brothers,
or her family possibly watching, melts away easily.  All I can suddenly
think of is keeping her body flush with mine.  

 
    It couldn’t be that hard to lift her up, wrap her long
legs around my waist, and carry her to my bike.  We’d be on the road
before anyone catches us, and maybe if I go fast enough the wind would wipe
away the scent just enough for us to make a clean enough exit.  

 
    Dammit , all I ever seem to think
about with this woman is how to get her pinned under me.  This is
ridiculous, I need to pause, take a breath, something, anything.  

 
    I break it off, and even push myself back a little.
 Hoping that a little distance will make it easier.  But when I hear
her whine for more, it takes every bit of resolve I have, not to pounce on her
after all, “Riley, wait.”

 
    She grumbles something, a protest I’m sure, but I’m
resolute.  Maybe she’s thinking I don’t want to be around her anymore.
  That her father managed to scare me off after all.  But I won’t let her linger on those thoughts for long, “Spend tomorrow with me, please.”

 
    Her face perks up a little, and she skips - skips! - towards me, wrapping her arms around my neck, which (almost
naturally) makes me rest my hands on her waist.  Riley nods her head, “Meet me for
breakfast at the diner on Baker street then.  About eight?”

 
I
raise my chin, “You don’t need some sleep after the night we had?”

 
    She cocks an eyebrow, as if she’s almost trying to catch
me in a bind, “You think I need to catch
up on my beauty sleep?”

 
    I smirk, because she’s teasing me, “Don’t pretend you don’t know you’re stunning.”

 
    There’s the slightest tint to her cheeks.  She’s an
amazing woman - soon to be my woman - but her actually blushing at me, makes me
want to whisper all sorts of things into her ear, as we roll around in bed.
 Even now, I can feel us slightly swaying, as if there’s already such an
ease between us - and to think, this is only the first day, “I’ll meet you at the diner at seven, if it
means I get an extra hour with you.”

 
    She presses forward, eager to kiss me one last time, and
though I try to hold back, I’m secretly thrilled that she seems to find it so
difficult to say goodnight to me.  When she breaks the kiss this time, I
feel her slipping her hands from my neck, down to my hands, giving them one
last squeeze, before she reluctantly separates from me, to head inside.  

 
    I want to follow her - I want to find a way to pick her up
and taker her home with me, but I need to take a breath.  I need to figure
out what I’m doing next.  What I’m doing tomorrow.  But I wait till
the door is closed, before I finally move, and climb onto the bike.  I had
told Lou I would bring it back an hour ago, so I feel like he’s going to chew
my ass out for being late.  

 
    But nothing, not even an angry burly man waiting for me at
home, is going to wipe the smile off my face.

 

 
    Chapter.
10 – Riley

 
    As soon as I close my front door, I hear both my Dad, and
Savannah rushing to me.  I kinda wish I had a
moment to decompress, lean against the door, and smile at everything that’s
happened tonight - but my Dad is standing right in front of me, and I look up
at him, daring him to say something.  He doesn’t disappoint, “You’re not seeing him again, Riley.”

 
    He scowls, and I chuckle, “You can’t stop this, Daddy.”

 
    Savannah places a careful hand on his tricep ,
and I can see it flinching at the intrusion, but somehow he doesn’t jerk away
from her.  She glances at me for just a moment, before looking up at our
father,