crazy things to her heart and mind. She didn’t want to enjoy his chaste kiss, but couldn’t help it. Ethan had conditioned her to react to the slightest stimulation.
Noah tentatively dragged the tip of his tongue over her wildly beating vein, following the path his lips had taken. A shudder ran through her, and her knees weakened. Guilt rushed up, even though she knew it wasn’t entirely her fault that his embrace sent her up in flames. It was her hormones. Nothing more. The rationalization steadied her. She rammed her elbow into his stomach. He gasped, and she slipped from his arms.
She scooted farther into the room and waited, hands loose at her sides and stance widened, for him to rush her. He made no move toward her. He stood where she’d left him, partially in the strip of light from the parted curtains, and swept his gaze over her. After a slow, heated perusal from her face to her feet, he grinned. She glared at him, refusing to be swayed by the mix of lust and respect in his expression.
She curled her fingers. The bite of her nails dimmed her excitement. She concentrated on the pain until her heart rate slowed. No fear. No lust. Both would urge him to act on his instincts. “What are you doing in Ethan’s house?”
“Waiting for you.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re late, by the way. It doesn’t give us much time to talk before Ethan returns home.”
His words punched her in the gut. She straightened her spine, refusing to let him see her hurt. “You invited me over, not Ethan. Didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
She studied him as intently as he had her. Shirtless, he stood before her looking every bit as delicious as she’d imagined. Although not naked, he might as well have been. Every magnificent inch of him was set on display, even those parts hidden by the gray sweats that hung low on his hips.
His muscled chest drew her eye but didn’t hold her attention. She skimmed her gaze lower to perfectly sculpted abs and finally to his groin. The cotton outlined the long line of his cock.
Her lower belly quivered. She ignored the demands of her body and focused on his face. Mouth opened slightly and eyes hazed with desire, he watched her with barely controlled hunger. He dragged the tip of his tongue along his upper lip, drawing her attention. The tips of his fangs lowered, and his eyes took on a faint glow.
The sign of his excitement stirred hers. Her breathing quickened. She clenched her hands tighter.
Wrong, wrong, wrong. Ethan’s the male I want to mate. I should not be drooling over anyone else.
More guilt choked her. She took a step forward and welcomed her anger. “Does Ethan know you tricked me into coming over here?”
“No. He’ll be furious that I went behind his back.” He smirked. “But he’ll approve once he sees the two of us here waiting for him.”
She took a backward step. “Approve? What are you talking about?”
He glanced from her balled fist to her face. His amusement faded. “I’m sorry, Hannah. I hadn’t meant to frighten you.”
She forced her fingers to unclench. “I’m not afraid. Cautious and confused, yes. I expected to find Ethan waiting for me, not you. I want to know why.”
“Ethan wants to mate you.”
His words should’ve made her happy. The sadness twined into them stopped the warm feeling from taking root. “He told you this?”
A single nod answered her.
“And his choice matters to you because…?”
“For more reasons than you would ever guess.”
He approached her but stopped before she was forced to choose between holding her ground and retreating. The male stirred her uncertainty and left her off-balance. The confident aura she prided herself in maintaining around people slipped through her fingers. Only with her loved ones and Ethan had she ever let her vulnerable side show.
She straightened her spine, refusing to allow Noah to see it too. “Well, how about you enlighten me, then? Why does Ethan’s plan to mate me
Noah tentatively dragged the tip of his tongue over her wildly beating vein, following the path his lips had taken. A shudder ran through her, and her knees weakened. Guilt rushed up, even though she knew it wasn’t entirely her fault that his embrace sent her up in flames. It was her hormones. Nothing more. The rationalization steadied her. She rammed her elbow into his stomach. He gasped, and she slipped from his arms.
She scooted farther into the room and waited, hands loose at her sides and stance widened, for him to rush her. He made no move toward her. He stood where she’d left him, partially in the strip of light from the parted curtains, and swept his gaze over her. After a slow, heated perusal from her face to her feet, he grinned. She glared at him, refusing to be swayed by the mix of lust and respect in his expression.
She curled her fingers. The bite of her nails dimmed her excitement. She concentrated on the pain until her heart rate slowed. No fear. No lust. Both would urge him to act on his instincts. “What are you doing in Ethan’s house?”
“Waiting for you.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re late, by the way. It doesn’t give us much time to talk before Ethan returns home.”
His words punched her in the gut. She straightened her spine, refusing to let him see her hurt. “You invited me over, not Ethan. Didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
She studied him as intently as he had her. Shirtless, he stood before her looking every bit as delicious as she’d imagined. Although not naked, he might as well have been. Every magnificent inch of him was set on display, even those parts hidden by the gray sweats that hung low on his hips.
His muscled chest drew her eye but didn’t hold her attention. She skimmed her gaze lower to perfectly sculpted abs and finally to his groin. The cotton outlined the long line of his cock.
Her lower belly quivered. She ignored the demands of her body and focused on his face. Mouth opened slightly and eyes hazed with desire, he watched her with barely controlled hunger. He dragged the tip of his tongue along his upper lip, drawing her attention. The tips of his fangs lowered, and his eyes took on a faint glow.
The sign of his excitement stirred hers. Her breathing quickened. She clenched her hands tighter.
Wrong, wrong, wrong. Ethan’s the male I want to mate. I should not be drooling over anyone else.
More guilt choked her. She took a step forward and welcomed her anger. “Does Ethan know you tricked me into coming over here?”
“No. He’ll be furious that I went behind his back.” He smirked. “But he’ll approve once he sees the two of us here waiting for him.”
She took a backward step. “Approve? What are you talking about?”
He glanced from her balled fist to her face. His amusement faded. “I’m sorry, Hannah. I hadn’t meant to frighten you.”
She forced her fingers to unclench. “I’m not afraid. Cautious and confused, yes. I expected to find Ethan waiting for me, not you. I want to know why.”
“Ethan wants to mate you.”
His words should’ve made her happy. The sadness twined into them stopped the warm feeling from taking root. “He told you this?”
A single nod answered her.
“And his choice matters to you because…?”
“For more reasons than you would ever guess.”
He approached her but stopped before she was forced to choose between holding her ground and retreating. The male stirred her uncertainty and left her off-balance. The confident aura she prided herself in maintaining around people slipped through her fingers. Only with her loved ones and Ethan had she ever let her vulnerable side show.
She straightened her spine, refusing to allow Noah to see it too. “Well, how about you enlighten me, then? Why does Ethan’s plan to mate me
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