“I can’t believe what she told us about Helen,” Jillian murmured. “It explains so much. Why he’s such a misogynistic bastard. Why he blames humans for all the troubles in our world. He’s never gotten over the humiliation of being abandoned for another man.”
Jeremy nodded toward the thick line of trees at their right, saying, “Let’s take a shortcut through the woods.”
A few minutes later, they were following one of the worn footpaths that wove through the forest, the autumn wind whistling through the trees while the damp scent of the earth filled their heads. “So what now?” Jillian asked as she followed behind him on the narrow pathway, the thin shafts of pale sunshine muted by the towering trees overhead.
“I need to go to the Alley and talk to Mason,” Jeremy said in his deep, husky baritone. “I don’t want to risk putting this out over the phone.”
Jillian narrowed her eyes on his back. “You mean, we need to talk to Mason, right?”
He stopped so suddenly that she nearly plowed right into him. “Are you sure you want to do that?” he rasped, turning and pinning her with a heavy-lidded look, his eyes suddenly burning the golden-green of his wolf. “The pack isn’t going to like you hanging out at the Alley, Jillian. You can bet they’ll have something to say about it.”
“I don’t care,” she whispered shakily, wetting her bottom lip as she stared up at him, acutely aware of just how alone they were in the secluded woods, surrounded by nothing but the primal pulse of the forest and its rich, earthy heat. “I—I know that’s probably hard for you to believe, Jeremy, but you’re just going to have to trust me.”
Chapter 10
Jeremy exhaled a shaky breath of air, then another, and the next thing Jillian knew, he was pushing her across the forest floor, his hands gripping her upper arms, her feet barely touching the ground. Wearing a visceral, urgent look of craving, he pressed her against the smooth bark of a tree, trapping her with his muscled strength at her front. She opened her mouth, only to lose her words on a throaty gasp as he grabbed her wrists, stretching her arms up high over her head, pinning her there. “You want my trust, Jillian?” he whispered, the velvet-rough timbre of his voice melting into her like the smooth, sweet burn of whiskey. “Fine. But it works both ways, sweetheart.”
Jillian drew in a deep breath of his dark, rich scent, and the stab of desire that shot through her was instantaneous and hot, so intense she nearly screamed. It was as if she’d been left in a constant state of anticipation, just waiting for him to make a move and flip her switch. “Wh-what are you talking about?” she stammered, while her body struggled with a mind of its own, her hips rolling against the brutal shape of his cock as he pressed his lower body against her. She needed to be higher, dammit. Needed to be able to feel that breathtaking ridge where she needed it most.
“Why don’t you read my mind and tell me? Let’s see you put those powers of yours to good use.”
“I would never—”
“What’s the problem?” he whispered, his breath hot against the sensitive shell of her ear, making her shiver as each husky word curled against her skin. “Scared of what you might find?”
“You know I can’t just crawl into your head,” she snapped with frustration. “My powers don’t work that way!”
Jeremy shifted back just enough to be able stare into her eyes. He didn’t need to hold her with his hands and the hard press of his body—that look alone could have trapped her. It was that powerful…that compelling. “But you want to get inside my head,” he whispered in a dark, smoky rasp. “You’d love to be able look inside and snoop around, discovering for yourself whether or not I’m worthy of your trust.”
Unable to deny it, she asked instead, “Wh-what is it with you and pushing me against trees?”
“I don’t know. Must be the animal in me,” he drawled, his eyes bright with laughter, triumph and the savage burn of lust. He leaned down, nuzzling the softness of her throat, sending tingles over her skin, while a smooth warmth coursed just beneath her surface, setting her on fire. “I’ve spent so many years wanting you,” he confessed in a low, wicked slide of words. “Wanting to touch you, taste you. You’re all grown up now, Jillian. I don’t have to be careful anymore.”
His open mouth pressed against the base of her throat, his tongue flicking in a slow, carnal caress against the fluttering of her pulse, and she gasped, her breath catching at the pure eroticism of the act. “I don’t have to watch what I say. Don’t have to worry about going too far. You’re no longer that innocent little eighteen-year-old who the boys were afraid to kiss.”
“You weren’t afraid to kiss me,” she moaned, arching her neck to give him better access.
“That’s because I wanted you so badly, I was willing to risk your mother’s fury,” he admitted with a gritty laugh, nipping the tender tendon that ran down the side of her neck to her shoulder.
“Jeremy,” she breathed out unsteadily, searching for the arguments she knew she had to make, but her own hunger was making her crazed. Then he shifted her wrists to one big hand, and the other settled at her waist. Her heart beat so furiously, Jillian thought it would explode. And before she could draw her next breath, Jeremy shoved her sweater up to her chin, baring her belly and chest to the blistering heat of his gaze.
* * *
“God, you’re beautiful,” Jeremy breathed, staring in a hazy state of lust at her lace-covered breasts, the sound of his pulse roaring in his ears, vicious and violent. Before Jillian could protest, he leaned down and captured the tip of her left nipple in his mouth, wetting her through the delicate French lace, desperate to get to the even softer flesh beneath. Her back arched at the touch of his tongue, and she cried out, the shaky sound of his name on her lips the sweetest thing he’d ever heard.
“Want you,” he groaned, panting, aware of his beast growing restless as her lush, sweet scent filled his head. “All of you, Jillian. Everywhere.”
“Yes,” she gasped, her petal-soft skin hot, slick beneath his tongue as she vibrated with arousal, the fine tremors telling him just how badly she needed him.
Satisfaction pooled hot and thick in his blood, making him want to howl…because finally, after all this time, he had her.
The thought spun deliciously through Jeremy’s mind with stunning, headspinning force, nearly bringing him to his knees. Sensations flooded in on him, provocative and rich and warm, overwhelming him with the need to get close to this woman…and stay there.
Wanting to imprint the moment on his memory forever, he took a handful of seconds just to stare at her, to soak in every detail, every soft, delicate curve and shade. Studying her face, he could see the dark, rosy flush on her cheeks that betrayed her desire, mesmerized by the way her teeth sank into the damp cushion of her lower lip. Curious to see what she’d do, he released her wrists, and watched as she blinked her eyes open and slowly…shyly drew her arms over her breasts, while her blond hair fell around the shadows of her face like a veil.
“Don’t cover them,” he rasped, leaning down to nuzzle her arms away, pressing tender kisses along her skin. “I want to look at you, Jillian. You’re so beautiful like this, in nothing but watery sunlight. Just let me look at you, sweetheart.”
* * *
Taking a deep, trembling breath for courage, Jillian forced her arms to fall gently to her sides, her fingers fluttering, restless with nerves. Jeremy pressed his face closer to her chest, until his teeth caught the edge of her lacy cup and tugged, releasing her breast. His lips closed around the hard ache of her nipple like a wet, liquid heat, suckling at her, pulling that warm, pulsing glow of pleasure in her belly up closer and closer to the surface, and then he pulled back to stare again, as if fascinated by the sight of her.
“Oh, god,” she panted, and she didn’t even recognize the ragged sound of her voice.
His lips were damp, slightly parted for the rush of his breath, eyes burning so bright, they were almost more golden than green—and the way he stared at her breasts m
ade everything inside of her pull tight. He made her feel like a siren, like a goddess, her body the instrument with which she could tame the beast. She liked the feeling, liked the power…but then, it worked both ways. The more she took from him, the greater his power over her.
With hurried movements that betrayed his urgency, he unhooked the front clasp of her bra and pushed the open cups out of his way. Then he ran his tongue over her nipple with a slow, tasting rasp, before shifting to the other, pressing the swollen tip to the roof of his mouth, rubbing at her with his tongue while a rough, animal sound vibrated in his chest. His right hand found her hip…and moved lower, pressing possessively between her thighs, cupping her sex.
“God, Jillian. You’re so hot I can feel you through your jeans,” he growled, and then he was ripping at the buttons, his big, warm hand slipping beneath the top of her panties, pressing low, until he was touching tender flesh, so sensitive she couldn’t hold back the sharp cry that surged up from her lungs. “You’re swollen…wet,” he said in a guttural, nearly soundless voice, while his fingertips stroked, learning her by touch, before working one thick finger into the clenching tightness of her body.
Jillian stiffened, sensations rushing over one another in a brilliant, chaotic jumble, too fast to catch or control, and she could have sworn that there were stars at the backs of her eyes, blinding her to everything but the breathless, provocative feel of his finger thrusting in shallow movements. “Damn, you’re so tight,” he rasped, pressing the damp heat of his forehead to hers, before leaning away, and she could feel the press of his eyes on her face. “Look at me, Jillian. I want your eyes open.”
Lifting her lashes, she saw that his own eyes gleamed, the smoky green burning like a dark fire, jewel-toned and mesmerizing.
She wanted to scream from frustration when he pulled his hand away—wanted to demand he put it back and finish what he’d started—until she realized he was lifting his glistening finger to his mouth. Wearing a hard, savage look of hunger, he closed his lips around the slippery digit and his eyes drifted shut, a low moan of pleasure rumbling deep in his chest.
Jillian panted harder, unable to draw in enough air, everything in her body feeling heavy and hot, until she burned with sensation from the top of her head down to her toes. Staring at her through the thick, golden fringe of his lashes as he opened his eyes, he pulled his finger free and cupped her jaw with the damp heat of his palm, stroking the pad of his thumb against the corner of her mouth. “You taste incredible, Jillian. Hot, sweet, like goddamn honey.”
She made a murmur of embarrassment, but he was already thrusting his finger back into her, going deeper as he added another, her muscles clenching around him as if to hold him inside. Fitting his mouth over hers, he kissed her deeper, as well…harder, his tongue mastering hers with destructive skill.
“I want to make you come,” he groaned against her lips, the words gritty and breathless. “I want you to spill into my hand…want those sharp little cries in my head as you go over.”
She gasped, feeling disoriented, like someone who’d been spinning in a circle, going faster…and faster…and faster. He was ragingly beautiful in his lust, the angles of his face sharpened by hunger. Suddenly, she heard herself saying, “J-just do it.”
“What?” he rasped, his gaze questioning as he stared into her eyes. “What do you want, Jillian?”
“You. Us. Now,” she panted…pleading. “I can’t think straight anymore, Jeremy. Please…just do it.”
His eyes narrowed, the crest of his cheekbones marked with violent color. Slowly, he shook his head. “No.”
Jillian blinked, stunned by his refusal.
“No,” he repeated, the word shaky and raw. “Not here, like this, because once I have you, you’re mine. I’m not going to bang you against a tree and then watch you walk away from me. From the moment I get you under me, Jillian, you’re going to stay there until I’ve had my goddamn fill of you.”
She wanted to scream at him, to yell and shout and demand that he give in, but he took her mouth in a ravaging kiss, stealing her breath, her mind. She pressed her fists against the solid wall of his chest, and his fingers flexed deeper inside of her, thrusting, making her cry out. He swallowed the sound as he pressed his thumb through her slick, tender folds, until he was touching that most sensitive part of her, stroking her with the callused pad, while using his fingers to rub a place deep inside of her that made her stiffen in shock. She saw nothing but a stunning, infinite darkness that seemed to overtake her mind, everything inside of her pulling tighter…and tighter…until that perfect, shattering moment when she crashed over the edge.
Jillian went wild…and the forest erupted into chaos around them.
Breaking her mouth from his, she threw back her head and screamed in the violent wash of ecstasy as a churning, roaring whirlwind surged up from the leaf-covered ground. She opened her eyes to see Jeremy staring at her in stunned awareness, while the ground beneath their feet began shaking, the wind whirring faster…and faster. The pleasure in her built higher, stronger, until they were caught in a maelstrom of wind and leaves and the dark, rich scents of the forest. The dry leaves prickled against their skin, lashing at them, the pine needles stinging and sharp. It went on…and on, until finally the last ripple faded and she went boneless in his arms, while the leaves and needles fluttered quietly back to the ground.
“What the hell was that?” he demanded, breathless, his hand still buried between her legs, cupping the liquid soft heat of her sex. His eyes were glowing within the darkness of his face, the hazel green edged by a dark ring of molten gold, and Jillian knew his wolf had awakened.
“I—I don’t know,” she panted, running her tongue along her lower lip. He stared intently, as if he were trying to decide whether or not to believe her. “Honestly. I—I don’t know what that was, Jeremy. I swear.”
* * *
“In that case, we should see if we can make it happen again,” he whispered huskily, smiling, lifting his hands to cradle her face. Jeremy knew he shouldn’t tempt fate by touching her, not unless he wanted their first time to be against that goddamn tree, but he couldn’t stop. His cock was so hard he could barely see straight, much less think. Her orgasm had been explosive…breathtaking…awesome, and he wanted to experience it again…and again. Right now. That very second. Pressing a tender, searching kiss to her mouth, he reached for her jeans, ready to push them down her thighs, when the quiet of the forest suddenly exploded with a sharp crack of sound. The air around them sizzled with a blinding strip of heat and something smashed into the trunk behind her, sending shards of bark skittering into the air.
His brain had two seconds to register the fact they’d just been shot at, and then he was wrapping himself around her, protecting her with his body. The second bullet ripped into his shoulder at an angle, coming out the front in a clean strike that felt like liquid fire. They stumbled from the impact, and Jeremy used every ounce of his strength to shove her behind the massive trunk of a nearby oak, before landing on top of her, her small body squished between his full weight and the prickly floor of the forest.
Through a fog of pain, Jeremy was dimly aware of Jillian shoving his heavy weight to the side, her small, cool hands moving frantically over his body. “Oh, my god, Jeremy, someone shot you! Can you hear me? Jeremy, say something!”
He let out a groan, gritting his teeth against the black burn of pain searing across the landscape of his consciousness. The sound of his heartbeat pounded in his ears like the roar of a fighter jet, endless and excruciating, and he ground his jaw, refusing to pass out. If he could just breathe his way through the worst of it, he knew he’d be okay.
And then, through the thick cover of darkness spreading over him, he felt her hands on his temples, the coolness of her skin giving way to the blistering wave of heat that seemed to be radiating out from the bullet wound, engulfing him—and he suddenly realized what she was doing. Gripping her wrists, he jerked her hands away. “No!”
<
br /> “What? Why?” she demanded.
“That nifty little slipping-into-someone’s-brain thing that you do when you’re healing them,” he rasped, his words roughened by pain as he released his hold on her. “You told me you can read their minds when you do it. See into their heads.”
“Only to get what I need to help them,” she said in a choked voice, “or to get information about their injury. But I don’t go snooping, Jeremy. That would be wrong and an abuse of my power.”
He managed to crack his eyes open and give her a lopsided smile. “But too much to resist if you were given the chance to poke around in my head. Just think of the things you could go looking for.”
Her eyes glistened with tears as she reached under him, grasped a handful of fabric, and applied pressure to the bleeding wound, before duplicating the process to the front of his shoulder. “Jeremy, you’re not thinking straight. Let me help you.”
“No way, Jillian.” He lifted his left hand, rubbing his thumb over the damp, dewy softness of her lower lip, wishing she hadn’t pulled down her sweater, missing the breathtaking view. “You wanna ease my pain, go to bed with me. But until then, stay the hell outta my head, sweetheart.”
“Of all the stupid, stubb—”
He grasped her wrist, his grip controlled, careful not to hurt her. “No cheating,” he murmured, snagging her shimmering stare and holding it, unwilling to let her look away. “When you decide to trust me, I’ll be more than happy to give you what you want and let you look around in my head. I’ve got nothing to hide. But I’ll be damned if I’ll let you do it so that you can test the waters.”
Her mouth thinned, and she gave a frustrated shake of her head, sending her hair cascading over her shoulders. “I can’t stand to see you in pain,” she said thickly.
“I’ll be fine,” he grunted. “It stings like a son of a bitch, but I’ll live.”
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