Her pulse spiked eagerly at his slow advance and his animal-like longing. If she were to back up any further, her back would be against the wall and that would give him an advantage. As much as she was agreeable to the idea of Cole reaching out and touching her, she already knew he intended to pull away afterwards.
“It might be, with the way you’re acting,” she growled spitefully.
Hayden pivoted around, intending on escaping from his path and from the room all together. Unfortunately, Cole was quicker as he planted a solid foot between her stride, tripping her up. His hands reached out and gripped her by the waist and the shoulders. With a force that wasn’t harsh, but certainly not gentle, he shoved her against the wall.
Her hands trembled at their sides as he nudged her legs apart with his own body and took harsh possession of her jaw. She lay captive against his pressing body and the solid wall behind her, never feeling as frightened and as thrilled as she was then. As a result, she half-heartedly tried to escape his hold, torn between wanting to stay there and needing to leave.
Cole kept her firmly in place, seemingly growing more eager as she resisted. His scent was musty, masculine as he leaned closer to her face, staring at her with vicious humor.
“You’re not going anywhere,” he breathed possessively into her face. His hard mouth lingered near her lips and his fingers grew almost unbearable on her jaw. “You’ll always belong to me.” Without any hesitation, he confidently closed the gap between them and claimed her lips.
At the searing kiss, Hayden’s whole body flushed hotly. Her trembling hands reached up and clutched at Cole’s solid torso, needing to bring him closer and desperately needing something to anchor herself. She was overpowered by her own emotions, but also overcome by Cole’s aggressive arousal and unconditional need. This wasn’t at all comparable to Asher’s innocent kiss. This was confident, mature, and so incredibly consuming.
Hard lips pressed greedily against hers and he fervently deepened the kiss. She was motionless at first, but she slowly kissed back, enjoying the way he seemed to push further into her, the male need to dominate.
Gradually, he pulled back, leaving her trembling against the wall. She closed her eyes, knowing what was about to happen. Cole was afraid of their bond, but the root of his belief was that he wanted to stay clear of any sort of attachment in order to protect himself, her, and the rest of the pack. She didn’t necessarily agree with him, but if that’s what he wanted, she would comply.
“We can’t go further with this. We can’t do this,” he explained, his tone slightly slurred.
Hayden’s fingers curled into Cole’s shirt and she tugged him down to her level. With a resigned air, she placed her lips near his ear and whispered, “Who said I wanted this, Cole?”
His shock was palpable as he jerked away from her. His eyes then became half-lidded with seductive anger and his fingers slipped from her jaw to around her throat. With his lips parted, his canines hovered dangerously close to her neck. His warm breath teased the mating mark on her throat, and for a split second, Hayden thought he would bite her.
Cole then scoffed angrily and pulled away. He appeared as if he wanted to say something, but he only stood there, staring at her with a veil of husky need.
Hayden was the one to push off from the wall and escape the situation. She kept her back straight and her gait confident as his eyes drilled into her retreating figure.
If he truly wanted a platonic relationship, Hayden would make his decision easier. She would happily ignore the tension between them in favor of keeping her distance, no matter how painful it may become.
End of Book One
Un.Requited (Claimed Series) Page 30