~ NINETEEN ~

Jessie hated herself for being attracted to Tobias, for wanting him even after he’d deceived her. And, even though she never really planned to do it, for not shooting him. She wasn’t upset because he wanted to be with her. She didn’t even care that what they shared together was enough for him. She hated him for making her believe they were destined to be together. She hated him for making her believe that she was special. And, most of all, she hated that he’d made her fall crazy in love with him.

“I can’t believe all this time I’ve been paying the price for you murdering that moron’s father before I was even born.” She instantly regretted opening her mouth to hurt him.

He looked at her. “I am sorry. But I know an apology doesn’t change the fact that I did it. I will never be able to erase the past.” The sadness, the guilt in his eyes, killed her. “But I will make sure he never presents a danger to you again.”

“It’s not all your fault. I went to the retreat to find Allana. I sought him out.”

“No. It’s my fault. You saw the file, Jessie. He has been watching you from your childhood. He probably took your friend to get you to come after her.”

He felt responsible. She realized that was why he lied to her about being his mate. That was why he wanted to keep her close and protect her. “Were we supposed to meet at all?” She couldn’t keep the sadness, the pain from her voice.

“You’re my mate.” He reached over and tugged her arm. “Come here.” He wrapped his arm around her. “We belong together, Jessie. I didn’t argue with Wes because I wanted to end the conversation with him. I never asked for his opinion. I didn’t want it.”

“I really hate being so turned on by you right now.”

“Honestly, since it’s perfectly natural for you to be bombarded by lustful urges when we’re together, I don’t understand why you’re being so hard on yourself.”

“Just because I think you’re sexy doesn’t mean I’ll act on it ever again.”

“I am feeling challenged to prove you will.”

“Are you suggesting we have sex again?”

“Was it just sex to you?” He parked the truck and got out. He walked over to the passenger side and opened her door. When she turned to get out of the truck, he wedged his body between her legs. Gripping her hips, he pulled her close. He brushed his lips against hers and whispered, “Was it just sex to you?”

“I thought it was more. I’m so confused right now.”

He kissed her. A quick kiss. Nothing more than a peck.

“I’ll do my best to make you know it was more.”

“How?”

“I plan to make sure you know that I am in love with you and I plan to make sure you fall in love with me.”

“It’s too late. I have already fallen in love with you.”

“Then I will do my best to make sure you know I am in love with you.”

“How do you plan to do that?”

He caught her waist and lifted her. “I have many ideas.”

“Why are we at a bar?”

“The younger members of a local pack of werewolves come here often. You can always count on a few rogues to be hanging out with them. They work to divide and destroy the pack from the inside. As soon as the rogues realize I’m here, they will get word to Guss. We’ll stay for a few hours before I accidently reveal myself.”

“Accidently?”

“It’s bound to happen in here.”

“Do you expect him to show up tonight?”

“No. We’ll return a few nights in a row. Eventually, he won’t be able resist the urge to make a move against me.”

“You don’t expect me to come home with you tonight, do you?”

He nodded. “That’s where our bed is.”

“And shower.” She reached under his t-shirt and moved her hands from his stomach to his chest and back down to his stomach. “We never finished our shower.”

“Maybe we should skip the bar. I don’t like to leave an unfinished project before starting another.”

“I can’t believe you just called me a project again.”

“A poor choice of words.”

“You think?” She turned away from him and headed for the entrance. He managed to get ahead of her to open the door for her.

***

He led her to a corner table with two tall barstools. He helped her up into her seat. Not because she needed help. It was an excuse to touch her.

“It sure is hot in here, isn’t it?” she asked.

Leaning back a few inches she unzipped her sweatshirt and took it off slowly, provocatively revealing the skimpy low-cut tank top she’d been wearing beneath it. She was a tantalizing vision of female sensuality. Lust blasted him, broke him, crumpled his control, burned his flesh.

“And getting hotter.”

She hopped down from the stool. He took her in his arms and bent his head to hers. He captured her mouth with his. He kissed her deeply. A slow, passionate kiss.

She squirmed out of his arms. “I’ll leave you here to cool off.”

. He pulled her back into his arms. “You aren’t going anywhere without me.”

“Of course not.” He felt the feathery caress of her lips on his neck. “I just want to have a little fun before it’s time to leave.”

“Be careful.”

“I wouldn’t do anything to get myself hurt.”

“I’m here.” He smiled. “I’m not worried about you getting hurt.” Damn he loved the way she chose to mess with his mind. His need for her defied reason. Need only she could appease. “If you’re feeling the need for entertainment, you can do anything you want to me.”

“What if I want to tie you up?”

“You want to bury me again?”

“No. I want to tie you up and set your bed on fire,” she whispered against his mouth.

“Our bed. And you certainly have the right accelerant to get it done.”

“I’m hoping to have enough something or other to cause you to have an accident and expose yourself, so we can get back in the shower.” She laughed and, leaving him to smolder, she walked over to a group of lycans at a pool table.

She looked so damn hot. Within a few minutes, the entire group was staring him down and getting close to her. Too damn close. She was laughing with them, provoking him to act.  He hadn’t expected his anger to rise so quickly. When she leaned over the pool table, a damned wolf came up behind her and leaned over her as if to teach her to play. He was going to kill the son of a bitch. He was too damn close, leaning over her, touching her, his body pressed against hers.

He reached for her, merged his mind with hers. This is going to end with a huge accident.

Good. I am having such a great time. I hope it ends with something spectacular.

Are you sure this is the game you want to play to cause me to expose myself to the pups?

Sure. She turned around to look at him.  I’m hoping you join the game soon. I know I am having more fun as a player than you are as a spectator sulking in the corner?

***

At first, since Tobias appeared bored, Jessie didn’t expect him to react. She was deeply disappointed. Then, his t-shirt wonderfully stretched over his muscular chest, he stood up and adjusted his hat.

Sweltering heat traveled over her skin and though her body. He was hot as hell. “Oh, damn.” Teasing him, goading him to react was a wonderful mistake.

He smiled at her, enormous, violent waves of power flowing from him, wrapping around her. I intend to make it the best one you’ve ever made. His voice was low and sexy.

She couldn’t breathe. His gaze was fixed on hers. He looked invincible. And so damn hot. Everyone between them got out of his way. He owned the place.

She lifted the pool stick to his belly. “What are you doing?”

He pushed it aside. “If you feel the need to receive lessons that require so much physical contact with a man,” his gaze moved over her possessively, hungrily, sparking an intoxicating variety of wickedly hot sensations, “I will do the tutoring.”

“Are you sure you’re up to it?” She slowly moved her palms up his broad, heavily muscled chest to his shoulders. Wanting him. Needing him. Burning up for him. “Really sure?”

“I have no doubts.”

She linked her fingers behind his neck and, standing on the tips of her toes, she pulled him to her. His eyes darkened, a low groan escaping his throat.

She couldn’t believe how quickly her desire for him escalated, how ravenous she felt. He was incredibly hot. Sexy. Gorgeous. Dangerous. “I don’t believe I need any more lessons.”

He took his hat off and set it on the corner of the table. “Like it or not you’re getting one.” He captured her bottom lip between his teeth and tugged gently as he gripped her thigh and lifted it to curve around his hip. He kissed her deeply, his mouth making love to hers. A long, passionate kiss that heated her blood with lust.

Then, gripping her shoulders, he turned her away from him. Resting one palm on top of her belly, he pulled her close.

“Tobias,” she breathed his name.

“I love the way your body feels against mine.” With his solid body pressed snuggly against her backside, he used his free hand to gently pull her hair to one side. “I will never have enough.”

With the tips of his fingers he lightly caressed the bare skin of her exposed neck and shoulder for several breathtaking seconds.  Every inch of her marvelously responsive flesh begged for even the slightest stroke of his fingers. 

“I am so damn hard for you right now.” His deep, lusty voice vibrated against her ear, causing her to ache to feel every inch of his flesh against hers. “I need to be inside you.” He leaned her over the table, his body covering hers, his arm stretched over hers, and his hand over hers.

Suddenly, she remembered they were in a packed bar. “Stop.” Hot. His hard, bulging cock was so damn hot against her hips. It was a wonderfully cruel form of the best damn torture she’d ever endured. Her head was telling her to run, but her body burned.

He released her and backed away. She whirled around to face him, her back to the pool table. She stared at him. She felt so many emotions at once. Too many. He bent his head and pressed his lips to hers.

“I told you to stop.” She pushed him back and looked around, expecting to find several eyes on them. But everything had stopped. Every person was frozen in fear. It was as if time had stopped. She panicked.

He smiled. “Are you done playing?”

“How are you doing this?” She took a breath and let it out. She didn’t wait for an answer, she turned and walked away from him. He caught her arm and swung her around.

“Don’t worry. They’re fine.”

She struggled to get away from him. She felt like she was suffocating. “What did you do to everyone?”

He shrugged. “I let them know what I am.”

“You are too damn powerful.”

“You had them worked up enough that they might’ve tried to defend you. I am not like them. I can’t fight them.” He shrugged. “Not safely. They’re the youngest members of a lycan pack. They’re kids. I could easily, accidently kill them.”

She realized she would never get away from him. “I am sorry.” She was trapped with him. “I shouldn’t have tried to piss you off.”

“I am not mad at you.” Shaking his head, he frowned. “Not at all.”

“This is too much. It’s all wrong. I just want to go away.” She paused, looking to the side to escape his gaze. “Far away from all of this, from you.”

She looked at him for a few seconds. Why the hell did his words hurt so deeply? The statement should’ve made her happy. He planned to let her go. “I need some air.”

“Jessie.”

She glanced over her shoulder. “I’m fine. I just need some air and a minute or two alone.”