“You think you know me?” she asked.
“I know that when you need a break from people, you become more snarky.”
“Snarky?”
“I read.”
She laughed as I’d hoped she would.
“And, I know that when you start rolling your shoulders, someone’s about to face a beating. When you eat, you focus on one thing at a time until it’s gone. When you drink, you always lick the cup’s edge before setting it down.”
She frowned slightly, but I kept going. She needed to understand that I’d been paying attention, even if she hadn’t.
“When you sleep, you curl on your side and tuck your hands under your cheek. When you’re upset, you say things you normally wouldn’t. When you fight, you hate hurting the other person… except the Urbat. You worry about the people around you and resent what you do to them. You think you need to be alone for the rest of your life and that scares you. You love stretchy clothes because you can move in them. You need to condition your hair in order to comb through it. You think makeup is a waste of time.” I only said the last part because she’d never asked for any.
“Stop. How can you possibly know all that?”
“Because I pay attention, Isabelle. Because I care more than you can imagine.”
She stared at me for a moment.
“So, you do know me. And you think that makes us ready for what? Being engaged? Living happily ever after?”
“I think it makes us ready to see each other for what we really are.”
“And, what are we?”
“Meant to be.”
She exhaled slowly. I was making her uncomfortable, but she never looked away from me.
“What if I don’t want what you want?” she asked.
“And what do you think I want?”
“Biting… running… mating.”
I smiled and shook my head.
“No, Isabelle. I just want you.”
She remained quiet for so long I started to wonder if she’d ever speak to me again.
“I’m afraid I’ll hurt you,” she said finally.
“I know you are. But, you won’t.” She’d been touching me when she’d pulled. I hadn’t been prepared then, but I was now. The wall was thick and sturdy, and I wouldn’t let anything past it to hurt either of us.
Her gaze drifted over my face, and her scent changed completely. It wasn’t the sweet scent of her interest, but the deeper scent of her desire. The tang of pine and salt filled my nose as I inhaled deeply. I closed my eyes for a moment against the hunger that welled up inside me.
When I opened them again, she was still watching me.
“I’ve waited so long for that,” I said, barely in control.
“What?”
“Your desire.” I couldn’t move. If I did, I wouldn’t ask. I would try to take and likely get kicked in the face for it.
“This is a stupid idea,” she said, and I knew she was talking about us.
“It’s the best idea in the world.”
“What if I knock you out?”
“I’ll be the happiest, unconscious man ever.”
“Gah!” She turned her head but didn’t try to leave. If she had, I would have stopped her. I couldn’t let her go.
She rubbed her face, frustration mixing with her desire. I itched to reach out to her.
With a slow exhale, she swallowed hard then turned to look at me again. She wiped her hands on her leggings and moved to kneel beside me. It felt like a dream. A really good one. It felt like I’d been waiting for this moment for a lifetime.
When she lifted her right hand, it trembled. The pull urged me to move toward her, but I ignored it and forced myself to stay still. Hesitation still showed in her eyes as she inched toward me.
She set her hand on my shoulder, and I shuddered at the contact, my control too frayed to hold it back. Her scent started to change with a wisp of panic, and she jerked her hand back. I clasped her waist, picked her up, and set her on my lap. Both her hands rested on my shoulders as she stared down at me with wide eyes. The heat of her inner thighs warmed my outer thighs and set my imagination racing. I shook, struggling with my control.
“What are you thinking?” she asked.
“I’m trying to think of what I can say, what I can promise you, to get you to finish what you’ve started.”
Fear and hesitation left her gaze as she smiled that sexy smile of hers.
“And what did I start?”
My fingers twitched at her waist. She was toying with me, and I liked it far too much.
“Just kiss me already, Isabelle.”
Her gaze held mine as she slowly reached up and set her hands along my jaw, cupping my face. She was going to do it. The excitement and need at that thought nearly destroyed the thin control that remained. She lightly ran her fingers over my whiskers, the arch of my brow, the bridge of my nose, and the curve of my bottom lip.
Barely suppressing the urge to nip her fingers and lick her skin, I waited. She leaned in, her gaze never leaving mine. With her lips an inch from mine, she paused. I almost growled.
Then she did it. She brushed her mouth against mine. She tasted like hope and home. I closed my eyes and lost myself to the feel of her lips on mine.
The pull tightened my gut as she quickly drew back. I opened my eyes and found her studying me. She smiled slightly and dipped her head again. This time, she didn’t just brush her lips against me. She explored. Her teeth nipped my lower lip, and I growled in appreciation. When her tongue licked the spot where her teeth had been, I tightened my hold on her. I would let her have her fun, and once she learned she couldn’t hurt me, it would be my turn.
She continued exploring my mouth for several minutes before pulling back. When I opened my eyes again and saw her small smile, I knew she was done.
“Does this mean you’re ready?” My voice was rough with need and with the change that boiled just beneath the surface.
She swallowed hard and slowly shook her head.
“Too bad,” I said before I turned and set her on the couch so she was under me.
All the contact sent another shudder through me. I buried my face in the curve of her neck and licked her skin up to the little dip below her ear. She shivered and gripped my shoulders. I gently used my teeth to scrape her skin. She moaned.
“Carlos, wait,” she said, breathless.
I couldn’t. Not anymore. I licked a trail back down to her collarbone, and the spot where I would have bitten if she’d been my own kind, before tracing my way across to the other side of her neck. Her breathing grew erratic, and her fingers twitched on my shoulders each time I nipped. But when her hips grazed against mine, I knew it was time.
I pulled back enough to look down at her.
“Bite me, Isabelle.”
The hot need left her glazed eyes. She blinked at me then gave my shoulders a slight push.
“It’s time for you to get off me,” she said.
She wanted me to stop? My breath caught, and my chest started to ache when I realize she still wasn’t ready.
I set my forehead against hers, battling with the anger and disappointment I felt.
“Seriously. Up now.” She pushed my shoulders again. “I’m going to start pulling and won’t stop until I have enough strength to push you off me. Is that what you want?”
Never. She’d hurt herself.
I lifted myself off her and left the apartment.
In the hallway, I hesitated. I wanted to run until I no longer tasted her. Until the feel of her fingers on my skin faded. But we weren’t at the Compound where we were safe. I’d learned my lesson and wouldn’t worry her like that again. So, I went down to the parking garage and paced. The security guard watched me but didn’t try to make conversation. Eventually, I calmed enough to go back upstairs.
In the hallway, I hesitated, unsure of everything. Was she angry with me because I hadn’t left the first time she asked? Would she want me to sleep somewhere else tonight?
When I opened the door and stepped in, she was standing beside the couch. Her gaze met mine as I closed the door behind me. She didn’t move.
“Are you mad?” she asked.
“Why would I be mad?”
She shrugged, and I inhaled deeply, needing a hint. What I got was a nose full of burning concern.
“You’re worried.” I moved toward her. “I’ve smelled your anger, your amusement, your annoyance, and even your fear, though it was brief. I’ve never smelled worry on you like this. What’s causing it?”
“Just thinking about tomorrow.”
Her heartbeat gave away the lie. Why was she lying?
“Do you lie because you don’t trust me with the truth or because…” I inhaled again, sifting through the different nuances of her scent. “You’re uncomfortable.”
“You keep sniffing my emotions like that, and I’m going to punch you in the nose.”
I almost smiled.
“Fair enough. Are you ready for bed?” I asked.
She nodded hesitantly. Was the worry about sharing the room?
“Are you going to make me sleep on this very short couch?”
She glanced at the couch then shook her head. The small, shy gesture twisted my insides, and a possessive need curled in my gut. When she looked at me again, I held out my hand. She didn’t hesitate to step closer and take what I offered. She had no idea how much I needed her acceptance just then. Some of the ache in my chest loosened as we turned off lights and walked down the short hall.