now, her essence tormented him, made the darker side of his nature howl for a taste. Only the bite of the sun held him in check.
58
Taking a firm grip on her arm, Cole tugged her around to face him. Her eyes glittered like brilliant aquamarines trapping the sun, lit from within.
“Alexandra, please,” he argued, doing his best to maintain a level, reassuring tone. “Just come back inside for one minute and let me—” She gave her arm another furious yank again, cutting his words short. Only this time, rather than gaining her freedom, her footwear betrayed her. She slipped on the loose gravel, wrenching her ankle. Crystalline eyes went wide with pain, and she tumbled headlong into his arms.
Cole moved with lightning quick reflexes. His arms shot around her, instinctively dragging her against him, supporting the majority of her meager weight. She clutched at his shoulders to maintain any semblance of balance. She lifted her shocked gaze, her lips mere inches from his…no distance at all. Her breath snagged in her throat and her heart lurched in her chest, the sounds were sweet music to his ears.
“Let go of me,” she whispered, swallowing hard.
He ignored her soft entreaty, did his best to ignore the tight press of her body against his. By Thor, she fit so well…as if she’d been designed specifically for him. For him and him alone.
“Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself?”
“I’m fine,” she claimed. She was a poor liar.
Cole forced the breath in and out of his lungs and told his arms to let go of her. Unfortunately, his arms—along with every other part of his anatomy—had taken on a mind of its own today.
Just then, a thick cloud covered the sun, giving his flaming skin a much-needed break. At this point, his control could ill afford the reprieve.
The scent of her perfume writhed around his 59
brain, effectively paralyzing his ability to control his thoughts. The feel of her lithe curves, pressing every intimate detail against his body, started a chain reaction his system couldn’t seem to handle. One he had little to no hope of stopping.
The blood in his brain rushed to his loins making coherent speech next thing to impossible. His fangs throbbed.
His mesmerizing gaze fell to her lips. He needed to taste her. Her delectable lips first, and then her sweet, tempting vein. Just one tiny, little taste… One small, harmless sip… The kiss she would remember, the sip she would not.
Bare seconds before their lips connected, she shifted in his arms, unwittingly placing her weight on her injured ankle. Gasping, she sagged against him. The spell they’d both fallen headlong into shattered.
Cole pulled back, blinking. His hands tightened on her in concern. “You are hurt!” The sun broke through the cloud-cover, and Cole sucked in a sharp breath, squinting against the brutal rays. With an impatient oath, without permission, he swept her off her feet, cradling her high against his chest and carried her back inside the house.
“What are you doing?” Alex demanded, breathless, thumping his chest with a small fist.
Her voice rose, strengthened, her eyes widened incredulously. “You’re going the wrong way, my car is over there. Put me down.” Though she squirmed in his arms like a she-cat, pummeling at his chest with a fury, he didn’t flinch. He pushed the door open, then stalked back down the blessedly cool hallways he’d just raced through moments before.
“Damn it…put me down...” Her voice trailed off, then exploded with alarming vengeance.
60
“Good God, who the hell do you think you are?” Without breaking stride, Cole tipped his face to hers and offered her a charming, if misplaced grin that barely concealed the lethal tips of his fangs. “Allow me to introduce myself, Ms.
Sinclair.” She stilled in his arms, obviously waiting for the other shoe to fall. It dropped with a resounding thud. “I’m Cole Gunnarrson. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The
58
Taking a firm grip on her arm, Cole tugged her around to face him. Her eyes glittered like brilliant aquamarines trapping the sun, lit from within.
“Alexandra, please,” he argued, doing his best to maintain a level, reassuring tone. “Just come back inside for one minute and let me—” She gave her arm another furious yank again, cutting his words short. Only this time, rather than gaining her freedom, her footwear betrayed her. She slipped on the loose gravel, wrenching her ankle. Crystalline eyes went wide with pain, and she tumbled headlong into his arms.
Cole moved with lightning quick reflexes. His arms shot around her, instinctively dragging her against him, supporting the majority of her meager weight. She clutched at his shoulders to maintain any semblance of balance. She lifted her shocked gaze, her lips mere inches from his…no distance at all. Her breath snagged in her throat and her heart lurched in her chest, the sounds were sweet music to his ears.
“Let go of me,” she whispered, swallowing hard.
He ignored her soft entreaty, did his best to ignore the tight press of her body against his. By Thor, she fit so well…as if she’d been designed specifically for him. For him and him alone.
“Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself?”
“I’m fine,” she claimed. She was a poor liar.
Cole forced the breath in and out of his lungs and told his arms to let go of her. Unfortunately, his arms—along with every other part of his anatomy—had taken on a mind of its own today.
Just then, a thick cloud covered the sun, giving his flaming skin a much-needed break. At this point, his control could ill afford the reprieve.
The scent of her perfume writhed around his 59
brain, effectively paralyzing his ability to control his thoughts. The feel of her lithe curves, pressing every intimate detail against his body, started a chain reaction his system couldn’t seem to handle. One he had little to no hope of stopping.
The blood in his brain rushed to his loins making coherent speech next thing to impossible. His fangs throbbed.
His mesmerizing gaze fell to her lips. He needed to taste her. Her delectable lips first, and then her sweet, tempting vein. Just one tiny, little taste… One small, harmless sip… The kiss she would remember, the sip she would not.
Bare seconds before their lips connected, she shifted in his arms, unwittingly placing her weight on her injured ankle. Gasping, she sagged against him. The spell they’d both fallen headlong into shattered.
Cole pulled back, blinking. His hands tightened on her in concern. “You are hurt!” The sun broke through the cloud-cover, and Cole sucked in a sharp breath, squinting against the brutal rays. With an impatient oath, without permission, he swept her off her feet, cradling her high against his chest and carried her back inside the house.
“What are you doing?” Alex demanded, breathless, thumping his chest with a small fist.
Her voice rose, strengthened, her eyes widened incredulously. “You’re going the wrong way, my car is over there. Put me down.” Though she squirmed in his arms like a she-cat, pummeling at his chest with a fury, he didn’t flinch. He pushed the door open, then stalked back down the blessedly cool hallways he’d just raced through moments before.
“Damn it…put me down...” Her voice trailed off, then exploded with alarming vengeance.
60
“Good God, who the hell do you think you are?” Without breaking stride, Cole tipped his face to hers and offered her a charming, if misplaced grin that barely concealed the lethal tips of his fangs. “Allow me to introduce myself, Ms.
Sinclair.” She stilled in his arms, obviously waiting for the other shoe to fall. It dropped with a resounding thud. “I’m Cole Gunnarrson. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The
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