Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 95748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
They could’ve died earlier today when the helicopter went down. Again, when those four wolves attacked. Both times, Jackson had saved them with absolute focus and brutality. Each time, she’d come face-to-face with the reality that tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed. And right now? She wanted him. She wanted to feel alive. To feel good. Maybe she didn’t have a future. But they had this moment. Sometimes, that had to be enough.
Jackson’s hands tunneled through her hair, warm fingers curling at her scalp. He tilted her head back, his gaze locking on hers. His eyes flashed a mystical blue—sharp, focused, and unmistakably hungry. “Are you thinking clearly?” His voice came out rough, the sound vibrating against her chest.
“I am, Jackson.” She inhaled his wild, masculine scent, her pulse kicking up. “We had one kiss eons ago and another the other day. I haven’t stopped thinking about either of them.”
“Ditto.” His gaze dropped to her mouth. “But you were hurt and almost frozen,” he murmured.
Maybe he could help banish the cold. “I may be fighting an illness, but I’m still an Alpha female,” she shot back, strength sparking. “I’m healed as much as I can be. My brain’s intact, Jackson. How about yours?”
His nostrils flared. “I’m not exactly the honorable type, sweetheart. I’m not gonna do the right thing and put you to bed in a room by yourself for your own good. You can worry all you want about the future, but I know what I want right now.”
He was wrong. Everything about Jackson was honorable. Maybe he didn’t want it to be. Maybe as a fifteen-year-old Alpha, he hadn’t had the luxury. But now? Now, honor clung to him as tightly as the heat thrumming between them.
That side of him pulled her in like nothing else. She’d noticed the way his gaze flicked to Erik’s shirt on her, the brief flash of distaste he hadn’t quite hidden. He didn’t like seeing her in another male’s clothes. And the strangest part? She liked that. Possessiveness in a boyfriend had never appealed to her before. But with Jackson? Everything felt different.
If they’d been different people with different lives and loyalties, they probably would’ve ended up together without hesitation. But their packs defined their futures.
Duty would always come first.
If she regained her health, she could back up her father. But what then? What about Jackson? She owed her pack. But tonight? No more thinking. Tonight, she was taking this moment for herself. “If you don’t want me, say so.”
“You’d have to be three centuries dead for me not to want you.” His voice was a rough murmur.
Yeah. That’s what she’d thought. She slid higher onto his thighs, heat curling low in her belly as she felt the pulse of him through the thick, too-big sweats she wore. They’d fall right off if she tried to walk too far in them. Which, frankly, was part of the plan.
“You’re sure?” he asked, the words brushing against her skin.
“Just this night,” she replied.
He grinned. “That’s my line.”
Yet somehow...it wasn’t.
Jackson aimed to build a family, and she knew it. She didn’t see how she could be part of his future. Or was she just lying to herself? A shard of jealousy cut through her at the thought of the female he chose. That wolf would have a good life. But tonight? Tonight belonged to Emily.
She leaned in, her lips brushing his, teasing with soft, lingering kisses. The fire warmed her back, while Jackson’s heat warmed her front. His fingers threaded through her hair, his palm cradling her head as his other hand slid down her spine, stopping at her waist to draw her closer.
“If anything hurts, tell me,” he murmured against her mouth.
Instead of answering, she pressed harder into him. He captured her lips fully, deepening the kiss until her breath hitched. His grip tightened, locking her against him as sensation overwhelmed her. She fell into the wildness that spun between them, heat spiraling through her limbs and pooling low in her belly. Her breasts ached where they pressed to the solid plane of his chest, her body coming alive in ways she hadn’t felt in years.
He growled low, the sound rough and primal, before kissing her deeper, both hands adjusting her hips into the perfect position to absorb the pleasure he fed her. Still holding her close, he stretched effortlessly to his feet, lifting her without breaking the kiss. The world tilted, and she clung to his shoulders, her heartbeat thundering against his. The air around them crackled with heat, both from the fire and the raw energy coiling tighter between their bodies.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his kiss, drawing in the taste of scotch. He and Erik must have had a drink in the kitchen while cleaning up after dinner—yet another side of Jackson she hadn’t expected. Capable. Domestic. Protective.