Page 51 of The Witch’s Daughter

“That’s who you smell like,” Jaxon grumbled, loosening his vice-like grip a fraction of an inch, but not enough for me to escape.

“Will you stop now?” I cried when we were out of the clearing, smacking at his immovable hand. “You’re going to take my arm off.”

As if my words were magic, the whole world came to a standstill as Jaxon let go. The cool night air rushed over my fevered skin when he took a step back. Then another.

“I’m sorry.” He dragged his hand through his hair. The moonlight accentuated the shadows of his tense jawline. The curves of his tense shoulders and chest. The flexed abdominal wall muscles pointing below his waistband.

Why is he not wearing a shirt? My wolf growled.

I jerked my eyes back up. It was none of my business what he was or wasn’t doing before I arrived. My wolf growled louder.

I ignored her. “You should be sorry. What’s gotten into you?” Because back there, he’d said…

He’d said…

No. I hadn’t heard him right.

Yes, you did.

Jaxon started growling too. His beast shone in his eyes as he wrestled him back. “Go to your tent, Tisiphone,” he said.

“No.” I stood my ground, feeling my heart beat faster. I didn’t even know where I was anymore. The music had faded. We were alone in the darkened, empty part of the woods. But if I did listen to him, then this night was over. That shred of hope. The taste of freedom. It’d be… gone.

And it wasn’t fair.

“Stop arguing with me,” he growled.

“No,” I said again, stronger this time. “I want to stay here.”

As if that was an invitation, Jaxon closed the distance between us, towering over me. “Go. Back. To. Your. Tent.” Each word was pained. A plea.

My hands went up, resting on his chest. I intended to push him away, but my fingers landed on his smooth skin and warmth spread through my palms, coaxing a feeling I hadn’t felt in years.

Magic. His or mine. I couldn’t tell.

My eyes found his, and I searched them.

I’d touched Jaxon plenty of times before, hadn’t I? So why did it never feel like this?

Or did it? I couldn’t remember.

He closed his eyes. “Go. Please.”

“I said I want to stay.” My touch softened as I moved my hands down his chest, marveling as his skin pebbled under my fingers. When I looked back up, his eyes were open again and blazing with an intensity that stole my breath away.

I dropped my gaze to his lips, wetting my own. Jaxon growled as he moved me backwards. My back hit the rough bark of a tree.

He lowered his face so our mouths were a breath’s space apart. “I can smell the tonic wine on your lips.”

“I had two sips,” I whispered, afraid that if I spoke too loud, I’d ruin this spell. My heart beat erratically as I moved my hands lower, exploring. The curves of his hips. The v-line of muscles I traced my nails over. He swallowed the sexiest male groan I’d ever heard. I reached for the button on his pants.

“Stop,” his hoarse command tore through him. I ignored it until he grabbed my wrists with one hand, pushing them against my chest to drive the point home.

What am I doing? Embarrassment washed over me and I tried to squirm out of his grasp. I knew this could never be anything between us. He didn’t think of me like that. I needed to get away from him before I did anything stupid. “Let go.”

“No.” He slid his leg between mine, and pressed his body forward, pinning me in place. “You don’t get to do this.”

“Do what?” I couldn’t get enough air. Not with him this close and his earthy scent everywhere.