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But he didn’t move, didn’t speak, didn’t approach her.
“You gonna sit around being creepy all day? I’m not a clown in a sideshow. Come sit with me if you’re insisting on staying here.”
He still didn’t move, and she sighed again, laying back on the ground and stretching. “If you won’t leave me alone, at least keep me company.”
There was a long pause before he spoke slowly. “It was my impression you needed to get away from the legions of men throwing themselves at your feet. I wanted to make sure you had that chance to escape and be alone.”
Still laying on the ground, she turned on her side and propped her head up, her one bare hip reflecting off the moon and a bark of laughter filling the air. “Legions? That’s dramatic.”
She licked her lips nervously, getting her first full look of her mate. Unlike the other party-goers, he wasn’t dressed in fancy clothes. He wore a button-down work shirt, rolled up at the sleeves, emphasizing the muscles in his biceps and revealing the intricate geometric tattoos on his left arm, much like Makaii’s.
His shirt was unbuttoned partly down his chest and tucked neatly into frame-hugging jeans that were haphazardly shoved into worn and dirty cowboy boots. His face was still shadowed, the gazebo blocking the light of the moon, but his silhouette had her mesmerized. The high undercut drew striking attention to the strip of jet black hair styled in two French braids. It ran from his temples to the back of his head, and the length of them hung over his shoulders long yet neatly, like a wild warrior of the old culture. She could only see the hard angles of his face, but when he moved slightly, she caught the glint of his eyes. She longed to run her hands along his muscled neck and shoulders, yanking him closer. For a second, an image of all that hair undone, looming over her as it tickled her skin, invaded her senses. She was overcome by the need to see it, to feel if it was curly or straight, whether she could loosen those tight braids and set him free.
But she shook herself out of that hold. The mating bond was doing this. She needed to fight it, to find a way to put distance between them, and she had every intention of sending him away and just going home. But she couldn’t. Every ounce of control she had over her life began slipping away in that moment as the bond tried snapping into place, just like she’d predicted. The last traces of control she had were lost in the magic of the bond, and she gave in to her instincts without thought, without resistance.
She slid her unpropped hand down her side, resting her arm nonchalantly on her bare hip. “Are you adding yourself to the legions?”
He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the walls of the gazebo behind him, but didn’t answer.
“A shame because I was tryna find someone to make my thighs shake tonight. But if you can’t handle that…”
She knew she was baiting him, that she should stop, but something about his manner and his silence irked her. Shewasn’t used to being ignored.It unnerved her. It made her feel wild.
Her thoughts trailed off, and she pulled herself back to a sitting position to face the water again. It should have been Isaiah. It would have been easy to reject him. With Nassau, this was harder, and felt more personal. It would hurt him, and she wanted to avoid that, but somehow her mouth and attitude hadn’t caught on to that logic. Not anymore. And her mood reflected her anger at her own inability to control the situation.
“Such a knight in shining armor. Practically King Arthur saving Guinevere from her legions of suitors. It took you long enough. They’ve been wearing me out all night. Where’ve you been? Galloping around Camelot? Trying to save a windmill or some shit?”
She tried to keep her tone light, like she didn’t care, but irrational aggravation crept over her. He’d only shown up maybe an hour ago. Where had he been, anyway? Staying away on purpose? Had he already heard about her, about what everyone assumed? Did he already think she was a horrible person? She swallowed her fear, ignoring her dip in confidence.
“Border patrol. Taking extra precautions around the water’s edge for the ceremony.”
“You volunteered for a shift.”
“For the cavalry.”
“So, you’re a cowboy.”
He didn’t answer, but even with her back to him, she could feel his eyes on her. So she stood, needing something more. She needed to move—needed to see him but was too nervous to get closer. She didn’t understand silence, didn’t know how to handle a man who didn’t immediately hit on her.
She dusted herself off, twisting and turning to pull tiny pieces of grass from the lace of her bodysuit before smoothing down the silky black material that wrapped around the one bare ass cheekand boob, then cascaded down the leg without lace. Silently, without warning, he closed the distance between them, stopping only inches away, and she froze. She hadn’t noticed how close he was until he began plucking the grass from her hair, his fingers combing through the long strands lightly. But she recovered quickly, unable to stop herself from wanting more. From teasing him, testing him.
Flirtatiously, she lifted her hair from behind, letting it fall over her shoulders as she slowly shook it out. Then, leaning forward slightly and sticking her ass out, she smoothed one hand over the lace of her bottom, then lifted the asymmetrical side of the silk skirt that covered her naked ass.
“Can you check my ass too? Don’t want to drag half of Texas into my bed tonight.”
He hesitated, but she glanced over her shoulder, seemingly unconcerned, and caught a glimpse of his face, frowning down at her body.
“Problem?” She wiggled a little, daring him to touch her, no—needing him to touch her. He was so close, and that’s all she wanted right now—to feel his hands on her body. Fuck thoughts of anything else.
Instead, he only plucked off the remaining grass, barely touching her, and stepped away. She felt the loss of his heat instantly, and she shivered. The temperatures had dropped into the fifties as they neared midnight, and she rubbed her one bare arm, trying to warm herself up and shake off the rush of adrenaline and need. But reality hit her in that moment, and she brushed past him to step away, out of the coastal wind, and into the gazebo.
“Cold?”
“Something like that.” Sitting back on the wooden bench, she fixed her side skirt so that it covered her bare leg more and tried to work up the strength to send him away. However, when shelooked up, he was steadily walking towards her, unbuttoning, and pulling his shirt from the waistband of his jeans.Glimpses of his abs and lower stomach filled her vision, heat took over, and she panicked.
Great Moon Goddess.
“Wha—what are you doing?”
