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“Yeah, your demon left after you fell asleep,” he said.
“Mydemon?” I wasn’t sure I could call him that. There was so much unsaid between us.
Xander dug in a grocery bag on the counter. There were a dozen bags full of food and household supplies. It looked like he’d moved in.
“You went shopping?”
“If we’re stuck here a while, we needed some basics,” he said.
“Wait, you’re planning on staying?” I asked. “You have a pack to run, don’t you?”
He set a carton of eggs on the counter then turned to me. “What I said last night is true. You’re my mate, Skylar. Which means, you are my pack. And honestly, with vampires and demons after the stone, I’m protecting my pack by not being around them right now.”
The words made my head spin even though I knew it was coming. “You were serious about that last night?”
He moved closer to me, closing the distance between us in two massive steps. This close, I caught the scent of leather that seemed to follow him. It was mixed with the delicious aroma of fresh coffee and bacon.
I had to admit, part of me wanted to take a bite out of him right then and there. But that felt inappropriate. This was Xander. Alpha of the High Moon Pack, brother of my late best friend. It all felt impossible and too fast and somehow, also so right.
“There’s only one way to find out for sure,” he said, a devilish grin on his lips.
“Oh?” My breathing was already shallow.
He leaned down, moving slowly, as if giving me time to move away from him. Instead, it felt like he was torturing me. Drawing it out to make my heart race faster.
I reached up and slid my hand behind his head, tangling my fingers into his dark hair. I pulled him in as I stood on my tiptoes.
Our lips made contact. His kiss was more tender than I expected and it felt like I was being pulled into him. My lips parted, moving in time with his. The pressure intensified, the kiss moving from testing the waters to full on jumping in. With both feet.
My hand moved down his muscled back and I longed to be closer to him. To feel his body pressed against mine. My skin felt hot and tingles spread low in my belly.
I wanted more. I needed more.
Xander’s hand moved to the back of my neck, his fingers dipping under the neckline of my shirt. He brushed against the sensitive skin of my back a moment before removing his hand.
I tensed, feeling a surprising emptiness at the sudden removal of his touch. Then his strong hold returned on my lower back, pulling me in even closer to him.
His mouth moved to my neck, and I tossed my head back, letting out little gasping breaths every time his lips made contact with the sensitive skin.
My body was responding to him as if we’d known each other our whole lives. It was like he knew exactly where to touch me and I felt like I could let go. I wanted my clothes off and to feel his bare skin on mine. I didn’t care if it was daylight and he’d see me fully exposed.
I was covered in scars that I didn’t like explaining to partners. I knew Xander wouldn’t care. He wouldn’t judge. Even better, he’d understand.
Slowly, I moved my fingers to the edge of his shirt, toying with the fabric for a moment before sliding my fingers onto his bare skin.
I dragged my fingers up his stomach, pausing when I felt the edges of the wound from my knife. The memory of the fight, the injury he’d sustained and the fear of losing him came flooding back all at once.
Suddenly, I wasn’t sure this was such a good idea. Was he even healed enough to be doing this? Despite my body screaming at me to keep going, I stepped back. “You’re still hurt. From my knife.”
“That wasn’t your fault,” he said.
“When you were injured, I was so worried about you.” My eyes were on his lips. Full and pink, swollen from our kisses. I wanted those lips on me again. I force myself to look up at his dark eyes. “I can’t go through that again. I don’t want to hurt you.”
He took a step forward and took hold of one of my hands. “You know why you felt that way? So strongly about my safety?”
“The bond.” It does help explain why I was so drawn to him and why I was so concerned about him. I would like to think I’d have cared either way, but my worry went beyond what I would have felt for anyone else.
He kissed my forehead. “I’m fine. Shifter, remember? It’ll leave a scar, but I’m okay.”
