Alpha's Vow (Shifter Ops 2)

“How did you do it? You really are that well connected?”

I shrug. “Getting a five minute call wasn’t that hard. Getting him out of there would be.”

Her face clouds and I kick myself for ruining the mood, but it’s not fair not to be honest with her.

“So he is in a dangerous zone? I mean, I figured he must be if he couldn’t tell me anything.”

“I can’t tell you either, but yeah. He’s in the thick of it right now.”

Her face falls. “I knew it had to be something like that.”

I want to tell her something like, He’ll be all right, but the truth is, I don’t know. He’s human, like she is. Their lives are so fragile. “I’m sorry, angel. I’ll keep close tabs on his unit, okay?”

She studies my face, then blurts, “Why?”

I falter. Playboy Lance knows exactly how to play this. How to turn this into a sex-charged conversation that leads to the bedroom and me getting into those sexy pajama pants. But another one-night stand isn’t my objective.

“I told you—I like you, Charlie.” I take my phone from her hand and tuck it in my back pocket, then I step in close to touch her waist again. I lower my face, hovering an inch above hers. Our gazes lock. Her breath catches and stops.

I slide my hand behind her head to cradle it.

“Fuck it,” Charlie says, grasping the lapels of my jacket and lifting onto her toes to kiss me.

For one glorious moment, I kiss her back, my mouth descending over hers, drinking from her lips. My tongue slides into her mouth with a slow, sensuous pulse. It’s not a practiced kiss. I forget all finesse. It’s not the dominant, claiming one my wolf wants me to lay on her, either. No, I’m fully present. I’m following the moment, tasting her, following her beautiful lead. Seeing where it takes us. Her soft breasts brush against my chest, her scent gets up in my nose.

And then the fuck it registers.

I ease back. “Hang on a sec, angel. What does fuck it mean?”

Charlie’s pupils are blown, her cheeks flushed. She rubs her swollen lips together. “I mean… one more round can’t hurt, right?” she says.

Fuck.

I force myself to put a little space between us so I can breathe. So I can think.

“Come on, angel. I know I’m easy, but I’m angling for dinner first this time.”

Some of the focus comes back to her eyes. “What?” Those sweet nipples are giving me a full salute through her thin blue t-shirt with a faded rainbow across her tits. I can’t resist reaching out to lightly brush one with the pad of my thumb.

I’m rewarded with the scent of her arousal.

I slap her with my most charming smile. “You heard me.”

“Lance…” I can read her indecision. She doesn’t want to, but thinks she probably owes me now. I know I’m a jackass for leveraging her into this, but I can’t bring myself to let her off the hook. If I give in and have sex with her tonight, I stand the chance of her writing me off as just a good fuck.

I want—need—so much more than that. Fuck, I need everything from her. Her entire life, future, existence.

It’s either that, or I face death.

“I guess I owe you,” she says.

My smile widens. My fingertips lightly mold around the side of her ribs where my thumb can still reach her nipple. I don’t touch it again, though. It just hovers, ready to strike. “You do.”

She looks down at my poised thumb. “So you’re just going to rile me up and leave, then?”

“Kind of a dick move, isn’t it?”

That elicits a throaty laugh from her. “Kind of.”

“I’ll tell you what. I’ll stay and give you what you need, if you promise I still get dinner.”

Her hesitation costs me oceans of self-respect. To make matters worse, if she turns me down, I’m sure I’ll die of blue balls. So I do what I’m good at, stepping into her space and touching her waist. I slide both palms up the inside of her t-shirt along her ribs, and thumb both nipples from the inside. I keep my touch light—just a brushing tease, enough to drive her mad and make her chase it.

It works.

“Fine,” she says, reaching for my jacket and shoving it down my arms. I let it drop to the floor, and tug my shirt off using one hand below my nape.

Charlie’s hands are already coasting up my abs. The suddenness of her acquiescence makes me lose all game. I’m rougher than I mean to be when I take a fistful of her hair to bring her face to mine. My kiss is an assault—bruising, claiming. So fucking needy. I suck her tongue, bite her lips. She scratches my shoulders, her legs trying to climb me.