“I know.” He wasn’t under any illusions that once he was gone, there was a very good chance she would be mated and knocked up before too soon. And then all that would be left would be his regret. Regret for not telling her how he felt abo
ut her, how long he’d loved her. The thing was, no matter how badly he wanted to take their friendship to the next level, he wasn’t sure he was ready to risk it all. What if this ruined everything? What if he lost her because he couldn’t keep his fucking feelings to himself?
Then on the flip side, what if she felt the same way about him but was too scared to act on it? What if her concerns were the same as his? Maybe this was his chance, right here, right now. Torn between keeping his trap shut and spilling his guts, for the first time in his life, King wasn’t sure what to do.
He guessed there was really only one question he needed to ask himself: was he willing to just walk away without even trying? He’d never been a quitter so the answer was a resounding fuck no.
He sucked in a deep breath and let it out. It was now or never. Hooking a finger under her chin, he focused on her lips.
Her lips....
He was dying for a taste.
Olivia’s pulse thundered in her ears. The look on King’s face as he gazed at her was making her skin feel too tight for her body. She felt like she was the prey his wolf was stalking toward and she wanted to run—but not to escape. She wanted him to catch her. To claim her.
Heat emanated from his body and her senses prickled with awareness. His eyes darted down to her mouth. Hunger burned in his gaze and she tilted her face up to meet his, their lips meeting in a brief, tentative touch. When he pulled away, she fisted the front of his shirt, and dragged him back down to her.
“More,” she whispered, pressing her body flush to his so they were chest-to-chest, hip-to-hip. This time, his kiss was more bruising, but far less hurried. He took his time, stroking at the seam of her lips, seeking permission to enter. She opened her mouth, accepting him, her own tongue joining in the advance and retreat. She couldn’t believe she was kissing her best friend, the guy she had loved as a brother since she was a kid. Only, now she didn’t view him as just a brother.
In the back of her mind, she was running through all the ways this could go wrong, how things would never be the same again, but as he slanted his mouth over hers, all thoughts of wrong disappeared and only right remained. This was right. He was right and if the way her wolf was brushing up against the side of her subconscious, then she knew he was right too.
Then the world fell away. The sound of the music and the hoots and hollers of the crowd all melted into the background and it was just her and King, just like it should be. She took her time running her hands over his strong shoulders and muscular arms. His scent was getting trapped in her nose, cementing the bond they shared with something stronger than just friendship. When they broke apart, she was light-headed and satisfied to see he was just as breathless as she was.
He pressed a kiss to her forehead, then said into her ear, “Everyone is looking at us.”
She glanced up, a blush creeping up the length of her neck and into her cheeks.
“Can we go somewhere else?” King asked, stepping away from her and tugging at the bottom of his shirt. Without waiting for her answer, he pulled her in the direction of the hallway, opening up his bedroom door.
Hesitantly, she walked in, suddenly nervous to be alone with him. She headed over to the solitary window and pulled back the drapes. Outside, the rumble of passing traffic and the faint smell of exhaust fumes was an assault on her wolf’s senses. She didn’t know why he liked to live in town, among the humans like he did.
Her nerves spiked as soon as he shut the door behind them, locking out the sound of talking and dulling the base thumping through the speakers.
Then she sensed more than heard him step up behind her, his large hands coming to rest on her hips. His palms scorched her and she turned around in the cage of his arms.
3
King moved slowly so he didn’t startle her. Their relationship had shifted into something heavier, more electric, and he could feel it like a tangible weight.
“We should probably talk, huh?” Even though it physically hurt, he let her go and stopped at the bed. He didn’t want to assume anything, so he folded himself onto the ground, leaning against the frame. When she stood there and stared, he patted the space beside him. He watched with heavy-lidded eyes as she came towards him, her long, lean legs looking fucking amazing in the spike heels she was wearing.
Easing down beside him, she smoothed the hem of her dress down over her thighs. “What do you want to talk about?” she asked.
Reaching out, he took one of her hands in his and threaded their fingers together. She let out a little sigh and leaned her head on his shoulder.
“Why did you break it off with Syn?”
Abruptly, she sat up, turning her whole body to look at him. The shift in position made the hem of her dress ride up, giving him a tantalizing glimpse of her creamy thighs and a flash of her white silk panties. He was still painfully hard behind the fly of his jeans and he had no doubt the scent of his lust was permeating the room.
Her eyes darted down to his hips and she bit her lip.
“Please don’t look at me like that,” he murmured.
“Like what?”
“Like you want to do more than just talk?”
She blushed and looked away. “Sorry.”