I took three steps back, not letting my eyes break from his. Then I turned
and bolted across the garden, heading for the line of trees ahead that were
completely different than the trees of the jungle outside. As I slipped into the
forest, I glanced over my shoulder, catching the livid expression on Jaxson’s
face as he raced after me.
Though I wound deeper into the strange woods, those beautiful lights still
floated in the branches, casting a warm glow over the space.
Movement behind me caught my attention, and stifling a giggle, I slipped
behind a large tree, pressing my back to it. Jaxson was close. His woodsy
pine signature permeated the area, and the pulse of his alpha magic pressed
into me, searching.
Exhilaration coursing through me, I steadied my breath and carefully
peered around the trunk. Where was he?
“Found you.” His silvery voice skated over my spine, and I shrieked.
Clutching my heart, I spun and met his amused gaze. Thank goodness, his
icy demeanor was finally thawing.
He took a step forward and planted his palms beside my temples, caging
me against the tree. “You’re terrible at hide and seek.”
“Maybe I wanted to be found,” I whispered, my chest rising and falling
with each urgent breath.
Jaxson’s eyes flicked down, deepening their honey tone as his desire
flooded my senses. I studied his lips. I’d tasted them before, but damn, I
wanted to run my tongue over them and taste them again.
He growled deep and low in my ear, and I shivered, feeling the rumble of
his voice in every inch of my body. “Do you remember what I told you
earlier?”
“No,” I fibbed. I remembered everything he’d said to me before we drank
the wine, but my body had other plans, and as far as I was concerned, nothing
was going to stop me from getting what I wanted.
“Liar.” His canines slipped free, and he lowered his face to my neck,