Will he?Her laugh held no humor.Because it looks like I’m the wedge that’s splitting you apart.
That’s not your fault,he said, meaning it.
Isn’t it?If I hadn’t shown up—
If you hadn’t shown up, Chimera would still be infiltrating packs.Some other group would still be threatening them.People would still be dying.He reached up to cup her cheek, thumb brushing across her lower lip.Some things are worth the complications they bring.
Her breathing had gone shallow, gaze fixed on his mouth with an intensity that made heat pool low in his belly.
This is a mistake,she whispered, but she was leaning into his touch rather than pulling away.
Probably.His free hand found her waist, spanning the narrow space between her ribs and hips.But I’m tired of fighting it.
Conall,she said, his name sounding like surrender.
He stepped closer, but she didn’t say anything.
She kissed him.
Not desperate or adrenaline-fueled, but deeper.Slower.A conscious choice to stop fighting the bond that had been pulling them together.
When they broke apart, both breathing hard, she rested her forehead against his.
Inside,she whispered, fumbling for her keys, and opened the door, drawing him into the apartment.
The door closed behind them with a soft click.Nadine moved through the space, turning on a single lamp that cast amber light.
This changes everything,he said.
Maybe everything already changed,she replied.Maybe we’re just catching up to reality.
He pulled her against him.When their bodies connected, the mate bond flared bright enough to steal his breath.
Last chance to change your mind,he murmured.
Her answer was to wind her fingers into his hair and pull his mouth down to hers.
Without breaking the kiss, Conall scooped her into his arms and carried her through the apartment.When they were both naked, he paused, taking in the sight of her—lean strength, small scars that told stories of survival.
She reached for him, their bodies aligning with instinctive perfection.
He kissed her slower this time, each brush of his lips deliberate and reverent.His hands traced her body with worshipful patience, learning the secret places that made her breath catch—the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder, the curve of her waist, the soft skin of her inner wrists.
When his mouth replaced his hands, trailing hot kisses down her throat, Nadine made a sound that was half sigh, half growl, her back arching to press closer to him.
You’re so beautiful,he murmured against her collarbone, his voice rough with want.“I’ve dreamed about this since that first night in the ravine.
Dreamed about touching you, tasting you, making you mine.
Her hands fisted in his hair as he continued his exploration, taking his time to map every inch of her body with lips and tongue and gentle teeth.
Each kiss, each caress sent heat racing through the mate bond, amplifying every sensation until they were both trembling with need.
Conall,she whispered, his name like a desperate prayer on her lips.I need—I can’t think when you touch me like that.
Good,he said, his voice dark with possession.I want you mindless.I want you to forget everything except how I make you feel.
The mate bond pulsed between them, carrying not just sensation but raw emotion—his fierce need to claim her, her desperate desire to surrender everything to him.It was overwhelming, intoxicating, more powerful than anything either had ever experienced.
