“Dangerous pastime for you,” Larissa teased, but her voice was barely above a whisper.She leaned toward him, almost as if she was drawn to him like a magnet.
Her hair fell forward, and a fresh wave of her scent hit Malcolm like a physical force.He closed his eyes, trying to regain his composure.
When he opened them again, Larissa was staring at him.“Malcolm?Are you okay?”
He wasn’t okay.He was drowning in her presence, in the feelings he’d been trying to suppress.His wolf howled inside him, demanding action.
“Larissa.”Her name came out rough with need.“Tell me to stop.”
She lifted her chin, defiant even now.“Since when do I follow your orders?”
The last thread of Malcolm’s control snapped.He closed the distance between them, one hand tangling in her hair as his lips claimed hers.Larissa met him halfway, her kiss just as fierce, just as hungry.Years of rivalry and denied attraction exploded in a rush of desire and desperation.
Malcolm backed her against the wall, swallowing her gasp of surprise.Larissa’s nails dug into his shoulders as she pulled him closer, her body arching into his.The papers they’d been holding scattered across the floor, forgotten.
“This changes nothing,” Larissa panted when they broke for air.But her eyes had darkened with desire, her lips swollen from his kiss.
Malcolm grinned, wild and predatory.“Keep telling yourself that.”He ducked his head to nip at her neck, savoring her sharp intake of breath.“Still want to compete?”
Larissa’s answering smile was pure challenge.“Always.”She pushed against his chest, using his momentary surprise to spin them, reversing their positions.“But this time, I plan to win.”
The air between them crackled.
In that instant, Malcolm saw everything they could be together—not just as rivals or lovers but as true partners.
The thought should have terrified him.
Instead, it felt like coming home.
“Then show me what you’ve got,” he challenged, pulling her back in for another searing kiss.
The last rational part of Malcolm’s mind registered that they should probably talk about this, about what it meant for their future and the pack’s.But as Larissa’s hands slid under his shirt, her touch leaving trails of fire on his skin, he decided talking could wait.
They had more pressing matters to attend to.
Her hands came up to tangle in his hair, pulling him closer.As Malcolm shifted, deepening the kiss, he could taste her, feel the warmth of her body against his, and it was intoxicating.
His wolf howled in triumph, and Malcolm lost himself in the sensation.
As the kiss continued, growing more heated by the second, a small part of Malcolm’s mind wondered what would happen when it ended.Would Larissa pull away again?Would she regret this moment of passion?
But for now, he pushed those thoughts aside.He had Larissa in his arms, and he was going to savor every second of it.
Again, his lips crashed against hers, the fire between them searing away years of rivalry.As their tongues tangled, a heady scent hit him—the unmistakable aroma of Larissa’s arousal, sharp and sweet.His nostrils flared, drinking it in.
“Damn, you smell good,” he rumbled against her mouth.
Larissa nipped his lower lip.“Less talking, more kissing.”
Malcolm was happy to oblige.He pressed forward, walking her backward across the kitchen tile.His hands roamed her lithe body, marveling at how perfectly she fit against him despite their physical differences.
“Watch where you’re steering us, you big oaf,” Larissa murmured, but a smile undermined her words.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you,” Malcolm replied, continuing to guide her with his body.
“Sure of that?”
His competitive nature flared.He’d show her just how capable he was of taking control.Malcolm deepened the kiss, pouring years of pent-up desire into it.To his satisfaction, Larissa matched his passion.
