My wolf presses forward at his command, thrilled to obey him. Determined not to make a total fool of myself, I try to mimic his stance, but it feels awkward. My arms wobble as I lift the gun. The metal is cold and heavy in my grip.
Axel tuts and moves behind me. “Like this.” His hands settle on my hips, adjusting my position. I clamp down a shiver at the heat of his touch.
He widens my stance, pressing into my back as he loops an arm around me to correct my grip. I’m acutely aware of every hard inch of him against me.
“Focus,” he purrs in my ear. His breath tickles my neck.
I grit my teeth. I try to concentrate on the target, not how my body responds to his proximity.
I squeeze the trigger.
BANG! The shot goes wide, missing by a mile. I grit my teeth.
“Again,” Axel commands. “Squeeze the trigger, don’t jerk it.”
I empty the clip, but my aim is all over the place. Frustration claws at me.
I hate being bad at things.
“Pathetic,” Axel smirks. “At this rate, you couldn’t hit the broad side of a—”
Baring my teeth, I whirl on him. “If you think you’re so amazing, why don’t YOU teach me instead of just standing there being a smug asshole?”
Something flashes in his eyes. Then he stalks toward me.
“Alright, brat. You asked for it.”
He steps up behind me, molding his body to mine. One hand covers my grip on the gun, and the other lands on my hip, scorching me through my clothes.
“Relax,” he murmurs, breath hot on my neck. “Deep breath in, let it out slowly. Now focus. Aim. And squeeze…”
BANG!
The can goes flying, and so does my heart, pounding wildly against my ribs. I’m on fire everywhere he touches me, barely breathing.
This is exhilarating.
Axel lowers the gun slowly, but he doesn’t let me go. If anything, he pulls me tighter against him until I can feel every rigid inch of his body.
His nose skims up the side of my throat. “Mmm, look at you,” he purrs. “A gun in your hand and smelling fucking delicious, the way you feel in my arms. Makes me want to fuck you senseless.”
“And what if I want that?” I rasp. Arousal floods me, molten and hungry. I know I should not say that. I should pull away. But I can’t seem to make myself move.
He growls, “Don’t fucking tempt me, Wildcat. We can’t. Not unsupervised.” His voice lowers to a growl.
I suck in a sharp breath as his hands slide under my shirt. “W-what do you mean?”
“I can be a little… intense,” he says, “especially when fucking. You might not survive it when I do.”
Is he teasing me or being honest?
I know he’s dangerous, wild, barely leashed, and a primal part of me craves all of it.
“I’m tougher than I look,” I manage, my voice breathy.
Axel’s hands tighten on my hips, pulling me back against the hard ridge of his arousal. “Fuck, the things I want to do to you…”
He spins me around, slamming my back against a tree. His mouth crashes down on mine in a brutal kiss, more teeth than tongue. I gasp, and he takes advantage, thrusting his tongue inside to plunder my mouth.
