Only he didn’t move.
“Jackson?”
He dropped his arms and stepped closer. Part of her mind went fuzzy, and it took her precious seconds to remember he wasn’t hers.
But she could change that.
“Will you let me try to see if I can call your animal?” His face turned to granite, the heat doused, his reluctance clear. She just didn’t know if it was because of her or a fear that no matter what she tried, she wouldn’t be able to fix him.
At the back of her mind was hope. If she could pull his wolf forward, the death sentence hanging over his head would vanish, giving him choices again. But would he choose her or loyalty to his pack?
For wolf shifters, pack was everything.
“Do you trust me?” His whiskey brown eyes darkened, and she thought he wouldn’t answer. She counted off the ticking second, her heart speeding as she waited, her palms growing sweaty.
“Yes.”
She swallowed hard at his answer, then removed her gloves, noticing how little they helped anymore. He watched the action so intently, you’d think she just stripped to her underwear. She nodded behind him. “Sit on the bed.”
He backed up and did so without taking his eyes off hers. She licked her lips as nerves stormed through her. “You realize I’ve never done this with anyone else.”
He nodded and the rest of the world dropped away until only the two of them remained. His energy wrapped around him, subtly different from humans, seductive in its strength. He didn’t move, his shoulders tense as if bracing himself for her to strike.
“If you feel any pain, tell me and I’ll stop.”
“Do it.”
Raven gazed into his eyes a moment longer, praying he wouldn’t hate her if she failed.
She placed her hands on his shoulders, and jerked in surprise when they flexed under her touch. Goosebumps raced up her arms, and she shivered as desire nearly drowned her. The wolf at her core inched forward at the touch as if curious.
Blue eyes filled her vision.
The need for freedom, the need to run, bore down on her. It was all she could do to remain still. She inhaled deeply and the cut grass and fresh air smell that she associated with Jackson filled her head.
Could her own wolf help Jackson?
The last time she pulled her to the surface, Jackson’s own animal had reacted. The unconscious urge to do just that built. If she tried hard enough, pushed hard enough, she knew they could help him.
Her hands slipped down to his chest, her fingers slightly stroking the hard lines of his muscles. A light growl resonated under her palms, and she cursed the shirt that separated them. Eagerness built as the wolf began to pace. When Jackson’s hands settled on her waist, her eyes snapped open.
His eyes splintered to yellow with his wolf. She belatedly remembered Rylan’s warning about Jackson’s compulsion to bite her and froze. Sweat beaded on his brow, strain bracketing his eyes and lips.
As if sensing her hesitation, his hold tightened. “Don’t you dare leave.”
He leaned closer, his nose inches from her throat, and inhaled. Her breath caught, tingles swept over her skin as pure lust poured through her. The irresistible draw to him had her shuffling closer. All she wanted was to crawl into his lap and bask under his attention. She was coming to understand the compulsion shifters had to touch.
“Jackson.”
They were so close his breath feathered her lips. His eyes dilated, but he didn’t move, which was its own aphrodisiac. She couldn’t help but wonder about his taste. If she just leaned forward...
Self-preservation screamed at her to pull back, but her senses said that this was the right path if she wanted to help him. Taking a leap of faith, she crushed her lips to his, praying she knew what the hell she was doing.
Chapter Twenty-seven
JUST AFTER SUNSET
Jackson’s lust exploded through her with the first taste of his lips, spurring Raven to seek more. Everything around her vanished as sensations consumed her. All that mattered was him and the burning desire to take everything he offered.
His arms slid around her waist, and he fisted her shirt, whether to draw her forward or hold her in place, she didn’t care. She had no intention of going anywhere. She locked her hands in his hair to slow him down, wanting to linger and enjoy every second of what he did to her.
When he sprawled backward, she eagerly crawled on his lap, nipped at his lips and luxuriated in the heat that seeped into her bones.
“Raven.”
The husky, reverent sound of her name on his lips sent her heart pounding. The fog clouding her mind lifted a fraction. She had a job to do. It hurt to pull away from him.
She drew up short by his grip on her waist. Yellow eyes locked on hers. A growl thrummed in Jackson’s chest, and an answering call rose in her. Power shimmered, growing brighter. Her skin grew tight, and the glow spilled over onto him.