They hustled out of the room and slammed the door. I listened to them argue in the hall while I slipped into my baggy jeans and thin sweatshirt without drying off. I needed to make a quick exit. My shirt soaked up the water from my hair, but at that point, all I wanted to do was finish brushing my teeth with my finger and get the heck out before an explosive fight erupted.
I swung the door open and noticed everyone had left.
Except Jericho.
He had his arms folded and was leaning against the wall across from me with his leg bent at the knee. Reno and Austin were solid in height and stature, but Jericho snuck in just an inch taller. “Can’t seem to stay away from me, can you?”
“I didn’t know you lived here or I would have passed on the offer,” I said, closing the door behind me. I leaned against it as we stared at each other, just a couple of feet apart.
He stepped forward and dropped his arms. “What kind of trouble are you in?”
“My boyfriend is sorting out some personal stuff, and we’re temporarily separated until he figures it out.”
Jericho moved a little closer and tingles prickled at my neck. “Broken up or did you bail on him too?”
I sighed hard and pulled my hair back. “Look, Ivy was kind enough to offer me a place to stay, and you know I’m not a drama queen. I don’t want to do this with you right now—not with your pack around. I have a lot on my mind.”
My heart quickened when he closed the distance between us. His eyes lowered, and when I glanced down, I realized why. My wet hair had soaked the front of my shirt, and my nipples were pressing against the fabric. Jericho tilted his head to the side and engaged in a conversation with my chest.
“Where are you going to stay tonight?”
“That’s where I’m heading now. I’m going to check out some of the motels near the bar.”
His eyes—I swear I could feel him touching me. Jericho had only looked at me like that once before. I remembered it so vividly in my mind…
It was the night before he screwed that girl in our hotel room. We were lying in bed, watching a comedy show like we’d done a million times before.
Jericho spilled his Coke on me when he reached over to set it on the nightstand to my right. I called him a few names and laughed, taking off my shirt and tossing it across the room. That was the first time he had ever looked at me like that.
Wild and ravenous.
His eyes roamed over my chest like a force of nature, studying the white fabric of my bra and the shape of my breasts. He licked his lips, and his mouth looked like he wanted to taste.
I didn’t want to become another notch on his bedpost. Especially not with Jericho, because he slept with women left and right.
Before his lips met mine, I turned over and showed him my back.
“No, Jericho,” I said. “Let’s not go there. We’re not going to have sex because you’re having a moment of weakness. You can watch a movie if you want, just turn the volume down. I’m beat, so why don’t you go back to your bed.”
Jericho didn’t leave.
He pressed against my back so I could feel him in an intimate way that I never had before. The full length of his body, the warmth, and the desire.
He spoke sweetly against my ear. “Are you sure you want me to go?”
“Yeah.” That was the last thing I wanted. Being near him felt safe and good—too good. He brushed my hair out of the way and began caressing my arm with a silky touch of his callused fingers.#p#分页标题#e#
“Can I just kiss your neck? Nothing else, Isabelle. I promise.” Restrained desire clung to his words and melted my resistance.
I didn’t respond. Part of me wanted to see if he’d get up and go back to his bed. His soft mouth touched the back of my neck and ignited my body all the way to my core. No man had ever turned me on so quickly.
“Does this feel good?” he whispered, slowly kissing and stroking my neck with his warm tongue.
Oh God, did it.
I clutched my pillow and pulses of pleasure touched my sex like a heartbeat. Erotic thoughts went through my mind of him sliding my panties down and taking me roughly. Jericho was gentle with his women—I knew this from conversations we’d had. But the wolf inside me wanted more. Instincts I’d never felt for another Shifter erupted, warming my blood with ancient heat. I wanted to hear his textured voice whisper my name against my skin over and over, but I was terrified to say anything.
Terrified that it meant more to me than it did him.
But I thought about it.
His mouth journeyed around the nape of my neck, and I clenched when his tongue ran straight up. When he licked a sensitive spot, I shuddered, becoming wet. Every press of his lips sent another wave of need through me, and my body began to tighten, curl, and stretch. When his teeth scraped my skin with a greedy bite, I moaned.