Gage stifled a groan. “More than you know.”
He really should get a medal for this much willpower. Grasping her ass in both hands, he picked her up and got to his feet. She wrapped her legs more tightly around his waist and draped her arms behind his neck. Her smile faded when she realized where he was heading.
“You’re leaving?”
He helped her slide gently down to the floor. While her legs weren’t wrapped around him anymore, her arms were still around his neck, which meant her body was still pressed up against his. Forget a medal. He deserved a freaking street named after him.
“If I don’t leave now, I might not get out of here at all,” he told her.
She grinned. “Would that be such a bad thing?”
The sultry look she gave him almost weakened his resolve. But he forced himself to stay steady. This was for his pack. “No. But I think we both know we have something good going on between us. We don’t need to rush it.”
She slid one hand down to place it on his chest, right over his heart. He doubted she needed werewolf senses to feel the pounding going on under her palm.
“I don’t want to rush it, either.” She laughed. “Well, maybe rush it a little.”
He put a finger under her chin and tilted her face up for a slow, lingering kiss. Maybe he was being too cautious. But while his body told him to sweep her into his arms and carry her to bed, his head was telling him to get out of there…while he still had the strength.
“The first time we’re together, I want to make sure we have all the time we need. I don’t want to get interrupted halfway into making love because the alarm clock went off in the morning.”
Her eyes opened wide as his words slowly sunk in. “Halfway?”
He kissed her again, then leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Halfway.”
He felt a shiver pass through her body. “I suppose a promise like that is something worth waiting for then.”
He brushed her silky hair back from her face. “See you bright and early at the compound tomorrow?”
She nodded, but then frowned. “Well, maybe not too early. About nine?”
“Nine o’clock is fine.”
He opened the door, but Mackenzie yanked him in for another hard kiss before he could leave. He buried his hand in her hair, returning the kiss with an intensity that confused him. Why the hell was he so out of control around her?
Thank God she was the one who broke the kiss this time. He wasn’t sure he would have had the fortitude. “There’s more where that came from,” she whispered. “Don’t make me wait too long, okay?”
Gage felt Mackenzie’s eyes on him as he walked down the hall to the elevator. Risking a glance in her direction was dangerous, but he pushed the button and did it anyway. She was standing in the doorway, her face flushed, her eyes full of desire. How could he walk away from her?
He was on the verge of telling his conscience to go to hell when the elevator doors opened. He stepped inside and pushed the button for the lobby, then leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. He only prayed Mackenzie Stone, the journalist, would drop her story and be content to be Mackenzie Stone, the woman. And soon. Because he didn’t think he could hold out much longer.
Chapter 7
“Did you even hear a word I just said?” Zak asked as they drove to the SWAT compound the next morning.
Mac gave herself a shake. “Yeah, of course I did.”
Zak raised a brow.
She felt her face color. Damn it. He could always tell when she was lying. “Okay, not all of it. Sorry. I was thinking.”
He gave her a sideways glance as he turned the news van onto the road that led to the SWAT compound. “About what?”
Gage. Or more precisely, the handsome SWAT commander’s promise—the one about the two of them making love all night. But she wasn’t going to tell Zak that.
She’d hardly slept a wink after Gage left. How could any woman expect to fall asleep when they were fantasizing about a man like that? She’d been so turned on she finally pulled out her vibrator for some relief. But unfortunately, the bunny didn’t keep going and going, and she was still unsatisfied. When she finally fell asleep, she’d alternated between dreams of making love with Gage and wondering why the hell she was so crazy for him. She’d never had it this bad for a guy in her life.
“Let me guess,” Zak said when she didn’t answer. “You’re not sure you want to keep investigating Gage and the SWAT team, right?”
Mac didn’t say anything. Besides the fact that investigating SWAT would probably end up being a waste of time, there was the bigger, ethical issue of writing a story about a man while she was desperately trying to get him into her bed.