“Yes.”
Tor’s fingers tightened around my wrist. “Fear,” he said, and then bent my arm behind my back and hauled me in until my body was flush to his.
“You’ve told me that, and I’m still here, so there has to be something more.” I shifted against him, loving the feel of his muscles pressed up against mine. “You said I needed to think about it then tell you if I was ready. I’m telling you that I am.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Then tell me.”
“Pain,” he said, and my eyes must’ve widened, because a sinister smile curved his lips, as though he thought he’d won this round and that I’d run away, but I didn’t. I stood there silently and waited for him to continue. “Specifically, your pain. If we do this, if you don’t let me walk the fuck out that door and calm down, then you need to be ready for what comes next.”
My entire body trembled under the power of his stare. He wasn’t letting me look anywhere but at him. Making sure I knew he wasn’t playing, and the violence shimmering off him in waves told me he wasn’t. He was serious. This was what he wanted, and as his short nails dug into my wrists to the point I knew he’d broken skin, my cock stiffened, because as jacked up as this was, Tor was teaching me things about myself I never knew, and one of those things was that I liked this side of him. I liked seeing him this wound up. And even though every logical part of my brain said walk away, I heard myself whisper, “I’m ready. Show me.”
20
The door slammed shut behind me as I stepped out onto the back porch and stared up at the twinkling stars overhead. As the echo of it faded into the night, silence enveloped me and a light mist fell down to dampen my face.
I shut my eyes as I stood there and took in several breaths, calming myself enough that the angry rush of blood from what I’d learned earlier wouldn’t impede my search for the one sound I knew would eventually find my ears. And there—right there—was the distinct sound of footfalls in the distance. The crunching of branches and twigs underfoot. The telltale sounds that someone was running from me—and that someone was Jesse.
After asking what I wanted from him, I’d told him in no uncertain terms. Jesse had backed away from me, and I was sure that would be the end of that. That he’d do the smart thing, put on his clothes and leave. But the little lamb was determined to chance fate and play with the Wolfe tonight, and I wasn’t about to leave now.
I’d given him a decent head start, sixty seconds to run as far and fast as he could. That was about how long I imagined I would need to at least try and control the violence I wanted to let loose on King. Instead, Jesse had offered up himself to the slaughter, and for tonight, he would suffice.
A loud cracking sound ricocheted through the dense pine trees, and I was extremely pleased that I had decided to rent the entire B&B out for three days, minus the staff.
With all I needed safely tucked into my pocket, I stepped off the porch and ran my hands over my face and back through my hair. The rain was a welcome relief against my hot flesh, and even though it was light, it was enough to be gathering on my skin and running in rivulets over my naked chest as I made my way to the edge of the forest.
My adrenaline was pumping, my pulse was racing, and the sticks digging into the soles of my feet hurt enough to make my hard cock even harder. I had been waiting for this, waiting for Jesse to be brave enough to tap into this side of himself, and I was immoral enough to be happy it had happened here. Where no one could hear him. Where he was all mine.
With his time up, I sprinted forward in the direction I’d heard the cracking sound, the rocks and debris covering the forest floor wet under my feet as I went. The leaves and branches slapping against my arms, chest, and face were no deterrent as I went. I could see Jesse’s footprints in the soft dirt ahead of mine, telling me exactly where he’d gone, and I followed at a fast pace, determined to hunt him down.
A curse echoed through the trees and sent my heart pounding as my legs powered me through the eerie darkness, my senses on high alert, my lust and arousal at a fever pitch. I wondered what had caused him to cry out. He knew the game as much as I did, and his role was to run and hide, so what had made him give up his advantage? Had he hurt his foot? His hand? He wasn’t wearing anything other than what he had when he’d left my bed, so the possibilities were endless, and I wanted to get my hands on him and make him curse again.