“Lightweight, I see.” He smirked.
My face burned hot.
“Or maybe you’re just so taken with me that you can’t help but faint in my presence.”
Holy shit, this guy was cocky! I was so drunk I couldn’t even think of a comeback. I knew this was one of those times I’d think of a comeback hours later and hate myself for not coming up with it when it was needed.
“Come on, you can hang on to me. Just don’t act too obvious so we don’t get arrested for drinking in public and, in your case, underage drinking.”
He led me into the water, which was cold, but warm enough for those with werewolf blood. And alcohol blood, as in my case. I couldn’t help but notice his jacked body now that he had removed his shirt, his broad shoulders, large traps, and wide chest on display. My eyes trailed down his body, landing on his rock-hard abs, each muscle projecting against the deep grooves etched in his skin. His swim shorts sat low on his hips, revealing the well-defined V-cuts on his lower abdomen. Damn, he had an amazing body—he could have been a fitness model.
He had me get on his back while we waded in the water. I gripped his shoulders, which were extremely broad and hard. He leaned forward and pulled my legs around him. Holy shit, my entire body was pressed against his. I could feel my boobs pushed against his muscular back. This was definitely more intimate than I’d ever been with anyone of the opposite sex. My heart was racing, and I was a bit light-headed. But it also felt kind of nice, an energy pulsing through my veins, a greedy indulgence in feeling his skin against mine. If I were sober, I’d be dying of nervousness right now. I was very thankful for the alcohol because it almost made me feel relaxed lying against his back, my arms draped over his massive shoulders and his hands gripping my thighs.
The thoughts,Holy shit! This guy is hot! And ripped! And the future alpha!Repeated themselves in my head. It was surreal that this was actually happening.
Breaking my internal panic, Blake glanced back toward me and said, “So, Jasmine, tell me about yourself.”
“Me?” I asked, completely blanking on anything I could possibly tell him about myself.
“Your name is Jasmine, right?”
I started giggling, the buzz overtaking me. “Yes, Jasmine, that’s me!”
“Ok, well you still remember your name, so that’s good.” He chuckled. I could feel his body shake against mine. “How old are you, Jasmine?”
I stammered, “Twenty, no, nineteen, but I’ll be twenty soon! What about you?”
He gave another small chuckle and replied, “Twenty-three.” He moved us closer to the shore, and let me off his back. Turning so he was facing me, he took my hand in his, a very intimate gesture, his large hand engulfing my small one. His palms were calloused—he must have worked a lot with his hands, or I realized, pumped a lot of iron. The water came about to my waist. He gazed at me intensely—or maybe it was just his eyes were so piercing that it felt intense.
“I’m an only child,” I blurted out. Why did I just say that?
He smirked at me, moving closer.
“It’s just me and my dictator parents.” My voice trailed.
“I have one of those too.” His eyes seemed to soften.
“Your eyes,” I said.
“My eyes?” He squinted at me, appearing to be intently focused on me, as if he was struggling to read my mind.
“They’re beautiful,” I replied.
Goddess, did I just tell the hottest guy I’ve ever met he has beautiful eyes?The filter that normally kept my every thought from being verbalized was clearly not functioning at all whatsoever right now.
“All of you is beautiful.”Did I just say that too?
If I didn’t know better, I’d say he suddenly looked a little sad. The corners of his eyebrows and mouth drooped slightly. If we hadn’t been making such intense eye contact with each other, I would never have even noticed. His free hand tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.
“Hey, Blake, catch!” Kyle called to him, throwing a ball his way. Blake turned to catch the ball and then threw it back to one of Lucy’s other brothers. I began to move my feet, losing my balance again just as Blake turned back toward me. I fell forward and he caught me against his body, grabbing my sides to steady me, his large hands touching my bare skin. My body burned from the compromising position I’d gotten myself into, my whole upper body pressed against his torso, my head pushed up against his muscular chest.
“Shit, I drank way too much,” I said, pushing myself off Blake and standing back up. I couldn’t believe I just did that. He looked down at me, taking my hand again.
“Hey, you’re fucked up just like me.” He softly chuckled. I stared at him, wondering what that could possibly mean. It seemed like he was lost in thought. He looked back down at me and continued speaking. “But don’t worry, unlike me, you’ll be okay tomorrow. I better stay here with you and make sure you don’t drown. It’s my duty to protect the lives of all pack members after all.”
“You’re going to be the alpha. Alpha Blake!” I blurted out. What was wrong with me?
The corners of his mouth turned upward. “Yes, that’s true.”