ROMANCE: Mason (Bad Boy Alpha Male Stepbrother Romance Boxset) (New Adult Contemporary Stepbrother Romance Collection) (43 page)

“Why?” she questioned. It wasn’t the outright refusal Samuel had expected and a small part of him was thankful for that. In his anger he had barely noticed the small spark of invisible energy that seemed to radiate from him; but now as the room fell silent he could sense the ever growing attraction, the need he had for the woman.

He strode forwards, covering the small space between them before even so much as a flash of confusion could pass across Emily’s features. Wrapping his arms around her waist in a possessive manner he had tried to contain since entering her house, he pulled her from the small wooden chair. He caught her eyes, studying the barrage of emotions that now seemed to flash through them; there was nothing that told him to stop, to remove his firm grasp of her slender waist.

Stepping backwards out of shock, she let out a small trembled cry as he followed her path, pushing her roughly against the smooth pale green walls of her kitchen. His body crashed against hers as she found herself with no room to move, his arms tight and possessive, his eyes firm and intent. She couldn’t look away; draw her eyes from the mingling blue and gold in his, the gold becoming slowly more dominant, more expressive.

He tilted his head, only slightly, just enough for her to realize his intentions. Her emotions soared, a mix of everything she had ever felt as heat coursed through her veins, no longer the slow teasing assault from when she had first seen him at her door. She breathed in deeply and he watched as her eyes sparkled with her need, the need her body showed him unconsciously. Fighting his wolf back, needing to claim this singular moment for his own selfish purposes, he captured her lips with his, forgoing the roughness his wolf desired, for a softer grasp, but one that did not hide the lust in his now trembling body.

His scent, so uniquely like the earth, like the deepest scent of nature, surrounded her. It was like nothing she had ever felt, so surreal in its depth that it surrounded her completely. Then his lips were on hers and a moan of instant satisfaction tumbled from her mouth. A moment passed of bliss that she could barely grasp before her hands reached out, taking hold of as much of him as she could. His muscles tensed under her grip, relenting to her touch as if her hands were always supposed to be on him.

He groaned as her body melted into his, no longer tensed and alert but susceptible to his touch, the gently maneuver of his possessive lips. She moaned again and he felt his body react instantly, his mind completely consumed now by the sweetness of her taste and the wholesome scent that seemed to radiate off her body. His hands held her firm but never enough to hurt her, hurting her was beyond him now.

Slowly he pulled away, earning a small gasp to come tumbling from her lips as she no doubt realized exactly what had just happened. He smiled at that, the small sound that told him he was not the only one to feel the relentless heat or the attraction that seemed without end. “I’ll come with you,” she breathed and with that he knew he would never have left her.

Chapter Nine

As Samuel led her away into the night, Emily was still trying to comprehend exactly what had just happened. He had come to her as she had hoped he would but beyond that it had been nothing she could have even begun to imagine or expect. The kiss was something else altogether, she had felt the heat before, twice now but it was so different, so unusual. When she was sure he wasn’t watching, when his back was turned, she let her finger graze the now tender spot where his lips had met hers, it still tingled with his presence. Her finger lingered their a little longer, feeling the heat that rested their, the lust that nestled just below the surface of her raw skin.

He was the wolf of her dreams; that much she could now be sure of, it was why she hadn’t immediately run in the opposite direction she couldn’t comprehend. A wolf in human form sat at her kitchen table was surely the stuff of nightmares yet as she stared into his golden blue eyes she couldn’t see it that way. If she hadn’t run then she should have run when he had claimed that her life was in danger, but yet again she had not felt the desire to run, she felt no danger from the smirking brown haired man who now directed her blindly into the darkened streets.

“Where are we going?” she questioned a little hesitantly when they had been walking for a good solid five minutes without any explanation.

Samuel’s steps did not falter but he smirked into the darkness, he wasn’t used to being questioned but from her shy voice he found it almost welcome. “To my car,” he stated simply.

“You drive?” she blurted out, before she could consider her words.

Samuel stopped this time, swinging his large body around to face the woman looking incredulously at him. She noted the bemused expression on his face and shook her head slowly; she really didn’t know anything about the man she was following. “Of course I drive,” he said slowly, an amused grin playing at his lips.

“Oh, I thought you would just run, being a wolf and all,” she murmured, feeling her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. The calmness of her voice seemed to be lost on her, Samuel thought, he had never heard a human mention his kind with such ease, especially alone with one in the middle of a dark street.

“I do run, but clearly you wouldn’t be able to keep up,” he snapped and she glared at him.

“No need to be such a jerk,” she muttered, feeling her embarrassment drain away, quickly to be replaced with anger.

Samuel’s smile grew, not helping her anger to calm. “A jerk?” he questioned, his voice was low and dark betraying his face.

He took a step closer to her, closing the centimeters that were between them. Emily’s heart hammered against her chest, his face was lightly illuminated by the moonlight yet as he leered closer for the first time she could see danger in his eyes. He moved closer, his lips pressing down on her pale skin, slowly trailing gently touches up her jaw and to her ear. She froze her eyes wide and her breathing labored. There was heat, fierce as it rose throughout her body leaving no part of her free of the trembles it left in its wake.

He paused at her ear, his lips caressing a spot she didn’t know could be so sensitive. Then his lips opened and her breathing hitched at the not so subtle power in his voice. “I am many things Emily, me being a jerk is the least of your worries.”

Giving her no time to recover and with a wide smirk on his face he captured her hand and led her down the street. She breathed in deeply, trying to recover the oxygen her body desperately needed, barely noticing when she was bundled into a sleek black car, or even when it started moving. Finally allowing herself a glance beside her, her eyes rested on the image of the man who in such a short space of time had managed to make her feel more than she had ever imagined possible in the human world. But then this wasn’t human, she realized; this was far from the world see knew.

While his eyes were firmly fixed on the road, he could feel her looking at him, scrutinizing his face and features. It wasn’t uncomfortable he decided, more curious than anything, he felt himself wondering exactly what she saw when she looked at him. “Is this about the man at the hospital?” she asked suddenly, snapping him out of his less than wanted train of thought.

He considered her question and his mind shot back to the man who had interrupted his first conversation with her. “Yes,” he said with a frown.

The venom in his voice was instantly noticeable to her and for some unknown reason it made her body tremble slightly. She could feel hatred for a man she did not know, yet somehow it didn’t come from her. She stayed silent for a moment. “He wants to kill me because you saved me?” she whispered finally, noticing instinctively how Samuel tensed beside her.

“Yes and no,” he muttered, his eyes still fixed on the road, worried that if he turned, she would see the hate and fear in his eyes.

“Is that all the explanation I get?” she scoffed and finally he felt himself smile.

“Yes,” he answered, suppressing his grin. While what he was hiding was enough to make him want to rip a dozen wolves apart to protect her, just the small responses he was getting from her body was enough to keep him calm.

After a few minutes the pack house came into view and whatever happiness he had felt in her company disappeared. “Stay close, we’re here.”

Chapter Ten

The moment Samuel opened the car door for Emily he felt the unnerving presence of at least a dozen wolves around the house, melted seamlessly into the darkness. Keeping his back straight and his shoulders firm he offered her his hand and to his relief she took it willingly, filling him with the warmth he had missed during the drive. It felt strange to give a part of himself over to her, the kiss had been more than he had let on and the bonding process was well underway, he wouldn’t let her out of his sight.

As he knew it would be, it was Jake who came running towards them, none of the other wolves would dare to approach, not yet, not while they were still figuring out their best moves, offence and defense. Emily stilled as she saw a figure emerging from the darkness but as she felt no further tension radiating off the man beside her she relaxed, if only a little; if he did not question the person then she had no right to.

“You need to leave Samuel,” the man shouted, before he fully stopped beside them.

Despite the direction of his words his eyes were firmly fixed on Emily, only sparing one glance at their intertwined hands. She studied the man who seemed to be smiling slightly, regardless of the warning tone of his voice; he was shorter than Samuel, but only just. “Don’t start Jake,” Samuel almost growled, he felt no danger from the man but he could not let himself be free of his protective nature completely.

For the first time in what felt like too long Emily turned fully towards Samuel and allowed herself to appreciate the finer details of his face, ignoring the frown on his features she couldn’t help but to blush. He was handsome, that much she couldn’t even begin to deny if she tried, but there was something else in his face, something that radiated power.

Jake fell into step beside Samuel, matching his long strides with more concern. “It’s not safe,” he whined, his eyes now drifting between the two, a large grin on his lips Emily noticed.

Samuel stopped dead and his hand tightened around Emily's’, she was certain now as it surged through her that she had not imagined the power in his already strong body. “I can keep her safe,” he growled, the tone of his voice threatening.

“We’re so close now Alpha, bond with her, don’t face the danger,” he whispered in a hushed voice.

Samuel felt the slight tremble in Emily’s hand and his own body tensed, she should not be worried. “Bond?” she whispered, speaking for the first time as the implications of Jakes words assaulted her.

Both men could sense the concern in her voice and while Jake looked slightly amused, Samuel looked angry. “She doesn’t know?” Jake whispered, alarm in his tone.

“Of course she doesn’t,” Samuel snapped and Jake took a few steps backwards under the weight of his voice, “As you well know she’s human,” he added, his voice less severe.

Running his free hand through his hair, Samuel started walking again, leaving Jake to trail along; no doubt trying to figure out what his words meant for them all. “You have to tell her,” he muttered, more to himself than to Samuel.

“Tell me what?” Emily shouted, not caring for their hushed voices any longer. Both sets of gold-tinted eyes turned to her in alarm, Samuel’s far more intent than the other mans.

“None of your concern,” Samuel muttered, diverting his eyes to glare at Jake.

“Well clearly it is,” Emily snapped, pulling her hand free of Samuel’s grasp. It went cold instantly, only now did she understand just how much of the heat came from him. It was anger though that kept her hand away, she had followed him, trusted him and it did not deserve the harshness of his voice.

Samuel paused, a smirk creeping onto his face and he stared at her. “Marry me?” he said suddenly. His voice betrayed none of his own fears at the question and for that he was grateful.

Emily let out a deep breath, one she didn’t know she was holding. “What?” she questioned, her eyes wide.

“Marry me?” Samuel said simply.

“No,” she blurted out before she could even think over the words.

Samuel shook his head slowly and for the briefest of seconds Emily thought she saw something like disappointment cross his features. “Then it doesn’t concern you,” he muttered.

“Samuel!” Jake shouted breaking step and moving in front of them before they could enter the house.

“You heard the answer, there’s two weeks, I’ll keep her safe while I can,” Samuel stated, surprising even himself with his calmness. Even in the short time he had spent with her he had decided what to do, he was not there to hurt her, to force her into anything, she said no and he had to live with that.

“You’ll die,” Jake whispered, terror in his voice.

“So be it,” Samuel said with a shrug, he had already come to terms with what it would mean when Emily refused him, the bond was there, sure enough, but she was human and he did not have the time to make it permanent.

“No,” Emily whispered, her voice hardly more than a cry of pain. Both men turned to her, stopped in their track by the unknown fear in her voice. She didn’t understand what was happening; she couldn’t even begin to put the pieces together. All she knew was that she didn’t want him to die, she couldn’t bare it. Whatever was happening, she knew in a small way that there was a weight on her shoulders, a decision, but it was too soon, too much.