N. Walters - Alexandra's Legacy

“Don’t you dare say that it didn’t mean anything to me.” His voice was low and guttural, a mixture of anger and arousal. “What you gave me was a gift. To watch you come, to smell the sweet scent of your cream, to see the ecstasy on your face was a present beyond price. Don’t you dare say that it didn’t mean anything.”

She blinked slowly, her long brown lashes fanning across her cheeks, making her eyes disappear for the briefest of seconds. Damn, she was beautiful, her skin pale and smooth. He reached up with his free hand and traced his fingers over her cheek. The color of her eyes seemed to deepen. Her eyes fascinated him. They were so expressive, so alive.

“I don’t understand.” She had ceased to fight him, instead staring at him in obvious confusion.

“I know you don’t, Alex. I know this is all new to you. That you don’t understand our ways.” Joshua lowered his head until their foreheads were touching. “First and foremost, my job is to protect you. Nothing else is more important than that. I can’t relax my guard unless I know we’re safe. To do anything else would be a dereliction of duty.

“I gave my oath to my alpha that I would bring you back safely. Anything less is unacceptable.” He paused and lifted his head. “Besides which, I promised your father I’d look after you. I don’t think it’s wise to break a pledge to James LeVeau. He’d make a steadfast friend but a relentless enemy.”

Alex made a small sound of agreement, but said nothing. The mounds of her breasts were pressed against his chest and he could feel their hard nubs through both their layers of clothing. She shifted slightly, her thighs rubbing against his. His shaft swelled and he leaned inward, pressing his pelvis against hers.

“See, this is what I’m talking about, Alex. All I have to do is touch you. Smell you. Hell, all I have to do is see you and I’m hard. But it’s not safe here. Nor is it fair to you.”

Joshua let out a long, low breath and prayed that what he was about to say didn’t get her all worked up and angry with him again. He liked her this way, all soft and supple as she tried to wiggle even closer to him.

He tried not to read too much into her actions, knowing that it might just be the flood of unfamiliar hormones surging through her body, coupled with the adrenaline rush from the danger and their proximity. She had no idea just how potent those hormones and instincts were. But he did. And right now they were urging her to mate with a male of her species and, at this moment, he was the only one available.

“Alex,” he began, softening his voice. “You’re experiencing emotions and urges you’ve never felt before and unfortunately you don’t have the luxury of time to deal with them. I don’t want you to end up doing something you might regret.” Not to mention that an alleyway where anyone could walk in on them at any second was not the place to be doing anything. The restroom was bad enough.

He swallowed back a groan as she rubbed her mound against the front of his jeans. Even through the thick fabric, he could feel her heat. He tried to remember what it was he’d been saying. He searched his mind and found the lost thread of the conversation.

“You might feel differently when you meet some of the other males.” The last came out on a growl. Just the thought of another male touching her, feeling her heat, made him want to lash out. But he had to be fair to her. He was a tough, unfeeling bastard. A sanctioned killer. She deserved better.

“And you don’t like that idea at all, do you?” She traced her tongue along her bottom lip, teasing him.

“Fuck no, I don’t like it. But it’s what I have to do. It’s fair to you and it’s fair to the other unmated males of the pack.” He didn’t even mention that if he claimed her before he brought her to the Wolf Creek pack that he’d have to fight to keep her.

Going up on her tiptoes, she kissed his chin. Her lips were soft and he knew just how damned good they tasted. He lowered his head just a fraction and she took advantage of it, melding her mouth to his.

Who knew? Alex was reeling from Joshua’s confession. She didn’t think he had any idea just how much he’d revealed to her. Or maybe he did. He refused her, not because he didn’t want her, but because he was being honorable.

She’d never met another man who would turn away from a woman who offered sex out of a sense of honor. Most men would take what was offered and then run. But not Joshua. She suspected this wasn’t necessarily a code among werewolves either. She had a feeling that this was the core of the man in front of her.

It made her want him even more.

Deep in her heart, she knew it didn’t matter how many other males she met. She’d never meet another one she wanted the way she did Joshua Striker. There was something about him that drew her, made her want to be with him. Only him.

It might sound corny, but she wanted to be the one he came to for comfort at the end of a long, hard day. She was under no misconceptions of what his position in the pack forced him to do. She wanted to be able to share his burdens with him, ease them.

She also knew he wasn’t ready to hear that yet, wouldn’t accept it no matter what she did.

He’d explain it away as hormones or adrenaline or some other foolishness. Alex knew better. She’d always known her own mind and right now both her heart and mind were screaming that he belonged to her.

The anger in his voice when he talked about her meeting other males actually reassured her. Now that she knew he was as emotionally involved, that he did care, all her previous anger melted away.

In a way it was even kind of sweet. He’d given her great pleasure, not taking any for himself, because that was his way of protecting her against himself, against her raging hormones. And because he’d pledged to protect her, he would at all costs, even if that meant protecting her from him.

She’d just have to convince him differently. And she’d already made a good start. When she’d touched her lips to his he’d responded immediately.

She savored the low groan that rose from deep in his chest as she slid her tongue into his mouth. His pelvis was hard against hers, his cock pressed snug against her sex. Her breasts ached, their tips swollen. God, she couldn’t believe she was so hot and primed for orgasm again. Logically, she knew that part of it was hormones, but she knew that just as much had to do with the man in front of her.

He held her hands high above her head, keeping them pinned to the rough brick wall with one hand. His strength was incredible. It was also a complete turn-on, which surprised her. She’d never been the type to be impressed with muscles. She wasn’t exactly weak herself and it was hard for any guy to live up to the standard set by her father. But Joshua oozed power even when he was standing still. It was an incredible aphrodisiac.

His tongue twined with hers. It was a slow, unhurried dance that made her entire body hum with pleasure. The man certainly did know how to kiss. He angled his head, deepening the pressure, taking his time as if there was nothing else he’d rather do but spend all day just kissing her.

Come to think of it, she wouldn’t mind that at all. She could probably come with him doing nothing else but touching his mouth to hers, his tongue to hers. Her inner core pulsed and she could feel herself creaming her panties. Again.

Joshua eased back, the motion pushing his hips tighter against hers. They both groaned and he gave a muffled laugh. “See what I mean. It’s too dangerous for me to touch you, Alex.” His fingers flexed around her wrists before he reluctantly released her.

She lowered her arms, slipping them around his shoulders, feeling him tense as she stroked the back of his neck. “You live for danger,” she teased.