One eyebrow cocked and a grin formed at his mouth. “Course I did.”
Jackie swore fumes actually came out of her ears. “And you—and you did that knowing I was here?” She practically screamed the words she was so angry. He pressed his hips hard against hers, lodging his cock against her sex, and making her eyes flutter.
“Sure did, baby, and you liked it so much you’re dying to be fucked.” Jackie’s heart pounded at his words. It was a combination of his language, meaning, and the fact that he wanted to have sex with her that drove her to use all her strength and shove him away.
He went back a foot and she escaped to the side. She refused to run from him, but she sure as hell walked fast. He came up behind her, quiet as a stalking cat and twirled her until she spun back into his arms.
He looked serious now, eyes hot with desire. “I mean it, Jackie. All you have to do is say yes, hell nod, for all I care, and I’ll take care of both of us until we can barely move off this damn floor.”
Jackie’s mouth open and closed. It seemed like an eternity as she thought it over. She’d never wanted anything more in her life than to be feel his body against hers, to feel him loving her so passionately. Finally she shook her head.
“No, you’re only doing this because you think of it as some kind of challenge. A challenge I want you to forget.”
He laughed at her as if she’d just told some great joke. “Not even close. I told you I won’t stop until you accept us. I’ll do whatever it takes to win you, Jackie.”
She threw up her arms in frustration. “All because of some stupid kiss.”
His smile died. “That wasn’t just a kiss. If you’re not strong enough to say it, then I will.” He speared his fingers into her hair and tilted her lips towards his. “You’re mine. My mate. The woman who will carry my babes. You and I both know it. We felt it from the moment our lips touched.”
“I can never be with you.” She hoped he didn’t hear the hoarseness in her voice or the sadness. He pressed his lips to hers once.
“Why?”
She swallowed over the lump in her throat. “Because I could never go out into town and see the faces of all the women you’ve been with and be okay with that. I can’t...I’m not like that. I can’t do it.” Jackie pulled away at his stunned expression, not knowing who was more shocked. She’d just admitted something she’d never spoken aloud. Before he had a chance to respond she turned and ran out of the bathroom.
As the door slammed shut behind her, she heard the wet slaps of his footsteps coming after her. She ran fast, turning down the hall and sprinting for the nearest exit. She heard the door open and his voice calling after her.
Jackie didn’t stop running until she was safe at home.
It was only then that she realized what he’d said. Before it had been a panicked blur as she sped down the hallway. Now she could clearly recall what he said as if he’d whispered it into her ear.
You won’t be able to resist me, Jackie!
She prayed he wasn’t right.
Chapter 24
Willow paced for so long in the office she was surprised she hadn’t created a trench in Lyonis’ floor.
Oh God what had she done?
She tried to take deep breaths to calm herself but it just wasn’t happening. She couldn’t control her breathing no matter how hard she tried, she sounded as though she’d just run a marathon.
She slapped herself in the head. “I told him I’d mate with him.” Aagh, she growled. What was wrong with her? It was the alcohol, obviously.
Yeah, that was it. He wooed her with one really great night in hopes that she’d cave. And boy did she. Well, she couldn’t do it, wouldn’t, in fact. Now she just had to tell him.
She rarely got nervous. She’d always prided herself on her confidence but having to tell the man that she liked that she couldn’t mate with him...oh God she didn’t want to do it. Now she understood why some people broke up with their loved ones through underhanded ways like email, letters, or even phone calls. She got it now! Anything else was better than standing before him face to face and possibly crushing him—and her in the process.
Oh God, Oh God. The door swung open and she jumped back a foot, letting out a little yelp. Lyonis smiled at her. His big body filled the doorway and made her feel trapped inside the office as if the room had suddenly shrunk by half.
“You alright?”
“Fine, fine. How are you?” His eyebrows rose at her rushed question.
“Good now that I see you.”
He closed the door then strode towards her. The room suddenly got even smaller as he neared. He wrapped her in his arms then swept down and kissed her. He kissed her hungrily, with a pent up passion that spoke of the release he didn’t take last night. He slanted his lips across her and dove his tongue inside to mimic an act she craved now whether he was near her or not. He lingered over her lips before pulling away.
Willow dreaded this but it needed to be done. “I can’t mate with you.”
“I figured as much.” Not a flicker of surprise shone in his eyes.
“Huh, what?” He stroked his thumb over her cheek.
“I knew you’d say that. Although I believe what you said last night came from your heart; I knew that you’d be ready to fight it once morning came. Don’t worry, Willow. I know you’ll still be mine.”
Well, out of all the ways she’d pictured this situation going, this was not one of them.
“Oh,” was all she managed to say.
He laughed softly. “I have some things to discuss with you.” His big hands rubbed her back up and down in soothing waves.
“Oh?”
“I think you’re pregnant, Willow.”
Well if that didn’t just ice the warmth in her veins. She stiffened in his arms and tried to pull away but he wouldn’t let her.
“Here me out.” Willow watched him with a skeptical look. Since when was he so nice to her, giving her choices instead of ordering her? Oh wait, she thought, he’d never been much like that. Much. Not like she thought he’d be. She’d pegged him wrong from the beginning.
“Okay,” she said hesitantly. His eyes all but gleamed with satisfaction.
“This weekend is the Winter Festival. Amy’s challenge still stands. I know you’re not ready but I need you to mate with me, Willow. You can’t fight her with our babe growing inside you.” He spoke so fiercely that Willow was taken back for a moment. Again, she felt as though she was in some surreal place like Wonderland and she had no idea which choice was the right one to make.
She could take the pregnancy test and finally discover the truth, she could fight Amy and put that bitch down once and for all, or she could mate with him and be the new Queen of the pack.
But she didn’t want to do any of those things. The only one she found slightly tolerable was fighting Amy. She almost laughed. She’d rather mate with him than take that pregnancy test. She was that terrified of the answer. That her jeans still didn’t fit this morning and she had to wear yoga pants again scared her even more.
“I can see your mind working. Willow, last night you realized something whether you want to admit it or not. I will be great to you. I promise it. Hell I’ll vow it in front of the entire pack if you want.”
A thought occurred to her. Was she really just running from the inevitable? Lyonis seemed to think so, even the pack did. Her sister Lily did. When they spoke to her about the mating, they shrugged and said it’d only be a matter of time before she agreed. Maybe they were right, she thought. Heck she’d been thinking about it since the day she received that will from Papa. She couldn’t leave him now. Although she never wanted to say that aloud, or in front of him, it was the truth. Otherwise she would have left the moment he dragged her here.