Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 59154 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59154 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
I nodded and squeezed his hand. I could only imagine what it had been like.
“I love you.”
I didn’t mean to say it. It wasn’t even an appropriate moment. But those were the words that slipped out. The only offering I could think of that matched the enormity of what he’d shared with me.
What I meant was I am here with you.
I see you.
I’m not judging.
I won’t reject you.
“Yeah?” The word exploded out of Johnny, and when he looked over, his eyes were bright again, glinting yellow-orange in the darkness.
“I mean–I didn’t mean…”
“Don’t you dare take it back.”
I let out a relieved laugh. “Okay. I won’t, then.” God, my heart felt so full my chest could barely contain it. “It’s just… fast. Too quick, maybe.”
“Don’t take it back. I know, like you said, it seems fast, but Lyssa, I felt something special the moment I met you. I knew you were the one. Can you believe that?”
I gulped in my breath. My eyes watered.
I’d never imagined someone might say I was the one.
God, my whole life I’ve been the other one.
Johnny wanted me. Emma.
At least, I thought he wanted me.
What if what he really wanted was the Lyssa-version of me? Not the real me at all. What if he was disappointed when he found out I was boring old Emma? Nobody interesting at all?
I shoved those thoughts from my mind and met Johnny’s gaze. “I believe it,” I whispered, because it was almost true.
I wanted it to be true.
That was enough, right?
23
JOHNNY
Holy hell. I’d been missing so much in life before Lyssa. Before she told me she loved me. Now, I felt… fulfilled. My wolf was happy. Except my wolf and I were barely hanging on to control. What happened with that asshole at Cody’s was proof. I wanted to bite her. Mark her. Make her mine.
After we got back to the bunkhouse, I hadn’t even helped Lyssa away from the truck before I got inside her. I’d clicked off her seatbelt, pulled her out, spun her around, flipped up her skirt and fucked her.
Rough. Hard. Deep.
I made Lyssa forget that guy ever existed. Made her know she was mine. I was temporarily soothed when–and only when–I pulled out, spurted my cum over her perfect peach of an ass, then smeared it into her skin. I didn’t let her shower or clean it off. I could smell me on her.
It soothed my wolf, who was desperate to mark her.
This morning, we’d slept in, and then I’d taken her on a spectacular hike to a mountain lake where we’d had a picnic lunch. We’d returned and had a nice long shower together and planned to crawl back in bed for a nap, since I’d kept her up too late last night screaming my name.
Lyssa’s phone rang. I surreptitiously glanced at the screen to see if it was Chapman, but the screen read Stan.
My wolf growled at the sight of a man’s name there. Fuck, the full moon had me possessive as hell.
“It’s my old boss.” She looked at me as if I could advise her on something. As if she were torn.
“What does he want?”
“I think he wants me back.” She swallowed and swiped right to answer. At the same time, a knock sounded on the bunkhouse door.
Shit. He wants her back?
I opened it and found Rob.
I’d known this was coming. Had been waiting for it, and the longer the day went without hearing from him, the more I’d started to dread it.
“Got time to talk?” Rob’s thumbs were tucked into the front pockets of his jeans, and while he seemed all casual, he wasn’t. Plus, his question wasn’t a question at all.
He wanted to talk, and the time was now.
I glanced behind me, saw Lyssa on the phone.
“Sure,” I said. “Lemme grab a shirt.”
I was only in my jeans after our shower. Hadn’t even buttoned them.
Once dressed, I stepped out and pulled the door shut behind me.
We walked for a few minutes toward the barn, away from any chance of Lyssa overhearing.
“I’m sorry about last night, Alpha. I know I was out of control.” I stopped in the middle of the clearing. Rob stopped, too, and turned.
“You sure as hell were. You could’ve killed that guy with your first punch.”
“I know.”
“You’re lucky you didn’t snap his neck.” There was alpha command in his voice which hit me square in the chest, practically immobilizing my body. It was so much worse than a shout.
I scrubbed my hand over my face, shame flooding through me. Fuck. What if Rob decided I was a liability to the pack? What if I got kicked out of the Wolf Ranch pack, like I did back home?
A sense of dread crept over me like icy tendrils. “I know, Alpha. I’m sorry.”
Miraculously, Rob relented. Maybe he saw the panic in my expression because he dropped a hand on my shoulder, and his tone changed. “It’s all right, kid. The moon was nearly full, and he was touching your unmarked mate. Your wolf got protective.”