11. Chapter 11
Julia
Warmth cocoons me, deep and enveloping, nothing like the bone-chilling cold of that cellar. I float toward consciousness through layers of comfort, my body heavy with the most restful sleep I've had in years. Something solid and warm presses against my back.
Someone.
Adrian.
Memory floods back. Adrian’s gentle insistence on taking care of me, the soup by firelight, my request for him to stay. Heat floods my cheeks as I remember reaching for him, asking him not to leave me alone. So much for my independent, professional facade.
And what may be even worse, I don’t really care.
I blink my eyes open slowly. Morning light filters through the curtains, casting golden patterns across the rustic wooden floor.
Adrian's bedroom looks different in daylight, less intimidating, more lived-in.
The dark-blue quilt has tangled around my legs during the night, and I'm still wearing his flannel shirt, the soft fabric carrying his scent.
Carefully, I turn to look at him.
Adrian lies on his side facing me, one muscular arm flung above his head, the other resting in the space between us.
His face, usually set in stern lines of authority, has softened in sleep.
Dark stubbles shadow his jaw, and thick eyelashes rest against his cheeks.
Without the intensity of his gaze or the responsibility that seems to permanently weight his shoulders, he looks younger, almost peaceful.
His chest rises and falls with each deep breath, his black cotton t-shirt stretched across the broad expanse. He's still fully dressed, having kept his word to simply stay with me until I fell asleep.
But he also lay above the blankets, careful to respect my boundaries. Somehow, that makes the warmth in my chest spread even further.
How did this happen so quickly? A week ago, I didn't know Adrian Wolfsbane existed.
Now I can't imagine not knowing the feel of his arms around me, the taste of his mouth on mine, the way his eyes glow emerald when his control slips.
I've spent my entire adult life building walls around my heart, focusing on my career, on proving myself. In less than a week, this grumpy werewolf sheriff with his protective strike and surprising gentleness has found cracks in those carefully constructed defenses.
Found them and shattered them in a methodical, precise attack, one after the other.
The memory of our kiss floods back from when he scent marked me. I know it wasn’t a real kiss, that it was just to put his scent on me so that his pack would believe in our pretend mate bond. But the memory still sends electric currents through my body, leaving me wanting more.
Last time, I held back despite arousal flooding my body like never before. But right now, I don’t feel like holding back.
Lying beside his sleeping form, I feel that pulse of desire low in my belly. No man has ever made me feel the way Adrian Wolfsbane makes me feel.
Before I can stop myself, I reach out one finger to trace the contours of his shoulder, feeling the solid muscle beneath the cotton.
My touch is featherlight as I follow a path up to his neck, then along his stubbled jaw, watching his face from time to time to make sure I don’t wake him.
His skin is warm, slightly rough under my fingertips.
Heat pools low in my belly as I continue my slow exploration of his face. Then my finger continues its exploration, brushing across his firm lips. I lose myself in the contemplation of those firm, full lips and that heat burns some more until I’m properly aroused.
I look up to find his eyes open, watching me intently.
Those green-gray irises focus entirely on me, fully alert despite having just awakened.
I try to withdraw my hand, embarrassed at being caught, but Adrian's reflexes are too fast. His hand shoots up to gently capture my wrist before I can retreat .
“Morning,” I whisper and try to smile, but I can’t quite manage it.
In one fluid motion that seems impossibly fast for someone his size, Adrian flips himself above me, trapping me underneath him. His powerful body presses me into the mattress with only the quilt and the flannel shirt between us.
“Morning, beautiful.” His voice is a rough caress and I feel his chest vibrate as he speaks, like some animal is purring in there.
Which there is. He is a wolf as much as a man.
That warmth between my legs turns into liquid heat and our eyes lock.
His nostrils flare and with his keen wolf senses, I know he can smell it.
Instead of feeling embarrassed, it only makes me more aroused.
The air between us charges with crackling tension.
His eyes begin to glow, the emerald green of his wolf rising to the surface.
I feel the hard evidence of his arousal pressed against my hip, and my breath catches.
"Julia," he says, voice rough with restraint, "can I kiss you?"
My heart hammers against my ribs. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.
I nod, then find my voice. "Yes."
Adrian doesn’t hesitate. He captures my mouth with a hunger that makes our previous kisses seem tame.
This is raw need, no pretense, no holding back.
His lips move against mine with passionate intensity, and I respond in kind, my hands sliding up to tangle in his thick hair.
His tongue invades my mouth, his taste laying waste to my sanity.
He tastes of mint and wilderness, and all of a sudden, I’m no longer myself. No longer Julia the wedding planner, the girl with the color-coded binder and the tight schedule .
I’m just a woman, drinking in the essence of a man who makes my bones turn to jelly and my belly quiver with need. My fingers explore the broad expanse of his shoulders, feeling the coiled strength beneath his shirt.
His large hands begin to wander over my body, one cupping my face while the other slides down to my waist, then hip, leaving trails of heat in their wake. Each touch ignites another flame under my skin. I arch into him, pressing my hips firmly against his erection, wanting more. Wanting everything.
I've never felt this possessive urge before, this primal need to claim someone as thoroughly as they're claiming me. I run my hands over his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart beneath my palm, matching the wild rhythm of my own.
Adrian breaks the kiss, breathing heavily. His eyes now glow fully, nothing human in that luminous green.
"Julia, if we don't stop now, I might not be able to later."
I blink up at him, trying to process his words through the fog of desire clouding my brain.
"Why would I want you to stop?"
"My wolf," he explains, voice strained. "He's too close to the surface. He wants to claim you completely. As my mate."
The word 'mate' sends a shiver through me that has nothing to do with fear and everything to do with want.
"This isn't pretend for me anymore," Adrian confesses, his expression raw with honesty. "If it ever truly was. My wolf wants you. I want you."
Reality crashes through the haze of desire.
"Mate? As in forever? "
"Yes." His gaze doesn't waver. "Wolves mate for life."
"So I have to decide right now if I want to stay with you forever?" My practical nature asserts itself even through the fog of arousal. "That's a big decision for a Tuesday morning."
The corner of his mouth lifts in a slight smile.
"You always have a choice, Julia. Always. Even if we continue, my wolf will always see you as his mate, but I will respect whatever choice you make about our future."
I study his face, seeing the sincerity in his eyes.
“I can't promise forever yet.” I lick my lips. “I barely know you.”
"I know."
"But this isn't fake for me either." The admission feels like stepping off a cliff. "What I feel for you, it is real. I want you, Adrian. All of you."
A growl rumbles from his chest, the sound vibrating through me where our bodies touch.
"That's more than enough. And I'll spend every moment between now and forever trying to convince you to stay and accept the wolf’s claim."
He kisses me again, deeper this time, his control slipping further with each passing second. I feel the change in his body, the barely leashed power as the wolf rises closer to the surface.
Adrian reaches between us, pulling away the blankets separating our bodies. Cool air hits my bare legs, and I suddenly feel very conscious of how I'm wearing absolutely nothing beneath his flannel shirt.
But instead of shyness, I feel bold. I sit up, my fingers finding the buttons. One by one, I undo them, maintaining eye contact with Adrian as I reveal myself to him completely. The shirt falls open, then off my shoulders, pooling behind me on the bed.
Adrian's response is immediate and intense. A feral growl rumbles from his chest, his eyes glowing brighter as he takes in the sight of my naked body.
"You're beautiful," he breathes, voice rough with want. “You’re perfect.”
He kisses me hungrily, then flips me on my back on the bed.
I cry out in surprise at the sudden movement, but he doesn’t give me time to recover.
Instead, he trails his mouth down my throat to my collarbone.
His stubble scrapes deliciously against my sensitive skin, the slight edge of pain enhancing the pleasure.
"I've dreamed of this," he murmurs against my skin. "Since that first moment I caught your scent."
His mouth moves to my breasts, taking his time with each one. His tongue circles one nipple while his fingers tease the other, the dual sensation making me arch beneath him. When he sucks hard, I gasp, my fingers clutching at his shoulders.
By then, I’ve stopped any rational thinking.
He continues his downward path, kissing my stomach, my hips, then pushing my knees apart with gentle but insistent hands, exposing my bare pussy to his view. I'm panting now, fingers clutching the sheets as Adrian teases my inner thighs with kisses and gentle nips.
"Adrian," I breathe, not even caring about the pleading note in my voice.