34

G E O R G I E

✿

I cleared my throat and tried to concentrate on wiping the blood from his beard. He must have bitten someone to death.

It was only when I ran his hand over his neck, cleaning his shoulders and arms, that I discovered the open wound on his upper arm. Blood flowed out of her, running down his skin. It had to hurt like hell. "So it's not all your blood? As if! Why didn't you tell me you were hurt straight away?” The wound matched the islander's. It came from the bang.

“The bullet just grazed me. The wound won't be worth mentioning in a few hours.”

I pressed my hand to the bloody spot and my hand smoldered open.

"Stop!"

I ignored his orders, pulled on my strength even more, desperately wanting to heal this wound. I got dizzy. I gritted my teeth, willing myself to control the mounting pressure in my chest.

Beau yanked my hand off his arm. "I told you to stop." He grabbed my face, lifting it up so I could look at him.

"Have you got another one?" I asked, lifting the wet cloth, blood soaking every patch of fabric.

He silently handed me another and emptied the water.

"Turn around," I instructed him. He complied with my request with his head bowed. The candlelight danced across his scarred back.

I began to gently wipe the blood from his skin. The cloth turned dark red, as did the water, as I wrung the rag again. Once I'd cleaned the last section, I put the scrap of fabric away and ran my fingers over the thick, protruding welts.

"What are you doing?" raspy and deep.

I blew him a kiss on one of the scars. The bulge of skin pressed against my lips and I kissed her again. "You're beautiful."

His body twitched slightly as he chuckled. "Nice?" Beau looked over his shoulder at me and smirked. My heart fluttered. "What man ever wants to be called handsome?"

My fingers trailed down his back, following the remaining drops of water running down his skin. "I don't know, but to me you are."

He turned, his hands gripping the slab of slate on either side of my thighs. Wolf fur layered his back, creeping between my fingers and then he leaned forward, slowly rubbing his nose against mine. “How can someone be so fucking perfect? You're perfect, you're perfect for me, you know that?”

Then accept the bond. “No.” I stroked his back, the corners of my mouth turning up. "Say it again."

He laughed and I felt his breath on my mouth. "Perfect," he whispered, running his hands down my thighs. He grabbed her, exerting pressure. I shuddered. "So fucking perfect."

My diaphragm tightened with excitement and my fingers clawed at his fur. "sorry, how was that? I didn't hear it. Can you repeat yourself?”

He cracked a grin. His hands went higher. “Don't push your luck too much. Or you'll regret it."

My eyes wandered to his full, curved mouth. He was so close to me that we breathed the same air. I wet my lips. "Hm. I like it exciting.”

A low growl that sent butterflies flying in my stomach. "Is that so?" One of his hands slipped under my hair and cupped my neck. Then he kissed me, running his tongue over my lower lip, slowly and with relish. I groaned softly and he repeated his tongue play with a wicked laugh. I was about to beg him to kiss me properly when he stopped. "What?" he whispered with a touch of disbelief, and then brushed my bottom lip again, cupping it between his and sucking. His nostrils flared before he suddenly released my lip and backed away as if someone had emptied the kettle over his head.

His eyes darted up and down between my mouth and my eyes. "You kissed him?" I was shocked. "You let Isaac get close to you?"

My heart slides into my pants. I wanted to pull him back to me, but he stayed where he was. “He kissed me, not the other way around. I did not want that."

The green in his eyes darkened and his voice was so sharp it could cut you. "You didn't want it and he kissed you anyway?"

I put my hands on my thighs, not knowing what to do with them. "He already has a black eye."

"One short."

I knew that look on his face. Saw the fierce determination on his face. "It wasn't okay that you hit him," I admonished him.

His mouth narrowed. "And you're standing up for Isaac again."

He made me mad. First he beats up Isaac, even though he hadn't done anything. Then I explained to him that I hadn't wanted the kiss and now he had the nerve to get upset about it. Even though he hadn't once fulfilled his claim to me. Though he didn't accept the tape. But when it came to sharing, was he over fun? I used to think it was so incredibly romantic. I would have longed for the moment when he looked at me the way he was doing now. But now I realized that ownership wasn't everything. I longed for more. Desperate for him to feel the way I did for him.

"Why shouldn't I?" I shot back. Say we're mates. that you want me That you finally accept me

He didn't reply.

I swallowed back the tears. "Perhaps I should actually take your advice."

He put his hands in his pockets. "And that would be?"

I grabbed a red maple leaf and fiddled with it to avoid looking at him. I shrugged. 'To take me another man. Isaac is decent, nice and sweet.”

“You like cute?”

My teeth ground. "Yes I do. I like sweet and normal and . . . and . . .” I struggled to find the right word. The sheet tore between my hands. "And civilized, goodness gracious!"

He laughed bitterly. 'Civilized, really? You snare the first one that comes your way?”

I threw away the shredded pieces of red leaf, jumped up and pushed him. Once. Then one more time. "You're a complete idiot, Beau, do you realize that?"

He didn't move an iota as my hands continued to descend on him. The veins in his neck bulged as he spluttered violently, "Oh yeah, I is that? Then why are you talking about wanting someone else that you let me kiss you for? After you let me get so close that I can already smell my scent on your skin?”

"Because I'm in love with you!" I roared out in frustration. The pounding of my fists against his chest stopped instantly and I stared at him. Oh heaven! I wanted to catch the words again, take them all back and swallow them while waiting to be rejected again. His voice was already ringing in my ears, telling me to keep my distance. That we didn't belong together.

But he did none of that. Instead, he let out a series of curses. As if there was nothing more terrifying in all of Semeera for someone like me to have feelings for him.

The ground beneath my feet was pulled away in one fell swoop. I fell, a dive I couldn't control. I smashed through sea level with a force that shattered my bones. Stormy waves pounded against my body, rocking it back and forth. I drowned Air drained from my throat, my hands waving in the ocean currents as I slumped lower.

The reality I was in felt the same way. I pulled my hands from his chest, pressing them to me. Then I spun around and headed for the door without looking at him again. I didn't want to see those lively green eyes that could ask me for anything without my being able to refuse. Who enchanted me and held me under their spell.