Page 40 of Alpha Hunt
“I…I’m sorry,” I manage to stammer out, my voice rough with sleep and embarrassment. “I didn’t mean to… I don’t know what…”
I trail off, unable to find the right thing to say, my cheeks burning with shame. I try to pull away, to put some distance between us, but his arms tighten around me, holding me in place.
“Good morning,” he says. His voice is rough, too…more than usual. It normally has a husky edge to it, a smoky rasp, but it’s deeper now, and it almost makes my toes curl. He sounds…delicious.
“I…um… Good morning,” I manage.
“Sleep well?” His arms are still around me. I’m tempted to pry them away, but it seems like I’ll only draw attention to our uncomfortable predicament. Not that I’m physically uncomfortable. My body is quite happy to stay like this.
“It seems that way.” I flick a look down and then back up again.
His lips curl up. I sense he’s fighting off a grin. “Glad to hear it.”
I lick my lips and cautiously slide my knee away from him, then stop abruptly. He may be wearing shorts, but what my leg just brushed against is unmistakable.
Shit!
I freeze. If I move an inch, I’m going to grind up against his cock. Which is hard. Rock hard.
Oh, geez!
I really, really could die right now. Not only have I been climbing all over him in my sleep, but now I’m interrupting a session of “morning wood.”
Could this get any worse?
“I’m…so sorry,” I try again.
“Nothing to be sorry about,” he says, still suppressing that grin. Is he making fun of me? He’s certainly enjoying my discomfort.
My hand is splayed on his chest over the thick slab of his pectoral muscle. I can feel his nipple against my palm, and I swear I feel it hardening.
Oh, my God!
How could I blame him for getting turned on when I’m practically rubbing up against him like a cat in heat?
I pull my focus away from my hand and look back up at him. His eyes are searching my face, still unreadable. His grip on me loosens as he raises a hand, and for a moment, I feel the loss of it. Until he puts his fingers to my cheek and strokes a curl away.
“I’ve always wondered what you looked like with your hair down.” He’s looking at the lock of hair between his fingertips, rubbing the texture. “I like it.”
“Thanks.” I press my lips together, intensely aware of this growing sense of intimacy.
“You’re lovely,” he tells me, his voice growing even more husky. I’m not sure what to say to that. Do I thank him? Dismiss it? Laugh it off? Nothing seems appropriate. And it turns out that it’s not necessary; when he cups my cheek and runs the pad of his thumb over my bottom lip, I lose my voice anyway.
Because Edirn kisses me.
The first touch of his lips is soft and gentle, a barely-there caress that sends a sensation rippling down my spine. My breath catches in my throat, my heart lurching. His mouth moves over mine, exploring, tasting, and I’m lost in the feeling.
I’ve been kissed before, but never like this. Never with such tenderness, such sweetness. In the past, I was always the one to initiate, the one to take control. But this…this is something else. And it leaves me reeling.
His hand slides into my hair, cradling my head, and he deepens the kiss. His tongue traces the seam of my lips, and I open for him, welcoming him inside. He tastes of sleep and man and something uniquely Edirn, and I can’t get enough.
A moan rises in my throat as he explores my mouth, his tongue tangling with mine. Heat blooms in my belly, spreading through my veins like raging flames. My body responds to him instinctively, arching into his touch, craving more.
What is happening to me?
I’ve never felt like this before, never wanted someone so desperately. It’s terrifying and thrilling all at once. I want him to touch me, to taste me, to claim me in the most intimate of ways. I want to feel his skin against mine, his weight pressing me into the mattress. I want-
He pulls away, breaking the kiss, leaving me bereft. I blink at him, dazed, my lips tingling from the touch of his. He looks down at me, his eyes dark, his breathing ragged. For a moment, we just stare at each other, the air between us charged, electric.