The air was too still.
Autumn felt the night press in on her like damp cloth soaked in heat. Her skin was too tight. Her breath wouldn’t even out. And worst of all... Kieran was staring.
He took another step forward. She matched it with a step back, hitting the marble rim of the fountain again.
Her hands slipped behind her slightly, trying to steady herself...but the stone felt too cold now...or maybe her temperature had spiked.
Her blood was humming. And her gown was already half undone.
"Don’t come closer," she warned, voice low but trembling with something that wasn’t fear. Not quite.
Kieran stopped. But only just. The moonlight carved sharp lines across his face...cheekbone, jaw, throat.
He looked like Aphrodite’s son. Autumn gulped. Why did the bastard have to look so good!
"I am not touching you," he rasped. "Not unless you ask me to."
Goddess have mercy!!! But definitely she would not... she didn’t know the meaning of the word ’mercy’ when it came to Autumn...
Autumn swallowed hard, forcing herself to hold his gaze even as her knees threatened to buckle. The lace across her chest suddenly felt like an iron corset...too tight, too exposed, too welcoming??? Perhaps she was sending the wrong signal.
"You are not supposed to be here," she whispered, trying to get back some control. "Go back to the party,Alpha! I believe you were interrupted in the middle of something.Alpha Velor got a lot of surplus for screwing. So go back. Let them finish the job.Don’t think too much. It’s just the special brews messing your senses! " And before her voice or her gaze could give away the hurt behind those words, she turned around. Partially!
Kieran inhaled deeply behind her, groaning faintly like it hurt.
His nostrils flared. "Don’t do that."
He moved so fast, she didn’t realize he had crossed the last few feet until he was right there...his chest nearly brushing hers.
He was so close, his heat touched the bare curve of her shoulder even though he hadn’t laid a hand on her.
"I wasn’t inside anyone," he bit out, word by word. "But I was close. Too fucking close."
Autumn fought her gasp. Why the hell did he have to tell her...why the hell did it hurt so much???
She didn’t give a fuck about whom he fucked! No she did not!
His hand shot up but paused midair...and hovered at her face, trembling. But he did not touch.
"You..." He was shaking. Like literally his body was trembling and then he suddenly turned around, slamming his fists together, looking up at the moon, letting out a maddening howl.
Autumn closed her eyes, fighting those tears threatening to fall and give everything away!
She turned her face slightly, refusing to let herself breathe him in. But the scent of him was already everywhere.
She saw him clawing at the mud like he was hurting... like he wanted to touch her (didn’t make any sense but it felt that way to her) ...And by the Moon ... she also wanted to touch him. Just once.
To press her palm to the curve of his jaw and say, " You are not crazy. It’s me, Kieran" And probably kiss him.
But then she remembered his swollen lips. The scent she sniffed on him.
"Alpha, maybe your body should be loyal to the one you chose, your wife I mean. You are married,right? " She spat, but the heat in her voice didn’t match the tremble in her limbs.
He stood up faster than Autumn could anticipate...and leaned in. Not kissing. Not touching. Just... but then he cut himself off, eyes flickering down to her heaving chest, to the strap that had slipped even lower.
Autumn was shaking. Whether it was fury or something else, she wasn’t sure anymore.
Her mouth parted but no sound came out.
Autumn’s nails curled into the stone behind her.
"I want you to leave.Please..." she lied.
But he stepped even closer . His hand lifted to her shoulder...hovered over the bare skin...and then fisted in the air as if to stop himself. He didn’t touch. Fucking Moon, why wasn’t he touching?
"No!!! I can’t touch you..." Kieran mumbled, shaking his head.
Autumn wanted to ask ’why’?? What was stopping him? Maybe she wanted a stolen moment too... though she couldn’t admit it at all.
"Because if I do, I know I won’t be able to stop myself," he growled as if talking to himself. "I will press my mouth to every inch of your fucking skin and drink whatever is making you tremble like that."
Utter silence. A pregnant pause! And then...
"You are disgusting," she whispered, breathless.She made a wounded sound...half sob, half curse...and pushed him.
He did not move. Neither did he flinch. Just smiled. That broken, wicked grin that made her hate him and ache for him in the same breath.
He bent his head, stopping with his lips a whisper away from hers. " You can stop pretending!"
Autumn almost felt her lungs come out of her mouth. He knew? But then he continued...
"Your pupils are blown. Your chest is flushed. Your hands are shaking. You want to be touched."
Autumn heaved a bit too loud.
His lips hovered over hers, close enough to taste.
Autumn’s heart hammered.
She should have shoved him away. Kneed him in the balls. Done something.
Instead, her traitorous body arched into his touch.Her pulse roared in her ears.
Damn the way even the thought of his touch made her forget her own name... her existence. Or even the fact that she hated him... she wanted nothing to do with him... everything...
Her eyes fluttered. And Kieran groaned in response. Like he felt it too.
His forehead pressed to hers, just barely. The tiniest contact. And Autumn squeezed her eyes shut.
But then he took a step back.
Autumn nearly fell forward from the sudden absence of his warmth.
He dragged his fingers through his hair, pacing now, like a wolf locked in a glass cage. Muscles tight. Jaw clenched. A storm simmering under his skin.
"This is madness," he growled. "You are not even my type."