Hot Blooded (Wolf Springs Chronicles) - By Nancy Holder Page 0,63
fast; she left silver bullets and the Hellhound and the Fenners behind as she screamed with a combination of alarm and exhilaration. The sled picked up even more speed, and Trick shouted out, “Whoa, whoa, Katelyn!”
Faster.
“You’re on ice!” he bellowed. “Just steer straight!”
She shrieked, laughing, realizing she was going to fly past him. How the heck was she going to stop?
He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Lean backward. Try to drag your feet!”
Instead she reflexively yanked on the rope, way too hard. The sled zoomed sharply to the right and Katelyn tumbled off, face first, into the snow. She burst into a cascade of relieved guffaws, laughing so hard she couldn’t move.
“Oh, my God,” Trick said, stricken.
She kept laughing, helplessly, until he reached her and cautiously rolled her onto her back. All she could see were his green eyes as he bent over her and wiped the snow off her face.
“Are you okay? Are you all right?” he demanded.
She nodded, still laughing. “Ice on my side of the hill, huh? How convenient—”
Trick slid his hands under her neck and upper back, lifting her from the snow, and kissed her. His lips pressed against hers and he gasped, then he eased his tongue into her mouth. Pleasurable explosions burst at the small of her back and fanned out everywhere — her toes, her cheeks, the top of her head. She couldn’t believe how good it felt, but it went beyond physical sensation to a sweet, deep joy. This was Trick, smart and quirky and yes, scary and unpredictable, but it was Trick. She hadn’t kissed him in almost a month, and she had missed him, missed this. So much.
Trick’s breath was hot against her cheek, her earlobe. He kissed her closed eyes, returning again and again to her mouth. He was raising her head, shoulders, and upper back above the snow, cradling her, holding her as if she were the most precious, adored girl in the world. She put her arms around his neck, clinging to him, never, ever wanting to stop kissing him.
He covered her face with kisses, then whispered her name into her ear over and over: “Katelyn, Katelyn.”
And there was something about his voice that stopped her. Something familiar, and dangerous. Something that reminded her that when she was with Justin, she wanted him to kiss her like this, too. It made her feel two-faced and she understood how it would hurt Trick if he knew. And even though she knew the attraction to Justin was only physical — something to do with the wolf part in her reacting to the wolf in him — it still made her feel ashamed.
I’m not part of Trick’s world anymore. I’m not human. And my grandfather has silver bullets in his garage.
“Trick,” she protested, turning her face.
He didn’t answer, just craned his head and kissed her mouth again. Her lips parted and her head fell back. It felt so good. And so right.
I’m not human.
“Trick, please.” She pushed gently at him, feeling his heartbeat beneath her hand, and then she said, “No.”
He stopped immediately. His breathing shallow, he cradled her head and laid his cheek against her forehead. Then, with a sigh, he pulled her up to her feet. His face was full of color; his cheeks were red and his lips were slightly swollen from their kisses. And his pupils were so dilated they almost looked black.
If only she could explain. But she couldn’t.
As if he could read her mind, he cupped her chin and chastely brushed his lips against hers. Then he took her gloved hand in his and splayed it over his heart, which was racing so fast she couldn’t count the beats.
“No’s the magic word,” he said. “I want you, Kat. But it’s not just physical — I’m not some kind of animal.”
But I am, she thought. Part of her wanted to take back the no. But she had to sort everything out.
“And I won’t just be friends,” he added. “I can’t be your best androgynous pal in the friend zone while you sample what Wolf Springs has to offer.” When she opened her mouth to protest, he shook his head. “You don’t owe me anything, darlin’. Not even an explanation. But if I keep kissing you, you will. That’s how I’ll see it.”
“Trick,” she said, and he cocked his head, the sun glistening on his high cheekbones. He was so amazing looking. Check, beyond that, he was amazing.