I let my hands fall and gasp when I see the light in his eyes and the flare of his nostrils. “I…”
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
“No.”
“But you desire another man?”
“I…” My stomach flips over and over, and my core is swelling again. Lord help me, this man is virile. Everything about him is calling to me, and seeing him right now, so worked up at the thought of me with another guy—
My lady bits begin to throb.
His nostrils flare more. “You say you want another, yet your body wants me. I can smell it.”
Smell it? Did he seriously just say that?
He takes a step closer to me, until we’re standing toe-to-toe in the soft sand, then he places his hands on my hips and pulls me close. My breath sucks in when I press flush against him.
“I won’t share you, Brianna. You are mine.”
His possessive tone makes my core flame hotter.
“And you may not be willing to admit it yet, but I know you want me too.” He leans down and nips my neck.
A small gasp escapes me.
His mouth moves upward, pressing soft kisses on my neck, until he’s right at my ear and whispers, “I’ll wait for you, until you’re ready, but I won’t share you.” His breath tickles my skin, and my knees threaten to give out.
Holy balls, how is it possible that just the feel of his body against mine is enough to make me come?
As if sensing how much he’s affecting me right now, he loops his arms around my back and supports my weight. “But if another man tries to take you from me, I won’t allow it. I won’t push you, and I’ll give you the time that you need to adjust to being my mate, but I will not share you. Do you understand?”
My lids flutter. With how I’m feeling at the moment, I don’t give two shits about any other man, but then I remember that I don’t believe in this stuff.
I put my hands on his chest and shove him despite my body begging me to keep him close, but I refuse to be ruled by fate. “I told you. I’m not interested in a relationship. I have too many things I want to do first, and I don’t believe in mates or soulmates or fated mates or whatever the hell you’re calling this.”
He crosses his arms, and the muscle ticks in his jaw.
I don’t trust myself to steer clear of him, though, so I return to the blanket and lie on my side, my back to him.
Even though I’d wanted to admire the night sky, right now, I can’t. It’s taking everything in me not to throw myself at him and wrap my legs around his waist.
I groan internally with self-disgust.
It’s painful, this sexual attraction to him. But I will not be that girl.
At least a full two minutes pass before Collin sighs harshly and returns to his blanket. He continually readjusts his position, clearly unsettled if his frequent movements are any indication, but I still don’t turn to face him.
Instead, I wrap my arms around myself to ward off the growing chill. So what if he looks like Thor? So what that my lady parts are practically spasming right now at the thought of riding him? And so what that he’s been nothing but devoted, sweet, and caring for the past twenty-four hours?
He still abducted me, and he still has issues.
That’s not something I need to be a part of.
Then why are you here?
I shove that rational question aside and embrace my indignation. I never signed up to be anyone’s fated mate. I’m just a normal human, and I intend to stay that way.
Chapter 21 – Collin
Fucking hell. Well that didn’t go as planned.
My mate is sleeping beside me. Sometime in the past hour, she finally drifted off. Her even breaths make her back rise and fall slowly. I try not to watch her sleep, since she would probably be creeped out by that. So instead, I stare at the sky.
Millions of stars shine above us. It’s truly breathtaking, but even that sight isn’t enough to alleviate my frustration.
I rake my hand through my hair for what feels like the twentieth time. My mate’s a human, so it’s understandable that she’s having a hard time with this. She doesn’t want to accept that she’s meant to be with me and that I’m meant