Fear of Fire and Shadow (The Fade #1) - Samantha Young Page 0,98

door behind him and turned the lock.

I glared at him as he leaned against the door, his expression inscrutable.

“Grof Krill and Grofka Ariana are so sickeningly happy, I had to get away from them.”

I was surprised by his even tone. There was no ice in his eyes.

“Get out,” I snapped, feeling the hurt roll over me again in crashing waves.

Wolfe’s expression hardened. “No.” He shook his head and pushed away from the door, striding toward me. “I’m fed up with fighting with you. It’s exhausting. I keep waiting for you to come to your senses … but I realized something today.”

I continued glowering. “What was that?”

He stopped inches from me so I had to crane my neck to meet his eyes. “You never just come to your senses, Rogan. You have to have them shaken into you.” He reached out to touch my cheek and I jerked away, ignoring his wounded look as he dropped his hand. “I love you, Rogan.”

All the pain and anger I felt brimmed over in my eyes. “Then why did you bed Winter when we were in Caera?”

Wolfe looked stunned.

Then he slowly lowered himself onto the bed beside me and attempted to reach for my hands.

I shook my head at him.

He sighed. “Rogan, I never bedded Winter. I never touched her. I shared a room with Chaeron that night. You can ask him. You know he won’t lie to you.”

Confusion plus his proximity made my skin flush hot. “What?”

“I was nowhere near her. The last time we were in Caera, I told Winter there would never be anything between us again because … because I love you. I’m in love with you.”

I trembled, hope desperately clambering its way back into my heart. I tried to shake it out but it clung on. “The servants were gossiping about you. They said you were seen leaving her bedroom in the morning.”

Wolfe huffed in exasperation. “Winter likes to use her servants for her little games. She wants me back, Rogan. She’s trying to build a wall between us.”

“You refused to converse with me, even look at me. There was already a wall.”

He reached for me, his fingers whispering down my cheek. Then his hand slid beneath my hair to cup my nape. I shivered at his gentle touch. “I was terrified, Rogan. Every time I think about what could have happened … what did happen … I—”

“Wolfe, don’t,” I urged, shushing him. I reached for his other hand and threaded my fingers through his. His skin was warm and rough against mine.

“I don’t want a wall between us ever again,” Wolfe whispered.

I looked up to find his eyes on my face. I saw his fear. Fear of rejection. And I hated that I was the cause of it.

Slowly, my breath hitching, I leaned across the space between us and pressed my lips to his. Wolfe sat tense, unmoving as I kissed him, as if he was afraid to touch me.

I retreated.

There was desire in his eyes but also wariness, uncertainty, and concern. It took me a moment to understand what had put all of that there. “He didn’t hurt me, Wolfe. He didn’t … rape me.”

Wolfe swallowed, his eyes glistening. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

Tentatively, he lifted our clasped hands off the bed and kissed my knuckles.

“Are you going to seduce me, Wolfe, or am I going to have to seduce you?”

Wolfe’s eyes darkened as his lips curved into that wicked smile. “I’m happy with either scenario.”

Made bold by his declaration of love, I pressed my lips to his throat. He groaned, tilting his head back a little as I kissed my way up to his jaw. He needed to shave. His stubble tickled my lips, and something about the feel of it scratching my skin made me burn hotter.

With a growl of impatience, Wolfe’s lips crashed down over mine.

His kiss was deep, hungry, coaxing; his tongue gently teased mine. As I melted into it, he laid me back on the bed. My thighs naturally parted and he fell between my legs, covering my body with his. I pulled at his shirt until I could slip my hands beneath it, forcing the fabric up so I could explore his hard stomach. The ridges of muscle me tremble with want. He was hard to my soft, and the evidence of his utter masculinity pleased me. A ripple of hot sensation moved deep and low in my belly.

Wolfe broke the kiss, but only so he could remove his shirt. He threw it behind him