"Who are you?" she asked back. Was that her voice? Breathy, and so not her?
He smiled and suddenly she realized she was in too deep. Or maybe not deep enough.
"I asked you first. I've never met anyone like you before," he said.
All Ellen could do was nod.
"You too? What is this? I've never. Is this what..."
Say it. God, please say it. What? Is this what finding your mate was like? Or what else could he say? I mean, sure this was lust. Holly shit, was this lust? Her wolf was ready to roll over and have him give them a damn tummy rub. Ellen didn't want a tummy rub though. Nope. She wanted him stroking her from the inside out. No. She wanted to ride him like she was the rodeo queen and he was her prized stallion.
Her face heated.
"Princess. I don't know what is going through your head, but I'm praying it's something to do with us. Me."
Nibbling her lip, she let a slow smile answer the question.
"This is insane," he whispered.
She nodded. It was insane, and it was absolutely what she needed. This was for her. This was all she wanted.
"This is crazy," she whispered, "don't judge me, but I've never wanted something so much in my whole life as I want you."
His eyes flicked over her face, as if he were trying to read her like a book.
"I feel the same way. I can't walk away from you."
He bent in, his lips gentle, different from a moment ago.
Yes.
Pressing herself against him, she ached for his touch. Standing on tiptoes, even in her damn heels she still struggled to reach him.
A need flowed over her as his hands traveled her body, memorizing each place, each curve like it was a map. Losing a battle against a tremble as one hand finally found its way under her skirt, she nearly came as his fingertips grazed her thigh.
She slid her leg closer, pushing his hand higher.
Secretly, Ellen begged him to keep going. His hand stopped mere inches from something that should be off limits, forbidden to anyone but the wolf she was to mate.
Something in her cried out. No! This was who she should be with. This was who she was meant to mate.
Tonight she was who she wanted to be, not who she should be.
He shook her from her stupor.
"Not here," he said, his voice husky.
A huff of air escaped her as his hand retreated.
"What?" Trying to clear her head, she blinked. The fog still holding against reason, within her mind, over her body.
"Are you sure you want this? You want me?" he asked.
Was he stupid?
"I don't think want even covers what I'm feeling right now."
Her hands slid over his biceps. So many muscles. So many muscles to lick. Yeah, no. Want wasn't it. She needed.
He stood there, studying her. What was going through his head? It couldn't have been as bad as what was going through her head. Breaking a betrothal. Maybe she should walk away. Maybe she should go find her sister and Colby and go home.
The gentle touch of his hand cupped her cheek.
"Where have you been my whole life?" He asked.
Wait, what? Was he about to turn her down? Was he killing time? This was not a time for talking. Oh, hell no. No. He didn't get to turn her down. This was her damn fantasy and she was going to live it out. She was going to go out with a bang - both figurative and literal. She couldn't walk away never knowing what the hell kind of connection they could have.
No. Fuck her future. That was something for future Ellen to worry about. Right now, present Ellen wanted to screw this man's brains out.
She grabbed his hand and pushed it against her breast. He couldn't miss that kind of cue.
"I've been right here waiting for you to grow a pair and ask me up to your room."
He smirked.
"I think I'm in love."
She squirmed. That wasn't what she wanted to hear. Or, well yes. Maybe that's what she wanted to hear her entire teenage and adult life. But not right now.
No.
Without thought, she simply reached up and kissed him. He needed to shut the fuck up.
Before she could overthink anything else he picked her up and they were moving.
Ellen peeked, she wasn't about to let him stop kissing her, but she wanted to see where they were going. He was a wolf, he was safe. Who cared. He was her soulmate.
Somewhere within her she knew it and right now, everything Ellen had ever wanted was holding her.
She closed her eyes again. A door creaked. Muted noises of the party, somewhere in the house filtered in.
She pulled away.
"We're not going through the party are we? I can't be seen with you."
His chest rumbled. "Embarrassed already?"
Her eyes grew wide.
"God no. I just, it's complicated."
He kissed the top of her head.
"No. We aren't going through there. There are back stairs here, to rooms."
Right. Okay. Sure. Wait.
"Rooms? You, are you staying here?"
He paused. That wasn't good.
"If I say yes, will that change anything?"
Shit. This house. This was his pack. This was the pack of the guy she was supposed to mate. Could she break it off and then mate with someone else in the pack? Maybe they could run away together?
"Would you run away with me if I say it might?"
He started to walk again.
"I will follow you to the end of the world if that was the only way to have you."
The tone in his words. He meant it. He meant he would follow her.
"If you won't give me a name, tell me. What pack are you from?"
Ellen thought, and realized this was the time.
"Tonight. Let's pretend like we are whoever we want to be."
She kissed him and he took her the rest of the way
