“I’m sorry you lost your dad too. It’s hard,isn’t it?”
He nodded as he gazed at the landscape. Adeep sadness swept across his handsome features. “I still miss him.Mum too, and Piper, Luna’s mum. They all died twelve years ago,after Luna was born.”
Her mouth dropped open. He wasn’t theself-centred, arrogantwerewolf she thought he was. Beneath that gargantuan, tough-guyexterior was a gentle man with an even bigger heart, and a lonelysoul too. He cared deeply, and the fact that he felt he could tellher something so close to his heart touched somethingwithin.
She placed her hand on his forearm.“Grayson…” Jamie swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m so sorry.”It seemed so inadequate. She didn’t push for details, but the painin his eyes hinted at something awful.
Grayson glanced down at her hand andinhaled sharply. “No,I’m sorry. I wanted everything to be perfect and I’ve gone andruined it. It’s this place; it always brings back such fondmemories, but sometimes the bad ones too.”
Jamie stroked her thumb over his skin, sowarm despite the dropping temperature. “You haven’t ruined anything.” No, because insharing his feelings, she saw a vulnerability in him she foundtotally alluring.
He didn’t look convinced. “I’m supposed to bestrong, the alpha wolf, but I’m not, Jamie. I do my best, but—”
Jamie shook her head. “Showing you care is not a weakness,Grayson. It shows a strength most men don’t even possess in theirlittle finger. Without compassion and trust, and love, of course,there is nothing.” Love? What madeher say that?
Her heart beat so fast in her chest she thought it might burstfree. The urge to ease his pain, if only a fraction, overwhelmedher.
“My pack don’t see it like that. I’m theiralpha, a position I was forced into, but I have to be strong. Assoon as my beta, Xander, proves he’s worthy enough to take over, I’ll be done with allthe dramas, and the politics too.”
“I don’t know anything about what goes onwith wolf packs, but I don’t care if you’re an alpha or not; I seethe person.” She paused until he looked at her. “I see you,Grayson.”
Her gaze sought his lips, then flitted to hiseyes. The golden flecks danced like tiny flames, drawing her intotheir warmth. Her pulse rate rocketed. She could think of nothingexcept Grayson, how this once-arrogant wolf was now melting herheart.
Throwing caution to the wind, she lurchedforward and kissed him, her movement clumsy and awkward, half onhis lips, half on his cheek. His full lips were softer than she’dimagined, and hot, really hot, like he had his own built-in heatsource.
Grayson edged back, a frown furrowing his brow.
“Oh God, I’ve made a fool of myself, haven’tI?” she said.
“No.” His wall of a chest rose up and down.“You took me by surprise, that’s all.”
“It’s… I haven’t kissed a guy for over fiveyears and I…”
He grinned, easing her concerns. “Five years?”
“Mock all you like. It came as a bit of asurprise to me too.” She blew out a breath, and suddenly she wantedto share something close to her heart too. “After I caught myfiancé having sex with my bridesmaid on our weddingday, I chose not to date anyoneever again, and I was happy with that decision. Untilnow.”
“That’s an awful thing to happen. I’m sorry,Jamie.” He raked his fingers through his gorgeous mane of hair. “Itmakes things even worse now.”
She frowned. “I messed up, I get it. Forget I kissed you—badly.It wasn’t really a kiss anyway, considering how I seem to haveforgotten what to do.”
“No, you don’t understand.” His gaze fixedon hers. “Damnit, Jamie, I was going to play this so cool. I toldmyself I would keep mydistance today, but I can’t.”
The space between them crackled withanticipation.
“Why?” Her voice came out in a croak.
“Because I’m terrified I’ll scare you awaywhen all I want to do is kiss you again.”
Her breath hitched. “Then kiss me.”
Grayson hooked his forefinger under her chin, his touchfeather-like, and tilted her face upwards.
A drop of rain spotted her cheek as he inchedcloser, his beautiful eyes holding her spellbound.
Hot lips brushed against hers, tentativeand gentle, for no more than a second before he pulled back and met her gazeagain.
Jamie forgot how to breathe, swept up in themoment. Consumed by his powerful body so close to hers, she hardlynoticed the cool raindrops dampening her hair.
He kissed her again, deepening it thistime, his tongue gentlyflicking across her lips, tasting, tantalising, erotic.
She wanted more.
A quiet buzzing sound came from somewhere.She ignored it.
Jamie slipped her hand around the nape ofhis neck and drew him closer still, tangling her fingers inthe soft curls.
Grayson’s groan sounded muffled against herskin.
She flicked the tip of her tongue acrosshis lips, tasting him too, lost in sensations she hadn’t felt in along time. Too long. Every part of her tingled with awareness. Hispresence was overwhelming, as though he had cast a magical spell thatrendered her helpless to his touch, his intense eyes, his muscularbody that was surely built for sin…
Heat spread between her thighs, taking herby surprise at its intensity, but she succumbed to itnevertheless, pressing her bodyto his.
Suddenly he broke the kiss, leaving her lipscold and craving his touch once more.
“I should answer it.”
Her head spun. Not only had his kissignited a reaction in her body, it had done something else too.This gorgeous,endearing, gentle wolf had somehow crumbled the wall she’d builtaround her heart.
The buzzing got louder as Grayson fetched hisphone from his pocket. He frowned at the screen. “It’s Alice. Shewould only call if it was an emergency.”
Jamie tried to focus. The few spots of rainturned into a shower, the clouds above charcoal grey.
Grayson answered the phone. “Alice, what’sup?”
The colour drained from his face as helistened. Fear swept across his handsome features, bringing on anodd sensation of nauseaon her side.
“I’ll be right there,” he said into thereceiver, his voice strained, on edge.
He shoved his phone back into his pocket andbegan to throw the food back into the hamper.
They hadn’t even taken a
