you.”
“Then what are you doing?”
“Trying to figure out the best way to deal with your stubborn ass!” He thundered as he spun her back around. “Do you get how hard it is to figure you out?”
She slapped his hands off. “It’s even harder when you don’t—”
Grabbing the front of her t-shirt the same way he’d done the night before, he hauled her closer. “If you say I don’t know you one more time, you won’t be able to sit for a fucking week.” Ransom jostled her a little. “Do you understand?”
Fallon slowly nodded, taking full heed to the threat.
“No, I don’t know the small things. Like your favorite color or what type of inappropriate shit makes you chuckle when you’re alone. And I don’t know if you prefer venison over moose or if you like to hunt first thing in the morning as opposed to late at night. I have no idea what your complete life story is and I’m clueless to whether or not you like anywhere else in the world aside from Colorado.” He let go of her shirt and framed her face in his huge palms. “But I do know you’re not as hard as you like for everyone to believe and that you have to be some kind of leader to inspire the blind loyalty that you do in your pack mates. I do know you’re funny and that you can complete full sentences with verb and subject agreement. I do know I like the fact that you’re clearly not too hung up on performing bullshit shows of strength to prove how worthy you are to the rest of the shifter-community. I do know the way you amble around in your incredibly sized hiking boots is probably the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in my fucking life. And I do know how I felt the first time I saw your face in that magazine.” Ransom stared down at her, those fascinating amber irises sparkling like polished stones. “If you give me a chance, I can learn the rest Fallon. The moment I caught your scent I realized how much I’d lied to myself. It was never Wilder Lodge I wanted. It was you... always you. I can’t explain it. I can’t compartmentalize it. It scares the living fuck out of me but it’s there. Whatever this is, it isn’t going away and we could fight it, we could run from it but we both know that would only make it worse. I stepped away from you last night because giving into that moment would’ve been an invitation for you to try and forget my name this morning.” He ran his thumbs across her cheeks, leaned in and whispered softly, “When all I really want is you screaming it.”
Fallon kissed him. What other response could she have given to that blatant, scary, extremely risky statement? There wasn’t another response. There was truly nothing else she could’ve done aside from gripping the silver tipped strands of thick dark hair at the nape of his neck and bringing his head down as she went up on her tiptoes and met him a third of the way with her mouth; pouring everything she had in her behind that one gesture.
When had a man—whether he were canine, feline or bear— ever been that candid and sweet with her? They hadn’t. Fallon had yet to meet a man willing to fight so hard just to gain her attention. If she were honest with herself, she’d admit that all his goddamn emails and gifts had freaked her out because she wasn’t used to such a blatant pursuit. Predators were sneaky but Ransom was...well he was Ransom. Clearly he operated a bit differently than what she was used to. Right now, at this very second, that was okay.
It was okay for her to be a little selfish and enjoy the way his tongue stroked against hers. It was okay for her to let the little moan in the back of her throat out. It was okay to like how he pulled her into him with a gentle strength that made her feel something that she hadn’t in a long time—soft and feminine. God knew she
“Then what are you doing?”
“Trying to figure out the best way to deal with your stubborn ass!” He thundered as he spun her back around. “Do you get how hard it is to figure you out?”
She slapped his hands off. “It’s even harder when you don’t—”
Grabbing the front of her t-shirt the same way he’d done the night before, he hauled her closer. “If you say I don’t know you one more time, you won’t be able to sit for a fucking week.” Ransom jostled her a little. “Do you understand?”
Fallon slowly nodded, taking full heed to the threat.
“No, I don’t know the small things. Like your favorite color or what type of inappropriate shit makes you chuckle when you’re alone. And I don’t know if you prefer venison over moose or if you like to hunt first thing in the morning as opposed to late at night. I have no idea what your complete life story is and I’m clueless to whether or not you like anywhere else in the world aside from Colorado.” He let go of her shirt and framed her face in his huge palms. “But I do know you’re not as hard as you like for everyone to believe and that you have to be some kind of leader to inspire the blind loyalty that you do in your pack mates. I do know you’re funny and that you can complete full sentences with verb and subject agreement. I do know I like the fact that you’re clearly not too hung up on performing bullshit shows of strength to prove how worthy you are to the rest of the shifter-community. I do know the way you amble around in your incredibly sized hiking boots is probably the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in my fucking life. And I do know how I felt the first time I saw your face in that magazine.” Ransom stared down at her, those fascinating amber irises sparkling like polished stones. “If you give me a chance, I can learn the rest Fallon. The moment I caught your scent I realized how much I’d lied to myself. It was never Wilder Lodge I wanted. It was you... always you. I can’t explain it. I can’t compartmentalize it. It scares the living fuck out of me but it’s there. Whatever this is, it isn’t going away and we could fight it, we could run from it but we both know that would only make it worse. I stepped away from you last night because giving into that moment would’ve been an invitation for you to try and forget my name this morning.” He ran his thumbs across her cheeks, leaned in and whispered softly, “When all I really want is you screaming it.”
Fallon kissed him. What other response could she have given to that blatant, scary, extremely risky statement? There wasn’t another response. There was truly nothing else she could’ve done aside from gripping the silver tipped strands of thick dark hair at the nape of his neck and bringing his head down as she went up on her tiptoes and met him a third of the way with her mouth; pouring everything she had in her behind that one gesture.
When had a man—whether he were canine, feline or bear— ever been that candid and sweet with her? They hadn’t. Fallon had yet to meet a man willing to fight so hard just to gain her attention. If she were honest with herself, she’d admit that all his goddamn emails and gifts had freaked her out because she wasn’t used to such a blatant pursuit. Predators were sneaky but Ransom was...well he was Ransom. Clearly he operated a bit differently than what she was used to. Right now, at this very second, that was okay.
It was okay for her to be a little selfish and enjoy the way his tongue stroked against hers. It was okay for her to let the little moan in the back of her throat out. It was okay to like how he pulled her into him with a gentle strength that made her feel something that she hadn’t in a long time—soft and feminine. God knew she
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