Page 37 of Clashing With The Grumpy Wolf

She's safe, she's warm, and she's here.

But as I watch her fall into peaceful sleep, reality bubbles to the surface. What happens when this is over? When the tiara is found, the wedding complete, our arrangement concluded?

What happens when she leaves Saltford Bay, and me, behind?

My wolf growls at the thought, possessive and protective. For once, I find myself in complete agreement with the beast.

Chapter 11

Julia

Warmthcocoonsme,deepand enveloping, nothing like the bone-chilling cold of that cellar. I float toward consciousness through layers of comfort, my body heavy with the most restful sleep I've had in years. Something solid and warm presses against my back.

Someone.

Adrian.

Memory floods back. Adrian’s gentle insistence on taking care of me, the soup by firelight, my requestfor him to stay. Heat floods my cheeks as I remember reaching for him, asking him not to leave me alone. So much for my independent, professional facade.

And what may be even worse, I don’t really care.

I blink my eyes open slowly. Morning light filters through the curtains, casting golden patterns across the rustic wooden floor. Adrian's bedroom looks different in daylight, less intimidating, more lived-in. The dark-blue quilt has tangled around my legs during the night, and I'm still wearing his flannel shirt, the soft fabric carrying his scent.

Carefully, I turn to look at him.

Adrian lies on his side facing me, one muscular arm flung above his head, the other resting in the space between us. His face, usually set in stern lines of authority, has softened in sleep. Dark stubbles shadow his jaw, and thick eyelashes rest against his cheeks. Without the intensity of his gaze or the responsibility that seems to permanently weight his shoulders, he looks younger, almost peaceful.

His chest rises and falls with each deep breath, his black cotton t-shirt stretched across the broad expanse. He's still fully dressed, having kept his word to simply stay with me until I fell asleep.

But he also lay above the blankets, careful to respect my boundaries. Somehow, that makes the warmth in my chest spread even further.

How did this happen so quickly? A week ago, I didn't know Adrian Wolfsbane existed.

Now I can't imagine not knowing the feel of his arms around me, the taste of his mouth on mine, the way his eyes glow emerald when his control slips.

I've spent my entire adult life building walls around my heart, focusing on my career, on proving myself. In less than a week, thisgrumpy werewolf sheriff with his protective strike and surprising gentleness has found cracks in those carefully constructed defenses.

Found them and shattered them in a methodical, precise attack, one after the other.

The memory of our kiss floods back from when he scent marked me. I know it wasn’t a real kiss, that it was just to put his scent on me so that his pack would believe in our pretend mate bond. But the memory still sends electric currents through my body, leaving me wanting more.

Last time, I held back despite arousal flooding my body like never before. But right now, I don’t feel like holding back.

Lying beside his sleeping form, I feel that pulse of desire low in my belly. No man has ever made me feel the way Adrian Wolfsbane makes me feel.

Before I can stop myself, I reach out one finger to trace the contours of his shoulder, feeling the solid muscle beneath the cotton. My touch is featherlight as I follow a path up to his neck, then along his stubbled jaw, watching his face from time to time to make sure I don’t wake him. His skin is warm, slightly rough under my fingertips.

Heat pools low in my belly as I continue my slow exploration of his face. Then my finger continues its exploration, brushing across his firm lips. I lose myself in the contemplation of those firm, full lips and that heat burns some more until I’m properly aroused.

I look up to find his eyes open, watching me intently. Those green-gray irises focus entirely on me, fully alert despite having just awakened. I try to withdraw my hand, embarrassed at being caught, but Adrian's reflexes are too fast. His hand shoots up to gently capture my wrist before I can retreat.

“Morning,” I whisper and try to smile, but I can’t quite manage it.

In one fluid motion that seems impossibly fast for someone his size, Adrian flips himself above me, trapping me underneath him. His powerful body presses me into the mattress with only the quilt and the flannel shirt between us.

“Morning, beautiful.” His voice is a rough caress and I feel his chest vibrate as he speaks, like some animal is purring in there.

Which there is. He is a wolf as much as a man.