Page 59 of Hell Kissed

He’s entirely focused on what lies below.

Something I nearly forgot. Until it jars into us. My head knocks against his as his boots hit the ground with a cloud of dust and dirt washing up over us. It clings to his hair and settles against my flesh as he straightens from his superhero landing.

His deep green eyes shift over my face. He traces my wide eyes, the curve of my cheek, and finally my lips. An inch of space separates me from the Viking of a man. The ripples of his muscles show beneath a drenched and dirty shirt.

He truly is a hero. He never once gave up, even after it was too late for me.

And now he’s saved me twice… Three times… Wow, I really should mumble a thank you now and then, I guess.

Something about that thought quivers inside of me and I lean into him even more, our breaths meeting just before our lips.

But our lips never touch.

Because his mouth opens with a stream of words….

That I can’t hear.

“What?” I ask as loudly as I can, but my own voice sounds far off in the distance.

His lips move once more without sound.

“What?”

He flinches at the apparent sound of my words, so I try again.

“I can’t hear you!”

He shakes his head hard and drops me to the ground, my feet stumbling slightly. His now free hands shove through his messy blond locks.

Fuck.I can make out that word. I watch his lips intently to try to understand more.

Fuck—fuck—fucking woman.

“Excuse me!” My hands hit my nude hips and his attention follows the motion, making me suddenly aware of how very naked I am right now. Again.

Doesn’t matter.

“Don’t curse me. I’m right here. You’re being rude!” I glare at the man who just rescued me.

He turns on me with a deadly stare like a total caveman about to drag me off to be claimed.

I don’t know why my hips shift at the idea of that.

It’s just his stature. He’s big in that natural way that makes you want to climb him. Makes you want to see how small he can make you feel as he pins you beneath him. Makes you want to lower yourself over him and find out if every inch of him is just as proportionate…

“I said this fucking woman is going to get me in trouble!” he roars, and his gravelly growl suddenly sinks in.

My mouth falls open, and I listen intently.

The sound of a beautiful hellacious waterfall can be heard. If I close my eyes, I can imagine it to be just that instead of falling flames of fire.

In the distance, I hear the thudding footsteps of the retreating giant as he disappears from sight, cradling his precious broken branch.

My hearing is healed.

The part of me that’s never really been mine but my wolf’s is now one. I’m her and she is me. We share the same healing magic. The same emotions. The same beautiful soul.

Dampness stings my eyes as I look up at Torben with a sudden smile.