Page 23 of Mane Attraction
Before she could think clearly, before she could analyze or strategize or maintain professional distance, his hands were framing her face, and his lips were claiming hers in a kiss that shattered every defense she’d ever built.
His mouth was warm and demanding, tasting of grief and hope and something uniquely him that made her senses reel. Her hands fisted in his ceremonial jacket as she kissed him back with a hunger that terrified and thrilled her in equal measure. This wasn’t the controlled, strategic kiss she might have planned for their public charade—this was raw and desperate and real.
Lev’s fingers tangled in her dark hair as he deepened the kiss, his alpha nature evident in the possessive way he held her, and the low growl that rumbled from his chest when she pressed closer. Every nerve ending in her body came alive under his touch, the mate bond singing between them with an intensity that made logical thought impossible.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Xelene stared into his burning blue-gold eyes and knew with crystalline clarity that everything had just changed irrevocably.
FIFTEEN
LEV
Lev’s mind had gone quiet the moment his lips had captured Xelene’s in the back of his royal vehicle. The roaring grief, the demands of the crown, the doubts—it all dissolved into white noise.
He hadn’t planned it. The kiss was pure instinct. Her belief in him, her unwavering presence at his side while he said goodbye to his father, had filled a void inside his chest. Maybe it was the mate bond, that electric thread that had woven itself between them the instant they touched, finally pulling taut. Or maybe it was simpler. Xelene was the first person who truly saw the man beneath the legend and didn’t look away.
He was already gathering the words—an apology, an explanation, something to smooth over the line he’d just crossed—when she moved.
With a certainty that stole his breath, Xelene shifted on the plush leather seat, her black dress riding up her thighs as she gracefully climbed onto his lap. She settled over him, straddling his hips, her weight a perfect, grounding pressure. Her green eyes, usually so cool and analytical, burned with a dark fire that made his lion roar with approval.
She wants this.
The realization hit him hard and immediate, and any thought of retreat vanished. This was no passive acceptance. This was her claiming him as much as he was claiming her.
Her hands went to the ornate fastenings of his ceremonial jacket, her fingers deft despite the slight tremble he felt in them. She pushed the heavy fabric off his shoulders, letting it fall in a heap on the royal vehicle floor, revealing his bare chest. Her gaze swept over him, her fingers tracing the hard planes of muscle and the old claw scar across his ribs. A soft, appreciative sound escaped her throat, and the possessive pride that surged through him was entirely alpha.
She leaned in again, her mouth finding his with a hunger that matched his own. This kiss was deeper, more desperate, a conversation without words that spoke of longing and a shared, furious need.
Lev reluctantly broke the kiss, his breath ragged against her lips. The royal vehicle’s gentle motion felt like the rocking of a boat in a storm.
“Are you sure about this?” His voice was a low rumble.
He had to ask. He had to hear it.
“I’m done denying what I feel,” she whispered, her hands sliding up to tangle in his hair. “Done denying what I want. I want this. This… mate bond.”
He pulled back just enough to search her face. “What?”
“Janice told me.” Xelene’s admission was breathless, her cheeks flushed. “She told me what you said to her. That I’m your fated mate. She explained… everything.”
A slow, triumphant smile spread across Lev’s face, his lion purring with satisfaction deep within. The charade was over. The truth was out. And she wasn’t running. She was here, in his lap, asking for more.
“I was going to tell you,” he said, his thumbs stroking her collarbone. “But I’m glad you know now. And I’m glad you feelit, too.” He leaned his forehead against hers, the intimacy of the gesture more profound than any kiss. “I want you so bad, Xelene. I’m done running from this connection. Whatever is happening between us… I don’t want to deny it anymore either.”
“Then let’s stop talking,” she said, and her final wall crumbled.
With a boldness that made his blood heat, she reached for the hem of her black dress, pulling it up and over her head in one fluid motion. It joined his jacket on the floor. She sat before him wearing only a simple pair of black panties, her skin glowing in the dim interior light. She was slender but strong, with full, perfect breasts that made his mouth go dry.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he breathed, the words ripped from him.
He didn’t wait for a reply. With a low growl, he wrapped his arms around her and laid her down gently on the wide back seat, settling himself over her. He claimed her mouth again, then trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses down the elegant column of her throat, feeling her pulse hammer against his lips. His hand found her breast, his palm skimming over the soft weight before his fingers closed around her nipple, rolling and teasing it into a tight peak.
She gasped, arching into his touch, her fingers clutching at his shoulders. “Lev…”
He moved lower, his mouth replacing his hand. He took one taut peak into his mouth, laving it with his tongue before sucking deeply. The sound she made—a broken, pleasure-filled moan—was the most exquisite thing he’d ever heard. He worshipped her other breast with the same devoted attention, his free hand roaming possessively over her ribs, her waist, and the curve of her hip.
Her hands were in his hair, not pushing him away but holding him to her, her hips making small, restless circlesbeneath him. The scent of her arousal, rich and intoxicating, filled the space, making his own need a painful, urgent pressure. His control was a thin, fraying thread.
He kissed his way down her toned abdomen, his tongue dipping into the shallow well of her navel. When he reached the lace edge of her panties, he hooked his fingers in them, looking up at her for permission. Her answer was to lift her hips, helping him slide them down her legs and discard them.
