Page 23 of Tiger Bitten

“You really don’t know what a Rabbit is?”

She didn’t understand. “The animal?”

He inhaled deeply and frowned at the woods, and then dragged his attention back to her. “If I kiss you, would you run?”

“No.”

“Good. You can’t ever run, okay?”

She shook her head, so confused.

“I have to be careful when I’m with you,” he whispered, his eyes trying to tell her something she couldn’t comprehend. “I have to be careful when I touch you.”

“Okay. What can I do to help?”

“Warn me if you ever need to run,” he said so softly, she almost missed it.

He squeezed her hand and leaned in slowly. His gaze was on her eyes, then drifted to her lips.

He was going to kiss her. Really. He was going to kiss her.

He stopped inches from her lips, leaving her a choice.

She chose him.

Pushing up on her tiptoes, Ren pressed her lips so softly to his, and then came back to earth, eyes searching his. He kept his eyes closed for a three count, and then he slid his hand behind her neck and pulled her to him, covering her lips with his.

The feel of him. The taste of him. The strength in the way he touched her. Fireworks were exploding in her middle, and she found herself grasping his shirt, desperate for more, desperate to keep him close to her.

He angled his head and pushed his tongue past her lips, and a helpless sound escaped her.

Click.

Mars froze and made a pecking sound as he eased out of their kiss. His eyes drifted over her shoulder.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin the moment.”

Ren turned to find one of the wedding photographers standing there reviewing the picture she’d just taken.

“You two just looked so lovely out here and the lighting was perfect and I couldn’t help myself. She turned the camera toward Ren, and she nearly gasped at how beautiful it was. Her dress had lifted in the breeze, and Mars looked so tall and strong and dark next to her. His hand was holding hers, and his other was gripping her hair in the back. The look on his face was a combination of hunger and relief.

“Thank you,” Ren said, not knowing what else to say in this moment, or how Mars felt about the picture of their kiss.

“It’ll be in the gallery when it goes live,” the photographer promised. With a smile, she said, “You two have a great night.”

She left and Ren dared a look back up at Mars. His dark brows were drawn down in a troubled look. “I don’t know if this is okay,” he said.

“Oh.”

“Was that kiss for him or for me?” Mars asked, jutting his chin over her shoulder.

Confused, Ren looked and saw Abe there. “I forgot he was here. I forgot everything was here.”

Mars let off a long steadying breath and nodded. “Good.”

He cupped her curls and gripped them gently on either side of her face and searched her eyes with his glowing blue ones. “I won’t hurt you.”

It was such a strange oath to make in this moment.