Page 74 of Brutal Reign
She grinds to a halt, forcing me to stop and swivel around to face her. “I did,” she replies curtly, folding her arms across her chest indignantly and cocking out a hip. “Jealous?”
“Fuck yeah, I’m jealous.”
She shakes her head, eyes darkening and lips twisting in a scowl. “I’m not doing this,” she mutters, whirling around and stepping off the curb into the parking lot.
Shit, how did I already screw this up?
“Riv, wait,” I grunt, reaching out to snatch her arm.
She shakes my grip off angrily, cutting me a glare over her shoulder. “See, I told you this wouldn’t work,” she huffs, her dark hair whipping in the breeze as she snaps her head back around and takes off across the parking lot.
I throw my own head back in exasperation, dragging my hands down my face with a groan. This isnothow I wanted this to go.
“Would you just stop and listen to me for a damn minute?” I bark out, lowering my chin only to realize that she’s heading for her bike.
Oh hell no. She’s not about to run away from this conversation before it even starts.
Hopping down off the curb, I jog in her direction, but not before she manages to shove her helmet on and throw a leg over the seat of her motorcycle, shoving the key in the ignition.
“Riv, don’t you dare!” I snarl, rushing toward her to thwart her escape.
I’m not quick enough. She cranks the engine, flipping me the bird as she hits the throttle and takes off, leaving me in her dust. I just stand there blinking after her for a second, stunned at how this went so wrong, so fast. Then I wake the fuck up and stomp across the parking lot toward my own bike, pulling on my helmet, firing up the engine, and peeling out of the parking lot in pursuit of my runaway mate.
I already know exactly where she’s going, and she must be driving like a bat out of hell, because I don’t manage to catch her until we’re halfway up Pine Mountain. Even once she comes into view up ahead, she doesn’t allow me to gain any more distance on her and close the gap. She takes the winding turns at speed, driving almost as recklessly as I do. I’m actually fucking impressed by how smoothly she can maneuver on that dinosaur of a bike. Just when I think I couldn’t be any more attracted to River Jacobsen, she once again proves that she’s my fucking dream girl.
If only I could get her to stop hating my guts.
The road bottoms out as I reach the peak of Pine Mountain and I immediately hit the brakes, throwing down the kickstand and hopping off my bike. Riv’s still sitting astride her own with the engine rumbling beneath her, not even glancing my way. I yank my helmet off as I stomp in her direction, eating up the distance between us in long strides.
I reach her right as she’s pulling her own helmet off, snapping out a hand and wrapping it around her throat. She sucks in a startled gasp as I yank her backwards, leaning over hermenacingly and lowering my face to hover just inches above her own.
“You can’t run from me, River,” I seethe, chest heaving as I flex my grip around her neck and stare down into her wide hazel eyes. “You’remine, damnit!”
Any self-control I was trying to muster takes a flying leap off the cliff of Pine Mountain, carnal instinct taking over as I dive down to crush my lips against hers. I claim her mouth fiercely, possessively, swallowing her little gasp of surprise and showing her exactly what it means to be mine. Because I’m done giving her space to decide whether this is worth it– Iknowit is, and I’m not giving up until she wakes the fuck up and realizes that we’ve always,always, belonged to one another.
This is how it was always supposed to be.
River’s fingers grip the fabric of my shirt, twisting in the material as she drags me closer and parts her lips to let me in. As much as she tries to fight it, she wants this just as badly as I do, our mouths melding together seamlessly and our tongues twisting in a battle for dominance. The world around us ceases to exist as we kiss as if our very lives depend on it; like we’re trying to consume one another.
It ends as abruptly as it started, River flattening her palms against my chest and shoving me off her. She jerks upright on the seat of her bike as I stumble backwards in a breathless daze. Reaching down to shut off the engine, she smooths her windblown hair and twists to hop down from her motorcycle, stomping purposefully in my direction.
“I’llneverbe yours,” she declares, stabbing a finger into the center of my chest and glaring up at me defiantly. “Not if this is how you react every time Ace kisses me. I’m bonded tobothof you.”
“You think I don’t know that?” I snap, snatching her wrist. “I don’t give a shit that you two kissed. It was pretty fuckin’ hot, if I’m being honest.”
Her scowl deepens, brow furrowing. “Then why’d you say you were jealous?”
“Because I am!” I admit, raising my voice in frustration. “Not that he fuckin’ kissed you, that he got to spend time with you today when I didn’t. That you’re actually givinghima chance at this, but you keep pushing me away. Can’t you see I’m fucking trying here, Riv?”
The breeze kicks up, espresso strands tangling in front of her face as it ruffles her hair, a tense pause settling between us. She stares back at me, our panted breaths mingling in the space between us.
“I stuck around to watch the wolf tournament for you, you know,” I mutter, grasping for something– anything– to show her I’ve been putting forth effort.
Apparently that’s the wrong thing, because her expression immediately shutters, lips turning down in a frown as she asks, “What do you mean, forme?”
“I watched how Jake fought, took notes for you,” I mumble.
She narrows her eyes on me suspiciously. “Why?”