Lila

Lila realized her nails were digging into his hand and released her grip. A light went out in Dane's eyes and he sat back against the wall again, his face tortured.

​​

She was breathing too fast. She had to think.

It was impossible, what he was describing. Defeating a man like that, who had such power on his side...it was impossible. But Dane sat here, so broken and alone. She had to do something.

But now she could see why he was always so afraid, always so angry. He was right. If it came out that they were together, that Dane cared about her…the danger was real.

Lila's adrenalin spiked as she tried to imagine how it would feel to walk down the street knowing there may be powerful men, dangerous men, following. She swallowed.

What had she been thinking just walking home like that today?

Then her eyes snagged on Dane's face as he watched her think through this—the grief, and bubbling anger there. And the care.

The cat meowed, rubbing up against his thigh, wanting to return to the warm spot of his lap.

She knew exactly how Rupert felt.

She swallowed, remembering Dane's concern in the car when they'd been driving. The way he'd put himself between her and the crowd when the party surprise had him believing there was danger. The way he'd kissed her. His fear and stress when he'd thought she was gone.

"Dane—" she breathed.

"It's okay, Lila. I should have told you sooner." Dane had his head tipped back again and he stared at the ceiling as he spoke. "I just…it's a hard story to tell. And…selfishly…I wanted you close. I can write you a referral. We can end your contract and I'll tell everyone it was my fault, not yours. I—"

"That's very kind," she said softly.

He shrugged. "It's not your fault my father is a psychopath."

"But also very unnecessary," she continued. His eyes cut down to meet hers and he frowned. "I'm not leaving you," she said simply.

"Lila, I'm not making this up. I know it sounds crazy—"

"I don't think you are making it up, Dane. I just…I'm not scared," she whispered. "I know you'll protect me. And I can protect myself, too. I won't let him get between us." His eyes went wide as she scooted forward on the floor to put a hand on his chest. "You aren't evil. You're good. You care for others—for me. You want to keep people safe. I don't care what he put you through before that. I just know who you are now and…I want to be close to that man. I'll leave it up to you how close. And when. I'm not saying there's no danger. I'm just saying…it's worth the risk. You're worth the risk."

"Lila," he breathed in disbelief, "I'm not."

"Yes," she insisted. "You are."

She took his big, handsome face in her hands and pulled him in. They both sucked in hard as their lips touched. She could feel him shaking under her hands. Trembling. She leaned in, unwilling to break the kiss, but needing to be closer, to feel him. But Dane had a better idea. With a groan, with a tender slide of his tongue, He straightened his legs and reached around her, pulling her into his lap until she straddled him, her fingers locked behind his neck, and his hands at her waist.

The kiss was deep and made promises. His breath thundered in her ear as he gripped her to him, leaning in to deepen the kiss again, and again.

Curling her legs around his waist, she arched into him as his lips trailed down her neck and he pulled her even closer. She ground against him, gasping. And he whimpered. Dane Daniels, the man mountain, the celebrity, the soon-to-be-billionaire, whimpered into her neck and nipped at her shoulder. Lila gasped again.

"Lila, we can't," he groaned. But her stomach trilled and her skin pebbled where his hands gripped her waist and pulled her even closer.

Lila could barely think when his lips were on her. As his hands slid up her sides, to her ribs, and he whispered her name again. This time without the protest.

She was panting, but she didn't care, because he was too.

Then one of his arms slid around her waist, that hand cupping her bottom, as the other went back to brace them, and he slowly, deliciously, laid her down, easing himself down on top of her until they were hip to hip and her stomach trilled with the pressure of him over her.

"Fuck, Lila."

A noise she couldn't describe erupted from her throat at the sheer male gravel in his voice.

She wanted him. Needed him. Was desperate for him. Sliding her fingers into his hair and letting her tongue dance with his, she groaned at the delicious weight of him on her.

She wanted to be skin to skin. They were wearing too many clothes.

As his kissed and nipped his way down her neck, she bent her head back to give him better access, but let her hands trail to the bottom of his sweater, and then up, up, up his stomach, his ribs. The ladders of iron muscle that bracketed his sides.

He was glorious and she wanted him.

"Dane, please," she gasped.

He groaned in response and leaned back for a moment, breaking contact to kneel between her legs. She whimpered her disappointment, until she realized he had one of those beautiful arms bent back to the neck of his sweater, pulling it forward and off until he was revealed—every glorious inch of his strong chest and shoulders, those cut biceps.

He threw the shirt off to the side. Neither of them looked at it. Lila was too busy staring at the beauty and strength of him. With him kneeling between her knees, she pushed herself up to sit, then raised a shaking hand to begin at his throat and trail down.

"My turn," she breathed.

"Thank god," he whispered back, his smile wicked as he gripped the bottom of her sweatshirt and—

The insistent trill of his phone sounded in his back pocket and they both froze, eyes locked.

"Ignore it," she said, and leaned in to suck on his neck.

"I can't," he croaked, but he didn't reach for it. "It's a security check."

"I don't care," she gasped and kissed him, her tongue in his mouth. He held her so close, kissed her so deep, she thought she'd convinced him. But then it rang again and he groaned and wrenched himself away from her.

*

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Elia is transmigrated to Anima, where humans have the blood and senses of animals. She's forced to mate Reth, the King of Beasts, but they soon fall in love. Together, they must fight for the Kingdom—and their lives—against the villainous wolf-tribe.