Caging the Wolf (Snowdonia Wolves) Read Free

psycho and toss me over the railings to the gallery below? “I don’t usually hold hands with a guy I just met.”
    “I wouldn’t want you to make a habit of it,” he countered swiftly, “but it’s solely for my benefit. I might get lost otherwise.” His eyes widened with mischief. “Man, I could be stuck in here for weeks.”
    How could I resist?
    Taking his hand, I let him pull me to my feet. His grip was firm and confident, his palm warm and slightly calloused, and the moment I stood beside him, he tangled our fingers together. It felt right. Good.
    “Where to? What’re you going to show me, Jess?”
    “The Christmas tree. That’s what catches everyone’s attention the first time they come here.”
    He was tall, and I barely came up to his shoulder, but he matched his stride to mine, and we strolled along the upper level, dodging the other shoppers with ease. Like Moses parting the Red Sea, the crowd moved out of his way, and we walked easily.
    A thrill bubbled in the pit of my stomach. This was so unlike me. Not only was he a complete stranger, but also completely out of my league. Six foot tall Adonis’ didn’t make a beeline for me. They paired up with Barbie dolls, in my experience, or cover-model look-alikes. My nose was a little too big, my freckles too ginger, and my hair a dull brown. I was spectacularly ordinary.
    Levi squeezed my hand, and caught my attention. “How big is this place?”
    His voice scrambled my thoughts, and it took me a moment to respond. “I read somewhere, there’s three miles of covered walkways, with all the shops and cafés.”
    He gave a low whistle. “You could walk the length of Wellington in less than that.”
    “And you’d stay dry here.” I glanced up at him. “And out of the wind.”
    This drew a laugh. “You’ve got me there.” We strolled another couple of steps before he spoke again. “You like it here? With all these people?”
    “It’s one of my favourite places to shop. There’s nothing like it in New Zealand.”
    “No, there isn’t.” He tugged me to a stop, and I peered up at him. “It doesn’t have this though.”

Chapter Five
    I blinked, and everything changed. Instead of pretty tiles beneath my feet, there was now forest floor. Giant trees formed a dense canopy high over my head, lush vines twined around a nearby branch, and sunlight filtered through the treetops. It was noisy. A myriad of birds called and chattered, as they flitted above us.
    Levi held my hand still, and I slowly turned to him. “Are we in the jungle?”
    His eyes crinkled in the corners when he laughed. “No, it’s the Rimutakas.”
    I recognised the name—the mountain range north of Wellington. I’d driven through the area, but it hadn’t looked anything like this.
    “We’re well off the beaten track,” he continued. “Few people have ever walked this path.” He eased me closer, and then turned me to stand with my back against him, his hands caging my hips. “This is one of my favourite places.”
    I breathed in the scents of the forest, and gazed at the scenery. I’d never seen anything so wild, so prehistoric. I half expected a dinosaur to amble into the clearing. “It’s beautiful,” I said.
    Levi rested his chin on my shoulder. “So are you.”
    It was just a line, I knew that. I also knew it was a dream. In the real world, hot guys like Levi didn’t look twice at me. I determined to enjoy the moment, and when his hands shifted to rest on my stomach, I leaned back into the embrace.
    His chest was firm, his abs flat and hard, and warmth poured from his body. He smelled good, of pine and green leaves, with a salty tang, as though he’d been standing in the sea. Delicious. Could he be any more perfect?
    I yawned, my eyelids growing heavier by the second. “This is nice,” I murmured. “I hope I dream of you again, Levi.”
    “You will, gorgeous. Look out for me.”
     
    ****
     
    I opened my eyes to find we were circling above Bangkok. The next