Roxie felt the tension in his shoulders and muscles melt beneath her as they kissed.  Even if things were complicated between them, she was glad she could do something to actively take the edge off of all the stress that had compounded upon him.  She let out a soft but surprised sound when he picked her up and moved her to the wall.  Each kiss and caress was returned with equal fervency, and Roxie was almost surprised by how much she wanted him.  Not just the wolf.  How much<i>she </i>wanted Ben, mate or not.  There was a part of her who had always wanted this, even when they were younger, she had never pictured herself with another man.  He had been the one she saw in her future and after they had separated, she had to force herself to put him out of her mind.  Roxie let out a low moan as his hands tightened on her ass, inadvertently, she shifted and rocked her hips against his.  Both of them knew where this was headed and Ben seemed fine to take them there.<br/><br/>She looked at him from the edge of the bed, ready to answer the questions that seemed to be rattling around in his brain.<br/><br/>"This isn't about trust, Ben.  This is about need.  We need each other..."  She said, her words firm but said with enough heat it was obvious she was very much up for the kind of contact she had initiated.  "And yes, screwing each other's brains out is going to take the edge off of a lot of it, but it's more than that.  I'm not sure we can solve this without each other.  Tensions will continue to mount, the packs will continue to distrust each other, and...and..."  More would die.  Either at the hands of the mysterious killer, or at the hands of the opposing pack.  Roxie didn't want that and she knew that Ben didn't either.  She also knew that both of their packs had once seen the two of them as a way forward, that their friendship could lead to a new, clear era of peace.  If they put their differences aside long enough to help both packs heal, it could mean avoiding the war and starting a stronger future.<br/><br/>"But aside from all that... Yes.  I'm sure."  She looked up at him, and even though he had clearly stated he could not trust her, her own feelings toward him shifted just a little.  "I want this.  Not just the wolf..."  Her hands went to the hem of her shift and she pulled it up off of her shoulders and discarded it to the floor.  "...Me.  I want this."  She said, clarifying that it was not just the wolf taking control or the need growing to strong.  He had shown her that the man she had once cared so strongly about was still somewhere beneath the cold and cruel surface.  Maybe they could find a way back to the bond they had once shared.  Roxie continued to show her vulnerability as her hands next went to her pants and she pushed them off as well.  She laid back against the bed, exposing the lacy  black bra and panties that adorned her body beneath all the clothes.  The pose served to work in two ways, to show she was open for the taking and to tempt him into making a move.