Chapter Fifteen – Isla
The clearing was quiet after Kirk shifted back to human form. Isla’s fingertips traced the shape of him with a new kind of wonder. Moments ago, she had been touching his fur—thick, warm, alive with wildness. Now she was touching his face, and yet he felt exactly the same.
“You’re still you,” she whispered, her voice full of wonder.
Kirk nodded, barely breathing as she touched him. Her eyes moved over his face as if searching for a hint of the creature that had stood in his place. The mystery was gone, but what remained felt deeper. More certain.
“Are you afraid?” Kirk asked softly.
Isla shook her head slowly. “No.” She slipped her hands around the nape of his neck. “I’m not afraid of you, Kirk. I never was.”
Her lips met his in a kiss that was slow, deliberate, and full of intent. She knew exactly what she wanted. Him.
Her mouth opened under his, inviting him deeper, and Kirk responded with a groan that rumbled up from his chest. She slid her hands beneath his shirt, palms flat against his skin, exploring the hard planes of his abdomen, the solid strength of him.
Desire moved through her so sharply that it stole her breath for a moment. She was his. His mate.
She relished that word and all that it meant.
“Isla,” he said, as their kiss broke. “I want you to remember that you always have a choice. At any point, if this all becomes too much…”
She silenced him by pulling him back into another kiss, her fingers tangling in his hair. “I choose you,” she whispered against his mouth. “I choose this.”
The forest surrounded them, ancient pines standing sentinel in the darkness. The clearing felt hidden from the rest of the world. For once, Isla wasn’t thinking about the life waiting for her beyond this night. She was here, and there was nowhere else she wanted to be.
Kirk slid his hands to her waist and guided her backward until her shoulders met the trunk of a broad pine. His mouth left hers and moved to her neck, each kiss drawing a fresh shiver from her.
“I’ve wanted this since I first saw you,” he murmured against her skin. “Wanted you.”
“Show me,” Isla breathed, her head falling back for him.
Kirk slipped his hands beneath the hem of her blouse, his touch leaving trails of heat across her skin. With deliberate care, he lifted the fabric, his eyes meeting hers in silent question. Isla nodded, raising her arms to help him remove it.
He looked at her with such open hunger and desire that Isla felt beautiful in a way she hadn’t in years. His gaze traced the curves of her breasts in their simple cotton bra, the soft swell of her stomach, the constellation of freckles across her shoulders.
“Beautiful,” he whispered, bending to press a kiss to the hollow of her throat.
Isla’s fingers found the buttons of his flannel shirt, working them free one by one.
She pushed the fabric from his shoulders, revealing the broad expanse of his chest, dusted with dark hair that narrowed to a trail disappearing beneath his jeans.
She traced it with her fingertips, loving the way his muscles tensed beneath her touch.
Kirk reached behind her to unfasten her bra, his movements unhurried. As the garment fell away, he cupped her breasts in his large hands, thumbs brushing over her nipples until they hardened into tight buds. Isla gasped at the sensation, arching into his touch.
She whimpered as he lowered his head, taking one nipple into his mouth while his fingers continued to tease the other.
The wet heat of his tongue sent pleasure through her in sharp, breathless waves.
Isla’s hands clutched at his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin as he suckled and licked, drawing sounds from her she hadn’t known she could make.
The night air cooled her flushed skin as Kirk turned his attention to her other breast. Isla’s hands weren’t idle, exploring the broad planes of his back, the hard ridges of muscle, the warmth that seemed to radiate from him even in the cool night.
Then she tucked her fingers into the waistband of his jeans, fumbling with the button in her eagerness.
Kirk helped her, pushing the denim down his legs along with his boxers.
He took a step back and kicked them away as her eyes feasted on the sight before her.
Kirk, her mate, magnificent in his nakedness.
With a groan, he closed the distance between them and nuzzled her neck. Isla slid her hand down between their bodies and wrapped her fingers around his length, stroking him slowly. Kirk’s eyes fell closed, his breath hitching as she moved her hand up and down, feeling him harden beneath her touch.
“Lie down with me,” he ground out, his voice rough with desire.
She did not trust herself to speak, giving her answer with a brief nod.
Kirk half-smiled at her as he spread his shirt on the forest floor, creating a makeshift bed in the soft pine needles.
As he straightened up, their eyes locked, and she held his gaze while she removed the rest of her clothes, surprised by how little self-consciousness she felt in the moonlit clearing.
She wanted to be naked in front of him. Exposed to him. To his gaze, to his touch.
Kirk’s eyes darkened, hunger and appreciation plain on his face.
“You are beautiful.” He held out his hand, and she took it, allowing him to guide her down onto their improvised bed. Then he lay down beside her, covering her body with his own. His mouth found hers again in a kiss that began gently and then deepened into something more urgent.
Kirk slid his hand between her thighs, his fingers finding her already slick with desire.
Isla gasped against his mouth as he stroked her, his touch both gentle and firm.
While his fingers teased her entrance, his thumb circled her sensitive spot, building a pleasure so sharp she could barely breathe.
“Kirk,” she moaned, her hips rising to meet his hand.
He kissed his way down her body, pausing over her breasts again before moving lower. His tongue traced patterns across her stomach, her hipbones, the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. When he settled between her legs, his intentions clear, Isla felt a momentary flutter of vulnerability.
“Let me taste you,” he murmured, his breath warm against her most intimate place.
At her nod, he lowered his head, his tongue making a slow, deliberate stroke that had her crying out.
Kirk’s hands held her hips steady as he worshiped her with his mouth, alternating between broad strokes and focused attention on the bundle of nerves that sent electricity shooting through her limbs.
Isla’s fingers tangled in his hair, holding him to her as pleasure built within her like a gathering storm.
Kirk slipped a finger inside her, then another, curling them to find the spot that made her see stars.
The combined sensation of his mouth and his fingers drove her toward the edge far too fast to resist.
“Don’t stop,” she gasped, her back arching off their makeshift bed.
Kirk increased his pace, his tongue flicking rhythmically against her as his fingers continued their skilled exploration. The tension built until, when release finally came, it broke over her in waves, her body clenching around his fingers.
Kirk did not relent until she lay limp and breathless beneath him. He kissed his way back up her body, his eyes dark with desire as he reached her mouth again, rekindling her desire.
She reached between them to stroke him again, feeling him hard and ready against her palm. “I want you,” she whispered against his lips. “All of you.”
“Are you sure?” he asked one more time, his eyes searching hers.
In answer, Isla guided him to her entrance, her legs wrapping around his waist in clear invitation.
Kirk pushed forward slowly, entering her with exquisite care.
The stretch of him was intense but perfect, filling her completely.
They both gasped when he was fully inside her, and for a moment, they remained perfectly still, foreheads pressed together.
Then Kirk began to move, pulling back before thrusting into her, slower, deeper. Each thrust was deliberate, controlled, his eyes never leaving hers as he established a rhythm that had her gasping. Isla’s hips rose to meet him, drawing him deeper.
He dipped his head, capturing one of her nipples between his lips.
The wet heat of his mouth combined with the fullness of him inside her made Isla cry out, her fingers digging into his shoulders.
His tongue swirled around the sensitive peak before drawing it deeper into his mouth, sucking gently, then more firmly as her back arched off the ground.
Kirk moved to her other breast, lavishing it with the same attention while maintaining his steady thrusts.
His tongue flicked over her nipple, teasing it to an aching hardness before circling it slowly, deliberately.
Pleasure radiated through her—his mouth on her breast, his hardness stretching her perfectly, his weight pressing her into their forest bed.
“Kirk,” she moaned, her head falling back as sensation overwhelmed her. “Please...”
Kirk shifted slightly, changing the angle of his thrusts, and Isla gasped as he hit a spot deep inside her that sent pleasure spiraling outward. He captured her cry with his mouth, swallowing the sound as he continued to move within her.
The pleasure built in her the way heat built in a dish—slow at first, then all at once. Her second orgasm built more slowly than the first, gathering with each deep stroke of his body against hers.
“Kirk,” she breathed, feeling the tension coiling tighter. “I’m close.”
He slipped a hand between them, his fingers finding her sensitive bud once more. The added stimulation was all she needed to push her over the edge. Isla cried out as pleasure crashed over her again, her body clenching rhythmically around him.
The sensation of her release triggered Kirk’s own. With a deep groan, he buried his face in her neck, his hips stuttering as he filled her with his essence.
As their breathing slowed, Isla became aware of the forest again—the rustle of pine needles, the call of a night bird, moonlight shifting through the trees. She felt strangely peaceful, more at home in her own skin than she had in years.
The realization came over her all at once: she felt safe.
Utterly, completely safe in Kirk’s arms. After everything they had just shared, vulnerability should have been the obvious feeling.
Instead, all she felt was safe. Protected by this man who could transform into something wild and powerful, yet held her with such gentle care.
“What are you thinking?” Kirk murmured, his fingers tracing lazy patterns along her spine.
“That I should feel scared or uncertain after everything that’s happened,” she admitted. “But instead I feel... calm.”
Kirk pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Good. That’s how I want you to feel with me. Always.”
Isla rested her head against Kirk’s chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Strong and sure, like everything about him.
They lay together in silence, their breathing slowly evening out as the night air cooled their skin. After a while, Kirk shifted beneath her.
“It’s getting chilly,” he said, pressing another kiss to her temple. “Let me take you inside.”
Before she could respond, he stood in one fluid motion, lifting her effortlessly into his arms. She let out a soft gasp of surprise, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck.
“I can walk,” she protested, though with little conviction.
“I know,” Kirk said simply, gathering their scattered clothes with one hand while keeping her secure in his arms. “But I like carrying you.”
As they made their way back to the cabin, Kirk’s steps were sure despite the darkness and his precious burden. Isla nestled against his chest, and when they reached his cabin door, she had the oddest sense of crossing into something new.
Inside, the cabin’s warmth closed around them. The fire had burned low but still cast a golden glow across the living room. Kirk set her gently on her feet but kept his arms around her, as if reluctant to break contact even for a moment.
“Stay,” he said softly, his eyes searching hers. Not a demand, but a question filled with hope. “Stay the night with me.”
The question hung between them, carrying more meaning than either of them could ignore. Isla knew that staying would mean something. This wasn’t casual, and it wasn’t temporary, whatever either of them called it.
“Yes,” she whispered, the word feeling right on her tongue. “I’ll stay.”
Relief and joy washed over Kirk’s face. He bent to kiss her again. When he pulled back, his smile was enough to chase away the last of the night’s chill.
And any lingering doubts that this was exactly where she was supposed to be.