The taste of her on his lips, the sensation of her soft body pressed against his hard one, these all tore at something primal in Monte. He craved more, yearned to lose himself in this female who had so quickly ensnared him in her spell. It was a wonder that he had ever doubted such a connection could exist for him, a monster who was used to seclusion.
And as he kissed Kiri with an undeniable fervor, the realization dawned upon him.
He was falling for her—fast and uncontrolled, like how she’d crashed into his life.
Pulling away scarcely an inch, their heated breaths mingling while hazel eyes stared into his.
“I want you,” Monte growled hungrily before claiming Kiri’s lips once more.
Kiri moaned into the kiss, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck as she surrendered herself to him.
Their lips moved in a heated frenzy as they lost themselves in each other completely.
Monte couldn’t get enough of Kiri, he wanted to memorize every inch of her body and claim it as his own.
Kiri responded equally, her hands roaming over his muscular back and shoulders, pulling him closer if that was even possible.
Growling against her lips, Monte realized that they needed to slow down. His instincts were roaring its head, demanding more, but he knew that they needed to take this one step at a time. It wasn’t just about his needs but also about respecting Kiri’s boundaries and healing process.
She was human—and she didn’t know what she was doing.
There was no way her body could handle his.
He pulled away from the kiss, resting his forehead against hers as they both tried to catch their breaths.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered against her skin. “I got carried away.”
Kiri smiled softly at him, brushing a strand of hair behind his ear. “Don’t be sorry,” she reassured him. “I wanted it too.”
Monte felt relieved at her words and he pressed a gentle kiss on her temple. “But I just... I can’t seem to control myself when I’m around you.”
Her hazel eyes twinkled with a daring challenge and she smirked. “Well, maybe you don’t need to,” she declared confidently.
An animalistic groan rumbled in his chest as he fought back the urge to claim her there and then. “Kiri, I...” He was torn between wanting to honor her request and fearing he might hurt her—physically and emotionally. His fingers tightened around her soft shoulders, the contrast sending another shockwave of desire through him. “You don’t understand...”
She leaned against him then, her body fitting perfectly into his massive form. His nostrils flared as he took in her scent, his primal instincts rearing their head once more.
“Maybe I do,” she murmured, and pressed a gentle kiss against his coarse cheek. The warmth of her lips seared into his skin, leaving him yearning for more.
He groaned in response, as the beast within him stirred uneasily; it wanted to claim her there and then, to show her what it truly meant to be with him.
He yearned for her touch, craved the intoxicating feeling of her body against his. It took every ounce of his self-control to resist taking what she was so willingly offering.
“I can’t…,” he protested weakly, but Kiri cut him off with another kiss—one that was far from innocent.
Slowly but surely, Kiri was breaking down his defenses—one seductive smile at a time. Moon Goddess help him.
All he knew was that the last thing he wanted was to hurt her. And so he would fight against this temptation for as long as he could, to preserve this delicate bond they had formed. But deep down, Monte feared the inevitable outcome.
Not when Kiri looked at him not as a monster, but as a lonely male.
Her lips were soft against his again, a sweet and urgent demand. But he gently broke away, taking in her flushed cheeks and eyes filled with confusion. His chest tightened as he gazed at her, the soft golden glow of late morning rays seeping through the sunlight bathing her in ethereal light.
“I need time, Kiri,” he confessed, his voice roughened with emotion, but she held up her hand to stop him.
“It’s okay, Monte,” she said quietly, as she blinked at him, surprise glazing over her features before it morphed into something that looked suspiciously like hurt. “You don’t owe me anything.”
Monte shook his head, adamant, reaching for her hands and wrapping them within his larger ones tenderly. “No, you don’t understand,” he rumbled, as he gently wiped away a tear that had slipped down her cheek. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” he assured her. “I just...need time.”
