“Dammit, Kiri,” he growled under his breath. “What are you doing to me?”
He needed to get a grip. Kiri was his guest, injured and vulnerable. He had no right to lust after her like some kind of beast, some monster. But the more he tried to resist, the stronger his desire grew, consuming him from the inside out.
She was just pouring her feelings to him over dinner, about her past and what the poor excuse of a male had done to her. His heart broke hearing about how that filth had treated her.
She deserved better. She deserved to be worshiped and treated like a queen—a goddess.
Perhaps her arrival on his land was the will of the Moon Goddess, for him to heal her injuries—both inside and out.
With a frustrated snarl, Monte pushed away from the railing and stalked into the night, his hooves pounding against the earth, crushing the fallen leaves and sticks scattered on the ground. The forest closed in around him, their branches whispering secrets in the night breeze but it offered no respite from the fire raging in his blood.
Every breath he took was saturated with Kiri’s scent as it clung onto his fur, refusing to let go. Every thought tainted by the memory of their heated kiss, his growing need for her.
Monte knew he was fighting a losing battle, but he had to try. For Kiri’s sake, and for his own sanity, he had to resist thepull of the moon. If he didn’t, he feared he would lose himself completely to the beast within, and there would be no coming back from that.
He needed to form a plan for when it came, so she wouldn’t get hurt in the process.
He couldn’t bear to cause her any more pain. The thought of adding to the weight she already carried made his heart ache.
So he ran, deeper into the forest, further away from temptation, even as his heart ached to turn around and surrender to the desire consuming him. He ran until his lungs burned and his muscles screamed, not caring if he’d passed out from exhaustion in the middle of the woods.
Nothing would dare cross him, especially on his land.
The forest was alive with the sounds of nocturnal creatures, stirring restlessly and hidden from his sight. Just like him. He paused by an ancient Moonstar, one hand resting against its rough colorful bark. He closed his eyes, focusing on the texture under his palm, trying to ground himself.
“She deserves better,” he whispered to the night. “Not a monster.”
Yet even as he said it, he knew it was a lie. Kiri saw beyond his monstrous exterior. She had shown him kindness, understanding. She sawhim. And that scared him more than anything.
Why else would she kiss him?
“Dammit,” he breathed, pulling his hand back from the tree and stared at the moon in the night sky. It taunted him and his situation, knowing full well what Kiri was doing to him and how she’d bewitched him. “What do you want from me?”
His response came from a swift blast of wind that brushed by him and shook the trees.
With a deep, resigned sigh, Monte pulled out his vidphone from his kilt’s side pocket. The moonlight glinted off the screenas he scrolled to Jasper’s number and hit call. He needed a distraction—something tangible, something that could ease Kiri’s discomfort and show her how much she meant to him without words.
The gargoyle deliveryman answered on the second ring, like always.
“Monte! To what do I owe the pleasure at this late hour?” Jasper’s gravelly voice held a note of amusement. “What’s up, big guy?”
“Jasper,” Monte began, pacing a bit faster now, his eyes scanning the forest edge. Moonlight spilled across the woodland floor, casting long shadows on the ground. “I need a huge favor. Can you get me the largest Jacuzzi available? Like, tonight?”
“Tonight?” Jasper chuckled, the sound like rocks grinding together. “Oh wait. You’re serious?”
“Dead serious. There’s a female staying with me. Kiri’s leg... it’s been bothering her. I thought a warm soak might help.”
Monte didn’t mention the other thoughts swirling in his mind—the candles, the soft music, the way her skin would glisten under the water. He didn’t have to. Jasper knew him well enough to read between the lines.
“Finally having a chance at love, eh? It’s about damn time you try your shot at finding a mate.” Jasper chuckled. “I have the perfect one for you. I’ll have it there by sunrise tomorrow.”
Heat crept up Monte’s neck. “It’s not like that. I just want to help her.”
“Uh huh. Sure.” Jasper’s tone dripped with skepticism. “You live in a lake front cabin. Why would you want to purchase something so expensive if it isn’t serious?”
“Maybe I want to finally spend some of my money on something expensive for once.”
“We both know that’s not true.” Jasper grunted. “But whatever makes you sleep better at night.”
