“Thanks, Jasper. I owe you one.”
“Just one?” Jasper laughed. “I owe you at least a dozen by now. But hey, I was wondering when you would cash in. Anything for love, right?”
“Yeah... right.” Monte ended the call, slipping the phone back into his kilt’s pocket. He took a moment to breathe, the cool night air finally doing its job at quelling his body’s heat.
He felt it was safe for him to return, take a shower to get rid of the grime, and then retire to bed, hoping fatigue would swiftly claim him. The morning would arrive soon enough, and he wanted to get up early enough to prepare breakfast for them both once again.
As he walked around the cabin, Monte’s ears perked up when he heard a faint sound coming from the direction of Kiri’s bedroom window. Curiosity piqued, he hesitated for a moment before drawing closer, careful not to make any noise.
“Focus,” he muttered under his breath, trying to regain control over his emotions. The last thing he wanted was for her to think he was some strange creeper before he could explain himself to why he was outside in the middle of the night. “She deserves her privacy.”
And then, something else—a faint sound, that sent a shiver down his spine, a low, breathy murmur that carried his name on the wind. He stopped dead in his tracks, muscles tensing, heart pounding. He strained to hear it again, every instinct screaming at him to move closer, to find the source—and yet, he knew it was wrong.
His chest tightened as he retreated, feeling torn between his desire for closeness and respect for Kiri’s boundaries. A part of him knew that the growing connection between themwas something rare and precious, and he would do anything to protect it.
“Damn this full moon,” he whispered to himself, the weight of his feelings bearing down on him like a physical force. “Why must it make everything so much more intense?”
“Monte...” The whisper reached him again, so faint yet so laden with need that it ignited a firestorm of desire within him. He clenched his fists, fighting the urge to rush to her side, to claim her then and there.
His feet moved of their own accord, drawn toward her window like a moth to a flame—answering her voice as if it was a siren’s call. The rational part of him screamed to stop, but the beast within was stronger, its hunger insatiable. As he neared, the sounds grew clearer, more urgent, making his blood roar in his veins.
He stopped just shy of the window, leaning against the rough wooden wall of the cabin. He closed his eyes, focusing only on the sounds of the night and the female inside who had turned his world upside down.
He inhaled deeply, sorting through the night’s scents until he caught Kiri’s familiar aroma. Wildflowers and sunshine, with an undertone of something richer. Darker.
His pulse kicked up a notch as realization dawned. That scent... It was pure, molten arousal.
“Monte... Please...”
Monte’s breath caught in his throat, desire slamming into him like an avalanche. Kiri was moaning his name, her voice husky with need. The sound shot straight to his core, igniting a fire in his blood.
He squeezed his eyes shut, hands clenching into fists at his sides as he fought for control. This was wrong. He shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t be listening to such an intimate moment.
But Moon Goddess help him, he couldn’t tear himself away.
Images flashed unbidden through his mind—Kiri’s golden hair spilled across the pillow, lying on the bed, tangled in the sheets, flushed and wanting. She arched her back as she touched herself, chanting his name from her kissable lips like a benediction.
Aching for his touch.
Monte bit back a groan, his body responding with savage intensity. He ached to go to her, to replace her hands with his own. To watch her shatter apart in his arms as he wrung every last ounce of pleasure from her beautiful delicate body.
But he held himself in check through sheer force of will. She hadn’t invited him to share her bed. Hadn’t given any indication that she wanted more from him than friendship. He refused to jeopardize what they had by presuming too much.
Still, he lingered there in the darkness, unable to pull himself away as Kiri’s soft cries wove a sensual spell around him. He was painfully aroused now, his need clawing at him with razor-sharp talons.
Monte bit back a groan, sharp teeth sinking into his lip.
“Monte, please,” she whimpered, the plea sending another bolt of pure need through him. “Take me. I’m yours.”
“Kiri, you can’t say something like that,” he murmured, unbuckling his kilt and letting it drop to the ground, freeing his throbbing erection. “Moon Goddess, I can’t resist you anymore.”
He surrendered to instinct then, wrapping his hand around his thick shaft and stroking in time with her moans. The rough texture of his calloused hand abraded his sensitive flesh, but he welcomed the burn. It grounded him, kept him from barging into her room and claiming her properly.
Monte’s hips bucked into his makeshift sheath, chasing the pleasure building at the base of his spine. He imagined Kiri touching herself, delicate fingers dancing over soft skin, dippinginto slick heat. Did she dream of him? Long for his large hands spanning her waist, his broad tongue tasting her essence?
“Ah, Kiri.” Monte gasped, picking up the pace. “If you only knew...”
Her cries pitched higher, more desperate, and he matched her fervor.
