Kirk nodded. “You looked happy today. Really happy.”
Isla was suddenly aware of how close they were sitting, how natural it felt to be here with him. Somewhere during the conversation, the space between them had quietly narrowed. Their knees were almost touching now, and when Kirk turned toface her, the firelight caught in his eyes and stole her breath for a moment.
Time seemed to slow as they looked at each other. Isla found herself leaning forward slightly, drawn by something she couldn’t name—or perhaps didn’t want to acknowledge. Kirk remained perfectly still, his gaze steady on hers, waiting.
The moment stretched between them. Isla’s heart thudded against her ribs as she hesitated, suddenly uncertain. Was she misreading this? Was it too soon? What if…
A small sound from the couch broke the spell. Percy stirred, mumbling something about dinosaurs before settling back into sleep. Isla pulled back, the moment slipping away.
“I should probably get him home,” she whispered, though the thought of leaving Kirk’s warm cabin—and whatever had grown between them there—made her chest ache.
Kirk nodded, his eyes never leaving hers.
“I’ll help you get him to the car,” he said softly.
As they moved to wake Percy, Isla wondered what might have happened if her son hadn’t stirred when he did. And more surprisingly, she found herself hoping she might get another chance to find out.
Chapter Twelve – Kirk
Kirk did not want the evening to end. How he wished he could carry Percy upstairs and tuck him safely into bed in his guest room. A room he hoped would one day belong to this little boy, who would fill it with his thirty-seven dinosaurs.
Then, he would lead his mate along the hallway to his bedroom and undress her slowly, kissing every inch of her skin before making love to her, slowly and deeply, as he’d been imagining all evening.
But that, at least for now, was a dream. The reality was that his mate would have to return to her cabin, her son buckled safely in his seat in the back of her car. Kirk would stand in the driveway and watch her taillights disappear into the darkness, the taste of what might have been lingering on his lips.
She’s going to leave,his bear grumbled.Do something.
Percy stirred on the sofa, his small body shifting beneath the blanket. He rubbed his eyes with tiny fists, blinking slowly as he emerged from sleep.
“Is it morning?” he mumbled, his voice thick with drowsiness.
Isla moved immediately to her son’s side, her hand smoothing back his tousled hair. “No, sweetheart. It’s still nighttime. We need to head back to our cabin.”
Don’t just stand there,his bear urged.Help.
Kirk stepped forward. “Let me carry him to the car for you.”
“You don’t have to…” Isla began, but Kirk was already moving.
“I know I don’t have to,” he murmured. “I want to.”
When Isla nodded, Kirk bent down and scooped Percy into his arms. The boy was surprisingly light; his small body was warm and relaxed with sleep. Percy’s head settled instinctively against Kirk’s shoulder, his breath warm against Kirk’s neck.
This feels right,his bear sighed contentedly.
Kirk’s chest tightened with an emotion he couldn’t quite name. The weight of the child in his arms felt so natural that for a moment Kirk could hardly breathe.
Isla gathered her purse and jacket from the chair, moving with quiet efficiency. Her fingers trembled slightly as she pulled on her coat, and Kirk wondered if she felt it too—the same charged awareness running between them.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her eyes meeting his over Percy’s head.
Kirk nodded, unable to find words that wouldn’t reveal too much, too soon.
They stepped outside into the cool night air, the temperature drop making Percy burrow closer against Kirk’s chest. Above them, stars punctuated the inky blackness while the forest stood silent around them, the only sound the soft crunch of their footsteps on the gravel path.
Tell her how beautiful she looks in the moonlight,his bear suggested.
Kirk bit back a smile.Not yet. He didn’t want to rush this fragile thing growing between them.
