by T. S. Joyce
“Finish it.”
Kirk swallowed hard and gripped the steering wheel until the leather creaked under his choking grasp. “Because I’m having trouble getting you out of my head. You wanted something, and it made me feel good to get it for you. I got you the meeting because even though I know you’ll bring me trouble, I like you.”
Ally let off a long, shaking sigh, and she leaned back against the headrest and closed her eyes. “Can you say that last part again?”
He studied her profile. Something about her face had relaxed, and in hopes he had caused that, he murmured, “I like you.”
She winced, and her shoulders drew up to her ears, and when she looked back at him, her eyes were rimmed with moisture. He didn’t understand her tears, so he reached forward and brushed the pad of his thumb under her eye, catching the drop of moisture before it streamed down her cheek.
“Why?” he whispered.
“Because it feels so damned good to hear something nice. It feels good to be liked.”
And he got it. He’d grown up in a family group with focus on breeding for numbers, not child-rearing. She’d grown up without parents. Grown up with strangers, and then she’d gone undercover where likely she hadn’t been allowed to love or receive love in return. Dangerous little broken bird. His inner gorilla was practically beating his chest with an oath to keep her safe from hurt.
Kirk pulled his car in a slow circle, following a scorch mark where grass was still determined not to grow.
“What happened here?” Ally asked, her eyes on the destroyed mansion.
Kirk had to fight hard against the need to touch her. Ally’s hands were resting on her thighs, and every instinct in his body screamed to wrap her hand in his. Shaking his head hard, he explained, “Damon wasn’t the only immortal dragon left after the dragon wars. He had an enemy, a dark dragon. One who had been badly burned by Damon’s fire and who had built his strength up over centuries to take him on again.”
“So he destroyed this place out of revenge?” Ally asked.
“Partly. Marcus also wanted to rule the whole damned world, and the only thing that could stop him was Damon.”
“Where is Marcus now?”
“Dead. The good dragon won.”
“The good dragon,” she murmured.
“Yes, Ally.” Kirk shot her a glance, then dragged his eyes back to the gravel road disappearing under his tires. “Damon is good. He sacrificed a lot through the centuries to keep the world safe. More than anyone will ever know. The government fears him, but without him, none of us would be here. And I don’t just mean shifters. I mean none of us.”
Chapter Six
Alison had about a billion things to think about now. Everything Brackeen had constantly ranted about the past two weeks was wrong. It was feelings of anger and fear he’d adopted from outside sources, not an actual personal opinion garnered from time spent with the shifters.
Kirk pulled to a stop in front of her small cabin and put the car in park. “You asked me a question earlier, and I got angry and retaliated by saying things that weren’t true.”
“About wanting a hundred mates?”
His lips curved into a slow smile. “Yeah. That’s not how I feel. I used to want a family group. I wanted to be responsible for the protection of any females I was worthy enough to have placed in my group. But then my friend Kong picked a single mate, and something clicked with me. I started wanted that instead.” He ducked his gaze to the steering wheel, and his hair fell in front of his face. “I want that. My animal wants it, too.”
Her heart was pounding fast. Wearing a slight frown, he cast her chest a glance as if he could hear it. Hell, maybe he could.
“Look, I get it. This is a lot and it’s fast, and just forget it. This ain’t a come-on. It’s just me feeling bad for a lie and coming clean. I’ll see you around, Alison.”
She grimaced at the use of her full name, but okay. He was distancing her again. She didn’t like it, but she understood. She did the same thing all the time. Hot and cold was her specialty, and apparently she and Kirk had been formed from the same misshapen mold.
She got out and shut the door. “Hold on,” she rushed out before he drove away. Ally gripped the open window frame and leaned down. “Damon said I can only go onto his land if you escort me.”
Kirk narrowed his eyes and gripped the stick shift. “Hmm.”
“I told him you have better things to do, but that was the rule he laid down, and I don’t want to be dragon food.”
“I work all day up on the jobsite. I’m a logger, so it’s pretty much from dawn to dusk most days, especially with the season ending in a couple weeks. We’re slammed right now. I got today off as a favor from Harrison. Here, give me your phone.” He held out his large, calloused hand. Long fingers, and damn he could probably make her feel like magic with them. “Ally?”
“What?” she rushed out, busted. “Oh, right. My phone.” As she was fumbling it out of her back pocket, she dropped it on the gravel. With a muttered curse, she picked it up and shoved it through the window. And now Kirk had an obnoxiously wicked grin on his face.
Kirk’s nostrils flared slightly. “You smell like you want to fool around with me.”
“You stop right now. You shouldn’t talk to me like that.”
“Why not?”
“Because…” Well, why the hell not? There hadn’t been any rules stated that she couldn’t talk dirty with one of the shifters. She wasn’t undercover anymore and could spend time with whoever she wanted as long as they didn’t interfere with the job.
“Ally, I would break you. My appetite is too big for a woman like you.”
She made an offended snort. “Like me? What the hell does that mean?”
“I mean you don’t want anything to do with a big rutting gorilla shifter. I’m not gentle, and you need that. We might get along fine, but you and I wouldn’t be compatible in the bedroom.”
“And you just know this? Not like I’m arguing for you to sleep with me, but I’m a little irritated you’re being the judgmental one now. I’m stronger than I look.”
“Yeah? And when I lose control and bite you? When I lose my mind mid-fuck and give you a claiming mark that is illegal now, what will you do? Your job? Will you arrest me or keep my mark a secret? I want you bad, Ally. It don’t mean I can have you, though.”
Kirk tapped a number and saved it her phone, then shoved it toward her. “Show me where your tattoo ends.”
Surprised, Ally laughed and stood back. “No one sees that part of me.”
Kirk lifted his chin, his eyes dancing. He rested his wrist over his steering wheel, a picture of confident, cocky male. “I’ve banged zero girls in the back of my ride and zero girls against the hood. You were wrong. Now it’s your turn to share. Let me see.”
Ally’s cheeks heated, and she looked around to see if Brackeen’s cruiser was parked in front of his cabin. Nope. No one here but her and Kirk, the sexy, pervy gorilla shifter. She hadn’t gotten the tattoos for sex appeal, but Kirk didn’t seem to care about that. He liked them. Liked her.
Feeling reckless, she turned and lifted the back of her shirt an inch, exposing just a sliver of ink. It didn’t tell him where they ended, but it told him they hadn’t ended at her arm.
Behind her, Kirk murmured, “Fuuuck, that’s sexy.”
With a cheeky grin over her shoulder, she sauntered to the door of her cabin. And before she disappeared inside, she told him, “You couldn’t break me if you tried.”
Feeling particularly amused with herself, she giggled privately and swung the door closed. Only before it clicked into place, a big dusty work boot had wedged into the frame. Whoa, Kirk was fast. When he pushed open the door, his eyes weren’t the dark brown they’d been in the car. They were glowing an intense gold as he stalked forward and closed the door behind him, preventing her escape with his inhuman gaze.
He gripped the back of her neck, and his lips twisted into a devilish smile. She thought
his kiss would be violent, but when his mouth pressed to hers, he surprised her to stillness with how soft his lips were. She was melting into the floor. Her knees were buckling, struggling to hold her upright, so she clutched onto the front of his shirt and hoped it would be enough. Kirk angled his head and pushed his tongue past her lips, filling her, tasting her. Slowly, he turned them and eased her back to the wall, and the second her shoulder blades touched the solid surface, he ground his hips against hers.
The needy moan in her throat couldn’t be helped. Not when his erection was so hard, so thick, hitting her just right. His fingers brushed her skin at her hip, right above her jeans and under her shirt, and with a jerk of his muscles, he threw her badge on the ground. “Now your off-duty,” he murmured against her lips with a smile. Then he slid his hand under her shirt and brushed his fingertips up her ribs until he reached her bra.
“What color are your panties,” he asked in a low, growly voice that sent delicious shivers up her spine.
She didn’t want this moment to stop. She was having a genuine physical and emotional connection with someone for the first time in years. Maybe the first time ever, and she didn’t want to waste it. She wanted to be brave like Damon had been and open herself up to someone. “See for yourself,” she challenged him.
The snap of her jeans popped open as Kirk kissed her, and then his lips left hers just long enough for him to shove her pants down.
He cupped her cheeks and searched her eyes as he pressed his pelvis against hers. A needy sound left her lips at how good he felt. Chest heaving, Kirk eased back and dragged his hungry gaze down her body. A satisfied smile took his face when he laid eyes on her black, lacey panties. Kirk was a lingerie man. Good to know.
With a languid blink, he lifted his gold eyes back to hers. He kissed her again, slower this time, then trailed soft, biting kisses down her jaw and along her neck until his lips were right next to her ear. “You aren’t ready for all of me, woman, no matter what you say. But you’ll fuck my hand, and it’ll be enough for now. You’ll think about me when you touch yourself tonight, and you’ll call me in the morning, making up some excuse to get an escort onto Damon’s land just to see me again.”
Cocky. She wanted to deny him, but confidence was the sexiest thing about a man and now her panties were slowly soaking just thinking about coming on his hand.
“Beg me,” he murmured, then pulled her earlobe gently between his teeth. He ran his hand from her bra slowly down her belly, then hooked his fingers just under the band of her panties. So close. “Do it. Beg me.”
She was soaking wet now and desperate for him to fulfill those pretty promises. Kirk would be able to make her come. She just knew he could.
“Please,” she asked in a needier whisper than she’d intended. “Touch me.”
Kirk tensed his arm as he slid a gentle touch down the front of her panties. He dragged his fingertip down her wet sex and, curiously, he shuddered. “Perfect,” he whispered as she rolled her hips toward him.
She rested her head back against the wall and gasped as he dipped his finger inside of her. “Kirk,” she whispered, hooking her fingers on the waist of his jeans. She wanted to feel him, too.
Her entire body was shaking with how good his touch felt. She should be embarrassed by how wet she was, but Kirk seemed to love it, and he was kissing her again, his tongue dipping into her mouth each time he pushed his finger into her.
Desperate for more, she pressed her hand farther down the front of his jeans until her fingers brushed the hard, swollen head of his cock. So big. She wished she could see it. He moaned a sexy, vibrating noise as he bucked his hips against her. Mindlessly, she unbuttoned the snap and ripped his zipper downward. Without the barrier, she could run her hand up the length of him. Huge dick to match the rest of his massive body, and now she got it. Maybe she couldn’t take size like this.
When Kirk slid a second finger in her the next time, she gasped and bowed against him. He was hitting her clit just right. Ally pulled the length of him slowly, from the base up, and he let off a low, rattling growl. Sensitive man, writhing under her touch. She’d never affected anyone like this. Power like this was addictive. She rolled her hips with his touch and matched the pace he set by stroking him in rhythm. So much pressure was building up inside of her, and with each push into her, she became desperate for more. For release.
She was losing control, and her hips weren’t moving as smoothly anymore. She was twitching with need under his touch, kissing him harder, biting his bottom lip, a helpless moan in her throat.
Kirk’s body was tense, hard, and strung tighter than a bowstring. In a rush, he settled her back on the floor so fast the room spun. Yes! He was losing control and giving in, and she reveled in the fact that she was the reason. Kirk was as helpless in this moment as she was. She wasn’t alone in this need for connection. She kicked her jeans off her ankles and bent her knees, creating a cradle for him to settle into between her thighs.
“Ally,” he gritted out. “It’s hard to stop.”
“I’m on birth control,” she whispered.
“Fuck, woman, not helping.” His hips bucked as she pulled another firm stroke of his dick.
She could see it now and geez, she’d never seen anything more masculine and powerful than his shaft sticking out rigid between his powerful legs. His hand cupped her sex again, and she rocked against his palm, closing her eyes at how good he felt. They were so damned close, but not close enough. Kirk shoved her shirt up her stomach. “I’m gonna come on you,” he murmured. “Soon,” he gritted out, pumping his hips.
Her, too. She was on the edge, nearly blinded with ecstasy.
“More, more, more, Kirk. Please!”
“Ally, don’t ask, or I won’t be able to stop.”
She answered by pulling the head of his shaft against the wetness he’d conjured between her legs. His movement slowed, became smoother as he let off another sexy growl. He rolled his striking gold eyes closed and eased down closer to her, his triceps flexing where his arms were locked on either side of her face.
“I want all of you,” she whispered, pushing his tip against her entrance.
His rocking motion was so graceful he didn’t miss a beat when she pulled his shirt over his head just to watch his abs flex above her. Ally was stunned at his masculine beauty as he lowered to his forearms. His dick looked perfect in her hand, pushing through the circle she’d made, and she imagined him inside of her working them both toward release.
Kirk’s brows were furrowed with intensity, and he huffed a breath as she brought his tip against her again. He leaned down and kissed her as he pushed his head into her and eased back out. Gently, he pulled her hand away from him and slid into her again, deeper.
“I won’t last long. I’m close,” he murmured against her lips. “Fuck, Ally. You feel so good around me.”
She spread her legs wider and rolled her hips, meeting him blow for blow. So wet. So easy, like they’d been made to fit together. Kirk’s pace became erratic, and he bucked into her faster, harder. She called out as her orgasm coursed through her, gripping his dick in deep pulses. Kirk’s body went rigid against her as he gritted out her name. His cock pulsed deliciously, and warmth filled her. Wrapping his arm around her back, he stroked into her faster, hesitating every time he spilled more seed into her. And when he was emptied and her aftershocks slowed, she relaxed under him and smiled. She was glowing. She had to be. That’s the only thing that would explain this incredible feeling inside of her.
With a shake of his head, Kirk grinned. “Temptress.”
“I told you you wouldn’t break me.”
“I was careful on purpose.”
“Mmm hmm,” she said, disbelieving. “Or I’m a stronger bedmate than you’d expected.”
“Bedmate,” he murmured, pushing her short hair from her forehead. His eyes were still blazing that inhuman color, but they softened as he searched her face. “You’re trouble for me and my people, Ally, but
I’m in this now. Don’t hurt us.”
Unable to speak at witnessing such raw desperation in his eyes, she pulled his wrist to her lips and kissed him in a gentle promise that she would take care of him.
He was so wrong.
She had no power to hurt him or his people. Her heart wouldn’t allow it.
But Kirk Slater now had the complete ability to drag her to her knees and cut her deeply.
Chapter Seven
There was a knock on the door, but hell if Kirk wanted to talk to anyone. “Piss off, Clinton.”
When the door swung wide, Kirk lifted his attention from pulling his muddy boots off long enough to grace Mason with an irritated look. “You here to rag on me, too? I said I was sorry.”
Mason made his way past on a direct course for the fridge. “No, you didn’t. You said, and I quote, ‘Fuck all of you. If you get stuck in a mudslide, it would shut y’all the hell up, and I could get a minute of peace.’”
“It was close to an apology,” Kirk muttered, leaving his boots in a pile by the couch and stomping into the kitchen to grab some paper towels.
The refrigerator light illuminated Mason’s troubled expression and suntanned face. “Where was your head at today, man? You could’ve got us killed with how reckless you were cutting those trees above us.”
Kirk gritted his teeth and pushed off the counter, then began wiping thick mud off the soles of his boots. “What are you gonna do?”
“About what?” Mason pulled a beer out of the fridge and popped the top.
“Pick up the cap, asshole.”
Mason snorted and kicked the bottle cap under the table, then gave him a fuck-you glare and sank down onto the couch beside him.
“I mean, what are you gonna do when logging season is over?” Kirk mumbled.
Mason frowned at him but kept chugging his beer. With a satisfied sigh, he wiped his mouth and said, “Is that what has your panties in a twist? The end of logging season? Brother, this was always temporary. We’re just hired help for the season. Harrison’s already looking at applications for October.”
