Page 24

I wish that my magic allowed me to stop time so I could freeze this moment. Penelope’s dark hair glows almost purple in the fading light of the sun. She chews on her bottom lip, staring at her easel, lost in thought. But whatever she was thinking about has put a dreamy look in her violet eyes.

My tool belt drops on the picnic table, and in two steps, she’s in my arms. She softens as my hands find her hips and my lips nibble along her neck. I kiss her hair and pull her back against my chest, swaying and squeezing her tightly. The feelers in my beard circle her throat, tasting and scenting her after being away from her all day.

I hold her for a long moment, reacquainting myself with the feel of her. It’s always like this between us, magnets being pulled together. I’ve been on this job for months and coming home to her at the end of the day is always the best part.

Penelope dances from my arms, twirling to crook her finger at me. “Come on. Let’s go for a swim.”

She hastily tugs off her tank top and drops it in the grass, darting down the trail.

Our camp site in the reserve for this job is in the brush and only about a quarter mile from the water on the protected side of the inlet. We usually swim in the evenings after I get home from work before heading in for dinner. This place has become our own little slice of the world, away from the caretaker’s grounds where the rest of the crew is lodging.

We’ve made friends with a few folks in town. That’s all Penelope, whose bubbly curiosity is hard to resist. We’ve gone out for drinks and dancing, volunteered at the aquatic shelter, and attended a few events in town. There have been dinner dates and BBQs with the crew. But my favorite moments are these, when it’s us in our own world.

I trail behind her, appreciating the sway of her hips and the jiggle of her ass, her laughter carrying on the salty breeze. She’s sexy as hell when she’s carefree like this, all blinding color.

Penelope hops around, pulling off her shorts and discarding them on the dune before splashing into the calm water. I take my time, enjoying watching her play in the last rays of sunset as I strip down to join her.

When I reach her, I’m already half shifted. I tangle her in my tentacles, pulling her into a game of chase. My kraken plays with her, letting her unravel and swim away before wrapping around an ankle or a thigh and pulling her to me for a kiss.

Over and over, I catch and release my mate. I squeeze her tightly in my tentacles and massage between her legs over her bathing suit. Sometimes I rake my claws along the exposed skin under her bikini top and let my feelers suck deep hickies on her skin. She releases bubbly laughs until my touches send her into garbled moans.

We surface in a frenzy, mouths pressed together. She wraps one arm around my neck, forehead pressed to mine. I use the top of my claw to trace the seam of her slit, working her over until she’s squirming for me. Something about the barrier of her swimsuit makes it feel deliciously naughty. I edge the tip just under the band of the bottoms, teasing her for a moment before releasing the fabric and cupping her mound.

Penelope rocks against my center, the movements sending little waves splashing around us. Two of my tentacles bind her ankles and another slips around her waist. My mating tentacle aches with the need to stuff her sweet pussy, but I force myself to tease her with the clubbed head, pushing and retreating at her entrance over and over without fully slipping inside. Each time I tease her open, we both groan.

Her nipples are tight beads against the teal fabric, so fucking sexy. I run my claw back and forth along one then the other, scratching and circling the tips until Penelope’s pussy flutters around my cock. She sucks my lip into her mouth, needy noises spilling from her as she rolls her hips into my touch.

“I love playing with your pretty tits.” I growl, leaning in to suck her nipple through the fabric. My tentacle pushes inside her entrance, and I sink into her wet heat. “You get me so hot. It makes me want to stuff you full and watch you come for me.”

“It feels so good. More,” Penelope’s voice is breathy, achy with passion.

I use my tentacles to keep her steady as she rides me. It vibrates as I thrust, sending waves of pleasure through my whole body. She stretches around my tentacle, and I slowly glide in and out of her. I tease her pussy until I latch onto that spot deep inside that makes her go wild. She’s slick and tight, her pussy squeezing my cock. It feels so good that I can’t hold back any longer.

“That’s my precious Wildcat. I love how you take my cock so good.”

She thrashes for me as I fuck her in fast strokes, my tentacles working her nipples and sending pulsing vibrations through her core. I take her lips, my groans and snarls swallowed up by my Wildcat as she grinds on me. She sucks on my tongue, and I moan. My claw tip finds her clit and I circle it.

“Oh, fuck,” Penelope gasps.

“Come for me, my sweet Violet.”

I flick and tease her clit until she clenches down on me and gushes on my cock. Her body freezes, tensing as the shocks of her orgasm blast through her.

“So sexy when you come.” I pull her closer, fucking her through her climax. My Beast roars, my cock spurting my seed in long waves as I fill her pussy.

We cling to one another, riding out the last of the moment until our breathing has returned to normal. I float, laying her on my chest as we both look at the sky, the calm water lapping around us. My tentacle stays locked inside her sweet center until the stars have filled the sky and my stomach is growling.

It’s time to go inside, but instead, I hold her a little longer.

“I love this life I’ve made with you,” she murmurs.

“Me too, mate.”