Page 14 of The Right to Bear Claws (Hollow Oak Mates #6)

KAIA

T he kiss shattered every wall Kaia had built around her heart.

Elias's lips moved against hers with a reverence that made her knees weak, his hands cradling her face like she was something precious and fragile. She'd been kissed before, but never like this. Never with the feeling that the world had tilted on its axis and nothing would ever be the same.

When she forced herself to take a breath, they were both breathing hard, she could see the stars beginning to emerge in the darkening sky above his shoulder.

The lake lapped gently at the dock beneath them, and somewhere in the distance, she could hear the faint sounds of the town settling into evening.

"Kaia," he whispered, her name a sweet on his lips.

She should pull away. Should remember all the reasons this was dangerous, all the ways caring about him put him at risk. But looking into those silver eyes, seeing the hunger there tempered by such careful restraint, she couldn't make herself care about anything beyond this moment.

"I've wanted this since that first night you showed me around," she admitted, her fingers still tangled in his dark hair. "Even when I was trying to convince myself I shouldn't."

His hands slid down to frame her waist, thumbs stroking along her ribs through the thin fabric of her dress. "We don't have to do anything you're not ready for."

The careful control in his voice, the way his whole body vibrated with barely leashed desire while he put her comfort above his own need, made something deep inside her chest unfurl like a flower turning toward sunlight.

"What if I'm ready for everything?" The words slipped out, bold and breathless.

Something primal flashed across his features, there and gone so quickly she might have imagined it. But then his hands were moving, one sliding up to cup the back of her neck while the other remained at her waist, and she knew he'd heard the invitation in her voice.

"Here?" he asked, glancing around at the empty shoreline, the secluded dock surrounded by whispering trees.

"Here," she confirmed, then pulled his mouth back down to hers.

This kiss was different from the first. Hungrier, more demanding.

His tongue swept across her lower lip and she opened for him eagerly, tasting the coffee he'd shared with her earlier and something uniquely him.

A low rumble built in his chest, vibrating against her as his arms tightened around her.

"I need to touch you," he said against her mouth, the words rough with want.

"Yes."

His hands found the hem of her sweater, fingers skimming along her ribs as he gathered the fabric.

The touch was electric, sending shivers racing up her spine.

He pulled down her jeans slowly until she was able to step out of them.

When his palms settled on her bare thighs, she gasped into his mouth.

"You're so soft," he murmured, lips trailing down to her throat. "So perfect."

She arched into him as he found the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder, his teeth grazing the skin there with just enough pressure to make her breath catch.

The dock was wide enough that when he gently guided her back, she found herself lying against the weathered wood with Elias braced above her, his massive frame blocking out the emerging stars.

"Tell me what you want," he said, pressing gentle kisses along her collarbone.

"You," she whispered. "All of you."

His answering groan sent heat pooling low in her belly. His hands moved with reverent slowness, mapping every inch of exposed skin as he pushed her dress higher. When his fingers found the edge of her underwear, he paused, looking up at her with eyes that had gone molten silver.

"Are you sure?"

Instead of answering with words, she lifted her hips, helping him slide the delicate fabric down her legs. The cool October air against her heated skin made her shiver, but then Elias was there, his warm hands stroking up her inner thighs, and she forgot about everything else.

"Beautiful," he breathed, settling between her legs. "You're so beautiful, Kaia."

The first touch of his mouth against her center made her cry out, back arching off the dock. He was gentle but thorough, his tongue working her with a skill that had her clutching at his shoulders, desperate for something to anchor her as pleasure built inside her like a gathering storm.

"Elias," she gasped, fingers tangling in his hair. "Please."

He hummed against her, the vibration making her legs tremble. His hands gripped her thighs, holding her steady as he worked her higher and higher, until she was balanced on the knife's edge of release.

"Let go," he murmured against her slick flesh. "I've got you."

The climax hit her like lightning, stealing her breath and making her see stars behind her closed eyelids.

She might have screamed his name, might have begged for mercy or more—she couldn't be sure.

All she knew was the exquisite pleasure coursing through her and the way Elias gentled her through it, his touch becoming soothing as the waves gradually subsided.

When she could breathe again, she found him watching her with such tender hunger that her heart skipped a beat.

"Come here," she whispered, reaching for him.

He moved up her body with predatory grace, pausing to press kisses to her stomach, her ribs, the valley between her breasts. When he reached her mouth, she could taste herself on his lips, and the intimacy of it made her pulse flutter.

Her hands found the buttons of his flannel shirt, working them open with trembling fingers.

When she pushed the fabric off his shoulders, she sucked in a breath at the sight of him.

His chest was broad and muscled, marked with old scars that spoke of a life spent protecting others.

Dark hair dusted his pectorals, trailing down to disappear beneath his jeans.

"Your turn," she said, fingers moving to his belt buckle.

He caught her hands gently. "Kaia, we don't have to?—"

"I want to," she interrupted. "I want all of you, Elias. Please."

The please seemed to break his resolve. He released her hands and helped her with his belt, then his jeans, until he was as bare as she was beneath the star-scattered sky. Kaia's breath caught at the sight of him fully revealed—his cock thick and hard, the tip already slick with need.

"You're sure?" he asked one more time, settling between her thighs.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down until their foreheads touched. "I've never been more sure of anything."

He kissed her then, soft and sweet, as he slowly pushed inside her. The stretch was exquisite, her body adjusting to accommodate his size. He moved with such careful control, watching her face for any sign of discomfort.

"You feel incredible," he whispered against her lips when he was fully seated inside her. "Like you were made for me."

"Maybe I was," she breathed back, surprised by how right the words felt.

They moved together slowly at first, finding their rhythm under the watchful stars. Every thrust sent sparks of pleasure through her, and she could see the effect she was having on him in the way his jaw clenched, the careful restraint in every movement.

"I can't believe you're real," he said, voice rough with emotion as much as desire. "That you're here, with me."

"I'm here," she confirmed, legs wrapping around his waist to pull him deeper. "I'm yours."

The words seemed to snap something inside him. His thrusts became more urgent, though still careful, still reverent. She met him stroke for stroke, her nails digging into his shoulders as she felt herself culminating again.

"That's it," he encouraged, one hand sliding between them to stroke where they were joined. "Come for me again, beautiful."

The combination of his touch and the deep thrust of his cock inside her sent her spiraling over the edge again.

She buried her face against his neck, crying out as the orgasm crashed over her.

The feel of her clenching around him pushed him to his own release, and she felt him pulse inside her as he found his completion.

They lay tangled together afterward, her head on his chest, listening to the gradually slowing beat of his heart. His fingers stroked through her hair while she traced patterns on his skin, both of them quiet in the aftermath of what they'd shared.

"I'm falling in love with you," she whispered into the darkness, unable to hold it in any longer.

His hand stilled in her hair. "Kaia..."

"I know it's complicated. I know I'm dangerous to be around." She lifted her head to look at him. "But I can't pretend this isn't real anymore. What I feel for you—it's bigger than fear, bigger than sense."

"I love you too," he said simply, cupping her face in his hands. "And you're not dangerous. You're extraordinary."

"If the dreams take me?" she asked, voicing her deepest fear. "If Tobias wins and there's nothing left of me but darkness?"

"Then I'll find you in that darkness," he said fiercely. "I'll be your anchor, your way back to the light. No matter how deep the shadows grow, Kaia, I'll never let you go."

She kissed him then, pouring all her hope and fear and love into the contact. Above them, the stars wheeled in their ancient patterns, and the lake whispered secrets to the shore. But here in his arms, with his promises echoing in her heart, she finally felt like she might have found her way home.