When everyone had first sat down, Kane had pulled Elise to his side, wrapping his arm around her waist. Now he was moving his hand across her thigh, tracing lazy patterns on the sensitive skin. She felt little frissons of awareness shooting through her body. It was decidedly unsettling how just his touch could affect her, and she wasn’t sure she liked him having such power over her. Surreptitiously, Elise observed him, noting that he seemed to be mesmerized by the dancing flames and totally unaware of what his hand was doing.
She traced his features with her eyes, taking in his straight nose and strong jaw. A strand of dark hair fell across his forehead; she had to clench her fists to keep from reaching up and brushing it back into place. Forcing herself to look away, she stared at the fire. Flames danced in the darkness, causing shadows to flicker across the ground and waves of heat to shimmer in the air. Occasionally a log would shift, sending sparks into the night sky.
The other couples could barely be seen as darkness descended. Encased in their own little pool of light, it was as if she and Kane were alone in the night. His scent drifted around her, invading her senses and clouding her mind. She felt herself leaning towards him. With a start, she pulled herself back and sought a means of distraction.
Reaching for a marshmallow and stabbing it onto a stick, she nonchalantly worked herself away from him. The slight distance made her feel better, more in control, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Concentrating on toasting her marshmallow to perfection, she withdrew it at just the right moment—the skin a warm toasted brown with the promise of a sweet, melted interior. She felt her mouth watering in anticipation and sat back, blowing gently to cool the treat in preparation for consuming it. Just when it was ready, a large hand reached around and pulled the stick from her grasp.
Indignantly, she turned around in time to see her marshmallow disappearing into Kane’s mouth.
“Hey! I toasted that!”
Kane grinned at her. “I know, and I thank you for preparing it just the way I like it.”
Elise opened her mouth to protest, but Kane swooped forward and covered her mouth with his. She could taste traces of the sweet confection on his lips and hummed in appreciation. Slowly, they withdrew and Elise found herself staring into Kane’s face, his amber eyes seeming to search hers for the answer to some unspoken question. Something tugged within her, as if she was being pulled into him and she struggled to read his enigmatic expression, wondering if he too felt that sense of connectedness.
Whatever Kane was looking for he must have found it, for he smiled and lifted her up so she was cradled between his knees, her rear end firmly in contact with him. He pulled her back so that she was leaning against his chest, similar to Carrie and John. Reaching around her, he put another marshmallow on a stick and prepared it, while his chin rested on her head. At first, Elise felt a bit self-conscious, but soon realized that no one was paying them any attention. Slowly, she relaxed within the warm circle of his arms and Kane, obviously sensing the change in her, growled his approval.
Over the next half hour, they fed each other marshmallows, each one accompanied by a kiss to clean the sticky sweet off their lips. Elise felt her breathing growing increasingly ragged. Kane wrapped an arm around her waist and gently rocked his hips against her. A heavy, aching warmth was growing within her and she pushed back against Kane in response. He muttered something indecipherable as he threw the marshmallow sticks into the fire.
In one swift motion, he scooped her up into his arms and stood. “We’re turning in now.” He announced to the others as he began striding towards the house.
Elise hid her face in his shoulder, embarrassed. “Kane! What will they think?” She whispered against his neck.
“That we’re newly bonded and I can’t keep my hands off of my lovely mate.” And sure enough, the good natured calls that accompanied them across the yard left her in no doubt that the others were thinking exactly that.
*****
Upstairs, Kane placed her gently on the bed and stood over her, slowly removing his shirt. He hadn’t turned on the lights, but the illumination from the moon was streaming in, playing over the skin that he was revealing to her. If she hadn’t already been aroused from their kisses by the fire, the image of her mate’s body would certainly have done the trick. Elise drank in the sight of his powerful arms and chest, his taut stomach, the scar running down his side... She couldn’t imagine how much such a wound would have hurt and was filled with the need to comfort him, even though the pain was long gone.
Rising to her knees, she reached out and traced the faint pink line with her fingertips. At her touch, Kane’s hands stilled on the waistband of his pants and she looked up at him. His eyes were hooded and burning with desire. Daringly, she brushed his hands away and undid his button and zipper so that his pants hung loosely on his hips. Then she leaned forward and ran her lips along the length of the scar from his ribs to where it disappeared underneath his clothing. Nudging the material aside, she worked her way down to the end of the scar, which was just below his hipbone, then slid around to his stomach, teasing his navel with her tongue. Kane shuddered and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her up and kissing her hot and hard. With one hand on the back of her head, he slid the other one up her shirt, caressing her skin and unclasping her bra.