Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

***SIMON***

S imon followed Kira up the trail, doing his best to keep up with the pace she set, but he wasn't ashamed to admit it was a relief when they stopped to rest. "You're going to kill me, woman," he said, trying to catch his breath. "I hope that anger burns away soon, or you're going to have to carry me back."

She laughed, "I'm sorry, I'll slow down. It just feels good to do something," she said, handing him a water bottle. "One of the ways I handled the stress of the last year was going to the gym, sometimes it was the only thing that let me sleep at night."

"Well, at least that's something healthy," he said. "My coping mechanism was women and booze, but no more of that for me," he said, then looked over at her. "Well, there might still be one woman I want to help me cope with life."

Kira's eyes softened with what he hoped was affection, "Hey, don't go getting all soft and squishy on me right now," she said, but there was a smile on her face and a blush on her cheeks. "I'm supposed to be mad now, and you're making it really hard. "

He laughed, "Then I'm doing my job," he said, handing the water bottle back to her. "I think I'm ready to see that waterfall now."

"You got it," Kira said, getting to her feet. "The trail gets a little more difficult from here. Just let me know if I'm going too fast."

The trail turned out to be not much more than an animal tract through the jungle, but Kira seemed to know where she was going, so he followed her. "This isn't much of a trail," he finally said after they'd been fighting the jungle for half an hour. "Are you sure this is the right way?"

"This place is kind of a secret. Max told Mary Beth about it, and she brought me up here that day……well, the day you changed," she said. "Max doesn't want all the guests coming up here, so only a few people know about it."

"His secret is safe with me. I don't know if I could even find the trail again," he said, pushing leaves and branches out of his way. "And no one is going to stumble on it accidentally, that's for sure."

They climbed steadily for the next half an hour and emerged into a clearing. He stood trying to catch his breath, the sight of the waterfall making him forget how much his body hurt. The water cascaded over towering cliffs of black stone that shimmered in the sunlight, then fell into a pool at the bottom surrounded by moss and plants. It looked so inviting that he wanted to dive in right then.

He looked at Kira and grinned. "This is amazing," he said, "And we have the whole place to ourselves."

She smiled back at him, "That was my plan," she said, a look in her eyes that made his heart begin to pound with anticipation. "But first, we should have some lunch. We've got the whole afternoon."

Food was the last thing on his mind as they made their way over to a big flat rock by the water, "You really are going to kill me, woman," he said. "You can't just say something like that and walk away."

"Aren't you hungry?" she asked innocently. "That was a long hike, and I don't know about you, but I didn't have much for breakfast this morning."

He groaned, "When you look at me like you just did, food is the last thing on my mind," he said, pulling her into his arms. "And you know it."

Kira slid her arms up around his neck and looked up at him, "Well, if you're not hungry, we could wait to eat," she said. "I'm sure we can think of something else to do to entertain ourselves."

His heart was pounding as he lowered his mouth to hers. He'd thought of this day since the first time he'd seen Kira, but now that it was happening, he was suddenly nervous. The passion between them flared to life the instant that his lips touched hers, and for the first time, he felt no resistance from Kira as he kissed her. Anticipation thundered through him, his body began to throb, and need erupted deep inside him, a need unlike anything he'd ever felt before.

Kira moaned softly in her throat when he began to explore her body with his hands, then melted in his arms with a deep sigh of pleasure, sending thrills rushing through him. Her hands began their own exploration, and he was finally forced to break the kiss when she put them on his chest and gave him a gentle push. She looked up at him, then pulled out of his arms and started toward the water, her hips swaying seductively, a little smile on her face.

Disappointment cooled the heat in his blood, but then he noticed that Kira was slowly unbuttoning her shirt and the desire flooded back into his system. He watched, body throbbing as she slowly stripped off the shirt, then unbuttoned her shorts and left them behind. Wearing only a lace bra and panties, she paused at the edge of the water and dipped her toe in, then looked over her shoulder at him, an invitation in her eyes.

"The water is wonderful," she said, turning to face him. "Are you going to join me?"

When he just stared at her, she shrugged her shoulders, reached behind her back, and unhooked her bra. It hit the ground a second later, leaving her breasts exposed to his greedy eyes, and when her nipples hardened in the warm breeze, his body responded by hardening and throbbing with the need coursing through him. Kira smiled at him again before slipping the lace panties down over her hips, then turned and walked slowly into the water, letting out a groan of satisfaction that made him throb even harder.

***Kira***

Kira heard Simon groan behind her, and a little smile spread across her face. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, and she realized on the hike that by fighting what was clearly so right, she was still letting Edward rule her life. Despite his faults, she cared about Simon, wanted a deeper connection with him, and even if they never saw each other after they left the island, she was willing to risk a little heartache to experience something as wonderful as what they shared.

Simon had never made any promises to her, and in his own way, had never lied to her either, even when he'd been the old Simon. Now with the man he would someday become was slowly beginning to emerge it had been an easy decision to make. Fate had drawn her into Simon's life, given her a role to play, and she was going to see it through. What happened in the future didn't matter right then, all that mattered was the two of them and the connection they shared.

When she was waist deep in the water, she turned to find Simon still watching her, his eyes full of desire, and sank slowly into the water until her head was covered. She sprang back up, water running down her body, her nipples hardening in the breeze, then slowly kicked her feet up until she was floating on her back. Simon groaned loudly from the shore, then stripped off his clothes, his manhood already hard, and started wading toward her.

Anticipation was thundering through her, one thrill after another, making her body begin to tingle and tighten deep inside. She waited until he reached her, then sank back into the water. Simon grabbed her when he got close enough and with a growl from deep in his chest grabbed her, pulled her into his arms, and slammed his mouth down on hers. He ravaged her mouth with his tongue, nipped at her lips then kissed the sting away, His hands roamed over her body, fingers sliding across her wet skin.

When he found her breasts and began to massage them, his thumb and finger teasing her hard nipples, she let out a gasp as pleasure overwhelmed her. Forced to cling to him or sink into the water, she wrapped her legs around his hips, and he pulled his mouth away from hers to suck first one nipple then the other into his mouth. Arching her back, she gasped as waves of sensation washed over her, and deep inside an almost painful need began to grow.

Clasping her legs more tightly around him, she ground her hips into him, making him groan, "I want you, Simon," she said. "I want you deep inside me."

"Those are the sweetest words I've ever heard," he said, wrapping his arms around her and starting for the shore. "But first I want you trembling under me, I want you desperate for me."

When they reached the bank, he laid her down on the soft moss, then joined her, leaning up on one elbow, his eyes locked on hers, trailing one hand down her stomach and between her legs. He gently pushed them apart then stroked the soft skin on the inside of her thighs, teasing her until she was whimpering and desperate for his touch. Her body was flooded with pleasure when he finally slipped his finger between her folds and began to stroke her sensitive nib, taking her higher and higher, then over the crest.

Her body trembling as wave after wave of pleasure engulfed her, she closed her eyes, calling out Simon's name, and rode the sensations until they began to fade. When she opened her eyes, Simon was looking down at her, his eyes full of passion, and deep inside a new kind of need began to grow.

"Now, Simon, I want you now," she said. "Please don't make me beg."

He slipped between her legs, "I can't wait another second to take you," he said. "I want you more than I've ever wanted a woman. You're everything I'll ever need, Kira."

When he drove himself into her with one powerful thrust of his hips, she cried out as her entire body was flooded with sensation. The rest of the world faded away, and she was only aware of the man above her. Simon drove himself into her over and over, groaning with his own pleasure as he took them soaring higher and higher, then together they tumbled into oblivion as he emptied himself inside her.

It was a long time before she became aware of the moss pressing into her back and the weight of the man on top of her, but she didn't move. She still couldn't get her body to cooperate. Simon let out a low groan and rolled off of her, then gathered her into his arms and cradled her against him before letting out a long sigh when she fit perfectly in his arms.

"Was this the something you had in mind?" Kira asked, looking up at him, a blush on her cheeks. " Because I had no idea that's what it was going to be like. If I'd known, I wouldn't have made us wait so long."

"I think the waiting made it even better," he said, shifting so he could look down at her. "I care about you, Kira. I've never let myself care about anyone for a very long time. I don't know what will happen next week when we leave, but I know this much. I'm not going to give you up."

"Let's not spoil today worrying about tomorrow," she said, reaching up to stroke his cheek. "We've both earned this time to just be us. You've changed so much in such a little time, and I……well, I think I'm learning to trust again."

"Kira, I'll never hurt you intentionally, I want you to know that," Simon said. "I'm not great boyfriend material, but I'm a quick learner if you can be a little patient with me. I want us to be together and not just here on the island."

"I'd like that too," she said, her heart swelling with affection. "I think I'm falling for you, Simon."

"Well, I know I'm falling for you, Kira," he said. "And I can't wait to meet Kiley and your parents. I hope they like me."

"As long as you're yourself and not the other guy, they'll love you," she said. "They should already be on their way. I can't wait to see them."

"But in the meantime, I can think of a few ways to distract you," Simon said, sliding his hand between her legs.