Josie
Oh my God. Oh my God!
A thrill of excitement, like a spark shooting down a fuse, ran through Josie as Isaak’s lips touched her.
Heat flared in her belly, and she felt dizzy as desire welled up within her, blocking out any semblance of rational thought.
The only thing she could think in that moment was just how badly she wanted him.
This isn’t like you, she tried to tell herself as she opened her mouth, allowing Isaak’s tongue to slide between her lips. You’ve never lost your head over a man. Not even one as handsome as this.
But as Isaak raised his hand to run his fingertips gently over her cheek, all doubts immediately fled her mind. There was nothing but the sensation of his lips against her, the touch of his fingers against her skin.
It was like being touched by an open flame – the heat of him was indescribable. Josie gasped as he pulled back slightly, and opened her eyes to find herself staring into the brilliant green of his own. She could see the hunger in them – hunger for her.
She swallowed. No one had ever looked at her like that before, with such a desperate combination of desire and longing. She had never even thought she could inspire it. She’d always been awkward, bookish, nerdy. Not someone the boys – or later, the men – had ever really looked at twice, except to appreciate her boobs.
But there was no way she could doubt the sincerity of Isaak’s craving for her. It was there in his eyes, which seemed to burn from the intensity of his desire.
“Josie...” he whispered, his voice hoarse. “Josie, I –”
“Shhh,” she said, raising her hand to press her fingers against his lips. “You don’t have to say anything. I want this, too...”
As she leaned forward to kiss him again, Josie wondered at her own boldness. Had she ever taken the initiative like this before? Kissed a man like this? Not that she could remember. And given how few kisses she’d had in her life, she figured anything like this would probably have stuck in her mind.
She’d never felt anything like this before.
Lust seemed to rampage uncontrolled throughout her body, bringing it alive. Goosebumps spread over her skin as Isaak’s hands – his large, strong hands – slid from her shoulders to her waist, drawing her closer to him.
“Isaak,” she gasped as she felt his body against hers – hard and flat and unyielding against the softness of her breasts.
As he lowered his head to kiss trails of fire down her jaw and throat, Josie threw her head back, closing her eyes, allowing herself to become lost in sensation. His fingers in the valley of her waist were firm, holding her in place as he kissed lower, across her collarbones and to the tops of her breasts.
Maybe, she thought, as fire throbbed through her veins, maybe this is what he does, like some mythical beast... he lures willing maidens to his island and then ravishes them...
Okay, maybe she wasn’t technically a maiden, but Josie didn’t think a few awkward, unsatisfying fumbles with her single college boyfriend really counted.
Especially not when compared with this...
They seemed to fit together perfectly, her soft curves complementing the hard angles of his muscular build perfectly. It was almost as if they had been made for each other, Josie thought, though she was aware of how silly that sounded.
We only just met, after all, she told herself as she ran her hands up his arms, filling them with the muscles of his shoulders as he kissed her.
She hissed in a breath as his fingers at last slipped beneath the bottom of her shirt, sliding against the sensitive skin of her sides.
Isaak pulled back a little, looking down at where the tips of his fingers rested against her as if he was mesmerized. Finally, he seemed to tear his gaze away and look her in the eyes.
“Josie. You don’t have to – even now, if you don’t want to –”
She could tell by the way the muscles of his jaw clenched as he spoke and the harshness of his voice that it took every ounce of control he had to utter those words. She looked at him in wonder, eyes wide.
How could he think I don’t want to...?
“Please, Isaak.” Josie had to put a lot of effort into finding the power of speech. “I want this. I promise you. Please...”
That was apparently all he needed. He swept forward, catching her lips in a searing kiss, his fingers tangling in her hair. Josie found herself being pressed back against the couch they’d been sitting on, Isaak’s strong, heavy body above her.
It only made Josie want him more – to feel every inch of him against her. Inside her...
His desire overwhelmed her, seeming to drive her higher and higher with every kiss, every touch. Josie could hear her heart pounding in her ears, her skin aflame with pleasure, heat throbbing between her legs.
Isaak slowly lowered his head, kissing her throat again, but this time he dipped lower, his fingers fumbling with the buttons of her shirt.
Oh God...
She had never felt so turned on before in her life. Isaak’s every touch, every kiss, seemed to fill her with fire, sending ecstasy spiraling through her. She reached down, finding the hem of his shirt and pulling it up. He raised his arms to let her tear it from his body, tossing it away without a second thought.
Josie couldn’t hold back her gasp as his body was finally revealed to her: the hard, flat planes of his pecs, the sharp V of his hips, the ridges of his abs. A trail of dark hair ran down his belly, leading to the waistband of his pants, which Josie could see were already straining against the fullness of his erection.
She swallowed heavily as she looked at him. He was positively godlike in his perfection.
While she had stared at him, Isaak’s fingers had been busily at work on the buttons of her shirt, finally opening it and revealing her breasts, cupped inside her bra. Considering the last thing Josie had been expecting to happen today was to be swept off her feet by the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen, she wasn’t exactly wearing fancy lingerie – but Isaak barely seemed to notice. Instead, he simply lowered his head to her breasts with a groan, running his tongue over her soft, sensitive skin, and making her arch up off the couch with a desperate moan.
She cried out as he took a nipple between his teeth through the material of her bra, biting gently, teasingly. She writhed beneath him, catching her lower lip between her teeth as he relentlessly tormented her with his lips and tongue.
“Oh God, Isaak...”
She almost didn’t recognize the sound of her own voice as she moaned out his name, breathless and desperate. She wanted more of him – everything he had to give her – and she wanted it now.
Reaching down, she began fumbling with the buttons of his pants, only to find his hands on the zip of her shorts – almost as if he had read her mind. He kissed her again, his tongue sweeping into her mouth, as his hands slid beneath her panties, sliding them down her thighs. She was soaking wet, and she knew he could feel it now. But just when she thought she could get any wetter, his fingers brushed against her clit, making her cry out as her back arched up in pure ecstasy.
His fingers against her sent wave after wave of heat through her body, pleasure coiling in her belly. She clutched at his shoulders as if to anchor herself, but she was powerless against the tide of her own bliss. Isaak was relentless, his fingers drawing sensation from her body until she could feel herself ready to explode.
Her climax came suddenly, making her cry out his name as she squirmed helplessly beneath him. She spread her thighs even further apart as she came, coating his fingers in her wetness. Sharp pleasure seemed to pierce her to her core, her hips jerking up as her fingers dug into the hard muscles of his shoulders.
For a long moment afterwards she simply lay still, trying to catch her breath. She had never felt anything like that before.
“Oh, wow,” she murmured, eyes still closed. “That was... that was...”
When she opened her eyes she found him looking down at her, his eyes still alight with that strange green flame. The loose curls of his dark hair fell down over his forehead in waves, his lips slightly parted – as if just watching her had made him breathless.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmured, his voice sounding almost reverent. “So beautiful...”
I could say the same to you, if I could just get my head together enough to speak, Josie thought as she reached up, drawing him down to kiss her.
Bizarrely, although she hadn’t spoken the words out loud, she somehow had the feeling that Isaak knew... that somehow, he could tell exactly what she was thinking.
Don’t be so silly, Josie scolded herself as she kissed him, hot and hard. One good orgasm and you go crazy? Who do you think you are? Smiling into the kiss, Josie let herself be carried away once more. She could already feel her desire building again.
“I want you,” Isaak breathed when they finally broke apart. “God, I want you so badly.”
Josie licked her lips, staring up into his incredible eyes. “Then take me,” she whispered, before she had time for second thoughts.
For a moment, fire flared in his eyes with a luminous intensity. Josie barely had time to gasp at the sight before he was kissing her again, his tongue thick and strong, plundering her mouth and driving all thoughts from her mind.
There was nothing she wanted more than to feel Isaak inside her, sheathed to the hilt. Once again she began to reach for him, only to find his warm fingers already there, unbuttoning his pants before shucking them down his hips.
Isaak groaned, throwing his head back as her fingers closed around his thick, heavy shaft as it sprung free.
Josie swallowed as she began to stroke him, feeling his thickness and length against her palm. He was huge, completely filling the curve of her hand. Her mouth began to water, just thinking of how he would feel inside her, how he would fill her to perfection.
“God, Josie,” he groaned into the crook of her neck as she continued to slide her hand up and down him. His hips jerked, as if seeking more contact, and Josie knew neither of them could wait any longer.
Lifting her head, she gently took the upper curve of his ear between her teeth, and heard him moan in response.
“Please,” she whispered as she released him. “Please... do it now...”
Isaak groaned, nodding. Before Josie knew what was happening, she found herself pressed back against the couch, his hands on her buttocks, lifting her hips toward him. And then, his cock was pressing at her entrance, sliding into her slowly, filling her to the brim.
“Oh,” Josie moaned as he was finally all in, letting her head fall back, savoring the feel of him inside her. He felt perfect, just the right size for her. Once again, the thought entered her head that it was as if they had been made for each other – but then, just as quickly as it had come, the thought fled as Isaak made his first thrust.
“God,” he whispered again, eyes alight as he looked down at her. “Josie, God, you feel...”
He never finished the sentence. Josie squeezed herself around him, and he threw his head back, groaning. She marveled at the sight of his long, bronzed body above her, the cut of his muscles strong and sharp, his sinew straining against his skin as he moved.
His thrusts into her body were strong and deep, finding the right spot within her every time. Already, Josie could feel ecstasy beginning to uncoil inside her, her nerves lighting up with pleasure.
Josie cried out, her fingers clutching at his arms – and then, just when she thought she could take no more, he leaned down over her, catching her lips in a kiss, his abs pressing against her clit with every thrust.
She squealed into his mouth, digging her fingernails into his back as white-hot pleasure tore through her. Her heart hammered in her ears, but she could still hear Isaak’s desperate, panting breaths, the small groan he made every time he sunk into her.
Bliss began to flood through her in wave after wave, building toward her climax. Distantly, she could hear her own voice as she cried out over and over again.
Just as she thought she could take no more, her climax exploded through her body like a tidal wave, lifting her in its relentless rush into pure ecstasy. Her nerves sang with pleasure, her belly filled with fire as she came.
Isaak’s own climax came only moments later – she felt every muscle in his body grow taut as he groaned out her name. His hips jerked once, twice, and then he relaxed, covering her body with his.
They lay there together, sweaty and breathless, Josie’s arm slung limply around his neck. For a long time, all she could do was lie still, trying to get her breath back, and wondering if, after this, she would ever feel normal again.
Her entire body felt alive – and it was like nothing she had ever felt before. She hadn’t known it was possible to feel this good.
“Wow,” she managed to gasp out when she finally had enough breath back to speak. “That was... I mean... wow...”
Isaak heaved in a breath before he finally shifted away from her, his cock slipping from her body as he did so. Josie missed the feel of him inside her immediately, but then he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her to him.
This is a pretty good trade-off, she decided as she snuggled close to his side.
“Josie,” he murmured after a moment, his voice a low rumble in his chest. “I... I’m sorry, I lost my head.” He leaned up, resting on his elbow and looking down into her eyes. “I didn’t mean for this to happen when I asked you here. I promise you.”
Josie wasn’t sure how or why, but somehow she could tell the sincerity of Isaak’s words. He really hadn’t brought her back to his palatial villa with the intention of seducing her.
Licking her lips as she stared up into his utterly gorgeous face, she hoped her certainty of this wasn’t just a product of wishful thinking.
“I didn’t either,” she said. “I mean... I don’t usually... I haven’t had many...”
She could feel herself starting to blush as she spoke.
Shut up, Josie, she quickly told herself before she could blurt out any more embarrassing things. Maybe he’d like to know when you last visited the OB-GYN as well?
“No. I know what you mean.” Isaak reached out, brushing a sweaty strand of hair back behind her ear. “I haven’t either.”
Josie blinked in surprise. Again, she didn’t doubt what Isaak said – something within her told her he was telling the truth, however unlikely that might be. Men who looked like Isaak – and, she had to admit, who had Isaak’s kind of money – would have had women absolutely throwing themselves at him. Had be really not taken advantage of the fact that he could fill his swimming pool with panties if he’d wanted to?
“I’ve always felt a little... different, I guess,” Isaak said, his voice low. “I don’t know how to explain it. It’s why I came out to this island. To... to try to figure out what was wrong with me.”
“Oh,” Josie blurted. “I thought it was just some eccentric billionaire thing.”
She pressed her lips together in regret as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Why did she always seem to say the wrong thing?
But to her relief, Isaak let out a low, deep laugh that sent a shiver of pleasure along her spine.
“Maybe so,” he said softly after a moment. “Maybe all of this is just self-indulgence. But... to tell the truth, I had hoped I’d find peace here. Somehow.”
“And did you?” Josie asked, raising her hand to brush her thumb over the perfect arch of his cheekbone.
There was a long pause before he answered. “No. Not until you arrived here.”
Josie sucked in a quick, surprised breath. What is he saying?
“Me?” she squeaked, suddenly feeling unsure. “But – well – I mean, I’m no one special. I mean... I’m not unspecial, but –”
Again, Isaak laughed, soft and low, and again, Josie felt pleasure rippling through her.
“Believe me, Josie, from what I’ve seen... you’re extremely special.”
Josie stared up at him, scarcely daring to believe she’d heard him right. Was she sure she wasn’t dreaming? Things like this just didn’t happen to her. Handsome billionaires didn’t just drop out of the sky and rescue her from peril and then take her back to their mansions, heal her wounds and then make love to her in ways she hadn’t even known were possible.
If this is a dream, I don’t think I want to wake up, she thought to herself as she leaned up, capturing his lips in a kiss.
The heat between them was searing and undeniable. Vaguely, Josie wondered if it was just her, or if Isaak could feel it too.
“Josie...” he murmured, breaking away from her. “Josie, before anything else happens, I feel I need to tell you something important about me.”
Oh.
Josie licked her lips, feeling coldness creep into her heart.
Here we go. Time to wake up.
Easing herself up into a sitting position, Josie tried not to let her sudden misgivings show too plainly on her face.
Maybe he’s just going to tell me he has a weird birthmark, or that he’s lost his fortune because he’s secretly addicted to online poker.
“I’m not really sure how to explain this,” Isaak said, dropping his eyes. “But I know that I must. It wouldn’t be fair on you not to know about this.”
“Wouldn’t be fair?” Josie asked, swallowing. What does he mean?
Isaak took a deep breath. “When I said that I hadn’t known peace until you came here, I was being serious. I mean that... I came here because... because I don’t know whether I can trust myself to live a normal life amongst other people.”
Josie frowned, not understanding. “What do you mean when you say you can’t trust yourself?”
He closed his eyes, clenching his fists, as if it took a huge amount of effort for him to speak. “I mean that... ever since I was a child, I’ve had a... a darkness inside me. Something terrible, something I don’t know how to explain. I can only say that it terrifies me. I’d never, ever want to harm someone. But when the monster is there, every day...”
Josie stared at him, hearing her heart pounding in her ears.
Okay, so it’s not online poker at least.
But what was she supposed to think of this?
She could see from the anguished expression on Isaak’s face that he meant what he said. He truly did believe, somehow, that he was a monster – or that there was a monster inside him.
But... but he saved me.
The thought was in Josie’s head in an instant.
Isaak had appeared out of nowhere and very likely saved her life. He had been nothing but tender and caring the whole time she had been with him.
And then, the way he had made her feel...
Josie shook her head, trying to focus.
“Isaak...” she said, unsure of what she could possibly say. Collecting herself, she tried again. “I don’t know about any of that. But what I do know is that you probably saved my life today – no, you definitely saved my life. Even if I’d survived the fall, I don’t think I could have walked far afterwards, and I only had enough food and water on me for a half-day hike. But you... you found me somehow, and you pulled me to safety. You took care of me afterwards. You’ve been nothing but a perfect gentleman this whole time.”
Isaak glanced up as if surprised, his gaze seeming to pierce her eyes – as if he was trying to see if she was telling the truth.
She swallowed a little and held his gaze. She felt a little silly saying these things – and, if she was being honest with herself, she knew they’d known each other only a few hours. But somehow, she felt a greater connection with Isaak than with anyone else she’d ever met.
“Do you know how many letters begging for funding or research opportunities I write?” she asked, reaching out to take his hand. “Or how many people I have to deal with, trying to convince them that my work isn’t just some silly bird watching hobby? Most of the time I don’t even get an answer. But you...you let me come here, even though I know this is your private sanctuary. And then you quoted my letter, word for word! As if... as if it had actually meant something...”
“It did mean something,” Isaak said, covering her hand with his own. “I could feel your passion for your work in your letter. When I read it, I felt as if... as if I knew you, somehow. And then, yesterday, when I saw you...”
Isaak shook his head, as if he was trying to clear it.
“It was like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I don’t even really know if I can explain it.”
“I know what you mean.” The words were out of Josie’s mouth before she even had time to think about them. But the truth was, she did know what he meant. Her skin had tingled every time Isaak had touched her. His voice sent excited ripples of pleasure through her belly. Even his hands on the scrape on her leg had seemed to make her feel good – almost as if his touch had drawn the pain from her body.
“The point is... I don’t think you’re a monster,” Josie said, squeezing his hand. “I believe you when you say you... you feel that way. But I also think maybe you’re better than you think you are. You came here because you didn’t want to hurt anyone. Is that the kind of thing a monster would do?”
Isaak kept his eyes averted from hers. “I don’t know,” he eventually said. “I feel like I’ve been living with this for so long...”
He turned to face her once more, his green eyes blazing intensely. He seemed to open his mouth to speak again but before he could say anything, his eyes dropped to her chest.
Josie glanced down, a little embarrassed. Her breasts were still covered by her bra, her shirt clinging to her shoulders – in the heat of their passion she hadn’t had time to take either of them off completely.
But Isaak wasn’t staring at her breasts.
Looking down, Josie realized that her grandmother’s ring, hanging around her neck, was what had caught his attention.
He was staring at it as if mesmerized, before he slowly reached out one hand, as if to touch it.
Instinctively, Josie raised her hand to it, letting her fingers slide over its cool surface.
The movement seemed to jerk Isaak out of whatever reverie he had drifted into.
“Where...” he started to ask, before swallowing heavily. “Where did you get that ring?”