I can’t believe I’m doing this.

As soon as I’d said the words, I wished I could take them back. A violent heat rushed to my cheeks, and I knew I must be as red as a tomato. I itched to turn around and run away, but that weird magnetic energy between us urged me to stay.

“Willow Summers, you do ken how to surprise a man.” Irvine’s eyes burned into me. In the daylight, he looked even sexier, although that might have something to do with that fact he was only wearing a tight pair of jeans that left nothing to the imagination. His torso was even more muscular than I’d imagined, and every inch was covered in those intricate tattoos. A huge crest on his shoulder showed a crouching wolf, teeth bared, and the latin epithet AMOR VINCIT OMNIA. A thin line of dark hair led from Irvine’s belly button down to the waist of his jeans, and my eyes couldn’t help but flick over the bulge of his crotch. A surge of heat mingled with the fear inside me.

No turning back now, Willow. You’re here. You’re doing this thing … with a werewolf.

Unless he doesn’t want to. Maybe he’s changed his mind. He’s gonna tell me I’m an idiot and he finds me disgusting and he would never even be able to get hard—

“Willow …” There was a note of sadness in Irvine’s voice.

This is it. This is where he rejects me.

I closed my eyes, not wanting to see Irvine’s face crumple with disgust like Curtis’ had. “Please, before you say anything, just … hear me out. I know I said I wasn’t ready, but I’ve changed my mind. I came to Crookshollow to experience freedom, and it’s time I truly embraced what that means. I’m not good at asking for what I want, and I know I’m … not like other girls. I’m not beautiful. I’m broken.” My throat caught on the word. Please don’t let me start crying in front of him. “But I’m tired of feeling as though I’m missing something. So if you can stomach being with me and if you promise that you won’t turn into a wolf in front of me … then I … um, want to be with you.”

I dared a peek at Irvine. He stared at me with those daring eyes, silent as stone.

My face flared even hotter. “Um … so … right. I went and got the injection today, and an STI test, so we don’t even have to worry about protection, provided you’re clean … so, if you’re worried about—”

“I’m clean.” Irvine’s deep voice boomed inside my head. “And I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about you thinking I cannae … stomach being with you?”

“You can’t have forgotten that I’m missing a leg.”

“I ken,” he said. “I also remember I told you that you were beautiful.”

I hunted Irvine’s face for any sign that he was lying, or leading me on to be cruel. A boy had done that to me in high school – Raymond Keen. He’d told me all sorts of nice things – I had pretty hair, he loved my eyes, he thought it was cool that I was the smartest in the class. All the while, he and his friends were laughing about me behind my back. Raymond kissed me at a party – my first and only kiss until Curtis – but while I was swooning over him, he was taking a selfie with his phone of him touching my leg, which he sent to everyone at my school.

But Irvine’s eyes were warm, and they burned with an intensity I’d never seen before. My stomach flipped. He looked … hungry. And the same hunger was rumbling inside me.

“So …” I tore my gaze away from his, staring down at my feet. Piles of crumpled clothing hid the rough-cut floorboards of Irvine’s cabin. “Will you do this for me?”

A hand caught my shoulder, turning me back around. Strong fingers held my chin, lifting my face up. “Willow, look at me,” Irvine said.

I turned. Irvine’s face was inches from mine. I could see the shadow of stubble on his chin, the sharp angle of his nose. The silver coin still hung around his neck. That hungry look in his eyes burned into me, making an ache spread through my stomach.

“You’re a very fascinating woman.” Irvine’s gaze burned into mine. His lips were so close to mine that I could feel the heat of his breath. “I find you utterly … enchanting. And I’m nae going to deny that I would very much like to tear all your clothes off and fuck you up against a wall right now.”

I gulped. His words rolled over me, that rich, thick Scottish accent shooting an arc of desire down my spine. The ache in my stomach throbbed with need.

“But …” Irvine’s expression looked pained. “I cannae have a relationship right now. There’s something very important I have to do here in Crookshollow, and I cannae have any distractions, as welcome a distraction as you would be.”

“I’m not asking for anything serious,” I said. “I don’t think I can handle that right now, either. So this can just be a casual thing.”

Willow Summers can do casual. She’s a totally casual kind of girl.

Carol Winters, however, is ready to throw up on her shoes.

“Aye, just a casual thing.” Irvine reached up with his hand, and his thumb stroked my chin. That touch was the first we’d had since the kiss this morning, and it was like a jolt of electricity shooting through my body, drawing out the full force of the ache within me. “You’re okay with that?”

“I’m definitely okay with that.” I gulped as his finger traced across my lips. My whole body lit up, desperate for his hands to be on my skin, for all the things that he could show me. My stomach throbbed with a hunger that matched that in his eyes. “If you … if you promise that you won’t shift. Not in front of me.”

“Aye, I can promise you that. But I have one more question.” The corner of Irvine’s mouth turning up into a wolfish grin. “You ken what I am, so why me?”

“I—I—I don’t know. Because you’re the first person who’s wanted to.”

“I dinnae believe that.”

Because you’re the first person who’s ever seen me. But I couldn’t say that. I pressed my trembling hands against my thighs. “I’m a bit—”

“Terrified?”

I nodded.

In a moment, Irvine closed the gap between us, his naked chest pressed against mine. He wrapped one arm around me, his palm pressed against my back. My skin burned where he touched me, slivers of molten energy dancing across my body.

His lips hovered so close to mine, his breath caressed me. Every pore on his face stood out in high relief. My body froze, a perfect storm of tension and terror and pure, diabolical lust.

“Your first time should be special, Willow Summers,” Irvine whispered, his words rumbling through my core, “I promise I’ll going to make sure you remember it forever.”

“I … er …”

Irvine’s lips covered mine, and the stammering nonsense I was about to spit out fled my head. Nothing existed except that kiss – the warmth of his lips pressed against mine, hard and urgent as he teased my mouth open and slipped his tongue inside. The heat of his mouth drew me in, so I melted against him, drowning in his raw energy and primal scent.

Irvine’s hands snaked across my back, tracing the line of my bra through the thin linen shirt I’d worn. The ache in my stomach spread down between my legs.

Kissing Curtis had been hot, but it wasn’t anything like this.

Irvine’s hands moved over my body, his fingers snaking along the hem of my shirt. Electricity jolted through me as his skin brushed mine. I raised my hands around his neck, drawing us closer still. My fingers traced the thick muscles of his neck and shoulders, wanting to commit every inch of him to memory. I touched the leather throng that hung around his neck. His heady wolf scent drifted over me, but instead of being frightening, it intoxicated me. My head swam with the sensations of him.

So far, so good. What happens next?

I tried to recall my favourite sex scenes from movies, so I’d know what to do. My hands swept across Irvine’s chest, drawing the lines of his tattoos and the edges of his tight muscles. God, he felt so good. Who knew a man could feel that good? I traced the waist of his jeans. My fingers trembled as I unbuttoned his fly.

“Whoa there, lassie.” Irvine grinned, grabbing my wrists and pulling my hands away. “While I admire your enthusiasm, you dinnae have to go quite so fast. We’ve got all the time in the world.”

“Don’t you have important shifter things to do?” I gasped. Irvine laid a trail of kisses along my neck, sending a shiver of delight through my body.

“When a beautiful woman is in your bed, nothing else is important,” he growled, cupping my cheek and tipping my face up. His lips assaulted mine again, and I drank in the ecstasy of his attention.

Irvine walked me backward until my skin grazed the side of his bed. His strong hands gripped my hips, and he half lifted, half pushed me back onto the bed, laying me down on my back.

The bed was softer than it looked, and Irvine’s wolfish scent danced over the blankets. A flutter of fear circled my stomach as I lay back, knowing what was coming soon, but then Irvine crawled up beside me and his lips found mine again. The fear disappeared as I sank into the kiss.

Irvine’s leg pressed up against mine, and something hard dug into my thigh. It took me a few moments to realise it was his penis. He was hard as a rock. For me. He was hard for me.

My heart skipped a beat. I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe he’s real.

Irvine trailed kisses down my neck, pulling aside the collar of my shirt to snake his tongue along my collarbone. Every touch of his lips set my skin on fire. We were going to burn up together like comets entering the atmosphere.

He reached up with his fingers, and grasped the top button of my shirt. His eyes met mine, and he lifted his lips from my skin. “You sure about this?”

I nodded.

“And today’s the big day? You dinnae want to wait—”

I shook my head.

Irvine grinned, his whole face lighting up. “Good.”

His fingers grazed my bare skin as one by one he undid my buttons. Nerves fluttered in my stomach. He folded back my shirt, and tugged it free. As Irvine stared down at me, I thanked myself that I’d thought to change into my nicest black bra and panties before I came over. He gave me that wild grin of his again, and my nerves surged.

He’s looking at me. He sees me.

Nothing in his eyes said he was disgusted or scared of me. All I saw was that cold intensity. Irvine laid his lips on my sternum, his eyes locked on mine as he laid a gentle kiss upon my skin. He reached behind me. Almost without thinking, I lifted my torso. Irvine’s fingers grazed my skin as he pulled off my bra.

I sucked in my breath. This was the first time since Curtis that someone had seen my breasts. My stump tingled, and my stomach danced. That wild grin stretched further across Irvine’s face, and my heart flipped.

“You like what you see?” The words came out much sassier than I felt.

“I do indeed. Nice ink.” He traced a finger over the bleeding rose. “I recognise Elinor’s work.”

“Yeah. I had it done a few weeks agoooooooohhh …” My words turned into a moan as Irvine bent down and took my nipple in his mouth.

Oh, it was exquisite. Irvine’s tongue drew across my nipple, sending shivers through my body. He started slow and delicate, then dragged his teeth across my sensitive skin. A sharp pain flared up, but it only intensified the ache inside me. Irvine’s eyes remained locked on mine, and his hands roamed across my body as he licked and sucked until the ache inside me grew into a raging inferno.

He moved to the other nipple, giving it the same attention. While he licked, his fingers danced over my chest, lingering over the fly of my trousers. The first button popped open. Another flicker of nerves made me gasp, and Irvine removed his hand, continuing his attentions.

A few moments later it was back again, and the next button popped off. I sucked in a breath, and a flare of phantom pain shot through my leg.

Don’t panic. People have sex every single day. It’s a perfectly normal, totally not-scary thing, and most people don’t even get to do it with a hot guy like Irvine. You managed to get this far, so don’t chicken out now.

I tried to fight through the fear as Irvine got all the buttons undone, flipping the corners of my trousers. I reached down with trembling hands to push them off my hips, but Irvine grabbed my wrist again.

“But I have to remove my—”

“Goddammit, woman, you are impossible. I’m trying to be the gentleman here. Let me unwrap you like a Christmas present and savour every part of you before we get down to business, aye?”

“No, I mean, my prosthesis—”

Irvine leaned back, tearing his warm presence from me. “Oh, shite. I’m sorry.”

“No, no, don’t be … I just … I don’t want …” I reached down, tugging up the hem of my trousers, revealing the ankle pivot of my prosthesis sticking out of the top of my shoe.

“Is it uncomfortable?” Irvine looked on as I rolled up the rest of my trouser leg, revealing the vacuum seal that attached the socket to my stump. “I should have asked.”

“No … I mean, yes, it is uncomfortable sometimes. Not right now … I just thought—” I just thought we should get it out of the way now, so you could change your mind once you see my stump and I could get out of here with at least some of my dignity intact.

“If you’re trying to scare me off, it’s nae gonnae work.” Irvine took my hand from my leg and brought it to his lips. His fingers grazed my knuckles, and an arc of fire shot down my arm. He placed my hand between his legs, right against his hardness. A deep flush crept across my cheeks.

“You feel that?” he growled. “That is how I feel looking at you. Your leg is nae going to change that. Now, will you relax and let me work my magic? You don’t have to rush to the finish line. There’s so much I still want to do to your body, if you’ll let me.”

“I—I—”

“Lie back, lassie.” He placed his fingers on my stomach, right against the stem of the rose, and pushed me gently back against the bed. “Relax. I got this.”

“Okay, but I …”

I couldn’t think of any other words. Irvine hooked his fingers under the edges of my panties, and pulled them and the seat of my trousers over my hips. My stomach tied in a knot as Irvine bent down, and lightly kissed the top of my mound. The touch lit every cell in my body.

Irvine’s tongue slid along my length, parting me and searching out deep places I never knew existed. He danced across me, playing me like a fiddle, and boy did my whole body dance.

I lay back against the pillow, letting the waves of pleasure wash over me, relishing the energy coursing through me. I didn’t exist. I was no longer a person, only a puddle of firing synapses and aching need.

Irvine’s tongue searched deeper, pounding against me. The ache inside me exploded, breaking me apart in a great supernova of light and heat. Something like pain that wasn’t pain at all tore me open, and out spilled every fear and doubt. All that was left was pure, untamed joy.

Maybe I cried out, maybe I clawed the sheets, maybe I spoke in tongues, but I didn’t know because I’d left my body behind. I sailed across the galaxy, carried on stardust, riding the wake of pleasure out to the edges of the universe.

When I surfaced, and the room came into focus, Irvine’s face peered down at me, his steel eyes catching the moonlight. “So ye liked that, then?” he grinned.

I nodded, unable to speak.

Irvine kissed me. “Plenty more where that came from.”

“Mmmmmm.” I couldn’t wait.

Irvine reached down and rolled my trousers off my legs. Now, I was completely naked, with my prosthesis on full display. With the stardust still in my veins, I barely cared, until Irvine said, “At this point, I’m a bit out of my league.”

My leg. The last taboo. The last piece of my armour that had to be cast aside if I was going to rid myself of my virginity.

“Here, let me.” I leaned forward and reached for the top of the socket. Irvine watched in interest as I pulled the sock away from the silicone sleeve I wore around my stump. My hands only trembled a little. I felt as though I was standing outside my body, looking over my own shoulder, detached from the action. I broke the vacuum seal, and the leg popped free. I dropped it over the end of the bed, rolled off the sleeve, and tossed that after it.

My stump rested on the bed between us. Just below my right knee, my leg narrowed to a rounded tip of skin and nerves – the place where my leg had been surgically removed after the werewolf bite had gone septic. I’d been three years old when it happened, and I barely remembered the attack or the surgery – just flashes of teeth and fur and pain, and worried doctors and Mum sobbing and looking down at it in the hospital in horror and begging them to put my foot back.

I studied Irvine’s face as he studied the stump. The nerve endings tingled with anticipation. His face shifted, but not with disgust. I could tell he’d never seen an amputation before, not up close like this. “Does it hurt?” he asked, his hands hovering above my leg. “Will I hurt you if I touch you?”

I shook my head. “There are some nerve endings close to the skin, so it’s very sensitive, and sometimes it hurts if I hit it or jolt it, but you don’t have to touch it. I know it’s creepy.”

“Nothing about you is ‘creepy.’ I want this to be amazing for you, Willow.” He looked up, and his eyes burned into mine, deep grey pools where I drowned in his kindness and his desire. “You must tell me if it’s good for you.”

“I will.”

Irvine bent down, and kissed my stump, his lips light on my skin. The nerves collected around his lips, dancing and jolting with delight. He walked his fingers up the inside of my thigh, brushing over my most sensitive skin.

He lay his body over top of me, lowering himself slowly down, letting the warmth of his skin envelop mine. His lips found mine, tender and searching. While he kissed me, Irvine’s hands stroked my folds, drawing out the ache once more. The threads of fire that drew me to him wrapped around us, cocooning me in protective heat.

Irvine’s hard cock against my leg drove the ache deeper. I pushed my hips wider, and his tip rubbed against me. A flutter of fear danced in my stomach, but it was quickly captured by Irvine’s searching lips. He grabbed my hand, resting it by my shoulder and knitting his fingers in mine. He slid inside me. Only a little.

“You okay?”

I nodded.

He pushed in a little deeper. I expected pain, but all I felt was the pressing urgency of the ache, begging him to give me everything.

“How about now?”

“Just get in there, wolf.” I grinned. “I can take it.”

Grinning back at me, Irvine pushed himself all the way inside me in one solid stroke. I cried out as a sharp pain coursed through me, but in moments, the ache inside me had taken away the pain. His length felt glorious, like it was perfectly sculpted for me. Irvine held still, allowing me a few precious moments to savour the fullness of him. Our lips met, and I devoured him.

Irvine moved against me, slowly at first, squeezing my hand as he thrust right up inside me. He drew himself back, his whole body moving against mine. His fingers squeezed mine. With my free hand, I drew circles over his back and stroked his ass, enjoying the way his muscles tensed and relaxed as we moved together.

My body lit up as the stardust in my veins stirred to life. Every muscle and sinew shimmered with newly awoken feeling. Irvine moved faster, grunting as he thrust deep inside me. I lifted my thighs to meet him, relishing every thrust.

As Irvine rose up to thrust again, his foot brushed my stump, sending a shock through the nerves that still remained there. I expected it to jolt me from the moment, but instead, it drew me deeper into the sensations. I ground my hips against Irvine, begging for more, deeper, faster, harder.

The ache inside me spread out from my stomach, racing down my arms, exploding as it reached my core. I came again, the waves crashing through my body as Irvine drove himself deeper still.

My nails dug into Irvine’s back. In response, his mouth claimed mine, the strength of his kiss forcing my head back. I drank in every sensation – his scent deepening, his cock stiffening inside me, his own fingers digging into my skin.

With a groan, Irvine came too, his whole body stiffening as he drove himself deep. He collapsed against me, his body shuddering as his own pleasure rolled through him. His warm skin grew hot against mine. I wrapped my arms around him, clinging to him like he would float away at any moment if I didn’t.

“Willow Summers,” he murmured against my lips. “I cannae feel my legs.”

I laughed, giddy with the high of my orgasm. Irvine rolled off me, wrapping me in his arms and pressing me back against his chest. His breath brushed against my ear.

One thing was for sure. My mother was wrong. Sleeping with a werewolf wasn’t a deadly mistake. It was the most glorious thing I’d ever done.

I want more.