“No, not if you don’t wish to. Just me if that suits you best.”
“Just you for now. That I can handle.” She shivered as the breeze picked up. It blew her glossy brown locks about her bare shoulders and caused goose-bumps to rise on her arms.
“Here, allow me warm you up.” He shrugged his jacket off and held it up for her to slip her arms into. She didn’t hesitate to accept his offering. She pushed her hands into the long sleeves of soft black leather and pulled the front edges of his jacket together, covering the white tank top she wore over her jeans.
“Thank you. I wasn’t expecting to go for such a long jaunt this deep into the forest.” She lifted the collar over her nose and breathed deep. “Mmm, you smell good.”
His bear had him leaning in. He buried his nose in her hair, dragged in her sweet vanilla scent. It swirled around and intoxicated him, made him want to pick her up and sling her back over his shoulder all over again. Instead, he gently rubbed her arms then zipped his jacket up and enclosed her completely within its warmth. “Feeling a little less frustrated now?”
“A touch less.” She slanted her head, her gaze questioning. “I have no intention of leaving my clan, even though you’ve found me.”
“Is that why you’ve run from me all these years?”
“My clan’s numbers are dwindling. There are far fewer mated pairs than ever before and when I discovered you weren’t from my clan, I’d never felt such sorrow. I’ve let them down.”
“So by running, you decided our fate before you’d even given me a chance to prove myself.” He stroked a finger under her chin and his bear rumbled in delight at the sheer softness of her skin—so creamy and smooth. “I would never keep you from your kin, Isla, nor do I ever intend to in the future. There must be give and take between mates, and more so between you and I since we come from separate clans.”
“You’re serious?” Her tone held disbelief. “You won’t insist I leave my people to join with you?” She inched closer, touching the tips of her boots to his. Those long legs of hers, encased in dark blue denim, showcased every delectable curve from her pert bottom to her knee-high leather boots that hugged her slim calves.
“That’s right.”
“Then I’m free to go?”
“You’re free to leave whenever you wish, but if you go, then I go with you.”
“There isn’t a chance you’ll abandon your clan to join mine. You’re the eldest son of Ivan’s line.” She lifted one hand, traced her finger over the bear’s claw on his neck.
“You seem to know more about me than I know about you, and I’ll only ever speak the truth with you. I’d never leave my clan, but so too I’d never demand that you leave yours. I’m open to negotiation, to ensure we both receive what we need to from this bond. I’m not an enforcer with a steel hand.”
“Is that right?” She arched one cute brow, rather teasingly.
His mate was feisty and strong, both qualities he admired in any woman, as well as qualities he’d hoped his chosen one held.
“And what is it you’d like to receive from this bond, my mate?”
“You. I desire the bond and all that it entails, but I want the sharing of lives, including that of our clans.”
“I’m not really that great of a catch. I can be a little unruly, rash, indecisive, and a complete pain in the butt, or at least that’s what Daniel always says. I’d be running in the other direction if I were you, and count yourself very lucky you got away.”
“I’ll never run in the opposite direction from you.” Unable to help himself and needing some form of touch that was so important to shifters, he rested his hands on her hips. “There is a lot a man learns during the chase. You hold great strength, are incredibly smart and have completely captured my attention.”
“Are you flirting with me, Iain Matheson?” She slid her hands over his. “Because if you are, I like it.”
“You’ve already proven to me that you’re dedicated to the ones you love by not wanting to leave them.”
“You need to stop with the flowery words.” She smiled, so beautifully it lit up her eyes.
He drew her closer, until if he bent one single inch, he’d be able claim her lips and the kiss he so strongly desired. “Tell me the first thing you’ve learnt about me during the chase.”
“Yesterday, I discovered you visited the bank in Edinburgh and took off afterward in a very sweet red convertible. My father had a vision and captured some footage of you, the first I’ve ever seen. I’ve also had the chance to admire your very fine looking butt while swinging over your shoulder. I could still take you though, and knock you for six, and all with my voice alone.”
“What else have you got?”
“You’ve got two brothers, both identical to you.”
“And their names?”