He pulled them swiftly off and held them away from her before tossing them onto the dock. He grabbed her waist, halting her as she turned to try and retrieve them. Turning her back around, he pulled her against him. She squiggled against him, only serving to heat his loins more. He quickly unbuttoned his jeans and slipped them down as he lifted her to his waist. "Stefan!" she gasped, half in protest, half in desire.
He grinned as he slipped his hand between her thighs and delved his finger deep into her tight, wet sheath. "I think you're more than ready for me," he whispered.
She adamantly shook her head no, but her traitorous hips began to move with his finger. "We can't!"
"We can." He slipped his hand away from her. She moaned her protest as she instinctively sought to get closer to him. Grabbing her waist, he lifted her onto him. "If you want to stop though," he whispered as he nibbled on her bottom lip.
She lifted herself up in answer and slid onto him slowly. She moaned in pleasure as heat seared through her entire body. Her hands curled into his back as she clung to him. He planted his hands on the dock behind her, using it to keep him up as she rode them both to completion.
Spent and completely sated, Isabelle dropped her head to his shoulder as she tried to get her breathing under control. The chill of the water began to penetrate her warm haze, causing her to shiver. "Come on, let's get you warm," he whispered as he reached behind her to grab her shorts.
He quickly slid them back up her long legs as she shivered and shook against him. He rubbed her arms and body, trying to put some heat back into her as he kicked through the water. A fire was going now; its flames illuminated the people gathered around it. Stepping onto the shore, he found towels and their shoes waiting for them. He grabbed a towel, wrapped it around her, and enthusiastically rubbed it against her skin.
"They're all going to know," she whispered, her voice thick with embarrassment.
He chuckled. "Trust me, they already know."
She pulled back to look at him; her face a vivid shade of red. "I know that, but, I uh... oh forget it."
He kissed the tip of her nose as he eased her to the ground and wrapped the towel around her trembling shoulders. "I understand, love."
She offered a tremulous smile as she held onto the towel. He grabbed the other towel and wrapped it around her as he grabbed their shoes.
"You need this." She handed the other towel out to him, but he wrapped it back around her as he pulled her against his side.
"Not as much as you,” he said. “That fire looks inviting."
She shivered as she buried herself against him and followed him toward the large, leaping flames. Laughter floated through the night, beckoning them almost as much as the giant flames did. Isabelle felt her embarrassment rise as they moved steadily closer.
"You guys must be popsicles!" Vicky cried as she rushed over to hand Stefan a blanket.
He pulled the towels away from Isabelle and pulled her against his chest. Wrapping the blanket around them both, he used his hands to rub some heat back into her. She shivered as she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest; the heat in her face was hot against his cool skin. Stifling a laugh over her foolishness, he lifted her up and sat on the ground with her in his lap.
They sat for a long time, absorbing the heat of the fire as drinks and stories were passed around. Ian left with his friends to go to a club, Liam and Sera slipped away, and the younger children went off to bed. Stefan was content to stay by the flames, holding Isabelle within his arms, and warming them both. He never thought he would experience such peaceful bliss in his life, and he was reluctant to leave it.
David, Doug, Mike, Jack, and Ethan sat nearby, watching the flames as they died down. Isabelle yawned as her fingers curled into his still damp shirt. "Tired?" he inquired.
She nodded as she stifled another yawn. He brushed the damp hair off her face as he lifted her up. "Good night, guys."
"Hold on, I'll go back with you," Ethan said.
Jack and David climbed to their feet behind him and tucked their blankets under their arms before heading over to them. Mike and Doug stood and walked over to the buckets of water sitting on the other side of the fire. Stefan waited for the three of them before turning and heading into the shadows of the house. He was halfway across the field when he felt it. Freezing instantly, his hands clenched protectively on Isabelle. She lifted her head to stare at him questioningly as Ethan, David, and Jack stopped walking.
"Stefan?" Isabelle inquired.
He shook his head as his gaze quickly scanned the open field and surrounding woods. His nostrils flared as a powerful; defensive urge poured through him. He shifted Isabelle in his arms and lowered her to the ground as the disturbance in the air grew closer. She released him slowly; her eyes were questioning as she searched his gaze. His eyes shot to the left as a shimmer in the air caught his attention, a shimmer he knew the others wouldn't be able to see.
He pushed Isabelle behind him as he turned to face it. "Hello, Stefan."
Isabelle tried to peer around Stefan's shoulder to see the man who spoke, but he roughly shoved her back again.
"Brian!" David blurted.
Isabelle poked her head around Stefan's side, determined to see him. He was tall and muscular, nearly as big as Stefan, and almost as gorgeous. His hair was the lightest platinum blond she’d ever seen. His eyes were a piercing ice
