Her head tilts slightly, considering my words, and for a moment, I wish I could see what’s going on behind those dark eyes of hers. “You miss it, don’t you?” she asks, her voice quieter, softer, like she’s figured out a part of me I haven’t even said out loud.
I shrug, looking away, letting my gaze fall back to the horizon where the last light bleeds out of the sky. “Yeah. More than I can explain. But it’s not just the climbing I miss.” The words spill out before I can stop them, and suddenly, I’m telling her things I’ve buried deep. “It’s...the freedom. The feeling like nothing could touch me.”
Silence stretches out between us, but it’s not the kind that feels empty. It’s heavy with things unsaid, with the unsteady rhythm of our breathing. And then, her hand brushes against mine, her touch tentative, like she’s afraid I’ll pull away. But I don’t. I turn back to her, and she’s watching me with an intensity that makes something twist deep in my chest.
“You’re still that guy, Holt,” she says, and there’s a conviction in her voice that almost hurts to hear. “The one who’s not afraid of anything.”
I huff out a laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Lila. I’m afraid of plenty of things.”
She shifts closer, her leg brushing against mine, sending a jolt up my spine that I try to ignore. “So am I,” she says, hervoice barely above a whisper, but it’s enough to draw me in. “I’ve always been afraid—afraid of failing, afraid of being judged, afraid that I’ll never be enough.” Her laugh is brittle, self-mocking. “My parents have been trying to marry me off to their friends’ sons for years. All those buttoned-up Catholic boys who wear suits and ties. They don’t grow ’em like you where I come from–all tattoos and beard and…muscle.” She giggles.
I glance at her, catching the rueful smile on her lips, the way her expression flickers between amusement and something rawer, more exposed. “I went to a Catholic all-girls school, and then Smith College—also all-girls. I’ve never known a man like you. A man who breaks the rules instead of following them.” Her eyes find mine in the half-light, shadows dancing across her features. “But when I’m up here...when I’m with you...it’s different. It’s like I can breathe for the first time.”
Her words hang between us, raw and unpolished, and they hit me harder than I want to admit. I reach out, cupping her cheek, my thumb grazing her bottom lip. Her skin is warm, her breath hitching under my touch, and for a second, everything else fades away. It’s just her, just us, caught in this moment that feels like it could be something more.
“I’ll never be that suit-and-tie kind of man, but you don’t have to be afraid with me, Lila,” I murmur, my voice low, roughened by everything I’m holding back. “I’ll catch you. I swear I will.”
Her hand comes up, fingers curling around my wrist, holding me there like she’s afraid I might pull away. And then, she leans in, closing the space between us, her lips finding mine in a kiss that’s sweet and desperate, like she’s pouring everything she can’t say into it.
The kiss shatters whatever restraint I have left. I wrap my arms around her, dragging her closer until her body presses against mine, her softness fitting perfectly against my roughedges. Her hands tangle in my hair, and I groan against her mouth, letting her feel the need that’s been clawing at me since the first time I saw her.
I roll us over until she’s beneath me, her back against the cool rock, my weight bracing over her. She looks up at me, her cheeks flushed, her lips parted, and there’s a wildness in her eyes that matches the storm raging inside me. I dip my head, brushing my mouth over her jaw, down the curve of her neck, tasting the salt of her skin.
“Tell me to stop,” I rasp against her pulse, feeling it quicken beneath my lips. “If you don’t want this, tell me now.”
Her nails dig into my shoulders, pulling me closer, her breath hot against my ear. “I want it, Holt. I want you.”
Her words snap whatever thread of control I had left. I crush my mouth to hers, swallowing her gasp as my hands roam over her, feeling the way she arches into me, the way her body responds like she’s been waiting for this as much as I have. It’s a heady feeling, the way she melts against me, like she’s giving in to something she’s fought against for too long.
We lose ourselves in each other, lips and hands exploring, the cool mountain air biting at our heated skin. I slide my hands beneath her layers, finding bare skin, and she shudders, her hips rocking up against mine, making me curse under my breath.
The stars spin above us, a million pinpricks in the velvet sky, but all I can see, all I can think about, is the way she feels against me, the way her breath catches when I run my thumb over the dip of her waist. She’s all softness and fire, and I want to burn with her, to forget everything but the way she tastes, the way she moves beneath me, her body arching into mine.
“Lila,” I murmur against her lips, my voice breaking with the force of everything I’m feeling, everything I can’t put into words. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
She pulls back just enough to meet my gaze, her dark eyes shining with something that makes my chest ache. “Show me,” she whispers, and it’s a command, a plea, everything I never knew I wanted to hear from her.
So I do. I pour everything into that kiss, into every touch, every whispered promise against her skin.
I want this woman—all of her. Her taste, her sounds, her everything.
I watch her bite down on her lip, and it’s everything I can do not to tear her apart with my need. There’s a hesitation in her eyes, like she’s fighting the urge to give in. I can see the way she holds back, as if afraid that wanting this too much will break her.
I take my time, my fingertip skimming the edge of her waistband, teasing her. Her breath catches, a small hum escaping her lips, and it makes me harder, more desperate to possess her. I drop to my knees in front of her, pressing my mouth to the warm skin just above the band of her panties.
Her skin tastes sweet, salty—a mix of innocence and desire.
I trace my tongue slowly, letting it linger, feeling the way her body shudders beneath me. I hook a finger under her panties and begin to slide them down, my knuckles brushing against her wet heat. I’m taking my time, savoring every moment, feeling the tension coil tighter with each slow reveal of her bare skin.
My gaze is Lilaous as I take her in, fully exposed. Her arousal glistens, drawing me in like a magnet. I part her folds with my fingers, stroking her clit in a quick rhythm before slowing down, teasing her, letting her know that I’m in control. Her fingers tangle in my hair, pulling me closer, urging me on.
She tastes like heaven.
I press my tongue deep inside her, moving in and out, feeling her body respond. Her thighs twist, her back arching as she grabs the arm of the couch. The cold window behind her isthe only thing grounding her right now, a contrast to the heat building between us.
I keep my movements rough, insistent—just the way I know she likes it. My stubble grazes her thighs as I suck and rub, my fingers relentless against her clit.
“Oh god.” Her orgasm crashes over her, and I grip her waist, holding her as she trembles, her cries filling the room.
