Her face flushes a deep shade of crimson, her nipples pebbling beneath her thin shirt as she gets closer to the edge. I clench my fists at my sides, barely holding back the urge to take her.
“Tell me what you’re thinking about,” I rasp, slipping a hand down my pants to grasp my cock, my eyes never leaving her.
“I’m thinking about what you’ll feel like when you’re finally inside me,” she breathes, her voice a soft hum. The confession makes me snap.
“Jesus, Lila.” I crash down onto her, pushing my fingers through her hair as I kiss her with a hunger I’ve never felt before. “I haven’t touched another woman in over a decade. I haven’t even thought about one, not until you walked into my life. You’re a brave little bird trying to climb my mountain.”
She’s everything I’ve been starving for, everything I didn’t know I needed. I trail kisses down her neck, along her collarbone, then down to her breasts. My hands cup her soft curves, my thumbs brushing over her hardened nipples.
I work my way lower, tasting every inch of her skin. I pull her panties off and spread her legs wide, exposing her to my gaze. She’s glistening, and I can’t resist licking one long, slow stroke up her slit, my tongue circling her clit.
“I’m going to make this as gentle as I can,” I murmur as I move back up her body. “But it’s going to hurt.” I press a soft kiss to her lips, my fingers teasing her entrance to ensure she’s ready.
Her body tenses for a moment, but when she starts to relax, I push inside slowly, feeling the resistance. She cries out, her eyes squeezing shut, and I stop, holding still, giving her time to adjust.
“Shh… I’m sorry,” I whisper, stroking her hair gently.
Her eyes open, and there’s a softness there that breaks something inside me. She nods, her hips beginning to move against mine, and I lose the last shred of control I have. I start thrusting, slowly at first, then faster as she starts to meet me halfway.
Her legs wrap around my waist, her ankles locking behind me as she urges me deeper.
“You feel so damn good,” I groan, my voice thick with need. “I can’t go slow for much longer.”
“Please, more,” she breathes, her voice desperate. “I want all of you.”
Her words push me over the edge. I thrust harder, faster, losing myself in her warmth. “Lila… Lila…” I chant her name like a prayer, feeling her body surrender completely to me.
When I finally come, it’s with a force that leaves me shaking, my arms trembling as I hold myself above her, not wanting to crush her with the weight of my release.
“Holt,” she whispers, her voice soft but filled with an uncertainty that makes me pause. “I’m not on birth control.”
The words should scare me, but they don’t. Instead, they fill me with a strange kind of hope. I look down at her, my heart swelling.
“Well,” I say with a grin, “that’s an interesting turn of events, isn’t it?” I collapse onto her, holding her close, my face buried in her hair.
“Should I… go bathe in the river or something?” she asks, her voice small, unsure. “To make sure I don’t get pregnant?”
I chuckle softly, pressing a kiss to her temple. “It doesn’t work like that, sweetheart.” I tilt her chin up, making her look at me. “And besides,” I murmur, my lips brushing over hers, “I like knowing a piece of me is still inside you.”
I curl her into me, my body enveloping hers as completely as she’s rooted herself inside of my heart.
And as we lose ourselves in the wild, exhilarating freedom of the starry night, I realize that whatever happens next, this is real. It’s messy and complicated and terrifying, but it’s real. And I know she’s worth the risk.
Chapter Seven
Lila
The first rays of dawn push through the thin line of trees below, casting a soft glow over the rocky ledge. My breath catches as I open my eyes, reality hitting like a punch. The air is cold against my skin, but the warmth of Holt’s body at my back makes me hesitate before I shift. His arm is heavy across my waist, his breathing steady, deep, like he has no regrets about the night we spent tangled together beneath the stars.
For a moment, I let myself sink into the comfort of it. I close my eyes again, inhaling the earthy scent of him, mixed with pine and the crisp morning air. His chest rises and falls against me, and I try to memorize the feel of it, like it’s something I can hold onto. But then, the doubts creep in, cold and relentless.
Emails. Deadlines. The carefully curated world I built online. A life where everything makes sense, where every post has a purpose, and where there’s no room for messy entanglements like this.
I edge out from under his arm, moving slowly to avoid waking him. The chill hits immediately, a reminder of the real world outside the warmth of his embrace. I pull my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them as I stare out at thestretch of mountains, the mist curling between the peaks. My thoughts race, tangled like the knots in the ropes we used to climb up here, and I can’t shake the sense that I’m about to unravel everything I’ve worked for.
A rustle behind me, and then Holt’s low, sleep-rough voice cuts through the silence. “Running off already, princess?”
My spine stiffens, and I take a moment before glancing back at him. His hair is tousled, his lips curled into that cocky half-smile, but there’s an edge to his gaze that wasn’t there last night. I press my lips together, forcing down the flood of emotions his voice stirs. “I’m just thinking.”
