He moves to the other breast, giving it the same treatment, each tug and lick sending shockwaves through me.
“My Little Trouble likes to play, huh?”
“Yeah,” I breathe out. Turns out I do.
My nipple pops free from his mouth, and Ryder’s already working on pulling off my pants. The sound of the zipper cutting through the silence of the forest adds to the anticipation.
“So pink and pretty,” he says, kneeling between my legs and staring down at me, eyes filled with raw hunger. “So addictive.”
He grabs my ankle, lifting my leg over his shoulder, then does the same with the other before plunging into me. The sensation is immediate and overwhelming, a cry escaping my lips.
He grips my thighs and starts pounding into me, each thrust drawing a loud moan from my throat. The rhythmic slap of skin against skin mixes with the symphony of crickets and rustling leaves.
“Shh,” Ryder says, a teasing grin on his face. “You’ll attract those murderous squirrels with all that noise.”
Laughter bubbles up but is quickly lost in the flood of sensations. My entire body focuses on the pleasure building inside me—the cool air on my exposed skin, the relentless drive of his hips, the burning between my legs, the pulsing knot in my belly growing larger until it has nowhere left to go but out.
“Touch yourself,” he commands.
God, I love when he gets bossy. I slide my hand between my legs, rubbing my swollen clit in time with his thrusts. The added stimulation sends me spiraling closer to the edge.
“Yeah, just like that.” His mouth hangs open as he watches where we’re joined.
“I’m... I’m...” Words fail me as my orgasm crashes over me in waves, starting at my center and rippling outward. My thighs quake with the force of my body’s contractions, every nerve alight with ecstasy.
Ryder pulls out, stroking himself with his hand, the sight captivating. “You enjoy watching me rubbing my cock?”
I nod, unable to look away, my body still trembling from the aftershocks of my climax.
“Fuuuck,” he groans, his head falling back as he reaches his peak, covering my belly with white streaks of his release, marking me as his.
The cool mountain air wraps around us as we collapse together on the blanket, the sun dipping lower in the sky, casting a golden hue over everything. The afternoon is alive with the sounds of nature, but here, in our little haven, it’s just us, our breaths mingling, our hearts beating as one.
Ryder shifts beside me, his arm tightening around my waist, his breath warm against my ear. His hand finds mine, fingers intertwining. The bond between us feels stronger, more tangible in this serene setting. I glance up at him, our eyes locking, and in that moment, no words are needed. The love in his gaze says it all: a silent affirmation of everything we feel for each other, even if it’s not forever.
We lay there for a while, just soaking in the tranquility of our surroundings, then I stand and dress, looking down at him. “How high are we?”
“Pretty high.”
I edge closer to the cliff, peering over the side. My stomach lurches as I gaze down at the dizzying drop, but a thrill runs through me.
“Careful,” Ryder warns, scrambling to his feet. “That edge isn’t stable.”
I nod, taking a step back from the edge, the loose pebbles crunching under my feet as I retreat.
Ryder’s shoulders slump in relief, the corners of his mouth turning up. He stands, brushing dirt from his jeans. “Let’s head back to?—”
A flash of movement catches my eye. Light glints off smooth scales as a snake slithers out from a nearby crevice, its forked tongue flicking. A scream tears from my throat. I stumble backward, arms pinwheeling.
The ground shifts beneath me. Pebbles skitter away under my feet, and for a heartbeat, I’m suspended in air.
Ryder’s face contorts in horror, his hand shooting out. “Cora!”
But he’s too far away. My stomach plummets as I fall, the cliff’s edge receding above me, and Ryder’s anguished cry echoes off the rocks as I plunge into the darkness below.
Twenty-Seven
RYDER
