“I should put you down,” I said, brushing my mouth along her jaw.
“You better not.”
I laughed—a real one, low and surprised—and carried her to my bedroom.
Once we were inside, I dropped to my knees on the edge of the bed with her still in my arms. My hands slid up the backs of her thighs, dragging the flannel up with them. I wanted to take my time, to learn her body like I’d carved one of my knives—deliberate, patient, reverent—but I was on fire. And having her there—in my personal space, my sanctuary—was like adding a can of gasoline to the flames.
Her fingers fumbled with the buttons of my shirt. “You’re still freezing.”
“Then warm me up.”
Her lips curled into a smile as she peeled my shirt off my shoulders, then ran her hands across my chest like she’d been dying to do it since day one.
“You’ve got scars,” she whispered.
“Yeah.”
She didn’t shy away. She traced each one like it mattered, like they were chapters in a story she wanted to memorize.
I couldn’t take it. I reached between us and slipped my fingers under the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. Her breasts were bare, her chest flushed, nipples already hard and waiting for my mouth. She arched into my touch as I leaned forward and swept my tongue over the tight bud, her hands threading into my hair as she let out a breathy moan.
She tasted like skin and mountain air and something sweeter I hadn’t let myself crave in a long damn time.
We fell to the bed together, tangled in each other, mouths meeting over and over. She pushed my pants down, her fingers brushing against me, bold and curious, while I grabbed a condom from the drawer. I nearly dropped it, distracted by the way she looked up at me—her eyes wide, pupils blown.
“You sure?” I asked, kneeling between her thighs.
She nodded, then pulled me down with a hand on my shoulder. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
When I slid into her, everything else disappeared. My past. Her uncertainty. The storm outside. Nothing else fucking mattered.
She gasped, back arching as her core adjusted around my cock. I stilled, fighting to hold back, but she rocked against me with a slow roll of her hips.
“Griff,” she whispered, and I kissed her like that was the only name she’d ever need to say.
We moved together, a rhythm that built slowly, then crested, the strong waves breaking over both of us. When she came, it was with a soft cry and nails digging into my shoulders. I followed seconds later, burying my face in her neck, every defense mechanism I’d built around my heart crumbling like walls of a sandcastle in the surf.
I didn’t say anything after. Just held her, my nose buried in her hair, her body curled into mine, our breathing syncing like we were already learning how to exist together.
The storm had quieted outside, but inside the bedroom, the air was still charged. Juniper tucked against my side, one bare leg draped over mine, hair tangled and skin warm. Her breath had evened out, but I could tell she wasn’t asleep. Her fingers traced slow, lazy circles over my chest, and I couldn’t bring myself to stop her.
I wouldn’t be able to sleep. Not with her body pressed to mine and a thousand unspoken things hanging heavy in the sliver of space between us.
“You okay?” I asked, my voice rough from the weight of what we’d just shared and everything else we hadn’t said yet.
She nodded, then tilted her face up toward mine. “Yeah. Just... thinking.”
“About?”
She hesitated, then sat up slightly, pulling the sheet with her to cover her chest even though I’d already seen and touched every inch of her and planned to do it again and again.
“I never meant to come here,” she said, her voice soft and low. “Misty Mountain wasn’t ever part of my plan.”
“Then why did you?” I kept my tone even, giving her space to decide how much she wanted to give and hoping like hell she wasn’t having second thoughts.
She let out her breath and glanced toward the dark window. “Because everything else fell apart and this felt like the escape I needed.”
She shifted, reaching up to brush her hair back behind her ear. “I was supposed to get married this spring. Downtown Chicago venue with a view of the lake. Designer lace dress. Custom wedding hashtags. The whole nine yards.”
