Cooper gives me a wide smile. “Who said the ranger had to be the one to take you?”
My heart racesas Cooper puts his truck into park out front Noah’s cabin. There’s a quiet—a peace—about this place I missed as soon as we left, and now that I’m back, I’m terrified to break it.
As if sensing us, Noah exits the cabin. In the late afternoon sun, he’s beautiful. If I were to tell him that, I knew he wouldn’t believe me, but he is.
The light dances across his masculine features, highlighting how sharp his jaw is, revealing the permanent downward set of his brow and lips. The light makes his hair look almost golden.
I’m moving before I know it, ignoring Coop and everything else as I run through the snow to reach him. Noah is off the front porch in an instant. Every step he takes has a pronounced limp that makes my heart ache.
As soon as we reach one another, Noah pulls me into his arms, breathing in deeply. He shudders, arms tightening around my waist, and I can’t help but melt into him.
I wind my arms around his shoulders. Each breath I pull in is tinged with his scent. “I’m sorry?—”
“Are you okay?” he asks, at the same time as me. I can’t help but laugh into his shoulder, nuzzling my cold nose into the crook of his neck.
“I’m okay,” I reply quietly. “Completely cleared of any injury.”
Noah releases a shaky breath and pulls away to cup my cheeks. The urge to kiss him is overwhelming, and I want to give in—but with Coop a few feet away, I try to hold myself back.
But then his lips part, and before I can stop myself, I rise onto my tip toes and crash my lips into his. Everything around us completely falls away, and nothing else matters as I sink into his warmth.
This kiss is even better than the ones we’ve already shared. Explosive. Permanent. It’s more than just a promise, but an anchor holding us in place.
When I finally pull away, lips swollen and belly all fluttery, I grin up at him. “I brought you more boardgames and books,” I whisper. “Something for us to do.”
Noah tugs me back into his embrace. “All I need is you, Sophia,” he murmurs. “Nothing else matters.”
A lump forms in my throat. “You mean that?”
“Of course I do.” He looks down at me with thatsame reverence as before, only this time there’s something else in his gaze. “I don’t want to let you go, Sophia. Never again. I’ve been yours since the moment we met, and I’ll be damned if I make the same mistakes again. I should have been upfront with how I felt before, but I was terrified that you wouldn’t want me. Not with these scars, or this darkness. But I’m not letting you leave here again without you knowing how much I love you.”
My breath catches in my throat as tears roll down my cheeks. “Of course I want to be with you. Of course I want all of this with you. I’ve never wanted anything more.” I cup his cheek as the almost hidden scars beneath. “I love you, too.”
He dips his head for another kiss, and I welcome him completely. Before I can make another move, he swings me up into his arms bridal style.
“I hope you brought more than boardgames and books,” he says, “because I don’t intend on letting you go again.”
My grin widens, and every hesitation—every fear—washes away at the look of love in his eyes. It’s undeniable now. “But I like borrowing your clothes. They’re so comfy.”
“Then take them all. They’re yours for as long as you’ll stay.”
As he starts carrying me towards the cabin, Cooper shouts, “She’s not moving in until you put a damn ring on her finger!”
Noah chuckles, while I feel my cheeks burn with embarrassment, silently apologising for my brother as Noah carries me up the front porch steps.
“Don’t worry,” he murmurs, almost too low for me to hear, “I’ll make it right.”
ELEVEN
NOAH
Iwrap Sophia in my arms and press a kiss to her temple as we watch the snow fall in soft flurries from the light grey clouds above. With the weather easing up into spring, the mountain feels more alive. Like it’s waking up after a long nap. Still cold and harsh up here, but having my sweet angel in my arms makes it better.
Soph melts into my embrace, finally settling into my chest. “You know,” she says quietly, eyeing the forest, “it’s really peaceful up here. When there’s no blizzard, of course.”
I chuckle under my breath and hold her tighter. “You think?”
She gives me a small nod. “Yeah. I mean, I don’tthink I particularly enjoy the storms or getting snowed in. That won’t be great for my career, but I also kind of see why you enjoy it so much.”
