Without waiting for a response, I bend her uninjured leg toward her chest. The new angle is immediate, devastating. She gasps, a sharp, breathy cry, as I sink into her again. I thrust harder, faster, chasing that edge.
Her pleasured cries flood the room as I angle her just right, hitting the spot I know will soon be bringing stars to her vision.
From the way my cock is pulsating and my balls are tightening, I’ve hit my limit. I last three, no, four more thrusts before I sink as deep as she’ll let me go.
Her inner muscles clench and flutter as I bury myself to the hilt, and come so hard that my vision whites out and a high-pitched ringing fills my ears, drowning out everything but the frantic beat of my own heart.
For a moment, I can’t move. I can’t breathe. I just hover above her, trembling, lost in the aftershocks. When the ringing fades, the first thing I hear is her soft, ragged breathing. The first thing I see is her face, flushed and beautiful, her lips parted.
I lower myself, bracing my weight on my elbows, and I kiss her. It’s not like the frantic, hungry kisses from before. This one is slow. Deep. I try to pour everything I’m feeling—the awe, the gratitude, the overwhelming tenderness—into it.
I’m not a man good with words, but I can pour all my love into a kiss. That’s not hard. Separating from her is far more challenging.
I pull back just enough to look at her. Her skin is dewy, a fine sheen of sweat making her glow in the dim light. A few strands of hair are plastered to her temple, her cheeks are pink, and her eyes are soft and shining. She looks so fucking beautiful.
Carefully, I ease out of her and lie down beside her, my body still humming. I reach out and tuck that damp strand of hair behind her ear, my fingers lingering on the curve of it.
There’s no doubt that I’ll be sticking around on this bed now. Even with my concerns lingering in the back of my mind, experiencing Emery like this, I know I’m staying.
I shift onto my side and pull her toward me, settling her against my chest. It feels natural, like my body was molded to fit hers. She’s completely naked, her soft curves pressed against me. I’m still wearing my clothes, and I can already tell she’s thinking the same thing I am.
She stirs, a small wiggle, and starts to pull away, a hint of shyness in the movement. “Callan, I—”
I tighten my arm, stopping her. “I like this more,” I murmur against her hair.
She goes still for a second, then I feel the heat of a blush against my skin. A soft, surprised giggle escapes her, the sound vibrating through my chest. She just nods, a tiny movement, and relaxes against me.
Once the light is off and she’s perfectly secure in my arms, I don’t think sleep comes to me as fast as it does tonight.
* * *
When I woke up, the first thing I wanted to do was kiss Emery. However, finding the spot next to me empty is all it takes for such a greeting to disintegrate. Sitting up quickly, I look around the room like she’ll suddenly appear out of thin air.
“Emery?” Calling out her name and getting silence in return, that’s all it takes before I’m on my feet. Leaving the room, every worst thought hits me all at once.
What if something happened to her? What if my medical work failed me and she got an infection? What if, after last night, she didn’t like what I had to offer overall? What if… she left?
For all I know, she could already be at the base of the mountain with the intention of never coming back up again.
Cursing, I look for any signs of life. As far as I can tell, my home is empty. The fire has long gone out, leaving the room cooler, even more now that I’m alone. Stopping in the kitchen, the unsettling feeling hits me in the stomach when I see that even her camera is nowhere to be found.
She’s gone, just like that.
As the realization hits me, a largeboomechoes in the distance. Harsh enough to rattle the walls of the cabin. It’s a miracle it’s not from my knees giving out. Trying to steady my breathing, I hear the rain outside. I don’t know when it started, but it sounds like it’s coming down hard.
Fuck, what if she’s still out there, still walking? I knew we’d get a rainstorm, but I doubt she’d have a clue.
I need to find her. Even if I can’t steal her away back to my cabin, and even if it tears me in two, I can already go out and look for her. Make sure she made it home safe, wherever home is.
I don’t think. I just grab my truck keys and shove my feet into my boots as my heart continues to race.
One step out on the porch, and I think the poor lump in my chest finally stops.
Emery pauses mid-drink of the cup in her hands. Seeing me in such a panicked mode, she lifts a brow before giving me another one of her damn smiles. “Are you alright?”
So much better now that I know my world isn’t about to end because I let the greatest thing to come my way slip through my fingers.
“Yeah.” Struggling to find my voice, I nod. “Yeah, I’m alright.”
