“Forever,” I swear, my cock pulsing as I drive into her with renewed purpose. Her walls contract around me in exquisite response. I cradle her hips, easing the bite of my length, seeking that perfect rhythm that draws her apart then pulls her back into me.
Her moans shred the air, each one a balm to my soul. “Ethan,” she gasps, voice trembling, “you’re incredible.”
“I need you so much it terrifies me,” I confess at her ear, my voice husky. I thrust slower, baring every inch of me to her, deeper, more intimate. “More than anything, I fear losing you.”
She nods, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes as her body rides the waves of pleasure I deliver. “The way you make me feel is… overwhelming,” she whispers.
I slide back inside, cock throbbing as it navigates her depths. Her breath hitches, her inner muscles clenching, pulsing around me like a second heartbeat.
I lean forward, lips grazing her collarbone, tasting salt and sweetness. “I’m wild for you, Maddie,” I murmur. “Nothing else matters but this—us.”
She grips my shoulders, digging her heels in, her body folding around mine. I find her swollen bundle of nerves—her clit—and knead it with deliberate pressure. Her breath quickens, her chest heaving as each stroke sends her closer to her edge.
My fingers rake through her hair, pulling her face down for a crushing kiss. She meets me with equal force, her tongue darting until I taste tears and pleasure on her lips.
Her climax catches fire in her gaze—dilated pupils, parted lips, tremors running through her limbs. Her pussy tightens in a perfect, rhythmic grip around my cock, squeezing out a groan that vibrates in my chest. I follow her over the brink, hot release cascading through me as I fill her, every last drop surrendering to this perfect union.
We collapse together, heaving breaths mingling in the heat of our afterglow. I roll to my side on the sofa, pulling her close so our chests rise and fall in unison. Her damp hair fans over my bicep; her cheek rests against my pounding heart.
She lifts her head and brushes my lips with hers, the corners of her mouth curving into the softest smile I’ve ever known. “My growly mountain ranger,” she whispers, her voice husky with satisfaction.
I trail a finger down her spine, pressing gentle kisses along the column of her back until I reach the nape of her neck. “You’re breathtaking,” I murmur against her ear. “Your scent, your taste—it’s all I crave.”
She sighs, melting into my arms. “I never want this to end,” she breathes. “Every part of me is yours.”
And in that moment, our hearts beat as one—mine, her, entwined—sealing our promise on this mountain, high above the world. My life now revolves around her, my axis solidified by her love. My caveman heart is complete. My forever is here.
Epilogue
one month later
Maddie
The first time I realize he’s watching me again, I smile.
Not because I’m surprised. Because I was waiting for it.
The air at the top of the mountain is thinner, cleaner, carrying every sound just a little farther than it should, and I pause near the edge of the ridge to catch my breath, one hand resting lightly at my side while the other adjusts the camera hanging around my neck. The hike up wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t supposed to be. I needed the climb. I needed the quiet. I needed to feel the mountain under my feet again, solid and steady and real.
And I needed this moment.
The light stretches across the peaks in soft gold, slipping through the evergreens and catching on the rocks in a way that makes everything look untouched. For a second, it feels like the whole world has narrowed down to this one place, this one breath, this one still point where nothing is chasing me anymore.
“Got you,” I murmur under my breath, lifting the camera and snapping a photo of the valley below.
The click echoes faintly.
And then another one answers it.
Behind me.
I don’t turn right away. I let the smile settle in first, let it deepen just slightly, because there’s something about knowing he’s there that doesn’t make me tense anymore. It does the opposite.
“You’re getting sloppy,” I call out, lowering my camera.
There’s a beat, just enough to stretch the moment.
Then, “You noticed.”
