His hand comes up to cup my cheek, thumb brushing gently across my skin. “Are you sure?”
I nod. “I’m sure.”
He leans in and kisses me, slow and tender. There’s no rush in the way his lips move against mine. He takes his time, savoring every second, coaxing my mouth open until I sigh against him. His tongue slides against mine in gentle strokes, tasting, exploring. His fingers slide into my hair, holding me gently as the kiss deepens. Heat builds between us, but it feels different tonight. Softer. Deeper. Like every touch carries a promise.
Thorne pulls back just enough to look into my eyes. “You’re everything I didn’t know I was waiting for, Sadie. Beautiful. Brave.Mine.”
The words send a shiver through me. He kisses me again, then trails his mouth down the side of my neck, pressing soft, open-mouthed kisses along my skin. His hands move with care, sliding under my shirt to caress my waist, my ribs, the curve of my breasts. He cups one breast gently, thumb circling the nipple until it tightens under his touch. I arch into him with a quiet moan.
He peels my clothes away slowly, piece by piece, kissing every new inch of skin he reveals. When my shirt is gone he kisses down my collarbone, across the swell of my breasts, taking one nipple into his mouth and sucking softly while his hand teases the other. Pleasure sparks through me, warm and sweet. Hemoves lower, lips brushing over my stomach, my hips, until he reaches the waistband of my sleep shorts. He looks up at me for permission. I nod, and he slides them down along with my panties, leaving me completely bare.
Then he removes his own clothes, letting me see the strength and the scars that tell stories I have not yet heard. His body is powerful, muscles defined from years of hard work and training. His cock is already hard, thick and ready. He settles between my thighs, his weight welcome and grounding.
When he enters me it’s slow and careful, inch by careful inch. He watches my face the whole time, eyes dark with emotion. The stretch is familiar now, but tonight it feels sacred. I wrap my legs around his waist and pull him closer until he’s fully seated inside me. We both sigh at the perfect fit.
We move together in a gentle rhythm, bodies rocking in perfect sync. There’s no frantic urgency, only deep, rolling pleasure that builds like a wave. Thorne kisses me between whispers, his voice low and full of feeling.
“You feel like home,” he murmurs against my lips. “So perfect. So right. I could stay inside you forever and never get enough.”
His hand slips between us, fingers finding the sensitive spot that makes me gasp. He circles it slowly, matching the pace of his thrusts. Pleasure coils tighter and tighter until I’m trembling beneath him.
“Come for me,” he whispers, voice rough with emotion. “Let me feel you, Sadie. Let me love you through it.”
The orgasm washes over me in long, sweet waves. I cling to his shoulders, crying out softly as everything inside me tightens and releases around him. Thorne follows moments later, burying hisface in my neck as he pulses deep inside me. His arms wrap around me tight, holding me like I’m something precious.
He stays inside me for a long time afterward, kissing my forehead, my cheeks, my lips with soft, lingering presses. He rolls us carefully so I lie draped across his chest, his hand stroking slow circles on my back. His heartbeat is steady under my ear.
“I meant every word,” he says quietly into the dark. “I’m all in. No matter how long it takes for you to believe it. This cabin, this mountain, this life. I want to build it with you.”
I press my face into the crook of his neck, breathing him in. The worry about Magnus still lingers at the edges of my mind, but for tonight it feels smaller. Distant. Thorne’s steady heartbeat under my ear and the warmth of his body around mine make the future feel possible.
He continues to hold me, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on my skin. “You’re so beautiful when you come apart for me,” he whispers. “I love watching your face, feeling the way you tighten around me. You make me feel things I never thought I would.”
I smile against his chest and tilt my head up to kiss him. The kiss starts soft but grows deeper, heat stirring again between us. Thorne rolls us so I’m on my back once more. He kisses down my body with the same tender care, lips and tongue worshiping every curve. When he reaches the apex of my thighs he takes his time, licking and sucking gently until I’m writhing beneath him, another orgasm building slow and sweet.
Only when I’m gasping his name does he move back up and slide into me again. This time the pace is still gentle but a little deeper,a little more intense. He looks into my eyes the entire time, whispering romantic words between thrusts.
“I never want to let you go,” he says. “You’re my future, Sadie. My home. Every morning I want to wake up and see your face. Every night I want to fall asleep with you in my arms.”
His words wrap around me as tightly as his body does. Pleasure builds again, steady and overwhelming. I come with his name on my lips, and he follows right after, groaning softly as he fills me once more.
Afterward we lie tangled together, skin damp and hearts slowing. Thorne pulls the quilt over us and tucks me against his side. His hand never stops stroking my hair, my back, my arm. He presses kisses to my temple, my forehead, anywhere he can reach.
“I love having you here,” he murmurs. “Not just in my bed, but in my life. You make this mountain feel like the only place I want to be.”
I snuggle closer, letting his warmth and his words chase away the last shadows of doubt. The worry about Magnus is still there, but it no longer feels overwhelming. Not with Thorne holding me like this, speaking to me with such open honesty and tenderness.
Sleep finds me easier than it has in days, wrapped in Thorne’s strong arms and the quiet promise of the life we both want. The mountain keeps its silent watch outside the window, and inside, for the first time, my heart feels truly at home.
THIRTEEN
THORNE
The morning light filters through the curtains, soft and golden, painting the bedroom in warm tones. I wake with Sadie tucked against my chest, her breathing slow and even, one leg thrown over mine. Her hair spills across my shoulder, and the scent of her skin fills my lungs. Last night still lingers in my body, the memory of her soft cries and the way she clung to me making my blood heat all over again. I tighten my arm around her waist, careful not to wake her yet, and simply enjoy the feeling of her here in my bed, safe and warm.
A firm knock sounds at the cabin door. I ease out from under Sadie, pulling the quilt higher around her shoulders, and tug on a pair of jeans and a shirt. When I open the door, Silas stands on the porch, face serious, eyes sharp.
“Morning,” he says quietly. “We have a trail on Magnus and his men. From the looks of it, they’re already in Timber Creek. Greta from the diner called early. She saw some strange men asking questions about new faces in town, especially women matching Sadie’s description. Possible sighting. Harlan, Boyd, and I areheading down to check it out. We’ll keep it quiet, but we need to move fast.”
