I don’t know what it is about that expression, that sadness, that gives me hope that this can work.
Taking her hand, I guide her out into the parking lot by the Lodge. “Let’s take a drive,” I offer, glancing down at her. “Unless you’ve made your decision?”
Olivia chews her bottom lip, hand straying to her purse, and shakes her head. “No, actually. There’s more I want to talk about,” she murmurs, voice tight with tension. “Maybe we could go up to the pavilion? Or to the clearing again?”
I nod once, not questioning her. Wild Vista Ranch is quiet tonight, most of the activity being reserved for the Shed or the Saloon. There’re parties and other events going on, but they’re easy to ignore out here. We pass the cabins and tents quietly, Olivia not offering anything up, and me not able to make my mouth move to ask her if this is it.
The stress isn’t doing anything good for my heart, that’s for sure.
I pull into the same lot from this morning and kill the engine. There’s a group already at the pavilion and people enjoying the night, swimming in the lake.
“Come on,” I murmur, getting out. “Let’s go to the clearing.”
Olivia doesn’t allow me to help her out, which feels like a knife to the chest. Grabbing a blanket from the back of the truck, I meet her by the hood. When I offer my hand, she takes it, making me sigh.
There’s still a chance,I think as we make our way onto the trail.
We walk in silence until Olivia breaks it. “Thank you for being so…understanding,” she says, stepping in closer. “I really appreciate it.”
“You never have to thank me, darlin’,” I murmur, breathing in the citrus of her perfume. “I’ll wait however long you need me to.”
She looks up at me as we reach the clearing, her eyes wide yet full of so much emotion, I can’t read them.
It hits me with a deep, crushing need, so powerful I can’t ignore it. Gently, I swipe my lips against hers, tasting her wine from dinner on her mouth, the sweet lemon from the cake we’d shared at dessert. It makes the hunger for her worse. Makes me need more.
Olivia sucks in a breath, only pulling back slightly to look at me. “Ford…”
“Yes?” I step closer, dropping the blanket. As I do, her purse falls with it, her hands moving to my chest. I wait for her to push me away, but instead her fingers curl in the fabric of my button-down.
For a moment, she hesitates, lips pursed. I watch the emotions dance across her features until resolve settles in her eyes. “Kiss me.”
I claim her completely, sliding my tongue between her teeth and tasting every inch of her. Slowly, I back her into a tree, her body flush against mine igniting something deep within me. Something I haven’t felt since being with her. A hunger that hasn’t reared its head in months roars to life, and nothing but her will sate it.
My cock hardens in my jeans painfully, like it’s fully aware the only woman we’ll ever want—the only one we’ll ever have again—is right here and within reach. I’ve imagined a thousand times what this might feel like again, and nothing compares to the reality.
Olivia makes a small sound in the back of her throat as she slides her arms around my shoulders. My hands skim the length of her body, down her hips until I feel the hem of her dress andthe soft, smooth skin of her thighs. Without thinking, I hoist her up until we’re the same height, enjoying the way her legs wrap around me far too much.
In one movement, Olivia pulls my cap from my head and tosses it so she can run her fingers through my hair. I have to bite down on a groan with how damned good it feels. Her nails scrape my scalp in a way that has my cock twitching and hardening even more.
But when she starts grinding against me? That’s when I know I’m going to fucking explode.
All my thoughts are clouded by her. By this need to have her again and only her.
With her legs locked around my waist, I release one of her hips to fumble with my jeans. We don’t break our kiss, not even for air. It’s like we’ve both been starving, and the only answer to that hunger is each other.
I manage to free my cock, already weeping with the need to have her. Brushing my fingers against her panties, I feel how damp they already are. The touch has Olivia pulling back with a gasp and bucking. “Ford!”
I trail kisses down her throat with a groan. “Say yes.”
“What?” She arches into me, pressing her pelvis into my hand and throbbing cock.
I bite down on another groan as I offer her some relief by pressing my thumb into her clit. She makes a small, whimpering sound that goes straight to my dick. “Let me offer you relief,” I murmur into her throat. “Fuck, let me have you.”
I circle her clit, applying more pressure, which has her bearing down on my hand. “Yes!” she gasps. “God, Ford. Yes.”
If it weren’t for the fact my cock was currently so hard it hurt and I was ready to burst, I might have smiled. Instead, I pull her panties to the side and with some manoeuvring, I line myself up with her entrance.
“God, you feel amazing, darlin’,” I murmur, swiping myself through her arousal. “I’m going to make you feel good, okay?”
