Page 8 of Cider for the Mountain Man

Caden McGivens, nervous? Over me? Not a chance.

The gravel driveway crunches under his tires, breaking the silence. Before the engine even dies, Caden’s already stepping out into the cool mountain air. He’s at my door in seconds, pulling it open and drinking me in.

He takes a deep breath, his chest brushing my knees as I twist around to face him. He’s so wide, my legs part on their own to make room for him.

“I don’t want you to feel pressured being here, Valerie. Really, I don’t want you to see me as some kind of… beast.” He grimaces at the word. “We can just relax, and if you get hungry, I’ll cook you a meal. Then, when you want—”

“All I want to do is kiss you right now, Caden.” My cheeks warm despite the chilly air. I definitely want to do more, but I’m too embarrassed to say it out loud. “What about you?”

His jaw grits at my question before his hands find my knees. Palming the most faded part of my jeans, I feel the heat of his palms soaking into the fabric. “There’s nothing I want to do more.”

“Okay.” Nodding, I reach for him and drag my fingers up his chest. He expands against my palm with a heavy exhale. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s do this.”

Chapter six

Caden

If Valerie knew how many times I’ve fantasized about a moment like this, she wouldn’t be looking at me with so much trust in her eyes.

I’ve pictured her straddling my lap plenty of times, but in those dreams, she wasn't wearing a damn thing. Now she’s sitting here in the flickering glow of the hearth, fire popping in the background while I suffer through the agony of my own jeans grinding tight against me. Every time she leans in for a kiss, she shifts against my thighs, completely oblivious to what she’s doing to my restraint.

She keeps rolling her hips into mine as she reaches for my mouth, completely unaware of the torture she’s inflicting. At this rate, she’s going to be able to trace the entire outline of my erection. She’s rushing it, coming in hot and pulling back for air like she doesn't know what to do with herself.

She kisses eagerly and clumsily, and it makes me want to pin her down and show her how it’s really done.

My hands squeeze at her thighs, and an inward groan rolls through my chest at how full they feel. I want to feel her skin, but I’ll be damn if I rush this by being greedy straight away.

Valerie’s the one who pulls back. Instead of swooping right back in, she sits back and pants softly. Her eyes are glazed over, desire filling them as her tongue swipes at her now glossy lips.

She may be a little rough when it comes to the act, but she’s a pro at driving me out of my mind. I’ll give her that much.

Her hands find the knot of the flannel tied around her waist. With shaky fingers, she loosens the knot, and I feel the fabric fall to my foot.

“I want you to touch me more, Caden. I…” Her hands move to the hem of her shirt, another large piece that covers her top half.

She’s a fan of wearing clothes too big for her. I can’t wait until I can give her something of mine to wear. Or am I getting too far ahead of myself?

“What is it, sweetness?” Giving her legs another squeeze, I don’t rush to help her pull that shirt up, even if it’s the only thing on my mind right now. “Do you want to stop?”

She shakes her head, not even sparing a second to think. “It’s not that. It’s just… I’ve never let a man get further than touching me before, Caden. At the rate I want to go, you should know that I’m doing things I don’t know much about.”

If she thinks her words are going to scare me off, then she must not feel the way my cock swells at the new information.

This woman has saved herself for all this time, and she’s decided to let me be the one to show her the ropes?

Fuck, I feel honored.

“We’ll take it one step at a time,” I reassure her as my hands finally lift. Brushing her knuckles, I start helping her pull her shirt off. It slips off easily, leaving a trail of prickled skin. “Just tell me to stop if it’s too much.”

From the way her hips shift, I don’t think it’ll be too much.

Her shirt comes off, and I forget how to draw air into my lungs.

A golden tan marks her arms and shoulders, giving way to the smooth, pale skin of her chest, where a soft rose flush is already spreading over the curve of her breasts. She’s wearing a simple bra, but the thin fabric hides nothing—her nipples are already hard, pressing shamelessly against the cotton.

I force the air into my chest as I take her in. My greediness becomes too much to squash down as I reach behind her to unclasp the hooks to the piece that’s covering the part of her I want to get my mouth on.

I lift my gaze, searching for any hesitation. What I get is Valerie’s impatience as she pulls it off.