Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Hunter’s grip tightens, his gaze steady. “Then let me help you,” he says, his voice low but filled with determination. “Let me show you what it’s like to be safe, to be wanted—for who you are, not what someone wants you to be. I promise—no bullshit. I was afraid that I’d hurt you before, but I trust you—I trust us and I’ll do anything to make it up to you.”
His words are a balm, a promise I’m not sure I deserve. But right now, I need to believe in something. I need to believe in him.
I lean into his touch, my forehead resting against his chest, the steady thump of his heartbeat grounding me. Hunter’s arms wrap around me, holding me close. We stay like that for a long moment, the wind whispering through the trees, the lodge’s sturdy walls sheltering us from the world outside. For the first time in a long time, I feel a flicker of safety, of belonging. It’s fragile, tentative, but it’s there.
Finally, I pull back, wiping at my tear-streaked cheeks with the back of my hand.
“I want to believe you,” I say, my voice filled with a mix of hope and doubt.
Hunter’s gaze is steady, unwavering. “Then do,” he says simply. “Because I promise you, I’m not going anywhere and I’ll remind you of that a hundred times each day if that’s what it takes to make you believe it.”
The promise is there, unspoken but strong, and I nod, a small smile tugging at my lips.
“Okay,” I whisper, the word a tentative step forward.
Hunter’s mouth curves into a slow smile, his eyes softening. “Good,” he says, his voice low and rough as his gaze drops to my feet. “Because you look pretty damn sexy in my old work boots.”
The intensity of his words sends a shiver down my spine, the warmth between us shifting, turning into something deeper, more real. I step closer, my hand resting on his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my palm.
“Oh yeah, Mountain Man?” I whisper, my voice filled with the promise of pleasure. His hand comes up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing softly over my skin.
“Bet your ass, Sugar,” he says, his voice a low rumble.
The air between us shifts again, the pull undeniable. I tilt my head up, my lips inches from his, the need to close the distance almost overwhelming.
“Hunter,” I murmur, his name a mix of plea and desire.
He doesn’t hesitate this time. His mouth finds mine in a slow, claiming kiss, filled with all the promises he’s made and the ones he hasn’t spoken yet. It’s not desperate—it’s real, steady, filled with the weight of everything we’ve been through.
When we finally break apart, our foreheads resting against each other, I know things won’t be easy. I know there will be more challenges, more doubts. But for the first time, I feel like maybe, just maybe, I have a chance at something real.
And as Hunter’s arms tighten around me, holding me close, a shiver of fear races through me. Can I really allow myself to hope?
“Hungry?” Food is the last thing on my mind when he’s looking at me like that.
“For you,” I giggle.
“Mm, you’re dinner and dessert, baby.” His hand slips under my skirt and he draws a fingertip under the hem of my panty. I quiver with the need to feel him closer everywhere. Pushing my teeth into my bottom lip, I rub my thighs together and resist the sigh that’s begging to fall from my lips.
“Mm, I can’t wait to get you naked and taste this sweet pussy again, baby.”
“Well, I would hate to keep a hungry man waiting.”
He grunts, locking our hands together before leading us back to the lodge. A minute later we’re entering his bedroom—and he pins me against the closed door, yanking me to him in a way that makes my heart race with anticipation. He refuses to let me go. Even if I try to run, this man will catch me, he will always catch me and maybe that’s why I shouldn’t be afraid to fall. I’ve already fallen, he’s already caught me once when triggers from my past got the better of me.
And now it’s us.
Me and him.
“Welcome home, baby.” His hands are already working under my skirt again, his thick erection between my thighs. I arch and moan, and he ducks his head under my sweater and latches onto my pebbled nipple.
I sigh when he nips against the fabric of my bra, then shoves shirt and bra over my head and discards it on the floor.
My entire body buzzes as one thought burns into my brain.
“Hunter, God I want you so much.”
His lips suck at the line of my neck as his thumb and finger pinch and roll my nipple. I'm soaked, I can feel that my panties have done nothing to stop the wetness, and I’m almost embarrassed I’m so new at this.