His Primal Attraction: A Curvy Woman Mountain Man Romance

10. Epilogue

Epilogue

Tucker

The crisp mountain air fills my lungs as I make my way up the winding trail, each boot crunching over the frost-dusted earth. My breath puffs out in small clouds, but the familiar chill does nothing to temper the warmth blazing through me.

Today”s the day I”ve been waiting for. The reason behind all those secret supply runs into town over the past few weeks. My fingers instinctively drift to the small velvet box weighing heavy in my jacket pocket.

I crest the final rise, and our cozy cabin comes into view, tucked against the treeline with a thin tendril of smoke curling from the chimney. The open-air pavilion Rhylee constructed for her field lectures sits off to the side, a few rows of benches arranged beneath the timber framing.

Rounding the corner, I spot her standing at the front of that rustic space, hands braced on the lectern as she addresses a small group gathered before her. Even from this distance, I can make out the animated rise and fall of her voice, the way she commands the space with that effortless intensity of hers.

I linger at the edge of the treeline for a few heartbeats, watching her work her magic. The way she gestures emphatically, her words flowing in that rich cadence as she details the incredible ecosystem that”s become our shared home. No trace remains of that timid, awkward woman I met all those months ago.

My Rhylee has grown so fierce out here, embracing her inner strength and passion in a way that never fails to stoke that primal hunger inside me. She”s become the ultimate partner—brilliant but humble, compassionate yet uncompromising in her values. An equal in every sense of the word, someone I can”t imagine facing this wild world without.

The thought has my fingers curling around that velvet box once more as I wait for her lecture to wind down.

”...and that”s why the Silverpine Reserve is so critical to preserving what”s left of this extraordinary ecosystem,” Rhylee concludes, offering that warm smile that still makes my damn knees go weak. ”I”ll take a few questions before we break for the day.”

A few hands shoot up, but I don”t stick around for the QA. Instead, I slip off toward the cabin”s secluded back trail, settling into a familiar alcove just off the path.

It”s not long before Rhylee emerges from the trees, nose buried in her notepad as she murmurs something under her breath. She”s so engrossed in whatever she”s scribbling that she doesn”t notice me until the last minute.

”Tucker!” Rhylee’s eyes go wide behind her glasses as I reach out to steady her with a low chuckle. ”What are you doing out here? I thought you were helping Zane finish stringing those new trail cams.”

”Change of plans, Doc,” I rumble, dragging her snug against me so I can brush my lips over that sweet cupid”s bow. ”Had some more important business to take care of.”

She arches one delicate brow at that, amusement and curiosity warring in those expressive whiskey-brown depths. ”Is that so? And what could possibly be more pressing than monitoring the Reserve”s most elusive residents?”

Forcing myself to release her from my grip, I take a half step back and fix her with my most serious stare.

Rhylee”s brow furrows in that adorable way when she”s puzzled. ”What is it? Is everything okay?”

Instead of answering right away, I sink down onto one knee in the middle of the leaf-strewn trail. Her eyes go wide as saucers, one hand flying to cover her parted lips as realization blossoms in those whiskey depths.

”Tucker...” she breathes, her voice barely above a trembling whisper.

I pull out the velvet box and open the lid to reveal the ring I commissioned from an artisan jeweler back in town. A slender platinum band cradling an oval-cut diamond solitaire, the stone”s warm, faintly pinkish hue a mirror of the alpine glow that bathes these peaks at dusk.

”Rhylee Caldwell,” I begin, my voice gruff but unwavering with conviction. ”Out here, in this savage paradise we”ve carved out together, you”ve become the other half of me I never knew was missing. My partner in every adventure, the only one crazy enough to keep up with me no matter how extreme the circumstances.”

Tears are streaming freely down her flushed cheeks now, but she doesn”t try to dash them away.

”What I”m trying to say is... I don”t want to face a single day without you by my side.” With those words, I tilt the velvet box toward her, letting the alpine diamond catch the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy above. ”Will you marry me?”

Without preamble, she launches herself at me with a force that nearly sends us both tumbling to the ground.

”Yes!” She gasps, her slender arms locked around my neck. ”Oh, yes, Tucker! Yes, I”ll marry you!”

Letting out a rumble of deep satisfaction, I surge to my feet, hauling her up to crush her against me in a searing kiss. Rhylee melts into me with a desperate whimper, her fingers tunneling through my hair.

When we finally break apart, I extract the ring from its velvet nest and capture her slender hand to slide it into place on her fourth finger.

We”re both flushed and breathing raggedly, our eyes locked in a heated exchange that requires no words. Rhylee licks her lips, her expression one of unabashed yearning as she reaches up to trail a teasing caress along the sharp line of my jaw.

”You know, we could always take the celebrations back to the cabin for a more... private venue.”

My brows arch as a wolfish grin curves my lips. ”Is that so? Got any special ideas in mind for how a mountain man might consummate his engagement to his gorgeous new bride-to-be?”

She hums, leaning in to brush her lips against the heated curve of my ear in a blatant tease. ”Oh, I have a few thoughts,” she purrs in a tone laced with dark promise. ”Though you may have to get a little creative, Mr. Rhodes.”

Growling low in my throat, I snake an arm around her waist and haul her flush against me, delighting in her breathless gasp. ”Challenge accepted, Mrs. Rhodes-to-be.”

Then, with a wolfish grin, I swing her up into my arms in one smooth motion and set off back toward our cozy sanctuary at a ground-eating pace. Rhylee simply laughs in delight, that bright, rich sound carrying on the crisp mountain breeze as we disappear into the sheltering embrace of the evergreen forest.

Because out here, in this wild paradise that”s become our forever home, there”s nothing I crave more than the chance to spend an eternity claiming my fierce-hearted lover over and over again.

Find out what happens next for Tucker and Rhylee! Click here for a bonus epilogue!

Next in the Series

A corporate hotshot and a rugged mountain recluse get a scorching second chance when they inherit a dying adventure camp.