Chapter 9
Aspen
The canvas walls of the compact tent billow and sway as Zane sweeps me over the threshold in one fluid motion. My laugh morphs into a soft moan as his mouth claims mine in a searing kiss.
My back hits the bedroll with a muffled thump, Zane”s solid weight pinning me in the most deliciously possessive way. He props himself up on one forearm to drink me in with that smoldering gaze that still has the power to liquefy my insides.
Our hands move frantically, tugging at clothes and clawing at each other”s skin, desperate to feel more, to have more. We”ve learned each other”s bodies, memorized every curve and dip, and now we”re moving with a familiarity that only intensifies the heat.
I reach my hand into his pants, feeling his hard length through his boxers. He responds by sliding his fingers through my slick folds, making me gasp.
”You”re already so fucking wet,” he murmurs against my ear.
”Yeah, well, you have that effect on me,” I breathe, my body arching up to meet his touch.
”Fuck, Aspen,” he rasps out between heated kisses, ”I need to be inside of you.”
He manages to tug my pants down just enough, and I wriggle out of them, kicking them off my ankles. I”m left in just my lace panties, the damp fabric clinging to my skin. Zane”s eyes darken with desire as he takes me in, his hands skimming up my thighs, pulling my panties to the side.
He positions himself at my entrance, and with one smooth thrust, he”s inside, filling me. We both pause, panting, our eyes locked on each other. It”s a relief to have him inside of me, to be completely consumed by this man I”ve loved my whole life.
”You feel so fucking good, Red,” he murmurs.
My hands grasp at his back, pulling him closer, my nails digging into his skin. ”You do, too, Zane. I love you so much.”
His grin widens, and he leans down to capture my lips in another kiss. This time, it”s slow and sensual, our tongues sliding against each other as he hovers over me, not moving, just savoring this moment, this joining.
Then, he leans back, tucking his knees underneath and hoisting my legs over his shoulders. His eyes trail down my body to my pussy, and he inhales slowly.
“You look so damn good like this,” he growls.
“Like what?” I ask teasingly, wiggling my ass against him. I’m completely exposed to him, but the idea isn’t scary.
On the contrary, it’s sexy as hell.
“With my cock inside of you,” he murmurs in a low voice. “God, what a pretty pussy.”
He reaches down, then, using two fingers to pinch my clit. I gasp, my walls tightening around him.
“You like that?” he asks.
“I love it,” I tell him. “But you knew that.”
He smirks, looking self-satisfied. “You’re right, I did know that. I know exactly how to make you come.”
To prove it, he pinches my clit again before rolling it between his fingers. I cry out, my eyes drifting closed.
“You’re going to torture me, aren’t you?” I whimper.
Another pinch, another roll, and he says, “Yes, but you like that, too.”
He isn’t wrong. Over and over again, he drives me right to the edge, only to stop, making me grind against his cock, seeking that delicious friction.
His free hand moves up to my breast, squeezing and massaging before finding my nipple. He rolls it between his fingers, sending another wave of pleasure through me.
”Oh god, Zane,” I moan. ”I”m so close.”
”I know,” he says, his voice strained.
He continues to work me with his fingers, increasing the pressure on my clit as he watches me writhe beneath him. His cock is still buried deep inside of me, but he doesn”t move. My legs tighten around his shoulders, and I can feel myself teetering on the edge of ecstasy.
”That”s it, Red,” he murmurs, his voice low and husky. ”Let go.”
With one final pinch and roll of my clit, I do just that. My orgasm rips through me, making my entire body shake as I cry out his name. Zane watches me with a smoldering gaze, his fingers still working me through the waves of pleasure.
As I come down from my high, he leans down to kiss me deeply.
”You”re incredible...” I breathe, nuzzling against the damp curve of his throat.
He grins against my skin, the rough pad of his thumb grazing my swollen lower lip in a touch that sparks renewed need in the depths of my belly. ”I”m just getting started, Red.”
And just like that, the heat flares between us once more. I surge upward to claim his mouth, all teeth and tongues and unbridled hunger, and he finally starts to move inside of me. His cock glides in and out slowly, making me moan into his mouth.
”Fuck, you feel so good,” Zane rasps, his breath hot against the hollow of my throat. ”Like you were made just for me...”
My answer is a breathless whimper as he withdraws almost fully, only to slam back home in one long stroke that has me arching into the sublime friction. He sets a punishing cadence, every powerful thrust driving me deeper into sweet oblivion.
Zane”s mouth is everywhere, branding me with fevered kisses and wordless groans as I meet him thrust for scorching thrust. My nails score lines of fire down his back, legs twining around his hips to take him deeper still. The rough grind of skin on sweat-slicked skin mingles with our breathless cries.
Pleasure spirals higher and higher, the delirious tension coiling tighter with each powerful stroke until Zane captures my lips in a scorching kiss, effectively drinking down my cries as I shatter apart beneath him in another cataclysmic release.
I”m still trembling and mindless in its wake when Zane follows with a hoarse shout, his whole body going rigid as he empties himself in thick, molten pulses. We cling to one another through the blinding intensity, lips and limbs tangled in desperation as our heartbeats slowly regain their rhythm.
It”s only after long, suspended moments that Zane eases his weight to the side with a rasping groan, tucking me into the curve of his sweat-slicked body. I”m utterly spent yet deliriously content, basking in the afterglow with a languid stretch as he nuzzles into the curve of my throat.
”Have I told you yet how damn amazing you are?” he says, the rich timbre vibrating through me in a way that sparks fresh tingles low in my belly.
I tilt my head back just enough to meet the smoldering heat of his stare, my lips curving in a slow smile. ”Just wait till I start working my magic out on the trails and climbing sites again. You haven”t seen anything yet.”
That wolfish grin of his flashes, eyes crinkling at the corners. ”Is that so? Well, in that case...” He rolls me beneath him again in one smooth movement. ”I”ll be sure to keep you nice and exhausted so you don”t outpace me too much, Red.”
My laughter is breathless as he nips a heated path along my throat, already working to drive me into a frenzy once more. ”You”re on, Bishop. Just don”t forget who showed you all the best trails around here in the first place.”
Zane rumbles out a deep laugh against my skin. His fingers toy with the damp tendrils of hair at my nape, tilting my chin up to meet his stare.
”I could never forget,” he murmurs. ”Not after everything we”ve been through to make it back to this moment.”
My palm curves over the roughened plane of his cheek in a tender caress as I simply hold Zane”s stare, letting the weight of everything left unspoken between us hang in the air.
He seems to understand, pressing his brow to mine with a shuddering sigh. We lay there tangled together for long, suspended moments, our mingled breaths evening out into a shared rhythm. It”s only then that I find the courage to give voice to the fragile dream taking shape between us.
”You know...” I murmur, trailing my fingertips in idle patterns over the tanned cords of his bicep, ”We could really do this. Bring Camp Silverpine back to life in a way that honors both our visions for the place.”
Zane hums softly, tilting his head to better study my features. There”s no judgment or skepticism in his stare, only that quiet, steadfast focus I”ve always adored.
”A balance of old and new—rustic charm blended with modern amenities and marketing savvy to draw in a wider client base,” he surmises after a thoughtful pause. ”Maybe even some expanded program offerings beyond just the traditional outdoor survival stuff.”
I can”t quite suppress my delighted grin. ”Exactly. We could offer specialized retreats and clinics for things like yoga and mindfulness in nature, culinary foraging and cooking over campfires, maybe even some couples romance packages.”
A low rumble of laughter escapes him as I trail off, giving him a playful shove that only makes him chuckle harder. ”Hey now, don”t knock the idea until you”ve seen the full vision!”
Zane sobers after a few more beats, his smile softening into something more reverent. ”I”m listening, beautiful. And you”re absolutely right—this could be bigger and bolder than anything Camp Silverpine”s ever been if we put our minds to it.”
My breath catches at the naked conviction in his tone, the utter certainty that we can manifest this dream into reality if we”re united in our purpose. That fragile spark of hope flares brighter with each passing second, banishing any lingering shadows of doubt.
I kiss him again, and he groans against my lips, large hands roaming the curves of my body as I arch into his solid frame. The kiss deepens, growing hungrier and more heated until we”re both panting.
”God, I want this,” I gasp when we finally break apart, foreheads pressed together as we both struggle for air. ”All of it—this place, our plans, this life with you...”
A low chuckle rumbles from deep in Zane”s chest as he nuzzles the curve of my throat, worshiping the sensitive skin with a trail of kisses. ”Careful, Red. I might just hold you to that.”
”That”s the idea,” I breathe with a wicked smile.
We dissolve into a breathless tangle of limbs and fevered kisses once more, already caught up in the thrill of the next grand adventure. Because out here in the vast, untamed wilderness that first catalyzed our passion, there are no limits. We”re to forge the bold, unconventional life our hearts have yearned for since we were inseparable summer camp soulmates.
The rugged frontier stretching endlessly in every direction is our blank canvas now.
All that remains is to blaze our trail into the great unknown, side by side, and embrace the boundless adventures awaiting us both.