His Wild Desire: A Curvy Woman Mountain Man Romance (Rugged Peaks Book 1)

Chapter 4

No matter how hard I try to lose myself in the book, the words just won”t stick. My mind is like an unruly child, refusing to focus and instead spiraling down a rabbit hole of distracting thoughts.

Mainly thoughts of Caleb and that mind-blowing kiss.

I can still feel the ghost of his hands on my skin, the insistence of his tongue stroking deep. Just the memory has my pulse kicking up a notch, a telltale flush creeping up my chest.

Scowling, I snap the book shut with more force than necessary. I can”t for the life of me fathom why he pulled away like that—one minute, we were tangled in each other”s arms; the next, he was retreating into his infuriatingly stoic mountain man shell.

Well, whatever. If he wants to be an emotionally constipated caveman, that”s his prerogative. I have bigger things to worry about than some rough-and-tumble caveman”s mixed signals.

Like my actual job, for starters.

With a frustrated huff, I yank my phone from my pocket again, unsurprised when the screen remains stubbornly dark. No signal, no email access, no way to check in with the office. Just the thought of how much is piling up in my absence—unanswered emails, looming deadlines, that massive Zephyr campaign proposal—has my chest constricting with anxiety.

This little trip was only supposed to be a quick weekend reset—a chance to decompress and regain my focus before diving back into the daily grind with renewed determination. But now I”m stranded here, utterly disconnected, with zero control over the chaos I can only assume is unfolding without me.

What if Tanner drops the ball on the Zephyr pitch? The Wilsons are old-money, high-society clients who expect nothing less than perfection. If we fumble this one, it could be a career-ender for sure.

And let”s not even talk about the inevitable barrage of snide comments from my mother when she hears I”ve been incommunicado for days. She”ll take immense pleasure in reminding me yet again how irresponsible I am, how I”ll never be able to handle real responsibility if I can”t even answer my phone for a few measly days.

The familiar swell of inadequacy is a leaden weight in my gut. No matter how successful I become, I”ll never be enough in my family”s eyes. Not unless I abandon my own dreams to settle down with the appropriate rich husband and pop out the requisite 2.5 kids while simultaneously climbing the corporate ladder all the way to the damn top.

I squeeze my eyes shut and pinch the bridge of my nose, fighting off an impending tension headache. This is exactly why I needed to get away in the first place—to avoid imploding under the immense pressures I face on a daily basis.

Screw it. Maybe if I wander around a bit, I can find a decent signal. I”ll just shoot off a few emails, check in with the team, and reassure them I”m still calling the shots. Then, I can go back to enjoying my little rustic staycation without the nagging anxiety.

Decision made, I struggle upright and limp toward the cabin”s entrance, wincing with every jolting step. My tender ankle is throbbing in protest, but I stubbornly grit my teeth against the ache. I”ll be damned if I let a little sprain stop me. I”m a woman of action, dammit, not some wilting damsel content to twiddle her thumbs and wait for a big, strong man to swoop in and save the day.

I pause in the open doorway, squinting against the bright sunlight as I survey my surroundings. Dense evergreens blanket the landscape in every direction, their earthy scent thick and heady in the crisp mountain air. A narrow, winding trail snakes away from the cabin”s clearing, quickly swallowed by the shadowed tree line.

Perfect. A path means civilization at some point, right? And where there”s civilization, there”s cell service.

My eyes catch on a sturdy-looking branch lying discarded beside the trail. I bend with a grunt and snag it, testing the solid weight in my grip before using it as an improvised cane. If Caleb wants me to channel my inner nature girl, fine. I”ll just add a little accessory.

With a decisive nod, I set off down the trail, leaning on my makeshift cane with every other lurching step. The trees quickly close in on either side, their dense canopy filtering the sunlight into slanted beams that dapple the path in front of me. The damp, organic scent of crushed pine needles envelops me with every inhale.

My phone is still a lifeless brick in my grip. I pause and lift it skyward, craning my neck as I search fruitlessly for even the barest hint of a signal bar.

”Come on,” I mutter, giving the device a vigorous shake like that will somehow jumpstart a connection. ”Work with me here.”

I”m so engrossed in my struggle that I don”t hear the telltale burble of flowing water until it”s nearly on top of me. My head swivels at the unexpected sound, eyes widening as the trail deposits me in a small, sunlit clearing.

A narrow creek gurgles through the center of the grassy space, its banks lined with moss-covered stones and wildflowers nodding in the occasional breeze. The clear, rippling water looks inviting as it meanders through the clearing before disappearing into the shadowed forest again.

Unable to resist, I abandon my quest for cell service and instead limp toward the creek, sinking gratefully onto a large, flat boulder at its edge. It isn’t until I’m settled that I sense a sudden splash of movement in my periphery.

I tense, instinctively gripping my makeshift cane, then immediately release the breath I”m holding. It”s Caleb, standing waist-deep in the center of the creek with his back to me. Rivulets of water stream over those broad, muscular shoulders and down the deep grooves of his spine. As he moves, I realize he’s completely nude.

My mouth goes instantly dry at the sight.

Captivated, I watch in silence as he ducks beneath the surface. When he resurfaces a moment later, I can”t suppress the tiny gasp that escapes my lips.

Sweet mercy.

His chestnut hair is slicked back from that rugged, bearded face, the wet strands glistening against the sharp angles of his chiseled jaw and cheekbones. Crystalline beads of water cling to the bronze contours of his skin, tracing scorching paths over the flexing cords of his neck, the rippling expanse of his back and shoulders, his... well, everywhere, really.

He”s utter masculine perfection given form.

I know I should look away, give the mountain man his privacy, but I”m utterly transfixed.

Caleb dips beneath the water”s surface once more, and this time, when he reemerges, he arches back in one slow, languid movement. My eyes hungrily trace the flexing ridges of his abdomen, the tantalizing vee of his hip bones disappearing below the creek”s gently rippling surface…

Oh god. I need to leave right now.

I tear my gaze away with monumental effort, cheeks flaming with a mixture of arousal and embarrassment, and make to push myself upright. But the second I shift my weight onto my injured ankle, a bolt of white-hot agony lances up my calf. I can”t quite stifle the yelp that escapes me as I crumple back onto the boulder.

In the same breath, a deep, feral growl reverberates from the tree line, raising the fine hairs on the back of my neck.

Oh no.

With agonizing slowness, I turn my head until I”m staring directly into a bear”s glinting, beady black eyes. Sheer, unbridled terror grips my pounding heart as the beast rears up on its hind legs.

Oh god, I”m going to die. I”m going to die here in these goddamn woods, ripped to shreds by an angry bear. All because I couldn”t resist gawking at Caleb”s naked body like some pathetic, horny teenager.

I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable, when a deep, furious bellow splits the air—”Get back!”

My lids fly open just in time to see Caleb exploding from the creek in a breathtaking burst of motion. He rockets across the rocky shore, skidding to a stop directly between the bear and me. Adrenaline has me choking on my own panicked gasps as I drink in the glorious, heart-stopping view.

Caleb stands there in all his naked glory, chest heaving and fists clenched at his sides, fearless in the face of the snarling beast. Sunlight gleams off his sculpted, dripping form, casting his chiseled features in harsh relief. He”s a vision straight out of some ancient myth—a savage, beautiful woodland god facing down a mythical monster.

”I said get back!” he roars again, taking an intimidating step toward the bear and brandishing my walking stick.

To my utter astonishment, the bear actually hesitates, falling back onto all fours. Then, the bear finally concedes with a low, rumbling huff. It lumbers away, melting into the dense forest once more.

My knees are shaking uncontrollably by the time Caleb swivels to face me, chest still heaving. I shrink back against the boulder, pinned by the sheer, scorching intensity of his glare.

”What the hell were you thinking?” he finally growls, raking a hand through his damp hair, seemingly unconcerned by his nakedness.

”It”s not like I invited him along!” I protest indignantly, doing my best to keep my eyes on his. ”I just... I just wanted to...”

The rest of the words die on my lips as Caleb closes the distance between us with a few long strides and cups my jaw in one broad, calloused palm. Gentle but insistent fingers tilt my chin upward until I”m forced to meet his piercing gaze once more.

I suck in a sharp breath, parting my lips to say something, anything, but Caleb”s mouth is already crashing over mine in a searing, desperate kiss, just as hot and hungry as the one outside of his cabin. My lungs burn with the need for air, but I can”t bring myself to break away.

With a low, feral growl, Caleb”s palms suddenly bracket my hips, his thick fingers digging into my curves with bruising force. I gasp into his mouth as he hauls me flush against that gloriously naked form.

”Caleb,” I whimper breathlessly when he finally tears his lips from mine. My hands roam hungrily, mapping every ridge and hollow as my chest heaves with shallow pants.

His eyes bore into mine, pinning me in place as effectively as his weight. “Do you want me to stop, princess?” he rasps.

I shake my head, my throat too tight to find my voice.

With deft movements, he hooks his fingers into the waistband of my leggings and tugs downward, baring my ass to his wandering hands. He dips his head to trail kisses along my throat, his beard deliciously rough against my fevered skin. My head lolls back as he nuzzles the thundering pulse point, my eyes taking in the towering pines and the blue, blue sky above.

”So fucking gorgeous,” he murmurs. ”What are you doing to me?”

I don’t know how to answer, but he doesn’t seem bothered by my silence. His palm skims up my inner thigh in one long, torturously slow glide, leaving blazing trails in its wake. By the time his rough fingertips finally brush my aching center, I”m trembling, desperate for more. I sink back against the flat boulder and open my legs for him as wide as they’ll go, still bound by the waistband of my leggings around my knees.

“Just like that,” Caleb growls, stepping back to take in the sight of me.

I marvel at my own wanton bravery, exposing myself to him like this, demanding what I want from him without shame or thought of how it might come across. Something about this man makes me feel free.

Makes me feel wild.

He reaches between us, his calloused fingers spreading my pussy, stroking my throbbing clit with sublime precision even as his eyes never leave mine. A strangled cry punches from my lungs at the exquisite friction, my hips bucking shamelessly against his hand.

”Fuck,” he rasps, his voice utterly wrecked as he nuzzles the swollen peaks of my breasts through my t-shirt. ”So goddamn wet for me already.”

His thumb swirls tight, maddening circles over my clit as two thick fingers press against my entrance before finally thrusting into me, filling me with one sinuous stroke. My pussy flutters wildly around the delicious intrusion, instinctively clenching to draw him deeper.

His other hand cups my breast, pinching and teasing my nipple in a way that walks that delicate line between pain and pleasure. I can feel myself getting wetter, my body readying itself for the release that”s just within reach.

”Caleb!” I keen his name like a broken prayer, my fingers fisting in those chestnut locks as he works me higher with every thrust and swirl of his thumb. ”Oh god, please...”

He silences me with a searing kiss, swallowing every breathless whimper and plea tumbling from my lips. The wet heat of his mouth moves in perfect counterpoint with the relentless stroking of his hand until I”m writhing against him, mindless in my pursuit of that blinding peak.

”That”s it, darlin”,” he rasps against my lips. ”Let go. Come for me.”

His gravelly command is my undoing.

With one final flick of his fingers, the wave crashes, and I”m tumbling, tumbling, my body convulsing with the force of my orgasm. His fingers work me through each shattering pulse, his mouth hot and demanding on mine.

When the last tremors finally ebb, I slump against him in a boneless, sated heap, my chest heaving as I fight to catch my breath. Caleb nuzzles my sweat-slicked temple, pressing a reverent kiss there as he helps to pull my pants back into place.

”Caleb,” I finally manage to rasp out, still delirious in the aftermath, ”I...”

”Shhh.” His low rumble silences me before I can find the words. Those piercing blue eyes are soft as they gaze into mine. ”You don”t gotta say nothin”, Emma. Not now.”

I give a faint nod, still too dazed to protest as he gathers me into his arms and rises with that effortless, masculine grace. His solid heat surrounds me, that rich, earthy musk wrapping around me as he carries me back along the winding trail.

The rhythmic sway of his stride soon lulls me into a languid, contented silence. My cheek pillows against the broad expanse of his chest, rising and falling with each deep breath he takes. I feel safe here in the cradle of his arms. Cherished and adored in a way I”ve never allowed myself to experience.

As the secluded cabin finally comes into view, a tiny, unbidden smile curves my lips.

Whatever this is between Caleb and me, I know one thing for certain—I have no intention of letting it go anytime soon.