Chapter 7
Jake
T he cabin feels too quiet after Elena leaves. Her scent lingers in my kitchen - vanilla and coffee and something uniquely her. I'm still tasting cinnamon on my tongue, still feeling the ghost of her skin under my hands.
She's spending the day in Bozeman with Rachel and Isabella. Shopping, she'd said with an eye roll that made me laugh. Three hours of watching Isabella try on half the boutique while Rachel offers commentary. Her words, not mine.
Three days. That's all we have left before she heads back to New York. Back to her life of deadlines and meetings and city streets. Away from Montana. Away from me.
I'm brooding into my empty coffee cup when Ryder's truck churns through the fresh snow in my drive. Fifteen years of friendship means he can smell a dark mood from ten miles away.
“That's one hell of a face you're making at that coffee cup,” he calls through a swirl of snowflakes. “Gonna let me in, or do I have to freeze my ass off out here?”
“Like you'd leave if I said no.” I hold the door as he stomps snow from his boots.
He settles into my kitchen chair like he owns it. “So. Elena stopped by, huh.” His eyes land on the massive cinnamon roll crumbs still scattered across my counter. “Please tell me you at least made her breakfast after whatever happened on that counter.”
“For fuck's sake, Ryder.”
“What? Two tours together, I think I've earned the right to bust your balls.” He helps himself to coffee. “So what's eating you? And don't say nothing - I know that look. Same one you had before that first night jump.”
I stare out the window at the falling snow. “She leaves in three days.”
“Ah.” He's quiet for a moment. “And?”
“And what?”
“And what are you gonna do about it?”
“Nothing to do. She has a life in New York. A career. Friends. Why would she possibly want to stay here with a guy like me?”
“Uh huh.” He takes a slow sip of coffee. “You know what I remember most about our time overseas? You never let impossible odds stop you then. Since when does Jake Foster give up without a fight?”
“This isn't a military operation, Ryder.”
“No, it's scarier.” He grins. “It's love.”
I nearly choke on my coffee. “It's not—”
“Save it for someone who doesn't know you better.” He stands, pulling his gloves back on. “You know what your problem is? You're still acting like you're that guy who needs to be alone in the mountains. But I've seen you with her. You're not that guy anymore.”
I follow him to the door. “Thought you came to fish.”
“Too damn cold even for ice fishing.” He pauses. “You've got three days, Jake. What are you gonna do with them?”
I watch his truck disappear into the swirling snow, his words echoing in my head. Damn man's always had a way of seeing right through me.
The worst part is, he's probably right.
Three days. Seventy-two hours. I pace across my workshop, sawdust crunching under my boots, trying to get my head straight. The bed frame I've been working on sits unfinished, but now all I can think about is Elena.
Fuck.
My phone buzzes. It's her.
*Just watched Isabella try on her 12th pair of boots. Save me.*
Before I can respond, another message pops up.
*Also, that thing you did with your tongue this morning? Still thinking about it.*
Heat floods my veins as I type back: *Keep talking like that and I'll come rescue you right now.*
*Promise? Because Rachel just found another boutique she “has to check out.”*
I grin at my phone like an idiot, already grabbing my keys. Then I stop, an idea forming.
*Meet me at my place at 7. Wear something warm.*
*That's very... commanding, Mr. Foster. Should I be worried?*
*Trust me.*
Her response makes my pulse spike: *Always.*
Four hours later, I've got everything set up. The path to the ridge is lit with lanterns, leading to where I've set up a fire pit and enough blankets to keep us warm despite the Montana winter. A bottle of good whiskey and two glasses sit ready - something to ward off the winter chill.
I hear the truck before I see it, the crunch of tires on snow. When she steps out, the sight of her steals my breath - cheeks flushed from the cold, shiny hair spilling from under a borrowed beanie that I'm pretty sure belongs to Rachel.
“Jake?” She looks around at the lanterns, confusion and delight warring on her face. “What's all this?”
I cross to her in three long strides, pulling her against me. “This is me showing you my Montana,” I say against her lips. “The real Montana. Not the tourist version.”
Her eyes sparkle in the lantern light. “And does the real Montana always come with mood lighting?”
“Only for special occasions.” I take her hand, leading her up the path. “Come on. There's something I want to show you.”
The path winds up through the pines, lantern light catching on fresh snow. Elena's hand is warm in mine despite the cold, and I find myself walking slower than necessary, savoring each moment.
When we reach the ridge, her breath catches. I've positioned the blankets and fire pit to face west, where the last rays of sunlight paint the mountains in shades of purple and gold. Stars are just beginning to emerge in the darkening sky.
“Jake...” She turns in a slow circle, taking it all in. “This is incredible.”
“Wait for it.” I check my watch. Right on schedule, the first streak of green appears across the northern sky. “Aurora's been active lately. Tonight should be perfect for viewing.”
Her eyes go wide as more colors dance overhead. “The Northern Lights? I didn't think we could see them this far south.”
“Sometimes, if conditions are right.” I wrap my arms around her from behind, chin resting on her head. “Montana's got a way of surprising people.”
She leans back against my chest, and we watch in comfortable silence as ribbons of light paint the sky. The fire crackles beside us, throwing warm light across the snow.
“Whiskey?” I offer after a while, reaching for the bottle. “Best way to stay warm up here.”
“Mmm, I can think of better ways.” She turns in my arms, rising up on her toes to kiss me. Her lips are cold but her mouth is warm, and she tastes like heaven.
I deepen the kiss, one hand tangling in her hair while the other pulls her closer. When she makes that little whimpering sound in the back of her throat, my control starts to slip.
“Keep making sounds like that,” I growl against her neck, “and we won't make it back to the cabin.”
She laughs, the sound pure joy in the cold night air. “Promise?”
Something feral awakens in my chest at her challenge. In one smooth movement, I have her pinned beneath me on the blanket, my body caging hers. Her eyes go dark with desire as I capture her wrists above her head with one hand.
“Careful what you wish for, sweetheart,” I growl against her throat. Her pulse races under my lips as I bite down gently, marking her. The taste of her skin is addictive, and something possessive and primal takes over.
“Mine,” I whisper again, and this time it's a prayer, a plea. I know I should hold back, protect my heart, but it's already too late. I'm falling for a woman who belongs in art galleries and penthouses, not on my mountain with a man who still wakes up fighting shadows.
But damn, she feels perfect in my arms, like she was made to be here. The way she responds to my touch, the little sounds she makes - it's driving me crazy with need.
The reality of what's happening hits me full force. Elena Esposito, sophisticated New York gallery owner, is here in my arms, wanting me. Me - a broken soldier who chose isolation over civilization. But somehow, she sees past all that. She looks at me like I'm something precious, something worth wanting. And I want to be worthy of that look.
“You're sure?” I ask, even as my hands are working their way under her sweater. “It's cold out here.” I need to hear her say it, need to know she wants this as much as I do.
“Then you better keep me warm.”
The playful challenge in her voice makes my heart stutter. She arches into my touch, her ample breasts pushing against my chest, and any remaining self-control I had shatters. I've never wanted anyone the way I want her. Never needed anyone like this.
I groan softly, unfastening her pants and sliding them off. Her thong as well, so she's exposed to the elements and me. Even in the cold, she's burning up beneath me. The sight of her like this - trusting, wanting, perfect - makes my chest tight with emotions I'm not ready to name.
“I want you,” I tell her, my voice gruff with need. “I need to be inside you.” The words feel inadequate. I need more than just her body. I need her smile in the morning, her laughter echoing through my quiet life, her presence making everything brighter. But for now, this will have to do. I position myself at her entrance, and in the moonlight I can see her juices glistening. Fuck, I've never seen anything more perfect.
My eyes lock with hers, and what I see there takes my breath away. Trust. Desire. Something deeper that I'm afraid to hope for. She's everything I never knew I was missing, everything I didn't think I deserved.
She nods, then gasps as I slowly enter her, filling her with one thrust. She's so tight around me it hurts - in a good way. My hands grip her hips as I adjust to the feeling of being buried to the hilt inside of her. The urge to claim her, mark her, brand her as mine forever nearly overwhelms me.
The sensation is unlike anything I've ever known; hotter than any fire, wetter than any rain. With each pump of my hips, she gets tighter around me until we're moving together as one. The cold air no longer bothers me because all I can feel is the heat between us. This is more than just sex - it's a connection I've never felt before, never even thought possible.
After what feels like an eternity but could only be minutes, I pull out of her and flip her over onto all fours. The sight of her round ass, the perfect curve of her hips, I could get lost in her.
Without asking for permission, I spank her ass cheek once, hard enough to sting. She yelps but doesn't move away from me. The trust she shows, giving herself over to me completely, makes my heart clench.
“Do you want more?” My voice comes out low and threatening, barely recognizable as my own. I want to possess her completely, claim her as mine in every way possible.
“Yes, Jake,” she gasps. “More.”
Her submission undoes me. I don't waste time denying her. I plunge back into her tight heat, this time from behind. I wrap my hands around her waist and pound into her harder than before. My balls slap against her clit with each thrust, driving her higher and higher towards the edge until she's screaming my name to the heavens above. The sound of my name on her lips like that - desperate, wanting, needing - is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.
Our cries echo off the mountainside as we come together under the vast Montana sky, and my entire body goes rigid as I empty myself deep within her over and over again. In this moment, she belongs to me, and I'm hers - though I don't dare tell her how completely she owns me.
We collapse together in a heap, breathing hard and covered in sweat despite the frigid air. I pull her close and wrap a blanket over us, our bodies pressed together for warmth as we watch the auroras dance overhead. She fits perfectly in my arms, like she was made to be there. And as I hold her under the dancing lights, I realize I'm in deeper than I ever meant to be. I'm falling in love with Elena, and there's not a damn thing I can do about it.