Chapter 3
three
Emma
I wake to calloused fingers tracing patterns on my bare shoulder and the delicious weight of Leo's arm around my waist. Sunlight streams through the windows, but I don't want to move, don't want to break this perfect moment.
"Morning," he rumbles against my ear, his voice thick with sleep and something else that makes me shiver.
"Mmm." I stretch languidly, feeling the pleasant ache between my thighs that reminds me of last night's activities. "Good morning."
His hand slides down my spine, fingers exploring with renewed interest. "Sleep well?"
"Eventually." I turn in his arms to face him, marveling at how gorgeous he is in the morning light. Dark hair mussed, beard slightly unruly, eyes still heavy with desire. "Someone kept me up rather late."
"Someone?" His eyes darken as his hand finds the curve of my breast. "Should I be jealous?"
"Very jealous," I tease, then gasp as his thumb brushes over my nipple. Even though we made love twice more during the night, my body responds instantly to his touch.
"Good thing he's not here," Leo growls, rolling me beneath him. "Because I don't share."
The possessiveness in his voice sends heat flooding through me. I should probably be concerned about how quickly this has escalated, but looking up at him, all hard muscle and masculine intensity, I find I don't care about should.
"What are you going to do about it?" I challenge, wrapping my legs around his waist.
His answer is to claim my mouth in a kiss that's all heat and possession. I can feel him hardening against my thigh, and the knowledge that he wants me again so soon makes me wet instantly.
"Insatiable," I gasp against his lips.
"For you? Absolutely." His mouth moves to my throat, teeth grazing my pulse point. "Want to taste you again."
Before I can respond, he's moving down my body, hands and mouth mapping every inch of skin. When he settles between my thighs, the first swipe of his tongue has me arching off the bed.
"Leo!" I cry out as he devours me with devastating skill. He takes his time, building me up slowly until I'm trembling and desperate.
"Please," I beg, hands fisting in his hair. "I need—"
"What do you need?" he asks against my sensitive flesh.
"You. Inside me. Now."
He moves up my body, positioning himself at my entrance. The stretch as he fills me is exquisite, and I moan at the perfect fullness.
"So tight," he groans, starting to move with deep, measured strokes. "Like you were made for my cock."
His filthy words combined with the angle of his thrusts have me spiraling toward climax embarrassingly fast. When he reaches between us to circle my clit, I shatter with a cry that probably wakes the wildlife.
He follows me over, driving deep one final time as he spills inside me with a groan that vibrates through my bones.
"Jesus," I pant when I can finally speak. "If this is mountain hospitality, I understand why people never leave."
His laugh rumbles against my throat. "Just getting started on the full Silver Ridge experience."
Eventually, we manage to drag ourselves from bed. Leo makes breakfast while I shower, and I can't help but notice how domestic it feels—like we've been doing this for years instead of hours.
"So," I say over coffee and the best pancakes I've ever tasted, "tell me about this town you're so eager to show me."
"Three thousand people. Founded by logging families in 1897." He's dressed in fresh jeans and a henley that clings to his chest in ways that make it hard to concentrate. "A kind of place where everyone knows everyone."
"That could be good or terrifying."
"Good, mostly. When someone needs help, the whole community shows up." His eyes find mine across the table, and I see something deeper there—not just attraction, but genuine hope. "Want to see for yourself?"
An hour later, I'm riding in his pickup truck through the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen. When Silver Ridge comes into view around a bend in the road, I actually gasp.
"It's like a postcard," I breathe.
Main Street is lined with wooden storefronts that manage to be both rustic and charming. Mountains frame everything, creating a sense of being cradled by the wilderness.
"That's Juniper's Diner," Leo says, parking in front of a building with cheerful red awnings. "Best food in three counties."
Inside, the diner buzzes with morning activity. A pregnant redhead approaches with obvious curiosity, her eyes immediately zeroing in on the way Leo's hand rests possessively on my lower back.
"Well, well," she says with a knowing grin. "What do we have here, Leo MacKenzie?"
"Juniper, meet Emma," he says. "Emma, this is Juniper Reed. She runs the place and knows everyone's business."
"Not everyone's," Juniper protests, then looks me up and down with obvious approval. "Though I have excellent instincts about these things. And honey, if you've got this one looking at you like that, you must be something special."
Heat floods my cheeks at her directness, but Leo just laughs, clearly unbothered.
"Table for two?" Juniper asks, already leading us to a booth by the window.
Over pancakes that could convert a health food fanatic, Leo tells me about the town's residents.
The way the community rallies around each other.
The festivals and traditions that bind everyone together.
I find myself fascinated not just by the stories, but by the way his eyes light up when he talks about this place.
"Sounds wonderful," I say, and mean it. "Very different from Vancouver."
"Different how?"
"In the city, you can live next to someone for years and never know their name. Here, it sounds like everyone's connected." I reach across the table, covering his hand with mine. "You really love this place."
"I do. Love the work, love the community, love the way life moves at a pace that actually lets you live it." His thumb traces circles on my knuckles. "Could be yours too, if you wanted."
The suggestion sends a thrill through me that has nothing to do with the coffee. "What would someone like me do in a place like this?"
"What do you want to do?"
"I've always dreamed of opening a bookstore. Somewhere cozy, with comfortable chairs and really good coffee. A place where people could browse for hours, where the community could gather."
"Murphy place on Maple Street's been empty for two years," he says thoughtfully. "Perfect location. Even has an apartment upstairs."
The fact that he's already thinking practically about my pipe dream, that he can envision me having a place here, makes my heart race. "You're dangerous."
"How so?"
"You make impossible things sound reasonable. Make me want to believe in fairy tales."
His hand tightens on mine. "Maybe they're more possible than you think."
"Leo." His name comes out breathier than intended.
"Say yes."
"To what?"
"Everything. Stay another day. Let me show you the building. See if maybe this crazy thing between us is worth exploring."
I look into his forest-green eyes and see my future reflected there—a life I never imagined but suddenly can't live without. The smart thing would be to leave now, before I get in too deep. The safe thing would be to go back to Vancouver and forget this ever happened.
But I'm tired of smart and safe. I'm tired of living someone else's version of my life.
"Yes," I whisper.
His smile is blinding. "Good. Because I'm never letting you go."