Sheltered by the Surly Forester (Wolfe Mountain Men #6)

Chapter 8

8

EMIE

A s Josh, at his insistence, loads the dishwasher after dinner, I attempt to clear my head and take stock of the situation.

I didn't expect any of this.

My last gig was housesitting for my friend's aunt. The only decision to be made was in what order to tackle the dozens of small projects as I deep cleaned and updated her entire house, room by room. She was a sweet, elderly lady who wanted everything to “be lovely” when her daughter came to visit.

I thought I could do the same with my friend Kevin's house.

Finding an incredible man I had an instant attraction to, who seems to know instinctively that I need to work to feel useful and refuse to accept handouts, was categorically not on my radar.

As I decipher the fragmented texts and emails from Jennifer and Katie, my stomach and heart are both spinning. If I'd received this offer before I headed toward Pinesley, I would have jumped at the chance. Jennifer really is a brilliant photographer.

The loft that she has secured with Katie is incredible…or at least it could be. Those two have no idea how to make the space work, whereas I can already see how much potential it has. They probably haven't even thought about renting out one end of the enormous space as a yoga studio and event venue for extra income, or considered setting up semi-permanent backdrops for engagement, graduation, and newborn photos.

I don't normally think in business buzzwords, but the possibilities to “add value” for them are making my brain rattle.

Staying with Josh, however, has a higher purpose. I really could help create a birder preserve. Although, of course, that's only part of it. He makes me feel truly valuable. He also makes me feel sexy — which is new to me. He makes me feel like a revved up, amplified version of who I truly am.

Once the dishwasher is running, we snuggle on the couch and watch a documentary about the future of modern forestry, pausing it every so often to chat about details or take notes.

Even though Josh is maybe eight or nine years older than I am, and has lived a far more varied life, he treats me like an equal and truly listens to me. It's amazing.

"Hey." He pauses the documentary again. "Do you have a favorite bird? Are you even into birds?"

I laugh for a second. "I've always loved woodlands, so yes – spotting a cute bird is like seeing a falling star, except it's much more likely to happen. I guess if I had to pick a favorite…it would be all the really bright colored ones. No – the ones with just a small pop of color. Like a red-winged blackbird. Or… What's the yellow one with blue and white patches on the shoulder?"

"Blue-winged warbler?"

"Yes. And the goldfinch, even though it's mostly yellow." I stare down at the wide expanse of his chest for a moment before blurting, "Oh! We could name the different suites in the lodge after birds. The Mallard Room. Owl Suite. Red-tailed Hawk Loft."

Josh laughs, squeezing me against him. "You're a fountain of ideas. I love that."

There's something in his eyes when he says the word love . No… I must have misread the expression. He's a gorgeous, older man from an important family. He couldn't possibly be thinking about true love and romance with some random girl who doesn’t even have a place to stay.

I'm projecting . That's what this is. Josh is so wonderful, and falling for him would feel so good that I'm just wishing for it. That's fine. What's the harm in giving in to this little fantasy for a while?

Since he's one of those Wolfe guys, there would instantly be gossip all over town if word got out he was with someone. That's okay. I'd be perfectly fine keeping things quiet.

"I like having a project to work on," I murmur. "A reason for the idea cauldron to be brewing and bubbling in the back of my mind."

His thick arm pulls me closer as his other hand travels slowly around my knee. I can feel his warmth through my thin leggings. "You're smart. That's sexy to me." His fingers trail along my outer thigh. "So sexy that you've been giving me plenty of ideas."

"Oh, yeah?"

My breath catches as I see the heat in his eyes. Then he leans back abruptly. "Emie, I – I don't want you to feel cornered, out here all alone with me."

Exhaling slowly, I reach out to drag my palm across his chest. "I don’t feel cornered. I want…everything. With you."

The couch creaks as he pulls me closer, letting me inhale his warmth and his masculine scent. He kisses me gently at first, then I start to feel something new. An intensity. There's a promise on his lips… He's not going to stop unless I want him to this time.

I never want him to stop. Every single moment I spend with this incredible man makes me feel more alive than I ever have before.

I moan as his lips shift, dancing down my neck with sucking, pulling kisses. My fingers thread into the back of his hair as I hold him close. Shifting in his lap, I feel something else through my leggings, warm and firm against my hip, and I rub against it.

There's a faint groan, then his teeth skim carefully along my collarbone, his body shifting against me. "You're so hot," he breathes. "Tell me what you want, Emie."

It occurs to me that he's going to keep asking and checking in with me every single step along the line. It also occurs to me this is not normal for him. I’ll bet the town is used to taking orders from him. It sends delicious tingles through me to think of how different he is around me.

"This." Shooting him a grin, I slide my palm down between us to grip the erection trapped in his jeans. " This is what I want. Is that okay?"

Without breaking eye contact, he reaches for the remote and turns off the TV. I'm lifted in the air, held securely against his muscular chest as he carries me to the bedroom.

Nerves crackle through my belly as he lays me down, quickly pulling off my shirt. The sensation of his lips wrapping around my nipple makes me tremble with lust. Josh knows exactly what I need to feel, and when. How is he so instinctively in tune with my body like this?

For one brief moment, I wonder if it's true that you feel instantly connected to someone when you know they're the one.

"Your skin is so soft," he murmurs, switching to the other side as his tongue sweeps around my nipple, his hands roaming over my breasts, taking my breath away.

His left hand shoves my tights and underwear down, and I help by scrambling the rest of the way out of them. Being completely naked while he is fully clothed is a strange sensation that ripples like a wave across my skin. I don't feel vulnerable. It's…powerful. I'm the complete focus of his attention.

"Fuck…" he groans, pushing my right thigh to spread my legs apart. "Prettiest pussy in the world."

I gasp from the way he digs in, feasting on my flesh. Every lick, every tiny kiss, sends heat shooting through my veins. His scowling eyes are incredibly intense as his hand wraps around my hip, holding me still. It's possessive. Controlling. And I love it .

"I need to taste you, baby. Taste your sweet juices to make sure you're wet enough to take me."

Oh my God. Yes. Take him. Have him inside me. I moan loudly, practically counting the seconds until that happens.

It feels like he's holding back, teasing my clit with his tongue, but not yet quite hitting the pressure and rhythm he knows I need.

"So sweet. So delicious. Breathe nice and slow, gorgeous. Let it happen."

A few slow breaths are all it takes to change my tension from curiosity to pure sensation. His eyes blaze, then I feel his thumb nudging slowly around my inner lips, teasing me, making me realize how empty I am.

My fingers spear through his hair, pulling him closer, wordlessly begging him to hurry. He doesn't. He takes his time, lazily stroking, waiting until I'm right on the edge to press harder.

His eyes twinkle with a smile as the pleasure begins to course through me, shaking my limbs as I grip him tightly.

My breath hitches, then I gasp as the fire hits me like a blast wave. A wordless scream spills out of me as I come hard, shaking while still gripping his head, trying to pull him closer.

When I stop twitching, Josh leans back with a devilish grin. "I'm already addicted to that, baby. You're going to be spreading your legs for me all the time. Feeling you come…mmm."

Although I can barely control my limbs, I manage to grab at the neckline of Josh’s t-shirt, telling him without words that I need him naked. Now.

He stands up slowly, then pulls it off. Wow . This man is a sculpted work of art. It would probably be rude, but I’d love to find my phone and take a few pictures of his rippled stomach muscles, his thick arms, and those hot V-lines over his hips. Everything about him is a bit larger than life.

He unbuttons his jeans, hitching them down just low enough to tease. "You're staring."

"But you've left me all alone over here."

A flicker runs through his eyes. "That's the last thing I ever want to do, Emie."

Before I have a chance to process that, he bends over to pull off his socks, then his jeans and shorts rustle as they hit the ground.

Speaking of larger than life…

My mouth is suddenly dry. My back teeth press together. His length is huge, thick, and so hard it's standing up to say hello.

A deep breath does nothing to settle my nerves, but makes me more determined. Reaching out, I wrap my fingers around his tree trunk of a cock.

It's intimate and strange: his skin is both hot and soft against my fingers as I run them tentatively up and down his length. Josh looks at me patiently, waiting while I explore. As he stands beside the bed, I'm not sure if he even realizes that he's stepping closer to where my head lies on the pillow.

My body shifts, taking the thick head into my mouth just as I realize I can feel his pulse surging just under his skin. His hand lands with a smack against the wall, and his stomach muscles tighten. "That feels amazing, sweetheart."

Most men would probably talk dirty at a moment like this, with his length beginning to pulse in and out of my mouth. Instead, Josh calls me sweetheart . Once again, I have to think that perhaps his grumpy demeanor is simply the result of loneliness, and that he's not actually a grouch.

Licking and sucking and stroking, I devour his entire shaft, just as he devoured me. His eyelids fall shut as he leans against the wall, moving forward to pulse deeper, almost down my throat. Then he pulls away with a start.

He lies down beside me, pulling my body to his as a string of kisses dances across my cheekbone, my lips, my forehead. "Tell me one more time that you want me." His voice is darker, grittier than I've ever heard it.

"Yes." My teeth sink into my bottom lip, stopping me from adding the word please .

My entire body hums as I settle underneath him. My heart is pumping so loudly I wonder if he can hear it. As my thighs splay open, my pale skin moving against his tan warmth, there's no doubt in my mind that he is the perfect person to experience this with.

"So beautiful." His voice is softer. "Just breathe and let me in, baby."

From that second on, I let instinct take over. My heels scrape against the blanket as I shift my hips, opening for him. The thick, wet tip of his cock drags against my skin, nudging my clit, then lower. It feels like a deep tension is already building in me, a tension that only Josh can relieve.

I gasp and then moan as his fingertips meet my slick folds, rubbing and exploring before circling my entrance.

"So wet for me." His eyes blaze. "You don't know what that does to me, baby. Knowing that you want me that much."

I smile to myself, thinking that every woman on the mountain probably wants him. I won’t say anything. I already know he would be prickly about that.

I can feel his cock throbbing again as he nudges at my entrance, then slowly rocks inside. Just half an inch at first. Then an inch. Then…more. He moves slowly, carefully, as I try to hold back a whimper. "So tight," he grits out, then his eyes blaze again. "Fast or slow, Emie? Everything is always up to you."

It’s like we're both hovering on the edge. I don't see any reason to be timid with him. He has always known what I want and need.

"Dealer's choice."