Chapter 20
“Idon’t think I’ve ever been this cold.” My fingers itch from the chill as I tuck them into my jacket.
Even with my gloves, they’re so cold they ache, and the chilled ground seeps through my bedroll, not helping the matter.
Bode huffs from beside me in the small tent, tucked into his bedroll up to his chin.
“You said we would be fine,” I argue softly.
“No one can predict a squall, Wildflower.” He grumbles and shifts, knocking over his boots.
After we talked, Bode tried to move the coals closer to the tent without burning everything down, but the later it gets, the more the temperature drops and I’m fighting myself from inching closer and closer to the radiating warmth that is Bode.
I roll over to face him, realizing his shifting was him doing the same. Even in the dark, his eyes still look ice blue. “The weatherman can.”
“The weatherman is a paid suit whose job is guessing Mother Nature’s mood.” He huffs but the corner of his lips quirks in that crooked smile. “No better than gambling with a losing hand.”
My brow raises, and a laugh bubbles out of me. “Is there anything you aren’t suspicious of, Cowboy?”
Bode makes a noise as if he’s contemplating my question rather than saying something sarcastic. He props his arm up under his head and rolls his tongue over his bottom lip. “Mother Nature,” he says plainly.
“I thought you just said she’s unpredictable,” I ask, trying to ignore the soft chattering of my teeth as the wind picks up.
“She is, but she’s not suspicious.” He clarifies and lies back down, keeping his eyes on me. “You just have to listen to her, know when to enjoy the sunshine or when to hunker down through a thunderstorm.”
I must give him a look that says he’s crazy because he continues with a sigh.
“Think about it, before there’s a storm, the clouds get dark and angry, but there’s always the smell, when the scent of the pine trees mixes with the grass. Or before thunder when the air feels thick and sluggish.”
“What about the sun?” I ask softly, appreciating the fact that Bode, the stubborn-headed cowboy, appreciates the smell of rain.
He smiles, sending a burst of warmth through me. “Calm mornings.” The words leave him so softly that if we weren’t less than two feet apart, I wouldn’t have heard him.
“Calm mornings?” I whisper.
“Almost like a promise that everything is going to be okay. Plants will grow, the lake will be warm, and the animals will be easier to move.” His eyes find mine through the darkness, and he inches closer.
I’m not sure if it’s because he’s seeking body heat or because this tent suddenly feels even smaller.
My bottom lip worries between my teeth, and for a brief moment, my mind switches to thoughts of Mama. Her fresh blueberry lemonade, hands covered in dirt and soil, not just from the greenhouse but from the land we’ve lived on my whole life.
“Maggie,” he rasps, pulling me back, and this time he’s closer with his thumb pulling gently down on my chin to stop me from chewing a hole in my bottom lip. “Everything is going to be okay.”
“That obvious?” I ask and instantly shudder as his thumb trails along my cheek. His eyes flicker from mine to my lips with a nod, making me swallow. “You keep lookin’ at me like that, Cowboy, and I’ll start to think you wanna kiss me.”
His eyes move back to mine as his smile grows. “And if I do?”
“I’d say it’s probably not a good idea considering you’re basically my boss and Ford would absolutely kick your–”
I’m cut off by his lips dropping to mine.
His fingers, warm and gloveless, wrap around the back of my neck and curl into my hair, holding me to him.
He’s slow at first, tentative like he’s waiting for me to pull away, but the truth is, Bode feels like that blanket you refuse to give up as a kid.
Comforting, always there when you need it, and right now, I need it. Need him.
I part my lips for him without waiting and he takes the invitation without hesitating and tugs my bedroll closer to his side of the tent. For a brief moment, he pulls back. Both of us breathless.
“Anyone ever tell you, you talk too much?” He whispers gravelly and before I can rebut, he plants another soft, lingering kiss on my lips. “I hate chatter,” he says against my mouth, “but I hate it even more when you’re quiet.”
“You’re confusing me,” I admit softly, searching his eyes.
“How?” His nose bumps mine like he’s going to kiss me again, and my breath hitches.
“With this, with how warm you feel, I don’t know Bode, all of it.”
“Do you want me to stop?” he asks, pulling away slightly so I can fully see him. “Tell me to stop Maggie and I’ll roll over and go to sleep.”
“I don’t want to be cold.” I pout softly, making him chuckle. The sound rumbles beneath his chest, further egging on the fact that I don’t want him to stop.
“Is that so?” he asks, lowering his lips to mine again. “So not stopping?”
“Not a chance,” I whisper.
Bode smirks against my lips before pressing another kiss to them, this one deeper than the last. His hand moves to my waist, pulling me closer in the small tent as the temperature rises beneath nothing but the soft flickering light coming from the lantern.
I reach for him, tugging the gap completely closed, and start fumbling with the buttons on his shirt, but the gloves I'm wearing make it impossible.
A funny little chuckle vibrates from Bode as he breaks apart and lifts my hand to his mouth, using his teeth to pull the glove off before doing the other.
“Those gloves are cute but a real pain in the ass right now,” he breathes between a few more kisses.
“I could argue that about every piece of clothing you’re wearing, Cowboy.” I huff impatiently and push my cold hand beneath the layers and over his bare shoulder. He’s so warm that my eyes flutter closed just from the feeling of his skin against mine.
He hums softly, the sound rumbling from his chest as my hands roam over it.
He helps me push the jacket and shirt off completely before returning to my lips.
Everything feels so urgent, so needy, and I can’t help but give in to him.
His hands work my coat zipper without effort, and he only breaks the kiss to tug off his own gloves.
I push a hand into his hair as his hand finds a way beneath me to press against my back and pull our chests together on the bedrolls.
A string of muffled, unintelligible words fall from him as he whispers into my neck, as I appreciate every ounce of skin pressed against me.
Bode’s hands slide down to the hem of my jeans, hesitating only for a second before hooking his fingers into the waistband and slowly pushing them down.
“Lift your hips for me,” he says, pulling away from me, and my chest tightens with excitement and want as I lift just enough in the small confines for him to slide them down.
He sits back in his jeans, letting all the cold air rush over my naked body.
His chest rises and falls rapidly in the flickering light, strands of hair falling against his forehead as his tongue slides over his bottom lip.
He’s appreciating the view, and as much as it's making me warm on the inside, I’m freezing in nothing but my bra and underwear. I need his warmth more than his praise.
“Come back, it’s too cold in here for that.” I reach out to him, and he returns in a swift movement, not needing to be asked twice, as he pulls the blankets over us.
Bode settles back down, his warm body covering mine as he presses soft kisses to my lips, my cheeks, and my neck. His warmth immediately envelops me, chasing away the chill.
“Better?” he asks softly, pressing a tender kiss to my forehead. “You’re freezing,” he laughs, peppering more along my jaw.
“Doesn’t help that someone got me naked and is taking his good time following through,” I complain playfully, a smile curling on my lips as his fingers dig into my side. He shakes his head as another laugh bubbles up from him.
“Impatient little thing, aren’t ya, Wildflower?” he teases.
“Get to it,” I demand, and his eyes flicker up to mine, blue like the winter moon and full of mischief.
“Yes, Ma’am,” he murmurs with a smirk, his hands moving up to frame my face as he captures my mouth in a deep, hungry kiss.
At the same time, he shifts his hips between my thighs, letting me feel exactly how ready he is.
My hips lift to meet his as his tongue slips into my mouth and my hands rake down his bare, strong back.
The muscles tense beneath my touch as I find my way to the top of his jeans.
His breath catches as my nails drag softly across his skin.
One hand moves to my hip while the other traces down my chest over the curve of my breast without actually touching me and making me squirm beneath him.
I ghost my fingers around his body with needy abandon and flick his belt buckle loose with a sharp, quick clang that rings through the tent.
Bode chuckles against my lips. “Who knew sweet innocent Magnolia-Mae had experience in popping belt buckles?” he teases.
“Be quiet,” I shake my head as his lips find my jaw, “and kiss me.” I tip his jaw up with a soft nudge and bite down softly on his bottom lip.
He groans into my mouth, his hands gripping my hips tighter as he kisses me back.
The buckle clanks as I push his pants down urgently and he only breaks the kiss to tell me where his wallet is, his voice rough and needy.
“Birth control, don’t stop,” I say quickly and return to the frantic kisses that steal the air from my lungs.
Bode doesn’t need any more encouragement. With a swift motion, he shoves his pants down along with his boxers, freeing himself completely. Even in the dim lighting, my eyes widen at the impressive size of him and he smirks, watching my gaze shift down and back up again.
I inhale slowly, and suddenly everything feels very quiet and calm.
The wind dies down outside and my chest heaves in a desperate plea for air after the frenzy.
“Hey there, Cowboy,” I whisper, pressing my hand flat to his chest to feel his heart racing as fast as mine.
A small comfort, knowing he’s just as affected.
He gently catches my wrist, pressing a hot kiss to my palm before moving my hand to his jaw.
“Magnolia…” my name rolls out of him in a low, intense whisper as he presses his forehead to mine.
“You're sure about this?” he asks, despite his obvious desire, he’s checking in, making sure it’s not going to be a regret when the storm dies.
I nod softly, the words escaping me completely.
Bode’s eyes darken, and he dips his head to kiss me again, this time slower but with no less passion.
He reaches between us, pulling my panties aside with one hand while lining himself up with the other and guiding himself slowly inside, inch by inch filling me completely and leaving us both breathless.
He starts moving slowly, allowing us both to get used to each other's rhythm.
His mouth finds my neck, kissing and sucking gently, leaving marks along my collarbone and making me moan softly against him while pushing up and meeting him.
With every thrust, he gives me all of him, each time sending waves of pleasure through my body.
I can’t feel the cold anymore. The storm outside fades away as Bode works himself back and forth at a delicious pace that hits every frayed nerve in my body.
His mouth finds a hardened nipple, and he groans around it as he takes it between his lips.
The vibration from his throat sends shocks of pleasure rolling over my body.
His hand grips mine tightly as he starts to pick up the pace, thrusting deeper and harder with each stroke.
The tent fills with the sound of meeting skin, and the air thickens with our mingled breaths.
His name rolls off my lips like a prayer as he wraps his arm around me, changing the angle and hitting a new, deeper spot inside of me.
Wetness seeps down my thighs and makes everything slick as he rocks hard, his breathing growing ragged with each snap of his hips.
His movement becomes frantic as he sinks into me faster and harder now, chasing his own release while trying to bring me along with him.
My head is dizzy as the pleasure tickles up my body like a spreading fire.
Bode leans down, capturing my mouth in more heated kisses that swallow my moans as I tighten around his shaft and try to hang on to the orgasm that’s threatening to explode.
My noises become broken and short, heightening in pitch and echoing into the night air as the pleasure becomes too much.
“Sing for me, Wildflower. There’s no one out here but you and me.
” He pulls back, the demand for more stuttered between his thrusts.
His voice is rough and commanding as he continues to hit that sweet spot inside of me again and my entire body trembles around him.
His fingers find my hair gently, tilting my head back to watch me as I fall apart in his arms.
The act alone is enough to make me come undone entirely.
The pleasure hits me like an unstoppable wave of heat that coats my entire body and drags another strangled moan from the base of my throat.
Bode collides with me, swallowing the sound with his mouth and kissing me hard as he continues to thrust through the orgasm, prolonging it until he finds his own.
With a final hard snap, he buries himself deep inside of me and comes apart, filling me completely in a series of strangled groans that vibrate against my mouth.
When he pulls back, he’s flushed in the face, sweating with his hair sticking to the back of his neck, and he’s got a smug smile on his handsome face.
“I’m not cold anymore,” I whisper with a small laugh as my teeth sink into my bottom lip. Bode huffs, pulling back to look at me. My hair is a mess around my shoulders, my bra is half gone, my lips are swollen from kisses, and my chest is covered in soft bite marks.
“Good,” he says, and I feel him harden slightly, still inside of me. I raise an eyebrow at him, a tiny giggle falling from my lips.
“Bode Walker, you dog,” I tease.
“I’m just trying to make sure you stay warm, Maggie-Mae,” Bode practically purrs. “I think that’s pretty gentlemanly of me.” He leans over to flick out the lamp before decorating my warm skin with more messy kisses until the sun rises over the hills.