Chapter 22
Hadley
As stunning as this natural wonder is, the woman in front of me has all my attention. It may be the hike in cowboy boots. It may be the elevation.
My guess is it’s Maggie.
Each step she takes, those elegant curves and hips swaying in time to the blood rushing through my veins, my need for her grows. Because it doesn’t matter where we are, she gets me wound up just by being close.
The late morning sunshine splinters as it hits the canopy, showering us in slivers of light.
The sounds of nature echo through the forest around it.
But the only sounds I care about are the footsteps in front of me and the heavy breaths she takes as she walks ahead, pointing to various things she’s showing me.
My eyes haven’t left her, not for one of them.
I’m so far gone for this woman.
She turns back and her hands are on her hips, her face lit up with amusement. “You haven’t heard a word I said, have you?”
I keep walking until I’m in her space. Hands cupping her face, I tilt it up to me. “Not a word.”
Her breaths stutter out and drag mine away with them.
“I love seeing you like this,” I rasp.
“Like what?”
“Happy. Free.”
“I’m happy with you.” The words spill out fast and she drags her bottom lip through her teeth, like she never meant to say that.
“You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you right now.”
Her gaze moves, studying my face. Her body presses to mine.
“Go on, then,” she utters, fingers curling around the opening of my shirt.
No telling this man twice. I smash my mouth to hers, and she opens instantly. She’s hungry, but I’m fucking starving. I step forward, she steps back. Before you know it, her back hits the trunk of a big old tree.
I devour her the way I’ve been imagining since we parted ways only a handful of days ago.
I claim every part of her, my hand trailing over her neck, down past the dip where it joins her soft shoulders, over her collarbone, and finally slowly down her ribs. She melts against the tree, and I push my knee between her legs to hold her up.
Hands travel up over my shoulders and into my hair, tugging as I break for a breath. No, to see her face.
I’m wrung out.
I’m breathless.
My heart is trying its best to crash through my chest. I’m rock-fucking-hard. In the middle of her forest.
“Don’t stop,” she pleads.
I shake my head.
“No?” The word is almost a sob.
I huff a strangled laugh. “I don’t want to stop, Sunshine, but this is a public walking trail, I’m guessing.”
She nods. After a moment, she pushes off the tree and grabs my hand. We’re wading through the brush of the dense forest, heading toward a small hut I can only just make out through the trees.
It looks like an old ranger hut or something.
Maggie pushes in and has the door shut the second I’m inside.
My hat’s off, hitting the floor, and her hands are in my hair a beat later.
I haul her onto my waist, walking around the small hut, before I sweep a hand over a bench.
Items scatter, clattering to the floor. Lowering Maggie to the bench, I hold her at arm’s length.
She’s panting, chest heaving.
“Hadley?”
Eyes closed, I tilt my head, jaw grinding shut. The hesitation is supposed to tamp down the need. It doesn’t do a damn thing.
Fuck.
“Come here, cowboy,” she says softly. “Please.”
Not missing a beat, my hands claim her face, my mouth hers.
I’m between her legs, her hands traveling back into my hair like they belong there. The little moan that slips from her is the last straw.
I break from the kiss, dusting hungry open-mouthed ones down her neck. She leans back on her palms, arching into my touch.
“Slow down, Sunshine,” I rasp.
“You feel like heaven . . .” Maggie grabs my jawline with both hands. “And it is nowhere near enough.”
I drop my forehead to hers. “Dammit.”
“What’s wrong?” Her green eyes are studying mine the second I lift my head.
“I didn’t mean to—” My gaze tracks over her flushed face, her erratic breathing, and the way her nipples rub against her tank, her shirt now open from my manhandling. “I didn’t come here just for this.”
She smiles, a lazy, sweet thing making me want to devour every inch of her. “I know.”
“God, Maggie, every minute I’m around you is torture . . . the best fucking torture.”
Her expression turns serious as she swallows and breathes, “I can’t have that.”
Her hand curls around the opening of my shirt as she drags me back to her.
“Good, because I could fucking eat you, and I’m damn starvin’.”
She wriggles out of the shirt, leaving the tank and her lacy bra poking out.
I lean in, kissing her neck, a hand gripping her hip, the other brushing underneath the hem of the tank. Her skin is the softest silk against my lips as I trail kisses over her collarbone before pressing them over her chest.
Mouth watering, I’m desperate to find out what those peaks of hers taste like.
A whimper slips past her lips as I brush a thumb over one hard nipple. “Fuck, Sunshine.”
“Take it off, Hadley. Please.”
I make quick work of her tank before sending a hand behind her back to pop the clasp.
And fuck, the most incredible tits fall free. Almost taking me to my damn knees. Green eyes now tightening with worry stare at me.
I won’t stand for any sliver of unease from this woman. “Christ, Maggie. You’re fucking perfect.”
I close my mouth around one nipple, suckling it. Her back arches and her head hangs, sending her hair dangling over the bench.
I nip the bud before dotting kisses around her soft, plush breast. Her throat flexes, breaths coming too fast. Moving to the other side, I swirl my tongue over the peak.
Her hands slide forward, gripping the edge of the bench.
All I can think of is having her white-knuckle the bench while I devour her pussy.
God, the number of times I’ve thought about just that in the past few weeks . . . Must be a Guinness record or some shit. I run a hand over her belly, and she lifts her head.
“I need to taste you, Sunshine. I’m fucking desperate for it.”
Her lips part, breaths puffing free as she reaches for my face. I drop back down, kissing her with the promise that I’m going to take care of her. This is about her, not me.
Those little noises I found myself addicted to in the first few months of running the circuit with this woman . . . I’m done waiting to hear them. To hear them as she makes them because of me.
I unbuckle her shorts, tracing a finger over the waistband of the lacy panties hiding underneath. Removing her hiking boot and socks, I take her in. And she steals my breath.
Hers shallow out, her grip finding the hem of my shirt now. Maggie tugs on the shirt, so I undo a couple of top buttons and pull it off my back. Hands wandering over the T-shirt underneath, she frowns, grabbing at it. With a chuckle, I pull it off, too. “Happy?”
“Better.”
Her gaze tracks over my chest, down my hard stomach, and to the point where my jeans meet my waist.
“Still desperate for you here,” I rasp.
She huffs a little sound and lifts off the bench, her palms planted on the surface. I take down the shorts and panties, and she’s perched on the edge, bare.
Fucking bare and fucking perfect.
Her pussy glistens with need.
Making my aching cock impossibly harder.
I plant my hands on either side of hers, dipping my head to kiss her. Her fine hands slide over mine. I flip mine over, lacing my fingers in hers. Lifting them, I hold her face.
As I start my descent, she moves them to my hair. I slide one hand free and cup her breast, plucking the nipple in my teeth gently.
A little growl rumbles in her throat.
I glance up to find her mouth parted.
“Look at you, Sunshine. All hot and bothered for me.” I slide my hand down, sweeping a finger through her soaked pussy. She all but bucks off the bench. “And damn well soaked, too.”
“Ha—”
I pull a nipple into my mouth and suck, sending my thumb around her swollen clit. A moan turns into a whimper.
I lose the nipple with a pop and peck a kiss to her lips before tracking kisses down her belly. I sink to my knees, and her expression turns absolutely desperate.
“Hang in there, Maggie. This is gonna take a while.”
Looking down at me with those big green eyes, now blown out with desire, she nods.
I send my tongue through her soaked center and almost lose my mind at the way she tastes. My balls tighten.
Fuck . . .
I swirl my tongue over her swollen bud, and she arches. I get what I want, her grip whitening around the bench as her thighs fall open wider.
Hell, this is worth every hard moment we had together in the beginning. She’s fucking everything.
“Hadley, up here,” she rasps.
“Not happening,” I growl out against her clit.
With a long sweep through her center, I suck down on her nub, sliding two fingers inside. She tightens instantly, loosing little panting breaths.
“Fuck, Maggie, come all over my face. I want to watch you, Sunshine. See that beautiful face of yours wrecked as you shatter all over my damn mouth.”
A whimper rolls through her parted lips as I work my fingers in and out.
Clamping around her clit, I suck.
Hips bucking off the bench, she comes undone. I steady her with a rough grip on her hip. Taking every drop of release she gives me.
Just as I anticipated, that look claiming her face has me falling to pieces right alongside her.
She’s stunning.
One look, one moment, and the trap laid out for my heart snaps shut.
I’m a goner.
No, I’m already done. Because now I am going to spend as long as she’ll let me making her look just like this. Making her sound like this.
I plan on worshipping my Maggie.
She’s the beam of sunlight I didn’t know I needed.
The force of nature that brightens my day.
I drop my forehead to the harsh edge of the bench, head still between her legs.
It’s only then, still kneeling at her feet, I realize she could very well just up and walk out of my life like my father did.
Only I don’t think I’d fare as well as last time.
“Hadley.” Her fine fingers slide down around my jaw, lifting it. “Now, up here.”
I push to my feet, and she claims my mouth. I give her the depth I feel with every stroke of my tongue, every nip and brush of my lips against hers.
The intensity should scare her.
Hell, it scares me.
Sliding her panties up her legs, I brush my knuckles over the inside of her thighs. I dot a kiss to her apex before adjusting the underwear on her and holding out the shorts.
She steps in. “You don’t have to dress me, cowboy.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, I know. Trying to make the moment last.”
I glance up to find her face scrunched up. A shaky hand runs through my hair before sliding down to cup my face. “Of course you are.”
Once I have her dressed and free of the debris and leaves from rushing through the forest I found in her clothes, I lift her onto the bench. A squeal that turns into a giggle echoes around the hut.
Plucking up the socks from her boots, I slide them on her feet.
She studies every move I make, alternating her attention from the task at hand to my face.
One hiking boot goes next. Then the other.
With her laces all tied up, I step closer.
Between her legs, I press into her, tilting her face up to mine.
“Much better than hours in a cattle truck, Sunshine.”
She pecks a kiss to my lips. “If you say so.”
“I absolutely do.”
“We should head back.” She drops her gaze.
“Yeah, I’m starving.”
Her eyes narrow as they rise to look at me. “You already ate, cowboy.”
“Sure did. But seriously, though, how’s the food at that restaurant of yours?”
She chuckles. “It’s only the best in three counties.”
“That settles it then, we’re eatin’.”
She hesitates as her hand presses to my chest.
My bare chest . . .
“Oh shit,” I say with a laugh.
“I mean, I kind of prefer you this way.” Her gaze travels the length of my torso as she pushes off the bench and swipes up my clothes. Bunching up the T-shirt, she holds it up.
I duck my head into it and send my arms through the sleeves. When I straighten, she’s holding out the shirt with a smile so damn pretty my heart jump starts.
Wiggling it, she nods at the sleeve. “Come on, your turn.”
I slide an arm in, and she walks behind me and brings the next sleeve to my other hand.
I slide it in, shrugging the shirt on as she rounds me, taking her time to really take me in.
Her fine fingers start doing up the buttons of my shirt.
With the domesticity of it all, her tender touch—my throat thickens.
“Ma—”
Her finger presses over my lips as my stomach grumbles.
Maybe one of Kayley’s granola bars and a cup of coffee all day was a bad idea.
“Hadley hungry.” Her hand tidies my hair as she hands me my hat.
“Yeah. One last thing, Sunshine.”
I place my hat on her head and tilt her chin up. “Looks better on you.” Green eyes and dark curls look good under my hat, and I drown in them as I rasp, “Keep it.”