Chapter Five
Mia
I woke to the scent of fresh coffee and the weight of someone sitting on the edge of the bed.
Opening one eye, I found Oktober watching me, a steaming mug in his hand and a maddening half-smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
I’d seen that look several times throughout the night.
Usually after he’d made me scream his name as he brought me to climax over and over again.
Morning light filtered through the curtains behind him, turning his blond hair to gold and softening the hard edges of his face.
My body ached pleasantly from the night before, a delicious reminder of how thoroughly he’d claimed me.
“Morning, K?tzchen,” he murmured, his voice still rough with sleep. “Coffee?”
I reached for the mug, but he pulled it back slightly, one eyebrow raised in expectation.
The playful challenge in his eyes made something warm unfurl in my chest. “Is there a toll for caffeine delivery?” I asked, pushing myself up on my elbows, aware of the sheet slipping down to expose my bare breasts.
I instinctively pulled it back up, but Oktober’s expression made me pause.
His eyes darkened as his gaze dropped to my chest, then returned to my face. “Smart woman,” he said. “Everything has its price.”
I grinned, suddenly feeling bold and uninhibited in a way I never had before.
I leaned forward, my hair falling in tangled waves around my shoulders, and pressed my lips to his.
What I’d intended as a quick peck shifted into something deeper when his hand came up to cup the back of my neck, holding me to him as he deepened the kiss.
He tasted of coffee and masculine spice, and I melted into it, my body instantly responding to his touch.
When he finally pulled away, we were both breathing harder, and he looked as reluctant to end the kiss as I felt.
“Worth every drop,” he said, finally handing over the mug.
I wrapped my fingers around the warm ceramic, inhaling the rich aroma before taking a sip. “You make good coffee.”
“One of my many talents,” Oktober replied with a wink, standing and stretching in a way that made his T-shirt ride up, exposing a strip of tanned skin and the trail of hair disappearing into his jeans. My mouth went dry at the sight.
“Get dressed, little Mia,” he said, moving toward the door. “I have plans for us today.”
“Plans?” I asked, setting the coffee aside. “What kind of plans?”
He turned at the doorway, that slow smile spreading across his face again. “The kind you’ll like. Wear something comfortable. And sturdy shoes.”
Before I could question him further, he was gone, closing the bedroom door behind him.
I heard him moving around in the cabin’s main room, the clink of dishes suggesting he was cleaning up.
The thoughtfulness of that simple gesture caught me off guard.
Eric had never been one to tidy up without being asked.
I threw back the covers and made quick work of my morning routine and excitement coursed through me.
When had I last looked forward to someone’s company this much?
I chose jeans and a soft gray T-shirt, slipping my feet into the hiking boots I’d worn earlier in the week.
Whatever Oktober had planned, I wanted to be prepared.
When I emerged from the bedroom, he was no longer in the cabin.
I found him outside, leaning against his motorcycle, the morning sun glinting off its chrome.
Two leather saddlebags were strapped to the back of the bike, and he was scrolling through something on his phone.
He looked up as the screen door banged shut behind me.
“There she is,” he said, pocketing his phone. “Ready for an adventure, K?tzchen?”
I approached cautiously, eyeing the motorcycle with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.
Mostly curiosity. And excitement. Oh, God, I was so looking forward to whatever this was!
“Depends on what kind of adventure.” I tried for casual and cautious but could barely keep from bouncing up and down on my toes.
Oktober patted the seat. “Ever been on one of these before?”
I shook my head. “Never.”
“First time for everything, K?tzchen.” He pointed at one of the saddlebags. “I packed us lunch. Thought we’d find somewhere special to eat it.”
The gesture was so unexpectedly sweet that I felt a flutter in my chest. “You planned a picnic?”
“Don’t sound so surprised,” he chuckled. “I’m more than just a pretty face and fantastic sex.”
I laughed, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. “I never doubted it.” I stepped closer to the bike, running my fingers along its sleek lines. “So… how does this work, exactly? I just climb on behind you?”
Oktober’s expression softened. “Nervous?”
“A little,” I admitted.
“It’s simple,” he said, swinging his leg over the seat with practiced ease. “You’ll sit behind me, arms around my waist. Lean with me when I lean. Don’t touch the pipes. And trust me to keep you safe.” He reached out his hand. “Can you do that? Trust me?”
I looked at his outstretched hand, then at his face. The truth was, I did trust him. More than made sense for someone I’d known less than a week. “Yes,” I said, placing my hand in his. “I trust you.”
He helped me climb onto the bike behind him, guiding my arms around his waist. “Hold tight,” he instructed, his voice vibrating through his back against my chest. “And remember to breathe.”
The engine roared to life between my thighs, the unexpected vibration sending a shock of sensation through my body. I gasped, tightening my grip around Oktober’s middle. He reached down and squeezed my hands reassuringly before putting the bike in gear.
As we hit the paved road, Oktober opened the throttle.
The bike surged forward, and I swallowed a small scream, burying my face against his back.
But after the initial shock, I found myself lifting my head, daring to look around as we flew down the winding mountain road.
I let out a joyous whoop. I thought Oktober chuckled, but I couldn’t be bothered when I was having the time of my life.
The world blurred past us in streaks of green and gold. Wind whipped my hair around my face, carrying the scent of pine and the cool tang of the nearby lake. We probably should have been wearing helmets, but I wanted this experience exactly like this.
We rode deeper into the mountains, each bend in the road revealing new vistas in glimpses of the valleys spread below us, distant ridges wreathed in morning mist and the occasional flash of a waterfall cascading down some unseen cliff face.
I lost track of time, lost in the experience of speed and closeness and the strange freedom of hurtling down the road with nothing between us and the world but Oktober’s skill and the machine beneath us.
I’ve never felt so alive.
When Oktober slowed the motorcycle, turning onto a narrow dirt road, I had a moment where I felt a bit like the first person (usually a woman) to die in an eighties slasher film.
The road he’d turned off onto was little more than a wide dirt trail.
After another quarter mile, he pulled to a stop beside a weather-beaten wooden sign marked “Falls Trail - No Maintained Path.” I climbed off first, my legs slightly wobbly after the ride, while Oktober secured the bike and retrieved our small picnic from the saddlebags.
He’d brought a couple of sandwiches, chips, and a thermos.
Nothing fancy. But I’d never looked forward to a meal more than I did right then.
“Not many people know about this place,” he said, slinging a small backpack over his shoulder. “Found it by accident a few years back when I was exploring.”
“I should really get a creepy vibe, but for some reason, I’m not.” He gave me a startled look before raising his hands and taking a step back.
“Baby. Mia.”
I waved him off with a grin. “No. I don’t mean I think you’re going to hurt me, Oktober. I don’t.”
He looked away, shaking his head. I hadn’t seen this side of him before now. He looked almost resigned. Sad in a way that said he expected my disapproval. “I’m sorry. I never even considered --”
I took the step separating us and covered his mouth with my fingers before leaning up and kissing him lightly.
“I didn’t either. I’m not scared of you.
I don’t believe for a moment you’d hurt me.
” Then I grinned up at him. “But if you prove me wrong and decide to off me, do it after the picnic. Because I’ve never really been on one before. ”
He barked out a laugh. “Verdammte Holle. You’re a singular creature, little Mia.”
I peered into the dense forest where a faint trail disappeared between the trees. “How far is it?”
“Not far. Just down the hill. We’ll be able to see the bike from there but still have plenty of privacy.”
He took my hand and led the way down the narrow path.
Reclaiming that joyful mood he’d been in didn’t take long, and I’d never been more grateful to see a smile on a man’s face.
Oktober. He seemed to take such pleasure in the simple feeling of the sun on his skin.
More than once I caught him looking up as a ray of sunshine shone down on him.
He’d close his eyes for a brief moment and smile before continuing.
The forest around us teemed with life. Birds called from unseen perches, the occasional rustle of small animals in the undergrowth, butterflies dancing in the dappled sunlight that filtered through the canopy all had me forgetting everything beyond the past few hours.
I was keenly aware of the man beside me.
And of the pleasurable way my pussy ached from the previous night’s activities.
“Almost there,” Oktober said as we climbed a slight incline, still on the wide trail but out of sight of the path. “Worth every step, I promise.”