Chapter 23
Zane
I slam the ax down into the block. Letting out some of my frustration on the unsuspecting log.
Sadie told me about her ex, and I would certainly be inclined to give him a man-to-man talk, as well as a punch in the fucking face while I’m at it. He’s a coward.
I’m glad Sadie told me, because I’m a big believer in honesty. She was horrified, which was good, the last thing I need is dating a woman who’s hung up on her ex, but Sadie most definitely isn’t.
“I don’t want him,” she says. “It was over the second I caught him cheating with more than one girl. It’s disgusting.”
”You deserve so much better than that,” I say. “How someone could do that to you I’ll never know. One thing about me? You’ll always get the truth, Manhattan. You may not like it, but you’ll never be left guessing.”
“Have I told you you’re all sexy when you’re jealous?”
“I’m not jealous of a dickface who can’t have you anymore, but you are mine, Sadie Summers.” Okay, so I got a little bit alpha on her ass, but I know a good thing when I see it.
My friends are happy for me, but they don’t hold back in poking fun about how I’m much nicer to be around since Sadie came along.
It’s a load of shit. They just want something to rib me about because apparently I’ve been a stick in the mud for too long.
Little do they know, I’ve got plans for Sadie.
If I can be half the man she deserves, then having her stay in Alpine Falls would make all my Christmases come at once…
Thump.
I crack the log in half in one swing. I toss the two halves on the pile, then line up another.
I raise the ax, then swing it down, the giant stump splits in two.
Then I hear clapping. I turn and look over my shoulder. Sadie is standing, her eyes glued to my ass as I shake my head. “Stalker.”
“Hey, don’t stop on my account. But if you don’t mind, can I film you so I can go viral on TikTok? I could probably quit my job if I posted videos of you doing this.”
“I’ve no clue what you’re goin’ on about,” I say, lining up my next log. “But if it gets you all hot n’ heavy, I’m here for it.”
She walks around the side of me, her eyes trailing down my torso. “Good lord, you really are a fine specimen of a man. It’s snowing, and you’re still out here shirtless in gray sweats, wielding an ax around like you’re some kind of wild mountain man beast, BookTok would go nuts over this.”
I pique a brow, halting my next swing. “I’ve no clue what BookTok is, nor do I want to know.”
She grins. “God, I love a man who sweats.”
I swing and split the wood. “You’re makin’ me nervous.”
“Really? I thought nothing made the great Zane C. Lawless nervous. I mean, it’s just little old me, gaping at my boss, admiring his God-given talents.”
My lips twitch. “I’ll show you some goddamn given talents if you keep lookin’ at me like that.”
She lightens my mood, brightens my day, and I fucking love it. Then it sours a little when she says, “I thought you were really mad about my ex’s email.”
I lodge the ax in my block as I wipe my brow, looking down at her as I turn. “I was.”
“And you’re not now?”
I move closer to her. “I’ll shake his hand.”
She frowns. “W-what?”
I lean closer, my forehead pressing against hers. “With the same hand I had you shaking with.”
She shivers, biting down on her bottom lip, her hands reach for me, trailing down my chest as I watch, mesmerized by her touch. “Holy shit.”
“If he ever comes near you, Sadie, I swear to god, I will go postal on his ass and it won’t be pretty.”
“Ooh, I love a man who’s all growly.”
“This isn’t funny.”
She sobers, swinging her arms around my neck. “I know, but you have nothing to worry about. You’re the one I want.”
Hearing that, it’s like music to my ears. We both made it pretty clear, right after that first night in the barn, that this wasn’t a one-time thing. “Manhattan?”
She looks up at me under her lashes. “Yeah, Lawless.”
“I don’t want you to go back to the city. Will you stay? Even if it means movin’ out so you have some space. Livin’ together is a lot, I mean, I’m a lot, and once you get to know me, you may not like the man I am—-”
She places a finger over my mouth. “Now who’s babbling?” she teases. “And for the record, I’ve no intention of going back to New York, not now. I want to see where us goes. It may be a little complicated, but I like you, Zane. All those traits everyone warned me about? I love them.”
I stare at her. “Y-you do?”
She nods. “I do.”
“You love them?”
“I-I don’t want you to run away. I’m scared I’ll come on too strong, that’s what my ex said to me once… he said it was my fault because I pushed him into it. He felt ‘smothered’.”
Now it’s my turn to place my finger over her mouth. “I’m not gonna run away. Let’s never speak his name ever again, got me? You’re the sweetest, kindest, funniest woman I’ve ever met, Sadie Summers, maybe I fell in love with you the second I saw you in The Dusty Spur.”
Her lips part as she gasps. “Y-you did?”
I close my eyes and take a breath. “I did.”
“Do you love me?”
“If I admit that, will you be the one runnin’ down that mountain?”
She shakes her head. “No, because I love you, Z. I know this is kinda soon, but I’ve never felt this way about anyone, and it’s not just because you’re a hot mountain man-ax wielding-bearded-lumberjack who’s also my boss, which is kind of forbidden and hot all at the same time—”
I shut her up with my mouth, kissing her roughly until she parts her lips and lets my tongue find hers. I lift her, loving how fucking light she is in my arms. “I love you too, Sadie.”
Before I know it, we’re inside, her ass on the kitchen counter as I cup her face and kiss her like I’m a starving man, and maybe I am.
“Midday sex? This is so much more fun than being in the office dealing with your grumpy ass,” she chides, pulling at the cord on my sweatpants. She palms my dick, and I groan.
“Haven’t you heard?” My heart rate accelerates as I palm her tits through her sweater. “Apparently I’m not as much of a grouch since meetin’ you.”
“That’s because we have sex every single day,” she reminds me. “That’s gotta do something for your stress levels.”
“Let’s see if I can make you shake as much as I did that first night in the barn.”
“That will go down as a top contender in the sex bank that lives rent free in my memory. You’ve got a lot to live up to, Lawless.”
“You’re far too intelligent for me,” I mutter, kissing her neck as I peel her sweater off and pull it over her head. She helps, following suit with her top, unclipping her bra. “I just listen to all the clever things you say and my dick is hard.”
“Such a romantic,” she sighs. She slides her hand into my sweats and cups my dick, her eyebrows raised. “No underwear? Mr. Lawless, that is very naughty indeed.”
“Yeah? Well, you’re not so nice yourself with that potty mouth you get when I’m inside you.”
“I can’t help your big ass dick practically touches my tonsils now, can I?”
I wince at that thought, nipping her chin as I reach back to her tits and pull on her nipples as she sighs, fondling me as my eyes roll into the back of my head.
“Fuck, baby.”
“I’m staying,” she whispers. “I want you, Z. I want this, in Alpine Falls, if you’ll have me?”
“Never heard such sweeter words.” I pause my ministrations. “Or do you just want me for my big dick?”
She laughs, shaking her head. “Do you really think your big dick outweighs His Royal Grouchiness, I don’t think so. You’re better after your third cup of coffee.”
I grin, rubbing my nose against hers. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” I rip her ski pants down, letting them dangle at her ankles along with her underwear, palming her pussy as I part her lips.
“So wet,” I mutter. “Did this sweaty mountain man get you all worked up?”
“You’ve no idea how ridiculously hot you are, do you?”
I smirk. “As long as you think so, I’m good with that.”
I slide a finger inside as she groans, enjoying her reaction. Adding another finger, I let her adjust before I get inside her. I’m a mountain man, yes, but I’m not a brute when it comes to her pleasure.
“Well, you do love me, after all.”
“Don’t let it go to your head.” I tease her clit with my thumb, and she gasps, looking down at my hand working her over.
“Oh, Z.”
“That’s it, Manhattan, eyes on me when I make you come.”
“Z, I need you inside me.”
I finger her and brush her clit over and over; a move I know drives her over the edge. “Be patient, Princess, we’ll get to that.”
Her breathing accelerates, and her cheeks start to turn that delicious crimson I love so much, then she’s leaning back on her hands, thrusting her tits at me as I suckle on one nipple, and she comes all over my hand.
“Fuck,” I mutter.
“Z,” she cries, still enjoying the after maths as I pull my fingers out and slide them into my mouth.
I groan, then tap her lips with my fingers. “Open, see how fuckin’ delicious you taste.”
She does as I say, as I line my dick up at her entrance with my spare hand. “Do it,” she mutters, sucking my fingers.
We’ve had sex without a condom, but Sadie is on the pill. I love the idea that my cum is deep inside her. One day, maybe we will have a family together if that’s what she wants. But right now, I’m all about pleasing my girl.
I nudge my dick, sliding into her wet pussy as she moans around my fingers. I settle deep inside her, my fingers still down her throat as she blinks at me. “You’re so beautiful,” I tell her. “Look at you, takin’ me and my fingers that I just had inside this sweet little pussy.”
She groans at my words as I pull my cock out, along with my fingers in her mouth, then slide them both back in again. She jolts when our hips meet. I remove my fingers, replacing them with my tongue as I fuck her. I don’t waste any time. She’s the one who instigated this, she can take me.
“Oh, god,” she moans.
“You wanted your lumberjack, boss, mountain man, here he is.”
She thrusts those glorious tits at me again as I cup them, her legs tightening around my waist. I don’t let up, and we settle into a rhythm that I know is gonna have me coming in record time. But I can’t help it. I need her like I need air.
“Zane!” she pleads. “Oh, god, right there, right there, yes!”
I could watch her come all day long. Those pretty eyes close as her mouth freezes on a long, drawn out ‘O’ and I’m pumping harder, faster.
“I’ll make round two last longer,” I promise. I squeeze her tits together as our eyes lock. “I love you, Sadie Summers.”
She moves one arm, her hand placing over my heart. “I love you, too, Zane Lawless.”
That’s all I need as I grunt, picking up the pace, and she falls apart just as I spurt hot lashes of cum inside her, groaning her name on each and every pulse.
We’re both spent and panting, neither one letting go of the other. Then she laughs.
I bump my hips. “What’s so funny?”
“I just came home to make you a sandwich for lunch. I should stop by unexpectedly more often.”
I love the way she says home.
“I fucking love you.”
“Right back at you,” she giggles. “My grumpy mountain man.”