Chapter Twelve
Chloe
They agreed she would look over his books the next day.
The sun is already on its way down, and she can’t believe she spent the whole day with Axel.
The breeze had picked up as they were packing up, and he took off his flannel and draped it around her shoulders.
She slipped it on and reveled in the masculine scent it held.
Woodsmoke and pine and spice. She wanted to roll around in it.
Giving her his flannel shirt left him in a tight black t-shirt.
She asked if he would be cold, but he assured her he ran hot.
He sure did, that’s for damn sure. She never had a man this attractive pay her any attention.
In New York City, there were always attractive men walking around, self-proclaimed models, and God’s gift to women.
But Axel’s still the most attractive person she’s ever seen.
Even more attractive since he is incredibly kind and looks at her like she’s special.
When they arrive back at the lodge, the sun is gone and the stables are lit up by warm lights.
He helps her down and sets her horse back in its stall.
She appreciates the way his hands don’t really linger on her when he helps her off the horse.
Don’t get her wrong, she would love for his hands to roam over her whole body.
But he touches her gently, reverently, and then removes his hands like he respects her greatly.
No man has ever touched her like that, and she loves it.
Chloe waits for him to finish putting the saddles away, figuring they can walk back to the lodge together. He surprises her by coming up quickly and quietly. His eyes lock on hers and search her face. She knows she’s smiling at him, and he smiles softly back at her.
“I had a lovely day with you, Chloe.”
“Me too,” she all but whispers her response, but she knows he heard her because of the way his smile gets a little bigger.
“I’d like to spend more time with you while you’re here.”
“I’d...I’d like that too.” Her face is getting red, and she hopes he can’t see from the stable light.
“Can I kiss you?” he asks. He is so earnest and kind in his request that she can’t help but lean towards him.
He cups her cheek softly and kisses her one, two, three times before he pulls back.
Gentle, chaste kisses that leave her wanting more.
She keeps her eyes closed, not wanting to break this wonderful moment.
When she opens her eyes, his large hand is still on her face, thumb sweeping backwards and forwards over her cheekbone.
She leans forward and kisses him again. His other arm slides around her waist, pulling her to him.
She’s on her tiptoes, and he leans down, the kiss is long and sweet.
No tongue, but more than chaste. She’s never been kissed like this, like she was precious.
He pulls back first and nuzzles her neck, breathing her in deeply like he can’t get enough.
She doesn’t want the moment to end. She wants him to keep kissing her under the moonlight.
To take off her clothes and lie her down in the soft grass.
But he kisses her one last time on the temple and takes her hand, pulling her towards the lodge.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he tells her inside the front of the lodge. He ushers her towards the dining room, and she watches him head towards the front desk, where Gunner is.
Danielle is in the dining room, already halfway done with her meal and playing on her phone.
“There you are! Have fun on your horseback ride?” she waggles her eyebrows at Chloe, and Chloe can’t help but roll her eyes as she sits down.
A plate of food is placed quickly in front of her by Mary Lou, and she thanks her before digging in.
“So? Come on, I want details.” Danielle has abandoned her phone and plate of food and is leaning towards Chloe with a sly smile on her face.
“It was...he was...amazing.” Chloe picks at her mashed potatoes with her fork, and she can't help the wide smile that splits her face. It really was amazing. “He’s so kind and gentle. He kissed me.” She blushes hard.
“I wish he had done more than just kiss me,” she admits.
There’s a crash from the kitchen, but both women turn quickly back to each other.
“And? How was it? Do you think this will go anywhere?” Danielle asks.
“Where can it go?” Chloe’s mood is immediately soured. “We’re leaving in ten days. What am I going to do? Have a long-distance relationship with a man I just met in Montana?”
Danielle stirs her tea slowly. “You could move here?”
Chloe scoffs, actually scoffs. “Are you serious? Move to Montana, to the middle of nowhere?”
Danielle shrugs and sips her tea. It was always like her to get wild ideas.
Chloe can’t even fathom it. If New York City winters are bad, what would Montana winters be like?
And what would she do, leave her life behind and move across the country for some man?
No, thank you, she’s not uprooting her life for some fling.
Her mood ruined, she eats quickly, cleaning her plate as she’s starving and the food is delicious, and goes back upstairs to her room.
She turns on her phone, checking for messages, but there are none.
She was hoping for something, anything, from work that would suggest she was needed or missed, but there’s nothing.
She burrows under the blankets and wonders what Axel is doing.
Probably taking care of lodge business. Danielle had opted to stay downstairs by the fire while Chloe pouted and went up to her room.
Axel said he wanted to spend more time with her while she was here.
Did he have feelings for Chloe, too? Did he want to fuck her?
She groans out in frustration. He’s so sexy.
Tall and built like a brick house. He could wrap her in his arms, and she would feel safe forever.
She wonders what he would be like in bed.
He was so gentle in kissing her, so sweet and caring.
Not rough and grinding into her. Not ready to take her right there in the stables.
No, he had asked if he could kiss her, gotten her permission, then kissed her like he cared for her.
Keeping his body close but not flush with hers.
She wonders if he had gotten hard the way she had gotten wet.
If he felt the arousal as much as she had.
Her hand drifts lower on her body. She feels the tightening in her stomach and squirms a little in the bed.
It has been so long since she touched herself.
Years really. She remembers her last lover asking that she touch herself while he watched, but besides that, it has been years since she masturbated, her vibrator untouched and probably out of batteries.
She slips her hand inside her pajamas and panties.
Feeling the soft hair there before she ventures further.
She should have touched him. Run her hands along his chest and arms, felt his muscles.
She could kick herself for leaving her hands at her sides.
She’s wet, almost soaking, as she slides her fingers into her folds.
It feels good, really good. She finds the swollen nub with her one hand while the other moves to her breast. What would it feel like if he touched her?
Would he know what to do? Could he make her come?
He had been so attentive with his kisses that she has no doubt he would want to pleasure her.
She rubs her fingers in circles. Pinching her nipple at the same time.
Sliding her hand all over her chest, up to the cheek he had caressed.
It’s been so long since she orgasmed, but she can feel the telltale signs building.
That warmth that blooms within her, the tingling of her spine.
Then she’s coming, moaning loudly and back bowing off the bed.
Pleasure shooting quickly through her. It’s not the best orgasm she’s ever had, but it’s a close second, and it was by herself without a lot of stimulation.
She wonders what it would be like with him.