7. Sienna
7
SIENNA
I wake up the next morning to the sound of birdsong. I stare at the ceiling for a few minutes, breathing slowly as I take in the peace and quiet. In the city, I’m used to waking up to a morning chorus of car horns—I’ve never heard the birds sing so loudly and sweetly before.
With a stretch and a yawn, I get out of bed and hop in the shower before pulling on a clean dress from my suitcase. My heart thuds with the anticipation of seeing Chase. I missed him last night when I was lying in bed. All I wanted was to go to his bedroom and curl up with him, feeling those strong arms tightening around me, pulling me close. Luckily, I was so exhausted from all the work we did yesterday, that I fell asleep before my longing became unbearable.
I’m breathing hard as I walk into the living room, expecting to see Chase sitting by the fire. But the room is empty. No Chase and no Moose either.
I’m about to go check his bedroom when I catch sight of a note on the table and hurry over to read it.
Good morning,
I’m at your cabin. Wanted to get some work done.
See you soon.
- Grumpy Forest Man
I smile at the note and head into the kitchen, warming up the leftover cherry pie for breakfast. I halve it, plate it up, and carry it outside.
It’s a crisp, sunny morning, and the air is so fresh that it feels like my lungs are being cleared out as I walk through the forest. I can see why Chase loves living out here. It feels magical to be strolling through the trees, the sun filtering through the leaves and making them shine like emeralds.
I hear Chase before I see him: the repetitive thud of a hammer banging nails into wood.
“Good morning,” I call, peering in through the front door of the cabin.
Chase is kneeling on the floor, hammering down a floorboard. His biceps bulge from his short-sleeved flannel shirt, and I watch a little breathlessly as he slams in another nail with ease before looking up at me.
God, those eyes.
They’re so vividly green. So intense.
“Morning,” he says in that growly voice. “You hungry? I can make us breakfast.”
“No, I’m good. I brought us the cherry pie to eat.”
His lips tug into a small smile as he straightens up to his full height, towering over me. My mouth goes dry as I look up at him. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to his size. He’s more giant than man.
“Cherry pie for breakfast?” He takes one of the plates from me. “You’re turning into a real Cherry Hollow girl.”
I beam at him. “Thanks.”
For some reason, the thought of being a Cherry Hollow girl makes me feel warm inside.
“How’d you sleep in the guestroom?” he asks as we tuck into the deliciously sweet pie while Moose darts around us excitably.
“Like a log. I was so tired after yesterday. What about you?”
Chase frowns. “Not so great. I was restless. Got up before dawn, so figured I might as well get some work done.”
My pulse flutters.
Could he have been restless because of me?
Immediately I think back to what he said last night, the way his voice rumbled with authority when he told me, “You’re perfect as you are. Your curves are sexy as hell, Sienna.” The memory makes me shiver. I’ve always struggled to feel desirable, but when Chase said that, I knew he meant it. I could see it in his eyes.
“Well,” I say, shaking off my thoughts, “it looks like you got a lot done.”
Chase nods. “The roof is fixed. Once the floorboards are down, I’ll get started on the attic.”
“I’ll finish the floorboards.”
I take the hammer from him.
“You don’t have to help,” Chase says. “You worked really damn hard yesterday—you can rest if you want.”
I wave off his suggestion. “Of course I’m helping! This is my mess. I should be offering you a rest day, not the other way around.”
“You sure?”
I tilt my chin up defiantly. “I’m sure.”
He smirks. “Okay then, city girl. Let’s get to work.”
We work our butts off all day. I finish cutting and laying the floorboards at ground level while Chase reinforces the walls. We work together in the attic. Chase adds supports so the ceiling won’t give way again, and we tear up the rotten wood, replacing it with honey-colored boards the same color as Chase’s cabin.
“You’re lucky,” he says as he helps me position another floorboard. “This place has good bones. All the joists and beams are rock solid—it’s just the boards that are rotten.”
He’s on his knees beside me, so close I can feel the warmth radiating off his body. He’s barely broken a sweat all day, while I’m drenched and panting.
“You want to take a break?” he asks for the thousandth time as I nail the board down.
“Nope. I got this.”
Chase looks at me, his eyes warm. “I know you do. You’re crushing it, Sienna. It’s impressive as hell.”
I beam at his praise, but the distraction makes me swing the hammer down a little too close to my finger, catching the tip. I let out a hiss of breath.
“Shit,” Chase mutters. “Let me look at that.”
He gently grabs my hand, raising my finger up to his face.
“It’s okay, I only caught it a little.”
My skin tingles as Chase inspects my finger. His hands are rough and calloused, but his touch is gentle as he cups my hand like it’s a baby bird.
“I’ll go get some ice,” he says, frowning with concern.
“No, I’m okay. Honestly, it barely touched my finger.”
He’s still holding my hand. We’re so close our sides are touching—the two of us kneeling on the floor up in this abandoned attic, miles away from anybody. If I were braver, I’d kiss him. God knows I want to. But I’m too scared of rejection. If I kissed him and he pulled away from me, I don’t think I could take it.
“Let’s call it a day,” I say as Chase releases my finger. “It’s getting dark.”
He grunts his assent and straightens up before helping me to my feet.
The forest is quiet and shadowy as we step out of my cabin and head back to Chase’s. The air between us is charged, crackling with tension as we reach his front porch. It was only the slightest touch, but my hand is still burning from where he held it. Even my skin is craving this man.
It’s a balmy evening, so Chase makes skewered kebabs and we cook them outside over the open firepit, sitting together on a large picnic blanket. We talk about the cabin and all the repairs left to do, but all I can think about is how much I want to kiss this big grumpy lumberjack. The tension builds all through dinner, growing palpable with every look, every silence.
“You ever been camping, city girl?” Chase asks once we’ve finished our kebabs.
The sky is darkening fast, the jumping firelight illuminating his handsome face.
“No, never.” I shrug. “Can’t exactly go camping in Denver.”
He nods, like this was the answer he expected. “Wait there.”
I watch as he heads into his cabin and comes out a few moments later holding several packets. When he sits down, I see what they are: marshmallows, graham crackers, and a giant slab of Hershey’s.
“S’mores,” he says, his eyes twinkling when he sees the smile on my face.
“I’ve never had a s’more before! Is that crazy?”
I watch as Chase opens the marshmallows and skewers one for each of us. “You’re gonna love them.”
We melt the marshmallows over the fire until they’re golden brown and gooey before sandwiching them between the graham crackers and chocolate. I take a bite, savoring the sweet, marshmallowy goodness.
“Amazing,” I say, miming a chef’s kiss. “I can’t believe it’s taken me twenty-three years to try these.”
Chase laughs. “Glad you like them.”
His eyes linger on me, trailing down to my mouth, and my breath catches as he reaches his hand out. The pad of his thumb brushes my cheek, making me shiver.
“You had a little chocolate,” he explains, his voice deep and throaty.
“Th-thanks.”
We stare at each other, the heat of the fire caressing our skin like soft kisses. Warmth is spreading through my body, blooming between my thighs, and I squeeze them together, trying to ease the ache.
“Fuck,” Chase murmurs so quietly I can barely hear him. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are, Sienna?”
I don’t reply. No words will come. My heart pounds in my ears as Chase inches closer, his gaze boring into me. Then, with a deep growl of surrender, he takes my face in his hands and crushes his lips to mine.
The world dissolves. Nothing matters but Chase, his beard rough against my chin, our mouths frenzied and desperate. He sucks on my bottom lip, making me shiver as his hands grab the back of my head and pull me closer to him. Blood is pumping through me, every nerve buzzing inside me as all the tension finally bubbles to the surface, overflowing between us. I throw my arms around his neck and deepen the kiss, moaning as he slips his warm tongue inside my mouth.
He tastes raw and masculine, but I can still taste chocolate on his tongue as he slides it against mine.
God, yes.
There’s something deliciously primal about the way he invades my mouth, and red-hot desire pulses inside me, my pussy throbbing with need. I want him to fill more than just my mouth. I want him inside me. I need him.
“Come here,” Chase groans between kisses, pulling me onto his lap. I straddle him, my legs wrapping around his hips, our chests pressing together. My nipples pucker as Chase cups one of my breasts, rubbing the swollen nub over the fabric of my dress. I shudder, moaning against his mouth as he sucks my bottom lip hard, still teasing my sensitive nipple.
I can feel his cock swelling between us, straining against his jeans. It pokes against my core, thick and hard, making me moan despite all the layers between us.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since the minute I saw you,” Chase says, panting a little as he pulls back to look at me. His eyes are dancing in the firelight, glazed with lust as he looks at me, and instinctively I bear down on his lap, pushing myself against his cock.
“I wanted it too,” I say, relishing the look of need on his face. “So badly.”
“Fuck.” He lets out a hiss of breath before reaching down to grab my ass, moving me against him, grinding me roughly against his cock. “You feel that? That’s what you do to me, Sienna.”
I suck in a breath, my eyes rolling back as my clit rubs against his lap. It feels so good. My panties are slick with desire, my core aching. I’ve never felt like this before—like my body has totally taken over. All my reasons for resisting Chase melt away as he kisses my neck, groping my tits as I keep on grinding against him. I’m panting hard, my pussy starting to throb as my orgasm blooms.
“Oh!” I gasp. “Yes!”
“Fuck, come for me beautiful.”
The friction is too much. I hold on to Chase, my arms tight around his giant shoulders as I come for him, moaning deeply. But now I’m even hornier than before, wetter and achier.
“Good girl,” Chase growls, his gaze hungry as he looks at me. “You’re so pretty when you come. You better be ready to do it again.”
I nod eagerly as he lifts me off his lap and lays me down on the picnic blanket. The fire is still blazing beside us, the air warm against my bare legs as Chase kneels beside me and starts to lift up my dress. I help him pull it up over my head, and for the first time since we kissed, I feel a flicker of nerves. Nobody has ever seen my body before.
Will he still like my curves when I’m naked?
I try to swallow my fear as Chase reaches for my bra, but he hesitates when he sees the look on my face.
“Are you okay, sugar?”
I press my lips together. “Nobody’s ever seen me like this before. I’m a little nervous.”
Chase bends down to kiss me softly, pulling away with a feral glint in his eyes. “You’re beautiful, Sienna. Your curves are so fucking sexy—I love everything about your body.”
I glow at his words, my nerves calming slightly. “Thank you, Chase. You don’t need to stop…I want it. I want you so badly.”
He presses another kiss on my lips, his hands trailing down my body as he murmurs, “I’ll give you what you want, sugar. I’ll give it to you until you’re screaming for more.”