Chapter 5
FIVE
SOPHIE
The next night, unshed tears burn the backs of my eyes as I watch Winter and Slate glide over the dance floor in the center of a heart-shaped spotlight as a nod to their love and the holiday weekend.
If anyone in this world deserves to dance away happily ever after, it’s Winter.
Cliff silently slides into his sister’s empty chair next to me. Ever since our ax throwing lesson yesterday, I haven’t been able to think straight.
Everywhere I look, I think about him. Remember the spark that flowed through me when our arms brushed.
Furiously blinking my eyes, I straighten in my seat. “They look so happy.”
He nods and casually rests his arm across the back of my chair. It’s not exactly like he’s wrapped his arm around my shoulders. My spine still tingles at the closeness of his almost touch.
“You gave a nice speech earlier.”
He makes another grunt, and I can’t help but grin. Considering he communicates like a caveman most of the time, his toast was all the more impressive. He was always this quiet, but becoming a mountain man seems to have only escalated that.
Though he only spoke for a minute, the words he chose were effective. He talked about Winter’s big heart and her capacity for love. He talked about the way she made people her family, a point I know all too well.
By the time he said he was proud to be her brother, and that he was honored to stand in the place of their father, there wasn’t a dry eye in the audience.
But, it seems, he used up all of his words earlier.
Which makes it all the more surprising when he says, “What do you say?”
I cast him a sidelong glance. “About what?”
“Want to get out there?”
My eyes grow wide. “You want to dance?”
“Not particularly.”
“Then why—”
“You look like you’d like to dance. It’s Valentine’s Day, or close enough to it. It’s a time when people are supposed to slow dance.” He trails a finger lightly over my shoulder then. It’s like a dart straight to my stomach. “And I wouldn’t mind dancing with you.”
My belly does another flip. “Well, when you put it like that, okay then.”
“Okay then.”
“Did you just ask me to be your Valentine?”
He chuckles lightly, a sound that stirs my soul. I don’t get to bask in it for long.
Standing, he holds out his hand to me. I slide mine into his, and I’m immediately reminded of all the naughty dreams I had last night. Cliff and I haven’t spoken since, though we exchanged more than a few looks.
Including one as he was walking Winter down the aisle that had my cheeks flushing so hot, I was sure everyone knew what had happened.
Somehow, for reasons I can’t explain, it’s like something is pulling us together. And it’s not just my childhood crush on him.
Taking a deep breath in a poor effort to soothe my nerves, I slide my hand into his. His warm, rough palm rubs against mine. I shiver.
“Are you cold?” he asks.
I shake my head, allowing him to help me to my feet. “No.”
He smirks. “If you say so.”
Okay, so clearly he knows the effect he has on me. The question is, what are we going to do about the way the air practically snaps around us.
What do I want to do about it?
We join the others on the dance floor, who are already swaying to the music. With a move that’s way more smooth than I would have expected, he pulls me into his arms and we fall in step with the music.
As we move together, his hand on the small of my back and one of my hands cupping the muscles bunching at the bottom of his neck, it’s impossible for me not to think about what it would be like to feel even more of him.
To feel all of him.
Cliff nuzzles the side of my neck, but only for a second, so no one else can see it. “Would you want to get out of here?”
Need pools between my thighs instantly. I hope this means what I think it means. “And go where?”
“Upstairs.”
I clench my eyes shut, imagining how good it would feel to have my body pressed against his. To feel his touch on my skin.
To taste him with my own lips and tongue.
This is hardly the sort of thing a woman who is planning on starting a family should be doing.
Then again, maybe this is exactly the sort of thing a woman in my situation should do. It’s been a long time since I’ve been with a man. And, if everything goes as planned, it’s going to be a long time before I am again.
What would be the harm in having one night of passion with Cliff? I’ve always wondered what it would be like. And now is my chance.
No strings.
I nod and ease out of his arms. “Meet me in my room in five minutes.”
The sultry look he gives me is enough to have my knees shaking.
My heart is fluttering with excitement, and my whole body is trembling with anticipation five minutes later when Cliff knocks on my door.
I know this is crazy. But I can’t back down now.
Not when every fiber of my being seems to scream out for Cliff. And not when his body seems just as eager to respond.
I open the door and Cliff stalks inside. He pulls me into his arms and captures my mouth in a passionate kiss.
He barely closes the door behind us when Cliff pushes my back against it. I let out a gasp into his mouth, and his grip on my hips tightens while we pull ourselves as close to each other as we can get.
His beard scrapes against my skin, making it come even more to life. His mouth is on the side of my neck, kissing and sucking. My pulse races under his lips.
I can only stand the torture for so long before I tangle my fingers in his hair and tug his mouth back to mine.
It’s here I feel home.
His kisses are hot and urgent. Like the desire I’ve carried for him my entire adult life. And just like that, it shows no signs of stopping or slowing.
There’s only one way for it to go. Only one way I want it to go.
We only have tonight. Neither of us has said the words, but there seems to be an unspoken agreement that what we share tonight is it. We have to make it count.
I fully intend to.
His hard body presses against me, and I have to stand on my tiptoes to keep my lips on his. I moan and writhe against him, enjoying the firmness of his hard lines and broad shoulders. He was always fit before, but his years in the mountain have made him even more brawny.
I shove the jacket off and over his shoulders. With a quick tug, I pull the button up shirt out of his pants and slide my hands under.
He groans in my mouth as my palms flatten against his abs. He sucks in a breath and I gasp.
I can’t believe I get to touch him like this. I can’t believe this is happening.
And I want to have it all.
I push myself away from the door. Taking his hand, I guide him to the bed. His eyes are ablaze with passion, and it makes my insides quiver even more.
“Sit.”
He arches an eyebrow. “Am I a dog?”
“I don’t know.” I trace my hand down his chest. “You tell me.”
With a smirk, he drops to the bed.
Satisfied, I inch up the skirt of my bridesmaid dress so I can straddle his thighs. Shoving my fingers through his hair, I bring his mouth to mine as he presses the small of my back with his hand. I can feel his hard length pressing against me as my mouth opens to him.
Our breaths grow shorter and faster as our tongues meet. My hips instinctively grind on his. My breasts are pressed against his hard chest. The kiss grows deeper and more frantic.
I have never wanted—never needed—anything more than this man.
And if we’re only going to have this one night, I want to explore every inch of him.
Pulling back, I kick off my heels and stand on the side of the bed. He watches me through lowered lashes. His lips are slightly parted, and I can see he’s breathing harder.
It’s all the encouragement I need.
I flip the buttons open on his pants slowly, lowering them inch by inch until they reach the floor. His long, hard shaft presses against the black cotton of his boxer briefs.
I chew on the inside of my cheek, imagining how good it’s going to feel to have that inside of me.
Unable to resist, I cup him through the cotton. He groans and his eyelids flutter. “Fuck that feels good.”
It’s empowering and sexy to know I can make this man want me every bit as much as I want him.
“Wait till you see how this feels.”
I release my hold on him only long enough to pull down the boxer briefs. I grab hold of his cock again, whimpering at the warm smoothness of it against my palm. I pump him with my hand as I kneel on the bed. Keeping my eyes linked with his, I part my lips and take him into my mouth.
Cliff sucks in a breath, and I lick the salty pre-cum from the tip.
Lowering my head, I take more of him into my mouth.
“Sophie.” His fingers slide into my hair, pulling the pins out of it, until it falls in waves over my shoulder. “No one has ever looked more gorgeous.”
I hum in response to him, and the vibration sends him over another edge.
I suck and stroke. His breaths grow faster. I take as much of him into my mouth as I can. His thighs tighten, and I grip him, sucking him to the back of my throat as his cum shoots out.
I take in every inch of him as I can. Hungry for more. Hungry for all of it. Swirling my tongue around him, savoring his taste.
The sounds of his pleasure excite and entice me, urging me along. Guiding him toward release.
He shouts my name and pulses against me. Hot, salty liquid slides down my throat. I hold him in me until he’s given me all he can.
I watch as he takes deep breaths, still coming down from the pleasure I just gave him.
The dampness between my thighs grows. It’s a delicious feeling to be so in control of someone else’s pleasure.
And when his dark eyes open at last, the stormy gaze he gives tells me he’s going to return every bit I gave in full measure.