Chapter 6
HALE
Ididn't let the kiss end.
I deepened it instead, slow and deliberate, tasting the sweetness of her mouth while the cool evening wind moved through the pines around us. My hand slid from her jaw to the nape of her neck, holding her steady as every careful restraint I'd been carrying for weeks finally started to crack.
When she pulled back just enough to breathe my name—"Hale"—it sounded like permission and plea all at once.
I let her lead as she took my hand and walked backward, drawing me toward the thick ponderosa pine standing twenty yards from the overlook's edge. Our mouths met again and again between steps—hot, hungry kisses that made my blood roar.
As rough bark met her back, her fingers tugged at the hem of my long-sleeved shirt. She yanked it upward. I helped her, lifting my arms so she could strip it off and toss it aside.
Her hands moved straight to my jeans next—popping the button, dragging the zipper down with a soft metallic rasp that cut through the quiet dusk. Heat surged through me at the boldness of it.
"Mia—" I started, voice rough, trying to slow her down even as my body screamed for more.
She didn't hesitate. "I've always wanted to do this," she whispered, the words raw and honest.
Then she shoved my jeans and underwear down my hips in one determined push.
My cock sprang free, hard and aching, the cool air a sharp contrast to how hot I already felt.
She dropped to her knees right there on the pine-needle-covered ground, her cheeks flushed, eyes wide with a mix of nerves and want.
I was thick and heavy in front of her. She wrapped her small hand around the base, and the simple contact made my jaw clench. She leaned in, tentative at first, pressing a soft, open-mouthed kiss to the tip before sliding her lips over the head.
She was awkward, but that somehow made it hit harder. Her tongue explored uncertainly, sliding along the underside, then trying to take more. She hollowed her cheeks too hard at first, then eased up, her rhythm jerky and unpracticed.
A quiet, embarrassed sound escaped her when she gagged lightly on a deeper stroke, but she didn't pull away. She kept going, sucking and licking with sweet determination that undid me faster than any polished technique ever could.
My hand found her hair, not guiding, just resting there, fingers tightening gently as pleasure rolled through me in heavy waves.
Low groans tore from my chest with every swirl of her tongue.
My hips twitched forward in tiny, restrained movements despite myself, every muscle in my core clenching tight.
Even with her inexperience, the sight of Mia on her knees for me—mouth stretched around my cock, eyes glassy with concentration—was almost too much.
After a few minutes, I couldn't take any more without ending things too soon. I pulled back with a shaky exhale, my cock slipping from her lips with a wet sound. I nudged her gently to her feet, hands steady on her shoulders as I tried to catch my breath.
"Have you done any of this before?" I asked, my voice gravel-rough, searching her face in the dimming light.
She shook her head, cheeks burning crimson. "No."
The words landed like a punch—surprise, fierce protectiveness, and a raw surge of possessiveness slamming through me all at once. She was untouched. Mine in a way I hadn't expected. I stood there for a second, digesting it, my cock still throbbing between us.
Then her hand wrapped around me again, stroking slowly from base to tip, her grip warm and sure despite the tremble in her fingers.
"I want this, Hale," she said, voice steadier than I expected. "I'm safe. I'm on birth control."
That was all I needed to hear. Any last thread of hesitation snapped clean.
I bent down, snatched my discarded shirt from the ground, and shook it out before spreading it flat on a soft patch of grass right beside the tree. "Lay down," I told her, the words quiet but absolute.
She kicked off her tennis shoes first, then shrugged out of the light flannel jacket, letting it drop. Her top came next, followed by her jeans, until she stood in just her simple bra and panties. She peeled those off too, revealing smooth skin flushed pink, her nipples tight from the cool air.
Naked, she lowered herself onto my shirt and lay back, watching me with wide, trusting eyes.
I didn't rush. I removed my work boots, then shoved my jeans and underwear the rest of the way down, kicking them aside. Fully bare now, I moved over her, bracing on my forearms so my body hovered just above hers, close enough to feel the heat radiating from her skin.
I kissed her first—deep and thorough, my tongue stroking hers until she arched up into me with a soft whimper. Then I began working my way down. Lips brushing her jaw, her throat, the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder.
I lingered at her breasts, sucking one tight nipple into my mouth while my hand kneaded the other, drawing a shattered moan from her. Lower still, my mouth traced the curve of her ribs, her stomach, until I settled between her spread thighs.
My gaze lifted to hers as I slid one thick finger through her slick folds and pushed slowly inside. She was soaked—hot and drenched—and the groan that tore from my throat was pure, raw satisfaction.
"Fuck, Mia," I rasped, eyes locked on her face as I curled my finger, stroking that sensitive spot inside her. "So wet for me."
She gasped, hips twitching. I watched every flutter of her lashes, every parting of her lips. I added a second finger only after the first had her panting, stretching her gently while my thumb brushed near her clit.
Then my mouth found her—slow, deliberate strokes of my tongue circling her clit, flicking, then sucking gently while my fingers kept their steady rhythm.
The wet, obscene sounds of my mouth and fingers filled the quiet air, mingling with her broken moans and the distant rustle of wind through the pines.
Her thighs trembled against my shoulders. One of her hands fisted in my hair, the other gripping the grass beside the shirt.
Her body felt alive beneath me—soft skin flushed hot, muscles tightening and releasing in waves as pleasure built. I drew it out, slow and relentless, watching her face the entire time—the way her brows drew together, the way her lips fell open on a silent cry…
Finally, she came—back arching hard off the ground, a sharp, beautiful cry breaking from her throat as her walls clenched rhythmically around my fingers.
I didn't stop, licking her gently through every pulsing wave, savoring the way she shook and gasped until the last tremor finally faded and she went limp beneath me.
When she was still catching her breath, I moved up her body, positioning myself between her legs. The thick head of my cock nudged her slick entrance, and I was ready to sink into her.
She stopped me with a hand on my chest, breathing hard, eyes bright with need. "Wait."
I met her gaze, my own body coiled tight with restraint. "What is it?"
"I want you to fuck me against the tree," she whispered.
A deep groan rumbled out of me, raw and helpless. "Jesus, Mia."
But suddenly, I couldn't think of anything I wanted more.