Chapter 9
CHAPTER 9
CECE
I don’t know, Brit. It’s not that simple,” I say, pacing the worn floorboards of Dane’s living room.
My sister’s voice crackles through the phone, a mix of concern and exasperation. “Come on, Cece. You haven’t even been gone a week, and you’re what? Telling me you’re not coming home? This isn’t like you to up and change your whole life for some...vacation fling.”
I pause by the window, gazing out at the rugged beauty of King Mountain. This place is so different from the rest of my life, but I want it. I need it. Working with Dane and Waylon? My life finally has a purpose that hasn’t been dictated by my parents.
“It’s not a fling,” I insist, my voice stronger now. “And I’m not changing my whole life. I’m...embracing it.”
Britney sighs, the sound tinny through the connection. “Alright, spill. What’s so special about this place? And don’t tell me it’s the scenery.”
I take a deep breath, inhaling the crisp mountain air seeping through the open window. The scent of pine and wildflowers fills my lungs, grounding me. “It’s not just the place, Brit. It’s...there’s someone.”
“I knew it!” Britney’s triumphant crow makes me wince. “So, who is he?”
“His name is Dane,” I say, unable to keep the smile from my voice. Saying his name sends a warm flutter through my chest. “And he’s...different.”
“Different, how?”
I hesitate, searching for the right words to describe the man who’s turned my world upside down in the best possible way. “He’s genuine. Kind. Strong, but not in that macho way. He’s a little older. He understands me in a way no one ever has before. He sees me for me. He had no idea who our family was and treated me like a normal person. You wouldn’t believe how refreshing that is.”
“Sounds dreamy,” Britney teases, but I detect a note of genuine interest. “So, what’s the deal? You thinking of staying there longer?”
“I’m planning on staying, period,” I admit, my stomach fluttering with nerves and excitement. My future seems more certain now that I’ve said the words to my sister.
“Cece,” Britney finally says after a long pause, her voice gentle. “Are you sure about this? I mean, how well can you know this guy?”
“I know it sounds crazy,” I say, running a hand through my hair. “But Brit, when I’m with Dane, everything just...clicks. We share the same values, the same outlook on life. And the attraction between us...” I trail off, heat burning my cheeks as I remember our night together at Creek Ravine.
“Ooh, do tell.” Britney giggles, and I can’t help but laugh.
“Let’s just say it’s...intense,” I admit, remembering Dane’s hands on my skin, how I felt like I was falling into something deep, and that Dane was there to catch and protect me. “But it’s more than that. When I’m with him, I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I know it’s different from life at home, but it…it feels right.”
“Wow,” Britney says softly. “You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”
I nod, even though she can’t see me. “I am. Dane’s a big part of why I want to stay, but it’s not just about him. This place, these mountains...I can breathe here, really breathe, for the first time in my life.” I stop myself, not wanting to reveal what Waylon and the other men do up here.
“I get it,” Britney says, surprising me. “I mean, I don’t get it -get it, but I can hear it in your voice. You sound... happy. Really happy.”
“I am,” I whisper, a lump forming in my throat.
“Then I’m happy for you, sis,” Britney says warmly. “But be careful, okay? And call me if you need anything. You know I’m always here for you, even if I don’t understand your sudden desire to become a mountain woman.”
“I will,” I promise, laughing at her teasing. “Love you, Brit.”
“Love you too, weirdo.”
As I end the call, I see Dane standing in the doorway to the front porch, looking at me.
“Hey,” he calls, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine. “Everything okay with your sister?”
I step out onto the porch, drinking in the sight of him. The sun glints off his light hair, and his blue eyes crinkle at the corners as he smiles at me. He’s wearing a simple flannel shirt with well-worn jeans, and he looks like the most handsome man on the planet.
“Yeah, surprisingly, it is. Whether my parents will be is something I’ll work out another day.”
“Can I get you anything?” Dane asks, his voice low and intimate.
“You can get me into bed,” I tease, squeezing his ass.
“You saucy minx.” He grins and leads me back inside.
When we fall onto the bed, finally naked, I’m struck by how right this feels. Not only being naked with Dane but how an understanding of love clicks perfectly into place and makes sense.
Dane hovers over me, his eyes dark with desire and tenderness. “You’re sure about this? About me?” he asks huskily.
I trace my fingers over his cheek and the curve of his lips. “I’m more confident about you than I thought I could be about a man,” I assure him, pulling him down for another kiss.
His lips claim mine in a fierce kiss that rocks me to my core. I grip his shoulders, the heat from his strong body warming mine.
"I need you, now," I whisper against his lips. “I want to be on top.”
He pulls back, grinning as he moves beneath me. Our bodies shift, and suddenly, I'm straddling him, my hands roaming over his broad chest. His skin is warm beneath my touch, his muscles hard and solid. I run my fingers over the coarse hairs on his chest, feeling them tickle my palms.
"I've got you." His voice is husky as he grips my hips tightly.
I slide against him, teasing him as his cock twitches against my core. His breath catches in his throat as I move, a sound that makes me need him even more.
Dane slides his hands up my thighs, caressing my hips. His touch sends a current of desire across my skin, and I gasp as he captures my breasts in his hands. His thumbs circle my nipples, sending jolts of pleasure through me.
"God, you're beautiful," he murmurs, his voice husky. “So fucking beautiful.”
"And you," I pant, my voice shaky under the waves of pleasure his touch ignites, "are spectacular."
His blue eyes never leave my body as I move above him. The admiration in his gaze is overwhelming; adoration and intense desire that leaves me dizzy.
"I want to taste you," he says, a wild look entering his eyes.
His hands trail down my body until he reaches my core. He dips his fingers in slow and deliberate, making me moan with pleasure.
"Yes," I breathe. "Yes, Dane." I move my hips, encouraging him further.
His thumb circles my clit, and a jolt of pleasure shoots through me. I gasp, squeezing his chest and teasing his nipples with my fingertips.
"Like this?" he asks, a devilish glint in his eyes. With each movement of his fingers, he coaxes another whimper from my lips.
"That's... oh god... yes..." I can't string together coherent thoughts.
My body responds intuitively to his touch, my hips grinding into his hand. The heat within me builds and builds until I think I’m going to pass out.
I reach down and guide him into me, gasping as I glide down his thick shaft. I wiggle my hips, and we quickly find our rhythm.
Dane's breathing hitches as I ride him, his hands gripping tightly onto my hips. His heated gaze moves from mine to where we’re connected, a look of intense concentration and pleasure on his bearded face. I lean into him, resting my hands on his chest as I rock back and forth, each movement intensifying the pleasure growing inside me.
His eyes return to mine in the dim light, their intensity like nothing I’ve ever seen. “You’re so...” His voice breaks as I quicken my pace, a guttural growl escaping his lips. “Fuck. I’m not going to last much longer,” he moans.
“Me, neither,” I gasp, my body moving faster and faster as I take him deeper and deeper.
Dane grabs my hips and slams up into me. His thrusts come faster and deeper, matching my rhythm, meeting me as I grind harder on his thick cock. The room echoes with our breathless moans and the creaking bed.
"Let go, baby," he urges, his voice strained.
His fingers dig into my hips, his gaze never leaving mine. I bite my lip as I ride him harder, my climax building within me like a dam about to burst.
"Dane!" I scream his name as my orgasm crashes through me. My body spasms around him, convulsing in waves of pure ecstasy. Stars explode in front of my eyes, and everything else fades away except for Dane and the perfection of this love between us. He meets my cries with his own, his body shaking and bucking beneath mine.
Dane’s eyes roll back, and he groans my name, a low, guttural sound that sends another wave of pleasure coursing through me.
"Cece," he groans, pulling me down against his body as he thrusts into me fast and deep before his body stills and a grin spreads across his handsome face.
I collapse next to him in bed. We lie there catching our breath, unable to stop touching as we stroke each other.
“You are so perfect,” he murmurs, lightly nipping at my earlobe.
I shudder with pleasure and lean into him. “So are you.”
“I’m never letting you go, Cece. Never.” Dane’s voice wavers as he hugs me tightly, and our connection grows stronger.
Tears of joy fill my eyes. “I love you so much, Dane. So, so much.”
Thank you so much for reading “Rugged Courage” !