Chapter 22 - Amber
The sun shone down, peeking through the clouds and warming the earth where it peered through an autumn canopy.
“Come on,” Amber called, twisting to look behind her at Cillian, who trudged a few steps behind. “You’re so slow.”
He raised an eyebrow, smirking as they continued their ascent up the trail. “Maybe I’m just enjoying the view,” he said. His eyes flicked down to her ass, then back up, that smirk growing wider, making him even more attractive than usual. “And it’s a great view.”
She clicked her tongue. “Behave,” she teased, though she couldn’t keep her own smirk off her face.
He shrugged. “I’m just saying it’s nice. There aren’t many views I’d rather have right now.”
Rolling her eyes, she turned and continued hiking up the mountain. She inhaled the autumn smells of the forest, the crisp air that heralded the coming winter. A slight breeze swept through the trees, and she zipped up her lightweight jacket as she moved.
Over the last few months, she and Cillian had settled into a comfortable rhythm, as if they had done it their entire lives.
One of her favorite parts of their new routine was these Saturday adventures, though lately they had both been so busy that it had been several weeks since they’d had the chance to do much of anything.
It had taken some time, but they had managed to root out the remnants of the Night Pack.
The pack had returned to normal, as had all the surrounding ones, now that Eric’s crew had been more or less ousted from the area.
Camden had sent out word to the nearby alphas that they needed to be on the lookout for the stragglers, but it was obvious to him and the rest of the Silverrose pack that the Night Pack was disbanded for good this time. There was no one left to rebuild it.
Amber’s mind drifted over this for a moment.
Her nightmares had vanished. She wasn’t sure if that was because Eric was dead, because she had finally stood up to him, or because she fell asleep every night next to Cillian, whose presence seemed to chase away all bad dreams. She wasn’t sure it even mattered in the end.
Things were finally going right for her for the first time in her life. For the moment, that was enough.
So she let herself bask in one of the few warm days left of the year and enjoy the hike.
They trudged through the woods in companionable silence, letting the birdsong and rustling leaves carry the conversation for them.
Eventually, they came to a grassy overlook, one with a view that stretched for miles.
The forest below them was a mix of gold, red, and orange, picturesque beneath the sky.
Amber stared out, savoring the sight. Behind her, she heard Cillian shuffling around.
She knew he was fiddling with the basket that they had carried up the mountain.
Sure enough, when she turned around, there was a blanket spread across the ground, and Cillian was pulling out a bottle of wine from the basket. He glanced up at her and smiled.
“Thirsty?” he asked.
She smirked. “Parched.” She collapsed onto the soft blanket, sighing and lying down to stare up at the sky. “It’s gorgeous,” she muttered. “I’m glad we finally got out. It’s been too long.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry,” he said, coming to sit next to her. “I know things have been busy.”
She shrugged. “That’s what happens when you have to eradicate an entire terrorist organization,” she said.
“Besides, the nursery has been swamped all summer, anyway. Now that it’s fall, things should finally begin to die down there.
We might even get the chance to do this sort of thing some more.
You know, for the next couple of weeks when it’s actually viable. ”
Cillian chuckled, coming to sit next to her. He pulled two plastic cups from the basket and poured wine into them. “At the moment, I’ll take a little bit of time with you,” he said, handing her one.
His hand brushed against hers for the briefest of moments.
Their eyes met, and she didn’t miss the hunger there.
Her heart stuttered, and she bit her lip, betraying her thoughts and wants.
She saw the flash in Cillian’s eyes, and she knew that he could tell exactly what was going through her mind. He smirked.
His hand went to her thigh.
“Hmm …” She tilted her head, leaning into his touch, heat beginning to ripple through her. “And what exactly do you plan on doing with that time?”
“I think you know,” he growled.
His hand slowly inched up her leg, his fingers sliding toward her inner leg. His grip tightened, and the heat between them only smoldered and intensified. Her breath hitched.
His smirk deepened. “And don’t tell me that you aren’t thinking the exact same thing.”
Her lip twitched upward. “I won’t.”
She pulled him toward her and kissed him. It started as a light peck, but the second their lips touched, it turned into something deeper. He pulled her closer, the hand on her thigh gripping tighter.
A burning need for him rippled through her.
Biting her lip, she tugged off his shirt and threw it to the side.
Her hands ran along his bare torso, tracing the lines there, the scars.
He watched her, unmoving, the desire in his eyes unmistakable.
His fingers went to the hem of her shirt, their tips brushing against her waist, pushing their way beneath the fabric.
Warm air with the slight cool of autumn brushed against Amber’s stomach as Cillian shoved her shirt over her head. He tossed it to the side before unclasping her bra. His hands roamed over her, lingering on her breasts, one thumb flicking against a hardened nipple.
Hungry and impatient, she tugged off his shirt and pushed him to the ground.
With a smirk, she straddled him, drinking him in, a hungry need for him rippling through her.
His own hands slipped to her waist, his thumbs stroking her hips.
She bent forward, pressing her lips to his once more, relishing the taste of him.
She slid down, her fingers trailing down his stomach, until she straddled his knees.
Slowly, she unbuttoned his jeans and slid them down.
His cock sprang up, already erect before she had even started tugging down his boxers.
Her hand caressed his shaft, thumb brushing along the tip.
She watched his face, the way his eyes flickered with pleasure.
Then she began stroking, slowly, rhythmically, her attention locked on his face, his minute reactions.
“You’re really good at that,” he groaned after a moment.
She gave a wicked grin. “Am I?” she purred. Without stopping, she leaned forward again, her lips brushing against his for the briefest of moments before sliding toward his ear. “Let me show you what else I can do.”
She bent her head and took him in her mouth.
He let out a low groan, the sound only exciting her more.
She glanced up at him and smirked around his cock.
Her tongue ran along the head. She began stroking him in earnest, her mouth moving in time with her hand.
She savored the taste of him, the tang of sweat from their hike only complementing it.
Her own need began to swell, and her fingers slipped between her thighs and found her clit.
At some point, his hand went to her head, holding her in place.
His fingers tangled in her hair. She could sense him nearing the edge.
Just as his body began to tense, she slowed.
She glanced up at him and smirked, dragging her tongue along his shaft before straightening.
His eyes burned, both with lust and annoyance.
“I don’t want it to end too quickly,” she said.
“Oh, you tease,” he snarled. He tugged her up toward him and then flipped them over so he was on top.
Moving deftly, he pulled off her shirt, then unclasped her bra, tossing both into the grass.
One hand pinned hers above her head. He drank her in, his eyes raking along her bare torso.
His fingers ran along her side, their tips sending shivers radiating through her.
Heat settled below her stomach, and she bit her lip, that need for him growing.
His hand slid between her thighs, circling her slit, teasing her. She squirmed, reaching out to grab his fingers and guide them inside her. He snatched her wrists and pinned them over her head, keeping her locked in place.
“Don’t you try and tell me what to do here,” he growled. One of his fingers slipped inside her as he spoke, and she twitched, her breath hitching. A second finger joined the first, and she moaned. “I’ll have whatever fun I want with you.”
He thrust his fingers in and out of her, keeping her pressed against the earth while she writhed at the sensation, her need for him nearly overwhelming now. She squirmed beneath him, wanting more. When she opened her eyes, she saw him watching her with an amused hunger.
“Do you want more?” he asked.
She nodded. Without giving herself time to prepare, his fingers vanished, replaced by his cock as he thrust into her.
She screamed, but the sound was muffled by his mouth pressing against hers.
He began pumping in and out of her, his lips smothering her moans.
The heat between her thighs built, slowly at first, then faster, nearly reaching a crescendo.
She gasped, her body tensing, preparing to crest that edge into bliss.
Right before she reached oblivion, he slowed. Then, after a moment, he pulled out. He smirked as she glowered at him.
“You tease,” she said.
“Two can play at that game,” he fired back with that triumphant smirk. “I don’t want it to end too quickly, either.”
He flipped her over and jerked her onto all fours. A moment later, he slammed into her. She let out a cry, her back arching, her toes curling. She squirmed, but he held her in place.
He thrust in and out, each pump sending new shivers of delight and need radiating through her.
Her fingers tightened on the blanket as she felt herself nearing the edge.
Her breathing grew ragged, and her mind began to go deliciously blank.
She wanted this to last as long as possible, but she knew it wouldn’t be long before she came.
Still, she tried to hold on, enjoying every sensation.
Then Cillian’s hand slipped around toward her stomach, sliding down.
One finger began toying with her clit while he continued pumping inside her, not breaking stride or missing a stroke.
She bit her lip, still trying to soak in that growing heat, that delicious need for release.
Her hips grinded against his, and her back began to arch.
She could feel herself beginning to plummet, beginning to sink into that oblivion.
With another two thrusts, she shattered, letting out a scream as blissful release swam over her.
She rode the wave for as long as possible, even when he slipped out of her.
For a moment, she thought he was taking a break, but he was only turning her back around and pushing her back to the ground before sliding into her once more, her orgasm barely done.
She reached up toward him, but he grabbed her hands and pushed them overhead once more.
He kept going, continuing to toy with her.
She tried to writhe out of his grasp, but her wrists remained locked over her head, and he refused to let them go.
Her mouth opened to plead with him to stop, to give her a moment to collect her thoughts again, but his lips slammed against hers, smothering the sound, his tongue slipping inside her mouth as he claimed her, still unrelenting in his motions.
She moaned, her mind blank. The only thing she could think about was that bliss still washing over her, melding with the heat already building once more. Her protests died in her throat.
It took almost no time at all for her to climax again. This time, the sensation was even stronger, consuming her whole. Her scream was louder, and this time Cillian didn’t try to muffle the sound. It carried through the clearing.
Moments later, she felt Cillian finish inside her. His thrusts finally slowed, and he released her wrists.
He slid out of her and lay next to her on the blanket, staring up at the cloudy sky. His fingers stroked her waist as she nuzzled against him.
“You’re incredible, did you know that?” he asked, seemingly out of nowhere.
“I do.” She twisted so she was looking at him and smirked. “But I still love hearing you say it.”
He chuckled and kissed her. “I’ll say it as many times as you want, then,” he said. “I love you.”
Her smirk turned into a warm smile. “I love you, too.”
They lay in companionable silence, staring up at the sky, watching the wind rustle through the leaves.
“This is what I’ve always wanted,” she said.
“Someone who would take you into the woods and have sex with you on a picnic blanket?” Cillian asked.
She swatted him as he started laughing. She grinned despite herself.
“Someone I could spend time with without having to worry about what to say or whether they were going to shout at me for something stupid,” she said. “Someone I felt safe around.”
He didn’t respond right away. His fingers caressed her bare back, running along her spine. Her back arched, responding to his touch once more.
“I’m glad you feel that way,” he finally said.
She laughed, twisting to look up at him.
“I mean, having sex in the middle of the woods on a blanket is definitely a nice perk,” she admitted.
She pressed her lips to his. The kiss lingered, Cillian’s hold on her tightening just a fraction.
She broke away, looking down into his handsome face.
“But I’d take you without it just the same. ”
His eyes sparked. He grabbed her by the hips and tugged her on top of him, her legs on either side of him. His hands rested on her waist.
“You’re incredible,” he muttered. “How did I get so lucky?”
She smirked, one hand running across his chest, the other tangling in his hair as she leaned forward. “You were at the right place at the right time,” she said, and bent down to kiss him.
This time, she didn’t break away. His grip on her tightened once more as he pulled her against him, pressing her body against his.
They spent the rest of the afternoon on top of the mountain, reveling in one of the final warm days of the year, lost in one another, their cares thrown to the wind. For as long as they were there, it was just the two of them, and neither would have it any other way.
*****
THE END