Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
J uniper
I stretch under the thick quilt an hour later, my body feeling sinfully ravaged by the sexiest firefighter I’ve ever seen. I blink against the late morning light that slips through the curtains of his cabin. My body aches deliciously from the intensity of last night and this morning—Flint’s hands, his mouth, the way he took me apart and put me back together again. The man is relentless in all the best ways.
And now he’s on the phone, talking in that low, gruff and gravelled tone of his. I slip out of bed, padding barefoot down the hall, stopping just outside the doorway when I hear my name.
“I know what you’re thinking, Barron,” Flint mutters. There’s the sound of coffee being poured, the scrape of a chair across the hardwood floor. “But Juniper isn’t just some passing thing. She’s…” He pauses, like he’s searching for the words. My stomach tightens. “She’s different. Unlike anyone I’ve ever met.”
I swallow hard, my pulse skipping.
Barron Steele. My cousin in Copper Mountain.
Flint’s talking to him, convincing him to trust him with me. I press my hand against the wall for balance, my heart hammering as I listen to the rough edges of his voice.
“All I want is to take care of her,” he says simply. No hesitation. No doubt.
And just like that, something in me shifts.
I’m not used to feeling… cherished. Protected. Like I belong to someone in a way that isn’t suffocating or demanding, but freeing. Safe.
Flint Warner is dangerous in all the ways I never expected. He’s changed me in just the few days we’ve known each other, and the terrifying thing is—I want him to.
I glance around his kitchen, needing to move, to do something to calm the chaos in my chest. My eyes land on a bag of cocoa powder, a carton of heavy cream.
Baking.
Yeah. That’s what I need right now.
I slip the apron off its hook in the pantry, tying it around my waist, and then busy myself with gathering ingredients, determined to make something sweet for later—chocolate mousse cake, one of my favorites. I have no idea what our future looks like, but if I can spoil him even a little, I will.
I’m whipping the cream when I feel him behind me—heat radiating from his body, his presence filling every inch of the space before he even touches me.
Then he does.
Strong, calloused hands settle on my hips, pulling me back into his solid chest. His mouth grazes the curve of my neck, lips warm and teasing as his breath fans across my skin.
“You eavesdropping on me, woman?”
I shiver, barely suppressing a smile. “Maybe.”
His hands slide lower, gripping the tops of my thighs. “And?”
I shrug, dipping my finger into the rich chocolate batter. “You like me.”
His chest vibrates with a deep chuckle. “That a problem?”
I turn in his arms, lifting my chocolate-covered finger to my lips, but before I can taste it, Flint’s hand wraps around my wrist.
His eyes darken. “Not so fast.”
Oh.
Slowly, deliberately, he pulls my hand to his mouth, tongue flicking out to taste the chocolate from my fingertip. His gaze never leaves mine, the sheer dominance in his expression making my knees weak.
“Damn,” he mutters, licking the last of the chocolate away. “That’s good.”
My pulse thrums against my skin. “The mousse or me?”
He smirks. “Both.”
Heat pools low in my belly.
“You keep spoiling me like this, and I’m not letting you leave my sight,” he murmurs, leaning in.
I arch a brow. “Who says I’m leaving?”
That stops him. His jaw tics, his grip tightening on my waist.
“Say it again,” he demands, voice rough.
I trace a finger down the front of his shirt, over the hard ridges of muscle. “I’m not leaving.”
The air shifts, electricity crackling between us.
Then Flint moves.
His hands grip the counter behind me, caging me in as his mouth claims mine—deep, possessive, and scorching hot.
My fingers dig into his chest, a whimper slipping past my lips as he swallows me whole, his body pressing me back against the cool marble.
“Flint,” I gasp when he breaks away, trailing kisses down my neck.
He lifts me onto the counter with effortless strength, spreading my legs so he can step between them. His fingers skim beneath my shirt, rough palms sliding against my bare skin, making me shiver.
“I’ve been starving for you since the second I met you,” he growls, scraping his teeth against my throat. “And you waltz into my kitchen, making something sweet, looking like sin itself…I could taste you everyday and it wouldn’t be enough.”
I grin, breathless. “Figured you deserved a treat.”
His hands tighten on my hips. “Then let me have a taste.”
His mouth crashes against mine again, his kiss hot and consuming, and I know without a doubt—Flint isn’t just some mountain man passing through my life.
He is my life.
And I never want to leave his arms.
“I can’t wait to try a taste of your specialty.” He picks up a spoon, dragging it through the batter and teasing it at my lips. I shake my head, too nervous just waiting for him to taste it for the first time.
He plops it in his mouth, eyes closing as a sexy groan falls from his lips. “Incredible.”
He takes a few more bites before dropping his spoon and lifting me in his arms, cementing our lips so I can taste the honey and chocolate sweetness on his flesh.
We kiss with wild pleasure, his hands traveling my skin as he stands, his thick cock pressing into my hip as he backs us to the sofa. His fingers nudge under my waistband and sweep at my soaked core, eliciting a riot of feelings before desperate little moans fall on my lips.
“You taste way better than that dessert, sweet cheeks.” He pulls his hand from my pants and swipes the glistening arousal across my lips. And then his lips are on mine, tasting me and sharing the sexy sweetness of my arousal and my dessert on our lips.
It’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever felt–he’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever felt.
“I've been waiting for the right time to tell you this, but…I knew I could love you from the moment we met, then, after this week… if it's possible, I love you even more now.”
“Flint–” I whimper against his lips, “I love you too. You made me love you with all your protective, hero stuff.”
He laughs, kissing me again. “I’m so glad to hear I made such a lasting impression.” His kisses turn more dominant, greedier. “You don't know what it does to me to hear you say that.”
"I can hardly sleep at night. My mind races with thoughts of you," I confess as his hands wander across my sensitive body.
"Oh?" He sinks deeper into the pillows. "Tell me what was keeping you up all night."
His eyes twinkle mischievously as I hesitate. "Your hands, your mouth, on me..."
"Where?" He smirks as one of his hands finds the string of my apron hidden behind a pillow.
"Everywhere." I reply, feeling a rush of desire coursing through my body.
He raises an eyebrow and runs the apron string through his fingers. "I need more specific instructions than that."
He's flirting now, and it only adds to the heat building inside me. "Oral. I couldn't stop thinking about your tongue between my thighs all night."
With renewed determination, he flips me over on the couch with a smirk. "Is that right, little miss sweet cheeks?"
He taps at my cotton-covered pussy, his eyes turning predatory as he hovers over me, burying his nose in the center of my aroused core, inhaling deeply.
“This is fucking delicious,” he says, tapping my most private part again. I let out little moans as he strips me of my panties and covers my flesh with his mouth. He takes his time, slowly devouring me with deft precision. His fingers work my clitoris, the scratch of his beard on my hot flesh already enough to make me tremble.
When he slips one finger inside of me and hooks it, I lose my mind, falling over the edge into my first orgasm under his hands. I’m a shaking mess, vulnerable and desperate for more.
He crawls up my body, kissing me softly.
“I have a confession, I was up most of the night watching you sleep, you’re so intoxicating,” he breathes against my center before slowly sliding his tongue between my thighs. I moan in pleasure, my body arching towards him. “This needy pussy is so ready for me.”
Flint pulls away for a moment, teasing me with his tongue before diving back in. My hands tangle in his hair as he works me into a frenzy, pushing one finger inside me and then another. Desire courses through my veins as he continues to drive me wild with his mouth and fingers.
I want him inside of me again, but I also want to taste him. I tug on his hair, signaling for him to come up to me. He crawls up my body and kisses me deeply, the taste of myself mixing with his own flavor. I hold onto him tightly, kissing him with all the passion I can muster.
He breaks away from our kiss, leaving me groaning in frustration. “Impatient, are we?” His eyes flick down to his rock hard dick, which he strokes a few times while watching me with a hungry gaze. “You’ve got me so hard, sweetheart.”
He crawls over me and grinds himself against my center, causing waves of pleasure to shoot through my body. I wrap my arms around him, digging my nails into his back as he teases me with the tip of his length. My legs lock around his waist, pulling him closer and urging him on. “Are you sure you can handle more?”
My eyes flicker up to his as he freezes above me.
"Yes," I whisper, arching my back into him.
"Say it," he teases, grinding his hips into mine.
"I'm ready for you," I continue, my fingernails digging into his back. “Always.”
"Ready for me to do what, my sweet, pretty girl?" He continues to taunt me.
"Ready for you to fuck me. Please fuck me, Flint." His rigid cock strokes my nerves as he attacks my mouth with a kiss.
He begins to thrust into me slowly, taking his time to make sure my body is relaxed and ready for him. I gasp into his mouth as he fills me in deeper and deeper strokes. My body quickly adjusts to him and he starts to ease in and out with more rhythm. He kisses and nibbles along my neck while his hands stroke my breasts down to my hips. Then he leans back and takes my calf in his hand, lifting it over his shoulder as we move together in deft strokes. I cry out in pleasure at this new angle, hitting a delicious spot.
"You feel so fucking tight," Flint groans as he thrusts in and out. "Your body is all snug and perfect for me. And you look so sexy laid out like this." He places another hand on my breast, squeezing as he fills me and I can't imagine anything feeling better.
His rocking speeds up, the muscles in his body tensing as his face contorts in beautiful abandon. His release rips through him in wave after wave while he holds me against him, trembling and shuddering. He pulls out of me and trails his hand down from my breast to my clit, pressing and massaging in circles. "Come for me, gorgeous."
My eyes meet his as he swirls figure-eights around my clitoris, bringing me closer and closer to orgasm. Suddenly, it rips through me, sending tingles from my toes to the top of my head. Flint groans and I feel his cock twitch at my side, more drops of cum leaking from the tip. His strokes slow and he gathers me into his arms lovingly. Our fingers intertwine in his hair, and my heart feels like it will burst from my chest as Flint lays his head on top of it.
As our breathing slows, we roll to the side and he curls around my body, holding me tightly in his embrace. I can hear his breathing deepen and he whispers, "Sweeter than cream."