Page 44

Holding his stare captive, she pushed away from his chest enough that he could take her in—all of her.

With a heated, sweeping gaze across her bare breasts just aching for him to stroke them, suck them, he issued a low groan.

“I’m supposed to keep you safe, Meadow. Not accost you.”

She took his hand and placed it on her breast. “You did keep me safe. And I want to show you how thankful I am that you’re here.”

He tore his gaze from her but never moved he his hand. The warmth of his palm sank into her breast, raising even more heat in her core.

She didn’t just want Colton—she needed him.

Silence filled the cave, thick and warm and soft like a living being. It bound them even closer together, this experience. Just like the loss of Forest had, and Colton didn’t even know it.

She reached up, brushing her fingertips across his stubbled jaw. The bristle of his beard shot tingles through her. “The way I see it, you have two choices.”

He cocked a brow at her.

“Take what you want.”

He groaned. “Take you knowing that you will hate yourself for it later? And me too? Hell no, Meadow. You don’t know what you’re asking. Your first time should be on silk sheets sprinkled with rose petals with a prince—or at least a good man. The answer is no.”

She skimmed her fingertip to the corner of his mouth. His lips firmed even more. “Was that even a real no? It sounded like a seduction to me, all your talk about rose petals and silk sheets.”

He huffed out a noise of annoyance. “I am telling you no. It’s clearly a word you have not heard very often. And you will hate me.”

She shook her head. “No, Colton. You wouldn’t be wronging Forest’s memory either—he wanted me to save myself for someone who cared about me. That man is you.”

He jerked as if the words hit like bombs, slamming into him one by one.

“Goddammit, Meadow.” His voice rang with agony. “You’re right. I do care about you. Have since the day Forest showed me that photo of you in all your awkward teenage glory. In that minute, I became invested in you.”

She arched, bringing her breast against his palm. Her thumb swiped across his bottom lip, tugging the skin lightly. Beneath her ass, his cock grew harder.

Slowly, she moved in, inching her lips closer and closer to his hard ones even though she could see the warning in his eyes.

Hovering a breath away, she flicked her gaze up to his. “You can’t deny how much you want me. Not anymore.”

“Meadow.” Her name came out of his mouth like hot pain. “Don’t do this.”

Taking his hand, she moved it from her breast, down her stomach, toward the junction of her thighs. “I want you. Only you. Please.” She brushed her mouth across his. “Make me feel good.”

The words barely cleared her lips before he slammed his mouth over hers, plunging his tongue inside to stroke and torment and pull cries from her. Dark need spiraled through her system, blowing away the last of the chill.

In a swift move, he yanked her around to straddle him. Her wet pussy firmly shoved against the stiff length of his cock, and she couldn’t stop herself from rocking her hips.

Sharing a moan, their tongues tangled. She didn’t know how to love a man, please a man, but her body did.

She listened to it and hooked her arms around Colton’s neck, levering herself up and down as she rubbed her clit over the ridge of his flared cock.

“Oh god!”

Reaching between them, he found her pussy and ran a finger through her sticky wetness. She moaned and twitched her hips faster, urging him to touch the one spot that stole her mind by the pond. Only this time she didn’t want him to stop.

With one hand locked on her hip, he helped her to rise up on her knees higher. When he settled his finger at her soaked opening, he rasped, “Slide down my finger. Now, Meadow!”

A thrill hit her stomach as she obeyed his command. And oh god, it felt so good. His long digit sank deep into her pussy. Her inner walls clutched at it, and then he guided her up by the hip again.

In no time, they gained a rhythm. He watched her face as she took what pleasure he gave her. When she began to shudder, she stopped, breathing hard and fast.