Page 5 of Emergency with the Mountain Man (Silver Ridge Mountain Men #1)

five

Norma

Jake's cabin sits on five acres of forested land at the end of a gravel road, tucked into the trees like it grew there naturally. It's exactly what I'd expected—solid log construction, wide front porch, stone chimney releasing a curl of smoke into the evening sky.

What I didn't expect is how right it feels to be here with him.

"It's beautiful," I say as he helps me down from his truck. "How long have you lived here?"

"Built it myself when I moved to Silver Ridge. Took me two years of weekends, but I wanted something that felt like home."

Home. The word carries weight coming from Jake, who understands what it means to start over, to build something new from the foundation up.

The interior is warm and masculine without being cluttered. Handcrafted furniture, bookshelves lined with forestry journals and classic novels, a stone fireplace that dominates the living room. Everything speaks of a man who values quality over quantity, craftsmanship over convenience.

"Drink?" he asks, suddenly seeming as nervous as I feel. "I've got wine, beer, coffee..."

"Wine sounds good."

He disappears into the kitchen, giving me a chance to explore his space.

Family photos on the mantel show a younger Jake with a man who must be his father—same dark hair, same warm smile.

Books about sustainable forestry practices fill one shelf, while another holds an eclectic mix of fiction and outdoor adventure stories.

"My dad and me at my college graduation," Jake says, appearing beside me with two glasses of red wine. "Last photo we took together before he died."

"You look happy."

"I was. Had just gotten my forestry degree, I thought I was going to change the world. Took me a few years to realize the world doesn't always want to be changed."

"But you found a way to make a difference anyway."

"Small differences. Local differences. Sometimes that's enough."

We settle on his couch, the fire crackling in the hearth and wine warming my empty stomach. The emergency feels like it happened days ago instead of hours ago, but I can still feel the adrenaline aftermath in my shaky hands.

"How are you doing?" Jake asks, studying my face with concern. "Today was intense."

"I'm okay. Better than okay, actually." I take a sip of wine, organizing my thoughts. "For the past year, Sebastian had me convinced I was a mediocre veterinarian who only succeeded because of his connections and guidance. Today reminded me who I really am."

"Which is?"

"Someone who can handle a crisis. Someone who makes good decisions under pressure. Someone who actually knows what she's doing."

Jake's smile is proud and warm. "That's exactly who you are. I'm glad you're starting to see it again."

"It's because of you." The admission feels vulnerable, important. "The way you look at me, talk to me, trust me with things that matter. You make me feel capable again."

"You were always capable, Norma. I just see what was already there."

Maybe he's right. Maybe the competent, confident woman who saved Robbie's life was always inside me, just buried under a year of gaslighting and self-doubt.

"Can I ask you something?" I set down my wine glass and turn to face him fully. "Earlier, you said you were falling in love with me. Did you mean it?"

"Every word."

"Even though we've only known each other two weeks?"

"Especially because of that." Jake sets down his own glass and reaches for my hands.

"I've dated plenty of women, Norma. Nice women, attractive women, women I enjoyed spending time with.

But I've never met anyone who made me want to rearrange my entire life around the possibility of making them happy.

Never met anyone who felt like coming home. "

"Is that what I feel like?"

"You feel like everything I didn't know I was looking for. Like the missing piece that makes everything else make sense."

The intensity in his voice, the certainty in his eyes, takes my breath away. "I feel the same way. Like I've been holding my breath for a year, and suddenly I can breathe again."

"Does that scare you?"

"Terrifies me," I admit. "But not enough to run away. Not anymore."

Jake's thumb traces across my knuckles, and the simple touch sends heat spiraling through my body. "What do you need from me, Norma? To feel safe, to feel sure?"

"Just be yourself. Be the man who shows up in emergencies, who sees the best in people, who makes me feel like I'm worth fighting for."

"You are worth fighting for. Worth everything."

When he kisses me this time, it's different from our careful explorations over the past week. This kiss is claiming, demanding, full of the passion we've been holding back. I kiss him back with equal fervor, months of loneliness and self-doubt dissolving under the heat of his mouth.

"Bedroom?" I whisper when we break apart, both breathing hard.

He stands and pulls me to my feet, leading me down a short hallway to a room dominated by a king-sized bed built from the same rich wood as his dining table.

"Come here," he says softly, pulling me into his arms.

I go willingly, rising on my toes to meet his kiss. His hands slide into my hair, angling my head for deeper access, and I can feel his heart racing against my chest.

I pull his shirt off. The sight of his bare chest—broad and muscled and dusted with dark hair—makes my mouth go dry. I run my hands over his warm skin, marveling at the reality of finally being able to touch him freely.

"God, you're beautiful," he murmurs, returning the favor by slowly lifting my shirt over my head. His eyes darken as he takes in the sight of me in just my bra and jeans. "Perfect."

"Not perfect," I correct, suddenly self-conscious about the small imperfections Sebastian used to poke at.

"Perfect," Jake repeats firmly, hands framing my face. "To me, you're absolutely perfect."

The conviction in his voice banishes my insecurities. This is Jake, who sees my worth even when I can't, who makes me feel beautiful and desired and treasured.

When we're finally naked, he lays me back against the soft sheets and just looks at me, his expression full of awe and desire and something deeper.

"I love you," he says simply. "Everything about you. Your strength, your compassion, your incredible mind. The way you make me want to be a better man."

"You're already the best man I've ever known."

"Then let me show you how much you mean to me."

His mouth trails fire down my throat, across my collarbone, to my breasts. When his lips close around my nipple, I arch off the bed with a cry of pleasure that seems to drive him wild.

"So beautiful," he groans against my skin. "So perfect for me."

His hands map every inch of my body with thorough attention, finding sensitive spots I didn't know existed. When his fingers slide between my legs, I'm already wet and ready for him.

"Jake," I gasp, my hips lifting to meet his touch. "Please."

"Tell me what you need," he says, thumb circling the bundle of nerves that makes me see stars.

"You. Inside me. Now."

"Not yet," he murmurs, his mouth replacing his fingers. "I want to taste you first."

The first touch of his tongue makes me cry out, my hands fisting in his dark hair as pleasure rockets through me. He explores me with devastating thoroughness, alternating between gentle and demanding until I'm sobbing his name and trembling on the edge.

"That's it," he encourages against my sensitive flesh. "Let go for me, Norma. I want to feel you come apart."

When my climax hits, it's with an intensity that surprises me, waves of sensation radiating outward from where his mouth works magic. I'm vaguely aware of calling his name, of my body arching off the bed as pleasure consumes every nerve ending.

"Beautiful," he murmurs, pressing soft kisses to my inner thighs as I come down from the high. "You're so beautiful when you come."

I reach for him, needing him closer, needing more. "I want you inside me," I whisper. "Now."

Jake’s eyes flare with heat as he moves back up my body. He positions himself at my entrance, eyes never leaving mine as he slowly presses forward. The stretch is exquisite, a perfect burn that speaks of his considerable size. I've never felt so full, so completely claimed.

"Fuck," he breathes when he's fully seated. "You feel incredible."

He begins to move, setting a rhythm that's both tender and demanding. Each thrust hits perfectly, sending sparks of pleasure through my nerve endings. The way he looks at me makes this feel like more than just sex. It feels like finding who I was meant to be with.

"More," I beg, lifting my hips to meet his movements. "Harder."

His groan is pure male satisfaction as he complies, driving into me with new intensity. The sound of our bodies joining fills the room along with our increasingly desperate breathing.

"You feel so good," I gasp, nails digging into his shoulders. "So perfect."

"Tell me what you need," he commands, one hand sliding between us.

"Touch me," I beg. "Make me come again."

His fingers find my most sensitive spot, circling my clit with perfect pressure as he continues to thrust. The dual stimulation quickly has me spiraling toward another peak.

"That's it," he encourages. "Come for me, Norma. Come on my cock."

His words push me over the edge, my second climax even more intense than the first. My inner muscles clench around him rhythmically, drawing his own release from him with a groan as he spills his seed deep inside of me.

He collapses beside me, pulling me against his chest as we both struggle to catch our breath. His heart pounds beneath my ear, strong and steady.

We lie in comfortable silence, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on my bare shoulder. Outside, the wind whispers through the pines, but inside, wrapped in Jake's arms, I feel safer than I have in months.

"Stay," he murmurs into my hair. "Don't go home tonight."

"I was hoping you'd ask."

"Good. Because I'm not nearly done with you yet."

His hands slide down to cup my bottom, and I can feel him hardening again beneath me. The night is young, and we have weeks of careful restraint to make up for.

But more than that, we have a future to explore, a love to build, a life to create together in this mountain town that's become home for both of us.