Page 4 of Mountain Man’s Bonfire Beauty (Wildwood Valley Harvest #5)

PARKER

I ’ve never wanted anything more in my life.

The moment the words left my lips, my heart hammered so hard, I was sure he could hear it—each frantic beat echoing between us like a drum. The night air was cool against my flushed cheeks, the scent of pine and distant rain clinging to the breeze, but inside, I burned.

His dark eyes searched mine, intense and unreadable, before he finally exhaled—a rough, shuddering breath that sent warmth cascading down my spine. “God, Parker.”

His voice was low, graveled with need. The sound did things to me.

His hands came up to cradle my face, calloused thumbs brushing my cheeks. Then his mouth was on mine, hot and demanding, and every coherent thought scattered.

His kiss was nothing like the tentative ones I’d experienced before.

This was hunger, pure and raw. I whimpered, gripping his shirt as his tongue slid against mine, sending heat spiraling low in my stomach.

The sound of our ragged breaths filled the space between us, mingling with the rustle of fabric as he tugged me closer.

He pulled back just enough to say, “Tell me to stop, and I stop. No questions.”

I shook my head, my voice barely a whisper. “Don’t stop.”

A growl rumbled in his chest before he kissed me again, deeper this time, his hands sliding down to my waist. He held me flush against him, and I gasped as the hard length of him pressed against my thigh.

My eyes widened— Jesus —I could feel him, thick and straining against his jeans, and the knowledge that I did that, that I made him this way, sent a thrill straight to my core.

His hands roamed lower, gripping my hips and sliding me even closer to him on the tailgate. The metal was chilly beneath my thighs, the sharp contrast to his heat making me shiver. He settled in between my legs, his mouth trailing down my neck, teeth scraping lightly over my pulse.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he muttered, his breath hot against my skin.

I arched into him, my fingers tangling in his hair as his lips blazed a path along my collarbone. His hands slid under the hem of my shirt, rough palms skimming my ribs, and I gasped at the sensation—the way his touch burned even as it soothed.

“Cold?” he asked, his voice rough.

“No.” I sounded breathless to my own ears. “Just—nervous.”

He stilled, pulling back to search my face. “We don’t have to?—”

“I want to.” I tugged him closer, my fingers trembling against his chest. “I just…don’t know what I’m doing.”

A slow, wicked grin curved his lips. “Good thing I do.” Then his hands were on the button of my shorts, his eyes locked on mine as he slid it through the hole. “Tell me if anything’s too much.”

I nodded, my breath hitching as he slid my shorts down my thighs, his fingers brushing my bare skin. The night air kissed my exposed flesh, but the heat in his gaze was enough to set me on fire.

His hands gripped my waist, pulling me to the edge of the tailgate before dropping to his knees in front of me. My pulse skyrocketed.

“Ayden—”

“Trust me?” His voice was rough, his breath warm against my inner thigh.

“Yes.”

His mouth found the sensitive skin just above the lace of my panties, and I gasped. Then his fingers hooked into the fabric, dragging them down and off, and his tongue— oh, God —his tongue flicked against me, slow and deliberate. My back arched as pleasure shot through me, sharp and sweet.

“You taste fucking perfect,” he groaned, his hands gripping my thighs, holding me open as he licked into me.

My fingers twisted in his hair, my hips rocking against his mouth as he worked me with lips and tongue, each stroke sending me higher. The wet, sinful sounds between us sent heat flooding my cheeks, but I couldn’t bring myself to care—not when he was murmuring filthy praise against my skin.

“Ayden, I?—”

My words dissolved into a moan as his fingers joined his mouth, curling inside me in a way that made my entire body tighten.

“Come for me,” he said, his voice rough.

And I did. With a cry, I came, my thighs trembling around his shoulders as pleasure crashed over me in waves. He didn’t let up, drawing out every last shudder until I was limp, gasping.

Before I could recover, he surged up, capturing my mouth in a searing kiss, letting me taste myself on his lips. His hands fumbled with his belt, the clink of the buckle loud in the quiet night, his breathing ragged.

“Oh, fuck,” he said, pausing. “I don’t have?—”

“Protection?” I interrupted. “I’m on birth control.

Relief settled over his face as he gave a nod. “Still sure?”

I nodded, reaching for him. “Yes. Please.”

He groaned, pressing his forehead to mine as he guided himself to my entrance. “Tell me if it hurts.”

Then he was pushing in, slow and steady, and I bit my lip at the unfamiliar stretch. His jaw clenched, his entire body trembling with restraint. “Fuck, Parker—you feel?—”

I wrapped my legs around his hips, pulling him deeper, and I sucked in a breath at the pain. He started to pull out, but I held him there. Just deep enough for him to feel, but not so deep that it hurt worse than it already did.

His thrusts started slow, but soon grew harder, faster, his hips slamming against mine with each desperate stroke.

He didn’t go too deep, but it was enough to threaten to drive him to the edge, I could tell.

Finally, he moved his hand between us, his thumb finding my clit as he flicked it, his gaze holding mine.

The combination of sensations had me forgetting about the pain as pleasure took over.

The tailgate creaked beneath us, the sound lost beneath our mingled moans. His hands gripped my hips hard enough to bruise, his mouth claiming mine in a kiss that was almost brutal in its intensity.

Finally, he broke the kiss and growled, “Look at me.”

I forced my eyes open, meeting his darkened gaze as he drove into me, each movement sending sparks through my veins. The pleasure built again, coiling tight in my core, and I clutched at his shoulders, nails digging in.

“Come with me,” I begged.

His rhythm faltered, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “Fuck—Parker?—”

Then he was spilling inside me, his groan muffled against my neck as my own climax crashed over me, white-hot and overwhelming. For a long moment, we stayed like that—his forehead pressed to mine, our breaths mingling, hearts pounding in sync.

Finally, he pulled back just enough to brush his lips over mine, soft and lingering. “Okay?”

I smiled, running my fingers through his hair. “Better than okay.”

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to my temple before helping me down from the tailgate. The night air was cooler now, but I didn’t care—not when his arms wrapped around me, holding me close.

And for the first time in my life, I didn’t feel the urge to run.