Page 9

CHAPTER

EIGHT

EVEREST

The woods are quiet, holding their breath, as if they know something is different now.

Something important. Sierra is beside me in the front seat, her fingers loosely tangled with mine.

The warmth of her skin against mine is the only proof I need that this is real. She’s here. She chose to come back.

I glance over at her. The sunlight kisses her cheekbones, sets her hair aglow, and something inside me clenches with a kind of awe I can’t describe. She’s not just beautiful—she’s luminous. There’s peace in her expression, but also something that stirs me deeper. Strength. Softness. Resilience.

For a long moment, I don’t say anything. I just breathe her in. The curve of her mouth. The way her chest rises and falls with slow, steady breaths. The slight furrow in her brow like she’s thinking hard about something but doesn’t want to say it yet.

Finally, she speaks.

“Are you mad at me?” she asks, her voice soft. “For lying?”

I glance over at her, taking in the way her face is half-turned toward the window, like she can’t quite bear to meet my eyes.

“I guess you didn’t really lie. You just should have told me who you were from the start.

I felt… used. Like everything we had was built on a false start.

It was more disappointing because so many people come up here and all they want is my land.

I thought I finally had someone who came up here for me. ”

She nods slowly, eyes downcast, bracing for something worse. But I’m not done.

“But then I remembered something,” I continue. “You never asked me to sell. Not once. You didn’t even bring it up. You could’ve come here like all the others—pushy, polished, with some too-good-to-be-true offer—but you didn’t.”

She finally looks at me. There’s hope in her eyes, but it’s fragile.

“I didn’t,” she whispers. “I couldn’t. Once I saw you, I didn’t care about the project… I only cared about you.”

“And that’s how I knew,” I say. “That the woman sitting across from me, telling me about her mom and how pancakes make her feel safe—that was the real you. That was the part I fell for.”

Her lips part like she wants to say something, but I reach over and take her hand, threading my fingers through hers.

“I can’t be mad at you for having a job,” I add. “Hell, your job is what brought you to me in the first place. If things had gone how you planned, you wouldn’t still be here. You are more than your job.”

“I’m here because I want to be,” she says. “Not because of work. Not because of the resort. Because of you.”

That hits me like a warm shot of whiskey—burning, deep, but good.

I bring her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles, slow and steady.

“Well,” I murmur, “then I guess we’re both exactly where we’re supposed to be.”

I reach over and slide my palm along her thigh, anchoring myself to her. “You belong to me now,” I say, my voice low, rough with truth. Not a demand. Not even a declaration. Just the simple, undeniable fact of it.

She turns her head to look at me, her eyes deep and clear and steady. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she whispers.

And I feel it then—this overwhelming wave of something fierce and tender all at once. It rocks me harder than anything I’ve ever known. All those years I thought I needed to be alone, to protect what was mine by shutting everyone out…

They mean nothing now. She’s changed everything.

I lean over the center console and kiss her, slow and deep. My hand slides up to cup the side of her neck, thumb brushing the edge of her jaw as her lips move with mine. She sighs into the kiss, melting like she was always meant to be here, always meant to fit into my life, my world, my arms.

We pull up to the cabin and I kiss her again, this time with more heat, more urgency, and she responds with the same fire. I taste everything she’s offering—her surrender, her trust, her affection—and I give her mine in return.

When I pull back, her eyes are glazed and a little dazed. Her cheeks flushed. Her smile soft and real. I want to memorize every part of her in this moment—the sound of her breath, the way she’s looking at me like I’m the one who hung the stars.

“Let’s go inside,” I murmur.

She nods without hesitation.

We step out of the truck, the air still warm with the last light of day, the scent of pine and earth grounding me in the moment. I walk around to her side and take her hand again, needing the feel of her, needing to make sure she doesn’t disappear.

Together, we walk up the wooden steps to the cabin, our footsteps slow, unhurried. There’s no rush now. Just us.

As I open the door and lead her inside, something in my chest loosens. I’ve spent years building these walls—real and emotional—and now, for the first time, I want to tear them all down.

Because she’s not just stepping into my house. She’s moving into my life. And I’m never letting her walk back out.

We step inside and it’s only seconds before I turn to face her, my heart full of love and my groin full of lust. "I've been thinking about this all day," I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

I step closer to her and my hands cup her face.

I lean in, my lips capture her in a deep kiss.

Our tongues dance, exploring each other's mouths.

Tasting her is electric. Our tongues clash in a fierce ensemble. I capture her lower lip between my teeth, biting gently before soothing the sting with my tongue.

Her hands pull at my shirt, her nails scraping against my skin. I groan, capturing her wrists in one hand and pinning them above her head.

"You're mine now, Sierra," I say, my voice rough.

Sierra's eyes flash. "Then take me, Everest. Make me yours."

I move my hands to roam her body, my fingers tracing the outline of her breasts through her shirt.

She moans into my mouth, her hands gripping my waist, pulling me closer.

I lift her shirt, my hands trailing over her skin.

My broad fingers move along her ribcage.

I unhook her bra and my fingers roll her nipples between my thumb and forefinger.

She gasps and her back arches her body into mine.

"You like that, don't you?" I whisper, my lips trailing down her neck.

She nods, her eyes close, and her breath coming in short gasps.

I take her nipple into my mouth, my tongue swirling around the hardened bud.

She moans again, her fingers wrap around my hair, gently pulling on the strands.

It takes everything I have not to throw her to the floor right then and there and destroy her perfectly tight cunt with deep, unbridled thrusts.

My hands slide down her body, unbuttoning her jeans. I push them down, my eyes lingering on her lacy panties. How did she know to wear these? They’re driving me wild and she’s lucky I don’t rip them off.

I hook my fingers into her waistband, reluctantly pulling them down gently, revealing her wet slit. I kneel in front of her, my tongue licking her slit. She cries out, her hands gripping my hair tighter.

My tongue flicks out, licking her from bottom to top. She cries out, her hips pressing against my mouth. I find her clit, circling it with my tongue before sucking on it in my mouth.

Sierra's moans filled the room. "Fuck, Everest. You're so good at that."

I smile against her lips, my tongue continuing its assault. Sierra's body begins to tense

"I'm close, Everest. So close," she pants.

I looked up, my eyes meeting hers. “Cum for me, Sierra. I want to taste you when you do."

Her eyes roll back, her body convulses as she cums. I lap up her juices, my cock throbbing in anticipation.

I stand up, she looks at me. "I want you inside me," she says, her voice desperate. I smile, my fingers find her clit, rubbing it in slow circles. She squirms, her hips thrusting against my hand.

Her perfectly shaved center drips her sweet juices down my fingers and she’s clearly ready to take me.

I lift her up, her legs wrap around my waist. I carry her to the bedroom, laying her down on the bed. I climb on top of her, my cock poised at her entrance. She looks into my eyes as I push inside her, and her tight pussy grips my throbbing cock. I moan, my hips pushing against her.

I’m the first man to conquer this peak and it turns me on knowing that I own her. That her pussy will be perfectly molded to me, and only me.

"You're so tight," I groan, my hips moving in slow thrusts. "You feel so good."

“You’re so big,” she whispers, her nails digging into my back.

I lose control and start pushing deeper, my hips slamming into hers.

I’m going to make Sierra feel every inch that she begs for.

She cries out, her body arching against mine.

I reach down, my fingers finding her clit, rubbing it in time with my thrusts.

I can feel her walls stretch with every push inside. I have her legs pinned open and I’m enjoying her sweet, wet center. It’s almost more than I can bear. And if I didn’t have my own ego to worry about, I would explode inside of her right here and now.

"Yes, yes, yes," she begs, her body tensing. Her pussy clenches around me, her orgasm ripping through her. I groan, my own orgasm following hers. My seed rips into her and I collapse on top of her.

I pull out, my cock covered in her juices.

"Fuck, you're beautiful when you cum,” I say, my voice hoarse. This woman has worked me up and I don’t know if I can ever calm myself down with her tight little ass around me.

She smiles, her chest heaving. I crawl up her body, my cock resting on her stomach.

She reaches down, her fingers wrapping around my cock, her hand moving in slow strokes.

"I want to taste you," She says, her eyes on my cock. I nod, my cock begins twitching in her hand. She sits up, her mouth capturing the head of my manhood. I groan and my hands grip her hair. I shouldn’t be able to do this. I shouldn’t be able to get hard right after exploding inside of her.

But my body is drawn to her in a way I have never felt with another woman.

For her, I feel like I could do anything.

She takes me deep in her mouth, her tongue swirling around my shaft. I feel feel the head of my cock pushing its way down her throat. I throw my head back, my body tensing as she continues to suck on me.

My body is shaking. "I'm gonna cum,” I warn. She looks up at me. My cock pulses in her mouth. But she dutifully swallows every drop, her eyes never leaving mine.

I pull her up, my mouth capturing hers in a deep kiss. Our bodies pressed together, our breaths mingling. "That was amazing," I whisper, my fingers tracing the line of her jaw.

She lays in my arms and begins to close her eyes.

“Oh no, Sierra,” I say. “This night has only just begun.