Page 14 of My Wild Mountain Man (Summer in the Pines #15)

raven

. . .

I stretched my legs and yawned. The sugar high from the Ben that was a given. But there was maturity to him. Even if he was still wild in his own ways.

My wild mountain man , I thought to myself and shook my head.

The image of his bare back, his body on display by the waterfall that day a little over a week ago popped up in my head, and just like that, I felt warm.

I glanced down at myself. His love mark was still there.

He’d marked me. And like a weirdo, I freaking loved it.

God, I was a hopeless romantic. Not to mention the blind date with a book he’d picked up for me.

I stood, and just as I stretched my arms up in the air, my tank rode up my stomach.

I glanced at the reflection of myself and dropped my arms. White fitted tank top that didn’t hide my hard nipples and short-short pink satin sleep shorts with black lace trim.

My hair was loose and in waves. Messy and rumpled and cute.

I was never going to be the kind of woman who was a knockout bombshell. Not like Cora and Olive were.

A soft knock sounded at the door. The skin on my arms turned into gooseflesh at the sound.

It had to be one of my sisters. It wasn’t out of the norm that one of them stopped by after midnight.

The reminder made my shoulders slump. Another knock sounded, this time a little louder than before.

I could imagine Scarlett, Coral, and Olive on the other side, drunk off their butts, swaying from side to side.

They’d probably decided to head to karaoke night after all and knew I wouldn’t want to go.

I hadn’t had time to go to a new bookstore in town, much less some much-needed reading time.

When another knock sounded, I rolled my eyes with disappointment in my belly it more than likely wasn’t the man of my dreams showing up unexpected.

“I’m coming!” I shouted. Hurrying to the door, I turned the front porch light on. Without checking the peephole, I opened the door. “Geez, you guys—“ I didn’t say another word.

How could I when there he was?

His hand on the frame, he leaned in like the hero always did in one of my books. He was so tall, and I was barefoot as I stood at the door, staring up at him. We didn’t say a word for a moment. How long, I couldn’t tell you. I wasn’t capable of it.

All I could think about was the fact he’d shown up, obviously right after work.

“It’s officially Friday, pretty girl,” he finally spoke, breaking the silence. I smiled up at him.

“You’re here.” I licked my lips, leaning my body closer to him, enough to feel the warmth of his body heat pound against me and smell the scent of his cologne and whatever body wash he used that still lingered on his skin.

“Does that mean…” I let the words drift away.

I couldn’t let them out. Not because I was ashamed or even embarrassed but because I felt like I was so close to the edge I was ready to fall and trust that he’d catch me.

“Only if you’re sure, Raven,” he rasped, leaning closer, moving his head closer to mine. “Be sure, pretty girl,” he warned, his tone deep and scratchy and deliciously sinful. “Because the moment I kiss you again, I’m not going to stop. I’m not strong enough?—“

“Bullshit,” I called out, interrupting his sweet little moment.

Bash’s gaze narrowed. “You wouldn’t hurt me,” I clarified.

“I know you, Bash. If I said stop, you would. You wouldn’t even think twice,” I confidently pushed, and he swallowed.

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he leaned close enough to rest his forehead against mine.

“Baby,” he groaned like he was torn. Almost tortured.

“I’m sure,” I said softly, needing him to know. My hand rose from the center of his chest, stopping right above his heart.

“You feel that, Raven? You feel what you do to me?”

“Bash,” I whispered, licking my lips. I didn’t have a lick of makeup on, I was standing in front of him like a hot mess, but he looked at me like I was the most beautiful thing he’d seen in his life. Which was crazy, knowing all the places he’d traveled.

“It beats like this, like it’s trying to jump out of my chest so it can fall into your sweet little hands, baby girl,” he confessed. Hope wasn’t cautious inside of me anymore; it was full blown. Right or wrong, tonight was going to happen. We were going to happen.

“Please, come inside.” I needed us to be in a space where no one could see us. Where no one could judge just what I knew was inevitable. My hand moved from his heart up to his face, loving the slight scruff on his cheeks, wanting to feel his kisses on my skin all over again.

“Fuck,” he cursed, and suddenly, I was no longer standing in front of him. His hands moved to my waist. As if I weighed nothing, he picked me up, and my legs wrapped around his waist.

“Bash,” I breathed, holding on to his shoulders.

“I love how you say my name, Raven,” he growled, and I lost sight of him.

His lips crashed on mine, and it was like we were racing for some kind of finish line.

His kiss was deep and animalistic. Each deep guttural sound he made settled inside of me, feeding something inside of me I didn’t know I had.

I felt it as he moved. Shutting the door behind him.

I heard the clear click of the lock as his mouth pulled my bottom lip roughly, and I moaned.

My wild mountain man pressed me against the door itself, pulling back to look at me.

His eyes skimmed down my face to my neck, and I saw the moment he noticed the little love bite on my chest.

“This is going to make me sound like some barbaric fuck, but I love seeing my mark on you, pretty girl,” he rasped, his mouth finding mine once again.

He pulled us back and carried me through my small apartment. My hands ran through the back of his head, through the soft short strands, making me miss the longer locks I’d cut. He kicked open my bedroom door and walked us into the darkened space.

“Tell me to stop. Tell me you don’t want me, and this can stop right here.”

“I want you.”

“You’re going to be the death of me, pretty girl,” he groaned, slowly setting me down. He licked his lips, and I couldn’t help myself. I leaned forward, moving to the tips of my toes to kiss him.

Bash pulled me into him, flush up against his hard body. And oh my, was he hard everywhere! This time, the kiss was slower. Unrushed. His hands dropped to my bare shoulders. I moaned, loving the firm touch.

“You deserve a bed of roses.”

“Rose petals are overrated,” I mumbled, not bothering to end the kiss. I gasped when his talented mouth moved down to my jaw then my neck. Sparks tingled throughout my body, making it feel like I was lit from the inside out.

“Bash, please.”

“Fuck. I’m not going to take that sweet little cherry you saved for me tonight. Tomorrow.”

“But—“

“But nothing.” He pulled away. Tenderly holding my chin tipped up just enough for our eyes to connect. “Tonight, I’m going to make you come. I need to watch that again more than I need to breathe.”

“Bash—“

“I won’t lie to you. I want your body to get addicted to how good I can make you feel.” I nodded, totally on board with his plan. Hell, his mouth on my neck in the spot that drew sparks and warmth between my legs had me addicted already.

“Please,” I whispered. His eyes shut. When he opened them, my knees almost buckled at what I saw reflecting back at me.

Desire and lust were clear, but it was more than that.

Something darker. Headier. And he didn’t disappoint.

His thumb stroked the side of my neck, spreading the cool saliva of his mouth around.

“You’re going to need a safe word.”

“Pizza,” I said instantly, and his lips twitched.

“Pizza,” he repeated. “Anytime you need to stop, or something’s too much, you say pizza and we do.

We talk, work out what you didn’t like or what was too much.

Understood?” I loved the dominating tone in his voice.

I nodded, but he shook his head. “I need the words, Raven. I need to be clear that you get what’s happening. ”

“I understand. I say pizza if I need to stop or need a moment. If something’s too much.”