Page 11

"Take them off," she demands, fingers teasing the waistband of my jeans.

I obey, flipping her beneath me again, yanking off my boots and jeans in a single, desperate motion. She watches me with hooded eyes, and it's almost my undoing.

"Please, Elias, Don’t make me wait any longer," she pleas on a moan.

I roll on a condom, and position myself at her entrance, pausing for one endless heartbeat. This is it. The line I swore I'd never cross. The temptation I've denied for so long.

I thrust into her, a raw, powerful surge that fills her completely. She cries out, nails digging into my back, heels pressing into my ass, urging me deeper, harder. I move inside her, each stroke a claiming, relentless and consuming.

"Mine," I say, voice rough with possession, with adoration. "Mine, Riley."

"Yes," she gasps, meeting me thrust for thrust, eyes locked on mine. "Only yours."

The words break something in me, and I lose myself in her. It's wild, every movement, every sound, every breath steeped in tension and years of need. She takes me in, her pussy tight and hot around my cock, her cries wild and breathless.

I thrust faster, deeper, feeling her tighten around me, feeling that coil of pleasure building again. Her body is perfect, mine, claiming her as she claims me.

"Fuck, Riley," I groan, the words a rough promise. "I can't?—"

"Yes," she cries, urging me on, her fingers digging into my shoulders. "Elias, yes!"

I drive into her, feeling her shatter again, feeling her pussy pulse and contract around me, the sound of my name breaking on her lips. The sight of her, lost in pleasure, pushes me over the edge, and I spill into her with a final, primal thrust.

For a moment, the world narrows to nothing but her, the heat of her body, the echo of her cries, the perfect fit of her beneath me. Then we collapse together, tangled and breathless, the storm of our release still crackling in the air.

I roll us to the side, keeping her close, unwilling to break the connection. Her face is flushed, her eyes half-lidded, and pride surges through me at the sight of her, sated and soft.

"What have you done to me?" I murmur, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Riley lets out a contented sigh, her body relaxed and warm against mine. "Ruined you for anyone else," she says, a teasing note in her voice.

I chuckle, the sound rumbling deep in my chest. "That you did?"

She snuggles closer, her leg draping over mine. "Promise me something."

"Anything."

"Don't ever stop looking at me like that."

I tilt her chin up, letting her see everything in my eyes. "Never," I say, the word a vow, a commitment deeper than any restraint I've ever tried to hold. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't."

Her smile is slow and satisfied, and I capture it with my mouth, kissing her softly, thoroughly. When we finally break apart, her head rests on my chest, her fingers tracing lazy patterns over my skin.

"So," she says, feigning nonchalance as sleep starts to claim her. "Do you think the town will survive this scandal?"

"Not sure," I reply, a smile tugging at my lips. "But I know we will."

I hold her as she drifts off, my heart finally at peace. I'm on the verge of following her into dreams when my phone rings, the sound jarring in the quiet cabin. Carefully, trying not to wake Riley, I reach for it on the nightstand. Sawyer's name flashes on the screen.

"This better be important," I answer quietly, easing out of bed and moving to the hall to avoid disturbing Riley.

"It is," my brother's voice is grim. "Cooper's contesting the restraining order. His father's pulled some strings with Judge Harmon. They're claiming insufficient evidence and demanding a hearing."

Cold fury replaces the warmth of just moments before. "Insufficient... She has photos. Witnesses. Trail camera footage of him on my property with a gun."

"I know. It's bullshit," Sawyer agrees. "But the Coopers have been major donors to the judge's reelection campaign. He's giving them a hearing."

"When?"

"Monday. County court in Helena. I already called Rebecca Winters. She's taking the case."

Rebecca is a good choice. She’s Caleb's friend and the best defense attorney in the state. If anyone can navigate this legal minefield, it's her.

"Good," I say, mind already calculating. "What do we need to do?"

"Keep Riley close. Safe," Sawyer advises. "Cooper's been drinking since the diner incident, making threats. Nothing he's stupid enough to act on yet, but I don't trust him."

"Neither do I." The protective instinct surges, nearly overwhelming in its intensity. "I'll keep her here until the hearing."

"Finn's coming up tomorrow," Sawyer continues. "Extra security. And Elias?" His tone shifts, becomes more personal. "For what it's worth, I've never seen you look at anyone the way you look at her. Dad would approve."

The mention of our father, who abandoned us when I was ten, takes me off guard. "Dad didn't approve of a damn thing I ever did."

"Maybe not," Sawyer concedes. "But he should have."

After we hang up, I stand in the hallway for a long moment, mind racing with implications, strategies, and the fierce need to protect what’s mine.

When I return to the bedroom, I find Riley sitting up, sheet clutched to her chest, concern etched across her features.

"What's wrong?" she asks as I enter, reading my expression in the dim light.

I hesitate, torn between protecting her from worry and honoring the partnership we're building. In the end, honesty wins. She deserves to know what we're facing.

"Cooper's contesting the restraining order," I explain, sitting beside her on the bed. "His father has connections with the local judge. They're forcing a hearing."

Fear flickers across her face for a beat. "When?"

"Monday. County court in Helena." I take her hand, needing the connection. "Rebecca Winters is handling it. She's the best."

Riley nods, processing this new threat. "So what's the plan?"

"We stay the course. You’ll stay here with me. Until the hearing." I squeeze her hand gently. "Where I can keep you safe."

She studies my face. "You're angry."

"Furious," I admit. "The system is supposed to protect people like you from men like him. Instead, it's being manipulated because his daddy knows the right people."

"It's not the first time the system's failed me." She sounds resigned but not defeated. "Won't be the last."

"It will be," I promise, bringing her hand to my lips. "One way or another, this ends soon."

Her free hand rises to cup my cheek, turning my face to meet her gaze. "Don't do anything stupid, Elias. I just got you. I'm not losing you to some revenge mission."

The fierce protectiveness in her voice touches something deep inside me. "You won't lose me."

"Promise?" Her eyes search mine.

"Promise." I seal the vow with a kiss, hugging her close.

She settles against me, her head tucked under my chin. "So we're stuck here for three days? Under cabin arrest?"

Despite everything, I smile at her choice of words. "Looks that way. Think you can handle being cooped up with me that long?"

A hint of mischief enters her eyes as she slides her hand down my chest, fingers tracing patterns on my skin. "I'm sure we can find ways to pass the time."

She pulls me down to join her, and the outside world, and all its impending threats, recede. For now, there is only Riley, her heart, and her body welcoming mine.

The rest can wait.