Marion lay back on the ground, the scent of chamomile soothing as she stared up at the sky. It was so peaceful here, at Alfie’s cabin. The place she and Charlie would soon call home.
“There you are.” Alfie sat down beside her, and she turned to look at him.
“Wine?” she asked, propping herself up on one elbow. “Isn’t it a little early in the day?”
“I wanted to take this moment while we were alone to celebrate the launch of your soaps this afternoon.” He handed her a glass. “Kris made this blend for you. It’s got hints of roses and honeysuckle.”
“That’s so kind of him,” she said as she sat up and accepted the glass. “It smells wonderful.” She took a tentative sip. “And tastes even better.”
“My brother sure knows how to make an excellent wine,” Alfie said as he drank from his glass with an appreciative murmur.
“Your family has been so kind,” Marion said as she leaned against him.
“You and Charlie are part of the Thornberg clan now,” he said, threading his arm around her waist and pulling her closer.
“I am so lucky,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion.
“You okay?” he murmured, his breath tickling her ear.
“Yes,” she said, covering his hand with hers where it rested on her stomach.
He placed his glass on the ground and turned her to face him, his eyes searching hers with that gentle intensity that always made her feel seen. “Charlie will be okay.”
Marion nodded. “I know.” Alfie always seemed able to read her thoughts. Or at least her emotions. It’s how he could tell she was thinking more about Charlie than about the launch this afternoon.
Charlie had gone to the garden project with Heather.
Finn had offered to supervise the visit, and she trusted him.
Trusted that he wouldn’t let anything happen to Charlie.
Then Marion realized that, actually, she trusted Heather, too.
Her sister seemed to have turned over a new leaf since Charlie ran away.
When the case against her was dropped, she severed all ties with Razor and instead began focusing on her sobriety and rebuilding her relationship with her son.
She groaned inwardly. What had Alfie done to her? Two months ago, she wouldn’t have trusted anyone with Charlie, let alone her sister.
Marion smiled up at him and threaded her arms around his neck. She knew exactly what he’d done to her. He’d opened her heart to love and given her room to grow. And this afternoon she would launch her handmade soaps at the garden center, turning a hobby into a business because he’d believed in her.
“I love it here,” she told him as she set her wine glass down.
Alfie glanced around the wooden cabin and the surrounding clearing. “It’ll be amazing when the extension is finished.”
“I mean, I like the seclusion.” She moved to straddle him, feeling the immediate response as his hands tightened on her waist.
“The seclusion, huh?” He leaned down and nuzzled her neck, his lips brushing against the sensitive spot below her ear, igniting a fire in her core.
“Yes,” she breathed, tilting her head to give him better access. “I was thinking I need a distraction, a way of releasing tension since today is such a big day.” She slipped her hand beneath his shirt and stroked his chest, feeling the muscles tense beneath her fingers.
“Well, we could chop some wood for the fire,” Alfie suggested, his voice husky with desire. “It gets cold up here in the winter.”
“I was thinking of something more intimate,” she murmured and nipped the sensitive skin on his neck.
Alfie sucked in a breath, his eyes darkening as he looked down at her.
Without another word, he captured her lips in a searing kiss that made her stomach flip.
His hands roamed down her back, cupping her bottom and pulling her tighter against him so she could feel the hard evidence of his desire through his jeans.
Marion melted into him, her body thrumming with need as she kissed him back with equal need. His tongue explored her mouth, and she could taste hints of roses and honeysuckle.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, Alfie’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “You know, there’s something about making love outdoors....”
A thrill ran through her at the thought. The clearing around the cabin was private, surrounded by thick forest on three sides and a steep drop on the fourth. No one would see them here.
“Show me,” she whispered and stood up. With her eyes locked on his, Marion reached for the hem of her sundress and pulled it over her head in one fluid motion, leaving her standing before him in nothing but her pale blue underwear.
The mountain air kissed her skin, raising goosebumps across her flesh.
Alfie’s eyes roamed over her body with reverent appreciation. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured, as he pushed himself to his feet and trailed his fingers down her bare shoulder. “So perfect.”
Marion shivered under his touch, her nipples hardening beneath the thin fabric of her bra. She reached for him, tugging at his t-shirt until he helped her pull it off, revealing the broad chest she loved to explore.
His skin was hot beneath her palms as she ran her hands over his muscled torso. She pressed her lips to his collarbone, tasting the salt of his skin, as her fingers worked at the button of his jeans.
Alfie groaned as her hand brushed against his hardness. With a swift movement, he unhooked her bra, letting it fall away. His hands cupped her breasts, thumbs circling her nipples as he lowered his head to take one into his mouth.
Marion gasped at the sensation, arching into him as pleasure sparked through her body. His tongue swirled around the sensitive peak, sending jolts of electricity straight to her core.
“Alfie,” she breathed, tangling her fingers in his hair.
He lowered her gently onto his shirt, the chamomile tickling her back where the fabric didn’t cover. Kneeling between her legs, he hooked his fingers into her underwear and slowly slid them down her thighs, his eyes never leaving hers.
The afternoon sun warmed her bare skin as Alfie gazed down at her, his expression filled with such love and desire that it made her heart ache. He leaned forward, pressing soft kisses to her inner thighs, working his way upward with agonizing slowness.
When his mouth finally found her center, Marion cried out, her back arching off the ground.
His tongue moved in slow, deliberate circles, building a delicious tension that had her gasping his name.
Her hands clutched at the grass beside her as he slipped two fingers inside her, curling them to find that spot that made stars explode behind her eyelids.
The dual sensation of his tongue and fingers brought her quickly to the edge. She could feel her release building, her muscles tensing as she climbed higher and higher. When she finally came, her body trembled with waves of pleasure that seemed to go on forever.
Before she could fully recover, Alfie was moving up her body, his jeans cast aside. He positioned himself between her thighs, the hard length of him pressing against her still-sensitive flesh.
“I need you,” she whispered, wrapping her legs around his waist.
With one smooth thrust, he entered her, filling her completely. They both gasped at the sensation, their bodies perfectly joined beneath the open sky.
Alfie began to move, setting a rhythm that had her meeting him thrust for thrust. His eyes never left hers, the connection between them transcending the physical as they moved together in perfect harmony.
Alfie cupped her breast in his hand, his calloused palm creating delicious friction against her sensitive skin as he massaged her soft flesh.
His thumb and forefinger found her nipple, teasing the hardened peak with gentle twists that sent sparks of pleasure straight to her core.
Marion gasped, arching into his touch as he lavished attention on both breasts, alternating between tender caresses and more insistent pressure.
The friction of his touch sent electric currents racing through her body as his skilled hands worked their magic on her sensitive flesh.
She bit down on her lower lip as he increased his tempo, driving deeper with each thrust. Her inner walls clenched around him as her body trembled on the precipice of release. Marion wrapped her legs tighter around his waist, her fingernails digging into his shoulders as she matched his pace.
Alfie slipped a hand beneath her and held her close as he jerked into her hard, filling her with his essence. His thrusts set off a chain reaction in her body and she came, her inner walls pulsing around him as the mountain breeze caressed her heated skin.
When they were both completely spent, Alfie rolled to his side, pulling her close against his chest. He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on her bare shoulder.
“I love you,” he murmured against her hair.
Marion smiled, feeling utterly content in his arms. “I love you, too.”
As she lay there, she realized it was never too late to fully bloom.