Page 12 of The Smokejumper’s Lady (Praise Me Like Fire #1)

Clea

It’s been three years…

Three years since that fire roared through the mountains and changed everything. Since Ryan Lewis—grumpy smoke jumper, reluctant hero, and the love of my freaking life—led me out of a cave and straight into a whole new chapter.

A lot has happened since then.

Ryan hung up his parachute and axe a few months after that fire. Said he’d had enough of tempting fate. That the only heat he needed now was the kind he could make with me. His words, not mine.

Now we run our own adventure tour company together. He named it “Lewis & Love’s Wildland Treks.” I told him it sounds like a romance novel. He told me that’s exactly the point.

We take visitors through the best hidden gems in Montana—secret waterfalls, wildflower meadows, natural hot springs tucked deep in the woods. It’s rustic, rugged, a little unhinged, just like us. And people love it.

We have a whole team of guides now. Which gives us more time to play. To plan. To sneak off when the mood strikes, and with Ryan…it strikes often.

My parents are surprisingly all in. My dad even says Ryan “isn’t such a dumbass after all,” which, in my family, is a heartfelt blessing. They partner with us sometimes on real estate deals, and we have family dinners every Sunday like it’s normal. Like we’ve always been this tight-knit.

Ryan and Dad go fishing once a month. Mom and I send each other Instagram reels.

I still find my new life unreal sometimes. Not that I’m complaining.

Two years married. One wild, beautiful life.

And today is special.

It’s the anniversary of the day Ryan found me in that cave, hiding from the flames. The day I fell hard, in love with him even though I didn’t know it at the time. He changed my life. And I’m about to remind him just how much.

I lean back against the cool rock wall beside the small cave near the river. I chose this spot on purpose, of course. It’s secluded, the water’s sparkling in the sun, and the little waterfall beside me adds a hint of drama to the setting.

I’m wearing my special outfit—a custom “tour guide” uniform that wouldn’t pass any HR standards. A tiny khaki skirt with nothing underneath, a sleeveless shirt tied just under my breasts, and hiking boots that I know he likes because of what they do to my calves.

I sent him a text ten minutes ago:

Emergency down by the river. Come quick. Bring hands.

He should be here any second.

And right on cue, I hear crashing footsteps through the trees, followed by his deep, gravelly voice, rough with concern.

“Clea? What the hell’s going on? Are you okay?”

I wait. Count to three. Then step into view.

His footsteps halt.

I smirk. “Tour guide Clea reporting for duty, sir.”

Ryan’s mouth drops open just enough to make my stomach flip. Then it curves into a slow, dangerous grin.

“Jesus Christ, woman,” he mutters, striding toward me. “You scared the hell outta me.”

I grin wider. “Sorry, Captain Caveman. Thought you liked a little danger.”

He stops in front of me, his eyes doing a full-body scan that makes my skin prickle.

“You’re lucky I didn’t come down here in full rescue mode.”

“Mm,” I hum, tugging at the knot in my shirt, loosening it just slightly. “Maybe you should have…”

His nostrils flare. “You mean you’re just trying to be a reckless pain in my ass?”

“Exactly.”

I grab his hand and tug him toward the cave wall. The sound of the waterfall masks everything—nature’s soundtrack for what’s about to go down.

“I should scold you,” he says, pressing me against the stone, his fingers curling under my jaw. “Scare me like that again and I’ll…”

“You’ll what?” I whisper.

He leans in, mouth at my ear. “I’ll remind you exactly who you belong to.”

Chills race down my spine. “I’m counting on it.”

He lifts me effortlessly, pinning me between the cave wall and his chest. I wrap my legs around him and he growls into my neck when he realizes I’m not wearing any underwear, mouth dragging along my pulse.

“God, I love you,” he mutters. “You drive me insane.”

I laugh, breathless. “That’s the goal.”

His hips roll against mine, rough denim brushing right where I want it. The thrill of being outside, half-dressed and fully his, has my blood humming. It’s always like this with us. Still wild. Still hot enough to melt through stone.

Lifting my head, I kiss him hard, my mouth claiming his. It tastes like home. Like the beautiful dream I’ve lived in for the past three years. My lips move hungrily over his, desperate, like he might disappear before I can get my fill.

“Clea,” he breathes, cupping my face, his tongue sliding deep into my mouth. “Baby…”

“Please,” I whisper, curling my fingers behind his neck to keep him close. His cock presses hot and heavy against the seam of my body through his jeans, the thickness of him a maddening pressure against my clit. “I need you, baby…”

He lets out a guttural groan, his hands cupping my ass as he lifts me just enough to roll his hips.

The movement sends pleasure arcing through me, my nipples pebbling instantly as they brush against his chest. He’s wearing a tight T-shirt that shows off his strength, unbearable in the best way.

Everything about him is designed to drive me crazy.

I slide my hands under his shirt and rake my nails down his back, and he moans my name in that way that makes me go hot and cold at the same time…in that way that tells me he’s surrendering to the same wildfire that’s consuming me.

“Again,” he growls, his voice ragged with need.

I surge up, pressing my lips to his neck, then lightly sink my teeth into his skin. He shudders, muscles taut, and lets me have him.

There’s too much inside me. Love and lust and leftover ache from the night he carried me out of the flames. I pour it into him. Into this. Into every bite and kiss and scrape of my nails.

He whispers things against my skin as he trails lower, heat and reverence in every syllable. “I love you so much. Fuck, I need you. Gotta have you.”

In one slick move, he tugs down his pants and drives himself inside of me. I gasp, my body clenching and tensing in the most delicious way.

He’s still holding me up against the rock wall, gripping my thighs in his strong hands, his body a sculpture of muscle and heat. His thick cock fills me completely, his jaw clenched like he’s holding back an avalanche.

He pulls out slowly and slides back inside in another powerful thrust. I groan, my head falling back as my walls stretch to accommodate him.

“Take it,” he commands, his hands guiding the rhythm as he fucks into me. “Take every inch, Clea. You feel that? That’s mine. You’re mine.”

I cry out, grabbing onto his shoulders for support as the primal heat of the moment sets me ablaze. We move together in a fevered rhythm, sweaty, slick, and breathless. Nature curls around us like a witness—the roar of the waterfall, the heat of the sun, the cool spray of mist on our skin.

Suddenly, I’m flying, floating in a sea of nothingness. My whole body draws taut, my legs shaking uncontrollably as I submerge under the waves of climax.

Ryan’s right behind me, thrusting deep and hard as he lets go, groaning my name into my neck, spilling deep inside me.

We collapse together, tangled and trembling in the dirt and moss, the sound of the river masking our panting breaths.

After a few quiet moments, I press a kiss to his damp hair, chuckling lightly. “That was…”

“Holy shit,” he completes, repeating the exact words I used after our first time together. I roll my eyes playfully at him, and he chuckles and kisses my temple.

“I need to tell you something,” I say after another comfortable stretch of silence.

He lifts his head, eyes locked on mine, still dazed with pleasure. “Yeah?”

“I’m pregnant.”

He freezes, just for a heartbeat. Then his lips spread in a slow, wide grin, so full of awe it cracks my heart open.

“You’re serious?” he breathes.

I nod, smiling through tears. “You’re gonna be a dad.”

He laughs, then pulls me into him so tight I can barely breathe.

“I love you,” he says into my hair. “You. This baby. Our whole damn future. I love you so much.”

I kiss him again, laughing. “I love you too, my crazy wild man.”

~The End