Page 11 of Secrets on the Mountain

"I just need to check," I whisper as soon as we've come inside.

It means losing contact with Cane's solid build.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who's afraid of breaking the spell.

My hands linger against Cane's chest, my palms flattened over the hard planes of his pecs but refusing to leave his warmth just yet.

One large hand moves beside us to latch the doors now that we're in for the night, but his other hand remains possessively draped around my shoulder.

Cane's eyes glance over my head, toward the hallway that leads to the guest bedroom where Donner is, no doubt, still fast asleep, then back to me.

Giving me no more than a firm nod that he understands what I'm saying, we move together toward the guest bedroom door.

Cane stands just behind me, his hand on my hip holding me just firmly enough that I can still feel the length of his cock pressing against the small of my back. Not letting me forget that we're in the middle of something and he expects to pick up where we left off.

This is part of my nightly routine, checking on Don before I head to bed for the night, but the feel of Cane's fingers pressing into my side as he also tilts his head to peer around the edge of the door to view the slight form of our sleeping son, reminds me this is new for him.

Is this what it would be like? If things had worked out differently for us? If we were a real family, raising our son together? Would we put him to bed every night, spend a few hours of adult time, and check in together before we head to bed ourselves?

A thrill runs through me but I can't be sure if it's hope that we might still be able to have get there, or if it's fear that it's too late to go back.

Closing the door softly, I turn to look up at Cane.

There's a silent question brooding in his intense gaze and I wonder if he's thinking the same thing.

He holds out his hand and I stare at it dumbly for several seconds.

This is my chance to shake my head and slip through the door to the safety of the guest room. This is my chance to save myself from whatever heartbreak is coming next. When the attorneys have mashed together a temporary agreement and Don and I are on our way back to our lives. When this moment is over and Cane realizes I'm not the woman he was in love with so many years ago, and he sends me back to reality.

When we pick up where we left off-- yesterday, not five years ago.

Taking his hand, I let him lead me back to his bedroom.

I'll deal with whatever come next later. Tonight, I want to remember what it feels like to make love to the only man who's ever owned my heart.

* * *

Hurricane

My boy is asleep, stretched out in the middle of the queen size guest bed, oblivious to the world.

If he's anything like me and my brothers at that age, a jet could land on the roof and he'd sleep through it.

Something squeezes around my heart so tight; I have to take a step back while Junie closes the bedroom door.

This should be us. This should have been our lives every night right up till now.

Knowing everything we lost out on has me desperate to get it back.

As I hold my hand out, waiting to lead Junie to bed, I don't miss the flicker of doubt that clouds her features.

For a moment, I think she's changed her mind. My gut clenches and I steel myself for the apologetic shake of her head that I sense is coming.

I've never been terrified in my entire life.

I've been scared, I've been disappointed, I've been angry as fucking hell; but until this moment, waiting for Junie to put her little hand in mine and let me take her to my bed where I can start to put us back together, I can honestly say that I've never known the kind of terror that has my blood going to ice when she hesitates.

We make it out of the hallway and past the kitchen before I spin around and catch June up in my arms. Pulling her off her feet is so easy, even with the new fullness to the curves that always made me crazy, she weighs about nothing. It feels natural to have her in my arms, carrying her, bridal style, through the door to my master bedroom with her arms wrapped around my neck, kissing the breath out of me while I kick the door shut behind us.

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