Page 58 of Mountain Hero

Or…

I glance down and notice a rising bulge in Enzo’s shorts.

Maybe I could just surprise him now.

Yes. No planning, no pretense, just doing what feels right.

So I carefully wriggle out of my sleep shorts and shirt, leaving only my black bikinis on. Thankfully, I’ve been keeping myself well-groomed, just in case, so that’s one less thing to worry about.

Now nearly naked, I snuggle back into Enzo’s side and rest my hand on his stomach, lightly tracing the lines of his very impressive abs. There’s no mere six-pack here, but at least eight, possibly ten.

Is that possible? How many muscles does a man have in his abdomen? Whatever it is, Enzo’s are right there, on glorious display.

As I start inching my hand lower, a flutter of panic seizes me.

My hair! My breath! How can I kiss Enzo if my breath could knock him unconscious?

But before I can sneak into the bathroom to freshen up, Enzo’s hand comes to rest over mine. Like he always is when he wakes up, he’s fully alert, unlike me who takes a good fifteen minutes to feel remotely close to human.

“Winter.” His voice comes out all rough and rumbly, a sexy sound that sends a jolt of desire to my core. “What are you doing?”

I’m perched on a precipice. Back down and wait until I’m more groomed, with fresh breath and sexy clothes and deep conditioned hair? Or leap forward and do what my body and heart are telling me to?

I hold his gaze as my hand moves even lower, dipping just below the waistband of his shorts. In a sultry tone that sounds nothing like me, I reply, “I’m ready. For all of it.”

“Hun…” His eyes still haven’t left mine. “What are you saying?”

Then he notices my conspicuous lack of clothing, and it reminds me of one of those old cartoons where the character’s eyes almost pop out of their head. His arousal jumps just below my hand, and his breath quickens. “Winter. You’re not wearing?—”

“I know.” I grin at him and wrap my fingers around his hard length. It’s velvety soft and hot and thick in my hand, already slightly damp from excitement. “You said you wanted to make sure I’m completely ready. And I am. I want you.”

His jaw clenches. “Are you sure? After last night… it was a lot. And…”

How did I think it would be hard to tell Enzo what I want? It’s not. It feels amazing.

“I’m sure. I’ve known, but now…” I pause before giving him the unvarnished truth. “I want to give you everything. You already have my trust. My heart. I would do anything for you. This… it’s the last piece. I want to be with you. If you want it, too.”

Enzo stares at me, his pupils dilating until there’s just a thin ring of blue around them. “Yes. Absolutely. I want you. More than anything.”

“Good.” Sitting up, I tug at his shorts until he helps me, yanking them off and flinging them across the room. Then I straddle his thighs and start stroking him again, spreading the moisture from root to tip, feeling him grow even thicker and harder.

“Ah, hun.” He clutches the bottom sheet, the muscles in his arms tensing. “That feels?—”

But I lean over and kiss him, swallowing the rest of his words.

This is no tender, teasing kiss. It’s hot and needy and our tongues plunge deep, stroking and tasting and caressing.

One hand still wrapped around him, I use the other to explore the rest of his body. I trace the lines and ridges of his chest, the firm planes of muscle, and brush my fingers across the fine dusting of dark bronze hair.

I touch his arms—the thick biceps I love to eyeball when he’s working outside in the yard, forearms I never thought about being sexy until I saw Enzo with his sleeves rolled up.

I find the tattoo on Enzo’s ribcage—two arrows crossed with a blade intersecting them—and break our kiss so I can press my lips there, knowing it’s the Green Beret symbol and how much it means to him.

All during this, Enzo lies beneath me, intentionally still, watching me with a dark and hooded gaze. The tendons in his neck are taut with strain, and every so often his fingers will clutch the bottom sheet, like it’s taking all his control not to touch me.

I know what he’s doing, and while it’s not necessary, I’m not complaining. After thinking about touching Enzo like this for weeks, I’m enjoying these moments of exploration. Enzo partly dressed—which I’ve seen—is nothing like experiencing him completely naked.

It’s something I never thought about before; how sensual and enticing it could be just to touch a man all over.

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