Page 43 of Protected By the Mountain Man

For miles, the only sound was the rumble of the truck, until we crossed the edge of the Martins’ property—close to where Ben had been shot—and she just broke down.

She let out a choked sob, her hand flying up to cover her mouth. I glanced toward her to see that tears streaked her cheeks, her eyes red.

She must have been crying this whole time…and I hadn’t said a damn thing.

“I'm doing my best, Gabe,” she sobbed. “But it never seems good enough. Livy's lost so much already—her mom, then her dad. I'm all she has left and I can't…I can't replace them.”

She drew in a shuddering breath, and I could hear the self-doubt that crept into her voice. “I'm trying to keep the ranch running, but sometimes I feel like it's all just too much. Like the whole world is against me.”

Her words were like a gut punch. I couldn't stand to hear her talk about herself like that—like she was anything less than incredible. On impulse, I yanked the wheel and veered off onto the shoulder. Gravel crunched under the tires as the truck skidded to a stop.

Kat's head snapped towards me, eyes wide and startled. “What the hell, Gabe?”

“Listen to me, Kat,” I said, ignoring her shock. I grabbed her hand and held it tight. “You're strong enough for this—all of it. You're more than capable of making the ranch work.”

She tried to look away, but I wouldn't let her. I raised my hand to clasp her chin, tilting it toward me. “And you won't be doing it alone,” I continued. “I'm here, right beside you. I meant every word I said the other day in the supply room. You're one of the best people I've ever met.”

A muscle worked in her jaw as she fought back tears. “Gabe, you don't have to?—”

“Damn it, Kat, let me finish.” My grip on her hand tightened. “I've seen what real heroics look like, up close and personal, in my time overseas. And you've got that same fire, that same courage. You just don't see it yet.”

Her breath hitched, a soft sound in the quiet of the truck. For a moment, everything else faded away—just the sound of our breathing and the faint rustle of leaves outside. She squeezed my hand back, her thumb tracing the lines of my knuckles, sending a jolt through me.

“Kat…” I started.

But before I could finish, she cut the distance between us.

She lunged for me, crashing her lips to mine with a force that knocked the air from my lungs. Our kiss was desperate, frantic, as if we were trying to say all the things words had failed to express.

“Kat,” I murmured against her lips, the taste of her name sweet and intoxicating.

“Shut up, Gabe,” she breathed out. “Just…shut up.”

I needed her like I needed to breathe, desire threatening to tear me apart. She must have felt that same desperate craving because, in one fluid motion, she clambered over the center console to straddle me. Her sudden closeness sent my senses into overdrive; the scent of her hair, the heat of her body pressed against mine—it was overwhelming.

“Jesus, Kat,” I groaned as she settled onto my lap. Her lips crashed back onto mine, hungry and demanding, while her hips found a rhythm that made my head spin. The friction of her grinding against me was torture and bliss all rolled into one. My body responded to her touch, hard and ready, losing itself in the sensation of her pressing down on me.

“Kat, I—” She silenced me with a look that was all heat and raw need.

“Stop talking,” she commanded, her hands working at my belt buckle with an urgency that matched the thudding of my heart. She fumbled with my button, my zipper, her movements quick and purposeful.

“Damn it,” I gasped as she freed me from the confines of my clothes. “I know you said we shouldn't…but I need to…I need to fuck you…”

She didn't respond with words. Instead, her fingers wrapped around me, strokes firm and sure, driving me to the edge of madness. With one hand, I reached for her, yanking her panties aside so roughly I was afraid I’d tear them right off.

She gazed at me, challenged me.

She sank down…taking me to the hilt.

Fuck.

Our eyes locked, her hands gripping my shoulders with bruising intensity. Her lips parted in a silent gasp. Everything else faded—the truck's cramped space, the night outside, the world itself—it was just Kat and me, connected.

She started moving.

Bracing herself on my shoulders, she began to ride me, moving up and down, up and down… Her pussy clenched around my cock, her lips parted. All I could do was watch her, struck dumb by how beautiful she looked when she was riding me.

“You’re beautiful,” I groaned, barely recognizing my own voice. It was hoarse with desire, thick with the weight of held-back words and restrained touches. I wanted to tell her I loved her. It was stupid.

---