Page 9 of Wishing for the Mountain Man

And soon enough, I got my wish. Heat spiraled out from my clit to the rest of my body. I gasped and gripped his shoulders even harder. Even though my eyes were closed, I felt him watching me, his stare warming my body. Did he like the sight of me on top of him, my breasts bouncing with each movement? Did that turn him on even more?

That thought pushed me straight toward orgasm, the pain forgotten as I tightened around his cock. As the waves began tosubside, I was aware that at some point I’d sunk even deeper on him, although I still had barely gone past the first few inches.

Finally, I opened my eyes and found myself locked in a stare with this man. He’d held out for me, and that meant more to me than I would’ve imagined. But it was his turn now, and I was determined to make it as good for him as it’d been for me.

He put his hand behind my neck and pulled my face toward his so he could kiss me. It was a deep, passionate kiss that told me just how much he wanted me. An involuntary moan escaped, and that seemed to ignite something in him. His other hand settled on my waist, and he guided me up and down, still not going too deep, but moving at a pace much faster than I’d gone before.

Suddenly, he broke the kiss and said in a raspy tone, “I’m not hurting you, am I?”

I shook my head and, as if to demonstrate just how little it was hurting, forced myself deeper. The pain was gone, but it was still uncomfortable. In time, I’d stretch to accommodate him and our bodies would fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

His eyes drifted closed, his jaw still clenched. I kept my eyes on him as I moved. He was gripping both hips and soon, he held me still above him as he slid in and out, careful not to go too deep but moving faster and faster.

And then he cried out, the sound carrying through the night air just as mine had minutes earlier. That made it clear to me just how hot this was—the two of us out in the middle of the water, me riding him with both of us as naked as the day we were born. We could be seen at any moment by a boat drifting by. Yes, he’d said this was a private pond, but I’d keep the fantasy tucked away in my mind for later.

When it was over, he stilled but pulled me close, holding me and making me feel cherished, wanted. Soon enough, I’d feel loved.

6

JAX

The bar at the Rosewood Ridge Retreat Center was packed. I stopped in the doorway, second guessing everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. I’d met the woman of my dreams and made love to her, even taking her virginity.

The whole thing had me texting one of the volunteer coordinators to ask about helping with recovery again. I was told I might want to hold off. A bunch of women had been asking about me, which was exactly why I’d stayed away since the video went viral.

Tess wasn’t letting me off that easily, though. She’d invited me to the bar to meet her friends, and I wanted to see her so badly, I would have walked over hot stones barefoot just to be near her. But right now, as a woman in the crowd discovered me standing in the doorway and elbowed her friend, walking over hot stones barefoot didn’t sound so bad.

“It’s him,” I heard somebody whisper.

“Jax!” someone else called out.

It was not a familiar voice, but that didn’t mean much. I didn’t know anyone who’d be here.

Panic began to set in at the thought of all these people rushing at me. My time as a SEAL had exposed me to a lot of things, but it had also broken my tolerance for normal life. That was why I’d isolated myself.

I was ready to push through all that, though. It was worth it to be with Tess.

Finally, I spotted her near the bar with a group of women. They stood in a small circle, laughing. At the sight of Tess, everything else in the room melted away. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, and she was also the woman who’d already become my life.

Her eyes seemed to sparkle, her smile brightening her entire face. She wore a pink shirt, and her hair was smooth and shiny. It was straight today while it had been wavy last night.

An image flashed through my mind, as it had done almost constantly all day. It was an image of her riding me, naked breasts begging to be touched. It was an image that had driven me to relieve myself no fewer than four times today.

It was hard to believe we’d only met twenty-four hours ago. After our first time on the boat, we headed to my bed, where we’d made love last night and this morning. Then I drove her back to the retreat center in time for her to change and go to the work site with her friends. I’d rushed back to the safety of my cabin, where I’d hidden out all day.

As if sensing she was being watched, Tess’s gaze suddenly jerked over to me. As our eyes met, my heart rate sped up, beating so fast it was like I ran down that trail rather than walked.

Slowly, her smile widened even farther. She turned and said something to the woman standing next to her, then began pushing her way through the crowd, moving toward me. I began moving too, planning to meet her halfway, but I’d forgotten all about the women between us. Women who recognized me fromthe video. Women who’d apparently come here specifically to meet me.

People who’d once had their backs to me in conversation were now fully facing me. It was like an audience was gathered to stare me down.

“Excuse me,” I said.

The crowd didn’t part. Not a single woman budged from her spot. Tess was having better luck pushing through, but I didn’t feel right forcing it, so I ended up stuck waiting for her to make her way to me.

“You’re the guy from the video, right?” one of the women close to me asked. “Jax?”

“Where have you been?” another woman asked. “We’ve all been looking for you. We thought you’d be helping with the tornado recovery.”

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