Page 4 of Liberated Mountain Man

But there’s something else too. Something deeper, something primal. The way his touch sends sparks racing up my arm, the way my pulse quickens every time his eyes flick toward me. The ache building between my legs, unfamiliar but undeniable.

I bite my lip, trying to focus, trying to block out the heat that’s spreading through me. But it’s no use. Every brush of his skin against mine, every breath he takes, fans the flames higher.

We burst through the front door into the night air, and he doesn’t stop until we reach his motorcycle parked just beyond the gates. He swings one leg over the seat, and for a moment, I hesitate.

What is happening? Is this real? It’s all too fast, too sudden. But then Jax looks at me, his green eyes locking onto mine, and I know. I don’t need to question it. I don’t need to think.

I trust him.

“Get on.” He hands me a helmet and I put it on.

I obey, sliding onto the bike behind him, my arms wrapping around his waist. His body is solid, warm, and I press closer, my heart pounding in my chest as I feel the heat of his muscles through his jacket. My legs tighten around him, and for the first time in my life, I feel alive. Awake. Every nerve is on fire.

As the engine roars to life beneath us, I bury my face against his back, inhaling the familiar scent of cedar mixed with something else—something darker, more dangerous. And I realize, in that moment, that I’ve always known him.

Not just the boy who gave me apples, not just the memory from the garden. I’ve always had this feeling that I was watched. He’s been there, lurking in the corners of my life, watching, waiting. And now, he’s here.

For me.

As we speed away into the night, I don’t look back.

I don’t have to.

I’m finally free.

Chapter 2

Jax

Just concentrate on the road.

The bike growls beneath us as I speed through the darkened back roads, Cassie clinging to my chest, her arms wrapped tight around my waist. The cool air hits my face, but all I can feel is the heat of her body pressed against mine. Her soft breath skates along the back of my neck, and her thighs are squeezing me tighter than I can handle without losing control.

I need to focus. I need to keep her safe.

But fuck if her body isn’t doing things to me. One hour. It’s been one hour since I pulled her out of that house, one hour since I claimed her, whether she realizes it yet or not.

One hour with her…finally.

Having Cassie this close is making me question every bit of restraint I thought I had. Every brush of her skin, every small movement she makes sends fire through my veins. I’ve waited for this moment, and now that it’s here, I’m barely holding myself together.

We pull into an abandoned gas station, where the black SUV is stashed—one I left here days ago. The bike’s done its job, but now we need something more discreet. As I switch vehicles, my eyes are constantly scanning the area, ensuring no one’s watching. Her father’s probably losing his mind right now, scrambling to figure out where I’ve taken her. But by the time he figures it out, we’ll be long gone.

Safe.

I’ve kept her father’s house under surveillance for years. My military connections were useful for getting the high-end equipment I needed—off the record, of course. The moment I saw the Bratva start showing up at their doorstep, I knew something unforgivable was about to happen. It pissed me off. I got reckless. Sabotaged their Wi-Fi, posed as a maintenance guy to fix it, and planted bugs in her father’s office.

That’s when I found out what he had planned.

Cassie, at eighteen, was to be sold. Millions of dollars in exchange for his own daughter. He was trading her like property. They wanted her legal, young enough to go unnoticed, free to travel. The thought of anyone else touching her—owning her—boils my blood. No one gets to have her. She’s been mine since the moment I saw her in that garden all those years ago, and I’ll make damn sure no one takes her from me.

Cassie climbs into the passenger seat, her white nightdress clinging to every inch of her body. She tries tugging it down over her legs, but it rides back up, leaving her thighs exposed in the soft glow of the dashboard lights. My cock twitches instinctively and I want to touch her so fucking bad.

I clench my jaw so hard I feel the strain in my muscles, fighting the urge to look. To touch.

Control yourself.

I grip the steering wheel, knuckles white as I pull onto the highway. The road stretches out before us, dark and endless. It’s just me and her now. No turning back.

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