Page 29 of Forging Legacy

And then she sees the sky full of stars, away from the lights of the city, sparkling above the treeline as the steam from the hot tub swirls upward. “Climb on in,” I tell her, gesturing for her towel, which I hang on a peg by the hot tub along with my own. I’ve never been naked in my family’s hot tub before, never brought a woman here to curl against my chest with a drink under the stars. “This is amazing,” I whisper.

Fern turns her head, incredulous. “Wyatt. I know. But surely you’re used to it by now?”

I shake my head. “How could I ever get used to this? Look at you.” I squeeze her waist before turning to open the wine and pour us each a glass. I set the bottle on the shelf behind the headrest in the corner of the hot tub, where the jets are cranking.

“Well,” she blows her hair away from her face and accepts a glass of wine. “Look at you. And look around.”

I nod. “We are both incredible, and the scenery is pretty okay.” Fern throws her head back, laughing, and takes a sip of her drink.

She rests her head sleepily against my shoulder. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to do much else tonight after all that.”

“You don’t want to doall thatagain?” Just the thought of it has my dick twitching against her back, but I guess she doesn’t notice it with the water jets because Fern sighs into her wine glass.

“I really don’t think I can handle that again.”

“I’m up for the challenge if you are.” I grin and squeeze her hand, and we both sip and stare at the stars.

Fern turns to me, arms around my neck, facing me in the dark water. “I should tell you something.”

I nod. “I’ve told you plenty of things.”

Fern smiles and runs her fingers through my hair in that way I love so much. “You’re the only person I’ve been with. Like that I mean.”

I frown. “Like what?”

She shrugs. “Like, put their penis inside my vagina.” Another smile, and she presses a kiss on my forehead. “It was something I reallyreallywanted to do on New Year’s, and I’m glad it was you because it was incredible.”

I’m not sure what to say in response to that, so I just stare at her a few beats. I set my wine glass on the shelf and pull her tighter against me. “Thank you,” I whisper. “For trusting me with that. I’m … touched? I don’t know what word to use.”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” she says with a laugh, reaching past me to get my wine glass and handing it to me again. “I just didn’t want you to be the only one confessing things about your identity.”

“I appreciate that.” I settle back against the headrest, appreciating how intimate it is here with her, curled up like this, but also so natural and really fucking nice.

The jets shut off after twenty minutes, reminding me that I need to keep Fern hydrated and probably fed if I want to make good on my promise to ply her with orgasms. I hop out of the tub and quickly wrap my towel around my waist, opening hers up for her to step in as she gingerly climbs down the steps.

“It’s a lot nicer getting in than getting out.” Her teeth chatter as I grab the wine, flip the lid back on the hot tub, and run inside, where I grab a container from the cooler and slide it into the oven.

By the time I’ve heated up our meal, I’ve thoroughly warmed Fern up by the fireplace. After we eat, I warm her up again in bed and we fall asleep in each other’s arms, as if we can stay this way.

As if we’re both not on the brink of leaving the country, facing potential scandal, or technically forbidden from being together. None of that seems to matter as I pull her tighter against my chest, one palm on her butt and her palm above my heart.

Chapter23

Fern

I wakeup to the smell of coffee. I open my eyes to find Wyatt kneeling by the bed, holding a steaming white mug. He’s smiling, looking so content and relaxed.

A lazy smile tugs at my own lips as I work to sit up in bed. I realize I’m still naked and a little bit sore. But it’s wonderful. He’s shirtless, too, and climbs back in bed beside me, a mug of his own in his hand. “Morning, beautiful.”

He clinks his mug against mine and cuddles against my side. And this might be the best way I’ve ever woken up in my entire life. I’m delightfully warm and comfortable. I sip at the coffee, which has the perfect amount of milk and nothing else.

He kisses my neck in between sips and feeling content; I do the same. Until we’re tangled together, mugs forgotten, making out like morning breath doesn’t matter. Despite the ache between my legs, I’m desperate for friction yet again, and I move to straddle Wyatt in the bed. Until he grips my wrist. “There’s something I really want to do with you.”

I furrow my brow and look at him, brushing my hair back from my eyes. “Something we didn’t already do last night?”

Wyatt grins wickedly and scoops me into the air. Both of us naked, he sprints down the stairs as if I weigh nothing at all, and I yelp as he begins to lower me onto the wooden table by the massive windows overlooking the ski slopes.

I glance to my side, seeing the chair lift in operation on the mountain. “Wyatt!” I drop a hand to cover my breast even as he spreads my legs open, positioning me at the end of the table. “What are you doing?”

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