Page 8 of Claimed By the Mountain Man

“It’s basic survival. Nothing more.”

“Of course.” Damn, her smile. “Purely practical.”

She insisted I walk her through everything, and she was a fast learner. When she started the fire with very little help from me, she threw her arms around my neck in a spontaneous celebration.

That’s when my control snapped. Her body pressed against mine, her laughter warm against my ear, and suddenly I wasn’t thinking anymore. I was feeling, something I hadn’t done in a very long time.

“Samantha,” I warned, my hands settled on her hips, unsure whether I was pulling her closer or holding her at bay. She’d come here thinking it was the start of something. And maybe it was, I couldn’t help but think.

“Logan,” she mimicked my tone, but her eyes were serious. “Stop fighting this. Stop fighting us.”

“There is no us.” The words were hollow. “You’re only here because my brother—”

“I’m here because I want to be.” She slid her hands into my hair. “Yes, Ethan’s interference got me here, but everything since then? That’s been real. You feel it too. I know you do.”

I should have pushed her away. Should have maintained the distance I’d spent years building. Instead, I kissed her.

The kiss was inevitable. Like gravity, like the tide, like every natural force that had shaped this mountain. Was still shaping it. She tasted like the wild berries we’d found on the trail, sweet and tart and addictive. Her curves fit against my angles perfectly, like she was made for me. I didn’t want the kiss to end, but I knew this was moving too fast. I was letting myself get in too deep.

Or was I?

“If you don’t want this,” I said, my voice rough, “tell me now.”

Her answer was to pull me closer, her hands tugging at my jacket zipper. “Of course I want this.”

That was all the permission I needed. I picked her up and carried her to the tent. We shed our outer layers quickly. Her breath hitched as I knelt before her, sliding off her boots. My hands lingered on her thighs. I leaned forward, taking in her scent. “Logan,” she whispered.

I didn’t answer but stood up and took off my boots. Next, I tugged off my thermal shirt, then my t-shirt, watching as her eyes roamed over my bare chest.

She grinned. “Mmm, I guess skin-to-skin contact is the way to stay warm.”

“Your turn.’ My voice was husky. Commanding.

She peeled off her borrowed clothing to reveal soft, pale skin that glowed in the dim light. She reached behind her back, undoing her bra and letting it drop to the ground. Her nippleswere hard, and I couldn’t stop myself from leaning down to take one into my mouth, my tongue tracing circles that made her arch against me.

Her breath hitched as my hands roamed lower, slipping beneath the waistband of her leggings.

“Fuck.” My fingers grazed the smooth, bare skin where her underwear should have been.

I knew what I wanted to do. Strip her naked, plunge into her warm depths and forget about everything else. But that was for another night. Tonight was about getting closer. Connecting.

But that didn’t mean we couldn’t do something.

I leaned over, kissing her neck, my lips grazing the curve where her pulse raced before I stripped her of her remaining clothing. When I went to pick her up, she stopped me, her fingers on the waistband of my pants.

“Wait, what about you?”

I shook my head. “No. Tonight is about you, baby.” I picked her up again, placing her on the sleeping bag. My big body covered hers. Her breath hitched as my hand moved between her legs, brushing against the slick heat there.

“Logan...” she started, but her voice faltered when my fingers slid over her folds, spreading the wetness that had already gathered.

“Sweetheart, you’re soaked.”

She let out a small, breathless laugh, her fingers digging into my shoulders. “You make me this way.”

The admission sent a jolt through me. My fingers moved with purpose, circling her clit gently at first, then applying more pressure when her hips bucked against my hand. The soft noises she made—half-moan, half-whimper—were enough to undo me.

“Do you want to come, baby?”

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