Page 22 of Burly and Rugged

And I do.

I kiss her like I’m making up for lost time. Like I can erase the fucking mistake of letting her walk away.

She moans softly, her hands moving up my chest, over my shoulders, curling into my hair, tugging me down harder.

My pulse pounds in my ears, my body aching for more, for all of her, for everything I should have claimed the night she left.

I pull back just enough to rest my forehead against hers, our breaths mingling, uneven and heavy. Her hands slide down my chest, fingers curling against my shirt like she doesn’t want to let go.

“Tell me you’re staying,” she whispers.

“I’m never letting you go.”

CHAPTER 11

LINDY

The moment Cody’s lips crash against mine, there’s no hesitation. No second-guessing, no space left between us. Just heat. Just hunger. Just us.

His hands are everywhere—on my waist, gripping my hips, sliding up my back like he can’t get enough of touching me. And I can’t get enough, either. My hands fist in his shirt, pulling him closer, feeling the solid heat of his body pressing against mine.

I need him. All of him.

He lifts me effortlessly, gripping my thighs and wrapping them around his waist as he carries me toward the bedroom, his mouth hot and urgent against mine. He tastes like whiskey and fire, like the wildness of Silver Pine Ridge, like everything I found and thought I lost.

By the time we reach the bedroom, I’m already aching to have him inside me. My core is on fire, and I need Cody inside me so much that I’m blinded to anything else in the world. There’s nothing more important than him—than us—right now.

Cody lowers me onto the bed, his body hovering over mine, his weight pressing me into the mattress in the best possible way. His mouth moves down my jaw, along the sensitive skin of my throat, his beard tickling my sensitive skin, sending delicious shivers over my entire body.

His hands slide under my shirt, fingers tracing hot, possessive paths along my ribs, up to the curve of my breasts. I shiver as he pulls the fabric over my head, tossing it to the side.

“You’re so damn beautiful,” he murmurs, his voice thick with want. He pauses, his gaze raking over me like he’s committing every inch of me to memory. His hands caress my body like he’s savoring me.

My breath catches, my fingers tightening against his back. Cody takes his time, dragging his hands and lips over every inch of my body, learning every reaction, every sigh, every arch of my back.

Cody’s mouth finds my breast, tongue flicking over the sensitive peak before he sucks deeply, making me gasp. The sharp pull of his lips, the scrape of his teeth as he tugs at my nipple, sends a jolt of pleasure straight to my aching core. I arch into him, desperate for more, my body on fire with need. Cody moves between my thighs, his hard length pressing insistently against my hot, slick core, and I instinctively wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him closer, urging him to thrust into me.

“You like that?” he murmurs against my skin, his breath hot, his lips teasing.

“Yes,” I moan, my fingers tangling in his hair, tugging him closer, urging him on. His cock nudges against my entrance, thick and pulsing, and my body is hungry to have him inside me again, to be consumed with the pleasure only he can give me.

He kisses me, slow and deep, his tongue stroking mine, stealing my breath. Then he moves lower, dragging his lips down my neck, across my collarbone, over the softness of my stomach. Each kiss, each touch, leaves a trail of fire in its wake. He doesn’t stop—he keeps going, lower, lower, until his warm breath is a whisper against my swollen, dripping sex.

A soft whimper escapes me as his tongue flicks over my clit, a teasing, featherlight touch that makes my thighs tremble. Then he licks me again, firmer this time, the slow, deliberate slide of his tongue parting me, tasting me. My head falls back against the pillow as pleasure crashes over me in waves. He groans against me, his tongue moving with purpose, flicking, sucking, devouring me like he’s starving. His hands press down on my hips, keeping me still as I writhe beneath him, my body desperate for release.

“Cody,” I moan, my fingers digging into his shoulders, my legs clenching over his shoulders.

He growls against me, his tongue delving deeper, circling my clit with exquisite intensity. My muscles clench, my body teetering on the edge.

“Come for me, baby,” he groans, his voice thick with need.

And I do—hard. Pleasure crashes through me, my body arching off the bed as I explode on his tongue. He licks me through it, his tongue stroking every aftershock until I’m trembling, gasping, and yet still hungry for more.

Before I can catch my breath, he’s on me again, his mouth capturing mine in a hungry, possessive kiss. I taste myself on his tongue, and I return his kiss with a fierce hunger. My hands fumble for his boxers, urgency flooding every movement. I pushthem down, my fingers wrapping around the rigid length of his cock. He groans into my mouth as I stroke him, feeling the thick, velvet heat of his cock against my palm.

He slides his boxers off, and then he’s bare against me, all hard muscle and scorching skin. His body is everything I remembered and more—strong, powerful, completely intoxicating. He moves between my thighs, his cock pressing against my entrance, slick with my hot juices.

His dark eyes lock onto mine, filled with raw desire. “Are you ready?” His voice is rough, almost guttural.

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