Page 121 of Full Mountie

“So should you.” She pats my side of the bed. “Right here.”

And Hugh should be on the other side of her.

There are so many other things that he should be right now.

My chest squeezes tight and I just nod as I try to swallow the lump in my throat.

Crossing the floor, I keep my breathing slow and steady in an effort to calm my heart rate before climbing in beside Beth.

She snuggles in close, and as I pull her into my arms, she twirls a finger in my chest hair. “What did he say?” she asks.

Jesus. I can’t tell her what she wants to hear and she’s already cried an ocean of tears.

“He’s in Ottawa. And he needs space.”

Her finger stops moving. “He isn’t coming back.”

“No, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything for when we get home,” I say, trying to sound more optimistic than I feel.

“We could go to him now.”

If only it were that simple. “Not yet. I can’t see either of us being able to stay away from him while we’re all in Ottawa—even for just a few days. It’ll be easier for us to give him what he thinks he needs from here.”

She lets out a long sigh. “I suppose you’re right.”

Hugging her tighter, I lean down and kiss the top of her head.

“We should try and get some sleep,” I tell her.

She doesn’t respond. Instead, she slips her hand behind my neck and pulls me down for a kiss.

A gentle brush at first, then more insistent. I open and she teases her way in, her tongue gliding against mine as she slips her leg over me and grinds herself against my thigh.

I groan into her mouth and roll us over until I’m on top of her.

She spreads her legs wider. The invitation is clear. She’s wet, and I’m hard.

There’s no foreplay this time.

We’re both swirling in a maelstrom of hurt and confusion and sometimes a good hard fuck is all there is to keep your head above water.

I take control of the kiss, plunging my tongue deep as I bury my cock inside her.

She wraps her legs around my waist, and I slip an arm under her knee and lift it higher, desperate to get as far inside her as I can.

All the pain and anger I’ve been desperately trying to keep down come spewing out.

My hips jerk and pump wildly. I’m a savage. No finesse at all. Just an overwhelming need to rut.

I’m not going to last long, but even in my frenzied state, I’m not so selfish as to leave her hanging, so I reach between us and use my fingers on her clit.

When the last spasms of my orgasm subside, I reach down to hold the condom in place as I pull out.

I hit bare flesh instead.

No condom.

Fuck. I’m a complete idiot.

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