Page 9 of Shelter Me, Sawyer

Then I'm moving up her body, kissing every inch of skin I can reach, until I'm poised at her entrance, hard and aching and desperate to be inside her.

"Scarlett," I rasp, voice barely human. "Look at me."

Her eyes flutter open, meeting mine. In them I see trust, want, and something deeper that makes my chest tight.

I push into her slowly, savoring every inch, every soft gasp that falls from her lips. She's tight and warm and perfect, her body welcoming me like we've done this dance a thousand times before.

"Oh God," she breathes, nails digging into my shoulders. "Sawyer..."

I still once I'm fully seated inside her, giving us both a moment to adjust. To process the magnitude of this connection. She feelslike home and salvation andfuck, who knew this could feel so fucking right?

"You okay?" I ask, pressing my forehead to hers.

She nods, eyes bright with desire. "More than okay. Fuck me. Please."

I don't need to be asked twice.

I start slow, deep strokes that make her arch beneath me, soft moans escaping her throat. But it doesn't stay gentle for long. The need between us is too fierce, too consuming. Soon we're moving together with desperate urgency, chasing something that feels bigger than pleasure, bigger than release.

Her legs wrap around my waist, pulling me deeper. Her hands roam my back, my shoulders, like she's trying to memorize the feel of me. And when she whispers my name like a prayer, I'm lost completely.

I slam into her, again and again. She cries out my name, and I’m nearly undone.

"That's it," I growl against her throat. "Let me hear you."

She comes apart in my arms with a cry, her body clenching around me so tightly that I immediately follow her over the edge, spilling inside her with a primal groan.

We collapse together, breathing hard, hearts pounding in sync. I roll to my side, pulling her with me, unwilling to break the connection between us.

For long minutes we just hold each other, coming down from the high, processing what just happened.

Finally, she lifts her head to look at me, hair mussed, eyes soft and wondering.

"That was..."

"Yeah," I agree, because I don't have words for it either.

She smiles then, slow and satisfied and so beautiful it takes my breath away.

And I know, with absolute certainty, that I'm never letting her go.

Six

Scarlett

WhenIwakeupthe second time, sunlight is streaming through the cabin windows. The storm has passed, leaving behind that crystal-clear quiet that only comes after nature has had her tantrum and moved on.

But nothing inside me feels quiet anymore.

Because everything has changed.

Sawyer's still asleep beside me, one arm draped possessively across my waist, his breath warm against the back of my neck.

I should feel awkward. Should be second-guessing what happened between us in the heat of the moment. Should be planning my graceful exit back to the real world.

Instead, I feel... complete. Like I've been walking around with a piece of myself missing and finally found it in the arms of a mountain man who barely speaks in full sentences.

The rational part of my brain is screaming warnings. I don't know him. This is moving too fast. I have a life waiting for me down the mountain. A job, an apartment, responsibilities.

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