Page 11 of The Beast of the Mountain
“Good thing we made it back when we did,” Riley says. “It’s really picking up.”
My hand shakes as I take a sip of water, trying to ignore the delicate curve of Riley’s neck as she looks out the window. There’s not a single thing about her that doesn’t drive me wild. Her eyes, her lips, her scent. Her irresistible curves. It’s taking every bit of self-restraint inside me not to stare at her.
I grunt a response as my body temperature rises. My pulse and breathing accelerate as I imagine peeling every layer of clothing off her body. Tearing her panties off with my teeth. Tasting every inch of her. Making her mine.
“This was great,” she says, pushing her empty plate away. “But I think one serving is enough. That was decadent.”
Not as decadent as your lips.
“Can’t leave Whispering Winds without tasting it at least once.”
You can’t leave Whispering Winds is what I want to say—I open my mouth to say it but Riley stands up. “I need to take a shower. I can taste my body odor, it's so bad.”
I nearly groan because she’s wrong. There’s nothing wrong with her scent. It’s driving me wild. I want to grab her shirt by her collar, tear it open, and rub my damn face all over her body.
Drag my tongue across her stomach and up her sternum, relishing her taste.
“In there,” I say, my voice husky as I fight to keep my eyes off her tits. “This way.”
I guide her into my bedroom and to the bathroom, grabbing a towel for her from the cabinet.
“I’m glad there’s running water.”
“A recent improvement,” I say. “There’s a small lake not far from here that I bathe in from time to time. Cold but it wakes you up. Makes you feel connected with nature and the mountains. I’ll take you some time and you can try it out.”
“I think I’ll stick with a warm shower for now.”
Riley reaches for the towel, our hands touching as she pulls. I don’t let go. I keep the towel close as I hold her gaze. Jesus, she’s beautiful. It’s not like I didn’t notice before, but seeing her this close, penned inside the small bathroom—herirresistiblescent everywhere—is firing up my animal instincts again.
I don’t want to let her go. I want to claim those lips. I want to?—
“Bear…” Riley whispers. So soft. So delicate. But it’s enough to wrench me from my thoughts.
“It’s happening again.”
“Sorry,” I say, letting go of the towel and stepping back.
“Where do you go when you get that look?” Riley asks, her chest heaving just as much as mine. Eyes hazy. Voice husky.
I shake my head, stepping backward as I scrub my hand over my face and beard, trying to shake myself out of it.
“I don’t know,” I say. “I don’t know,” I repeat as I make it back to the door. “I’m going to get a fire going.”
But there’s one already burning inside me. It ignited the moment I laid eyes on Riley. Possessive. Protective.Obsessive. It’s raging—an unstoppable wildfire that keeps growing.
If I'm not careful, it could consume both of us.
Chapter 5
Riley
I couldn’t sleepat all last night. I offered to share the bed with Bear but he declined. Maybe I was wrong, and he’s not interested in me. It’s hard for me to believe that after the way he looked at me last night.
All day, really.
I’d never understood the meaning of a smoldering look until I felt Bear’s eyes on me. My skin burned. My insides melted. Every inch of me heated up. The air in the cabin was heavier than the clouds that brought the storm yesterday. I could hardly breathe in Bear’s commanding presence.
He’s so big that I’m sure one of his legs weighs as much as I do. And the way he bent his fork as he watched me eat. Heard me moan.Wow.I saw it. Noticed it and the power his hands possess. It makes my body tingle remembering it.
