Page 19 of The Beast of the Mountain
“It’s freezing,” I moan when my feet reach the water’s edge.
“Get over here,” Bear rasps, reaching out for me. “I’ll warm you up.”
My gaze drifts down his muscled torso, circling his cock before returning to his eyes. I’m feeling warmer already. And when I finally make it to him, the water reaching just below my ass, he wraps his arms around me. His cock slides against my belly, and he’s right—I’m warmer.
“It’s a start,” I say, kissing his chest, still cold from the water.
“A start? That’s not good. Have any other ideas?”
I slide my hand along his cock. “I’ve got one idea.” I kiss his chest again and again as I stroke him softly.
“And what’s that?” he asks, his voice strained and husky—just the way I like it.
“Maybe you can warm me up from the inside—with this.”
He moans, long a gruff. “I think it’s crazy enough to work, sweet girl.”
“I’m glad you’re on board.”
“Now hop on and let’s try it out. I don’t want to see my girl suffering for any longer.”
I grin because I can’t help it. My chest flutters, warmth spreading all over my core as I wrap my arms around Bear’s shoulders and he lowers himself, gripping my legs and picking me up.
“I love you, Riley,” he rasps into my ear.
“I love you too, Bear.”
He lowers me onto his cock, slipping inside me with ease as I wrap my legs around his waist.
“Now let’s work up a sweat,” he growls, thrusting inside me as I rear back and moan.
I’ll never get enough of this man.
And I know he’ll never get enough of me.
Epilogue
Riley - Two Years Later
“Congratulations,”Vera, my agent, says, “you’ve earned it. And now go celebrate with Bear and Autumn. How is she by the way?”
“She’s such a happy little girl,” I say looking out the window, my chest fluttering when I see the two most important people in my life.
Bear has Autumn on his shoulders as she giggles with delight, a couple of wildflowers threaded behind her ears. You’d think I’d be more ecstatic to learn that my latest thriller,Mountain of Secrets,became aNew York TimesBest Seller.
It’s the first time any of my books reached the list. But in the end, it’s just a list, and reaching it isn’t going to make me happy. I’m already happy. How can I not be when I have an amazing husband like Bear and such a wonderful baby girl like Autumn?
I never thought I’d live in the mountains. I never thought I’d find a man like Bear or start a family. For the longest time, I was convinced that I was going to live out my life in a tiny apartment, writing stories that entertained me and a few other people.
But all that changed because of a busted gas gauge. Bear calls it fate. We were meant to be together—waiting for the universe to pull the strings and guide us to each other. Maybe there’ssomething to it, but whatever the case may be, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we found each other. We fell in love. And we’ve created a life together that I never could have dreamed of.
I do what I love and live a wonderful and fulfilling life with my family. Being recognized is nice, and so will the new attention on me and my books. But the only attention I want or need is my family’s.
“She’s beginning to walk.” I swear every single day she’s adding another step. Once she learned she could stand without holding onto the couch, it was like a whole new world opened up. I can still remember watching her face as the realization slowly set in. Eyes flaring. A huge, mostly toothless grin. One, tentative step…
And then she fell. My heart leapt to my throat as I watched but before either Bear or I made it to her, she got up and tried it all over again. She has Bear’s tenacity. And my curiosity—always trying to work things out.
“Oh, no,” Vera says. “I mean, that’s great. She’ll be hiking with you two in no time.”
