Page 13 of Romancing the Mountain Man
“Tell me what you were carving earlier.”
My heart skips a beat. I knew it would come up—she wouldn’tnotask—and maybe in the back of my head, I wanted her to. Maybe it was my dad forcing me to talk more.
“When I was a kid, my dad would carve knife handles. He had all different ones, and I’d find them all over the house. I begged him to teach me, so it became a hobby we did together.”
“That's sweet.”
“Of course, when I was a teenager, the hobby became boring, and I’d rather be out causing a ruckus in the streets.”
She laughs. “Of course.”
“But when my dad passed, I took it up again.”
The silence falls, and it’s easy. It felt easy to say all that. I pull her close.
She snuggles closer. “What happens if I kiss you?”
I pull back slightly to look at her. “Probably end up in the same position you were in last night.”
“Luke! Where was this guy when you first knocked on my door?”
“Can’t give away the goods all at once, right?” She snickers and climbs into my lap, squirming around with purpose, and I grab her waist. “You’re testing me, Quinn.”
She gives me an evil grin. “Just getting ready to kiss you again. Had to make sure I was in the rightposition.”
I tickle her ribs and toss her to her back on the couch, climbing over her. Her breath catches. “How’s this?” I lean down and kiss her, taking my time before I settle my weight over her.
She moans and opens her legs wider, letting me in. I rock into her, and she nips at my lip. “I like this position.”
I kiss her neck, nibble her collarbone, and work my way down, pulling at the buttons of my flannel that she still has on. She arches her back as I undo the last button, exposing the soft curve of her chest, bare beneath the borrowed shirt.
“Quinn,” I murmur against her skin, my voice low. “You really shouldn’t look this perfect in my shirt.”
She slides her hands into my hair, tugging gently. “Then take it off me.”
I don’t need to be told twice. I peel the flannel from her shoulders, dragging my fingertips and leaving a trail of goosebumps.
“I’ve been thinking about this all day,” she whispers, her hips pressing into mine.
“Yeah?” I breathe against her chest, letting my mouth taste the heat of her skin. “What exactly have you been thinking?”
Her legs wrap tighter around me, pulling me in closer. “I was thinking I like the way you sounded when you lost control, and I was wondering if it was going to happen again.”
I pause, hovering just above her, eyes locking with hers. There’s a challenge there, and also a little vulnerability. But Ishould have known she would just ask for it. I grin. “I think you're about to find out.”
She slides her hands down my back, nails grazing my skin just enough to make me groan. “I like this side of you,” she says, her voice soft.
I lower myself, lips brushing her ear. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
“Show me,” she breathes, her mouth finding mine again. It’s slow at first, like she’s daring me to give in.
I kiss her deeper this time, one hand cradling her jaw while the other slides down her thigh, hitching it higher around my hip. “You’re dangerous,” I murmur into her mouth. “Sweet smile but filthy words.”
She smirks, her breath catching as my fingers trace the inside of her thigh. “Takes one to know one.”
“I warned you, Quinn. Once I have you like this, I won’t want to stop.”
Her eyes flicker with desire. “Then don’t. Don’t hold back. Not tonight.”
