Page 15 of Snowed-in With The Mountain Man
He hisses through his teeth at my touch, eyes closing briefly. "Careful," he warns. "It's been a while, and I've wanted you for so long."
The vulnerability in his admission makes my chest tighten. I guide him to my entrance, both of us gasping as he notches against me.
"Protection?" I manage to ask.
He reaches for the nightstand drawer, fumbling for a condom. "I'm clean," he says as he rolls it on. "Got tested after my last relationship ended a year ago."
"I'm clean too," I assure him. "And on birth control."
These practicalities handled, there's nothing left but the moment we've both been anticipating for what feels like lifetimes. Ridge braces himself above me, arms flexing on either side of my head, eyes locked with mine as he begins to press forward.
"Tell me if I need to stop," he whispers, entering me with exquisite slowness. "I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't." I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him deeper. "I need all of you, Ridge."
With a groan that seems torn from his soul, he pushes forward until he's fully seated within me. The stretch burns in the most delicious way, my body adjusting to accommodate his size. For a moment, we're completely still, overwhelmed by the sensation of finally, finally being joined.
"Stella," he breathes, forehead pressed against mine. "You feel like coming home."
Tears spring to my eyes at the simple truth in his words. This is home. Not the cabin or the town, but this man. This connection. This moment of perfect unity.
"Move," I whisper, rocking my hips to encourage him. "Please, Ridge."
He starts slowly, each thrust deliberate and controlled, watching my face for any sign of discomfort. But there is only pleasure, building again with surprising speed as he finds a rhythm that has me clinging to his shoulders.
"That's it," he encourages when I lift my hips to meet his movements. "Take what you need."
Emboldened, I roll us suddenly, surprising us both as I find myself straddling him. His hands immediately grip my hips, steadying me as I adjust to the new position, taking him even deeper.
"God, look at you," he breathes, gaze traveling from where our bodies join up to my face. "So beautiful."
I begin to move, finding a rhythm that makes us both moan. His thumb finds my center again, circling in time with my movements, building me toward another peak.
"That's it," he encourages as my pace quickens. "Let me see you come again. Want to feel you around me."
His words push me over the edge, pleasure crashing through me in waves as I cry out his name. My inner walls pulse around him, triggering his own release. His fingers dig into my hips as he thrusts up one final time, my name a prayer on his lips as he finds his completion.
I collapse onto his chest, both of us panting, hearts thundering against each other. His arms wrap around me immediately, holding me close as if afraid I might disappear. I press my ear to his chest, listening to his heartbeat gradually slow, feeling more content than I can ever remember.
"You okay?" he asks after a moment, hand tracing gentle patterns up and down my spine.
"Better than okay." I lift my head to look at him, finding his expression soft and open in a way I've never seen before. "That was..."
"Worth the eight year wait," he finishes, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
We lie tangled together as our breathing steadies, the storm still raging outside unnoticed and unimportant. His fingers continue their gentle exploration of my skin, tracingconstellations between freckles on my shoulders, mapping the curve of my waist, learning me by touch.
"I should check on Chellie," I say eventually, though I make no move to leave the warmth of his embrace.
"She'll sleep another half hour at least." He presses a kiss to my forehead. "Stay a little longer."
So I do, head pillowed on his chest, listening to the strong, steady beat of his heart beneath my ear. This moment feels fragile and precious, this newfound intimacy still too fresh to expose to the outside world.
"What happens when the snow melts?" I ask, the question that's been haunting me finally finding voice.
His arms tighten around me. "That depends on what you want, Stella."
"I want to stay." The admission flows easily, truth I've been avoiding since the moment I arrived on his doorstep. "With you. Here."
