Page 54 of Montana Freedom

“I know.” His lips found mine, the gentle movement of us together the background to his words. “If I hurt you—”

“You won’t, Daniel.”

“If I do, I expect you to tell me.” His voice held no room for argument.

Nodding, I finally pulled him all the way closer so our bodies were touching everywhere. “I don’t hurt.”

And I didn’t. Yes, I felt some discomfort because my body wasn’t used to this, and it might feel achy tomorrow, like a bruise, but it didn’t hurt. And beneath all that was the potential for it to be so much more.

“Don’t hold back,” I whispered.

A smooth, rolling movement of his body made me gasp. “I’m not,” Daniel said. “But I’m also not someone who’s going to pin you to the bed and jackhammer you into oblivion. You’ve been in my dreams for months, Emma. I want to take my time.”

My eyes closed, a wave of deep arousal and pleasure flowing between his movement and his words. A shift happened between us, flipping off the uncertainty and the doubt. And we took our time.

Daniel kissed me like the world was burning and it was the last thing he wanted to do in this life. And when he wasn’t kissing me, he slipped his hand between our bodies, teasing me along with the slow, thorough movement of being taken.

It feltgood. The sensation built in me in a suddenly familiar way until I was gasping under his mouth. The orgasm peaked, a small burst of light behind my eyes and a shaking sigh as I shuddered around him.

My orgasm drove his, the thrust of hips harder and the low sound of his groan vibrating against my neck. We came to stillness together, breathing in each other’s air, and I savored the feeling of Daniel relaxing. Allowing me to take some of his weight.

I smiled, though he couldn’t see it. To me, this was perfect. It wasn’t the explosion of passion and exquisitely choreographed sex you seemed to think would happen when two people who wanted each other finally came together. This was better.

Every time, I would want the reality of the two of us together over a glossy illusion. And the truth of our reality was that we were two people with struggles. We needed to learn our way with each other, and I needed to learn the way this worked altogether.

“Stay here,” Daniel whispered, kissing my cheek as he eased himself from my body and stood, disappearing into the darkness of the rest of the cabin. I heard a door open and running water before he returned, washcloth in hand.

That was a different kind of intimacy. He cleaned me up, and I was flushed pink. He’d just been inside me, and yet I felt embarrassed by this act. I wasn’t sure why. But I let him do it and watched as he tossed the washcloth into the laundry basket before he returned to me.

“Do you want me to go?”

I snorted. “Yeah, no chance in hell.”

We hadn’t used the blankets, and he helped me under them before pulling me against his body and kissing me thoroughly. “I was already cracking on my own, but Jude pointed out I was ignoring the same advice I’d given him not too long ago. Not only that, but I was invalidating your choices.”

Raising an eyebrow, I let myself smile. “So, you don’t want to be here?” My comment was meant to be teasing. I could tell how much he wanted to be here, but his eyes went serious.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I know.” Reaching out a hand, I touched his chest. “I know. I’m sorry. I was teasing. I’m—” One breath in and another out. “You know I’m new at this, and I’m not sure what to say. But there’s nowhere else I want to be, and nowhere else I want you to be.”

“Good,” he finally said, slipping a hand behind my neck and pressing his lips to my forehead. “Because I don’t think I could keep myself away now.”

I sighed, leaning into him, and we let comfort and warmth carry us away.

Chapter18

Daniel

I woke first.

Emma was curled into my side defensively, but her face was relaxed. Trying not to wake her, I moved, stroking slowly down her arm. Her body eased under the touch, releasing the pose of someone under attack, and my heart swelled.

While I wasn’t sure I deserved the unconscious trust she gave me, having it was precious, and I savored it just as much as I did the knowledge she’d shared her body with me.

I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. Now that I was here, this felt like the easiest thing in the world, and I wondered how I’d managed to hold back for so long. We fit together. My body fit in hers so perfectly, andgod, she felt amazing. But it was more than that. We understood each other in ways others couldn’t. She’d pointed it out last night, and it was the truth.

The next time I saw Jude, I needed to tell him thank you for pulling my head out of my ass.

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