Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21549 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 108(@200wpm)___ 86(@250wpm)___ 72(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21549 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 108(@200wpm)___ 86(@250wpm)___ 72(@300wpm)
The ground shakes beneath us, and the air fills with the sound of cracking trees and shifting earth. Ridge grabs my hand, his grip firm and unyielding, and leads me down the trail at a breakneck pace. My heart pounds, adrenaline surging as rocks tumble and branches snap around us.
We don’t make it far before a massive tree crashes onto the path ahead, blocking our way. Ridge curses under his breath and scans the area, his eyes narrowing on a small cave nestled into the hillside.
“In there,” he says, tugging me toward it.
The cave is barely big enough for the two of us, the entrance low and narrow. Ridge ducks inside first, pulling me in after him just as another crash echoes outside. We huddle in the dark, the sound of the avalanche muffled but still terrifying.
My hands tremble, and Ridge’s arm wraps around me instinctively. “It’s okay,” he murmurs, his voice steady. “We’re safe in here. Not the first avalanche I’ve tackled and it won’t be the last.”
I press closer to him, his warmth a stark contrast to the cool, damp air of the cave. “Do avalanches happen often up here?”
“Not usually,” he admits. “But the mountain’s unpredictable. You learn to adapt. Gotta take what it gives you, like everything in life.”
We sit in silence for a while, the tension between us crackling like static electricity. His arm stays around me, his body solid and reassuring, and I find myself relaxing despite the situation.
“You’re good at this,” I say softly. “The whole protective mountain man thing.”
He huffs a quiet laugh. “Don’t get used to it.”
The silence stretches a while before I ask, “Why did you leave the military?”
“How’d you know?” he hums.
“Something about the way you’re good in an emergency–and I saw the medals in your bedroom back at the observatory.”
Ridge stiffens slightly, and for a moment, I think he won’t answer. But then he says, “I left because it stopped feeling like I was protecting anything. Started feeling like I was just... surviving.”
I turn my head to look at him, the faint light from the cave’s entrance illuminating the hard angles of his face. “And now?”
He meets my gaze, his expression unreadable. “Now I’m trying to figure out if there’s more to life than just surviving.”
The vulnerability in his words takes my breath away. I reach up without thinking, my fingers brushing against his jaw. He doesn’t pull away, and the tension between us sharpens, the air thick with unspoken words.
“I think there is,” I say quietly.
He leans in, his forehead resting against mine. “You know, something about you makes me want to believe that.”
My heart stutters, and before I can think, he closes the distance between us. Our lips meet, tentative at first, but the kiss quickly deepens, all heat and desperation. His hands slide to my waist, pulling me closer until there’s no space left between us.
It’s reckless and messy and perfect. He pulls away and his intense gaze holds mine, and my heart races with the unspoken chemistry crackling between us. Delicious anticipation twists in my stomach. Slowly, he undoes the buttons of his shirt, never breaking our eye contact. He pulls his shirt out of his pants, causing my heart to pound even harder and my nipples to ache with desire. I’ve never done this before–never been with a man. Ridge’s warm fingertips inch under my jacket, seeking the skin at my waist. My breath catches and my eyes flutter closed. Not breaking his gaze, I slide the zipper down my jacket and remove it.
His eyes flare with intent, his palms sliding under my shirt until the pads of his thumbs rest just under the cup of my bra.
“Do you want this, Quinn?” Comes his rough question.
I swallow, nodding, chained to his gaze.
“Touch yourself for me, show me how you want me to touch you.”
I nod, gulping down my anxiety about if he’ll like me–my curvy hips and thick thighs and soft stomach that have always caused me insecurity.
With courage I’ve never had before, I slip the zipper down on my jeans and begin to massage my cotton-covered pussy in slow circles. His eyes widen at the sight, and I can see his breath quicken. Taking a deep breath, I lean back against the cool wall of the cave, allowing his gaze to take me in as I pleasure myself in a way I never have before.
“Fuck, baby.” His hand slides to my waist, thumbs working along the waistband of my panties. “I’m gonna lose my mind just watching you play with that pretty, soaking wet pussy.” He growls, the front of his pants tented with his rock hard erection. “Dammit, you’re soaked through your pretty pink panties. Makes my mouth water wanting to lick that juicy cunt clean.”
My head tilts back and I begin to massage harder, while my other hand slides up to my breast to play with my nipple over the cup of my bra. I bite my lip and a moan rolls out of my throat.