Page 5 of Protected By the Mountain Man

“Scott…”

“What is it, Ava?” he asks, looking down at me with concern.

“I… I have to tell you. I’ve never been with anyone before… like in any capacity. That was my first kiss, actually,” I finish, looking to the ground.

He’s not having it, he lifts my chin up so my eyes have to meet his. He doesn’t look upset or even annoyed. He’s looking at me exactly like he did before we kissed.

“Oh, honey. Why were you nervous to tell me that? I don’t care,” he says, like it’s the simplest thing in the world.

“I don’t know. I feel like most guys get weirded out when girls don’t have much, or any, I guess, experience,” I finish and he’s still looking at me with stars in his eyes.

“Real men don’t care if you’ve been with no men or a hundred men. All I care about is that you’re with me now.” The authority in his voice sends shivers down my spine and I can’t help but wonder how he can be so sure about me, about us, after one meeting years ago and a few hours tonight.

I decide not to let those thoughts get to me right now. Now, I just want to enjoy this man who has made me feel better about myself in one night than anyone else has my entire life.

“Thank you. For being so understanding,” I say, reaching up to plant another kiss on his lips. It feels good, like something I could get used to. He pulls me closer, searing my lips with his own before pulling away.

“Let’s get out of here,” he says, pulling my hand and leading me out the front door. He locks up, never once letting go of me, before leading me to the staff parking lot and his silver truck.

We walk to the passenger side, and he opens the door for me. He buckles me into the seat, making sure I’m secure and I nearly swoon at the gesture. He’s so kind with me, but so firm with everyone else. It makes me feel like I’m special to him, that him remembering me from all those years ago really meant something, that maybe, just maybe, we could build something together.

He hops in the driver’s seat and starts heading out of town.

“Wait, how do you know where to go?” I ask, suddenly feeling a bit nervous.

“Small town, honey,” he says, taking his eyes off the road to look at me. “And Luna lived there, remember?” he breaks into a smile before lacing his fingers through mine once again. I relax at that.No need to be paranoid.

“Oh, right,” I say with a laugh. I think I’m a bit worried about what’s going to happen when we get back to my place. He knows I’ve never been with anyone before, but does that mean he doesn’t expect anything? What if I want to try something with him?

I stay lost in my thoughts for the rest of the drive, only tuning back in when we pull up to my cabin. I had left the light on in the kitchen and it makes the place look so warm, so inviting that I can’t help but feel regret at waiting so long to come back to Cedar Ridge. This town was always my home and I can’t wait to settle back in.

Scott parks the truck and rounds the corner to open my door before I even have the chance to unbuckle my seatbelt. His black waves shine in the moonlight as he lifts me out of my seat andI’m struck, just like the first time he lifted me all those years ago, by how handsome he is.

He sets me down on the front step and waits behind me as I open the door. I should invite him in, but I can’t quite find the words. We stare at each other a moment too long before he says, “I’m gonna come in, but you can kick me out anytime you like. I just want to spend more time with you.”

I smile at that, glad he took the pressure off of me. We walk in and I show him around the simple space. “I like your plants,” he says.

“Thanks. They’re like my babies,” I say. “This one,” I point to one in a pot by the foot of my bed, “is the fern I’m going to be looking for here. I feel like I saw it in the mountains as a kid, and if I’m right, then I can do my research here like I always dreamed.”

“We’ll find it,” he says, his confidence making me feel certain thatwewill. I feel like I could do anything with Scott’s support and that scares me. What if I’m not enough for him? I know he’s older than me and I can’t help but wonder if he’ll lose interest once the sparks go.

I don’t have time to wonder more as Scott comes up to me and pulls me into a crushing embrace.

“I’ve been waiting for you forever,” he murmurs into my ear before hitting me with another mind bending kiss.

Our mouths mold together, tongues tangling as we explore each other more deeply than back at the brewery. It feels so good, so right, I could kiss him forever. His tongue swirls in my mouth and my eyes roll into the back of my head.

“Scott, that feels so good,” I mumble as he moves from my mouth to kiss down my neck. The new sensation sends my core tightening, and suddenly I’m desperate for more. More exploration, more tasting, more Scott, more everything.

Slowly, he backs me up from where we are standing to the bed. He lays me gently on top of the covers before hovering over me.

“Is this okay? If you say yes, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop with just tasting your mouth.” He finishes the sentence with kisses planted on my mouth, my cheeks, and my chest. I know in this moment that I want to do everything with him, that stopping isn’t an option for either of us.

“Yes,” I whisper, tangling my hand in his dark waves and pulling his mouth to mine once again. His eyes look ravenous as he leans into me and gives me another deep kiss. He pulls back, “Sit up,” he says, a demand rather than an ask. “Lift your arms up, honey.”

I do as he says, lifting my arms over my head and he leans forward, lifting my blue knit sweater over my head, leaving my in the lacy white bralette I put on before I left the house.Thank god I wanted to feel good in my clothes earlier.

“Gorgeous,” he says, licking his lips as he looks at the tops of my breasts. He pushes me back down to the bed, lowering his mouth to my chest and placing gentle kisses above the lace. He reaches up and pulls down the cups, nearly ripping the bralette in the process. He sucks a nipple into his mouth, twisting the other one in his hand and the sensations are so overwhelming, I let out a cross between a gasp and a moan.

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