Page 12 of Fearless Mountain Man

No, this may as well have been my first kiss. It was the first one I went into eagerly, and the first one with a guy I was really, really, really attracted to.

But what I was most aware of was the feel of his hands moving over my bare back just above my panty line. Even in the water, I felt his body heat as his rough fingers moved over my soft skin.

I let out a sigh against his mouth, and that deepened the kiss. It also led his hands to wander upward, toward my bra clasp. It reminded me of all the stories my friends told of guys struggling to get their bras off while they were making out. I’d been envious, imagining whatever boy I was crushing on doing the same, but I had no idea just how hot this stuff could be.

He popped the clasp effortlessly, then tugged on my straps, pulling them down. I was vaguely aware of my bra, which might float off, but Carter would retrieve it for me. He’d be my hero.

All those thoughts vanished immediately when he pulled me against him, my bare breasts pressed tight against the solid wall of his chest. I felt his bulge and knew that this had him just as worked up as me.

It was only then that I realized his weren’t the only hands that could roam. So far, my hands had been solidly planted on his shoulders, except when I’d lowered them to remove my bra. Now I moved them down his arms, pulling away from him slightly to explore his chest.

We didn’t break the kiss through all of this. It was almost like a game—keep our mouths fused, no matter what we did.

Finally, though, he broke the kiss. When he looked down at me, the passion in his eyes took my breath. I’d always wanted someone to look at me like that, but I’d never imagined how good it would feel, just knowing he wanted me. He was having to struggle to hold himself back from rushing this forward.

That was when it hit me. There was something I hadn’t told him.

“I, uh—” he said at the same time I said, “Carter.”

“You go first,” he said.

“I’ve never done this before. I mean, I’m prepared and all. I’m on birth control. Have been for a few years.” I laughed. “I guess it was wishful thinking.”

“Holy fuck,” he said.

That wasn’t the reaction I’d expected. But I couldn’t say what I would have expected his response to be. I lowered my gaze, and maybe he took that as a sign I was embarrassed. I wasn’t. I just had no idea what to say.

“You’ve never done this before?” he asked. “You’re a virgin?”

I nodded and lifted my gaze again. The heat in his eyes had shifted. Now it was warmth, compassion, and…something else. Pity?

No. It wasn’t that. Appreciation? Respect? Yes, that was closer to what I was seeing there.

“I just…” I shrugged. “I figured you should know before we, you know, went too far.”

“Yeah,” he said. “But we have to get out of here.”

Panic took over my body, freezing me. I couldn’t move, think, or speak. I was surprised I was even breathing.

He wanted to hit the pause button on this. We’d come all this way on a boat, but hearing I was a virgin had him desperately seeking a way out of this whole situation.

“Your first time shouldn’t be in the water,” he said. “I was going to try to figure out how to do this standing up, but I had no idea.”

“Standing up sounds sexy.”

I smiled, relieved he wasn’t bailing. He was thinking about my comfort. Or maybe he just wanted to make it romantic. That meant everything to me right now.

He shook his head. “I’m worried about the pain. I need to lay you out somewhere, so we can do this slowly. Okay?”

I nodded. He was more experienced, although I didn’t know if he’d ever been with a virgin before. I didn’t want to hear about any of his past relationships—whether they were serious or just physical. I wanted to pretend, just for now, that I was the only woman he’d ever be with.

He stepped back. Under the water, I saw him reach toward me, his hand sliding along my arm and taking my hand in his. And that was how we walked toward the shore, side by side. My heart was pounding so hard, I was sure he could hear it.

When we reached land, he gestured toward a particularly plush patch of land. The grass was thick there. It would be comfortable for me. He was looking out for that, first and foremost.

I lay flat on the ground, staring up at the stars, counting them as he knelt beside me. He didn’t climb on top of me, though. He just settled on the ground, propping himself up on one arm as he looked down at me. His hand went straight to my face, turning it toward his as he lowered his mouth to mine again.

This time, the kiss was sweet. It lacked the passion of before, but that made it even better. The tenderness told me he cared.

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