Page 135 of True North

She cries out as her pussy grips my cock, harder than before.

I growl into her ear, and a breathy whimper leaves those pretty lips.

So, I follow with, “I love you, Louisa May. Always have. Always damn well will.”

A sob chokes out her next breath.

Hot, wet kisses find my four days’ worth of stubble. The moment I pull away, she flies into my arms so fast, I almost topple backward. Her arms cradle my head as she wraps herself around me, and her fingers dig into my hair.

“I love you, too, Harry.”

* * *

The last leg of the descent off this mountain is the hardest. I knew it would be. I slide back and forth with Darby. Head down, he reins from side to side as we hold the herd steady, heading down the slope. The storm from last night turned into a constant downpour.

Not the best-case scenario.

At all.

The stream marking the border between the flats and the mountains was already at full capacity. If it swells, we’re stuck. And we do not have the provisions or the timeframe for that kind of delay.

Louisa’s sweet little hup-hups have turned raspy over the last few days. She’s exhausted. I can see it in her eyes, and the way she slumps over the saddle when she thinks I’m busy checking over the herd.

The sooner we get home, the better.

An hour later, we’re riding toward the stream turned torrential river.

“Fuck!”

I pluck the hat from my head and run my hand through my soaked hair.

The rain washes away the muted sounds of the herd behind me. So when Lou appears on Mara, I startle.

“Can we cross downstream?” she asks.

“Maybe. We can’t stay stranded on this side.”

“I’ll take a look.” She reins the mare away, trotting on the muddy ground along the bank of the stream. In the downpour, she disappears into the gray sheet of weather.

My heart picks up pace.

With her out of sight, my gut ties into a bundle of knots.

I strain to hear her returning.

I hear nothing.

“Dammit.”

With a quick glance over the herd, I trot off in the direction she went. The thunderstorm intensifies, and I shield my eyes like it’s the sun I’m lookin’ into, not cold, soaking rain.

Mara bursts through a scattering of trees up ahead, Louisa riding high. She waves when she sees me.

“Down here, it shallows out.” She turns in her seat, pointing behind her.

“Right, I’ll push them down. Wait here!” I shout over the hiss of the pelting drops.

She nods and pulls the mare to a halt.

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