Page 15 of Forever In Willow Creek

Luke’s breath caught, his hands tightening in her hair as he let out a low groan.“Zoe,”he murmured, his voice strained. He tilted her face up to his, his eyes dark with desire and something else—something deeper.“You’re beautiful,”he said, the words soft but sincere.

Her cheeks flushed, her heart swelling at his words. She didn’t say anything, just kissed him again, pouring everything she felt into the kiss. Her hands moved to his belt, fumbling with the buckle for a moment before it came undone. She pushed his jeans down his hips, her fingers brushing against the hard length of him through the fabric of his boxers.

Luke groaned again, his hips bucking involuntarily as her hand closed around him.“Zoe,”he breathed, his voice rough with need. His hands moved to her waist, tugging at the hem of her shirt until it was over her head and tossed aside. Her bra followed a moment later, leaving her bare to his hungry gaze.

He stared at her for a moment, his eyes roving over her body as though he were memorizing every curve, every inch of skin. Then he leaned in, his lips brushing against the hollow of herthroat before moving lower, tracing a path down her collarbone to the swell of her breast. He took her nipple into his mouth, sucking gently until she was trembling in his arms, her hands clutching at his shoulders.

“Luke,”she gasped, her head falling back as his teeth grazed her sensitive flesh. His hands slid down her body, cupping her ass and lifting her until she was pressed against him, her legs wrapping around his waist. He carried her to the couch, laying her down gently before settling between her thighs.

He kissed her again, slowly and deeply, his hands roaming her body as though he couldn’t get enough of her. His fingers dipped between her thighs, stroking her through the thin fabric of her panties until she was writhing beneath him, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

“Please,”she whispered, her voice breaking on the word. She didn’t have to say more, Luke knew what she needed. He hooked his fingers in the waistband of her panties, dragging them down her legs and tossing them aside.

He kissed his way down her body, his lips trailing over her stomach, her hips, her thighs. She trembled beneath him, her hands tangling in his hair as he moved lower, his breath warm against her skin. When his tongue flicked against her clit, she let out a cry, her hips arching off the couch.

Luke’s hands tightened on her thighs, holding her in place as he licked and sucked at her, his tongue working her into a frenzy. She cried out again, her back arching as pleasure coursed through her. Her hands tightened in his hair, pulling him closer as her thighs trembled around his head.

“Luke, I’m—”she gasped, the words breaking off into a moan as she came, her body shuddering with the force of it. Hedidn’t stop, his tongue coaxing every last wave of pleasure from her until she was boneless beneath him, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

He kissed his way back up her body, his lips brushing against hers as he settled between her thighs. She could feel him, hard and hot against her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer.

“I need you,”she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

Luke’s breath caught, his eyes dark as he looked down at her.“Always,”he promised again, his voice rough with need. He kissed her slow and deep, as he slid into her, the heat of him filling her completely.

She gasped, her body arching against his as they moved together, each thrust a testament to the connection between them. His hands tangled in her hair, his lips brushing against hers as he whispered her name, over and over, like a prayer.

Her hands roamed his back, her nails digging into his skin as she clung to him, her body trembling with the force of her pleasure. When she came again, it was with his name on her lips, her body shuddering with the intensity of it. He followed her moments later, his hips stuttering as he spilled himself inside her.

They lay there for a long time after, their bodies tangled together, their breaths mingling in the quiet of the apartment. Outside, the rain had stopped, the sky clearing to reveal the first hints of stars. Inside, something new had just begun.

Chapter 12: Letting Go

The next morning, Zoe stood on the back porch of the cottage, holding her phone like it weighed a hundred pounds.

The contract was still in her inbox.

Unsigned. Unanswered.

She stared at the screen for a long time, rereading Kristen’s last message:

We need to know by noon today. This kind of opportunity doesn’t wait, Zoe.

For most of her adult life, she would’ve answered that call without hesitation. She would’ve had her suitcase packed, her calendar color-coded, and her ambition sharpened like a weapon. She had been trained—by grief, by pressure, by the unspoken expectations of everyone around her—to never let a chance slip through her fingers.

But this time… she let it go.

She opened the email. Hit reply.

Typed a single sentence:Thank you for the offer. I’ve decided to move in a different direction.

Her finger hovered over “send” for only a moment.

Then she clicked it.

It was done.

The moment the message disappeared, her breath left her in a rush she didn’t realize she’d been holding. A strange calmwashed over her, like the kind that follows a hard cry. It was over.

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