Page 8 of Hunted By the Mountain Man
"You make me remember what it felt like to have something worth protecting. Someone worth fighting for." My other hand cups her face, thumb tracing her cheekbone. "That's dangerous for both of us."
"Why?"
"Because I'm not good at half-measures, Anna. When I care about something, I claim it. I protect it. I don't let it go." My voice drops to a rough whisper. "And I'm already caring about you more than is smart."
Something shifts in her expression—fear melting into something that looks like relief.
"Thank God," she breathes. "I thought I was losing my mind."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I've been in survival mode for two years. Haven't thought about anything except staying alive, staying hidden. And then you pull me out of that snow, and suddenly..." She trails off, shaking her head.
"Suddenly what?"
"Suddenly I'm not just trying to survive anymore. I'm trying to live." Her free hand finds my waist, fingers curling into my shirt. "And I want to live with you."
The admission breaks the last of my restraint. I capture her mouth with mine, pouring three years of loneliness and wantinto the kiss. She responds immediately, melting into me with a soft sound of surrender that goes straight to my head.
Her lips are soft, warm, perfect under mine. When her tongue touches mine tentatively, I groan, deepening the kiss and backing her against the stone wall. She fits perfectly in my arms, curves pressing against hard muscle, her hands exploring the breadth of my shoulders.
"Anna," I murmur against her mouth, my name for her rough with need.
"I know this is crazy," she whispers back, her lips moving against mine. "We barely know each other."
"Doesn't feel like barely knowing you." My hands span her waist, thumbs brushing the soft skin where my thermal shirt has ridden up. "Feels like I've been waiting for you my whole life."
She pulls back to look at me, eyes dark with desire and something deeper. "Cole..."
"Tell me to stop and I will," I say, even though it might kill me. "Tell me this is too fast, too much, and I'll back off."
"Don't you dare stop." Her hands fist in my shirt, pulling me closer. "Don't you dare back off."
That's all the permission I need. I lift her easily, her legs wrapping around my waist as I carry her to the narrow cot in the corner. She's light in my arms, but the way she clings to me makes me feel like I could move mountains.
I lay her down carefully, following her onto the small bed and caging her with my arms. The firelight plays across her face, highlighting the trust in her dark eyes, the way her lips are swollen from my kisses.
"You're beautiful," I tell her, meaning it more than any compliment I've ever given. "So damn beautiful it hurts to look at you."
"Cole..." She reaches up to touch my face, fingers tracing the line of my jaw. "I need you to know something."
"What?"
"This isn't just adrenaline or gratitude or..." She struggles for words. "This is real. What I'm feeling for you is real."
"I know." I capture her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. "Because I'm feeling it too."
When I kiss her again, it's with all the emotion I've kept locked away for three years. Every protective instinct, every lonely night, every moment I thought I'd never feel human connection again.
Anna kisses me back with equal intensity, her body arching into mine like she can't get close enough. My hands explore her curves through the thermal shirt, learning the shape of her, committing every gasp and sigh to memory.
"Mine," I growl against her throat, the possessive word slipping out before I can stop it.
"Yes," she gasps, her nails digging into my shoulders. "Yours."
Outside, the storm continues to rage, and somewhere in the forest below, armed men are hunting us. But in this moment, with Anna warm and willing in my arms, none of that matters.
All that matters is claiming the woman who's brought me back to life.
