Page 8 of Mountain Man's Bonfire Beauty
I came to a dead stop. We were nearing my truck by then, but something in me felt like once we got there, that would be it. We’d have to get in and go home. I was dragging it out.
“Yeah,” I said. “Same here.”
Real eloquent. I was a true romantic. I wanted to roll my eyes at myself. I was definitely out of practice when it came to this sort of thing.
“You don’t understand.” She took a deep breath and let it out. “This is not normal for me at all. I’m bad about running at the first sign that a guy might not be perfect.”
I let out a dry laugh. “I’m far from perfect. You might want to start running.”
What was I saying? Was I encouraging her to run? That was the last thing I wanted her to do. Or was it? Maybe I was so scared of all this that I was looking for a way out.
“That’s exactly why I should run,” she said. “But I don’t want to. Not this time.”
We’d reached the truck. She turned to face me, her back against the tailgate, and I could see the resolve building in her expression.
“There’s something you should know,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “About me. About why I’m so nervous right now.”
I waited, sensing this was important.
“I’ve never…” She took a shaky breath. “I mean, I’ve dated, but I’ve never actually been with anyone. Like that.”
The admission hung in the air between us, vulnerable and honest. My heart started racing for entirely different reasons.
“Parker—”
“I know what you’re thinking,” she rushed on. “Twenty-three and still a virgin. It’s pathetic, right? But I was always so focused on avoiding the wrong guys that I never gave the right one a chance, and now?—”
“It’s not pathetic,” I said firmly, stepping closer. “It’s not pathetic at all.”
She looked up at me, her green eyes reflecting the starlight. “I don’t want to be afraid anymore, Ayden. And I don’t want to run.”
In one fluid movement, she hoisted herself up onto the tailgate, her legs dangling over the edge. The action brought her face level with mine, close enough that I could see the determination mixed with nervousness in her expression.
“I want you to be my first,” she said softly, her hands reaching for the front of my shirt. “If you want that too.”
My breath caught. This beautiful, brave woman was offering me something precious. Something she’d never given anyone else. The weight of that trust, that choice, settled over me like a boulder.
“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice rough with want and wonder.
“I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.”
4
PARKER
I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.
The moment the words left my lips, my heart hammered so hard, I was sure he could hear it—each frantic beat echoing between us like a drum. The night air was cool against my flushed cheeks, the scent of pine and distant rain clinging to the breeze, but inside, I burned.
His dark eyes searched mine, intense and unreadable, before he finally exhaled—a rough, shuddering breath that sent warmth cascading down my spine. “God, Parker.”
His voice was low, graveled with need. The sound did things to me.
His hands came up to cradle my face, calloused thumbs brushing my cheeks. Then his mouth was on mine, hot and demanding, and every coherent thought scattered.
His kiss was nothing like the tentative ones I’d experienced before. This was hunger, pure and raw. I whimpered, gripping his shirt as his tongue slid against mine, sending heat spiraling low in my stomach. The sound of our ragged breaths filled the space between us, mingling with the rustle of fabric as he tugged me closer.
He pulled back just enough to say, “Tell me to stop, and I stop. No questions.”
