Page 22 of Enticed by the Mountain Man
“I was terrified you’d never let me get this close,” I whisper.
“You were already close,” he says. “I just had to stop fighting it.”
He kisses me again, slower now, each pass of his lips deliberate. My fingers catch in his shirt; his body presses against mine, all heat and solid strength. When he finally breaks away, we’re both breathing hard.
“Maeve,” he says, voice rough. “You undo me.”
“Good.”
He laughs softly and touches his forehead to mine. “You’re trouble.”
“You love it.”
“Yeah,” he breathes. “I do.”
We find our way to the bedroom. When he pulls me close again, the world narrows to the warmth of his body.
His hands move more slowly now, more certain. He traces the outline of my jaw, down my throat, across my collarbone, until I can feel every pulse of my heart under his fingertips. His mouth follows, soft kisses that make my skin feel alive.
I touch his face, feel the roughness of his jaw, the heat of his breath. There’s nothing rushed about what follows—no urgency, no hesitation. Just a rhythm that builds and softens, a language made of touch and breath. He whispers my name like it’s something precious, and every time he says it, I feel it down to my bones.
When we are finally still, he keeps his forehead against mine. Our breathing syncs, slow and even. His thumb strokes the corner of my mouth, and he whispers the words I’ve been waiting for.
“I love you,” he says, rough but certain.
I smile through the tears that blur my vision. “I love you too.”
He kisses me once more, and everything inside me settles.
Later, we lie tangled in the sheets. Graham’s arm is heavy across my waist, his skin warm against mine. I trace slow lines down his chest, feeling the rise and fall of his breathing.
“You realize Dottie’s never going to let us live that kiss down?” I murmur.
He chuckles, voice still husky. “She’ll be telling that story till next Christmas.”
“She already made us Pine Hollow’s gossip of the week.”
“I don’t mind,” he says. “If it means everyone knows you’re mine.”
The possessiveness in his voice sends a little flutter through me. I grin against his shoulder. “You like staking claims, huh?”
“Only when it’s you.”
He shifts, tightening his arm around me, his breath warm against my hair. “I meant what I said earlier.”
“Which part?”
“All of it.” His voice is quiet now, honest. “I love you,” He smiles and presses a kiss to my temple. “I don’t know if I deserve you, but I’m keeping you.”
I tilt my head to look at him. “I’m keeping you, too.”
He lets out a quiet laugh, then pulls me closer until I’m tucked fully against him. When he finally drifts off, his hand still rests against mine, his fingers curved lightly over my wrist.
For the first time since coming to Pine Hollow, I know where I belong.
I turn slightly, press a kiss to his chest, and whisper into the quiet, “You’re it for me, Graham.”
He stirs, half asleep. “Always.”
