My entire body hummed with anticipation.
Then his big body was between my legs, poised at my entrance that was slick and ready for him.
“Fuck,” he breathed through labored breaths as he slid home. “Never felt anything like this, like you,” he told me as he slid out and back in with a smooth glide.
He kissed me then, his tongue dueling with mine in a beautiful feud as his movements picked up.
I pulled him closer, loving the closeness and the feel of him inside me. His mouth moved back to my breast, sucking hard at my nipple as his hand slid down lower. The sensation from all pleasure points was nearly too much. It was so overwhelming.
Unbelievably, I felt that same wave build again, ready to overtake me if I let it.
“I’m close,” he panted as his movements became less controlled – more out of sync. “You are too. I can feel it,” he grunted.
I nodded, wrapping my legs that much tighter around him, wanting all of him, relishing being the cause of his loss of control.
Then I was there – hurtling over the edge, calling his name.
He surged inside me with desperation before he stilled, releasing a groan so sensual, I knew I’d remember it for the rest of my life.
He lay on me and in me for many long moments, our panting breaths the only sound to be heard. Then he slipped out and I sighed at the loss of him.
I heard him do something with the condom before his warm body returned to mine. “Come on, baby. Let’s go get cleaned up,” he murmured, kissing my neck.
I grinned up at him, raking my hands through his soft hair. I loved being with him like this – hell, I loved being with him any way I could get him. I’d never felt so safe to just be …me with anyone.
We dressed clumsily in the dim light of the little LED flashlight he had and stepped into the cool air outside the tent. He shocked me by hoisting me up in his arms and striding us into the darkness.
“You don’t have to carry me,” I giggled, feeling practically buoyant.
“Yeah, I really do,” he returned, breaking stride briefly to kiss me.
“Where are we going?”
“Bathrooms, babe,” he replied.
I smacked his arm. “You didn’t tell me there were bathrooms! Why have I been peeing in the woods?” I huffed while stifling a laugh. I wasn’t mad, not really. I was too blissed out.
He chuckled. “Too far to walk for a piss, baby. Plus, it’s part of the experience.” He shrugged with a smile.
“You don’t have to squat down in fear of something biting your ass. You can have the pissing in the woods experience all you want,” I returned with an eye roll. “I’ll stick to the bathrooms.”
I could hear the smile in his voice as he replied, “Fair enough, darlin’. But you gotta pee in the middle of the night, you’re on your own if you want to take a trek like this.” He chuckled.
Dammit.
The showers were so much nicer than I expected and completely private at this late hour. We got naked again and took our time cleaning each other up.
It was playful and intimate, and like we were the only two people on Earth. By the time we made it back to our little tent in the woods, I was exhausted and yet content down to my bones.
He pulled me close, nuzzling the back of my neck as he spooned me. “Night, baby.”
“Night,” I murmured.
As it turned out, I really liked camping after all.
Despite the fact that an hour later, I woke him up to take me to go pee in the woods.
Chapter 16
I felt lighter, happier as we rolled back into Hawthorne the next morning. We’d taken our time getting up, stopping for breakfast on the way in. Axel had been right. We’d needed that time together. But I was now impatient to get back to Mad. We both were.
We rolled up to the house to swap the bike for the truck and headed into town to get our boy.
My phone rang as we were driving in and my heart’s pace picked up as it always did when I saw an unfamiliar number flash across the screen.
“Who is it?” Axel asked brusquely.
“I don’t know, should I answer it?” I asked him.
He gave a terse nod as I slid my finger over the screen.
“Hello?”
“Sophie,” my mother’s rushed voice hit my ears.
I sat up straighter, shocked to hear from her and more so by her tone. Gone was her usual poise and standard calculated manner of speech.
“What do you want?” I replied coldly. “How did you get this number?”
Axel deftly pulled to the side of the road and mouthed to me to put it on speaker. I complied with shaky hands.
“I found it on your father’s desk,” she answered breathlessly. “I don’t know how he got it but I think he’s had it for a little while. He knows where you are.” She delivered the news like a crushing blow.
I shot a look at Axel and he reached over and took my free hand, pulling it into his lap.
“Why can’t he let this go?” I demanded furiously. “You both need to let me go!”
“I know.” She shocked me by agreeing in a subdued voice. “This past year, Sophie, not knowing where you were – if you were safe. Knowing what we made you do.” Her voice turned hoarse with an emotion I’d never heard in her before. “I just want you to be okay, Sophie. I don’t want to lose both my children. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me just to hear your voice.”
I wished I could say the same.
“What does he want?” I asked, choosing to ignore her emotional plea. It was too little, too late.
“He’s scaring me,” she admitted. “He’s a different man than I knew. I don’t know what’s driving it. He’s convinced himself that you need to come home and marry Benjamin,” she told me, referring to the senator’s son that they’d tried to force on me so long ago.
I saw Axel visibly stiffen beside me at the very mention of Benjamin, as he made a motion that I should mute the phone.
“Just a minute,” I told her, doing as he asked.
“You tell her you’re already married, babe,” he instructed.
“What?” I exclaimed.
“Not quite how I’d hoped to share my plans, but I knew all along we would need to play this card. Your brother and I have looked deep into the state of play with your father. You being spoken for in the eyes of the law puts a serious wrench in his plans. It might even make him back off altogether.”
“But we’re not married,” I protested.
He leveled me with a heated look and I gasped, not quite ready to take in what he’d said without needing words.
“What about Mad?” I asked quietly.
He shook his head. “Don’t mention him. I want him out of this. It sounds like she’s still under the impression you didn’t have him.” My heart clenched at the very thought as I nodded in agreement.
“Mother,” I began in a shaky voice as I took her off mute. “You need to tell Dad that I’m already married,” I shared. “Whatever plans he has, he needs to keep me out of them.”
Her intake of breath was more controlled than I would have expected. “When? Who?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I cut her off. “All you need to know – all I’d hope you’d care about – is that I’m safe and happy. Despite everything, I hope the same for you,” I murmured. “Goodbye, Mother,” I hung up swiftly, my hands moving shakily through my hair.