rocking against her with a momentum that stole her breath. With each thrust her breasts swayed. It was the most sensual sensation. Spasms clenched her womb. White-hot need washed through her, and her climax exploded with the strength of an earthquake. In fact, she could have sworn the ground shook beneath her as she tossed her head back. Her scream of ecstasy cut through the night, joined by JD’s as he reached completion.
As the aftermath of their loving lingered, he eased out of her, guiding her onto her back. Silently he removed her boots, socks and jeans before he did the same for himself. Heart racing, she couldn’t find the right words to express what she was feeling. A hiss and the smell of sulfur drew her attention back to JD. He touched the flame to the mantle’s mesh fabric and the lantern came to life. Its soft glow brightened with each turn of the knob. He reached for the backpack and extracted several wet wipes to clean up, and he disposed of the condom before lying down beside her. The sated sigh he released put a smile on her face. As if he were tucking them in, he pulled the sleeping bag over their shoulders and drew her into his arms.
Silence stretched between them, while nature was everything but quiet. Above the flowing water, crickets sang. Somewhere high in the branches an owl released a hollow hoot.
The moment felt so right, and for the first time since Stella had arrived in Montana she felt like she belonged—here—in his arms.
JD cuddled her closer. “Do you really have to leave Tuesday?”
She swallowed hard. “Why don’t you come back to New York with me?” The words tumbled from her mouth before she even knew it, and so did the regret. The pit in her stomach tightened when a glimmer of light from the lantern revealed the sadness on his face.
The fantasy JD had conjured in his mind of the two of them together and living happily ever after at the ranch began to crumble right before his eyes. Instead a big dose of guilt took its place. Someday the option of stepping in and taking control of the family business wouldn’t be a choice. Yet he had hoped it would be later rather than sooner. A rustling beyond the trees forced their attention toward the darkened forest.
“Bear?” she creaked.
He couldn’t help chuckling. She was so damn cute as her grip on his arm tightened.
“Come on.” He pushed to his feet and extended her his hand. “We’d better get you back to the hotel where there aren’t any bears or mountain lions.”
Her eyes widened. “Mountain lions?” She scrambled to her feet. “You didn’t say anything about mountain lions. Where are my clothes?” She jerked her head from one side to the other. Spying her jeans, she moved toward them and quickly pulled them on.
As he got dressed, he attempted to calm her with a little trivia. “Most animals are as afraid of you as you are of them.”
Briefly she lost her balance, but righted herself before she crammed a foot into a boot. “Don’t bet on it. Oh—” Awe filled the soft sound. She held perfectly still.
A fawn about six months old stepped from the tree line. Cautiously she looked around. Raising her nose, she sniffed the air and ventured closer to the water at the farthest point from them.
“It’s so adorable,” Stella whispered.
They watched the animal until its mother appeared from behind a large pine tree. The doe dug a hoof into the ground and snorted, clearly issuing a warning that they were too close to her young.
Without rolling the sleeping bag, JD folded it quickly and tucked it beneath an arm. He put his hat on before slinging the backpack over a shoulder, and then he reached for the lantern. Stella followed quietly as he led her away. Neither spoke until they were closing in on his truck.
She hesitated, turning to face him. “I’m sorry.”
Placing the sleeping bag and backpack in the truck bed, he doused the lantern’s light and set it aside the rest. “For what?”
She bit her
As the aftermath of their loving lingered, he eased out of her, guiding her onto her back. Silently he removed her boots, socks and jeans before he did the same for himself. Heart racing, she couldn’t find the right words to express what she was feeling. A hiss and the smell of sulfur drew her attention back to JD. He touched the flame to the mantle’s mesh fabric and the lantern came to life. Its soft glow brightened with each turn of the knob. He reached for the backpack and extracted several wet wipes to clean up, and he disposed of the condom before lying down beside her. The sated sigh he released put a smile on her face. As if he were tucking them in, he pulled the sleeping bag over their shoulders and drew her into his arms.
Silence stretched between them, while nature was everything but quiet. Above the flowing water, crickets sang. Somewhere high in the branches an owl released a hollow hoot.
The moment felt so right, and for the first time since Stella had arrived in Montana she felt like she belonged—here—in his arms.
JD cuddled her closer. “Do you really have to leave Tuesday?”
She swallowed hard. “Why don’t you come back to New York with me?” The words tumbled from her mouth before she even knew it, and so did the regret. The pit in her stomach tightened when a glimmer of light from the lantern revealed the sadness on his face.
The fantasy JD had conjured in his mind of the two of them together and living happily ever after at the ranch began to crumble right before his eyes. Instead a big dose of guilt took its place. Someday the option of stepping in and taking control of the family business wouldn’t be a choice. Yet he had hoped it would be later rather than sooner. A rustling beyond the trees forced their attention toward the darkened forest.
“Bear?” she creaked.
He couldn’t help chuckling. She was so damn cute as her grip on his arm tightened.
“Come on.” He pushed to his feet and extended her his hand. “We’d better get you back to the hotel where there aren’t any bears or mountain lions.”
Her eyes widened. “Mountain lions?” She scrambled to her feet. “You didn’t say anything about mountain lions. Where are my clothes?” She jerked her head from one side to the other. Spying her jeans, she moved toward them and quickly pulled them on.
As he got dressed, he attempted to calm her with a little trivia. “Most animals are as afraid of you as you are of them.”
Briefly she lost her balance, but righted herself before she crammed a foot into a boot. “Don’t bet on it. Oh—” Awe filled the soft sound. She held perfectly still.
A fawn about six months old stepped from the tree line. Cautiously she looked around. Raising her nose, she sniffed the air and ventured closer to the water at the farthest point from them.
“It’s so adorable,” Stella whispered.
They watched the animal until its mother appeared from behind a large pine tree. The doe dug a hoof into the ground and snorted, clearly issuing a warning that they were too close to her young.
Without rolling the sleeping bag, JD folded it quickly and tucked it beneath an arm. He put his hat on before slinging the backpack over a shoulder, and then he reached for the lantern. Stella followed quietly as he led her away. Neither spoke until they were closing in on his truck.
She hesitated, turning to face him. “I’m sorry.”
Placing the sleeping bag and backpack in the truck bed, he doused the lantern’s light and set it aside the rest. “For what?”
She bit her
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