by Penny Wylder
“Are you going to take me mountain man?” she asks, plucking at her nipple with two fingers and twisting it.
“I've already claimed you,” I say, my voice husky and thick as I give her legs an extra push to open them wide.
She giggles, and her hips buck as her pussy is put on display. “Is that so? You think I'm yours now?”
“I think you've always been mine, it just took me this long to find you.” Blowing cool air across her pussy, a shiver runs through her body. Flattening my tongue, I run it up her center, tasting her sweet juice.
“Mm, Anders,” she moans, her body rocking as she pushes her pussy against my face.
“You like that?” I ask, sucking her clit into my mouth.
Laney groans as her hands sweep through her hair and her head moves side to side on the bed. “Fuck yeah I like that.” The words tumble out of her mouth on air as her moan grows with another suckle on her clit.
Using the tip of my tongue, I swirl it around and around her needy clit. Her eyes roll back in her head, and she arches her back high off the bed. I fucking love this. I love watching her body sing for me. I love playing her body like the beautiful instrument it is.
I pluck her strings, and she reacts. Her voice is music to my ears, making my dick harder with every moan. Lowering one of my hands to my cock, I start to stroke it up and down.
My tongue slides between her folds, dipping into her wet heat as her legs close around my head. She's crushing my skull, her hips bucking against my face as I fuck her with my tongue.
Another shiver rocks her body as her clit pulses against my mouth. Her chest rises and falls in succession, her breathing is labored and loud as she sings the sweetest music.
“Holy shit, Anders, seriously, how do you do this?” She’s up on her elbows now, looking down at me, and I look back up at her and don’t stop. I love the contorted look on her face as she nears her orgasm, the way her heel is digging into my back, trying to keep my tongue exactly where she needs it. She’s rocking into my face, and the only thing I can think about is making this woman come. Come harder than she’s ever come before. My cock is slipping in and out of my fist faster, so hard it aches, and I’m dying to bury it inside her. Now. So I decide to take her over the edge. I focus on the side of her clit that makes her scream, keep the rhythm that has her panting, “Right there, right there, don’t you fucking stop.” My beard is drenched in her juices and my nose is flooded with the delicious scent of her pussy. Her thighs tighten around my head and she lifts her back entirely off the bed as she keens. She sounds like a wounded animal, and I lick her through her orgasm until I feel her twitching under my mouth and twisting away from me because she’s too sensitive.
I place kisses up her calf, and across her inner thigh as I climb onto the bed. Her body feels boneless as I move her up the bed and place her head on the pillow. I move over her belly, my lips tender but hungry. I could eat her out all day, but I’m ready for more.
Running my tongue up between her tits, I move from one to the other, licking her nipples. Laney's eyes are on me, and they look like they're coated in glass. They dance as her belly trembles, still coming down from her orgasm.
Dragging my lips across her throat, I tickle them over her jaw, watching her mouth purse and move for a kiss. She wants me, she needs me, and just seeing that on her face turns me savage.
Resting my arms on either side of her head, I use my knee to part her legs, and nestle between her. I thrust my cock deep into her pussy as I kiss her like the wild man I am. She's my Beauty, and I'm more than happy to be her Beast.
Growling into our kiss, I drive myself in and out of her body. She's clenching around me, moaning into my mouth as I fuck her like the world is coming to an end.
Her pussy milks my length, squeezing around me as she rocks her hips and matches my pace. I can feel my balls pull up and my stomach clench. My muscles burn with pleasure as the orgasm spreads through my body.
It hits me so hard, I can't stop myself from spewing more than just my cum into her body. The words flow without pause, full and thick and unrestrained. “I love you. I fucking love you,” I say, my voice a growl as my cock explodes inside her body.
Her legs wrap my waist, gripping me tightly. I collapse onto her chest, and she keeps holding on. She isn't letting go. She's embracing me, clinging to me. And I love it and never want her to let me go.
Laney writhes in my arms as I roll to the side and pull her in. She's still shaking as she snuggles up against me. I feel weak, my entire body drained and my muscles still tight.
I know what I said out loud to her, but I force myself not to think about it too much. And she doesn’t say anything either. She just cuddles closer to my body, seeking heat. People say things in the throes of a good fuck, and that was a great fuck. Laney’s warm body in my arms chases away any insecurity I might have been feeling and I drift off to sleep.
Rolling to my side, I smell bacon before I even open my eyes. Cracking my eyes open, I reach behind and feel for Laney, but the bed is empty, and the sheets are cold.
I sit up and stretch my arms and listen to the sounds coming from the kitchen. A whisk scraping a bowl, bacon sizzling, and she's humming some song to herself. It's comforting to listen to life in the house below me, and I stay in bed a little longer just to hear her moving around.
I could wake up every day to this and never get sick of it. Just knowing she’s downstairs and under this roof is enough to make me happy this morning.
Climbing out of bed, I throw on my old flannel bathrobe and walk down the loft stairs. I come around the corner to see her bopping her head to her own tune as she puts a couple slices of bread in the toaster and flips the eggs.
She didn’t hear me coming down, and I lean against the wall, my arms crossed, with a smile on my face. Just watching her. She's shaking her ass, and making it jiggle as her hums turn into a full blown karaoke session in my kitchen.
Lifting the pan off the stove, she spins on the tips of her toes to face the plates. “Ah!” she screams out, almost dropping the eggs on the floor. “Shit, Anders, you scared me.” She starts to giggle as she pushes the eggs onto the plates. “So, how long were you standing there?”
“Long enough to know we could kill it at the Bear Claw on karaoke night.”
“No, no, I don't think so. I don't sing in public.”
“Well, you have a great voice, you shouldn't be shy about it.” Climbing onto the stool, I rest my arms on the counter as she adds bacon and toast to the plates and pushes one in front of me.
“The eggs are fried over easy, I hope you like them. I figured I could thank you for everything you've been doing for me with a good breakfast.”
“They're perfect, thank you.”
Laney nods with a smile. “Coffee?”
“Please.”
Pouring me a cup, her eyes are on the mugs as she speaks. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure. You ask me anything you want.”
“Did you mean what you said last night?” Her lip quivers nervously, and I can see in her eyes as she looks up at me that she wants the truth.
Letting out a heavy breath, I scratch my fingers through my beard as I look for the right words. I don't know what she wants from me, and that's the problem. It's like she's hot and cold, she wants me but she doesn't want to admit it.
“Laney, look, we both said things last night in the heat of the moment, and sometimes people don't think straight in a situation like that.”
“Oh, okay.” She sounds saddened by my answer.
But this is the issue. Either she wants me or she doesn't. I saw the pain in her eyes the night I met her. I saw her pain yesterday when we went to her old house. She’s been through a lot; I get that. But how deep can I go with this girl who doesn’t know what she wants, or is too afraid to admit it? I won't risk my heart for just a fling, just to be a rebound for her. If she plans on up and leaving to continue the life she knew and had before, I can’t keep doing
this. My heart can't take another break. It just can't.
With open hands, I sit up straight, and look her directly in the eyes. “What do want from me, Laney? Can you tell me that?”
“What do you mean what do I want from you?”
“You don't know what you want. You're toying with me. One second you want me, and then in a single breath it's like you don't. I'm not going to put myself out there and get nothing in return. I did that once already and it destroyed me. I can’t do it again.”
“Is that what you think I’m doing?”
“It's what I see.”
Rolling her eyes, she grabs her mug and holds it in both hands. Taking a long sip, she just peers from behind the rim of the mug.
“I'm not going to play this cat and mouse game.”
Lowering her mug slowly, she holds it in front of her waist. “I don't know what you want me to say.”
“I want you tell me what you're thinking and feeling. What do you want, Laney?”
Dragging her teeth back and forth over her bottom lip, she blinks owlishly. “I'm afraid to say it out loud.”
“Why? Why not just be honest with yourself?”
“Because what if I'm wrong?”
“Do you want to try and get back with your ex? Is that it? Am I just a test fuck to see if you still have feelings for him?”
“What? No! That's absurd, Anders, that's not what this is.” Setting the mug down, she plants her palms into the top of the counter and leans over. “I'm not an asshole and I'm not a slut.”
“I never said you were. But yesterday you gave me the cold shoulder, you acted like I wasn't there. And I saw your face when we left your old place, I saw the look in your eyes. You don't know what you want.”
Pursing her lips, she veers her stare. “And you do? You know what you want?”
“I know exactly what I want.”
Her eyes glaze over, and I can see the tears sitting on the rims. I'm not trying to upset her, but I want her to be honest with herself.
“How can you know? How can you be so certain?”
“Because I did mean every word I said last night. I love you.” Standing, I move to her side.
She tries to take a step back, but I swoop my arm around her waist and pull her in. I'm done letting her run away from what she wants.
Laney knows, she's just too afraid to admit it. I think she needs a push, she needs someone to help her grab it.
Her lips trembles as her eyes search mine. “How can you know that?”
“I know because of what I feel. I've never felt this way before. And I'm not going to let it slip away from me.”
“But what about Cara? She's gorgeous, and I saw the way she was looking at you. What if she wants you back?”
“Do you want Marc back?”
“God no, not a chance in hell.”
“Same here.” Running my thumb across her bottom lip, I smile. “I told you what I want. I told you how I feel. Now it's your turn to be honest with yourself.”
Her eyes stay steady on mine, and she chews on the inside of her cheek. “I feel the same way. I think I love you. I've been trying to tell myself this can’t be real. But I can’t deny it anymore, it feels too good to be wrong.”
“I'm not trying to push you—” I start to say, but she cuts me off with a kiss.
Her lips are soft, but fierce. She kisses me several times, holding my face, and then she pulls away a bit, her forehead still touching mine.
“I don't care what anyone else says or thinks. I mean, sure, we might be moving a little too fast, but screw anyone who doesn't like it. It's not about them, it's about us. Right?”
She kisses me once more on the mouth before she turns to her plate and starts spreading a giant glob of butter all over it.
“Right,” I agree with a chuckle as I watch her.
Setting the toast back down, she wipes her hands off on her bare legs. In nothing but one of my tee shirts, and her hair pulled up into a messy bun, she's glowing.
“I love you, Anders.”
She presses up onto the tips of her toes, resting her hands on my chest as she kisses me again. This kiss feels different. My entire body goes up in flames, searing me on the inside and leaving me completely vulnerable.
But I'm not afraid of that feeling anymore.
Because I know this time it's different.
This time, it's real.
Epilogue
Laney
One Year Later
My eyes crack open and I'm hit with an icy chill. Shivering, I sit up slightly. Glancing down, I see the blankets in a ball on the floor, leaving us exposed and bare.
Taking a moment, I turn my attention to Anders. He's out like a light, sprawled across the bed like it's the middle of summer. Not even the cold morning air is enough to rouse him awake. That's because he's a man who was born for this life.
And now this life is my life. Pushing up in bed, I look around half awake. It's quiet out, which means the sleet has either stopped or turned to snow. I hope it's snow. I love waking up to a world covered in white. It's a beauty that never gets old.
Looking up at the skylight above our bed, I see a light snow has already started falling. The sun is streaming into the loft and the oak walls and intricate molding are glowing golden. I remember the morning, so many months ago, when I first woke up in this house and ran my fingers over all the beautiful details. Little did I know then that this would soon be my house too, and it would be just the first of a lifetime of mornings waking up next to beautiful Anders in bed.
After Anders finally got me to admit to my feelings, our romance took off at full speed. We spent all of our time together, especially since he was always at my rental finishing up Marla’s shower doors. He grumbled that if he’d known he’d get the girl in the end, he wouldn’t have agreed to the project. But I always reminded him that if he hadn’t agreed to do the shower doors, he may not have ended up with the girl. Who knows? Maybe I would have spent the last month in that rental, working on my illustrations and never running into him again. I could have gone back to Silver Lake, found myself a new place to live, and never set foot on this mountain again. He always insisted he’d have found a way to me, and I always insisted that he finish the shower doors because I was sick of that flimsy shower curtain.
Marla extended my rental agreement by a month, so Anders and I didn’t have to make any plans too quickly for our relationship. But the time did come around, and it was a week before Marla had another tenant moving in when Anders picked me up for dinner. We hadn’t really talked much about the what the future would hold for us, aside from me looking from time to time at rentals in town. Nothing ever came through or felt right, though. That night, I climbed into Anders’s truck, and instead of heading into town for dinner, he headed up the mountain to his house.
“Are you cooking, Anders?” I asked. “Or just planning on having me for dinner tonight?”
He laughed, but just kept on driving. When we arrived, I didn’t think anything was unusual at first. He went straight to the living room to light the fire and told me to have a seat on the couch and help myself to the wine he’d left out.
“Hey Laney, can you do me a favor?” he called over his shoulder. “Hand me the box of matches on the side table there.”
I reached over to the table and that’s when I noticed it: my mother’s knitting basket. I opened it up and inside were the box of matches. Then I looked around a little more closely. My grandmother’s quilt was folded and draped over a chair in the corner. A watercolor painting I did in art school was framed and hanging in the hallway. Everywhere I looked were pieces of my life, my things. I walked around in a daze, noticing detail after detail that he’d incorporated into his home. I walked up the loft stairs and found a beautifully carved desk sitting by the picture window. All my art supplies were nearby on a bookcase, and the desk had a framed picture of my mother and father on it.
“I hope you don’t mind,” I heard over my shoulder.
I turned to look at Anders through cloudy eyes, welling with tears. “I know we didn’t talk about this, but sometimes actions speak louder than words. I emptied Beth’s garage last week. Anything you don’t see in here is out in the shed. I want this to be your home, Laney. Will you stay?” He was right. Sometimes actions do speak louder than words. So I didn’t say a single thing, I just launched myself into his arms and held on tight. I sobbed into his chest with such relief. Not just because I had the man of my dreams, but I knew for certain I was finally home.
“I’m so glad,” he said, kissing my wet cheeks. “I wasn’t sure if you’d find this too bold.”
“I love bold,” I told him, my fingers unbuttoning his shirt and sliding it over his shoulders. “I love you.”
Anders reached for my shirt and tugged it up, capturing my mouth with his as soon as it cleared my head. He walked me back until the back of my knees hit the bed and then he playfully pushed me down. He swept me up in his arms and rolled me over on top of him; him laughing and me still crying. When he sat up, he took my face in his hands and said, “Laney, I’m so glad you’re happy, but I’m going to have to ask you to stop crying now, because I have two rules I won’t break. I won’t fuck a lady who’s had too much to drink, and I definitely won’t fuck a crying lady either, no matter how much she begs for it.” And with those words, he cupped his huge hand over my pussy and started rubbing. The friction and tightness from my jeans created the most delicious feeling on my clit, and soon I wasn’t crying at all, just moaning and rocking in his lap, feeling his erection growing harder between us. Soon I didn’t need his hand there. Grinding against the bulge in his pants was doing amazing things to me.
“Fuck,” he moaned into my hair, “I haven’t done this since high school. How do you feel so fucking good against my cock? Even like this.
“Oh God, I feel it too,” I said, moving quicker against him.
His fingers were digging into my side, and in the morning I’d find small bruises there. With a sudden, grunt, he flipped me off his lap and onto my back. He yanked down my jeans and didn’t even bother with my panties. He shimmied out of his jeans just enough to release his cock. Pulling my panties to the side, he thrust into me with a long, drawn out moan. All the teasing and build-up from grinding against him left me so wet, he slid in quickly, bottoming out so his balls slapped against my ass.
