Love at the End of the World

by Christiana Miller

  The hungry look in his eyes left Aurora no doubt that was about to happen.

  He pulled her leggings down, leaving her bare. “Now, just lay back and enjoy.”

  Aurora trembled when he nudged her legs apart. She felt the moisture seeping from her core and couldn’t help but feel embarrassed until... Caleb buried his face between her thighs, his tongue tracing her slit.

  He moaned, sending vibrations across her sensitive flesh. “You taste so good, Aurora.”

  The proclamation made her dizzy with desire. He liked her taste? The thought of him enjoying her like that made her even wetter.

  When his lips encircled her swollen clit, she cried out with pleasure. Her back arched off the bed as climax barreled toward her. “Oh my God.”

  Just when she thought she’d explode, Caleb ceased his erotic kisses. “Not yet, my sweet.”

  “Why did you stop?” She almost cried. Her nipples were so hard with desire they ached. As if they’d summoned him, Caleb positioned himself over her and took one in his mouth. He suckled her like a tiny candy, and once again she neared climax.

  Caleb released her. “I stopped because it’s too soon for you to come. I haven’t tasted enough of you yet.”

  Aurora fell back against the bed and waited with baited breath for Caleb to descend on her once more. She closed her eyes, surprised when a kiss landed on the inside of her thigh instead of where she’d expected it. He continued a trail of kisses on her thighs, nearing her core but never meeting it. The anticipation made Aurora melt, her body humming with need.

  Just when she least expected it, his tongue lapped at her clit. She shuddered from the sudden pleasure. This time when his mouth closed over her clitoris, his finger slipped slowly inside her. The wet heat guided his finger in, but as he stretched her, the pleasure emanating from her sensitive clit in Caleb’s mouth took away any pain.

  When his finger was deep inside her, he curled it, hitting a button that made her scream out in pleasure. Caleb continued to lick and suckle her clit until Aurora didn’t think she could handle any more. Without warning, she exploded, her body shaking under the intensity of the orgasm.

  Caleb didn’t stop; instead, he lapped up her come like it was a liquid aphrodisiac. The continued attention on her already sensitive core brought on another explosion of ecstasy that rendered her body to jelly. Done convulsing from the pleasure, she lay completely relaxed into the bed, dizzy with glee.

  “That was amazing.” Aurora smiled, feeling the most relaxed and energized she’d ever felt in her life. I could get used to this.

  * * * *

  Aurora woke up, feeling warmer in her bed than usual. A wall radiated heat along her back as she nestled her pillow, keeping her eyes closed to remain in the blissful state. Aurora’s eyes went wide and her body tensed when she realized the wall behind her had a heartbeat and slow, sleepy breaths that caused a chest to rise and fall against her back. An arm was wrapped around her, as if to bundle her in warmth against the cold Alaska temperatures that had entered the cabin.

  Caleb. She relaxed, and a smile crept into her cheeks as she recalled just how close they’d been all night. She’d imagined losing her virginity many times, and to be honest, her expectations had always been low. She never expected not only for the sex to be so amazing, but also to feel such an…afterglow. Even now, she felt a buzz just resting in his arms. Aurora had always wondered why people seemed to pity her for living alone out in the bush and this was why—this was the intimacy she was missing out on.

  The way Caleb had taken so much care to bring her pleasure… Even now her stomach fluttered when she thought of the devilish places he’d had his tongue on her body. Wet heat beaded between her legs, making her very aware that she was still naked.

  Rather than feel self-conscious about her nudity, she felt like more of a woman than ever before. Not only had she experienced ecstasy—multiple times—but her body had also given it to Caleb. The power to cause such pleasure made Aurora feel invincible. And to know she could experience such euphoria…could be addicting.

  Aurora thought about climbing out of bed to build a fire and make breakfast, but then she remembered that her guest would be leaving soon. For that reason, she decided to stay in bed and enjoy the nearness of his body for as long as possible.

  “Good morning.” Caleb’s deep voice somehow managed to sound even sexier in the AM.

  “Good morning.” Aurora sat up in bed, unsure of how to handle the morning after. She avoided Caleb’s gaze as she stood up to don her robe. “I’ll make breakfast.” She glanced out the window. “It looks like the snow is stopping—”

  Caleb’s hand grasped hers, effectively halting her. “You know what I want for breakfast?”

  She finally looked over her shoulder at him and found the playful glint in his dark eyes irresistible. “Oatmeal?”

  “Guess again.” He pulled her back into bed and disappeared beneath the covers.

  Aurora stifled a giggle as his breath tickled her thigh. Then his mouth descended on her, and she fell into the realm of ecstasy once more.

  “Oh my God. What did I ever do without this?” Even as she begged the question, getting delirious from the early morning pleasure, she was reminded that her lover would be gone soon, and a pang of hurt filtered through her.

  I hope it starts to snow again.

  * * * *

  Hours later, it was noon and Aurora was pouring her first cup of coffee, except this one was for her guest. The next cup would be for her. “I never sleep in this late.”

  Caleb came up behind her. “God, that smells good.” He pushed her hair back and kissed her neck, sending goosebumps down her skin. “And you weren’t sleeping.”

  Heat scorched her cheeks. No, she definitely hadn’t been sleeping all morning. Caleb had spent hours tasting every inch of her body. Although she was excited to make love with him again, she had to admit she was glad that it had just been his mouth since she was still a bit sore after the night before.

  Aurora turned around and handed Caleb the mug of coffee and couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks for all that. Your mouth must be exhausted.” She turned around to pour herself a cup before he could see her blush.

  Caleb laughed, and the joy in the masculine sound sent butterflies to Aurora’s stomach. “I’ve never had a woman concerned if my mouth was tired before.” His smile nearly made Aurora drop her coffee. “It’s sweet. I promise, I’m more than okay. How are you feeling this morning? I hope you’re not too sore.”

  Talking about the state of her hymenless vagina over coffee made Aurora’s body temperature rise considerably. “So eggs and reindeer sausage okay for breakfast?”

  “Sounds amazing.” Caleb set his coffee mug down and pushed up the sleeves of his sweater. “I’m well versed on the potato peeler, feel free to put me to work on hash browns.”

  Aurora retrieved a bowl of eggs from the fridge and did her best not to gawk at the sight of Caleb’s gorgeous form in her kitchen preparing to make breakfast with her. His broad shoulders and muscular build made him look more like a warrior than a chef, and his dark eyes glinted with mischief rather than culinary prowess.

  “Actually, I can handle breakfast if you want to build a fire in the living room.” She focused on heating up her cast-iron skillet so he wouldn’t be able to detect how affected she was by his presence.

  He wasn’t even gone yet, but the mere stillness of the snow outside made her feel hollow. She’d just experienced true ecstasy for the first time, and now her lover would be leaving. It was more than just the pleasure he’d brought her though. Caleb was a mystery still. She knew next to nothing about the man who knew her so intimately, and Aurora had to admit that she craved to discover more about him.

  “No problem. I’m just going to head outside and grab some more wood from the pile.”

  He left the room so silently Aurora didn’t realize he was gone until she glanced over her shoulder and saw his empty coffee mug on the counter. Despite
having more room to work in her small galley kitchen, it felt oddly empty. Maybe she would make hash browns after all.

  Anything to get the sexy stranger back in her presence before she lost him for good.

  Chapter 5

  Once he was out of sight, Caleb reached into the interior pocket of his jacket and pulled out his satellite phone. His employer wouldn’t be expecting a report so soon, but Caleb realized he wanted to make sure Aurora disappeared from the Stork Company’s radar.

  Aurora was too damned sweet and innocent to risk having any other acquisition agents sent out to survey her. The very thought of another bounty hunter being sent after her made Caleb tighten his grip on the phone.

  He told himself the only reason he was being protective of her was because she’d trusted him enough to let him be the first in her bed. It definitely wasn’t that he wanted her perfect body all to himself. Or that when he thought of her sensual, green eyes looking upon someone else as they slitted in pleasure, it made him want to pummel a man.

  “Caleb, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon. Tell me you have good news.”

  “I ran the test, and it came back negative. She’s infertile.”

  “You do quick work, Black.”

  His boss referred to the ease in which Caleb got women into position and adeptly gained access to their cervical fluid while they were distracted in the pleasure bed. He’d done no such thing with Aurora. He wasn’t sure when it happened, but he’d known when he took her to bed that he wouldn’t be offering her up on a platter to the Stork Company.

  He thought of the many women he’d slept with before and had taken them back to the same fate that could’ve awaited Aurora. What made her different? Why did his stomach drop when he thought about leaving?

  “I try. Do you have another target for me?” Better to get them onto the next thing and as far away from Aurora as possible.

  “Not yet. We’ll be in touch.”

  The line disconnected, and Caleb pocketed his phone.

  As he retrieved wood from the pile, he thought about the life that waited for him at home. His house in Los Angeles was surrounded by a thousand shades of gray—gray roads and pavement, the gray haze of pollution. The gray had never bothered him in the past, but now the stark white of the snow brought a brightness to his world that wasn’t there before. The scent of the pines that drifted on the wind replaced the usual odor of diesel fuel and oil in the garage where he spent his spare time rebuilding classic cars.

  Caleb realized he could appreciate why Aurora hadn’t left. It was easy to feel more alive out in the thriving Alaskan wilderness. In the rest of the states, forests were barely starting to grow back after the last nuclear bomb fell. The city of Anchorage had become a tourist trap for wealthy travelers to get a glimpse of what the landscape had resembled before the war. But it was here, out in the bush, that truly felt like Eden.

  Satisfied that he’d thrown the Stork Company off Aurora’s scent and he had enough wood to build them a good fire to last the day, Caleb headed back toward the cabin. He glanced up at the sky where clouds passed the tree tops and realized that he hoped like hell it would snow again, giving him an excuse to stay and take Aurora to bed once more.

  * * * *

  “These eggs are amazing.” Caleb couldn’t believe how good the food tasted.

  “I can’t take the credit since I didn’t do much. It’s just because they’re fresh. There’s a coop out back.”

  Breakfast passed by with comfortable silence as well as easy conversation, as if they both took time to process what they were learning about their new acquaintance.

  “You said that you and your father built this cabin?” Caleb stared at the fireplace, appreciating the massive hearth; it made the small living room feel cozy, and was visible even from the dining area beside the kitchen.

  “Yeah, with the help of some friends from the nearest town. All of the stone on the fireplace was taken from the river. Dad and I would get a little thrill each time we found a perfect rock to bring back for the project.”

  Caleb noticed pride square her shoulders back, her smile wide as she detailed the project. “Is your parents’ cabin far from here?”

  “Only a quarter mile. An easy walk if there’s rough weather, but far enough to have a little privacy. It’s strange now to think that was ever a concern.” Her shoulders slumped ever so slightly as if disappointed with herself. “I would give up all the privacy in the world to have them back.” She grasped a handful of hair and began braiding it. Caleb realized it was something she did when she was upset or nervous.

  “I understand why you never left this place.”

  Caleb’s statement caused Aurora to drop her braid. “Really?”

  “I don’t understand what it’s like to have family you’re close with, but I do feel the joy and nostalgia when you talk about building this cabin. And the area is breathtaking. When I was flying in, the mountains stretched on forever into the horizon. I never thought of myself as a sucker for nature, but Alaska might convert me.”

  “Oh yeah? If mountains and trees aren’t your thing, then what is?”

  “I have a garage where I spend some time restoring old cars. Did you ever see the kind that used to run on fossil fuel?”

  Aurora shook her head. “Just in history books.”

  “I have a few in my garage that I tinker with once in a while.”

  “No way!” Her eyes went wide. “That’s so cool!” Where did you learn how to fix them? I thought that fossil fuel vehicles were outlawed for use.”

  Caleb shifted his weight in the wooden chair, uncomfortable with the praise that Aurora offered him. “Just learned over time after fiddling with them. If you ever end up in California, I’ll take you for a ride, laws be damned. A little extra pollution never hurt anyone.”

  Aurora laughed, and her smile lit up the room. “I’d love that.”

  Thinking about having Aurora in his garage caused a strange response in Caleb. He realized that he did want to show off for her a little, show her a part of his world. Except she could never know who he really was, and what he actually did for a living. She’d think he was a monster.

  More reason for him to leave, even if he wasn’t sure he was ready.

  * * * *

  Aurora thought about visiting California. Could I? The thought of visiting Caleb and seeing him in his home was tempting.

  With every minute she spent with Caleb, her curiosity increased. What did she know about him? He was a hobby pilot, but he’d never actually told her what he did for a living. He spent his spare time in a garage, rebuilding cars that were illegal to run, so he obviously wasn’t a police officer.

  “So what do you do in California for work?”

  Rather than answer her, Caleb took a long drink of his coffee, and Aurora wondered if she’d touched a nerve. He set the mug down and met her gaze, his dark eyes devoid of the warmth they’d had moments before.

  “I’m a trust-fund kid,” he finally said.

  Aurora was taken aback by the statement. She took in the sight of the man reclined in the wooden chair at her dining table. Despite the expensive parka he’d arrived with, the rest of his clothes were simple and unassuming. The way he’d relaxed in her small cabin made her feel like he wasn’t bothered by the limited space.

  “I don’t believe that,” she replied. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I’m guessing maybe you’re a drug dealer?”

  “Why do you think that?” He set his mug down and waited for her to make her case.

  “You’re not high maintenance like I imagine a trust-fund child would be. You do seem to have money though, and something about you seems a little dangerous. The first job I thought of that could be a little dangerous and lucrative would be drug dealing. Which would explain the flying hobby.”

  “I enjoy flying because I like the freedom of it.” His dark eyes penetrated her as he challenged her other assumption. “You think I’m dangerous, but imagine
me a drug dealer instead of a mercenary?”

  She didn’t hesitate. “You saved me.” Aurora blushed under the intensity of the gaze he had pinned on her. “I heard that drugs were the only thing getting the lower forty-eight through the depression years following the war and that the dependency became a lucrative trade.”

  “What if I said what I did was worse than that?”

  “I don’t know if I would believe you.” He’d been too good to her, so gentle with her the night before.

  “Living out here has made you naïve then.” Caleb’s words cut her like a knife. She recoiled, standing to leave the room when Caleb grabbed her. “I’m sorry if that sounds cruel. But you shouldn’t be so trusting living out here all by yourself.”

  “I’ve managed just fine all these years.”

  “I know you’re tough and you’re smart, that’s why I—” Caleb stopped short. “That’s why I admire you like I do. I’ve never met a woman like you.”

  He reached for her chin and tipped it up so her gaze met his. For a fleeting moment, she thought he’d kiss her. She closed her eyes, hoping he would, but instead, he spoke.

  “You’re beautiful, brave, strong.”

  She opened her eyes to look at the man that saw so many great things in her.

  He continued, “The way you appreciate and find joy in the simple things in life inspires me. I watched you earlier. You stood by the window and stared at the landscape for fifteen minutes, and I could see the beauty of Alaska reflected in your eyes. I’ve never felt at peace like I am here in your company.”

  Aurora’s breath hitched. Was this sexy, intriguing man falling for her?

  “And I’ll admit that I’ll probably miss it when I return to the cluster-fuck that is Los Angeles.” He took his hand off her chin and found his coffee, taking a long drink as if he wished it were whisky.

  So he wasn’t interested. It was dumb to think after one night together he’d fall for her like in one of her mom’s romance novels. Maybe he was right; maybe she was naïve.