Under an Alaskan Sky

by Jennifer Snow

  Her breath caught and held. Was it possible to survive on passion alone? He massaged her hot flesh and she moaned against his mouth as his thumb slid over her nipple. It had been forever since she’d been with a man. The only one she’d wanted for years was Tank. His forced celibacy had meant she hadn’t been getting laid either.

  Waiting for him had been torture, but it was already proving to have been so well worth it.

  He pulled back, struggling for air. “Cass...you didn’t quite answer my question.”

  The hesitation in his voice had her nodding. “Yes, Tank. I want this. I want you. I always have.”

  “So...you’re ready? ’Cause once we do this...for real...”

  “I want this, Tank.” Even if he wasn’t ready to promise her any more than this right now.

  His gaze locked on hers, he moved away from the wall and carried her down the hallway to his bedroom.

  He pushed the bedroom door open with his foot and laid her on the bed. “Alexa, play Cassie’s playlist.”

  She grinned. “Cassie’s playlist?”

  “I was hoping someday I’d need it,” he said, removing his sweater and undershirt in one swipe.

  Fuck, his body. She’d seen Tank shirtless thousands of times on camping trips and swimming and she’d never been so innocent that she hadn’t snuck a touch every now and then, but now, his strong, sculpted, crazy sexy chest and shoulders and abs were all out there for her. She ran a hand over his washboard stomach, circling a finger around his belly button. “Keeping this body from me for so long was just mean,” she said, as the sounds of her latest favorite song started to play.

  “Man, you have no idea how many different fantasies I’ve had about yours.” He reached for the hem of her sweater and lifted the fabric over her ribs and breasts and then yanked it off over her head. She sat forward to allow him to remove her bra.

  His eyes took in her breasts for the first time and she felt zero shame in her body. Sure, she wasn’t boasting double Ds like Erika and she didn’t have Montana’s ass, but she could hold her own in the sexy department. And she knew her athletic build was attractive to Tank. “Yep, as perfect as I’d imagined,” he said, lowering his head between them.

  Cassie ran her hand through his hair, shivering as his beard tickled the soft flesh of her cleavage. She breathed in the scent of him—mint shampoo, clean, fresh-scented body soap. All man, all Tank.

  “How do you always smell so good?” he asked.

  She laughed. “Am I not supposed to?”

  “I just don’t understand. You’re always on the move. Do you not sweat?” He glanced up at her.

  “Only when I’m working out hard...” she teased.

  “Well, let’s see if we can give you a workout right now,” he said, gripping the waistband of her leggings and her underwear and pulling them down to her ankles. His eyes grazed over her body as he knelt on the floor, removing both of her shoes. Then he slid the fabric of her clothing off over her feet, tossing everything aside. Picking up one foot, he placed a trail of kisses along her calf muscle, all the way up her inner thigh, before setting that foot down and repeating the action with the other leg.

  Cassie’s body trembled as his beard tickled her delicate flesh. “You still have too many clothes on.”

  Tank grinned as he got to his feet.

  Cassie propped herself up on her elbows as he unbuckled his belt. Her heart raced. She was naked. On Tank’s bed. And in thirty seconds, he would be too.

  So long she’d waited for this, it didn’t seem real. Yet it felt like the most natural situation on earth. He tore the belt away from the denim and the jeans dipped lower on his hips, revealing the sexiest set of oblique muscles on the planet. Tank was a big guy and suddenly Cassie’s heart raced faster. Was he ultra-sized everywhere? She swallowed hard as he unzipped his jeans and let them fall to the floor.

  He grinned as her eyes fell to his already hard cock straining through the fabric of his boxer briefs. “Worried?”

  “Little bit,” she said. Damn, as often as she’d thought about Tank’s penis, she’d never really considered the logistics behind sex with a man built like a...tank. She hadn’t been using her vagina much in the last ten years.

  But Tank slid the underwear off slowly and then lay next to her on the bed. “Don’t be. You’ve waited this long for me. I don’t intend on disappointing you. We will take this slow.” He brushed her hair away from her face, kissing her forehead.

  So many forehead kisses from him over the years, but this one was different. It wasn’t a “this is all I can do right now” kiss, it was a “this is just the beginning for us” kiss.

  Cassie reached for him, pulling him on top of her as she lay back against the bed. “I don’t think you could ever disappoint me,” she said as she dragged his head back down to hers. His mouth covered hers as his hand slid the length of her body, stopping to rest on her hip. She opened her legs and he wedged himself between them. Slowly he pressed himself against her and Cassie’s eyes closed. The intensity of her need was overwhelming already. The thought of Tank inside her was enough to put her over the edge, so she steadied her breathing as she raised her hips to grind against the length of his cock.

  “Damn, Cassie. Slow might be harder than I thought,” he growled, resting his forehead against hers.

  The friction between their lower bodies grew more frantic and Tank retreated slightly. Reaching into his bedside table drawer, he retrieved a condom.

  “Sure that thing’s not expired?” Cassie teased.

  “No,” Tank said, squinting to check the expiration date. “We’re good.”

  Cassie eyed him suspiciously. Condom shelf life wasn’t that long.

  “Full confession?”

  “About time, I would think,” she said, her heart racing. Had he been with someone else in recent years? That could change things fast.

  “I bought these on New Year’s Eve. We had a date scheduled and I...”

  Relief flowed through her. “You thought you were going to get lucky on our first date? What kind of girl do you think I am, Tank?” she teased, but her heart swelled. He’d been wanting her too. Wanting things to move forward. This wasn’t just a spur of the moment, careless abandon, impulsive move. They both had wanted this for a long time. And she might have gotten here sooner, if Reed hadn’t almost died on New Year’s Eve. Her brother had the worst timing sometimes...

  But they were here now.

  Tank slid the condom on and then, grabbing Cassie by the waist, he switched their positions, putting her on top. “You’re in control of this. It’s all you,” he said, placing her down against his straining penis.

  Cassie raised her body so that the tip of him was on the edge of her. Gripping the headboard, she slowly rocked her hips, inching him inside a little at a time.

  Tank closed his eyes and his fingers gripped her waist, digging in hard. “Shit, Cass, you’re so tight.”

  “You’re so big.” Would he actually fit inside her fully? She rocked her hips faster, lowering her body down over him, feeling him fill her completely. Damn, she was already close to coming. His thickness and length made the connection tight, but her wetness created enough lubrication to create an explosive, intense friction between them as she started riding him. Up and down, slow, deliberate, careful at first, then faster, more desperate, more confident and sure.

  It worked. They fit together. “This okay?” she asked, out of breath as she continued to pick up her pace.

  “Absolutely,” Tank said. His gaze, full of love, met hers, and she couldn’t hold back any longer. Driving her hips forward, she closed any gap between their bodies as her orgasm erupted, out of control, sending her body into convulsions as she throbbed around him.

  Tank held her firmly in place as he raised his hips, plunging just a little further inside her body as he came. He moaned and his bo
dy shook as they rode out the waves of pleasure radiating through their connection.

  Her world sufficiently rocked, Cassie collapsed next to him on the bed a moment later and he immediately pulled her closer. “Was that okay?”

  “Are you kidding me? That was amazing.” She drew circles over his chest as she moved closer. She hesitated before asking, but she needed to know if this was a one-time thing or if it was the start of something real. A relationship with him. “Any regrets?”

  He turned to face her, tucking a strand of her blond hair behind her ear. “Only that I waited so long.”

  Cassie smiled, snuggling closer to the man she’d been in love with for what felt like her entire life. Sure, aspects of their situation were complicated right now and they had challenges they were going to need to work through, but they would. She chose to believe that.

  Tank didn’t make decisions lightly, so if he’d finally given in to this...maybe it was the first real step to him giving in to more.

  * * *

  HE’D NEVER THOUGHT he’d be a cuddler. But every time Cassie tried to move away from him in her sleep, he pulled her back into him. She didn’t seem to mind. Her soft moans and happy-sounding mumbling as she dreamed told him she was content being wrapped in his arms. Which was good because he didn’t want to let her go.

  He had no idea what this meant for them...but he didn’t regret being with her. It was the only thing in weeks that had made sense.

  She stirred and turned in his arms to face him. Her eyes opened slowly and she grinned. “If I’d known all I had to do was piss you off to get you into bed, I’d have done it sooner.”

  “I wasn’t pissed...just frustrated. Seeing you and Montana working together. I’m still not sure how I feel about that.”

  “But you trust me, right?”

  “Of course, Cass.”

  “Enough to support my decision to include BASE jumping if the site gets approved?” She glanced up at him.

  He hesitated. “Yes. Am I worried about it? Of course. But if anyone should be taking this on, it’s you. You are smart and strong and capable of creating a safe and exhilarating experience for jumpers. And I fully support you. Whatever you need.” He did. She deserved nothing but his support. The same support she’d always given him.

  “And Montana? Are you okay with her doing this?”

  He released a big sigh. “It’s her decision to make, but I feel better that she’s doing this with you.”

  Cassie nodded, fingering the hair on his chest. “And you’re sure that things between the two of you are over? There’s no lingering feelings there at all?”

  “You really want to talk about my ex? Not exactly pillow talk.” They’d just shared a special moment together. One they’d both been waiting a long time for. He didn’t want talk of his past or Montana to ruin things.

  But she didn’t seem upset. Just curious. “We’ve been talking for years, but lately it feels like we haven’t really been saying anything...not important things, anyway. Your history with her is something we haven’t discussed. And I’m going to need that intel to move forward if she’s here and going to be a big part of our lives.”

  Move forward. He wasn’t completely sure he was ready for that, but he knew standing still was no longer an option for them considering the afternoon they’d just spent together. “You’re right. Montana is not just an ex that is in my past. She’s here and we all will have to find a way to make things work.” He took a deep breath. “You sure you want to talk about this now?”

  “Yes... I really want to know. I’m not jealous or worried, I promise.”

  He hugged her tighter just in case. “Okay. Well, as you know, we met when she was here BASE jumping with a team at the old site.”

  “Someone got injured, right?”

  “Yes. Nothing too serious, a few cracked ribs, but the search and rescue team headed out to assist and we met. She stuck around a few extra weeks and one thing led to...”

  “Kaia.”

  He laughed at her eagerness to skip over the details. That was totally okay with him. “She went back to Aspen, and after three months without any contact from her, I get a call. She was pregnant.”

  “Did you freak out?”

  “No. I mean, it was crazy and unexpected, but I knew instantly that it was something I could handle. She came back and we moved in together and agreed that we cared about one another and we would see what the future held.”

  “Did you love her?”

  He wouldn’t lie to her. “Yes.”

  She stiffened slightly, but didn’t say anything.

  “She wasn’t in love with me, but we were doing the responsible thing, putting the baby first, and we were in it together for the long haul... Then she had her accident. After a week in the hospital, she was released. We thought she was okay. There was some swelling, so the MRI couldn’t detect the extensive damage done to her brain, but she was walking and talking and showed no signs of trauma... It felt like a miracle, really. Turns out it was too good to be true. After a few weeks, we noticed things were wrong. She was forgetful and she was sleeping a lot. At first, I thought it was postpartum. Kaia was only two months old and Montana had gone right back to her old activities without giving herself time to recover. Which was part of why she had the accident in the first place...” He paused. Until Montana had reappeared, he’d put all of these memories behind him. Over the years, he’d forgotten about the fear and uncertainty they’d faced back then. The effect the injury had had on all their lives.

  “It sounds so tragic. I’m sorry you had to go through all of that,” Cassie said.

  As he recounted the worst part—the story about Montana forgetting and leaving Kaia in the car in the grocery store parking lot, tears gathered in Cassie’s eyes.

  “Hey, it’s okay. She was okay.” But he held her tighter. He couldn’t even think about the story without the fear resurfacing either. He understood the emotion.

  “I just can’t even imagine how scary that was...”

  “It was terrifying. We were lucky things weren’t worse.” He paused and cleared his throat. “Then she moved back to Colorado with her parents. And you know the rest.”

  Cassie nodded slowly. Processing. Taking it all in.

  He rolled them so that his body covered hers. He supported his weight on one hand as he looked down at her. “Montana and I will always be connected because of Kaia but that’s where our entwined lives end.”

  The happiness on Cassie’s face made his chest ache. Man, he loved her. Was falling in love with her. He was desperate not to hurt her and he prayed this physical relationship they’d entered into would be enough for her for now, while he figured everything else out.

  He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her, hoping she could feel all of his best intentions.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  LAUGHTER DRIFTING INTO the house as the front door opened gave Tank a sense of both relief and anxiety. Shit. He’d been hoping Montana wouldn’t be staying. He hadn’t seen Kaia all weekend and after his afternoon in bed with Cassie, his ex was the last person he wanted to see.

  But Kaia’s face was flushed with happiness as she entered the kitchen and saw him take a fresh batch of cookies from the oven.

  “You made cookies?”

  “Yeah...thought you might want a snack.”

  Montana entered and he stared between the two. How had he never noticed how much Kaia looked like her mom? Same dark hair, blue eyes, high cheekbones. Right now, he couldn’t see any of himself in her.

  Wait. What was all over her face?

  “Yum, cookies. You know, if you ever got sick of bartending, you could open your own bakery.” Montana reached for one but he moved the tray out of reach.

  She frowned.

  “They’re still hot,” he said lamely. “Um, Kaia, what’s on your face?” he aske
d as calmly as possible. What age did kids start wearing makeup? He had no idea, but he was pretty sure ten was a little young.

  “Makeup.”

  “Just a little blush and lipstick. She wanted to try some at the mall...” Montana looked nervous as she reached toward Kaia’s lips with a napkin to wipe it off.

  Good. Get that crap off of her.

  Kaia moved away. “Stop. I like it. It matches yours.”

  Montana’s cheeks didn’t need blush when Tank shot her a look. “Don’t worry, we didn’t buy any. It was just a one-time thing... Makeup can wait a few more years.”

  “Good answer,” Tank mumbled, fighting his irritation that Montana was setting rules already. At least they agreed on the makeup thing.

  He handed them both a cookie and nodded toward the shopping bags. “So, good day shopping?”

  “The best,” Kaia said.

  Why did that make him feel worse? He hated shopping and rushed Kaia in and out whenever she had a growth spurt and he had no other choice than to endure the torture that was the local mall. Smarten up, man, your daughter had a great day. Be happy. Smile.

  He tried but it had to look more like a grimace. “Well let’s see what you bought.”

  “Why don’t you go try it on and show him?” Montana said.

  Kaia looked at the time and squirmed on the stool. “Oh, he doesn’t want to see it.”

  “Sure I do.”

  “Really?”

  Clearly, she didn’t really want to show him, which made it absolutely necessary that he see whatever it was. If Montana had allowed lipstick, who knew what else she’d deemed appropriate. If there was so much as a midriff showing or a skirt that needed a few extra inches added, he was vetoing any more shopping trips. “Absolutely.”

  “Okay.” Kaia popped the rest of the cookie into her mouth, wiping off most of the lipstick with it. Then, grabbing the shopping bags, she left the kitchen.

  “So, you two had fun?” he asked Montana. As long as he kept the conversation on Kaia, she couldn’t steer it to more personal territory. To his afternoon...