“Let go, Red.”

Even in her frenzied state, she recognized the sanctimonious victory lingering in his voice. Her body responded to his instructions on cue, joyously coming undone. He languorously lapped up every last twitch, praising the sweet taste of her between licks.

In one smooth move, he scooped her into his arms, saving her from collapsing.

“Keys?”

“Shorts,” she panted.

Bending strategically, without losing his hold, he grabbed her cut-offs, swiftly making for the cabin. He nuzzled and kissed her neck. The scruff on his face, damp from her pleasure. Carrie Ann slumped like a rag doll, one arm slung over his shoulder, shudders of release still claiming her core as they clumsily made it over the threshold. Aspen greeted them with a bark, darting circles around his feet.

Setting her toes to the floor, he cupped the side of her flush face in his palm. She gripped his hips, pressing her naked body against the length of his body. His hard-on jutted from the open fly of his jeans. “That was…beautiful, Carrie Ann.”

“Where are you going?”

“There are few things I need from my bag.” He pushed his forehead to hers, consuming her attention. “And where are you going to be when I walk through that damn door?”

“Naked in your bed.”

Happiness radiated from the apples of her cheeks seeing Summer bolt off the porch, Aspen on his heels. Entering his room, she opened the blinds and tossed back the fluffy comforter. The white linens sparked a distinct vision of him pleasuring himself. Her eyes fluttered shut, relishing the memory.

Carrie Ann propped a knee on a chair beside the window. Leaning over the winged back, she rested her elbows on the windowsill. The grin lingering on her lips heightened into laughter watching him haul ass down the runway. The man was absolutely gorgeous, sprinting, shirtless and pants haphazardly falling from his hips. The scenic Montana sky and snowcapped mountains acting as a background to his lean, rugged loveliness.

A burning sensation gathered behind her eyes as the pounding of her heart decelerated to an easy, blissful rhythm. Sex had never been the same with any of the other men she’d dated. She’d never been able to be as vulnerable. Summer brought a sense of self-discovery, never judging or pushing, just allowing her to explore her own limits. He projected a calm dose of confidence, capturing her spirit in the rawest of forms.

“God, I’ve missed him.”

Passing by a mirror, she inspected her face for smudges and tussled her hair so it poured perfectly over her breasts. Moving to his bed, she sprawled out facedown and side-to-side. Sunbeams pushing through the window, pre-warmed the luxurious sheets beneath her tummy. Elbows bent, she propped her chin on her entwined fingers. Her feet crossed at the ankles, toes pointed toward the ceiling, happily swaying back and forth in midair, anxiously waiting to see him in the doorway.

Summer’s burning gaze landed on her from the hallway painting a sexy smile on his lips as he walked into the room. Letting go of his luggage, he sauntered straight for her. His stare never faltered. Carrie Ann’s hand drifted forward. Their fingertips met, gently stroking and brushing. The energy arcing between the slight connections was momentous.

“I’ve craved this moment since the last time I saw you lying in my bed.” The hushed rasp clung to the edges of his silky tone. The severe blush on his cheeks revealed deep, raw sentiments. Summer tugged on her fingers encouraging her to her knees. She complied, scooting to the edge of his bed, pressing her hip bones against his stomach. “I have craved you in the simplest ways.”

Their hands connected, palm to palm, between their chests.

In a whisper of movement, he brushed kisses to her eyes, nose and cheeks.

He pressed his forehead to hers, gently nuzzling.

Their mouths parted, breath mingling as one.

The vibrations passing between them were simply a beautiful, harmonic phenomenon.

“Your lips…that little sound you make right before you cum.” Tremors built between them. Easing his face away from hers, he stared into her soul. “But waking up next you is like a dream…a level of Heaven I don’t ever want to be without again. I can’t decide which I’m more excited about, burying myself inside of you or seeing your sleepy face on my pillow in the morning.”

“Why don’t you let me know tomorrow after we climb out of bed?”

Her arms went around him. She delved into the waistband of his jeans, capturing his firm ass before pushing his jeans to his hips and below. Taking him into her hand, stroking from base to tip, drew a low growl.

The hush of his groan, sensual and erotic, slid along her senses.

Summer grabbed her wrist roughly, bringing it to his mouth. The scorching heat of his kiss ignited a slow burn over the pale flesh. “C’mere. You need to pick which one of these you want me to use.”

“Excuse me?”

He hoisted her off the bed, guiding her to the luggage he’d left stranded at the doorway. Summer tossed it on top of the chair near the window. Her brows bent, distress crinkled across her forehead, as he pulled on the zipper. Summer flipped open the suitcase revealing seven boxes of condoms.

A tremor of a chuckle shook her upper body. “Come prepared, did you?”

“Not me. You picked these out.”

“I made you buy condoms?” Carrie Ann was on the pill and they’d never used protection. Not once. But after they broke things off, after that day, she’d refused to have sex without one ever again. Old wounds, haunting and hurtful, fired off a small spark in her gut. He lifted the back of her hand to his lips, squashing the trigger of fear. “What else did I say?”

“You refused to fuck me, your words…not mine, enforcing the Safety First policy. I waited in the car while you ran into the store…in your gown! My ego quadrupled in size when you came back with seven boxes.”

“Quadrupled? I don’t know how you managed to still fit in the car?” she teased. Her nerves settling. “Please tell me it wasn’t the pharmacy by my house?”

“It was.” Laughter simmered in his throat. Wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, he nudged the hard length of him into the small of her back. “I asked you if the clerk said anything and you said no, stating that you had dumped the boxes on the counter telling the clerk, ‘The devil’s in the details.’.”

“Shit.”

“You also boasted that we were going to use every single one of them.” His lips traced the shell of her ear. “Where would you like to start?”

She sketched a finger over the boxes. Each one displayed the words, XL, Lubricated, and their own unique stamp of approval. Carrie Ann struggled briefly with the notion of covering him up. Part of her wanted to disregard her qualms. A long moment passed. Her finger dawdled from package to package. Her hesitancy was a clear indication of indecision.

His hands began to roam over her body with intention. “I’d prefer not to use them, but you insisted. If you want the truth, Carrie Ann, I’ve never been able to trust anyone since you. I’ve always used condoms. But I hate the idea of having anything between us.”

Anything between us. Guilt festered and gnawed, robbing her of a response.

Sensing her distraction, he picked up the black and gold box, stating, “Let’s table the subject for now. Maybe we can revisit in a day or two. Or an hour or two.”

Choking back nerves, she sighed heavily, marshaling a smile. “Okay.”

Summer coasted a hand down the length of her arm, lacing their fingers. Clumsily, she spun to face him, searching out the hard planes of his chest. He brought his mouth to hers, intimately savoring each far corner, licking deeper, pacing the moment. An ache, deep and low, spurred her on. Her fingers keyed up the sides of his neck, fitting around his skull, holding him to her mouth. Their tongues twisted in a delicate, sensual, dance, searching nuances of their past while acutely aware of their future.