His eyes dilate with unbridled desire. He picks up momentum, grunting with each savage thrust. The intensity between us builds, drawing us closer to that mind-numbing oblivion. Until there is no stopping it.
We tumble over that precious edge together, our cries of release merging as we surrender to pleasure. Once it’s over, Gunnar drops down on top of me, settling the entirety of his weight upon me. It’s a heaviness I welcome.
My arms come around him, the two of us clinging to one another as we bask in the aftermath of what just took place. An irrevocable shift that has changed the trajectory of our relationship.
A moment that will be embedded in my heart forever.
When we can no longer avoid the inevitable, Gunnar removes himself from my body and drops down next to me. On instinct, we both turn on our sides to face the other, as if drawn by a magnetic force. Our hands link between our naked bodies, neither of us ready to let go of the other.
His gaze locks onto mine as the fading sunlight streams through my bedroom window, casting a warm glow around us.
“You okay?” he asks, his voice laced with gentle concern.
“Yes,” I answer honestly. “You?”
He grunts at the returned question. “Yeah, Elle, I’m more than good.”
I chuckle, appreciating the lighter moment. “So, we’re really doing this, huh? Having a baby together?”
A half smile tugs at his lips. “Yep, no turning back now.”
“Any regrets?” I ask the question lightly, but there is no denying the reassurance I seek.
His expression briefly sobers. “Just one.”
The unexpected answer catches me off guard, sending a jolt through my heart. “What’s that?”
Warm brown eyes hold me captive. “That we didn’t do this sooner.”
His words carve a place into my heart forever, bringing a smile to my face. “Are you going to stay the night?” I ask, knowing that’s usually a stipulation for him.
He brushes a stray tendril of hair away from my face. “Yeah, Elle. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good, because I wanna do it again,” I tell him, giddy with excitement.
A bellow of laughter erupts from his chest before it transforms into a deep groan. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll gladly arrange that.” He captures my lips in a heated kiss that stokes the burning embers of our recent encounter. “Maybe I don’t need a few minutes after all,” he murmurs, rolling over top of me.
Laughing into the kiss, I wrap my arms around his neck, losing myself in a night that promises to be unforgettable. One that will mark the beginning of a beautiful new chapter for Gunnar and me.
Gunnar
One moment can drastically change a person’s life. I’ve had a few of them in my lifetime. Some good, some bad, and some that fall somewhere in between.
My parents ditching me at a gas station when I was only a child was the first one, and it was a major kick in the balls. It taught me how cruel life can be and completely changed how I viewed the world.
When Ryland took me home and became the father I never had, it shifted once more, changing the trajectory of what would have been a dim future.
Then came Ellie, the free-spirited spitfire from down the street who loved to fish, make mud pies, build forts, and shoot off firecrackers, outdoing any boy I had ever known. She was the best friend I never knew I needed, and the day I met her was the best day of my life … until last night.
I knew being with her would change me, but nothing could have prepared me for the impact of it. I’ve never had anyone come apart for me the way she did.
It took everything in me to leave her this morning, but work calls for us both and Bear needs his breakfast.
My gaze shifts to where he rides in the passenger seat, his head sticking out the rolled-down window as he basks in the fresh mountain air after getting the best sleep of his life.
He and I both.
I don’t do sleepovers. Too personal. The only time it happened was when Ellie and I would accidentally fall asleep in our fort when we were kids, only to later get our asses chewed out by Paw and Ryland. They always worried about us encountering wildlife, especially with Cougar Mountain being so close.
I grin as I think about how much shit we got into when we were younger, usually thanks to Ellie’s hair-brained ideas. I always tried to take the fall when we got caught, but Ellie would never let me, and Paw was no fool. He knew how impulsive his granddaughter could be.
My nostalgia grows as I turn onto Main Street and come upon the first of many businesses which happens to be the flower shop, Ellie’s Garden. Just like her house, the white and pink building with blossoming window boxes and polka dot curtains is a charming representation of all that is Ellie.
She’s had a love for flowers for as long as I have known her, especially the wild ones that you can find in any field around here, but the dream of owning a shop came when Ryland decided to open the garage with the intent of eventually handing it over to me. Ellie decided then and there that she would open the first flower shop in Passion Falls and have it on Main Street too. That way, no matter where we lived later in life, we would always be close.
I was completely on board with that plan, and even though I was only thirteen at the time and Ellie was twelve, I was determined to make that dream become a reality. I saved every cent I made from that moment on, something that she never needed thanks to the money Paw left. An amount that took both Ellie and me by surprise.
My thoughts trail off as I come upon Dale Buford, the owner of Old Tyme Candy store, already out and about sweeping the sidewalk in front of the store.
He looks up at the sound of my truck and sends a friendly wave. “Mornin’, Gunnar and Bear,” he calls out.
Bear barks his greeting out the open window while I slow the truck and lean over the console. “How’re you doing, Mr. Buford?”
“Oh, I can’t complain. The weather is beautiful, peak season is upon us, and I get to work with my beautiful wife every day. Life doesn’t get better than that.”
Considering how much I enjoy spending time with Ellie, I can see why the man doesn’t want for much.
