Chapter 5

five

?. . .?

Ryan

I'm hiking in the mountains because they're supposed to bring clarity or some bullshit.

But all I think about is Ava and how she's been avoiding me. When I show up at the bookshop, she quickly gets on the phone or finds a customer to help.

And I'm going fucking nuts. All I can think of is her.

Even now as I trek through the winding trails, my mind wanders back to her, to the softness of her curves, the depths of her soulful eyes.

I need to see her, need to feel her presence like I need my next breath. Before I can second guess myself, I pull out my phone and dial the number for her bookstore. It might be a dirty trick, but a man's got to do what a man's got to do.

She answers on the second ring.

"Ava," I breathe her name like a prayer, my voice coming out rough and gravelly.

"Ryan?" Her voice is breathy, surprised. "Um, how can I help you?"

"I just..." I pause, searching for the right words. "I'm going for a hike, up in the mountains. I was wondering if you'd like to join me?"

Silence stretches between us, filled with unspoken longing and hesitation. I hold my breath, waiting.

"I...I don't know, Ryan. I have the store and..."

"Just for a few hours. Please, Ava. I need...I just need some company." You. I need you.

She sighs softly, and I can picture her worrying her bottom lip. "Okay. Okay, I'll come."

Relief floods through me, followed by a surge of anticipation. "Great. I'll pick you up in an hour."

As I hang up, my heart pounds in my chest. An hour. One hour until I have her all to myself, away from prying eyes and interruptions.

The drive to Ava's is a blur, my mind consumed with thoughts of her. When I pull up outside her store, she's already waiting, dressed in form-fitting hiking gear that hugs her luscious curves. I swallow hard, my body tightening with need.

"Ready?" I ask as she climbs into the passenger seat.

She nods, her eyes meeting mine briefly before darting away. The air between us crackles with tension, the confined space of the car amplifying every breath, every shift.

The winding road takes us higher, the town disappearing in the rearview mirror. With each mile, the anticipation builds, coiling tighter and tighter within me. Ava stares out the window, her hands twisting in her lap. I long to reach over, to still her nervous movements and lace my fingers with hers.

Finally, we arrive at the trailhead, the mountain looming before us. We set off in silence, the only sounds the crunch of our footsteps and the distant calls of birds. The trail is narrow, forcing us to walk single file. I let Ava take the lead, my eyes drawn to the sway of her hips, the flex of her calves.

The higher we climb, the more the rest of the world falls away. Up here, it's just us, two souls drawn together by an inexplicable force. The air grows thinner, and Ava's breathing becomes more labored. I place my hand on the small of her back, feeling the heat of her skin through her thin shirt.

"You okay?" I murmur, my lips close to her ear.

She nods, leaning into my touch for a brief moment before continuing on. Every brush of our bodies, every shared glance, is amplified in the seclusion of the mountains. The connection between us grows stronger with each step, the desire more urgent.

I need to touch her, to feel her soft skin under my fingertips. I need to taste her, to claim her as mine. The primal urge rises within me, threatening to overtake my control.

But I hold back, letting the anticipation build, knowing that when we finally come together, it will be explosive. The mountains will bear witness to our passion, to the inevitable collision of our bodies and souls.

For now, I content myself with the knowledge that she's here, with me, away from the world's prying eyes. In the solitude of nature, anything can happen. And I intend to make sure it does.

We crest the peak and we're met with a breathtaking view. The sun dips below the horizon, casting the sky ablaze with hues of red and gold. But the real beauty, the true prize, stands before me. Ava's cheeks are flushed, her eyes shining with a mix of wonder and something else, something I can only hope is desire.

I can't take it anymore. I need her. Now .

My hand shakes as I cup her delicate chin, gently tilting her head back. Her breath catches in her throat, and her eyes darken with longing.

"Ryan," she whispers, her voice a siren's call that lures me in.

"Ava," I growl, my voice low and dangerous. "I want you, Ava. More than I've ever wanted anything."

Her eyes widen, but she doesn't pull away. Instead, she leans in, her plump lips a mere breath away from mine. My heart hammers in my chest, and my cock throbs in anticipation.

"Ryan," she breathes, her voice like velvet.

And that…the sound of my name on her lips, all breathy like that is the last straw. The final barrier shatters, and I claim her mouth in a searing kiss, my tongue delving into her heat, tasting her sweetness. Ava moans into my mouth, her fingers tangling in my hair, and any semblance of restraint I have left evaporates.

I tear my mouth from hers, trailing scorching kisses down her jaw, along her neck, to the valley between her breasts. Her soft, curvy body trembles beneath me, and I relish in the knowledge that it's me she's whimpering for.

Me who's going to be balls deep inside her.

Me who's going to claim her.

With a groan, I yank her shirt upwards, revealing her luscious, full breasts spilling out of her bra. Her nipples are hard, aflame against her silky skin, and I can't help but moan at the sight. Ava arches her back, pressing her chest closer to my face.

I lift her leg to my hip and back her against a tree. I trail my tongue down her cleavage, teasing one sensitive nipple as my hands fumble with her jeans. I can't get them off fast enough.

Finally, her jeans pool around her ankles, revealing her matching, lacy panties, drenched with her arousal. Ava's cheeks flush a delicious shade of pink, but she doesn't try to hide herself from me. Instead, she bites her lip, a look of wanton desire in her eyes.

"You're so beautiful," I murmur, before I sweep my tongue across her heated slit, eliciting a gasp from her.

Ava's hands twist in my hair as I feast on her, teasing her swollen folds, drinking her in like I've been thirsty my entire life. She tastes like ambrosia.

I can't take it anymore, and I pull my cock from my pants. The way Ava's eyes widen as she takes in my swollen length only serves to heighten my arousal.

I hold her eyes as I jack off. I don't mean to go all the way, but before I can control myself, I feel my cum shooting up my stalk.

I grab Ava's shirt and pull it up as I aim myself at her stomach. I groan as white, sticky ropes pulse from my swollen head, landing on Ava's soft skin and trickling down to her belly button.

Ava gasps as my hot seed splatters across her smooth stomach. Her eyes are wide with surprise and dark with desire as she watches me mark her creamy skin.

"Ryan," she breathes, her voice dripping with need. "I...I want..."

I capture her lips in a searing kiss before she can finish her sentence. I already know what she wants, what she needs. It's the same primal hunger coursing through my veins.

With a low growl, I lift her up, encouraging her legs to wrap around my waist. The head of my still-hard cock nudges against her soaked entrance and we both moan at the contact. Slowly, inch by delicious inch, I sink into her tight, wet heat.

"Fuck, Ava," I groan against the shell of her ear. "You feel so good wrapped around my cock."

She whimpers and arches against me, silently begging for more. I give her what she craves, thrusting into her with deep, powerful strokes. The rough bark of the tree scrapes against her back but she doesn't seem to care, lost in the throes of passion.

"Harder," she pants, her nails digging into my shoulders. "Please Ryan, fuck me harder."

I comply with a savage snarl, pistoning my hips and driving into her sopping cunt with wild abandon. Her needy cries echo through the tranquil forest as I take her, claim her, make her mine.

My balls tighten and I know I'm close. Reaching between our sweat-slicked bodies, I find her swollen clit, rubbing tight circles around the sensitive nub. Ava thrashes in my arms, her pussy clenching around my shaft as her orgasm crashes over her.

"That's it, baby," I coax her, never letting up. "Come for me. Come all over my fucking cock."

With a keening moan, she shatters, her silken walls fluttering and milking my dick. I thrust once, twice more before burying myself to the hilt and emptying my seed deep inside her trembling body.

For a long moment, we stay locked together, chests heaving, hearts pounding in sync. Ava buries her face in the crook of my neck, her lips brushing my sweat-dampened skin. I press a tender kiss to her temple, savoring the feel of her, the scent of her.

"You're mine now, Ava," I rasp, still buried inside her. "There's no going back. Not after this."

She lifts her head, her eyes meeting mine. In their depths, I see everything I feel reflected back at me—the desire, the need, the unbreakable connection.

"I'm yours, Ryan," she whispers, her voice thick with emotion. "I always have been."

As the sun dips below the horizon, painting the sky in vibrant oranges and pinks, we reluctantly disentangle our bodies. Ava's cheeks are flushed, her hair mussed from our passionate encounter. She looks thoroughly debauched and utterly gorgeous.

I help her back into her clothes, my hands lingering on her soft curves. I can't resist stealing another kiss, savoring the taste of her, the feel of her pliant body against mine.

She's mine.