Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Q uinn

The mountain air is crisp against my cheeks, carrying the scent of pine and earth. I adjust the strap of my backpack and glance at Ridge, his long strides eating up the uneven trail ahead. He doesn’t even look winded, while I’m doing my best to keep my breathing steady.

“I thought stargazing was supposed to be relaxing,” I call out, my voice echoing off the trees.

Ridge glances over his shoulder, a smirk tugging at his lips. “This is relaxing. For people who can keep up.”

“Careful, Warner. Your arrogance is showing.”

He stops abruptly, and I almost crash into him. “Arrogance?” He turns to face me, his sharp jawline illuminated by the faint glow of the moon. “It’s not arrogance if it’s true.”

I roll my eyes, stepping around him. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet, here you are,” he murmurs, his voice low enough to send a shiver down my spine.

I ignore the way my pulse skips and keep walking. The trail narrows, the trees closing in as the elevation climbs. Ridge moves behind me now, his presence a steady weight against my back. There’s something comforting about having him close, even if he does drive me crazy.

“So,” I say, breaking the silence, “why stargazing? What made you fall in love with the stars?”

“Why not?” His tone is casual, but I catch the flicker of something deeper. “The stars don’t judge. They just... are. They’re constant, even when everything else isn’t.”

I glance back at him, surprised by the vulnerability in his words. “That’s... unexpectedly poetic.”

“Don’t get used to it,” he mutters, brushing past me to take the lead again.

We reach the clearing, and my breath catches. The sky stretches wide and endless above us, the constellations shimmering like a thousand diamonds scattered across velvet. It’s breathtaking.

Ridge sets his pack down and spreads out a blanket. “This is it,” he says, his voice softer now. “Best view on Devil’s Peak.”

I drop my bag and sit beside him, tilting my head back to take it all in. “You were right. It’s perfect.”

“Of course I was right,” he says, his gruffness back in full force. But when I glance at him, I see the faintest trace of a smile.

We fall into a comfortable silence, the kind that feels rare and precious. Ridge points out constellations, his voice steady and low, and I soak in every word. I’ve read about the stars my whole life, studied their patterns and mapped their paths, but hearing him talk about them is different. He speaks with reverence, as if they’re old friends.

“You know,” I say, my gaze fixed on the heavens, “I didn’t come to the mountains just for my research.”

Ridge turns his head toward me, his expression unreadable. “No?”

I shake my head. “I came because I wanted more. I wanted to find someone who saw the world the way I do. Someone who doesn’t think I’m crazy for spending hours staring at the sky.”

His gaze lingers on me, heavy and searching. “And you thought a mail-order bride ad was the way to do that?”

I laugh softly, the sound almost lost in the night. “No. That was an accident. But staying here... that’s a choice.”

His eyes darken, the intensity in them making my breath hitch. “You’re not what I expected.”

“Good,” I say, meeting his gaze. “Because you’re not what I expected either.”

We’re just packing up our things to head back to the observatory an hour later when the rumble starts low, like distant thunder. I barely register it at first. But Ridge is already on alert, his posture tense. “Stay here,” he commands, his voice sharp.

“What is it?” I ask, anxiety ratcheting up to match his.

“Avalanche,” he says, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the edge of the clearing. “We need to move. Now.”

The ground shakes beneath us, and the air fills with the sound of cracking trees and shifting earth. Ridge grabs my hand, his grip firm and unyielding, and leads me down the trail at a breakneck pace. My heart pounds, adrenaline surging as rocks tumble and branches snap around us.

We don’t make it far before a massive tree crashes onto the path ahead, blocking our way. Ridge curses under his breath and scans the area, his eyes narrowing on a small cave nestled into the hillside.

“In there,” he says, tugging me toward it.

The cave is barely big enough for the two of us, the entrance low and narrow. Ridge ducks inside first, pulling me in after him just as another crash echoes outside. We huddle in the dark, the sound of the avalanche muffled but still terrifying.

My hands tremble, and Ridge’s arm wraps around me instinctively. “It’s okay,” he murmurs, his voice steady. “We’re safe in here. Not the first avalanche I’ve tackled and it won’t be the last.”

I press closer to him, his warmth a stark contrast to the cool, damp air of the cave. “Do avalanches happen often up here?”

“Not usually,” he admits. “But the mountain’s unpredictable. You learn to adapt. Gotta take what it gives you, like everything in life.”

We sit in silence for a while, the tension between us crackling like static electricity. His arm stays around me, his body solid and reassuring, and I find myself relaxing despite the situation.

“You’re good at this,” I say softly. “The whole protective mountain man thing.”

He huffs a quiet laugh. “Don’t get used to it.”

The silence stretches a while before I ask, “Why did you leave the military?”

“How’d you know?” he hums.

“Something about the way you’re good in an emergency–and I saw the medals in your bedroom back at the observatory.”

Ridge stiffens slightly, and for a moment, I think he won’t answer. But then he says, “I left because it stopped feeling like I was protecting anything. Started feeling like I was just... surviving.”

I turn my head to look at him, the faint light from the cave’s entrance illuminating the hard angles of his face. “And now?”

He meets my gaze, his expression unreadable. “Now I’m trying to figure out if there’s more to life than just surviving.”

The vulnerability in his words takes my breath away. I reach up without thinking, my fingers brushing against his jaw. He doesn’t pull away, and the tension between us sharpens, the air thick with unspoken words.

“I think there is,” I say quietly.

He leans in, his forehead resting against mine. “You know, something about you makes me want to believe that.”

My heart stutters, and before I can think, he closes the distance between us. Our lips meet, tentative at first, but the kiss quickly deepens, all heat and desperation. His hands slide to my waist, pulling me closer until there’s no space left between us.

It’s reckless and messy and perfect. He pulls away and his intense gaze holds mine, and my heart races with the unspoken chemistry crackling between us. Delicious anticipation twists in my stomach. Slowly, he undoes the buttons of his shirt, never breaking our eye contact. He pulls his shirt out of his pants, causing my heart to pound even harder and my nipples to ache with desire. I’ve never done this before–never been with a man. Ridge’s warm fingertips inch under my jacket, seeking the skin at my waist. My breath catches and my eyes flutter closed. Not breaking his gaze, I slide the zipper down my jacket and remove it.

His eyes flare with intent, his palms sliding under my shirt until the pads of his thumbs rest just under the cup of my bra.

“Do you want this, Quinn?” Comes his rough question.

I swallow, nodding, chained to his gaze.

“Touch yourself for me, show me how you want me to touch you.”

I nod, gulping down my anxiety about if he’ll like me–my curvy hips and thick thighs and soft stomach that have always caused me insecurity.

With courage I’ve never had before, I slip the zipper down on my jeans and begin to massage my cotton-covered pussy in slow circles. His eyes widen at the sight, and I can see his breath quicken. Taking a deep breath, I lean back against the cool wall of the cave, allowing his gaze to take me in as I pleasure myself in a way I never have before.

“Fuck, baby.” His hand slides to my waist, thumbs working along the waistband of my panties. “I’m gonna lose my mind just watching you play with that pretty, soaking wet pussy.” He growls, the front of his pants tented with his rock hard erection. “Dammit, you’re soaked through your pretty pink panties. Makes my mouth water wanting to lick that juicy cunt clean.”

My head tilts back and I begin to massage harder, while my other hand slides up to my breast to play with my nipple over the cup of my bra. I bite my lip and a moan rolls out of my throat.

Ridge licks his lips then pops the button and pushes his pants down his thighs in one swift move. He cups his dick, still covered by his briefs in one palm, and places his hand over mine to feel me touching myself.

“Whose sweet little nipples are these?” He releases his dick and tweaks one just to the point of pain.

“Yours,” I gasp as he pushes the cup of my bra out of his way and takes my nipple in his mouth and tugs with his teeth. My back arches into him as he pushes my hand harder against myself.

A feral growl escapes his throat, and then he adjusts himself on his knees, stripping me of my jeans and holding my thighs open with his strong hands. “What a gorgeous, glistening cunt.”

My body erupts into flames under his touch. “Yesss, Ridge.”

“Beautiful,” he hisses before he attacks me with his mouth. Sucking my soaked pussy over the cotton of my panties. I’m desperate to really feel him, without any barriers, only his mouth capturing the most intimate part of me. I moan loudly and run my fingers through his hair. I pull him tighter to me when he pushes my panties aside and reveals my sweet soaked seam to his hungry gaze for the first time. He doesn't waste time, tugging gently on my clit with his teeth as I groan in pleasure. Ridge’s mouth making love to me is causing a thousand overwhelming sensations to cascade through me.

As soon as my body begins to shake and convulse in a wave of pleasure, I feel Ridge's hands on my waist, supporting me as I lean against the cave wall. My fingers grip his hair tightly as he presses his muscular body against mine.

My mind is buzzing with the intensity of my first orgasm, but it only fuels my desire for him. He lifts me up and I wrap my arms and legs around him, feeling his hard length pressing against my stomach.

"Whose gorgeous ass is this?" he asks, his hands grasping my cheeks firmly.

I’m too lost in the sensation to reply, but I can't deny how much I want him. I nuzzle into his neck, kissing and nibbling along the damp skin below his ear. Every inch of me feels on fire with need for this man.

He bites down on my earlobe and sucks on it. "Tell me who this ass belongs to, don't make me fuck it out of you."

My eyes flicker down to his thick length, still covered by his briefs and pressed intimately against me. "You, Ridge. It belongs to you."

A feral grunt escapes him. "I can't stop thinking about you, Quinn," he says, gripping my hips and pulling away just enough to push his briefs down his thighs.

“You need to know–I haven’t been with a woman ever. If we do this, you’ll be the only woman for me–forever.”

I nod eagerly. “I–I’ve never been with anyone else. You’d be my first.”

“And your last, baby. Tell me I’ll be your last before I take you. I need to hear it.”

I nod again, “you’ll be my first and my last. I promise.”

“Forever,” comes his growl. His hand slides down his thick shaft then, and I take him in for the first time. He’s thick, throbbing, the hard and steely part of him pointing right for me. I lick my lips, eager to feel him feeling me, taking me, making me his.

“Are you scared?” he asks with tenderness.

I shake my head. “Only scared that you won’t fit.”

He chuckles softly. “I’ll be gentle.”

His lips capture mine in a slow kiss, his thumb swirling at my aroused clit while his other hand holds his thickness at the root. His hips move in a slow rhythm as he lines himself up with my aching pussy.

“I don’t know what you’re doing to me, Quinn?—”

“Don’t think about it–” I beg, “I just want to feel you.”

He groans, sending another spike of desire through me before he sheathes himself inside me with slow precision. I gasp and arch into him when I feel the soft tear of the thin barrier that makes me his forever. He growls, wild like a grizzly bear, before he thrusts his hips against me, pinning me against the wall. The feeling of him filling me to my core is pure ecstasy. All I crave is him. I’ve been denying my feelings and my attraction to him because everything about us feels downright crazy–he’s older, my brother’s friend–a loner that lives on the top of a damn mountain, but still I can’t help but melt when he looks at me with that glint in his eyes.

He grunts softly as he works his length into me, our bodies sliding together in the cool air. I dig my fingers into the hard muscle of his shoulders for support as he holds me firmly in his hands, filling me slowly but deeply as if he can't get enough. From this angle, it's not deep, but the closeness of our bodies drives me wild. Another release spirals to life inside of me. I know I'll come any second and my breathing turns ragged with anticipation. I want everything Ridge has to give. My other hand tightens in his hair as his thumb slips to my behind. His thrusting becomes deeper and more frenzied before he sinks his teeth into my neck and I instantly come from the combination of pain and pleasure. Ridge lets out one long, shuddering groan as he comes inside me while my body pulsates around him.

Heaving in exertion, I cling to him, his hair tickling my neck as I try to steady my beating heart.

Ridge kisses the crevice of my neck tenderly where he's bitten me. "That will probably leave a mark," he says in a low voice.

I touch my fingers to the tender skin, feeling the warmth of his lips still lingering there. Without hesitation, I press my lips firmly against his and nibble on his bottom lip playfully.

He chuckles deeply and pulls away from our kiss. "You are insatiable, and I wouldn't have it any other way." He curls me close to him and smacks my ass teasingly. His tone suddenly softens as he plants a kiss on my nose. "I just can't seem to control myself around you."

His hands slip into my hair and then down body, his palms moving slowly and seductively over my sweat-slicked skin. My body responds eagerly to his touch, sending shivers down my spine. His eyes close and a soft moan escapes his lips.

“I’m gonna have a hard time keeping my hands off of you now," he confesses with a playful grin.

I lean in for a playful kiss. "Well then, I guess we have that in common.”