Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

R idge

The night air is sharp, biting against my skin as I step out onto the cabin’s porch. The stars are out, blazing bright like they always do this high up the mountain, but for once, they’re not what’s got my attention.

Quinn.

She’s inside, curled up on the couch with a blanket, her laptop open as she pours over those damn constellations. Determined. Brilliant. And completely unaware of the way she’s taken over every corner of my mind.

"You’re pacing again," Zane calls from the porch steps where he’s nursing a beer. His grin is smug, and I want to wipe it off his face. "Thinking about Quinn, huh?"

"Shut it, Zane," I growl, though the words lack their usual bite.

“That didn’t take long,” my brother smirks.

“What?”

He chuckles, shaking his head. "You’re whipped, Ridge. Just admit it already."

I glare at him, but before I can snap back, the sound of boots crunching on gravel cuts through the quiet. Grady’s here, his broad frame silhouetted against the dark.

"Great," I mutter. "The last person I need advice from."

Grady climbs the steps, his eyes narrowing as he looks between me and Zane. "Came to check on my sister. What’s going on?"

"Ridge is having a crisis of the heart," Zane supplies helpfully, smirking over the top of his beer. "Your little sister has him all tied up in knots."

Grady’s jaw tightens. He folds his arms, staring me down like he’s assessing a threat. "You better not be messing with her, Ridge. She’s been through enough."

"I know," I say, my voice low. "And I’m not. Messing with her, I mean. I—" I stop, the words tangling in my throat. Damn it.

"You what?" Grady demands, his tone sharp.

"I care about her," I snap, meeting his glare head-on. "Hell, more than that–I’ve fallen for her."

The admission hangs in the air, heavy and undeniable. Grady looks like he’s about to punch me, and for a second, I wonder if I’d even blame him.

"She deserves better than you," he finally says, his voice gruff. "But… you saved her in the avalanche. And if you’re serious about this, if you’re gonna take care of her—really take care of her—then I won’t stand in the way."

I nod, the weight of his approval settling on my shoulders. "I’ll never hurt her, Grady. You have my word."

Later, back inside the cabin, I find Quinn where I left her, still wrapped up in her research. Her hair’s a mess, her glasses slipping down her nose, and she’s muttering under her breath about star charts.

"You ever take a break?" I ask, leaning against the doorway.

She looks up, startled, then rolls her eyes. "You ever stop hovering?"

"Not when there’s something worth hovering over," I shoot back, crossing the room to sit beside her. She’s close enough that I can smell the faint scent of lavender in her hair, and it takes everything in me not to reach out and pull her into my lap.

"Smooth," she teases, though there’s a flush creeping up her neck.

I smirk. "You think I’m smooth?"

"I think you’re annoying," she says, but the corner of her mouth lifts, betraying her.

"Annoying, huh?" I lean in, my voice dropping. "That why you can’t seem to stay away from me?"

Her breath hitches, and I know I’ve got her. But then she shakes her head, laughing softly. "You’re insufferable."

"And you like it," I say, my hand brushing against hers. Her skin is warm, soft, and I want more. I want everything.

We end up outside under the stars. That’s where she belongs—where we belong. The sky is endless, a canvas of light and shadow, and she’s staring up at it like it’s the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen.

"Do you ever think about how small we are?" she asks, her voice quiet.

I watch her, not the stars. "No."

She turns to me, confused. "Why not?"

"Because when I’m with you, the world feels big," I admit, the words tumbling out before I can stop them. "Like anything’s possible."

Her lips part, and for a second, she looks like she’s going to say something. But then she steps closer, her hand resting on my chest. "Ridge…"

"I mean it, Quinn," I say, my voice rough. "You’ve turned my whole damn world upside down, and I don’t know what to do with that. But I know I don’t want it to stop."

She swallows hard, her eyes searching mine. "You scare me," she whispers.

I frown. "Why?"

"Because you make me feel things I’ve never felt before," she admits, her voice trembling. "And I don’t know if I’m ready for that."

"Then let me help you," I say, my hand sliding to her waist. "Let me show you."

“Okay…”

“Let's go for a skinny dip in the hot spring,” I whisper against her lips, already slipping my hands under her sweater.

“There’s a hot spring nearby?” she whispers, her voice already husky with arousal from my touch.

‘Mhmm, at the back of my property. The only reason I bought this place–that and the view of the stars of course.”

I hook her hand in mine and lead her down the steps into the night. We walk hand in hand a few dozen yards and then a small clearing in the evergreens opens up to a small bubbling spring. Steam rises around us, the scent of pine trees clinging heavy.

I swipe her sweater over her head and then push my pants down my thighs.

“I don't have a choice?”

“Not a one,” I hum, turning her away from me and trailing my hands up her thighs and along her body, “not this time anyway.”

I feel her shudder as I push her leggings down her creamy thighs. We approach the edge of the steamy pool, her eyes scanning the dense forest that surrounds us. She dips her toe into the water and I can't resist teasing her by grazing my arousal against her ass cheek. She grunts eagerly and presses back against me, seeking more pressure.

“So sensitive.” I draw a finger up the center of her torso, cupping each breast softly before whispering in her ear. “I can smell how much your body needs what only I can give it.”

My other hand latches onto her thigh, pulling us into the water carefully as she becomes more aroused by my touch. Her hips work against mine as I hook a finger inside her and she calls out my name.

“You're so eager and sweet, I couldn't love you any more. When I found you, my future and my purpose snapped into place.”

We’re submerged to our chests now, the heated water adding to the sensations of our bodies pressing together. My words devour her soul and leave her completely exposed for me.

She is mine. From the moment she walked up the steps to my cabin, she signed herself over to my mercy. I’m moody and abrasive and hard and she softens all of my rough edges.

She is mine.

Her arms circle around my neck, her bare chest pressed against mine as our lips find each other's. The water laps gently at our skin and my body tenses with the rush of adrenaline, my control slowly slipping.

“Please, fuck me Ridge. Make me yours again.”

I feel my muscles tense and the size of my dick nearly double as I give into her request. Only the tops of my muscled shoulders are visible above the water line, every fiber and cell stretched to their limits with need for her.

The wind stirs the leaves above our heads and waves lap at the shore, but we’re silent, lost in each other. I sink myself into her warm body, our lips crashing together as the world melts away. Her fingers clutch at my shoulders as her legs lock around my waist and I thrust in slow, savoring strokes. I groan, my lips sucking at her sweet flesh as her soaked pussy flutters around my cock.

“I could spend every night with you right here like this,” I admit.

She hums softly and then I feel her come undone, her eyes closed as she moans into the night. My own release follows, hot jets of come emptying into her unprotected womb. I hope I sink my babies into her, the need to tie her to me forever is all consuming.

The rest of the night passes in a blur of heat and whispers, her body pressed against mine as we stay tangled in each other, the hot water lapping around us. And every touch, every kiss, feels like coming home.