Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

S arah

The morning sun glints off the Phantom River, the icy water rushing faster than usual with the spring thaw. I can hear the roar before I even reach the clearing. Grady told me last night he likes to take a dip here when he needs to clear his head, and I couldn’t help but feel curious—okay, nosy—about what that looks like.

When I push through the last of the trees, I freeze.

Grady stands at the riverbank, stark naked. My breath catches in my throat. Broad shoulders, rippling muscles, the sharp curve of his spine leading down to?—

"Good morning, sunshine," his deep voice rumbles, and I realize too late that he’s caught me staring. His lips twitch in a smirk as he wades into the freezing water, like being completely exposed doesn’t bother him in the slightest. “Sleep well?”

I’m pretty sure my face is the color of a ripe tomato. “Yeah—um…I didn’t mean to—" I stammer, trying to look anywhere but at him.

"Didn’t mean to what?” He turns to face me, chest-deep in the water now, the river lapping at his sculpted torso, the fine dusting of hair that covers his broad chest makes the space between my thighs ache. His grin is pure mischief. "You walked all the way out here just to look at the trees?"

I cross my arms, trying to muster some semblance of composure. "I was curious, okay? You said you did this to clear your head."

"And now you’re curious if it works?" He arches a brow, the playful challenge in his tone unmistakable.

"Something like that," I mutter, still not meeting his gaze. My thighs still ache in the most delicious way, a sweet reminder of where he was last night.

"Why don’t you find out for yourself?" His voice drops, rough and tempting. He nods toward the river. "Come on, sweetheart. Water’s fine."

"Are you insane? That water has to be freezing."

He shrugs, the movement making his muscles flex in a way that has no business being this distracting. "Only one way to find out."

"I didn’t bring a swimsuit," I blurt, regretting it instantly.

His smirk widens. "Didn’t stop me."

Heat flushes through me, but it’s not just embarrassment anymore. The way he’s looking at me—like he dares me to step out of my comfort zone, to take the plunge with him—makes my pulse race. It’s infuriating and thrilling all at once.

"You’re impossible," I say, but my voice lacks the bite I intended.

"And you’re stalling," he counters, his eyes glinting with challenge. I think of every mean insult Brady threw at me over the last two years of our relationship–telling me I should eat less or get on a meal plan to drop some pounds. Poking at the muffin top at my waist and snickering that I’d put on some weight. Almost like he made a challenge with himself to fat-shame me in more and more clever ways. Anger and hurt bubbles to life inside of me but I push it down, refusing to believe that my value has anything to do with the number on the scale.

Before I can talk myself out of it, I kick off my boots and peel off my jacket. The morning air is sharp against my skin, and I shiver as I fumble with the buttons of my shirt. I feel his gaze, heavy and unrelenting, as I strip down to my underwear.

"Don’t stare," I say, though it comes out more breathless than firm.

"Can’t help it," he says, his voice low and rough. "You’re beautiful, Sarah."

My hands falter, and for a moment, I forget the cold. His words settle over me like a warm touch, making me feel exposed in a way that has nothing to do with my lack of clothing.

I take a deep breath, then step into the water. The icy bite is immediate, stealing the air from my lungs. "Oh my God, it’s freezing!" I yelp, splashing toward him.

Grady chuckles, catching my hand as I stumble. His grip is strong and steady, grounding me as I adjust to the shock of the cold. "Told you it works," he says, his voice warm despite the temperature.

I glare at him, though the effect is ruined by the way my teeth chatter. "You’re insane."

"And yet, here you are," he teases, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

Before I can respond, he tugs me closer, his hands settling on my waist. The cold water seems to disappear, replaced by the heat of his touch and the intensity of his gaze. The moment stretches, the world narrowing to just the two of us.

"Grady..." I whisper, my voice trailing off as he leans in.

His lips brush mine, soft at first, then demanding. The kiss ignites something deep inside me, a fire that burns away the chill and leaves me clinging to him like he’s the only solid thing in the world. His hands grip my waist tighter, pulling me flush against him as the river rushes around us.

When we finally break apart, we’re both breathing hard, our foreheads pressed together. "Let’s get out of this water," he murmurs, his voice thick with need.

I nod, too breathless to speak. He leads me to the shore, grabbing the towel he’d left on a nearby rock. He wraps it around me, his hands lingering on my shoulders as he looks at me like I’m something precious.

"Come on," he says, his voice softer now. "There’s a sauna up the hill."

The small sauna tucked near his backdoor is warm and inviting, the heat wrapping around us like a cocoon as we settle onto the wooden bench. I clutch the towel around me, aware of every inch of space between us—and how much I want to close it.

Grady leans back, a towel slung low on his hips, his chest still damp and glistening. He watches me with a smirk that’s equal parts teasing and possessive. "You’re quiet," he says, his voice cutting through the thick silence.

"I’m still trying to figure out what happened last night—it feels like a fever dream,” I admit, my cheeks heating for an entirely different reason now.

"What happened," he says, leaning closer, "is you finally let go."

"Let go of what?" I ask, though I already know the answer.

"Everything," he says, his voice dropping to a rough whisper. "Your fears, your doubts...all the things that keep you from living the way you want to."

His words hit me like a punch to the gut, but before I can respond, he’s there, his hands framing my face as he kisses me again. This kiss is different—deeper, hungrier, like he’s been holding back for too long and can’t anymore.

The towel slips from my shoulders as his hands roam, his touch igniting a fire that spreads through me like wildfire. I don’t think, don’t hesitate. I just give in to the pull between us, to the way he makes me feel alive in a way I never have before.

"Sarah," he murmurs against my lips, his voice rough with desire. "Tell me to stop, and I will."

"Don’t," I whisper, the word barely audible but filled with all the things I can’t bring myself to say.

He growls low in his throat, and then we’re lost. The sauna fills with the sound of our heavy breathing, the crackle of the wood stove, and the soft gasps and moans we can’t hold back. Every touch, every kiss, feels like a promise—a declaration of everything we’ve been holding back.

With a fierce growl, he leans me against the door and presses his body hard against mine. My back arches as his hands grip my waist, his fingers digging into my skin with a possessive force. A wave of desire surges through me as my hands roam his hard chest, my breathing quickening at the sight of his lean, toned body. We lock eyes for a moment, our lust-filled gaze holding nothing back.

"I want to taste you on my lips again,” he breathes before claiming my mouth in a searing kiss. The heat between us is palpable as he lifts me up, pressing me against the door with his powerful thighs. My legs wrap around him instinctively as we devour each other, his hands roaming hungrily over my body. "I only want me inside you," he growls, grinding against me in a way that drives me wild with need.

All rational thoughts are replaced by primal instincts as I respond eagerly to his every touch and movement. My nails scrape down his back as I moan uncontrollably, completely consumed by him.

Without saying anything more his hands trail down my waist and between my thighs, caressing my heat in soft strokes.

My breathing picks up, my senses overwhelmed by the hard but gentle way he attends to me. His palms wrap around my thighs and he lifts me, my legs lock at his waist and then I feel his rock hard length against my soaked pussy and I nearly lose my mind.

A pit of need coils tightly in my stomach as the desire to feel him inside of me overtakes me.

“Yes–” I husk against his lips, “please, I need to feel you.”

He groans, flexing his hips so his thick erection slides against my slippery folds.

“I love you–Sarah–” he captures my lips as the tip of him breaches my entrance. “I just need you to know that–I love you so much it scares the hell out of me because I’ve never felt this way before, but I never want to go back to not feeling this way again–I’ll love and protect you–hell, I’d end anyone that tried to touch you for as long as I live.”

I gasp when he pushes a little deeper and then he swallows my gasp when he seats himself fully inside of me. His hands cover my skin, exploring and lighting up every nerve ending as he continues to murmur sweet nothings against my lips.

I’m lost in him and feel like I’ve found myself at the same time, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.

His thrusts become more urgent as we lose ourselves in the raw passion of the moment. Every sensation is heightened–from the feel of his skin against mine, to the sound of our bodies slapping together in perfect harmony.

"I can't get enough of you," he whispers hoarsely in my ear, sending shivers down my spine as he kisses and nips at my neck. Our bodies move together in an intoxicating rhythm, building towards a crescendo of pleasure that threatens to consume us both.

And when my first orgasm finally hits, it's like an explosion–waves of ecstasy crashing over me while I moan out his name. He continues to move within me, prolonging every exquisite sensation until I'm trembling with aftershocks.

In that moment, there is nothing else in the world but us, our bodies entwined in an unbreakable bond of desire and love.

I pant and clutch at the straining muscles of his biceps as his tongue trails down my chest and between my heavy breasts. He pulls away for an instant, angling his hips into mine to pin me against the wall at a new angle. His lips attach to my nipple and suck fiercely, elongating the pebbled peak further. He slowly builds up a steadier rhythm with his thrusts as he sucks and nips and teases with his tongue. I hold his head tightly to my chest, my body begging him for more even though my nerves are so oversensitive I'm not sure if my body can withstand it before crumbling at his feet.

He pulls at my nipple with his teeth, the pain shooting through my body and landing in a new and delicious sensation of pleasure at my clit. My eyes focus on his beautiful lips as he pulls away and sucks his lower lip between his teeth, his eyes trained at the point where our bodies are connected. He has a clear view thrusting in and out of me, worshipping me, pleasuring me, and my heart leaps into my throat as I watch him watching us, an errant lock of hair falling into his eyes, the shadow of his eyelashes caressing his cheekbones. He's biting his lip so hard it's turning white as I take pleasure from the pleasure he gets watching us.

“Fuck,” he grits through his teeth. He looks up at me and a smile lifts his beautiful, sculpted lips. I capture them with my own. I need to feel them. I never want to stop feeling them on my skin―my body―my lips. He continues to slam into me methodically, as one of his palms slides between us to reach my clit. He massages and pinches and slides his fingers through my swollen flesh and back up again. Choked groans escape my throat as he plays my body like an instrument.

My fingers clench in his hair and I lean my head into the crook of his neck and bite into his shoulder as another even more powerful wave of pleasure cascades through my body, the sensations racking every nerve I have. I cry out in pleasure as his body holds me tightly and he comes with a shudder. I hold him in my arms as his body shakes and he empties into me.

Our breathing comes back to normal, we hold each other, me still wedged against the door, his head still tucked firmly into my neck. His sweat-slicked skin beneath my fingers, his damp, dark hair tickling my cheek, our bodies pressed together skin to skin. Hard and soft. Dark and light. We're a contradiction in every way.

I run my fingertips along the skin of his back, my fingernails raking along his muscles. I kiss along the line of his neck. I love him so much. In the few short days I’ve been here he’s made me love him.

I lower my legs from around the sharp line of his hips and he carries me to the bench, opening the small circular window to let in a rush of cool, fresh air.

We sit silently for a while, tangled together, the heat of the sauna matched only by the heat between us. Grady brushes a strand of hair from my face, his touch surprisingly tender.

"You’re dangerous," he says, echoing the words he spoke the other night.

"So are you," I reply, my voice soft but steady.

He chuckles, pulling me closer. "Guess we’re a good match, then."

As I rest my head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart, I realize he’s right. For the first time in a long time, I feel like in his arms is exactly where I’m supposed to be.