Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

F inn

Living with Tessa the last few weeks is a paradox. It’s both chaos and calm, like a sudden spring storm followed by clear skies. Her laughter echoes through the cabin like sunlight breaking through clouds, warming corners of my life I didn’t even realize were cold. I should be annoyed—scratch that, I am annoyed—but not at her. At myself. For how easily she’s tangled herself into my life, rearranging everything I thought I wanted.

She’s in the kitchen now, humming some pop tune under her breath as she fusses over a plant she’s placed on the windowsill. She has a knack for it—making things grow. The stubborn green shoots in her hands seem to bend toward her touch like she’s some kind of plant whisperer.

I lean against the doorway, my arms crossed. “If I’d known my cabin was going to turn into a greenhouse, I might’ve reconsidered this mail-order bride arrangement.”

She doesn’t look up, but her lips twitch into a smirk. “You’re welcome, by the way. Without me, this place would still look like a rugged miner’s bachelor cave.”

“It is a miner’s bachelor cave.”

“Correction,” she says, her voice teasing. “It was. Now it’s a home.”

A home. The word lands heavier than I expect, settling somewhere in my chest. I glance around the cabin, taking in the small changes she’s made—her sweater draped over the back of a chair, a vase of wildflowers on the counter, Shep’s new habit of curling up near her feet instead of mine. It’s different, sure, but... better. Warmer.

I grunt, walking into the room. “You’re lucky Shep likes you. Otherwise, I might’ve kicked you out by now.”

She finally looks up, arching a brow. “Shep knows a good thing when he sees it. You could take notes.”

I can’t help but laugh, low and rough. “You’re starting to sound like you enjoy being here.”

Her cheeks flush, but she doesn’t back down. “Maybe I do.”

The admission hangs between us, charged and electric. I clear my throat, turning toward the back door. “C’mon,” I say gruffly. “I’ve got something for you.”

“For me?” She follows, curiosity sparking in her eyes. “What is it?”

“You’ll see.” I push open the door, leading her outside to where I’ve been working for the past few evenings. The handcrafted birch planter sits near the porch, its wood smooth and polished, ready for whatever flowers or herbs she decides to grow.

Tessa gasps, her hand flying to her mouth. “Finn... did you make this?”

I shrug, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

She kneels beside it, running her fingers along the edges like it’s some kind of treasure. “It’s beautiful.”

“It’s just a planter.”

“It’s not just anything.” She stands, her eyes glistening. “You made this for me.”

I shift on my feet, uncomfortable under the weight of her gratitude. “Don’t start thinking I’m some kind of romantic,” I grumble, but the heat crawling up my neck betrays me.

She grins, stepping closer. “Too late.”

Her fingers brush my arm, and just like that, the air changes. The teasing spark between us deepens into something heavier, more dangerous. She tilts her head back to meet my gaze, her lips parted as if she’s about to say something—but then she doesn’t. She just looks at me, and it’s like she’s peeling back every layer I’ve tried to build around myself.

“Tessa...” My voice is rough, more warning than anything else.

“Yeah?” Her voice is softer, breathier, as if she knows exactly what she’s doing to me.

“I’m not a man who does things halfway.”

“I’ve noticed.”

My hand lifts before I can stop it, my fingers brushing a strand of hair from her face. Her skin is warm beneath my touch, and she leans into it just enough to make my pulse race.

“I mean it,” I say, my voice low. “If we do this... there’s no going back.”

Her eyes search mine, and for a moment, it feels like the whole world has gone quiet. Then she nods, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not going anywhere.”

That’s all it takes. I close the distance between us, my lips crashing against hers in a kiss that’s as much a declaration as it is a surrender. She tastes like mint and honey and everything I didn’t know I was starving for. My hands find her waist, pulling her closer, while hers tangle in my hair, anchoring me to her like she’s afraid I might disappear.

When we break apart, we’re both breathing hard, our foreheads pressed together as we try to catch our breath. “You’ve ruined me,” I murmur against her lips.

She smiles, her fingers tracing the line of my jaw. “Good.”

I scoop her up in my arms, carrying her back inside my cabin. The firelight dances across the walls as I set her down near the hearth, the warmth wrapping around us like a cocoon.

“Finn...” she starts, but I cut her off with another kiss, my hands trailing down her back to pull her closer. Her softness molds against me, her body fitting mine like it was made for me.

“Let me take care of you,” I whisper, my voice rough with need.

She nods, her trust in me shining in her eyes, and it’s all the permission I need.

I lean in, kissing her slowly as I hook the elastic of her underwear in my palm and pull it down her legs. “I promise to always take care of you, anytime day or night, you call my name and I’ll be there.” I place a kiss at the soft swell of her hip. “If you need someone to cry with, laugh with, bitch at, talk to, I'm there.” Another kiss at the soft dip of her waist. I rake a grin across my face before crawling up her body and cupping her face in my palms. “I’m here for you. From this moment forward, I'm always here.” Her sweet irises well up with tears before a slow smile curves her rosy lips.

“Thank you,” she whispers before pulling my head down and kissing me, her tongue pushing past my lips to dance with mine. I thrust my hips against her, my desperate cock anxious to bury itself deep inside her so I can forget the rest fo the world and lose myself in her sweetness.

“I want to feel you. Please. ” Her soft voice nearly brings tears to my heart before I press my dick between her thighs, feeling it make contact with the hot wet flesh of her beautiful pussy. I suck in a sharp breath, feeling overwhelmed as I nearly enter her. Take it slow, be the man she deserves. I kiss across her jaw as I press the tip between her hot lips. Her body arches and her legs wrap around my waist, grinding her hot little core against my dick and making me nearly lose my ever loving mind.

“No, don't do that,” I rest my forehead against hers, trying to control my breathing. “I'll never be able to take it slow if you keep that up.”

Her soft chuckle surprises me and sends a blazing arrow of need straight to my dick. I didn't know a laugh could be a turn on until now, until her.

“I want you inside me.” Her voice lowers one sexy octave as her hand runs across my back.

“Mm,” I slide my dick between her silky lips, massaging her clit with the tip. “So glad I found you again, Tessa.”

Her eyes flutter closed as my cock slowly pushes its way into her tight body.

"My sweet girl," I coax her, spreading her thighs apart with my hands. My hands move to tangle in her hair, my lips kissing along her cheeks and jaw. “I love you so damn much, losing you again would kill me.”

I slowly push deeper as she moans with desire. My thumb teases at her eager flesh, sending shivers down her spine.

"I love you so damn much," I murmur as she starts to grind against me. I tighten my grip on her hip, trying to control our pace, but she can't resist. It feels amazing, like I'm delving into the most intimate parts of her and it's exhilarating. My senses are overwhelmed.

My hands grip onto her breasts before pinching and releasing them into the cool air.

"You had me hooked from the start, no wonder I couldn't get you out of my mind, Little Nurse Sunshine," I whisper before plunging deeper inside her. She arches and groans, her nails digging into my skin as she rides out the pleasure only I can give her. "Such a feisty little thing."

"You're so big, you feel so amazing," she hums as a slow orgasm builds, familiar sparks igniting at the base of my spine.

“I tried to fight it, tried to resist you, tried to suppress my feelings, but damn if you don't take every breath in my body. I've lived a long time without you, but I won't spend another day apart from you." I gently squeeze the delicate bud of her clit, and then her release tears through her like a wildfire, consuming all of her and launching me into another dimension. Nothing else exists except for us, the sensation, the softness of her against the roughness of me.

"I'll never let you go," I breathe against her skin, “I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you.” Unfamiliar emotions bubble up inside me, and in this moment, the only thing that exists is her and I. "Love the smell of you on me." I growl against her neck. “Love being buried deep inside of you and hearing you beg for me.”

“You’re such a romantic,” she giggles, pulling me closer.

“Only with you, baby. Mm...if only you knew what you do to me." An orgasm rips through me, hot jets of cum filling her sweet body full.

I pull out of her with slow movements, enjoying the soft sighs of pleasure that fall from her lips as the fire casts flickering shadows across our skin. She rests her head on my chest, her fingers tracing lazy patterns over my biceps. It’s the most peaceful I’ve felt in years, maybe ever.

“You’re quiet,” she murmurs, her voice laced with curiosity.

“Just thinking.”

“About what?”

I hesitate, then decide to tell her the truth. “About how I’ve spent so much of my life running. From my past, from myself... from this feeling.”

She props herself up on her elbow, her eyes searching mine. “And now?”

I reach up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Now I think I’ve finally stopped.”

Her smile is soft, but it carries the weight of something deeper. “You’re not as tough as you pretend to be, you know.”

“Don’t let that get around,” I tease, but there’s no bite to it. Only gratitude—for her, for this moment, for whatever comes next.

She settles back against me, her warmth chasing away the last of the cold lingering in my heart. She is exactly where I’m meant to be.