“If I could have my way, you and I would stay on this trip together indefinitely,” she began, sending another wave of relief through me. “But I know that’s unrealistic, so I’m really just hoping we can take advantage of the days we have left together. I’d like to continue doing what we’ve been doing, if that sounds like something you’d want, too.”

  There was not a single question in my mind that I’d do exactly what Daisy wanted, because I wanted it just as badly as she did. Plus, there was no way I could have denied her, anyway. I wanted her to have everything her heart desired, even if I’d only be able to give her that for just a few more days.

  “Usually, when I go on vacation, I allow for just enough time to decompress from work and recharge my body. I typically find that by the time I reach the end of my stay, I’m ready to go home. Eager for it, in fact. I don’t think I’m going to feel that way when this trip ends, so I’d love nothing more than for us to continue doing what we’ve been doing, Daisy. And I hope we can do that and give ourselves something special to take home with each other.”

  Lifting her cheek from my chest once again, Daisy smiled at me. “You’ve already done that for me, Forrest, but I’m certainly happy to have more to take when I go.”

  Capturing her face in my hands, I lifted my head from the pillow and brought my mouth to hers. “Maybe I should do something about that now, then.”

  Her body shook with the shiver that ran down her spine.

  Smiling against her lips, I said, “It looks like somebody is excited about that. How would you react if I said we should play for a bit before just diving in?”

  Daisy pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth. “That could be fun.”

  “Am I to assume you didn’t bring your vibrator here to the cabin with you?” I asked her.

  She moved her head from side to side. “I didn’t think I’d need it.”

  “Technically, you don’t,” I assured her. “But ever since you shared that little fantasy of yours with me, I can’t seem to get it out of my head.”

  “I have my hands,” she noted, wiggling her fingers in front of her face.

  Just like that.

  Daisy had no problem coming up with a solution to the predicament just so we could have a little more fun than we’d already had with each other.

  “Well, what are you waiting for? Shouldn’t you already be on your back with your legs spread and those fingers between them?”

  There was a small part of me that wondered if Daisy was just bluffing in an effort to tease me, but the minute I got those words out, she offered a shy smile, rolled off of me to her back, and brought her hand to rest on her abdomen.

  God, I loved the way she wasn’t afraid to try anything. That she was comfortable to do this with me meant everything.

  I rolled to my side and propped my head up in my hand and gave my eyes just a moment to connect with hers. Surprisingly, there was a hint of excitement swirling in her beautiful blue eyes.

  She was eager to do this, perhaps as eager as I was to watch.

  “Touch yourself, Daisy,” I ordered her.

  My eyes lingered on her face just a touch longer, but they ultimately began to travel down her body.

  I took in the sight of her naked breasts and the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest before I continued my visual journey down along her abdomen and finally to where her hand had stopped.

  Though I could see the movement of her hand on her pussy, I couldn’t see all that I wanted to see. So, I quickly shifted my position in the bed, moving so that my eyes were getting the full show while still being able to touch her.

  “Spread your legs wider,” I instructed as I palmed one of her tits.

  Daisy instantly complied.

  As she continued to play between her legs, her soft moans filling the room, I felt myself growing hard.

  This woman was unbelievable. I didn’t know how I’d gotten so lucky to have met her.

  “Forrest,” she moaned.

  “Slip one finger inside your pussy, sunshine.”

  The second she did, I couldn’t resist the urge any longer. I curled my fingers around my cock and began stroking as my thumb on my other hand teased her nipple.

  I heard the soft gasp come from her and reluctantly tore my gaze from her pussy to look at her face. She was watching what I was doing, and it was clear she was experiencing some of the same thoughts I was as I watched her.

  I didn’t mind.

  Maybe this wasn’t exactly like her fantasy had been, but I didn’t care. If she could give me what I’d been unable to stop thinking about for days, I could certainly give her something to make it more enjoyable for her.

  I was quickly learning there wasn’t much I’d ever want to deny this woman.

  “Do you like that, Daisy? Do you like seeing how hard you’ve made me?”

  For the first time since I’d brought my eyes to her face, hers connected with mine. There was something swirling in her gaze, something hot and seductive. “I love it,” she confessed.

  I pumped my fist harder, her eyes dropping back down my body to watch.

  I did the same with her, until I said, “Take your finger out, and show it to me.”

  She pulled her finger from her body, resting it gently against her pussy lips. It was glistening, coated in her arousal.

  My fist moved faster.

  “Rub your clit and get yourself there.”

  Daisy didn’t hesitate, her fingers beginning to apply more pressure against her clit.

  Continuing to stroke myself, I positioned my body between her legs, my free hand squeezing the flesh on her thigh.

  It built between us.

  Not just the orgasms we were heading toward, but the connection. The passion. There was an unmistakable sense of mounting desire between us.

  “Forrest,” Daisy whimpered.

  “Are you close, sunshine?” I asked, feeling myself on the verge and completely addicted to her.

  She didn’t respond, but her breathing grew shallow as her hand moved faster. My fingertips dug into the flesh on her thigh, squeezing it tighter.

  “Daisy,” I groaned.

  “I’m going to come,” she warned.

  There was no way to quantify the relief I felt at her admission. I’d felt it building faster and faster for me the more I watched her, and I didn’t want to have to pull back. The last thing I wanted to do was go before her and leave her feeling disappointed, so I was relieved we’d gotten there together.

  “So, come,” I urged her.

  Just as it hit, her hips rolled, and her moans of pleasure escaped, I let go too. I’d been convinced there was nothing more beautiful than the sight of Daisy’s face as she came, but I was wrong. She was even more beautiful as she came and watched me doing the same, spilling myself across her abdomen.

  When we made it to the other side, chests heaving, there was no question we were both caught up in a lust-filled fog. It was in that moment, staring into her gorgeous eyes, I became even more obsessed with her.

  Daisy was everything I could have ever wanted in a woman, and it pained me to think I was going to have to let her go eventually.

  Unwilling to ruin the moment with horrible thoughts of what was to come, I offered a lazy smile and asked, “Did you enjoy it?”

  Her face lit up. “It was way better than my dream.”

  I let out a laugh, leaned forward, and touched my mouth to hers. After kissing her for a few moments, I pulled back and said, “I’ll get you something to clean up with. I’ll be right back.”

  “Okay.”

  The next thing I knew, we’d gotten ourselves cleaned up, and we were curled up in bed with one another.

  With my arm draped over the side of Daisy’s body as I held her close to me, her back to my front, I had to take a moment to let it all sink in. I didn’t know what I’d done to deserve the privilege of even meeting this woman, let alone getting all that I did with her.

  I couldn’t ever see this whole thing as anything but wonderful.

  But I’d have been lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little upset.

  I wished I would have met Daisy in Steel Ridge.

  Because although we still had quite a few days left together with one another, this trip was going to come to an end, and so would our time with each other.

  I didn’t think I could ever bring myself to say that any part of this with her was a mistake. God, she was incredible, and I loved that we’d taken the step we did with one another tonight.

  But I didn’t have the slightest clue how I was going to manage to say goodbye to her in just a few short days.

  There wasn’t a doubt in my mind it would be the hardest thing I’d ever do.

  THIRTEEN

  Daisy

  “This was so much better than the first time I tried. Don’t you think?”

  I’d declared those words and asked that question proudly to Forrest mere moments after I sat down beside him on the lift.

  Grinning at me, he asked, “Are you talking about riding down the trail, or the way you effortlessly got yourself onto this chairlift?”

  “Both!” I exclaimed, letting out a laugh.

  The laughter indicated I was happy, and there was no question I was. But as happy as I felt, I was also doing everything I could to distract myself from the thoughts that threatened to send me into a melancholic state.

  Our time together was coming to an end.

  From the moment I’d met him, Forrest proved just how wonderful he was. I had been in awe of the man he was right from the beginning.

  After spending the time together those first few days, I could no longer hold myself back from going after what I wanted.

  And ever since we’d crossed that line and taken that step with one another, everything changed. Not Forrest, or the way he treated me. It wasn’t even the way we’d spent our days together that changed, either.

  In fact, we’d gone back and forth between the cabin and my room, staying with each other every night since our first night together. We’d spent every waking moment with one another, and we refused to be apart while we slept, too. Falling asleep every night with Forrest’s arms around me had been one of the best experiences of my life. I felt so safe, protected, and cared for.

  All the days and nights with him had been the best time of my life.

  But while everything as it pertained to Forrest himself and the way he treated me wasn’t any different than I’d come to know, there was still one thing that had changed.

  And it was horrible.

  Because the thing that had changed was the one thing I hadn’t realized could change at all.

  My feelings.

  This man became everything to me, and my heart was aching at the thought of leaving him. Every time I had a thought about needing to leave here to head back to my hometown, a wave of sadness washed over me.

  I hadn’t made any official decision about moving to Scarlet Valley permanently, but there was one thing this trip had taught me. It was critical for me to get back to Birch Creek and take the steps necessary to liquidate the items I no longer wanted or needed, find a storage unit for the things I intended to keep, and put my place on the market. Living there hadn’t brought me any happiness, and staying there would surely only bring me more heartache.

  After I got things squared away in Birch Creek, I’d return to Scarlet Valley and actively search for housing options. Once I knew what my options were, I’d make a final decision.

  For now, my only concern was spending as much time with Forrest as I could. And since I didn’t want anything else distracting me from that—not my living situation or the fact that Forrest and I didn’t have much time left together—I continued to pretend this trip wasn’t coming to an end.

  But it was.

  And I knew Forrest and I should—and probably would—talk about it. I just didn’t know what way it would go. Or, at least, not all of it, anyway. I had a feeling there’d be a lot of tears on my part when it came up.

  “You really have improved,” Forrest noted. “I’m impressed by how well you’ve done, considering the break you had to take from learning to give your foot the time it needed to heal.”

  “Aw, thanks. But I’m convinced I wouldn’t have done half as well as I did if it hadn’t been for your diligence, patience, and willingness to teach me,” I declared.

  He let out a laugh. “You make it sound like it was some kind of chore or massive undertaking for me. You might have learned how to snowboard, Daisy, but I’m the one who got more out of it.”

  Forrest didn’t have a clue just how much he’d given me. I mean, I didn’t doubt that he believed I was grateful for everything he’d done for me, and I was relatively certain he knew just how much I liked him. Even if I’d attempted to explain it to him, there was no way Forrest could grasp just how pivotal this trip had been in my life, thanks to him.

  I chose not to argue with him about who benefited more from our time together. He clearly got something out of it, too, and I didn’t question that for one second.

  “Well, learning to snowboard and getting onto the chairlift are only part of the equation. I still haven’t quite mastered the art of getting off the lift, even if I’ve had a couple of successful attempts at it,” I advised.

  Forrest offered me a sympathetic look. He’d seen the effort I’d put in when trying to get off the lift at the beginning of the trip, and he’d seen it once we’d started riding again several days ago after my foot had healed up enough. While I didn’t doubt that he appreciated my effort, he understood it was a lost cause and proved that when he reasoned, “Hey, look, you can’t win them all in one trip. You accomplished a lot on this one, and I think you should be proud of yourself for what you did learn.”

  And that was it.

  Forrest had this innate urge to protect me, even from my own clumsiness on a snowboard. Even though I’d been experiencing this from him for nearly two weeks now, I still hadn’t gotten used to it. As strange as it seemed to me, I loved the way it made me feel.

  I tore my eyes away from his, saw we were nearing the end of our ride as we approached the top, and warned, “You better scoot yourself closer, then, because it’s almost time to get off again.”

  He did exactly that, and not more than a minute later, Forrest was behind me, holding on, as we exited the lift.

  From that point forward, we continued to thoroughly enjoy our day riding. Not only had Forrest given up a huge chunk of snowboarding time for me throughout this trip, but it was also a bit nostalgic for me. We’d met each other on our snowboards while on this mountain, so I thought it was fitting we decided to spend our last day here together like this.

  Our last day before our last night. My body shuddered at the thought.

  “Do you want to try going down a different trail this time, or did you want to do the same one?” Forrest asked, breaking into my thoughts.

  And then there were things that never changed. Always up for trying something new, I answered, “Let’s try a different one.”

  “I swear, nothing scares you.”

  If someone had said those words to me at the start of this trip, I might have believed them. I would have enjoyed hearing them and relished the fact someone found me to be fearless and bold.

  But it was different now.

  On the surface, I could see why Forrest said what he did. I’d gotten injured snowboarding, and yet, here I was, days later, doing the same thing that took me down for the count for a few days.

  What my adventure-seeking mindset didn’t seem to show was how terrified I was about one thing—leaving here without Forrest and never feeling like this again in my whole life.

  The thought was devastating.

  No.

  No, I couldn’t bring myself down.

  Not while I still had time with him. Not while I could still soak up hours with him and create memories that would last a lifetime.

  Forcing a smile on my face, I shrugged my shoulders. “You only live once, right?”

  At that, Forrest and I took off down a new trail, and I did my best not to let those thoughts of impending doom ruin the little time we had left.

  We had a great day together, and about ten minutes before the lifts were set to close down for the night, Forrest and I began making our way toward his cabin.

  “So, I’ve been thinking,” he started about a minute or two into our walk. When I looked up at him, he continued, “I’m trying to figure out the best way to spend our last night here together.”

  So, it had been on his mind, too. At least I could find some comfort in that.

  “What did you have in mind?” I asked him.

  Forrest reached his hand out to hold mine. We were wearing our gloves, so I couldn’t feel his skin, but I loved that he wanted us to have that contact.

  “That’s just it. I couldn’t decide, because I thought it was the kind of thing we should decide on together. I didn’t want to make a plan for us to do one thing if you wanted to do something else,” he replied.

  There was just one more example of how wonderful Forrest was. He might have had a thought about what he wanted to do, but he took my feelings into consideration. He was selfless, and it was for that reason, I wanted him to have tonight be exactly what he wanted.

  “If it was solely up to you, what would you want to do?”

  “I’ll do whatever you want.”

  “I’m serious. Let’s pretend it’s your birthday, so you get to choose. Which, by the way, when is your birthday?”

  Forrest let out a laugh. “Do you really want to know the answer to that?”

  “Yes.”

  “My birthday was the day you asked me if we could spend the night together that night,” he revealed.

  I stopped in my tracks, my mouth dropping open. “Are you serious?”

  He nodded, a smile lighting up his face. “It was honestly the best birthday of my life.”

  I rolled my eyes. As wonderful of a man as I thought Forrest was, he was obviously still a man. And sometimes, it seemed there was only one thing on his mind.

 

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