Page 79 of On the Mountain

I felt Crow before I saw him, my skin immediately tingling and my insides feeling more at peace the way it always was around him. I looked up and gave him a smile, Crow returning it, and damn, it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. There was nothing like being the person who could make him do that, nothing like being the one he aimed it at.

“Stop drooling,” Melody teased, and pretended to wipe my mouth.

“Ha-ha.”

Crow approached the end of the counter, where we stood. He used to not come in at all, but now he did, though he never ate or drank anything from the coffeehouse, even if I was the one who made it.

“Hi, Crow. How are you?” Melody asked him.

I saw the flash of discomfort in his eyes, but I didn’t think anyone else would notice.

Softly, he said, “Good. How are you?”

“I’m good. Can’t wait to get off work. Moving takes a lot out of you.”

He nodded, and I told him, “Mel is going to propose to Isabelle. I’m going ring-shopping with her soon.”

“Congrats,” Crow told her, offering her a smile, then looked at me, head cocked, seeming unsure of something, but I couldn’t tell what.

“Anyway, I’m out of here. I’ll see you soon.” I hugged Melody, took off my apron, and headed around the counter to Crow.

When I reached him, he hooked his finger beneath my chin and tilted my head up. “Missed you.”

“I always miss you,” I replied, then melted when he pressed his lips to mine.

“Swoon!” Melody teased, and I gave her the finger, being sure to hide it from the customers.

*

“Saw Billy,” Crow said when we got in the truck, and I immediately stiffened. Billy still liked to give Crow a hard time, and that extended to me now. It wasn’t as bad as it could be, and Officer Paulson was a good ally for us, but still. I was used to bullies, and it was easier for me to ignore than it was for Crow, but his therapist had been working with him on coping mechanisms.

“Did anything happen?”

“Ignored him. It was…hard.”

“Good job, baby.” I reached over and palmed his cock. “I’ll reward you by getting you hard in a good way when we get home.”

He growled.

My dick got hard.

Just an everyday occurrence for us.

Crow was quiet the rest of the drive home. I could tell something was on his mind, but I knew it was best to let him work through it.

We got home and didn’t end up having sex, but Crow cooked dinner while I told him about my workday.

Afterward, I got on my knees for him, holding his cock in my mouth, which comforted us both. Crow ran his fingers through my hair, gaze intense on me, so much love focused on me that it nearly stole my breath.

“Do you want that?” he asked eventually.

I pulled off him. “Want what?”

“To be married. I didn’t… It’s not something I ever thought about.”

Oh, my sweet, bighearted mountain man. That’s why he’d looked unsure when I’d mentioned Melody proposing. “I don’t need that. I know who we are to each other. There are legal things we might want to consider that can help if one of us gets sick or if something happens to one of us…but I don’t need to be married. Do you want that?”

“I want you,” he replied simply.