Their Rustic Retreat (The Men of Evergreen Mountain #5)

3. Serena

THREE

serena

For all of my disagreements with them, I had to say that my parents chose quite the beautiful place to build their home. The forest is beautiful, and there’s many well-trodden paths surrounding the house, their roads formed long before my parents first traveled them all those years ago.

It’s simple and serene. Beautiful. I take Reuben through it almost every day and I never tire of it.

Neither does Reuben. I smell enough nature here that I realize it must be an absolute smorgasbord for a dog.

Tristian takes in the sights around him. Having outed himself as a city boy, this is his first time through these woods.

I can’t believe I was so afraid of him. I figure I’d be afraid of anyone in that sense. He’s hot as hell, and I guess I’m just in disbelief he’d want a simple country girl like me.

“You’re walking around here like a hiking veteran,” he observes as we continue our stroll. “Are all the girls as natural as you are, strolling through the woods?”

“If you don’t learn how to travel the woods around here, Tristian, you’re going to have a very small space to move around in.”

“Hey, I’m from the city. I spent most of my youth in the range of, like, nine square blocks downtown.”

“And I suppose those blocks were dense and full of people.”

“Yeah. Kinda cramped versus out here. I guess if you run into another human, it’s a surprise.”

“You do run into other people sometimes. As big as it seems, the world ultimately is still pretty small.”

He strokes his chin in thought. “I guess so. City boy like me running into a country girl like you despite us being seemingly worlds apart.”

“Destiny makes things happen.”

He laughs. “Destiny seems like a strong word to call our meeting. At least not yet.”

“I guess we’ll know what to call it in hindsight, in a few years, won’t we?”

I guide our travels through the woods. I know exactly where I want to take him. It’s a bit of an uphill hike, but he’s definitely in shape enough to handle anything I throw at him.

“So, do you do anything besides looking beautiful at the family farm?” he asks as we climb over some big tree roots. “Not to say that isn’t a full-time job. You do it incredibly well.”

I cackle. “I mostly manage the kennel and the dogs.”

“Your parents run a kennel?”

“Hey, dogs need a place to stay sometimes, and we got more than enough space to tend to them. I love animals, so it works out for me. At least until I can get into a good school.”

His eyebrows perk up. “School, for what?”

“Veterinary medicine.”

“So you want to care for more than just hugging and kissing them and taking them for long walks?”

“Those are important too,” I say, watching Reuben relieve himself against a nearby tree. “But Evergreen Valley needs a full-time vet. And that vet may as well be me.”

Tristian looks at me with amazement. “You literally don’t have a vet in town?”

“None that are open to seeing all animals. We’re a small town. Sometimes you just don’t have these things.”

“That’s kind of strange to me. What next, you’re going to tell me you don’t have a good Indian restaurant?”

“Sorry to break your heart again, Tristian.”

“Damn. I guess I’ll survive. Have to learn how to cook that stuff myself.”

Up the hill more we go. It’s actually been a bit since I’d been up here myself, so I’m not surprised at the trouble it's giving me. “What about you? Do you just look handsome at Mr. Bell’s ranch?”

“I do that very well,” he says, keeping up with me easily. “But sadly, he pays me as a farmhand and not a model.”

“What brought you out here, anyway? I don’t think you grew up dreaming about chucking hay bales onto the backs of trucks.”

“And what if I did? It’s a respectable position. The world needs people loading hay bales onto trucks.”

“Yes, they do, but I assume most city people dream of being astronauts. Or billionaires.”

“And I desire to be neither of those.”

“We’ve established that. Okay, what did you do back in the city, then?”

The two of us keep going for a bit. It takes me a moment to realize that he’s not responding.

I glance back at him. “You all right?”

“I was a bouncer, back in the city,” he says, his words kind of abrupt. “You know, being the strongman in front of the club, making sure the wrong people don’t get in. And if they do get in, take care of them when they start to cause trouble. You grab them by the neck and toss them into the street, as if they are very loud, smelly, and violent hay bales.”

I grimace. “That doesn’t seem like a fun job.”

“It wasn't. But it paid well, and the hours were really good. So I stuck it out. I was good at it.”

“Looking at you? It’s no surprise that you would be.” We clambor up the hill a little more. It’s fast approaching sundown, the time getting far, far away from me.

Luckily, we’re not going to be hiking in the dark for too long. We’re just about there.

And for the trip back? My phone’s got a really strong flashlight. Sure, living out in the woods is the old-fashioned way of Evergreen Valley, but it doesn’t mean modern technology isn’t appreciated.

We reach the top of the plateau, the final destination of our journey. I look out over Evergreen Valley, taking in all of its compact majesty.

Tristian is right behind me and joins me in the viewing. “Wow. So this is why this trip suddenly turned into a mountain climb.”

He heaves out a breath. He’s definitely in shape, but I guess he’s not used to this kind of physical exertion. Holding it against him would be akin to him teasing me that I couldn’t rank the bench press as hard in the gym like he does.

Tristian drapes his hand across my shoulder and pulls me close. I don’t even know if it’s intentional, but I welcome his touch as I lean into him as well. He smells damn good and feels so wonderful against me. My mind flashes to wishing there were a lot less clothes involved, during this hike.

Reuben wanders off to his own little patch of grass, takes a few circles around before lying down for his nap. He’s as used to this spot as I am, and that patch of grass is essentially his second bed.

“This place is so damn beautiful,” Tristian says as he massages my shoulder. “I’m so used to seeing concrete for miles, and being deprived of the natural world.”

“Don’t cities have parks?” I say, running my hand over his chest as I lean into him.

“Yes, they do, but it’s nowhere near the same. You still hear all the cars whizzing by. Not this... weird... almost... silence.” He pauses as he stares blankly out into the distance. “I don’t think I’ve ever been someplace this quiet before. It’s kinda eerie.”

“I imagine so, if it's not what you’re used to.”

“I could get used to this, though. This view. This solitude.” He turns to me with a playful smirk. “This wonderful woman who stands next to me.”

I giggle gleefully. “I have to say you’re definitely improving the experience I’m having up here too.”

He holds me close, looking into my eyes. God, they’re beautiful. He’s everything I want in a man. Handsome, strong, kind, good with dogs. I always thought love at first sight was a load of nonsense until I met him.

The tension is strong. The way he’s looking at me, he has to be thinking the exact same thing.

About how he wants this to be more. So much more than just a hike, than just a date, both wanting it to be the start of something absolutely beautiful.

He confirms his intentions by leaning forward, and bringing his lips to mine.

They meet. My first kiss, and it’s everything I’ve always anticipated. His hands wrap around my waist as he brings me even closer, our kiss increasing with great intensity.

His hands run down my body, to my thighs. I always dress coolly, in shorts, during this time of year, and now more than ever, I’m so thankful for it. Goose bumps form up and down my form, making me shudder with anticipation about what is to come.

I want him. Bad. There’s a heat inside of me that can’t possibly be tamed right now except by a man, and not just any man.

I shudder with excitement and anxiety from his touch. I’ve never been one to put a whole lot of value on a girl’s virginity. It always felt it a little silly to celebrate not having done something, especially when that something is so natural and central to the human experience.

These beliefs don’t make me any less of a wreck when it comes to suggesting that maybe I wanted to sleep with a guy whom I’d only met a few hours ago.

Tristian, though, seems to be knowledgeable when it comes to reading body language. We broke our kiss, leaving both of us slightly breathless. “You’re an enthusiastic one, aren’t you?”

“Mm hmm,” I say with a nod. “I’ve always been one to go get something when I want it. Just that the thing I want now is, uh... a bit more mature than a milkshake from Cookie’s.”

“Yeah. The thing I want is way more mature than that too.”

“Well, then. I want it. You want it. What’s holding the two of us back from getting it?”

“The idea that classy, respectable women wait until, at least, I don’t know, the fourth date, and I don’t even know if this hike counts as a first?”

My eyebrow raises. “I’d have to wait until the fourth date to do this, right? Fuck that.”

“I don’t even know if that’s true; it’s just something I heard. I don’t think anyone knows when the proper time is. People just do it when they feel like it, and when they feel like it, it’s the right time to do so.”

I caress his face, enjoying the roughness of his stubble. “Then I think the right time is now.”

He smirks. “Right here? Looking at your hometown below?”

“What? Do you think any of them can actually make us out from this far up?”

“Just saying, most girls prefer beds.”

“I live in my parents’ house, Tristian. It’s not as private as I would hope it to be.”

He laughs and kisses me again. You’d think that it wouldn’t be as good as the first, but it’s somehow better. His hands curl around my ass, holding me steady.

I run my hands down his chest, slowly undoing that button-up shirt of his. There’s only some light hair on his chest, and a lot of his tattoos continue down his torso. I make a mental note to maybe ask him about them at some point.

Deeper down I go, feeling the muscles and contours of his body. It feels delightful under the tips of my fingers.

Tristian is equally as interested in me, stripping me of my own flannel shirt, teasing my tits a little through my bra. I’m not dressed like I would be if I wanted a hot date, but really, I don’t think Tristian cares. He wants me naked, not giving a rat’s ass about my fashion sense, or lack thereof.

I unhook my bra, and let it fall to my feet. Tristian takes a look at me with a smile of approval. It takes a load off that he’s the first man to ever see them since there’s been anything worth seeing.

His kisses are his stamp of approval. From my lips, to my cheeks, to my neck, to my chest, he leans down and shows them some love, the warmth of his licks pumping my adrenaline, and making my desire for him all the more intense. His hands continue to explore my curves, massaging me as he goes, traveling farther down my body, the heat of bliss following in their wake.

I unbutton my shorts to hurry him along. Call it the impatience of youth, but when I want something, I want right then and there, not waiting a minute longer than I need to.

Our clothes are forming a little bed beneath us, and luckily this plateau has soft grass to begin with. I’m not all that experienced when it comes to the more intimate aspects of love, but I’m not that much of an idiot that I want me and Tristian rolling around on a bunch of jagged rocks like you’d find in some areas of the woods. It isn’t a five-star luxury hotel, but it’ll definitely do.

Without denim in the way, his fingers are electric. Over my ass, then between my legs, poking the fabric against my folds as he goes. It tickles me so delightfully, and I gasp silently from his touch, and he lays it on thicker, finding my clit easily and teasing it so beautifully.

I want him as bare as I am. I frustratedly pull at his jeans, and he awkwardly has to stop for a moment to oblige my request to kick off his boots before he can take off his pants. The, uh, artistic depictions I’ve viewed of such things always left that part out, because I guess they break up the action. For us? It is just the two of us being goofs, giggling with delight, and anticipating what is to come.

Our clothes are a heap below us, in the dirt. I’m sure this will be a bit of a mess we’ll have to clean up later, but in the moment, they’re problems for the future Tristian and Serena. The current Tristian and Serena only want one thing, and that’s one another.

With his jeans off, I see the bulge in his boxers, and sheepishly, I move to grab it, surprised by how warm it is in my hands. How hard it is, too, for that matter. He throbs in my grip, and I see him shudder beneath my touch, the intensity of his desire for me, quite impressive. I stroke him, liking the feeling, and the strange sense of power I have with him in my fingers.

He likes it, too.

Tristian shuffles his boxers down his legs, and I join him in wanting to be free of the last of our clothes. When we’re both as naked as nature intended, I jump up into his arms, his strong arms easily catching me and holding me very close, and our lips meet again.

He holds me tight as he guides me down to the ground, laying me softly on the makeshift bed beneath us. His rough hand graces my form, sliding down my body, urging me to spread my legs for him. I’m fully on board with whatever he wants to do, because I assume he has more experience.

And if he’s a virgin too?

Damn, I’m in for something really special once we get to know one another more.

I doubt he is, though. But his experience, right now, is all for me. All of his dedication and love is mine.

And I’m starting to feel like I never want to let it go.

Those stubbly cheeks of his slide against my abdomen, to my thighs, as his skilled lips lay a kiss on my clit, and I feel incredible intensity. His tongue licks his lips before he licks me, the path of lust beginning on my thighs and mound before zeroing in on the folds of my pussy. His fingers are giving me a gentle, loving touch. He knows more than to treat someone like me roughly.

Although maybe I’d like that at some point down the line.

His tongue lashes do become a bit more powerful, circling me so intensely, getting the fire inside me good and roaring, ready to go. Tristan’s tongue enters me and starts to lick up my juices, and I writhe beneath him as he keeps laying on the pressure. Every lash, a jolt of bliss through me, each building on the last, sending me higher and higher into ecstasy. My body tenses up to deal with the incoming pleasure coming my way.

I run my hands over his buzzed hair, trying to grab hold of something, anything to deal with the intensity that I’m feeling at that moment. It’s the most beautiful sexual feeling I’ve ever felt in my young life, and I’m panting and squirming beneath him.

He looks at me, watching how I’m moaning for him, how I’m murmuring his name. My legs close around his head, wanting to lock him in place, not wanting to give him the choice of stopping.

Tristian generously increases the fervor of eating me out. The highs get higher, and it’s not long before I’m shuddering and struggling to keep myself together through it all. I nibble on my lip as I arch back and cry out.

I can’t take it anymore. The climax hits me, wracks me, claims me. I cry out so loud that my pleasure echoes through the hills. Fire ignites all over my body, my heart pounding against my chest. I'm going wild within.

His licks continue, letting me ride out the bliss, although he does start to slow it down a bit to let me come down from the highest of highs, if only for a moment. The smile on his face shows he’s quite pleased with himself, and truly, he has every right to be.

Tristian rises up my body, coming to plant another kiss on me, a more traditional lips to lips. “You taste as wonderful as I thought you would.”

“You mean my lips or my pussy?”

“Why not both?”

I smirk, shaking my head in bemusement.

“I need you now,” he says, whispering to me, the heat of his breath against my ears, arousing as everything else.

“And I need you too. Take me, Tristian. Make me a woman.”

“You’re already a woman. And one hell of a woman at that. I’m just going to make you a bit more experienced is all.”

I squeezed his ass as further encouragement, before reaching for his cock and urging him closer toward my sex. Feeling his throbbing cock head right above my pussy. It tickles me as he runs up it and down me, all the while gazing at me lovingly.

He doesn’t want to hurt me. He would never want to hurt me. And my inexperience when it comes to these sorts of things means this may be a little painful.

It doesn’t change the fact that I still want him. I've got to learn about this some time, and I can think of no better teacher than Tristian. When my pussy lips part as he enters, I brace myself for the worst.

More of him intrudes, and I’m waiting for some tearing, agonizing jolt of pain.

And yet, I feel nothing.

Well, not nothing—nothing painful. What I do feel is slightly strange, given I’ve never experienced it before. Instead, I feel the immense pressure of him inside me, parting my sex as he pushes deeper and deeper into my vagina. The friction of his cock pressing against all those wonderful nerves down there, feels good. Damn good.

I tremble in anticipation. I nod at him.

It must be how wet he made me. The sheer manliness of him, contrasted with the tenderness of his caring touch, made me want him so bad.

The thorough, blissful tongue laving he gave my pussy merely moments before certainly helped things too.

Tristian is all the way inside me, watching me, making sure there is no pain in my eyes. When I give him an enthusiastic nod, it’s all the permission he needs to push himself farther, and start to fuck me good and proper, like the woman I want to be.

Every stroke, every thrust, just like before with his tongue, is building toward something absolutely amazing. I nibble on my lip as the power of pleasure within me grows rapidly. I buck against him, meeting every one of his thrusts, showing that I desire him just as intensely as he wants me. My arms wrap around his shoulders, clawing at his back, and my legs wrap around his hips. I want all him.

I moan for Tristian. I scream for him. I call out his name, letting it echo through the forest that surrounds us. He holds me close, a hand on my hips, his longest finger slithering in to massage my clit with each and every penetration. Feeling his body press against mine creates goose bumps all over my body, and I’m completely enraptured with him.

The orgasm is rising fast. Our pace has grown too rapid, and the two of us were far too horny for one another to let our lust turn into some multi-hour Tantric sex session. My pussy squeezes him hard as I call his name in between demands that he go harder, faster, rougher, for him to give it to me fully.

He doesn’t deny me. And I think I love him for it.

It all hits me. So incredibly. So powerfully. My vision blurs white from the intensity of the sensations, my fingernails clawing down his back in desperation for me to hang on.

He kisses me. He’s right there with me in the mighty climax. I feel his cock throb deep within, and the heat begins to spew, its warmth a delightful feeling to add to the absolute joy of everything else that I’m taking in at that moment.

I’m on birth control for other reasons, so in a way, making this recklessness guilt-free is just a side effect.

Best side effect I could ever ask for.

We remain there for a time, our bodies entwined as we enjoy the serenity of it all.

“You’re fantastic,” he whispers, this virgin exhausting a stud like he is.

“And you’re wonderful.”

“No, you’re marvelous.”

“You’re stupendous.”

“You’re scrumdiddlyumptious.”

We break out into fits of laughter, the joy a welcome side effect to the naked lust we’re having at that moment.

God, he really is something special.

It can’t have been more than three, four hours since I met him.

And yet? I think I’m in love.