As Elizabeth walked the remainder of the way to Jack’s house, she felt almost giddy. Despite the biting cold, she felt warm and flushed, as if some inner fire had been stoked. It was a fire that she’d thought had been smothered out by her own anger.

She entered Jack’s house via the unlocked garage door, noting the tidiness of it, the organized rows of tools and shelves. Just like Jack.

She paused in the mudroom to remove her outerwear, stepped into the kitchen, and then little Rugby was there, barking joyously to see her, racing over the wood floor from the cozy spot Jack had made for him by the fireplace, replete with pillow and blanket.

“Rugby!” She scooped him up and hugged him, laughing as he tried to lick her face. “I’ve missed you! Has Jack been taking good care of you? Oh, my gosh! What kind of silliness has he gotten you into?”

She held him up so she could see the little doggie sweater he was wearing. It was an Alaska State University outfit, gold and blue, with the requisite little moose-antler hoodie. She pulled the hoodie part over Rugby’s ears and laughed before taking it back off.

Looking around, she spotted a water dish and food bowl, as well as assorted dog toys scattered about the living room. “It looks like you’ve taken over the place, Rugby. Good for you.”

She carried him through the living room to his spot, set him on his pillow, and spent a few minutes cuddling with him, scratching his belly and ears. She left Rugby content on his pillow and went upstairs to the master bedroom, with its nicely made bed and elegant lodge furniture.

All of a sudden, Elizabeth felt uncertain about what to do next. Jack’s bedroom was the last place she’d ever expected to be again.

Is this a mistake?

Elizabeth went to the window, and as she looked down at the guest cabin where she’d been staying, she thought back to when she’d made herself visible at the window to Jack. That had been trying to play out a fantasy. So, too, had been the sex they’d had later that night. It had been powerful and right, and yet blind to the true situation.

Not this time. Her eyes were open to what Jack was—and wasn’t.

If she committed her body to him now, it would be a choice to allow him in her life despite the past. It was her choice.

To undress and bare herself, maybe to be hurt again someday, but to forgive him.

Or, to keep her clothes on and her walls up.

Elizabeth lifted her gaze across the sparkling snow field to the black line of trees, and up again to the northern lights arcing above it all. She clutched the collar of her sweater. There was still time to go back. Still time to protect herself.

Motion caught her eye closer to the house. Jack’s strong figure strode across the snowy path, carrying the firewood he’d dropped to help her. It was too dark to see anything of his face, but Elizabeth could somehow tell from the set of his shoulders and head that he was smiling.

The surge of affection that rose from her core was enough to make her decision.

Elizabeth closed the curtains and pulled off her sweater. Unbuttoned her flannel shirt. Wiggled out of her jeans and long underwear. The chill from the air contrasted with how warm she felt between her inner thighs, her body already anticipating Jack’s touch. At last, she unfastened her bra and took off her panties, setting them on a chair.

She heard the mudroom door open and close, and heard the pitter-patter of Rugby’s feet. Jack said something gentle to the dog.

Come upstairs, she willed him. Not least because she was starting to get cold.

After a few minutes, Elizabeth grabbed the cream-colored lambswool blanket folded at the end of his bed and wrapped it around herself.

“Hi, beautiful,” Jack said from the doorway.

She turned, clutching the fabric of the blanket with both hands and keeping it closed around her. She could feel her nipples were erect, yearning to be fondled by Jack’s hands, and her whole body felt primed for what was to come, but despite that she felt awkward and at odds with herself. There was so much still unspoken between them.

“Let me guess.” Jack glanced at her clothing on the chair. “You’re naked underneath there?”

She smiled, her heart lightened by his presence. “That’s a good guess.”

He stepped into the room, his lustful eyes on her. “Well, take it off.”

Elizabeth let the blanket fall to the ground. Her nipples arched toward Jack and her insides quivered, knowing what was soon going to happen between them and how good it would feel. She closed her eyes and felt Jack’s physical presence in the room. She heard the quickening of his breath, the murmur of fabric as he began to undress. She imagined his chiseled body, his thick cock standing tall and ready for her.

Against the powerful tide of her desire for Jack’s body, all else that had happened seemed to vanish. It wasn’t solved, not totally, not yet. But for a little while, Elizabeth could let it all go. She could even unleash her anger with Jack, right here and now. She could take her pleasure from him, fuck him hard, slam herself against him.

And it would be all right.

* * *

Jack stepped toward Elizabeth. She’d closed her eyes and this gave him the opportunity to feast his gaze on her naked body, standing so beautiful and so vulnerable before him. Every cell of his body ached to be against her, holding her, inside of her.

He moved past her so that her back was to him. His erect cock pressed against her backside, and he brought his hands around and touched his palms lightly against her stomach. Elizabeth leaned into him, and the exposure of her neck made Jack unable to resist lowering his head and kissing her there, his lips lingering against her soft skin.

She put her hands over his, holding them tight against her stomach.

“Are my hands cold?” he murmured.

“Yes,” she said. “Is my body hot?”

“Your body’s hot. So hot I can’t think straight.” He dipped his tongue in her ear and let the fingers of one hand slide lower down her abdomen. He wanted to feel just how hot and wet she was. “Open your legs for me. Ah. That’s it.”

As one finger and then two delved into her and he felt how slick and ready she was, Jack’s cock throbbed. He pressed into the space between her legs and moved his other hand upward to cover one of her breasts. His hand easily encompassed the whole thing, and as he circled her nipple with his thumb, she leaned back further and her teeth grazed the line of his jawbone.

Jack was shocked to discover that he wanted her to bite him, and then she did, a gentle but firm bite followed by the sizzling trail of her tongue. His cock sprang fuller against her.

Moving from his jawline to his lips, drawing him into a kiss, she spread her legs further apart. Jack nudged the tip of his cock inside her and extended his tongue into her mouth. As their tongues tangled, he teased her clit with gentle presses, wanting nothing more than for her to let go and ride the pleasure he wanted to give her.

* * *

“Don’t, Jack,” Elizabeth whispered.

“Why not?” he murmured back. “I love to make you come.”

Jack’s touch was masterful, making her whimper one moment and moan the next. But this was too tender for her to bear. His loving touch had brought her emotions to a boiling point.

She wanted raw physicality from Jack, wanted him to fuck her from behind so hard and deep that his balls would slap against her. She didn’t want tenderness, didn’t want him knowing so perfectly how her body worked and best responded to him. She needed to lose herself, erase the past and feel only pure, animalistic sensation.

Elizabeth extricated herself from Jack’s delicious fondling and stepped to the bed. She bent forward and thrust her ass into the air, keeping her stance wide so he could enter her from behind.

She looked back and met his gaze. His eyes were so dark with arousal that they were almost black.

“Jack,” she said, in a voice so low and commanding that she almost didn’t recognize it as her own, “I want you inside me. Deep. Now.”

He put his hands on her hips. Again, the tip of his cock pushed inside her, but he didn’t thrust forward.

Elizabeth pressed backward to meet him instead and rode his thickness deeper, and then Jack groaned. He slammed into her then, just the way she wanted it.

“Yes,” she said. “Yes. Like that.”

Jack took her urging and his thrusts became hard, brutal, fast. It didn’t take long before Elizabeth felt an orgasm thundering towards her, rolling her body into a glorious oblivion, and as if from a distance she heard herself cry out in rage and pleasure and completion.