1 Year Later

Nowadays, when we're not raising our son or working in the shop, Hunter and I spend our days together doing all the stuff we missed out on after graduation. Going on adventures, shooting guns, riding ATVs, and swimming in the hot springs like we used to. All the things that make this small gown great. Today, Meg is babysitting our son so we can have some alone time together. His name is Jackson, after Hunter's dad.

It's mostly me tagging along with Hunter, to be honest. He's the kind of guy who makes his own fun, the kind of guy everybody wants to have a beer with, with a magnetic, devilish sense of humor that people just can't resist. He's been like that ever since we were young.

We plod up the footpath on Maple Ridge. It's a cool fall afternoon. I crunch through brown and golden leaves to the swing set up on the hill and plant my butt on the hard wooden plank. The iron chains creak and groan, but hold up as they always have. I've lived in Maple Ridge my whole life, and this playground is still exactly the way I've always remembered it.

"Catch," says Hunter, peeling an aluminum can off a six-pack pack of beer and tossing it my way. I'm usually clumsy and never all that coordinated, but for some reason I always manage to catch when Hunter tosses to me. 

I slide a fingernail under the pop-tab and my beer snaps and hisses open. I take a swig, but when I swallow, I cringe and make a face. "Who actually likes this stuff?" I say, shaking my head. When Hunter used to get us beers in high school, I'd play it cool and pretend I liked it. But now that I'm his wife and he's my husband, I don't have to act anymore.

Hunter laughs, setting the remaining beers down on a tree stump. He removes his jacket and throws it down, revealing his cut arms, bulging against the tight white t-shirt he's wearing. I push my legs against the ground, slowly swinging back and forth as I take small sips of my beer and eyeball my husband's delicious body. I can't believe it's all mine now.

He peels off another beer for himself, cracks it open, and tosses his head back with the can to his lips. He does it deftly, much more experienced than me. As he bends his elbow to drink, his biceps and forearm flex, showing his raw strength and power beneath the surface. 

Hunter crosses his arms and grabs the tail of his t-shirt, then pulls it over and off his head, revealing his sculpted chest and abs. He rarely misses an opportunity to take off his shirt. That stomach is less of a six-pack, more like an eight-pack, and those shoulders... Damn, they're thick. I love being pinned underneath them, biting into them as he sinks deep inside me. 

"Com'ere," he says, wading into the hot springs. I strip down to my underwear and follow him in, leaving my can of beer behind. The steam rises around us, and it feels amazing compared to the chilly afternoon air. 

"Hard to believe that I'm back for good," he says, putting his arms around me. "And that we're married."

"I still can't believe it either," I say, and I feel my leg brushing up against his. I run my hands over his arms and he pulls me in tight.

My eyes flick over the long, straight road that leads out of Maple Ridge to the west. It's the highway to Springville. Ever since the bagel shop opened, the economy here has surged. More businesses are opening every month. The traffic used to be mostly one-way into Springville, but now it's starting to even out.

Hunter leans into me and I smell his scent. It's all man, the scent of motor oil from his motorcycle that we rode on to the base of the hill, mixed with his comforting, strong natural musk. He's never smelled like cologne or body spray like most men. He's the kind of guy that all the other guys want to be. 

A cold breeze blows past us and I get chilly. I dip deeper into the warm water, huddling closer to Hunter, pressing the side of my body against his. I love the delightful contrast of his hard muscles against my soft skin.

I look up at him, studying the line of his jaw as he looks out over the town. 

Hardly able to believe he's all mine, I reach up, put my palm against that rough, stubbled jaw, turn his cheek, and kiss him deep on the lips. I want to show him what he really means to me. 

When I pull away, he looks into my eyes, his deep emerald irises catching the faint silver glow in the air. His eyes drop down to my lips, and then a little lower, to where the bust of my tits pops out through my bra. 

I swallow hard, and my lips feel dry and chapped. My eyes feel heavy, and they sink down, fixating on his lips, which look as kissable as ever. My heart kicks like a bass drum in my chest.

And then before my brain can catch up to what's happening, he sweeps my hair off my face, cups my cheek, and pulls me in for the best kiss of my life. My breath escapes my lungs in a heart-pounding rush, its mist dancing off his lips and into the night.

Holy crap. Before Hunter, I had no idea what it was like to kiss a real man. 

The kiss floods my senses, a torrent of emotion as my handsome husband crushes his lips to mine. He tastes like the wheat and hops of the beer, only when it's on him, it's delicious, and suddenly I understand why people like beer. His tongue glides against my lips, and then I part them instinctually, letting him in, and I feel the roughness of his tongue massaging mine. My skin prickles all over my body.

When he finally pulls away for a breath, I'm half ecstatic, half destroyed, just like I always am when he kisses me.

He runs a hand through his hair, pushing it off his forehead, and stares into my eyes.

My stomach churns with desire. I can't lie. That kiss left me wanting more. There's a deep heat building inside me. The world around me seems to evaporate for a few seconds. The feeling of his lips against mine is like nothing else that I've ever experienced before.

I grab his hand and I gently, but firmly put it on my chest. I feel his hand brush against me, the weight of my breast in his palm, his fingertips curling under the edge of the fabric. I look into his eyes. "Take me, Hunter." His hands glide over my body, and I can barely wait for the pleasure I know they'll bring.

My stomach flutters with nervousness and excitement as he unclasps my bra. Every time with Hunter feels like the first.

"I love you," he whispers into my ear, "Always."