The Whitetail Mountains

Every moment up in the tree stand with Jacob was calming. She could sit up there for hours with him and feel like no time had gone by at all. A rustle in the trees broke the silence and made their hands fidget for their weapons. They peered out into the darkness, looking for any threats that might come their way. The only thing they found was a lone deer that tiptoed from the trees.

The creature was completely calm. It had no idea that it was being watched. Liz propped her rifle up onto her shoulder. She lined up through the scope, aiming for its head. But before her finger could reach for the trigger, she felt arms wrap around her.

"Don't aim for the head. It's a small target. You'd miss at this distance. Go for the heart."

Her heart beat just a little faster when his hands touched hers. He was so close and his breath was hot on her neck. Even though her eyes peered through the scope she had lost all sense of focus. When she squeezed the trigger, the bullet went flying out into the night. The deer sprinted off in the other direction, unscathed.

"You missed." He said.

"Yeah I know…"

"Did somethin' distract you?" His hands wrapped even tighter around her torso. He began to plant kisses on her neck. Her breathing instantly got heavy. She let the rifle fall to her feet.

"Maybe…"

"Mm didn't know that's all I had to do to throw you off your game."

She let out a moan. She was inwardly cursing him. He truly was the only thing that could throw her off her game. She pushed him off and spun to face him.

"Don't do that shit." She hissed.

It wasn't the first time that he'd done something like that. Every time it made her excited and nervous all the same. She treated their 'relationship' like they were always being watched. Like there was some rebel hiding out in the bushes, waiting to rat on her to Eli. Except there was no one around them. It was impossible. They were too deep into the woods to find.

"Why not?" He hummed.

"Because… I- Damn you." She hissed. Liz grabbed his shirt and pulled him down for another kiss. What was the harm in one more? Her ability had greatly improved over the last few days. Liz hadn't kissed many other men before. Her first kisses with Jacob had been awkward and sloppy. But now, she had a handle on it. They fell into a rhythm each time.

Jacob's hands wandered further down her sides before gripping her ass. Liz smacked him on the arm. She hated that but he still did it all the time. His lips pulled away but moved one hand to brush her hair out of her face. It then immediately moved back to her ass.

She rolled her eyes. "Really? Is that necessary every time?"

"Possibly."

She shook her head. "No, it's not! You just like doing it because it pisses me off."

"Or maybe I just like doing it." His hands squeezed and he bent down to steal another brief kiss. "I have an idea."

Jacob picked up the rifle and his jacket. He grabbed hold of the ledge and gracefully dropped down from the tree stand. His feet hit the ground with ease. The drop had to be at least ten feet down. And he had done it without breaking a sweat. This man really was going to be the death of her.

He beckoned her to do the same. Liz shook her head. What was wrong with him today? He seemed more playful than usual.

"Yeah I'm not doing that!" Liz shouted.

"Come on, sweetheart. It's not that far down."

The ladder they had used to get up was laying on the ground next to him. She hadn't noticed that in the midst of their flirting it had fallen down. Her head peeked further over the edge. "The fuck it ain't! Put the ladder up."

"Nope, jump down. I'll catch you. I promise."

She laughed. "Yeah that ain't happening. So, I guess I'm staying up here for the night"

"I'm not going to let you fall, Liz. Jump." He said.

Liz weighed her options. She didn't really want to spend her night up here. She also didn't want to fall on her face either. But why would she pass up another opportunity to be in Jacob's arms? It was one of the small things that she did rather enjoy.

She sat down and scooted to the edge. Her feet dangled over. She didn't know why she was so terrified; she'd jumped down off things higher than this. It didn't mean she wanted to again though.

Swallowing her fear, she pushed herself off the tree stand. She sunk through the air for only a few seconds before strong arms wrapped around her.

Jacob clutched her tight to his chest. "You okay little lamb?"

She smiled. "Yeah. That was kind of fun."

Jacob released her and she landed on her feet. He was smiling back at her. Oh no.

"So, what's the idea?" She asked.

He bent down and searched the pockets of his jacket. She watched as Jacob pulled out her iPod. It was the one Wheaty had given to her a few weeks ago. The last time she had seen it was when she had taken the outpost with the Deputy. She snatched it away from him.

"You had this the whole time! I thought I had lost it." She exclaimed.

"I'd like to say that I was waiting for a right time to give it to you. But actually, I forgot I had it until today."

She laughed. "Better late than never I guess."

Jacob took it back. His fingers brushed against hers. He flipped through the songs for a moment. Liz was just surprised he knew how to work the damn thing. He handed her one of the earbuds.

"Dance with me." He said.

Her eyes grew wide and she backed away. "Dance? No. Not happening. You don't dance anyways." It was hard to imagine someone as tough as Jacob, dancing. It seemed like a thing that was too soft for him to do. He was the one that preached strength after all.

Jacob grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. "You don't know everything about me, little lamb. Dance with me. Please…"

"Fine. One dance. But I have to warn you I'm a very bad dancer." She wagged her finger at him. She took the other earbud and placed it in her ear. Jacob picked a song and put the iPod in his jacket pocket.

The beat of the music was instantaneous in her memory. She knew this song, all too well. This was her song.

"How do you know this?" She exclaimed.

"I know everything, sweetheart."

She scoffed. "Yeah okay… You heard it on the radio that night, didn't you?"

This was playing the night she had discovered the Wolf's Den. She had danced with Wheaty to this song. It had been the first time she had been happy to be back in Hope County. But she did remember longing for a different partner.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. But this song is about you. So dance with me to your song, Miss Palmer."

Liz laughed. The look in his eyes showed that he meant every word. This was perfect. Everything about this night was perfect. She couldn't imagine a better person to spend it with.

"Okay." She smiled.

Jacob grabbed one of her hands wrapped the other around her waist. He pulled her close until she was pressed against her chest. They swayed to the beat of the music. She couldn't help but giggle a little. Almost like a schoolgirl dancing with her crush. That's sort of what Jacob had been to her all this time.

'Have you seen her?

So fine and pretty. Fooled me with her style and ease.'

The way that Jacob looked at her, she had never felt this way before. It wasn't the way that Pratt had looked at her, or Wheaty, it was just something else. It was just Jacob. Her smile grew bigger and she laid her head on his chest.

'Come on, take a chance. You're old enough to dance the night away.

Oh, come on, baby, dance the night away.'

Jacob pulled her closer. She felt her body melt into his. She took a moment to just breathe him in. This was perfect. Liz had never felt happier than she did right now.

'Ooh, baby, baby.

Well, don't skip romance, 'cause you're old enough to dance the night away.'

They continued to sway long after the song ended. It didn't bother either of them. She stayed focused on the way his body moved against hers. She could stay like this forever and it wouldn't bother her. Liz didn't know what being infatuated with someone felt like. But if this wasn't it, it had to be pretty damn close.

He loosened his grip and his hand moved to under her chin. Liz felt her body gently shake.

"Are you still scared of being with me?" Jacob asked.

She scoffed. She tried to maintain her composure, but her body still shook. It definitely wasn't from the cold. "Always."

Jacob's hand gently stroked the side of her face. "You shouldn't be. You know I'm going to watch after you, right?"

"You better." She laughed.

He cupped her face and bent down. From this distance, Liz could smell the gunpowder on him. The sickly-sweet smell filled her nose. Something about it was calming. Like this was where she was meant to be. Jacob leaned in further and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. To Liz, it felt like a breath of fresh air. She melted into him and the next thing she knew she was kissing him back. His beard tickled her face. She found herself laughing against his lips.

He pulled away. "What's so funny?"

"Not a damn thing." She shook her head and gave him another quick kiss. "Everything is perfect. More so than I could ever imagine."

"Good. Let's set the tent up."

Her eyes grew narrow. She knew there had been a tent at the base of the tree, but she didn't think they'd actually use it.

"We spending the night out here?" She asked.

"I had planned on it. Unless you wanted to walk back to the compound, instead of staying out here with me."

She rolled her eyes. "So, it sounds like I don't have a choice."

Jacob laughed. She could see his toothy grin even in the darkness. Damn him for being cute sometimes. Jacob had his moments, not many of them. But he did have them.

"No. You have a choice, little lamb. It's just either walking or the tent." Jacob bent over and started rifling through the bag. He started pulling out the supplies.

"Fine. I guess I'll stay. You're not too terrible."

His head perked up. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." Liz giggled. She propped herself up against the tree. "Now get to work cowboy. I don't want to be out here all night."

"Yes ma'am."

He went to work setting up the tent. A strong breeze blew through the trees. Liz began to shiver. It had been so hot half an hour ago, but now it was freezing. She untied her shirt from her waist and threw it on. She instantly felt warmer. It seemed like the Chosen outfits were good for something.

Jacob though, didn't seem to be affected at all. He looked perfectly fine in his t-shirt. Liz thought he looked fine too. She knew that Jacob wasn't an attractive man. He was older, plain faced, and had scars all over his body. But there was just something about him. Maybe it was his physique or just the way he held himself. Because damn, Liz found herself extremely attracted to him.

Her eyes stayed fixated on him the entire time. It didn't take him long to put up the tent. It was much larger than she thought it would be. The two of them would easily fit in there.

"So, you're not worried about staying out here? Where anyone could find us?"

Granted, the trees were extremely dense and there was a bit of a rock overhang close to them. And they were high up on the mountain. It'd be a miracle if anyone wandered out here. But it didn't mean she wasn't going to pester Jacob about it.

He scoffed. "There's no one out here. I know these mountains better than anyone, sweetheart. And my men constantly comb every inch of land. Can't believe you'd put so little faith in me."

Liz walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around his torso and pulled him close. He felt so tall from this angle. Jacob had to look down to see her.

"I never doubted. I just wanted to be sure. It'd be a little awkward if some of you men stumbled upon his herald curled up with one of the soldiers." She said.

"That wouldn't be a problem. I'd just toss their ass into a judge's cage if they said anything."

He hadn't been joking but Liz found herself laughing anyway. That sort of comment would have bothered her a month ago. But now… she kind of liked when he spoke like that. It reminded her that he was the most powerful man in Hope County. And she liked knowing that she was personally attached to that man.

Jacob pried her off and spread the sleeping bag out in the tent. "Shall we?"

Liz smiled. She shucked off her shoes and climbed into the tent. Jacob did the same. The sleeping bag was surprisingly comfortable. She found herself sinking into it. Jacob zipped the tent up, sealing them off from the rest of the world. It was just the two of them. She didn't know why she felt uncomfortable. She had slept in Jacob's arms before. Why was she nervous? Maybe because this was one of the few times they've been truly alone. At the Veteran's Center there was always someone else or a chance they'd get caught. Not out here though…

She shifted around, trying to get adjusted. With Jacob in the tent with her, there wasn't as much room as she originally thought.

"You okay?" Jacob asked.

"Yeah." It was a lie. She wasn't okay right now. She was freaking out and she didn't know why.

Jacob grabbed her and pulled her on top of his chest. She placed her hands on either side of him. She reveled in the position they were in for a moment before blush formed on her cheeks. Oh no.

He didn't comment on it but instead put his hands on her hips. "You don't have to be afraid around me, Liz."

"It's not you, it's just… I've never done anything like this before. And I don't want you to make fun of me." There were so many things that she didn't know how to do, and she didn't want him to hold that against her. Men had done that before and she expected Jacob to be the same.

Jacob reached up and gently tucked her hair behind her ear. He was completely calm. He always was. "I would never do that, ever… You forget Liz it's been a long time since I've been with anyone either."

He was right. She was acting silly. From what she knew about Jacob, he had never been one to chase women for casual sex. It seemed that there had always been some bigger problem for him to worry about than who he was fucking. That's what Liz liked about him. He always placed the cause or the mission first. Not many men could do that, especially not John. She'd heard the rumors about Jacob's brother. Jacob though, had this way of boxing things up when there was work to be done. She wished she could accomplish that sometimes.

This was not one of those times.

"Then we'll figure it out together I guess."

He nodded. "Mmmhm."

He motioned for her to sit up. Liz was careful not to hit the tent poles and sat on his midsection. She hadn't realized how hot it had become in the tent. Sweat had formed on her brow. Jacob, of course, had already took notice and wiped it away. He grabbed the hem of her sweater.

"Lift your arms up."

She did as instructed, and he pulled the sweater over her head. He threw it to the other side of the tent. Her tank top had come up halfway too. Oh no. Liz felt herself tense up.

Jacob ran his hands across her bare stomach. She thought about all the things those hands had done. Men had died at the ends of those hands. They had strangled, stabbed, and shot people. But not with her. With Liz, those hands were as light as a feather. They would do anything to protect her.

He didn't push her to do anything. He's made that clear to her. But those feelings still ate at her every day. Jacob had done almost everything he could to prove how he felt for her. Now, Liz needed to do the same. She moved his hands to the hem of her tank top.

His eyes grew wide. "You sure little lamb?"

Liz nodded. "Yes."

She was positive that she wanted this. It was time. Jacob grabbed her tank top and pulled it over her head. He sat up to cradle her.

Her chest was covered in bindings, but still Jacob looked entranced. The bindings had been a temporary thing. It was hard to find a decent bra out here. Jacob's hands gently brushed against her chest. He began to slowly undo the wrappings. Liz found herself holding her breath the entire time. He removed the last of the wrappings and her chest was completely bare in front of Jacob. Her cheeks grew red.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

This was the moment she had been dreading. Her flat chest was nothing to be proud of. It made her look like a child and he was a grown man. Why would he want to be with her? She was expecting Jacob to laugh in her face, but he didn't.

Jacob shook his head, his eyes still fixated on her chest. "You have nothing to be sorry about."

He leaned forward and once again his lips were on hers. His tongue fought its way into her mouth. His beard roughed up her chin, in a good way. One of his hands cupped her breast and squeezed.

'Hm. So that's what that feels like.' She thought. She'd done it herself, but no one else had done it. It didn't make her burst into pleasure, but it did feel kind of nice. He moved to pinch her nipple and gently twist it. His other hand did the same. That felt much better. A sigh escaped her lips.

"Damn, so that's what's been under that shirt all this time. Much cuter than I thought." Jacob purred.

Liz let out a cackle. Her stress faded. How did he always know what to say to calm her down? It was a gift that only he possessed.

"Well, ya know I try my best to look cute."

He nodded. "You do an excellent job of it, little lamb." He put a finger under her chin to tilt it up and his mouth attached to one of her breasts. His hand flicked and pinched at the other.

'Hot damn.' She thought.

Liz closed her eyes and she leaned back a little further. At least half of her breast could fit in his mouth. Probably the whole thing could fit if he really wanted. But he wasn't going to. That was just Jacob, constantly trying to make her feel beautiful. And all she did every day was fight him.

Her hands moved to the back of his head. She traced across the calloused surface as he continued to fondle her chest. She liked how rough his skin felt. She always had. It was a reminder about who she was truly with. Jacob wasn't a good man. He wasn't gentle or soft with people. Only with her.

His head perked up. "Lay back."

Liz's eyes grew wide. This is what she'd always been afraid of. She couldn't believe this was actually happening. But she just needed to relax. There was nothing to fear from Jacob.

She climbed off him and laid back on the sleeping bag. It quickly enveloped her. She felt as if she was going to sink through the ground. She watched as Jacob removed his own shirt. Liz had seen Jacob shirtless before. But nothing like this. Her eyes wandered across the rough surface. Most of it was covered in burns that stained his skin bright pink. It didn't bother her though. There was also a scar that ran across the center of his chest. That one did bother her.

That's where she had cut him in his office not too long ago. If only she hadn't been so damn stubborn. They could have been doing this the whole time instead of fighting. She reached up to trace where her handiwork had been. Liz had hurt him. He was the one person that she cared about and she'd hurt him. Tears began to well up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry…"

Jacob shook his head again. "How many times do I have to tell you, you never have to be sorry to me."

He leaned down to kiss her once more. His bare chest pressed against hers. Another thing that's never happened to her before. They moved in tandem with one another. Liz could feel everything in this position, including how tight his pants had gotten. There had been a time where she had wanted to beat the shit out of him for that. She had damn well tried to that one day in his office. But now, she reveled in the feeling. If she had come to terms with this sooner, it would have been a lot easier for both of them.

Jacob's hands moved towards her belt. Her broke away and gave her another look. She kissed him in confirmation. He slowly undid her belt and pulled it out. Her pants were next. Jacob's movements were slow and methodical. He treated her like she was a porcelain doll. Not because he thought she was fragile, but because she was something that he would protect.

He pulled her pants off her legs completely and she was left in just her underwear. Liz's cheeks were bright red. Her breathing got heavier. This was probably the most embarrassed she'd ever been around him. Even more so than being covered in mud and having almost died.

Jacob did nothing but smile at her. While Liz was freaking out, he was calm. That's what he was best at. Damn him. His hands moved to the outside of her underwear. He gently stroked up and down. Her underwear had soaked through.

He chuckled. "Damn, little lamb. I didn't know I could do that to you. Have you been aching all this time for me to do this?"

"Shut up…" She whined.

He ignored her plea and continued to stroke between her legs. Liz let out a moan. Her entire body was now under the command of his two fingers. He'd tried so many way to control her before and slow her down. Who knew all it took was this.

Jacob leaned down and pressed against her again. He continued to work on her. He whispered things in her ear. Dirty little secrets of what he wanted to do to her. Things that she would never say aloud. But at least she knew how Jacob really felt about her now. He placed a kiss on her cheek and slowly pulled her underwear aside. One finger slipped in between her folds. She gasped despite her best efforts not to.

He growled into her ear. "Mm all wet just for me."

Liz gave him a face but didn't say anything. His flirting would have made her cringe under different circumstances, or pretty much any circumstances. But somehow it still ended up turning her on. He was the only one that could do that.

His fingers worked the outside of her folds. Her whole body felt like it was on fire. While this was different than how she had always imagined it, it was still amazing. And she was happy that Jacob was the first man to see her like this. One of his fingers pushed in further. Her insides began to sting.

"Ow. Jacob…"

"I'm sorry." He immediately stopped and pulled his fingers out. He stroked her face. His fingers had still been wet from being inside her. She did her best not to cringe at the residue on her face.

She shook her head. "It's okay. I guess I'm just not used to that yet."

"Let me try something else. I promise it won't hurt."

"Okay." She said. Jacob pressed a kiss to her forehead and climbed off her. His hands moved back to her underwear. He slid them clean off and tossed them to the other side of the tent. They didn't even make a sound when they hit the canvas.

She was completely bare in front of Jacob, not holding back this time. Oh God. Liz wished she would sink down into the sleeping bags and disappear. But Jacob eyes her up and down like she was a meal.

He gripped her calves and spread them. A quick puff of air blew across her bare pussy. She couldn't help but shudder. Jacob ran his fingers through her pubes. They covered her sex in a dark, curly bush. She had once always kept herself clean shaven but now… Well, there weren't exactly razors she had access to.

Jacob didn't seem to mind though. His fingers brushed through the hair, curling it around his fingers. Liz sighed. The more he played with them, the wetter she became. Her pussy still was dripping from his teasing. Her body quivered in anticipation.

"Jacob…" She chided.

He gave her a smirk. "What sweetheart? You don't like me teasing you? I didn't think you wanted anything to do with me. What was that you said over the radio a while ago? Not if I was the last man on Earth?"

That day out on the road flashed through her mind. God, she hated thinking about that day. It had been the day she had killed Andrea… And Jacob had admitted some explicit things to her. She shook the thoughts from her head.

"I just said that to make you angry. Please don't tease me anymore." Her face scrunched up and it had to be bright red by now. She hated when he was an ass like this. Jacob placed his thumb between her folds and gently rubbed. She wanted to shriek.

Jacob just laughed at her distress. Even in the dark, his smile was bright. He really was getting a kick out of this. "To make up for my injured feelings during that time, I want you to say it out loud. Tell me what you want me to do."

"Please stop teasing me." She whined.

He removed his thumb, which only made her growl. "I said specific, sweetheart. If there's something you want from me, all you have to do is ask. If not I'm just gonna go to sleep."

Jacob cackled. His chest heaved and his cheeks had turned red in return. He wasn't even trying to hide the pleasure he got from this. Damn him. Liz bit her lip. She was really going to have to say it out loud or writhe in agony for the rest of the night. She sighed in defeat and tried to swallow the bile in her throat.

"Please eat my pussy, Jacob…" Liz whined and buried her face in her hands. Why did she have to say that? She heard him laugh again. He probably enjoyed hearing that just as much as she had hated it. He pried her hands off her face to reveal her disheveled state.

"Darlin', your wish is my command." He purred.

Jacob spread her legs further apart and bent down. His nose nuzzled her pubes for a moment, taking in her scent. Liz couldn't imagine that it smelled good but he sure seemed to like it. He laughed again and his mouth latched onto her like a tick. His tongue dipped into her sopping cunt. A chill went down her body. So, that's what that felt like. She'd only masturbated a few times before. And gotten herself off even less times than that. But her bony fingers were nothing compared to his slick tongue.

Jacob stretched himself out further in the tent. He could barely fit, but that didn't distract him from his mission. He licked at her clit before stroking all the way down and back up again. His motions were slow and methodical. Almost like she was an ice cream cone and he wanted to savor every last drop.

She allowed herself to settle back and try to relax. She was anything but that. Her hands moved to grip his hair. She clung to it like a lifeline. Jacob's face was completely buried between her legs. And between her pubes and his beard, she could barely see his face at all.

He pulled off for a moment only to use his fingers to fight through the hair and spread her folds open wider. He quickly reattached to her. He also began to gently suck on her cunt.

Her head leaned back. "Jacob…" She moaned.

She melted into his touch. Everything was clear to her. This is where she was meant to be. Not down South, or with the Whitetails, or with the Peggies, but with Jacob. It was always him. She knew that now.

Liz allowed her eyes to fall closed and a smile spread across her face. She let every warm feeling wash over her without fear. Her fingers stayed curled in his hair. Yeah, Liz could get used to this.