The last guests had left hours before the limousine finally turned away from the reception grounds and began the slow climb into the mountains. Night had settled fully across the Blue Ridge by the time they reached Primland Resort, the darkness deep and undisturbed except for the long sweep of headlights tracing the curves of the mountain road. The world beyond the windows seemed to fall away into shadow and distance until only forest and sky remained, the ridges rising and folding into one another in quiet silhouettes beneath the scattered stars.

Zana had left earlier in the evening with Lorrlyne and the nanny, carried away warm and drowsy and unaware that the day marking her parents’ beginning had ended without her. Willow had kissed her soft cheek before they departed, breathing in the familiar scent of baby powder and warmth while Zane stood beside her with quiet attentiveness. Knowing their daughter was safe and surrounded by love allowed the night ahead to belong entirely to the two of them. The separation felt deliberate and right, not an absence but a rare permission for stillness after months of urgency and recovery.

Now Willow rested against him in the back of the limousine with her fingers loosely threaded through his. The exhaustion she had held at bay throughout the reception settled into her bones in a slow and undeniable way. The effort of standing and smiling and dancing had carried her through the celebration, but the quiet ride into the mountains allowed the weight of the day to reveal itself at last. Her head leaned gently against his shoulder before sliding lower until she rested comfortably against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing beneath the fine wool of his jacket.

Zane kept one arm around her without tightening his hold, his hand warm and steady along her upper arm. His thumb moved slowly across the fabric of her sleeve in a quiet rhythm that felt less like reassurance and more like recognition. He understood how much strength the day had demanded from her, and the knowledge lived in these small attentions that never required words.

The limousine climbed higher until the first lights of Primland appeared through the trees. The resort lay quiet beneath the mountain sky, its stone and timber structures rising naturally from the slope as though they belonged to the land itself. Tall windows glowed with a steady golden warmth that welcomed rather than announced. The night air carried the clean scent of pine and cool earth, and above the dark silhouette of the ridges the sky stretched wide and clear, scattered with stars that felt nearer here than they ever did in the city.

The car curved beneath the covered entrance where soft lantern light pooled across the stone drive. A member of the staff stepped forward at once, greeting them with discreet warmth that never intruded upon their quiet arrival. Their luggage had already been delivered to the suite. A chilled bottle of champagne waited upstairs should they want it. The suite had been prepared earlier in the evening and left entirely to them.

Zane stepped out first and turned immediately back toward her, offering his hand with the natural ease that had become part of their shared rhythm. Willow accepted it and stepped carefully onto the stone drive, the cool mountain air brushing against her skin in gentle currents that carried the faint scent of cedar and mountain grass.

Inside, the lodge felt warm and still. Firelight flickered softly in the wide stone hearth of the reception room while polished wood floors reflected the low amber glow of carefully placed lamps. Their host guided them quietly along a corridor and up a short private staircase before opening the door to their suite with unobtrusive courtesy.

Then they were alone.

The room opened into warmth and calm. A fire burned steadily in the wide stone hearth, sending shifting amber light across thick woven rugs and smooth wood floors. Lamps glowed softly beside the bed. Fresh linen carried the faint scent of lavender. A tray waited near the windows with untouched glasses and the champagne resting in quiet anticipation.

Beyond the tall glass doors, the mountains stretched into darkness.

Zane crossed the room first and drew the curtains back fully. The view opened wide and unobstructed. Ridge after ridge disappeared into shadow, their outlines softened by distance while the sky above them shone clear and immense. A faint silver light traced the horizon where moonlight touched the edges of distant slopes. The beauty of it settled into Willow with a calm deeper than relief.

He stood beside her with one hand resting lightly at her waist while they looked outward together in silence. The world felt very far away from this height. The noise and movement of the day no longer reached them. The stillness felt complete.

She turned slowly toward him.

"Open the buttons for me."

Her voice was soft, the words spoken without ceremony or hesitation.

His gaze moved across her face for a moment before his hands reached the row of small buttons along the back of her gown. He loosened the first one and then the next with careful fingers, the movement slow and deliberate. His mouth brushed the back of her neck as he worked, the warmth of his breath trailing along her skin before his lips followed the same path. He kissed the curve where her neck met her shoulder, then lower, unhurried and sure.

A quiet sound escaped her before she could stop it. The warmth of his mouth and the slow movement of his hands dissolved the last distance she had held through the long day.

She turned toward him, her hands rising to his shoulders as she drew him closer and kissed him with sudden intensity. The restraint that had carried them through the ceremony and reception gave way to something deeper and more urgent, shaped not by haste but by the long certainty that had grown between them.

The mountains stood silent beyond the glass while the room held only the warmth of firelight and the quiet sound of breath. The last button came free beneath Zane’s fingers and the tension of the gown loosened completely. The fabric slipped slowly from her shoulders and fell in soft folds around her feet, leaving her standing before him in the gentle amber glow of the fire.

He did not step back to look at her from a distance. His hands remained at her waist, drawing her closer as though separation no longer made sense after everything they had crossed to reach this night. His mouth found hers again, deeper now, the restraint of the day dissolving into something warmer and more certain.

Still kissing her, Zane slid one arm beneath her knees and lifted her easily. The movement was careful and steady, guided by his quiet awareness of the injury she was still healing from and by the effort the day had demanded from her body. Willow’s arms tightened around his neck as he carried her across the room, their mouths parting only enough for breath before meeting again.

The canopy bed waited near the fire, white linen turned down in quiet preparation. The firelight moved gently across the carved posts and pale fabric as he lowered her slowly onto the mattress. His hand remained at her side while he settled beside her, his gaze searching her face with quiet intensity.

"Are you in pain?"

The question came softly, shaped by concern rather than caution.

She smiled and shook her head, her fingers brushing lightly along his jaw. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

She shook her head softly. "No."

Relief moved through him in a visible exhale, his forehead lowering briefly to hers before his mouth found hers again with deeper urgency. The kiss changed almost at once, no longer careful but filled with the heat he had been holding back all day. His hand slid into her hair, steadying her as she rose toward him, her fingers tightening against his shoulders as she answered him with equal hunger. Breath mingled and broke between them before their mouths met again, slower and deeper, until both of them drew back slightly, unsteady and warm.

"I burn for you, Willow. Always have."

She smiled faintly, breath still uneven.

"That’s Mrs. Reyes to you, Mr. Reyes."

He smiled faintly and kissed her again, slower this time but no less certain.

Nothing rushed them forward. Nothing interrupted the slow certainty of touch and return. The fire burned steadily in the hearth while the mountain night stretched wide and silent beyond the windows.

Later they lay together with the mountain darkness deepening outside the glass. Willow rested with her head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart while his arm curved around her in a hold that felt protective without pressure.

Outside, wind moved softly through the trees and the distant ridges stood silent beneath the stars.

Inside, warmth and quiet surrounded them.

Her breathing slowed gradually until sleep claimed her, her cheek still resting above his heart while his hand remained warm against her back.

Their first night as husband and wife passed in mountain silence and firelight and steady breathing, wrapped in a stillness that felt as enduring as the ridges beyond the glass.