For several long moments, they said nothing. The air was thick with the scent of sex andthem.Clark loved it. He loved listening to her regain her breath. He loved feeling her heart flutter against his chest. He loved the way she rubbed her cheek against his skin, as if she couldn’t get enough of him, too.
Into that content quiet, Nelly murmured, “I hope you liked your present, cowboy.”
A breathless laugh shook his chest. Giving her a nudge until she sat up just enough for him to kiss her luscious mouth, he rumbled, “Oh sugar, you havenoidea.”
“No?”
His mouth curved into a smile against hers. “Nah. But I’ve got the rest of the holiday to show you, don’t I?”
Nelly’s arms draped loosely over his shoulders. Rubbing her lips back and forth, she whispered, “Just the holiday?”
“Guess not.” Clark ran his hands down her back until his palms rested on the curve of her hips. Giving them a proprietary squeeze, he told her, “We’ve also got forever.”
“Mm, I really liked the flower press, but I think I love forever more.”
He wasn’t sure she could see his grin in the dark, but it felt big enough to split his face in two. “Good, because there’s no getting rid of me now. You thought I was annoying before? You’re in for a real treat.”
Nelly’s content sigh drifted across his skin. “I can’t wait, cowboy.”
Epilogue
Moonset, January 2049 – Montague, The Orclind
Clark settleddown behind his mate carefully. His hands were full of two mugs brimming with piping hot cocoa, and he was determined not to spill a single drop on Nelly’s delicate skin, barely protected by one of his flannel shirts as it was.
“Here, let me take that.” Nelly twisted around to try and extract one of the mugs from his hands, but he held it out of reach.
“Careful! It’s hot.”
“I know how to hold a mug of hot cocoa without burning myself,” she replied, reaching again.
Clark raised his eyebrows and carefully turned the mug so she could loop her fingers around the handle beneath his. Just before he handed it off, he used her twisted position to skim his lips over the curve of her neck with a low, rumbling purr of happiness.
He didn’t need to see her face to know she was smiling when she murmured, “Was that what you were after?”
“Always.” He reluctantly lifted his head to give her a wink before he finally allowed her to take the mug.
They were sitting in front of his large cast iron fireplace, the floor cushioned by a thick blanket they’d dragged out from the nest. Over the past week, they’d often set up a cozy spot in the living room to watch movies or play games. Or fuck. Sometimes all three.
Often all three.
He wrapped his free arm around Nelly’s middle and drew her back into his chest with a long, content sigh. Having the ranch all to himself hadn’t been as much fun as it might have sounded. That was part of the reason he’d started seeking her out so often — trying to hunt down his witch gave him something to do and made him not feel so alone with his family away.
But after well over a week of keeping constant company with his mate, he knew with absolute certainty that he could live in the most remote place on Earth, never see another living soul in his life, and be perfectly content so long as he had his Nelly.
Every day he found something new to love about her, even if that was as simple as how she liked to whisper to his horse like she wanted to share a secret or the way she always, always preferred something sweet for breakfast. He even found it charming when she’d zone out in the middle of doing something and then pop back to life with a giggle to tell him something hilarious her brother-in-law had done thirteen hundred miles away.
Nelly brought life and color to his world. Literally. In the week leading up to Moonset, they’d split their time between the ranch and her cottage. Many of his flannels and at least one of his hats lived in her closet, while half her yarn collection and all of her neon-yellow mixing bowls stood out starkly against his home’s muted earth tones.
Eyeing the basket overflowing with a half-finished scarf made of outrageously fluffy blue yarn, Clark smiled into his hot cocoa. It was like she just couldn’t help herself. Wherever she went, she left splashes of color in her wake.
“Sugar, we’re going to the hardware store next week to order some paint.”
Nelly leaned her head back to look at him upside down. The fire made her rosy cheeks and dark eyes glow. “Why? You got a hankering for DIY all of a sudden?”
Setting his mug aside, Clark brushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes before he skimmed his fingers over her cheek.Gods, I love touching her. Looking at her. Knowing I’m hers.
“I want you to make this house yours.” He nodded toward the room at large, which they’d spent the day decorating with candles and lights for the final, most important night of the month-long holiday. They weren’t exactly traditionalists when it came to Moonset, but they’d done their best and lit a roaring fire for the god of home and hearth.
