Birdie nibbles her bottom lip, as if she has more to say, but doesn’t elaborate. It’s been a long day, and I don’t want to push her, so I go with it.
“Perfect. I’ll go get dinner started,” I say, lowering my hands from her face.
I start across the lawn, stopping when I glance behind to see Birdie isn’t following. She’s rooted in place, fingers fiddling with the clasp of her necklace, her shoulders rising and falling with slow, measured breaths.
“I love you,” she blurts out, her eyes widening the second the words leave her mouth. “These past few weeks have shown me that you’re the one I want to share a future with, and you were right when you said none of this was pretend. What we have is real… more real than anything I’ve ever felt, and I’m completely, hopelessly yours.”
My head spins, her declaration drifting through me like the last of the sunlight slipping through the trees, warm and fleeting. I’m not ready to let this moment go, desperate to confirm it’s actually happening.
I step into her space, cradling her face in my palms. “Say it again.”
Her mouth curves into a smile. “What we have is real, and I’m hopelessly yours.”
“Now the first part,” I urge.
Her eyes brighten with understanding, and she lets out a soft laugh. “I love you, Walker Halstead. I love you with everything that I am.”
Never have I heard anything sweeter, and I’m so damn overjoyed it’s like a dam has burst inside me.
Before I can respond, she rises to kiss me, threading her fingers through my hair. A low groan escapes me as her tongue claims mine. I shift my hands to her waist and hoist her into my arms, the taste of her overriding everything else.
Our lips remain locked as I stride across the lawn toward the house. Raw desire drives me as I carry her up the porch steps, the heat of her body pressed against mine. I swing open the front door and kick my boots off in the entryway as we move down the hall.
When we reach Birdie’s room, we’re both panting for air as I push her against the nearest wall, bracing my hands on her ass. She frantically tugs at the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head and tossing it aside. I shift my hold, reaching behind to unclasp her bra and slide it off each shoulder, slowly letting it fall to the floor.
I trail my tongue along her neck, nipping along the curve of her jaw as a shiver runs through her. She digs her nails into my back as she presses herself against my rock-hard cock. With her full breasts on display, I bend down to suck a nipple in my mouth, my teeth grazing the soft flesh.
“Oh. My. Gosh,” Birdie cries out as I breathe against her ear. “I need you inside me. Now.”
Even now, in the heat of passion, she doesn’t swear, and I love her fearless authenticity—how she’s finally embracing herself fully, without apology. I love every damn inch of her, and it’s past time Ishowher how I feel.
“Hold on, sweetheart,” I say before carrying her across the room and setting her next to the bed.
Without prompting, she slides off her shorts and kicks them to the side. Next to go are her panties. She shimmies them past her hips, drawing my gaze to her pussy, already wet for me.
“Lie on the mattress for me,” I rasp out.
She does as I ask, her chest heaving as she glances over, waiting for me to join her. I take a moment to appreciate what’s in front of me, committing every detail to memory—the way her blonde hair spreads around her head like a halo, the soft curves of her waist.
It occurs to me that every time we’ve slept together until now has carried some sort of lesson, and I want tonight to be only about losing ourselves in each other, with no agenda or distractions.
Unable to stay away a second longer, I strip off my shirt, followed by my jeans and boxers, and toss them all to the ground. My rigid cock springs free, and Birdie’s eyes are glued to mine as I get on the bed and crawl up her body, settling between her thighs.
I look down at her heaving chest, tracing her nipple, then trail my hand down her chest until I get to her stomach, mapping patterns with the pad of my finger. I draw lower, and her breath hitches when I reach the apex of her thighs and dip a finger inside her to discover she’s dripping for me.
“Walker,” she moans, arching her back.
“You need my cock to fill you up, don’t you, baby?” I croon.
She nods as I run the head of my cock through her slit in teasing strokes, letting the shaft drag along her clit, eliciting sounds that leave me barely holding on.I keep my eyes on her as I line up at her entrance, working my hand up and down my shaft as I push in slowly. I lean my forehead against hers, fighting to steady my breath as the sensation of her tightening around me threatens my control.
Birdie gasps as I pull out, then push back in deeper.
“Relax for me. I’m almost all the way in.” I lift my head to claim her mouth, relishing her soft sighs as I ease farther inside her.
Once fully seated, I intertwine our fingers and lift her arms above her head, focused on moving slowly, wanting to savor every second. It’s the same position I had her in on the dock, but this time, there’s only my hands anchoring her in place, fueled by a fierce need toshowher how much she means to me.
Birdie’s fingernails dig into my palms, sending sparks of heat shooting through me.
