"Jack..."
"I have a room," I said, my voice low. "Nothing fancy. Just a bed and four walls and a door that locks." I traced my thumb along her jaw, watching her shiver. "Come back with me. Let me show you what you mean to me. Let me seal this deal properly."
Maggie's smile turned slow and heated. "And here I thought you wanted to take things slow."
"The planning can be slow." I kissed the corner of her mouth, felt her lean into me. "This can't wait another minute."
She laughed—that low, throaty sound that had been haunting my dreams since Texas. "Then what are we still doing here?"
I signaled the bartender, dropped enough cash on the table to cover our drinks and a generous tip, and stood up. Maggie's hand was still in mine. Sully lifted his head, ready to follow.
Across the room, Liam raised an eyebrow. I gave him a nod—we're good, don't wait up—and he nodded back, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Stephanie was already pulling out her phone, probably texting someone about the outcome of this whole adventure.
The walk to the motel was short—just across the parking lot, the neon sign flickering in the darkness. Maggie pressed against my side, her hip bumping mine with every step, and by the time I got the key in the lock, my hands weren't quite steady.
The room was exactly what I'd described: nothing fancy. A bed, a dresser, a window that looked out on the mountains. But when I closed the door behind us and turned to face Maggie, it felt like the most beautiful place I'd ever been.
She stood in the dim light, watching me with those eyes that saw everything. No armor now. No walls. Just Maggie, open and wanting and mine.
"Come here," I said.
She came.
I kissed her slow and deep, the way I'd been wanting to since she walked through that bar door. My hands found her waist, her hips, the curve of her back. She pressed against me, all warmth and softness, and made a sound against my mouth that nearly undid me.
"I love you," I murmured against her lips. "I love you, Maggie Blackwood."
"Show me," she whispered back.
So I did.
I took my time with her—learning her again, memorizing every sigh and shiver, making up for the days we'd lost. She was fierce even in this, demanding and giving in equal measure, andwhen she finally came apart in my arms, she said my name like it was the only word she knew.
Afterward, we lay tangled together in the narrow motel bed, her head on my chest, my hand tracing lazy patterns on her bare shoulder. The room was quiet except for our breathing and the distant sound of trucks on the highway.
"That was..." Maggie trailed off, apparently at a loss for words.
"Yeah." I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "It was."
She laughed softly, her breath warm against my skin. "I can't believe I almost let you go."
"You didn't let me go." I tightened my arms around her. "You just took the scenic route to get here."
She chuckled. "Three thousand miles of scenic route."
"Worth every mile."
She tilted her head up to look at me, her eyes soft in the darkness. "I'm sorry it took me so long to be brave."
"Don't be." I brushed a strand of hair from her face. "You're here now. That's all that matters."
Maggie settled back against my chest with a contented sigh. Within minutes, her breathing had evened out, her body relaxing into sleep. I held her in the darkness and let myself feel the full weight of what had happened.
No take-backs.
Tomorrow we'd start the long drive back to Texas—back to Copper Creek, back to the Blackwoods, back to the land and the future we were going to build together.
I was ready to stay.
