Her cheeks flush, her lips swollen from my kisses, her eyes dilated with desire. She’s a fucking angel, and I can’t help but feel like all I do is taint her.
But God help me, I can’t let her go. Not now, not ever. She’s buried herself under my skin. She’s in my soul, and I can’t ever give her away. Even though I should. Our relationship will never be normal. I don’t know how many things I’ll be taking from her if she decides that she actually wants to be mine. I’ve only got twenty years before I retire, whereas she has her whole entire life in front of her. But I’d do anything for her, no matter what the cost. If she wants a family, I’ll give her as many kids as she wants. If she wants to travel across the world, I’ll go with her. If she wants me to follow her back to Georgia, I’d quit my job tomorrow and go with her.
I think that’s the scariest part of all. I would do anything for her. My whole life has been here. I’ve only ever lived outside of Timberline when I was in active duty. But I would follow her anywhere and do anything for her. I don’t think she realizes that.
She has no idea what I would do for her.Ihave no idea what I would do for her, and I think that’s what terrifies me most of all.
“You’re so perfect, baby,” I whisper, kissing her nose, her cheeks, and using the hand in her hair to tilt her head back so I can kiss down her neck. Both my hands find her waist, and I pullher as close to me as I can, my lips leaving a trail of wet, warm kisses down her throat.
“Beck,” she gasps, her head tilting back to give me better access. I take advantage of the movement. Letting my lips dance across her smooth skin.
I’ve never been one to want to mark someone before, but I want to brand myself into her skin. I want to be there so that she can never get me out, so that if she leaves next week, she will still feel me on her skin and in her veins.
“Baby, I want to mark you,” I whisper against her neck, and she lets out a little whimper. The noise stirs something deep in my gut. Something primal that I never thought I would ever experience.
When she doesn’t object, I let my teeth nip at the skin at the base of her neck. It leaves a small red mark.
“I’ve never had a hickey before,” she admits. I pull my head away from her, and my eyes lock with hers.
“If it makes you feel better, I don’t think that I’ve given a hickey since I was your age,” I reply.
“Mark me,” she begs. Her hands run up and down my chest.
I bite my lip before burying my face back into her neck and let my lips and teeth explore her pretty skin.
My teeth pull at the skin as my lips suck. She lets out a moan that has me getting more and more turned on by the second. All I can think about is how she moved and pleasured me this morning, and how all I want to do right now is drop to my knees and hike her leg over my shoulder to devour her until she’s screaming my name for all my neighbors to hear.
Before I do that, I pull away. I pick her up, walk us back into the shop, and I sit down in one of the chairs, Sloane safely in my embrace.
“Thank you for all of this, baby. I meant it when I said this was the best gift anyone has ever given to me,” I say, kissing the top of her head.
“I actually have two more gifts,” She whispers.
“What? Baby, you’ve already done so much, I don’t even want to know what kind of small fortune you spend on all of this.”
“Well, too bad, and I’m not telling you, but you deserve it,” she says, kissing my cheeks before untangling herself from my arms. She goes over to the bike, reaches into one of the leather saddle bags, and pulls out a small bag. She goes around to the other side and grabs a box that’s wrapped up.
She brings them back over to me and sets them in my lap. “I’ll admit these gifts were selfishly bought, but it’s fine.”
I open up the bag first. I smile as I pull out the little helmet and goggles. The tag has a picture of a dog wearing them, and I look over at Mocha, who sits by Sloane’s feet, smiling up at both of us.
“You really think that he’ll sit with me on that?” I ask, and she just giggles and gestures to the other gift.
The first thing that catches my eye is the card on top, my name written in her cute script handwriting.
I pull her into my lap again and grab the card, opening it with my chin on her shoulder. I open the card, taped on one side is a gift card. On the other side is a note.
I just stare at the words for a long time, just letting it all sink in. Feeling like I’m being noticed. She’s always noticed me; she’sshown that through all her actions since the moment she moved in.
Right now, I’m filled with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude.
I can’t even form words, so I just kiss the side of her head and slowly pull back the paper on the box.
A second helmet?
“You already got me one?” I say, my voice coming out more confused than anything.
“Open the box.”
