Page 108 of Stay Wild Darlin’

She didn’t answer right away. She only looked at me with an unreadable expression and then crossed the room without hesitation. When she reached me, she wrapped her arms around my neck.

“Dalton,” she murmured.

“I know, darlin’,” I said quietly, because I did.

I felt it too—the way she made everything sharper and softer at the same time. The ache when she wasn’t near, the way her presence settled into the empty spaces I hadn’t realized were still hollow.

“I’ve always been second place. Forgotten. Overlooked. No one’s ever cared like this . . . and I didn’t expect it from you. I thought I was going to be the nanny. I didn’t mean to fall . . .” She exhaled slowly, her words dusting my shoulder like a confession she hadn’t meant to let go. She pulled back and met my eyes. “I didn’t mean to have feelings for you. Yeah, sure, I thought you were hot, how could I not? But it’s more than that. There’s something about you . . . something steady and grounding. You make everything quiet. You make me feel safe.”

I couldn’t speak right away, so I did the only thing I could; I held her closer and settled my hands at her waist, my forehead pressed gently to hers.

“I was lost, Poppy. The little brother everyone thought was bound to fuck up. They weren’t wrong—I did fuck up. I wasn’t ready to be a dad. Having Cora . . . it wasn’t planned. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing.” I exhaled, steadying myself with her so close. “I didn’t want a nanny at first. Didn’t want to admit I needed help. Then you showed up, and you . . . did it. You stepped in like you’d always been there. You filled my fridge⁠—”

“If I was living with you, I needed to eat something more than beer and pimento cheese dip.”

I smiled, shaking my head. “You say that like it wasn’t gourmet.”

She rolled her eyes, and I caught her hand in mine again, grounding myself with the feel of her skin.

“You got Cora into a routine. You take care of her like she’s yours. I know it’s part of your job, but the way you do it—it’s motherly. It’s natural. You think about her first, always. You came to see me ride and got her an outfit to match.” I swallowed the knot in my throat. “You’re . . . steady. You’re there. For her. For me.” I paused, my voice dropping. “The other night . . . when you let me tie you up, it was so much more than sex. You gave yourself to me. Completely. Willingly. It wasn’t only about control. It was trust. I’ll never forget that.”

She held my gaze, breathing a little heavier now, something in her eyes soft and open and so damn real.

“We were both second to everyone else in our lives, but you’re first to me.” She paused, then laughed, wiping under one eye with the back of her hand. “Well . . . aside from Cora. She’s tied with you.”

“Fair,” I said, my thumb brushing her waist. “I’d be worried if she wasn’t.”

I curled my fingers lightly against her side and tipped my head closer.

“Come here,” I breathed and leaned in to kiss her slowly.

I wanted to memorize the shape of her mouth, the way she moved against me, the way she sighed into the space between us. I deepened the kiss, taking her in like I needed her to breathe.

Her body melted into mine, no space left between us, her hands sliding up the back of my neck as she pressed closer.

She mewled, and it did something to me, something I couldn’t name but felt all the way down in my bones.

That sound, that closeness, the feel of her mouth opening against mine like she was giving herself over completely—it undid me in a way nothing else ever had. I knew, without a doubt, I’d never forget what it felt like to be wanted like this. Held like this. Known like this.

I pulled back, my hands still at her waist, my breath still tangled with hers.

“I want to show you how much you mean to me, Poppy.” My voice was stripped of anything but truth. “I want to worship you.”

Her eyes searched mine, lips still parted from the kiss, and her chest rose and fell rapidly.

“Will you let me do that?”

She nodded, and that was all the permission I needed.

I moved my hands up the sides of her waist, thumbs brushing the curves of her ribs before sliding higher, across the soft swell of her chest where her dress dipped low. She shivered beneath my touch, her body already arching toward me like it needed more.

I traced every inch of her like I had all night to map out her skin with my fingertips. When I reached her ass, I cupped it firmly, pulling her hips flush against mine.

“You have no idea what you do to me,” I murmured against her ear, my lips skimming the shell of it. “You look so fucking good in this dress, but I’ve been dying to see what you look like out of it.”

She let out a soft sound, something between a gasp and a whimper, and it made me groan.

“I want to take my time with you,” I whispered, sliding one hand back up her spine. “Touch you until you’re shaking.”