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“We’ve got all the time in the world,” I assured him. He said as much before but I understood why he needed to repeat it. I swept my thumb along his cheek, marveling at the softness of his skin. In that instant, I was struck by the realization that I’d wanted to do that before, touch him exactly like this, and never let myself because that wasn’t us. Now it was, and I could touch him whenever I wanted. “We can go as slow as you need now that we’re on the same page.”

“Finally,” he said, with a hint of a grumble.

I wasn’t going to point out that this was just as much his fault as it was mine. I also wasn’t going to point out all the time we’d wasted. If I’d realized my feelings sooner, or if he’d said something, we could have started this years ago. But just as quickly as that thought came, another one followed. There was a good chance it wouldn’t have worked, or wouldn’t have lasted, if we’d tried to be more than friends earlier in our life. He’d been gallivanting around the world, playing to millions of fans, and I’d been firmly entrenched in the Corps. Long distance could work if you put in the effort—Emery and Ville were proof of that—but it wasn’t like either of us could drop what we were doing in order to see the other.

Even though I’d been home for two years now, Wren had still been making music. It would have been easier to see each other. But I certainly hadn’t been in a headspace to do anything but heal. But now we were both home, both settled and ready for the next adventure, and it seemed part of that was becoming an us.

“Your lips are sinful, has anyone ever told you that?” I asked, then immediately shook my head. “No, don’t tell me. I’ll get homicidal over anyone else wanting you.”

“I have a lot of adoring fans,” he said, his smile kicking up at the corner of his mouth. Then his eyes glittered. “Plenty of men and women have propositioned me over the years. I’ve been told all sorts of filthy things.”

I growled which made him bark out a laugh. “Ville was there to keep you safe until I could take over.”

“Yes.” Wren’s expression smoothed out into a fond smile. “And most of it was just words. But I haven’t been a virgin, pining for you. I mean, I was pining but that didn’t stop me from—”

I cut him off with a kiss, hating hearing about his past. I knew he had one. I did too. But that didn’t mean we had to talk about it. But the instant our lips touched, all thoughts fled my brain. There was only his lips, then his tongue, the desire welling up and me needing to get closer. To crawl inside him and live there. He was ravenous, his mouth devouring mine, and I let him have control until I took over and explored every inch I could reach, needing to imprint on him.

We broke the kiss at the same time, and he rested his forehead against mine. We stared into each other’s eyes, panting, trying to get our bearings again.

“I should have asked,” I murmured.

“To be fair, I was being a little shit, so shutting me up was the right call. I consent to kisses whenever you want,” he said with a grin, and then as if to prove his point, he kissed me again. Softly at first, then harder. My body was starting to react and I fought the urge to grind against his ass, knowing we weren’t there yet.

Wren pulled away almost violently, then buried his face against my neck. His words were muffled, but I made them out after a second.

“If this isn’t real, it’s going to kill me.”

I held him tightly, turned my head to kiss his ear, and made him a promise. “It’s real, baby boy. I promise. I’ll show you.”

Chapter 18

Wren

Iwas finally where I belonged, in the way I belonged there. Bodhi’s lap was familiar, but to be able to sit there like this, letting myself truly fall into him the way I’d wanted for so long? It felt different.

To my surprise, I wasn’t getting aroused in a way that I might’ve thought, a way I’d once dreamed I would. I’d fantasized about this for such a long time; crawling onto his lap, being able to kiss him, touch him, do more than that.

But the urgency wasn’t there. Of course I’d devoured him right back when we’d kissed, but that had taken the edge off the release of all that desperation, of the longing that was deep in my marrow.

“I can’t believe this,” I admitted quietly. I wasn’t sure how long we’d been sitting there like that, but I was beginning to feel the need to straighten my legs.

“You better start believing,” he echoed his earlier sentiment.

Because somehow this was real.

I took a deep breath, his scent going straight to my heart. One day, it’d connect with my libido, but not today. Not any day soon, I was pretty sure. I was barely surviving this. Even if he changed his mind tomorrow, I might still survive this. But anything more physical? No.

I’d hooked up with a bunch of people before. It had meant nothing to have their skin against mine. Having someone inside me or me inside them. There’d been no emotional connection, no longing had touched that lust I’d felt in those moments.

It would take some time for this new reality to align my heart and soul with my body.

I leaned back and kissed him gently, never opening my lips. I thought I was done for now.

“I think I need to get back to the ranch.” My tone was almost apologetic, but like always, he understood.

Bodhi smiled slightly, then nodded. “Let’s go find your girl and I’ll drive you to the cabin.”

Nyx was waiting by the side of the building when we got out. She thumped her tail, and I patted her head.