Take My Name (Willow Branch Mountain #1)

Prologue

Warren

NINE YEARS AGO

“I can’t believe you talked me into this.” Maisie laughs, treading water and glancing around to make sure no one’s around. The sun’s about to set, so most of the guests from the resort are at the restaurant for dinner or they’re in for the night.

Wrapping an arm around her bare waist, I pull her closer into my chest. She wraps her limbs around me, and I hold her up in the river with my body.

“Skinny dippin’ is a rite of passage,” I tease, cupping her ass cheek and squeezing.

“Yeah, right. You find any excuse to get me naked.” She tightens her grip, causing her abdomen to rub against my cock that’s half hard between our bodies.

When she rocks against me, I groan and she chuckles at my discomfort.

“You’re gonna pay for that,” I warn, reaching up to pinch her nipple .

She yelps, then splashes water on my face, distracting me long enough to get away. I swim after her, easily catching up, then dive under the water to yank her ankle.

“Warren!” Her scream is muffled when I bring her down with me.

We aren’t submerged for long before I release her and meet her back up above the surface.

“That was mean!” She splashes me again, but her smile is wider than before.

The sounds of crashing water off the cliff echo around us as I pull her toward me. She fits against my chest in a familiar way that calms my heart.

“I’m gonna miss you so much,” I tell her softly.

She tangles her legs and arms around me, hugging me closer. “Gonna miss you more.”

“Impossible,” I breathe out, holding in my emotions the best I can.

Maisie returns to college in New York City for her third year tomorrow.

She’s majoring in English and hopes to get an internship or apprenticeship before she graduates.

We’ve been doing long-distance for two years, and though she comes home during the summer and holidays, it’s not enough.

Not when I got used to seeing her every day since we were twelve.

“I’ll be back for Thanksgiving,” she reminds me. “And we’ll still video chat and text.”

I tip up her chin so I can see her gorgeous hazel eyes, but they look more brown than green during the golden hour. “It’s not enough. I want you here with me.”

“Only a couple more years.”

“Yeah? And then what? ”

Her tongue peeks out, wetting her bottom lip, and she hoists herself up higher on my waist as I stand in shoulder-deep water.

“Then we…” She lifts a shoulder. “Start a life together.”

“Hmm…” Her words swirl in my head. “Why wait another two years to do that?”

“Whaddya mean?”

“We should get married.”

“After graduation?”

“No.” I tighten my grip on her. “Next summer.”

The area around her eyes creases when she flashes a white, toothy grin. “Are you proposin’?”

“Would you say yes if I were?” I drawl, unable to contain my own smile.

“Maybe you oughta ask and find out…” Her calm, taunting tone sends my heart into overdrive because we’ve talked about our future plenty of times but discussed getting married after she moved home permanently.

I walk us slowly through the water to keep warm, but I don’t release my hold on her when I brush my thumb over her cheek and cup her face. “Maisie Callaway, will you be my wife?”

“Hmm…” She twists her lips, her brows furrowing as she contemplates her answer. “You really wanna marry me?”

“Been wantin’ to since I was fifteen, darlin’.”

“That’s when we started datin’.”

“Exactly.”

She beams, unable to hide her excitement, although she’s trying to act unaffected.

“Gimme one good reason why I should,” she says in a playful tone that means she’s not going to make this easy for me.

My fingers flex into her ass, pushing her against my cock so she can feel how much I want her .

“Besides that .” With her arms around my neck, she lifts slightly to purposely rub her stomach against my growing erection.

“Because Maisie Langston sounds so fuckin’ good on you.”

“You do have a point…” Her teeth graze her bottom lip again, and I’m tempted to lean in and bite it.

“Is that a yes? You’ll take my name?”

“On one condition…” Her cheeks flush. “You build me a house like the one we discussed.”

“The two-story A-frame cabin with the large deck?”

“And a fireplace in front of the large windows, a cozy living room, big enough kitchen for us to cook together, a reading nook I can fill with my books, and a room for a nursery. Oh, and a master room big enough for a king-sized bed with an en suite that has a large tub for us to fit in together.”

Smiling wide at her excitement, I can hardly contain my own at the thought of us living under the same roof.

When we were still in high school, I told her my dream was to build a house on my family’s property when we got married and she started looking at ideas the next day.

She created a whole dream board of pictures and ideas, and I loved every single one.

“I’d love nothin’ more than to build that for us, baby.”

She leans her head back toward the water, her arms stretched out while they stay wrapped around me and as her legs tighten around my waist, she laughs up at the darkening sky. It’s a beautiful sight.

“Then yes, Warren Langston…” She returns her eyes to mine, pressing against me. “I’ll be your wife.”

My hand wraps around her neck, pulling her mouth to mine, and I devour her. My tongue slips between her lips, tasting the country air and waterfall ripples, and moaning against them .

“So, next summer?” I ask between kissing down her jaw.

“What’s the hurry? Am I pregnant?”

I chuckle against her neck. “I would’ve asked you years ago if I knew it wouldn’t have freaked you out. Or our parents.”

Considering we’re only twenty, they definitely would’ve freaked out.

Hell, they still might.

Her parents aren’t my biggest fans, but that’s never stopped me from showing how much I love her. Mine, on the other hand, adore her.

“Why do ya wanna marry me so badly?”

I meet her eyes and they’re filled with sincere curiosity.

“Besides how much I enjoy being with you, you’re my best friend and the love of my life. Why wait when I already know who I’m meant to be with for the rest of my life?”

“Are you callin’ me your soul mate?” She wiggles her nose against mine, her voice softening. “Because I feel the same.”

“Good, because I wanna wake up next to you every day, snuggle you in my arms as the coffee brews, and kiss your neck until the sun rises and we’re forced to get outta bed.

In the evenings, we’ll dance in front of the fireplace while we wait for the oven timer to go off, then we’ll feed each other dinner and spend the rest of the night soaking in the tub, washing each other.

” I thumb her chin, finding her gaze. “I want forever .”

“That sounds…heavenly.” She sighs happily. “Like a dream.”

“And soon, it’ll be our reality.”

She crashes her lips to mine, sucking my bottom lip into her mouth and pressing into me. “I can’t wait,” she whispers, resting her forehead against mine. “I would’ve said yes either way. The house is a bonus.”

“I know. You can’t resist me. ”

She rolls her eyes, reaching between us and grabbing my cock.

“Maze…” I warn, swallowing hard.

“You don’t wanna celebrate our engagement?” she asks in her seductive teasing tone that always makes me fold.

Fuck .

She strokes my shaft and my balls tighten.

“That’s it. Time to go.” I walk us out toward the shore and carry her to my truck, where our towels and clothes are waiting. “Don’t get dressed. Just wrap a towel around you.”

“Where’re we goin’?” she asks before I sprint around to my door, buck naked.

“The Chalet.”

The Willow Chalet is only a few-minute drive. It’s a large two-story cabin with a wraparound deck and has ten bedrooms and fourteen bathrooms. We reserve it for large family gatherings, wedding receptions, or high-profile guests.

And the best part, the showers are always stocked.

“It’s not reserved?” she asks.

“Not until Friday.”

Which means, we can easily sneak in without anyone finding out.

We usually hook up in my truck or I sneak her into my bedroom, but this way we can shower together without the fear of anyone overhearing or interrupting.

Once I park, I grab our clothes and lead her through the back entrance that’s usually left open for the staff.

“We’re gonna get caught!” she whisper-hisses when I flick on a light.

“By who?”

“I-I dunno. Your parents? Or siblings?”

Considering I’m the oldest of five kids, I doubt it. They’re probably at home getting ready for bed since it’s a weekday.

“Stop worryin’, sweetheart. We’re celebratin’, remember? Plus, doesn’t the thrill make it that much hotter?” I smirk over my shoulder before pulling her into one of the bathrooms.

It’s spotless as usual, with fluffy towels and robes folded for the guests. Since I work on the ranch side, I’ll tell Posey, my eighteen-year-old sister, who works part-time on the resort side, to make sure the bathroom gets re-cleaned.

She owes me a favor anyway after I caught her sneaking a boy out of her room at three in the morning on a school night. She claims they fell asleep, but I’ve used that excuse too many times to count. If our parents had caught her, she’d still be grounded.

Turning on the hot water, I nod at Maisie. “Lose the towel, baby.”

When we step in, the stream falls over us under the rainfall showerhead.

We wash one another from head to toe, slowly massaging shampoo in each other’s hair and rinsing off.

Neither of us can stop smiling at our secret engagement and sneaking in here, but it’s equally exciting and romantic to get this time with her before she leaves.

“What size ring are you?”

“Six, I think.”

“I’m gonna get you the biggest and most beautiful ring I can afford.”

“You don’t have to spend a fortune. I’ll be happy with anythin’ you pick out.”

“There ain’t no way your parents are gonna be happy with something small.”

“Who cares what they think? ”

“Uh…me. They’re already gonna be pissed I didn’t ask for their blessin’ first.”