Chapter 24
Save A Horse, Ride The Cowboy
I melt into the kiss, lost in a blissful haze until Walker’s words finally register.
“Wait—you do feel the same way?” I ask.
He nods, grinning. “I do, sweetheart. Nothing about this relationship has been fake for me.”
“So then, what do we do now?” I say, matching his grin.
Walker peppers kisses along the corner of my mouth. “Whatever you want, Birdie. I want a future with you—not just for today or tomorrow but forever if you’ll have me. I’ll wait as long as it takes for you to decide whether you want that too, because you’re worth it.”
My heart practically leaps from my chest at his declaration, realizing the man I’ve been falling for yearns for me as much as I do him, which makes falling for him all the more effortless. There has never been any pressure or expectations—only the need to make me feel cherished and protected.
My hands curl into his shirt as I gaze up at him. “I want that too.”
He exhales, his shoulders relaxing. “You have no idea how happy that makes me. I was ready to pull out all the stops to convince you.”
I raise a brow, intrigued. “Oh, really? And how exactly would you have done that?”
A smirk crosses his lips as he trails a finger along my jaw. “I think it’s best I show you… if you’re up for it, that is.”
My pulse spikes at his tantalizing offer. The future may still be uncertain, but knowing it will include Walker is enough.
For now, the tension hums between us like a live wire, sparking with every glance, every touch, and I long to surrender to the wanton desire burning through me.
“I do love a man who takes initiative,” I retort, playfully nipping at his finger.
“If that’s true, strip for me,” he says, his voice coming out husky. “So I can make sure you understand just how much I want you.”
My breath shudders as I glance around the lake.
I know we’re the only ones here, but his request still sends a flutter of nerves through me.
Even so, I refuse to let them get the better of me.
Walker would never put me in a position where I wasn’t safe, and I want nothing more than to prove how much I trust him.
He stays seated, resting back on his hands, and watches as I shimmy out of my yellow sundress and take off my bra and underwear. When I’m standing naked in front of him, he shifts forward, brushing a kiss across the top of my hand.
“You’re so goddamn pretty,” he says reverently, tapping my thigh to signal for me to step out of the clothes pooled around my feet. “Now lie back on the blanket.”
I scramble to obey, crawling to the middle and rolling onto my back. My palms are sweaty, and I’m restless, unsure of what’s coming next. Through my eyelashes I peek at Walker, flashing him a sultry smile. Silently daring him to make his move.
I trace his movements closely as he reaches for the wicker basket and digs through it, a slow grin spreading across his face when he pulls out two pieces of rope and holds them up.
“What are you planning to do with those?” I ask, heart hammering in my chest.
I think I have a pretty good idea.
“Lesson ninety-two: rope play.” Walker winks, winding one of the ropes around his wrist in demonstration. “If memory serves, you were intrigued by the prospect of being restrained. If you’re still interested, we’ll start simple by tying your hands above your head while I eat your pussy.”
I squeeze my legs together, wetness pooling between my thighs. When Walker brought up rope play before, it was a distant fantasy used to spark curiosity. Now that it’s a real possibility, I’m eager to feel the rush firsthand.
“What do you say? Can I restrain your hands while we play?” he asks, his voice low.
Walker tosses his hat to the side, and stands so he can take off his T-shirt, giving me an unobstructed view of his sculpted abs and the smattering of hair leading down to his V-line.
I lick my lips, shamelessly drinking in the sight of him. “Yes. I want that. Very much.”
He pulls his pants and boxers down, leaving him naked, his cock stiff and gleaming with pre-cum.
He kneels before me. “Hold out your hands.”
“Yes, sir,” I reply cheekily.
His response is a sharp exhale, his nostrils flaring.
“Do you like it when I call you that, sir?” I tease as I sit up and hold out my hands.
“Fuck. You know I do.” He loops the rope around my wrists three times before finishing with a knot, leaving just enough slack so it won’t dig into my skin. “How is that? Too tight?”
I shake my head. “No, it feels… good.”
There’s a thrill in being bound and in surrendering completely to Walker’s control.
His darkened gaze follows the trail of his finger along the coils, admiring his handiwork.
“Good. Now, I want you to lie down,” he orders.
He helps ease me onto my back on the blanket, gently guiding my arms above my head.
I watch as he retrieves the other length of rope, winding it around his hand with a few inches left loose before hovering over me.
I gasp as he grazes the frayed ends of the rope over my breast, each coarse fiber sending a shock wave through me.
He drags it across my skin until it reaches my nipple, teasing it back and forth with slow, tantalizing strokes.
My hands curl into balls, the tips of my nails digging into my palms.
Next, Walker brushes the rope across my other breast, letting the strands glide over the curve. His brow tightens in concentration as he guides it down past my navel.
“Spread your legs, and show me how wet you are, baby,” he croons.
They fall open of their own accord as he lowers himself, his hot breath whispering across my upper thigh as he trails the rope over my pussy and lightly across my slit.
My back arches, a whimper slipping free as electric sparks flare from the delicious caress along my core.
When he pulls the rope away, it glistens with my arousal.
“As much as I’d love to play with you for hours—until you’re writhing beneath me and begging—I have to taste you now,” he groans, tossing the rope aside.
His stubble rubs against me as he moves up my thigh, inch by torturous inch.
My legs quake with anticipation as he reaches my apex and inhales deeply.
He slowly licks along the seam of my pussy before plunging his tongue inside me.
I buck my hips, shamelessly grinding against his face as he eagerly explores, alternating between licking and sucking.
When he eases two thick fingers inside me, a shiver courses through my veins, and I gasp as heat ripples through me.
“Walker,” I rasp out. “I want to come while I’m riding you. Please.”
His gaze locks on mine, pinning me in place. “I don’t have a condom.”
“I’m on birth control, and I don’t want anything between us.”
He freezes. “Are you sure? I’ve been tested. I haven’t been with anyone in years, and I’ve always used a condom. But if you’re not ready for this, we can wait.”
I’m left speechless by his admission. He’s implied that he hasn’t been with other women in a while, but hearing it outright stirs something deep inside me.
The thought of being his first without protection, and of him wanting to share such an intimate moment with me as much as I want to share it with him, fills me with a quiet certainty that this is right.
I give him a warm smile. “I want this, Walker. I want to feel you inside me. All of you.”
“I want that too,” he murmurs.
What started as a temporary arrangement shifted along the way, leading us to cross a line, and what we share now goes far beyond him teaching me how to flirt, building confidence, or exploring intimacy. I want to show him just how much he means to me without any barriers between us.
Walker licks my pussy one last time before he pulls away, and I feel the absence of his touch like a brand.
I don’t have long to overthink it as we switch spots.
He lowers himself to the blanket, pulling me down to straddle him.
I loop my bound wrists over his head and rest my hands on his shoulders as I sink onto his cock, my pussy clenching around him.
Our mingled moans drift through the stillness around us.
Walker grips my hips as he guides me to rock against him in smooth, controlled movements.
“I’m your first and last, baby.”
“First and last,” I echo.
I sense that his declaration carries a deeper meaning, but I’m distracted as he shifts his hold to my ass, guiding me as I slide along his shaft. My back arches with every thrust, and I rake my nails over his heated skin as we push toward our shared climax.
“I’m so close, Walker.” I moan as small tremors wrack my body.
He reaches between us and circles his thumb over my clit—a move that leaves me gasping for air. My hips shift in time with his fingers, every motion edging me toward release.
“Come for me,” he commands.
As I clench around him, on the verge of letting go, he gently pinches my clit, sending me careening over the edge.
I toss my head back, pulsing around him as a broken cry escapes me.
And within seconds Walker reaches his peak, grunting as he comes inside me, the feel of us joined together with nothing separating us leaving me lightheaded.
In the moment, a single thought crosses my mind. What if Walker really could be my one and only?
I stir to the sound of buzzing, and nuzzle further into Walker’s chest, determined to ignore it. After our date at the lake, we came back to my place to feed the kittens and check on the other animals. Somehow, we ended tangled up in bed for round two, staying awake far too late.
Walker rubs my back, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Sweetheart, your phone is ringing. Want me to see who it is?”
I groan. “That’s alright. I’ll get it.”
My phone goes quiet for a beat before the buzzing starts up again. I squint at the clock—it’s 4:37 a.m. It’s most likely an animal rescue call or someone trying to reach me about Mama. My stomach drops when I see it’s Tess, and I steel myself for the worst before answering.
“Hi Tess, is everything okay?” I blurt, unable to hide my urgency.
She exhales shakily over the line. “Thank god I reached you. Your mom’s been admitted to the hospital, and I wanted you to hear it from me. The ambulance woke the whole neighborhood, so the news will spread fast, even at this hour.”
I bolt upright, tossing the comforter aside as I scramble out of bed. “Wait—Mama’s in the hospital? What happened? Is she okay?” I bite back my next string of questions, realizing I’m firing them off without giving Tess a chance to respond.
“She was congested yesterday and woke up around midnight short of breath and disoriented. The doctor thinks it’s pneumonia,” Tess explains, a muffled announcement crackling from an intercom in the background.
I frown, pulling a T-shirt and shorts from my dresser. “Pneumonia? Are you sure?”
“It’s not as common this time of year, but it can happen, and it’s especially serious for someone medically fragile, like your mom,” she replies.
“Does the doctor think she’ll be okay?” I choke out.
“They’re optimistic,” Tess assures me. “They’ll keep her in the hospital to treat her with antibiotics and monitor her oxygen levels. If all goes well, she should go home in a few days. For now, she’s in good hands—I promise.”
Tears well in my eyes as I step into my shorts, trying to steady my hands. “Where’s my dad?”
He should be in town, but with his demanding work schedule, he still has a nurse stay overnight to watch over Mama—just in case something goes wrong, as it did tonight.
“He’s with your mom. She dozed off shortly after the doctor left, and he didn’t want to leave her side, so he asked me to call you.”
The weight of guilt pins me in place, making it hard to breathe. I wasn’t there when Mama needed me, and it hurts in ways I can’t fully describe. Rationally, I know being there sooner wouldn’t have changed anything, but the helplessness still presses heavily on my chest.
I let out a sigh of relief. “Alright, I’m on my way.”
“See you soon, sweetie,” Tess says before hanging up.
I stand frozen, my phone and T-shirt still clutched in my hands. My mind races through the tasks ahead.
Just as the dread threatens to crush me, I glance up and see Walker striding toward me.
In an instant, he’s holding me close, murmuring words of comfort as I wrap my arms around his waist and bury my face in his chest, inhaling his familiar scent of leather and cedar.
He may not know the details, but he heard enough of my side of the conversation to figure out my mom is in the hospital.
It means everything that his first instinct was to comfort me when I needed him most.
He draws back, wiping a tear from my face. “Everything will be okay, sweetheart. I promise.” He releases the shirt still gripped in my hand and gently pulls it over my head, guiding my arms through.
As I stare into his earnest brown eyes, I’m struck with the realization that he’s become my safe haven—an anchor in a storm, the one I can cling to when my world is unraveling, trusting he’ll keep us both afloat until I’m able to stand on my own again.
“Let’s get you to the hospital so you can see your mom, okay?”
I nod. “Thank you, Walker.”
“Always,” he states.
There’s no question in my mind that he means it.