Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
memphis
The stage is set, my nerves itching under my skin as I prepare to lay myself bare to the woman who already holds my heart in her hand without even realizing it.
Her arms are wrapped around me, her chest against my back, and I wonder if her hand can feel the ragged heartbeat pounding in my chest. The whir of the motor makes it impossible to talk, but maybe that’s a good thing. It gives me time to get my mind and words in order.
The brisk evening air rushes against our cheeks as the ATV speeds over the rough land to a spot the guys helped me set up earlier. While this might be my time with her, they’re my pack. They’re just as invested in what we’re trying to build together as I am.
As we near the creek that runs through the back portion of our property, the red truck and twinkle lights come into view.
Her hand tightens in the front of my shirt, and her head peeks around my arm.
It seemed like the perfect idea as we were preparing everything, but now I’m second guessing each decision and wondering if I made a huge mistake.
Is an ATV ride to get to your picnic dinner date a lame thing to do for a first date?
I’m spiraling but can’t seem to stop myself.
For all my reputation as a ladies man, I have zero experience with doing this kind of thing when it actually counts.
I’ve taken women to restaurants, concerts, bowling, and even line dancing at the best country bar in the city.
But each of those dates just blurs together in my mind.
Tonight, with the only woman who has ever truly mattered, I’m starting to wonder if this was too simple, too basic, and if I didn’t mess this whole thing up.
Rolling up next to the truck, I turn the key and everything falls silent. Without the wind to hinder it, the thickened spice of her scent hits me like a freight train. I’m not well-versed enough to know what that change means, so my nerves ratchet up another notch.
The little I know about her has come from the few stealth observations I’ve been able to sneak without crossing that line into full-on creeper territory, and Ridge.
But I’m dying to learn about every single tiny facet of what makes this woman so fucking incredible, and I want it to come straight from her lips so I can share in her secrets and see the world through her beautiful eyes, flaws and all.
This is my chance, and I plan to take full advantage of it.
Effortlessly, she throws her leg over the seat and steps onto the ground, pulling her hair out of the bun she’d secured it in before we left.
Black hair tumbles down her back, and she shakes her head a little to shift the strands from her face.
Unable to help myself, I move closer and brush the stray strands away from her eyes with both hands.
My fingers linger along her jaw, our eyes locked on each other as the creek bubbles in the background.
She grips my wrists, smiling. “Memphis, what’s all this?”
“This is small in comparison to what you deserve.”
Her brow furrows, that smile from moments ago dimming. “It isn’t the size or the cost or even the value. It’s the intention behind it. This means so much more to me because it comes from this big heart of yours.”
I’m not sure what it is about her, but I can’t control myself when she says things like that. My lips dip to hers, kissing her softly because it’s too soon for all of the words that want to spill out. Forcing myself to pull back, my hand tangles with hers.
“C’mon. You haven’t even seen the whole set-up yet.”
Tugging her toward the bed of the truck, I watch her face, wanting to see her reaction. She looks up, her eyes going wide while her hand flies up to her heart. “Holy shit, Memphis.”
There’s a thin mattress squeezed into the bottom, covered with a sheet and piled high with half a dozen cream and brown blankets.
Pillows line the back and sides, creating a cozy little space where we can stare up at the stars.
On a small table next to the truck, a wooden tray sits, topped with a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a huge bouquet of red roses.
“What do you think?”
“It’s…” She bites her bottom lip, and I see her swallow. “It’s honestly perfect. No one’s ever done something like this for me before.”
“Good, because I want to experience a lot of these firsts together.” Gripping her hips, I lift her up so she’s sitting on the edge of the tailgate. “You wait here while I grab the food out of the truck and get the fire started. Then we can eat. You’ve had a long day, and I promised you dinner.”
While I make quick work of the fire, her legs slowly swing through the air as she stares up at the sky.
It’s hard to keep my eyes off her. Like this—open and relaxed—she’s even more beautiful.
It seems like it wasn’t that long ago that the angry woman with the scowl etched on her face arrived back in Darling with a chip on her shoulder and a wicked tongue that would lash out at even the most innocent of transgressions.
She drew me in then, but I was never able to get close enough without getting burned.
It wasn’t until Jules settled down and Shay met her friends and their packs from the Valley that things started to shift.
She was still the hardass who took no shit, but she seemed less guarded—the hardened shield she so effortlessly wielded appearing less often.
The transformation has been subtle, but it’s there if you’re paying close enough attention.
And Lord knows when it comes to Shay Bennett, I can’t help but note every little nuance.
“You seem awfully lost in thought over there, lover boy.”
I snort. “So, I’ve finally earned one of your infamous nicknames?”
“You have, but don’t change the subject.”
Clearing my throat, I consider how I want to word this. I’m crouched in front of the growing fire, and I rest my forearms against my legs as I stare into the flames. I’m not a man who’s afraid of much, but this woman brings out insecurities I didn’t even know I had.
“Have you ever had a dream for your future that is so vivid and clear it sticks with you for years? Time goes by, and while small details might change, for the most part, that original vision never falters. It seems so far-fetched that it could never actually come true, but you cling to it anyway because it sort of fuels you to keep going?”
When I’m finally brave enough to lift my eyes in her direction, her entire body has gone still.
There’s a haunted look that flits across her face before she locks her mask back into place.
“I’ve never let myself dream. I always fought to stay rooted in the present so thoughts of the future didn’t seem so… hopeless and terrifying.”
Standing, I walk back over to her, my hands gripping her knees to part her legs so I can step between them. Even with her on the tailgate, she has to tilt her head back to meet my eyes. She’s so damn tiny. Her hands grip my hips while mine cup her jaw.
“Six years ago, this dream sparked to life in my heart, but I never thought, for even a second, it could ever be real.” Her soft gasp ricochets through my chest as she finally starts to realize what I’m admitting to, and my pulse pounds out a rapid rhythm that has me feeling like I might fucking faint.
My voice drops, barely above a whisper when I say, “And now you’re here with me, and maybe I’m still wondering if this is actually happening, or if I’ll wake up tomorrow and it will all still be a dream. ”
One second, she’s staring up at me with glossy eyes, and the next, her hand is snaking behind my neck and dragging my mouth down to hers in a kiss so hot I swear we’ll go up in flames.
With her tongue battling mine, both hands drop to grip the hem of my long-sleeve shirt.
She tugs it up as far as she can reach, and I eagerly take over.
It’s over my head and off my arms in a blink and gets tossed to the side.
My fingers reach for the buttons on her flannel, fumbling with the little fuckers until she bats my hands away, swiftly undoes them all, and pushes it off.
Then she reaches for my belt buckle because basic motor function is apparently beyond me thanks to the rush of blood from my head to my dick.
While she’s getting us undressed, I kiss along her jaw and down her throat, flicking my tongue against her pulse point.
She whimpers, tilting her head back and subconsciously offering her throat as goosebumps break out along her skin.
Somehow, she’s managed to push my jeans as far down as she can reach from her position, and when she shifts to handle her own, I quickly pull off my boots and socks. When I look back up, she’s already kicking her pants off.
“You’re not wearing any underwear.” My voice is full of gravel and grit, lust choking me.
“Nope.”
“Fuck.”
Stepping back between her legs, my palms grip her ass and tug her forward until the heat of her core surrounds the hard length of my dick. She’s wet, her perfume eclipsing all other smells until she’s seeping into every pore and crevice.
“I need you, Alpha,” she murmurs, reaching behind her to unclip her bra.
It slides down her arms and is tossed over the side of the truck, but I don’t see where it lands because I’m staring at her pretty tits with their pebbled pink nipples.
“Tell me what you want, darlin’.”
Her hand grips my dick, giving it a slow stroke.
“I want this.” Stroke. “Inside me.” Stroke. “Now.”
When her grip tightens and she tugs me forward by my dick like it’s a leash, I comply with a groan. She swipes the thick head through the insane amount of wetness between her lower lips, and my chest rumbles with something between a purr and a growl.
Lifting one leg, she guides my dick into the tight sheath of her pussy, and when the tip is nestled in her opening, we both look down at the spot where I’m stretching her open.