Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Wilder
“Close your eyes,” I tell Delilah once we park next to a tree.
“Is that really necessary?” she asks, unbuckling her belt.
“Yes.” I hop out of my truck and round the front before opening her door. “It’s a surprise.”
She exhales with a grin on her beautiful face and finally obeys. “It better be good.”
I chuckle, then reach in and pick her up.
“Wilder!” She quickly wraps her arms around my neck, tightly holding on to me. “What’re you doin’?
“I didn’t get to carry you over the threshold after we got hitched, so I’m doin’ it here,” I respond, walking toward the deck of the cabin we’ll be staying at for the next few nights.
She bellows out a laugh, burying her head in my neck. Her warm breath against my skin has me anxious to get us inside and strip her naked.
Ever since she officially moved in with me two days ago, we’ve shared my bed and fooled around some, but we both agreed to wait until we could be alone—without our siblings in the room beneath us—to go further.
But this honeymoon is so much more than that. It’s about connection and spending quality time together without interruptions of work or other people. I’m taking the full opportunity of these next twenty-five days to prove to her how much we belong together.
“I think you’ve gone crazy,” she says, giggling.
“Only for you, wifey.”
She snorts. “I’m convinced the only reason you took us to that chapel is so you could call me that.”
“And I’m convinced the only reason you brought that lingerie set to Vegas was to seduce me.”
“Actually, that was Mattie’s doing. However…puttin’ it on underneath my dress was definitely mine to tempt you.”
I break into a smile at her confession, reaching around to the doorknob and opening the door.
Stepping inside, I look around and beam at how great it looks. Warren undersold how nice the remodel turned out.
“Okay, settin’ you down and then you can look.”
Once I get her safely on her feet, I brush her long, blond hair off to one shoulder and whisper in her ear, “Open your eyes.”
“Oh my gosh!” She steps forward and spins around, taking it all in. “This is gorgeous.”
“Isn’t it?” I grin, then move to the kitchen counter where a large basket is waiting. “I think this is for us.”
“From who?” She opens the card and reads it. “Congrats to the newlyweds! Hope you enjoy your stay at the Willow Branch Mountain Ranch and Resort. Please let us know if you need anything else. From…” She looks over at me before continuing, “Who’re the Langstons?”
“Aunt Lindsey is my dad’s sister and my mom’s best friend. She married Grady Langston and they have five kids.”
“Did you grow up with your cousins?” she asks, digging through the basket of goodies.
“Warren is the same age as Landen. They’re close. Growing up, we’d visit every summer and go zip-linin’, hikin’, and cliff divin’. We always had a blast.”
“Oh, wow, that sounds fun.” She pulls out a few items. “Face and eye masks! We’re totally doin’ these.” Then she opens a jar of foaming milk bath. “Ooh, this smells good.”
She holds it under my nose, and I inhale the lavender scent.
“My cousin Posey makes the goat soap here,” I explain. “Check the label.”
She flips it over and reads it. “Langston Soapworks. How cool. There’s a couple books in here, too.”
Holding up paperbacks, she scans the back. “Warren’s wife, Maisie, is a literary agent. She usually includes books of her authors in the welcome baskets.”
“Do I get to meet these cousins of yours?” she asks, setting them down and reaching for the bottle of champagne sitting in an ice bucket.
“Probably. They all live on the property and have various jobs on the ranch and resort. I’m sure we’ll run into a couple of ’em.”
“Well…what do ya wanna do first?”
I take her hand and pull her to my chest so I can press my lips to hers. “Let’s take a tour and then I’ll bring in our bags.”
We walk through the living room, the bedrooms, and the massive bathroom. There’s a deep soaking tub in front of a large scenic window next. You can see the trees and mountains in the distance as the sun starts to set.
“Sorry, but I’m spendin’ our honeymoon in here.” Delilah steps inside the tub and slides down with the cutest grin on her face, then rests her arms on top as she leans back. “Mm…yeah, this’ll do just fine.”
“Looks big enough for two.”
“Let’s try it out. Bring the bubbly.”
Smirking, I hold out my hand to help her out. “Champagne and a bubble bath. Who’re you turnin’ me into?”
“The man you were always meant to be.” She wraps her arms around me and tilts her head up so I can press my mouth to hers. “And I get to put that sheet mask on your face.”
I bark out a laugh, shaking my head. “We’ll see.”
After unpacking our bags, we raid the cupboards and check out what they stocked in the kitchen, which I know had to be Bellamy’s doing.
She helps with guest services, but since she’s the youngest, she gets stuck running all the errands and shopping.
She’s a few years younger than Noah and has a twin brother named Bodie, who mostly works at the ranch and takes care of the horses.
“Do you want me to make the steaks before or after the bath?” I ask, digging around for a pan. I’m not much of a cook, but I can fry some meat.
“After. I don’t wanna be stuffed and naked,” she says, sitting at the table and flipping through one of the books.
“Oh, you’re gonna be stuffed and naked all right…”
She smacks a palm to her forehead. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”
“Sure did.” I walk over and pull her up. “Let’s go.”
She grabs a few items from the basket and then follows me to the bathroom.
While the hot water runs, I grab the bath items she picked and place them around the tub, then strip down. Delilah does the same and waits for me to get in first.
“Don’t look at my stretch marks.” She tries to hide her stomach, but I reach up and pull her arms down.
“I’ve seen all of you,” I remind her. “And I love ’em.”
She rolls her eyes, situating herself between my legs. “No one loves stretch marks on love handles.”
“I disagree. Why else would they call ’em love handles?” I tease, wrapping my hands around her stomach and pulling her closer.
“A man probably named ’em,” she deadpans.
I chuckle against her neck as I bury my face between her head and shoulder, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo.
She reaches for the milk bath and lathers it between her hands before covering her arms with it. When I take some, I rub it between my palms and then massage it over her breasts. I play with her nipples, softly brushing my lips underneath her ear.
I’ve never taken a bath with a woman before because of how intimate and sensual it is, so I’m glad I waited to experience this with her.
“Mm…” She hums, her head tilting to the side and giving me more access to her neck. “You keep doin’ that, I’m gonna fall asleep.”
“We can’t have that…” I lower a hand down her body until I’m between her thighs. Sliding my fingers between her slit, I stop when I find her clit and rub slowly.
She gasps when the sensation builds and arches her back. “That feels so good.”
“It’s gonna feel even better when I’m inside you,” I murmur in her ear, then glide two fingers between her folds until they’re deep in her.
Her head falls back on my shoulder as her hands clamp around my thighs, squeezing hard.
“Please tell me you remembered condoms this time.”
Chuckling, I nod. “Yes, but I did a rapid STI test two days ago and they emailed me the results this mornin’. In case you didn’t wanna use one, I’m clear.”
“You don’t need me to take one?”
I add a third finger before impaling her again, enjoying how much she’s moaning and squirming against me.
“I’m almost certain you haven’t had sex longer than me, so I trust you used protection too.”
“Always, but that’s a low blow.”
Snickering, I capture her earlobe between my teeth. “It wasn’t meant to be. But I know you well enough to know you haven’t hooked up with a guy in a few years.”
“How do you know that? I could’ve on the weekends I wasn’t babysittin’ your drunk ass.”
“Hmm…well—” I contemplate how much to admit but then remember she’s my wife now, and I need to be honest with her, even if it pisses her off. “I might’ve been the reason guys didn’t ask you out.”
“W-what’d you mean?” Her tone drops, but she stills, panting between her words.
“I…might’ve made it known around that you were off-limits and if I saw anyone checkin’ you out, I’d give ’em my if you think about touchin’ her, I’ll kill you look. The locals knew, which is why I wasn’t prepared for Jonah—the townie newbie—to come stumblin’ through to grab your attention.”
“Wait, back up—” She turns her face and meets my eyes. “You cockblocked me? For how long?”
Pinching my lips together, I act innocent with a small shrug. “I plead the fifth.”
“Wilder Hollis!” She jerks her elbow back into my gut, causing me to let out a sharp oof.
“Okay, fine. After Barry Johnston kept flirtin’ with you and you agreed to go on a date with him, I went to his job and told him to cancel it or I’d let his boss know he was sendin’ dick pics to his wife.”
“Oh my God!” Her jaw drops in horror. “Why?”
“Because he’s a tool bag and you deserved better. But I knew you wouldn’t listen to me. We were only casual friends back then, so I had to go about it in other ways.”
“You’re insane, you know that?”
“Only when it comes to you.” I wink.
She rolls her eyes, situating herself against my body again. “So how did everyone else know not to ask me out?”
“Word travels quickly, especially when I’d go to some of the rodeos you’d be at and make it known there, too.”
“You’re absolutely diabolical.”
“I warned ya that I was crazy about you.”
“More like a stalker.”
I shift my attention to her clit. “Nothin’ wrong with protectin’ what I knew would be mine one day. I couldn’t risk you findin’ some moron who’d trick you into lovin’ his bland ass.”
She sucks in her lower lip. “You coulda told me you wanted me instead?”