Chapter 53
I’m Yours - Jason Mraz
Wilder
The cabin was quiet except for the soft crackle of the fire and the faint hum of Christmas songs on the radio as the golden glow of the tree lights spilled across Tally’s bare shoulders.
She was stretched out in our bed, the quilt slipping low enough to tease me with the promise of everything I wanted.
Everything I needed. Everything I’d been thinking about since the second she’d padded to the kitchen this morning in nothing but my t-shirt, oversized and sexy as fuck, with a smile that knocked the air clean out of my lungs.
Now, with her in front of me, the t-shirt gone, I couldn’t seem to slow down. My hands roamed, greedy, desperate, mapping her curves like I was afraid someone might take the memory from me. The heat of her skin seeped into my palms, every inch of her soft and warm and mine.
“Merry Christmas, Brownie,” I murmured, my voice low, already ragged from wanting her.
She smiled up at me like she knew exactly what she was doing. Moss green eyes molten in the shifting light, lips parting in invitation, hair the color of fall leaves spread across the pillow like a halo.
The tree lights blinked, red, gold and green dancing over the swell of her perfect tits as I pulled the quilt lower.
My mouth found her neck, her collarbone, the rise and fall of her chest, worshipping her slow, deliberate kisses that made her sigh and twist beneath me.
My dick was throbbing so hard, I wanted to tear into her.
Her nails skimmed the back of my neck, sharp enough to pull a groan from deep in my chest. “You have no idea what you do to me,” I rasped against her skin.
“I’m not stopping until I’ve unwrapped every last part of you.
But I’m not going to rush it. I’m going to make you come slow, and then do it again, faster just to watch your face. ”
She laughed breathlessly, but the sound broke on a moan when my mouth closed over her nipple, sucking just enough to make her hips lift against me. I pressed her deeper into the mattress, letting her feel exactly how hard I was for her, how close to the edge she had me without even trying.
I slid my hand down between us, cupping her through the thin lace of her panties which were already damp from how badly she wanted me. My thumb circled slowly, teasing until she was gasping my name, rocking against my hand.
“Tell me,” I demanded, my voice low, rough. “Tell me you’re fucking mine.”
Twisting her hair around my hand, I pulled, exposing more of her neck to me. The long, slim column, smooth and soft. Kissable.
“I’m all yours,” she breathed, and that was all it took for me to hook my fingers in the lace, tear it aside, and press into her heat.
The fire popped behind us, the lights blinked, and I took my time, stroking her, kissing her, dragging out every gasp and shiver until she was trembling under me, her hands fisting the sheets.
When I finally pushed inside her, it was slow, deep, the kind of thrust that made us both stop and just breathe for a second.
Her eyes locked on mine, wide and wanting, and in that moment, with the snow outside, the warmth with Tally tight around me, I knew there wasn’t a single gift in the world that could touch this.
I stilled, buried deep inside her, my forehead pressed to hers, like I needed to make sure she felt exactly how much I wanted her. Not just the way my body did, but the way my chest ached for her.
Then I started to move.
Slow at first, deep enough to make her nails bite into my skin, my hands gripping her hips like I was anchoring her to me.
She was so damn warm, so tight, every shift pulling me in deeper, like she couldn’t get close enough.
I couldn’t either. Every sound she made was mine.
Every shiver. Every gasp when I rolled my hips and pumped my ass.
“Look at me,” I murmured, brushing her hair back so I could see every inch of her face. “You’re going to give me everything, Brownie, and I’m going to watch you do it.”
When her eyes met mine, the world narrowed to that connection, fierce, unshakeable. My pace picked up, our bodies finding the rhythm that felt like it had always existed, waiting for us to discover it.
I shifted my weight, slipping a hand between us, my thumb finding the small, swollen bud of nerves. The second I touched her there, she arched, her mouth parting on a sharp inhale and I was sure I could feel the pull of her heartbeat around me.
“That’s it Brownie. Take what you need from me.” My voice was rough, wrecked because I was already close, but I wanted her to fall first.
She clung to me, her thighs trembling, her breaths turning into broken little moans that only drove me harder. Her eyes sparkled right before they fluttered closed and she came apart under me. Her whole body tightened, pulsing around me, pulling me under with her.
I lost it. My hips snapped forward, chasing the heat, spilling into her with a groan that came from somewhere deep in my chest. I stayed pressed to her, my mouth at her ear, catching her soft, shaky breaths as she came back down.
Neither of us moved for a long moment, silent except for the popping of burning wood and the tinkling of bells on the low music. I kissed her, slow and lingering, then rested my forehead against hers.
“Merry Christmas, Brownie,” I whispered, my thumb brushing over her swollen bottom lip. “You’re the only gift I’ll ever need.”
Her answering smile was sleepy, satisfied and just a little too sexy. “Good, but you do know you can’t return me. Ever.”
“Would never want to. Not in a million fucking years.”
“Think we should get out of bed?” She asked, her gaze sweeping over my face, honesty and promise in the moss green windows to her soul. “We promised Bertie we’d be there for the present opening.”
I reached for my phone and glanced at it. “We have time. Besides, I need to give you your present and we need to do your physical therapy exercises.” I lifted the cover and looked down at my still semi-hard cock. “I mean a handy would cover that.”
Tally snorted a laugh. “You really missed my hand jobs when I had my plaster cast didn’t you?”
“Yeah because weirdly your left handed ones are incredible. The right hand ones are good, but the left hand ones…” I whistled and shook my head. “Something else.”
She laughed loudly, deep from her belly. “God you’re such a romantic.”
“I know, so how about we take a shower, and I show you how romantic I can be?”
With a finger to her lip, she pretended to think for a few seconds and then nodded. “I like that idea. Lead the way.”
Thirty minutes later, we were sitting on the rug in front of the log burner, one of my favorite places, dressed in matching Christmas sweaters, the epitome of cheesy lovebirds.
The smell of cinnamon and burning wood mixed with fresh coffee filled the cabin, the tree lights twinkled like stars and Brownie opposite me, hair down, looking beautiful made it the best place in the world.
Exchanging Christmas gifts before we went over to the main house was something that I wanted for the future.
Every damn year until I took my last breath.
Maybe surrounded by a bunch of kids one day, if we were lucky.
“I love it, Brownie.” I swallowed back the emotion as I looked down at her gift. “It’s…it’s incredible.” I held the first edition of Fantastic Mr. Fox in my hand like it was a precious jewel. “Where did you get it?”
Blushing, she looked up at me through her lashes. “I trawled the internet. I remember you telling me that your mom used to read it to you, but you lost her copy.”
I had a suspicion that was due to Dad when he cleared out Mom’s stuff. That didn’t matter, though, it was all about us now. Us and our future together. Which led me on to my gift for her.
I reached under the tree and pulled the long cylindrical gift out. Bertie had helped me wrap it, so it was covered in all manner of bows and curly tape shit that she magically created with a pair of plastic scissors.
“This is for you.” I suddenly felt nervous, hoping I hadn’t misjudged.
Eyes bright she took it from me and held it against her chest. “Babe, you didn’t have to get me a gift.”
I frowned. “Why wouldn’t I? You got me one.”
“I know but…” She shrugged.
“What?”
“Declan never once bought me a gift and yet we were married for one of my birthdays and a Christmas.”
The guy was all sorts of a prick but like my dad he was in the past.
“I won’t ever miss your birthday, Brownie. I promise to wake you on every one with an incredible orgasm from either my incredible dick or tongue. Now enough about him, open your gift.”
Excitedly she ripped the paper and looked down at the brown tube. “What is it?” She flipped the plastic lid on the end and peered inside. “It’s not a sex toy is it?”
“Come on, Brownie, as if you need a sex toy when you have my penis. Besides, I’d never trust Bertie to wrap something like that. She’d asked too many questions.”
Her laugh rang out, making my chest swell.
Raising an amused brow, she reached inside and pulled out the rolled up paper. Tapping my knee anxiously, I watched her slowly unfurl it and held my breath.
“What is it?” Inquisitive eyes looked up at me.
“Take a closer look.”
I shuffled back on my knees to give her space to lay it out, anxiously wiping my palms on my jeans.
“It’s a map of the ranch.” She looked up at me. “Isn’t it?”
“Look closer.”
Tally leaned in and peered at the map. “What’s that red outline?”
I took a deep breath. “That’s my piece of land on the ranch. Where I’m going to build my home.” I swallowed. “Our home.” When she looked confused I felt like I might puke. “If you want to, that is. I mean you don’t have to. I thought you could live there with me.”
She blinked slowly. “You want me to live with you?”
“Yeah, Brownie I really do. Not just that I—”
I didn’t have time to finish because Tally launched herself at me, throwing her arms around my neck and pushing my back to the floor. Kisses rained down on my face as she hugged me tight.
“You mean it?” she asked, chewing on her bottom lip. “You really want me to move in with you? Properly. Not just sleepovers here at the cabin?”
Wrapping my arms around her I looked her directly in the eye.
“Not just that. I want you to help me to design it, Brownie. Let’s build the house we both want for our forever home.
Somewhere we can have more Christmas’ like this, more lazy mornings in our bed, dinner in front of the TV, and,” I took her face in my hands, looking deep into her soul, “maybe one day bring our kids up there. We could grow some pansies in memory of your grandma next to Mom’s roses.
” I took her hand. “I want to wake up every morning for the rest of my life knowing you chose me,” I exhaled a shaky breath. “What do you say?”
“You remembered the pansies,” she said, her voice breaking.
“I remember every single thing about you, Brownie. Everything.” I took a steady breath. “So, is that a yes?”
Tears pricked her lashes as she nodded slowly. “It’s a yes,” she whispered. “I would love to. I love you so much.”
“Not as much as I love you, Brownie. Never as much as I love you.” I kissed her softly, relishing in her taste and grateful that I would have this for the rest of my life. “Just one thing,” I said after pulling away, “we have to have a wood burner, is that okay?”
“Because Gunner doesn’t like open fires?”
“No, gorgeous, because some of my favorite moments with you have been in front of this one.” My heart swelled as she dropped her forehead to my chest and breathed me in. “In fact, let’s take this one.”
“Mine, too,” she said, barely above a whisper. “But you know what my absolute favorite times are?”
“What are they, Brownie?”
“When we sit on the porch looking up at the sapphire ocean.”
Peace and tranquility swept over me. Happiness and bone deep, chest aching love.
“And we’ll do that in our home, Brownie.
We’ll think about this morning, our first Christmas together and remember every single detail.
The way early morning light blinked through the shutters, how the coffee tasted better because we shared it from the same mug and how our laughter filled our space.
We’ll sit on our porch and think about those moments that will build our forever, one ordinary miracle at a time. How does that sound?”
“Perfect. Absolutely perfect.” She paused then, a secretive smile tugging at her lips. “And Wilder… it gets even better. Rose confirmed that Songbird’s already pregnant. Obi did the business.”
I let out a low whistle, grinning so hard I thought my face might crack.
“Well, damn, that’s two of us magnificent studs on this ranch.
” Tally rolled her eyes earning her my best wink.
“That’s history right there. Brownie,” I said on a contented exhale.
“You and Gunner pulled it off. The program is already making magic and using Dreamy’s board money that we saved for you to buy into it was smart. It’s your program, your success, too.”
She ducked her head, blushing, but I tipped her chin back up. “No, don’t hide that. You should be proud. That foal is going to be a legend, and it’s all because of you.”
Her smile wobbled, tears glistening in her lashes.
I pressed a kiss to her lips, then her nose, then her forehead. “God, I love you. You gave me forever, you gave me home, and now you’ve given the ranch its future. And I swear, Brownie, I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you know just how incredible you are.”
She curled closer, her soft laugh breaking the emotion. “Swoony cowboy.”
“Only for you.” I winked, holding her tight. “Always for you.”
And it would be. Every moment with her would be a privilege. A life with my best friend, my lover, my future. And now the promise of new life to come, binding us to this land in ways bigger than we could have ever dreamed.
I used to think that love was something that happened to other people. Now I understood it wasn't a destination but a choice you made every morning when you woke up next to the person who matched your heart and soul. Love was about building something fragile and precious together.
And Tally Brown made it worth protecting. Always.