23. Birdie
23
BIRDIE
"Nice to meet y'all. Can someone drop the twins back down the mountain? Thanks," Will rushes out as we drag each other out of the cabin and down the front steps.
Normally I'd have made more of an effort to say my goodbyes, but it's hard to focus on anything other than Will right now. The man just told me he loves me, of course all I want to do is get him alone. And judging by the grip he has on my hand, he wants the same thing.
As Will carefully takes us back down the mountain, I can't keep my hands to myself. Will's tight grip on the steering wheel shows he's struggling too.
"How long have you known," I ask, desperate to know.
"Knew you were different when I couldn't stop thinkin' and wantin' to spend time with you. Then I started readin' Gramps's journal. He wrote about what it was like when he met my grandmother, and how his body kept tellin' him that she was it for him. He'd never been that interested in girls, he was all about the ranch and workin' the land, you know."
"Where did they meet?"
He laughs, shooting me a glance that holds more heat and determination than I've ever seen before. "Would you believe it was at the gas station? She was new to town. She'd just moved with her parents and sisters. Her dad was the high school principal, and her mom was a nurse."
"Wally's gas station?"
"Yep."
"Wow," I breathe.
"Right?" he says. "Anyway, he asked her out the day they met, and she said no."
"Really? Damn."
"Don't worry, he kept askin' her every time they crossed paths. She was a senior and he'd already graduated, but she had an after-school job at the grocery store," he explains.
I'm already totally engrossed in this old love story. I turn to face him, loving the added benefit of having more space to reach over and rub my hand up and down his big denim-covered thigh.
He groans, his gaze dropping to where I'm touching him. "Keep that up and I'm likely to pull this truck over on the side of the road, honey."
"Oh." Not that I'm against that idea…
"Yeah. Unless you want that, please think about the very loose grip I've got on my restraint right now. I want to treat you right and do right by you, yeah?"
I nod, my body feeling like a livewire ready to short circuit.
"Anyway. Gramps wore her down by goin' straight to her Daddy and asking him if he could take his daughter out on a date. He told him all about himself and our family's history in the town, then promised to be a gentleman. What do you think happened?"
"Your great granddaddy said yes?"
Will laughs as he turns off the mountain road and toward the town. "Nope. He sent Gramps away and said to come back if he still wanted to date her in a month."
"He obviously did, right?"
This time he snorts. "Nope. He came back the very next day, and the one after that. After a week of daily visits, my grandmother's father gave in and the rest is history."
I sigh, loving how determined Ridley was. "He knew what he wanted and never gave up," I say, reaching for Will's hand and lacing our fingers together.
Brushing his lips against my knuckles, he smiles. "Made what I'm feelin' click into place."
"Will…"
"I want you, Birdie. This isn't just hormones or lust or anythin' else like that. It never has been, not with you. I truly believe that Gramps wanted us to come back to Timber Falls because he knew we'd find the love of our lives here and never want to leave."
My heart was hurrying along at a good pace before he said that but hearing him say that has me glad to see the B&B coming into view.
"And you think… that we–I mean–that I'm your One."
He pulls the truck into one of the guest parking spots outside and shuts off the engine, muttering a 'longest drive ever' under his breath. I barely have time to undo my seatbelt before he hooks a hand behind my neck and gently pulls me closer until our mouths are barely an inch away from each other.
"Don't have to think about it, honey. I know . You're it for me. Part of me knew there was somethin' about you the moment we met and you did that cute as hell trip over the sofa. When we were on the rooftop of the bar, that's when I knew you were goin' to change my life. Our first kiss…" He rests his forehead against mine, "that's when I knew that whatever else happened, whatever else life threw my way, I needed to be with you. So yeah, Birdie Walker. You're the love of my life, and I'm so ridiculously gone for you that I don't want to live in a world when I'm not."
"Is there more?" I rasp, my body heating up from the inside out, burning with need for the man next to me. "Because I love you too. Knew you were my soulmate–or that I was yours–in the Cozy Corner, and that has never changed. But, if you don't get me inside in the next few minutes, I won't be held responsible for my actions."
His fingers glide up into my hair and flex against my scalp, angling my head to the side before he dives in, kissing me like I'm the air he needs to breathe and the life force he needs to survive. How do I know all of this? Because I'm feeling the exact same way.
"Need you, Will," I rasp against his lips, sucking in a ragged breath. All I can think about is climbing him like a tree and never letting go.
He groans, kissing me hard and fast one more time. "Need you more, honey."
There's no more talking or kissing after that because we're scrambling out of the truck. Will barely has the wherewithal to remember to lock it as he grabs my hand and we rush to the B&B's front door.
Todd is at the front counter when we enter. He opens his to greet us but we must not be hiding our intentions very well.
"Hey there, good to see yo– Oh . Off you go, lovebirds," he says, his twinkly voice carrying through the small lobby as we run up the stairs toward our room.
The minute we're shut behind the door to our room, we shuck off our coats and kick off our boots. I've barely finished when Will pulls me into his arms, wrapping one around my back while the other hand cradles my jaw. Then his mouth is on mine and all I can do is hold on as he devours me.
Not stopping, we keep kissing as he carefully walks me back toward the bed. Burying his face in my neck, my hands roam all over his back and arms, touching him everywhere I can, craving the connection and wanting more… wanting it all.
Dragging his lips down to the v of my shirt has me coming out of my skin. I run my hands up to his shoulders, holding him in place as I step back. Needing a moment to breathe but also move this thing along, I'm aching for him now. I need to feel him skin to skin, and that requires us to stop kissing for a minute.
He straightens, confusion filling his features. "We're wearin' far too many clothes," I say, moving my hands to his shirt, my fingers shaking as I make quick work of the buttons, pulling it off his shoulders and letting it fall to the ground.
His long-sleeved undershirt follows it, but before I can move to the belt of his jeans, Will spins me around so my back is to his front. Then he slowly, teasingly proceeds to pay me the same attention. But for every button he releases, he places open-mouthed kisses on the back of my neck, my shoulder, and that little sensitive spot behind my ear.
By the time he's stripped me down to just my white lace bra and jeans, I'm burning up and it has nothing to do with the heating and everything to do with Will Cooper.
"More," I whisper and it's as if that one word is all he needs to let go.
Faster than I thought possible, I'm devoid of my jeans and socks and he's down to nothing but his tight black boxer briefs. Then I'm slowly being lowered onto the bed and he's covering my body with his.
The feel of his chest against me has mine arching up for more contact as we grab for one another, our lips crashing together in a new dance full of tasting and exploration.
I hook my legs around the back of his thighs, locking us together. Bracing an arm on the mattress, he watches his palm slide down my chest and between my breasts. Wanting nothing between us, I reach behind me, quickly releasing my bra and tearing it off before throwing it onto the floor.
Even then, it's still not enough. I don't think it ever could be. I still need more.
"You'll get it, honey. Damn, you're so gorgeous like this. Beautiful inside and out," he says, gazing down at me with hungry, hooded eyes.
"Please, Will. I need–" I beg.
"OK, Birdie. I've got you, yeah?" I nod, raking my teeth against his bottom lip and earning a growl for my troubles.
Sliding down my body, he hooks his thumbs into the waistband of my underwear, pulling them down my legs until they slip free. Moving to his knees, his gaze eats me up, leaving a fire in its wake that I know only he can satisfy.
Surging over me, he presses me into the mattress, kissing me with renewed vigor. It's so all-consuming that all I can do is hold on and enjoy the ride, meeting his tongue stroke for stroke, panting into his mouth as I take and relishing the love he's showing me, giving me. Waiting for the moment when he'll make me completely and undeniably his.
"Can't wait," he says, snaking a hand between us and running his fingers between my legs. "I love you so much. Never felt like this. Never will. Only you," he says between kisses, his voice thick with lust and desire that matches my own.
I push my head back into the pillow, my body bowing up off the bed as he strokes me, taking me higher and higher, my release barreling down on me like a freight train I have no hope of stopping. "Please, Will. I need you."
"Take care of you first, honey. Always goin' to take care of you," he says, adding his thumb to the mix and circling, caressing, catapulting me right to the edge. The moment he groans into my mouth, my vision goes white and I cry out as wave after wave of pleasure rolls through me.
"So beautiful." Kiss. "So sexy." Kiss. "So mine," he says, touching his lips to my nose, cheeks, jaw, and down my neck as he slots his hips between mine, running a hand down my calf and moving it up to hook behind his back.
It's then I hold my breath, watching as he frames my head with his forearms on the mattress, his gaze roaming my face. I feel him position himself where we both want him to be, and with our eyes locked and my hand pressing over his racing heart, Will Cooper slides inside.
The moment we connect, the moment he gives himself to me and I give myself to him, I know without a shadow of a doubt that this is our future.
And oh what a future it's going to be. I'll make certain of it.
We're cuddled under the covers, both of us holding the other, our heads on our pillows facing one another as we both come down from our mind-blowing–in my case, multiple –highs.
"There's somethin' else I should probably confess," he says, trailing the tip of his finger around the edge of my hairline. He sounds a little wary, and that alone has my curiosity piqued.
"Hmm?"
'I might have gone ahead and read all of Aster's books."
I gasp and straight away Will mistakes my surprise for anger. He quickly props himself up on an elbow, looking down at me with guilt-filled eyes.
"I didn't mean to do it. I swear, honey. It's just that after finishin' Gramps's journal, I needed to know more, and that's when I had the idea to see if there truly was a link between the Cooper bloodline and the Mountain's Call. And what better way to do it than through Aster's stories."
"OK…"
Then I couldn't stop readin'. I felt guilty the whole time I was doin' it."
I stare at him, wondering what on earth I've done right in my life for the universe to bring me the most perfect man I've ever met. He's apologizing for cheating on our buddy reading. Who does that?
He couldn't stop reading my favorite books of all time so he could find out if I was destined to be his. The books I've already read multiple times…
"Will, I–"
"I know. It's bad. I hope you won't hold it against me for too long. But I needed to know that I wasn't goin' crazy and gettin' my hopes up that you were made for me. Which, I know, doesn't make it right, but I had to know. Then I went online and got lost in all the Aster fan forums for all her books and next thing–"
"Wait," I say, pressing a finger against his lips, my eyes bugging out at what I'm hearing even though his rambling is adorable. I wonder if he thinks the same thing when I get on a roll too. "You went onto the Aster fan forums? And survived ?"
His body jerks, cocking his head as if to check he heard me right. He nods, kissing my finger while doing it and making my lips twitch.
"They weren't that bad?" he explains while I move my hands back to his chest. "They talk about everythin' on there. Characters, fan fiction, who's goin' to be next. Even who should hear the Call and side characters she should write about, you name it. There are even character profiles written out for the animals in her books."
He snorts. "Like that crazy duck, dog, goat, and pig at Bull Mountain? Yeah, they're a hoot."
"You didn't meet said animals when you stayed there?" I ask, getting a shake of his head.
"There's actually a sociopathic duck?"
That gets me giggling. "Yep, and he's turned into the ringleader of a gang of animals at Bull. You should ask Wy about it."
"Definitely goin' to the next time I see him, that's for sure," he chuckles, making my smile widen as a comfortable, settled silence falls between us.
"Can I ask you somethin'?" I say, leaning over so that I'm half lying on him, his body becoming my heat pack.
His warm sated eyes roam my face. "Anythin', honey. Hope you know that."
I nod. "OK. You said you've read Ridley's journal, Aster's books, and all of the fan forums about her books and the prophesy?"
"Yep."
"Have you ever wondered why this time has been different to any of the Calls before?"
His brows bunch. "What do you mean?"
"Traditionally, the Coopers are already living on or near the mountain where the spirit lives. They're already protecting and working the land. That's when the spirit calls soulmates to them ."
His eyes widen a little before I see a lightbulb click in his gaze. "This time, it was me coming to you. To your town."
I run my fingers back and forth through the soft brown hair covering his chest. "Yeah. But you were comin' back to your land, your spiritual home. It's the only thing that gave me pause about the Call. I wanted to make sure I wasn't just hopin' I was your soulmate."
Will's thumb rubs circles over the skin of my back, setting alight all of my nerve endings. "The only thing we couldn't figure out was why Gramps wanted all of us to come back to the ranch, and why we all had to stay here for two years. I know now, it's because of the Call. He wanted us to fall in love and never leave."
"I wonder if he could sense you were all strugglin' in one way or another, and this was his way of looking out of you after he had passed. He knew that if you came back to your family land, then whatever happened, he'd know you'd all be OK."
"Well, huh," he says, his lips tipping up on the side. "Why didn't I just talk all of this out with you in the first place? We could've saved so much time." He grabs hold of me and moves me up and over his body until I'm laid out flat on top of him, both of us still gloriously naked. "Could've been doin' this for weeks now."
I roll my eyes half-heartedly. "Days at best, but I like your positive thinkin'."
Tangling his fingers in my hair, he pulls my mouth down for another slow, languid, no-less-mind-blowing kiss before releasing me again.
"So, what happens when we go back home?" he asks.
My nose scrunches up and I angle my head to the side. "What do you mean?
"This–us–it's different now. It feels certain , you know? I love you. I'm in love with you. I want to build a future in Timber Falls, on my ranch, and I want you to be part of that. I want you to feel as home as I do."
The happy sigh that escapes me would normally embarrass me, but not anymore. Not with Will.
Now I'm letting my 'in love' flag fly. I want everyone to know that I'm so deliriously in love with him that they'll all be jealous of my euphoria. They'll want to be me and be sick of seeing my goody smile around town. And you know why? Because Will Cooper loves me.
"Honey?" he asks and I realize I've been thinking all of that in my head silently.
"You called it home."
He frowns. "Yeah, honey. That's because it is."
"So you feel it, that it's home now?"
"With you? Absolutely."
I blush, shaking my head despite all of the things those words make me feel. "No, city boy. I meant with the mountain. You feel connected to it. Like it's part of you?"
His eyes soften. "I felt that the minute I stepped foot on the ranch the first time I came back. Felt it even more when I moved here and knew I was staying for a good long while. Knew the land was a part of me when I fell head over heart in love with my soulmate. Ain't no way I could leave town and go back to the city after that ." He studies me for a moment before wrapping both arms around me and pulling me in tight against him.
"You hintin' at somethin', honey?"
"Just glad you're stayin'," I say, my voice shaking with happiness as I fight back tears.
"There's no chance I'm ever leavin' you. Not the town, not the mountain, and never ever you. Need me to prove it?" he says, his voice dropping to that deep rough rasp that turns me on more than anything else.
Arching a single brow, issuing a silent challenge, never once looking away as I brush my lips against his and hold them there.
Then there's no need for talking because Will proceeds to prove a lot of things, and he makes sure to do it thoroughly .