10. Bennett
BENNETT
T he high-altitude silence of the peak is gone, replaced by the soft, rhythmic sounds of a neighborhood waking up.
I stand in the middle of our new living room, the smell of fresh pine and lemon polish thick in the air.
The morning light streams through the large bay windows of our beautiful cottage in Hollow Peak, painting golden rectangles across the hardwood floors.
It’s move-in day. My land sold in under a week, which provided more than enough money to renovate and furnish the cottage Acacia purchased when making her plans to move here.
It was a little rough, which is why she was able to get it at such a low cost. But, with some hard work and help from people I hope to call my friends, we were able to revive the hardwood floor, replace the crumbling built-in shelves, upgrade the kitchen, and restore this little cottage to its former glory.
I look around at the stacks of boxes, mostly consisting of new things we purchased for our home.
Acacia didn’t have much, and I only packed up a few of my things from the mountain.
Most of my old life was better left in the shadows of the trees.
I only brought the essentials: my sketchbooks and a ferociously protective devotion to the woman currently humming a tune in the kitchen.
I catch my reflection in a hallway mirror and have to double-take. I don’t look like the ghost who was haunting that cabin a few weeks ago. My jaw is still set, and the scars are still there, but the hollow look in my eyes has been replaced by something heavy and solid. I have a purpose.
"This is it, little bird," I say, my deep voice vibrating through the small house. I set a heavy oak dresser down in the master bedroom with a thud that shakes the floorboards. I’m wearing a black henley that clings to my chest, the sleeves pushed up to reveal the muscled, scarred forearms that I know she likes to trace when the lights are low.
I walk back into the main space, stopping in the center of the room.
Now that we’ve finished all of our projects around the cottage, I must admit it’s a masterpiece of craftsmanship; stone fireplace, vaulted ceilings, and enough charm to make a man forget he ever wanted to be alone.
It’s perfect for now. It’s big enough for a couple starting their life.
But as I look at the layout, my tactical brain is already mapping out the future.
We’ll need to knock out this back wall eventually.
We’ll need a wing for the bedrooms, maybe a larger mudroom for all the boots and coats that come with a house full of children.
Acacia bumps her shoulder playfully against my arm, snapping me out of my internal construction project. "What are you thinking about with that goofy look on your face, big guy?"
I look down at her, and my heart does that strange, stuttering roll it only does for her. She’s wearing another one of my flannels, the sleeves rolled up, her hair tied back in a messy knot. She looks like she’s lived here forever.
"I'm not goofy," I grunt, though the smile tugging at my lips betrays me. I wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against my side. "I was just thinking about that back yard. It’s a good size, but we’re going to need more room."
"More room for what?" she asks, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "We haven't even unpacked the kitchen yet."
"For the dozen kids," I say matter-of-factly.
She freezes, her breath hitching. I turn her in my arms so she’s facing me, her small hands resting on my chest. I see her eyes start to shimmer with unshed tears, the beautiful emerald green color softening ever so slightly.
"A dozen?" she whispers, blinking up at me.
"Maybe more," I reply, my voice dropping into that low, possessive register. "I was standing here imagining this house filled with not just furniture and boxes, but love and light. I can practically hear the laughter echoing off these walls already. I want a house full of mini-Acacias running around, driving me gray. I want to build additions to this place until it’s as big as the mountain I left behind, just to hold all the love we’re going to create. "
A single tear escapes, trekking down her cheek. I catch it with the pad of my thumb, my rough skin a sharp contrast to her silkiness.
"I want all of that, too, Bennett," she breathes, her voice breaking. "I never thought... I never thought I’d find someone who wanted the too much version of my life."
"You aren't too much for me," I growl, leaning down until our foreheads touch. "You're the only thing that's ever been exactly enough."
I kiss her then, a slow, deep promise of a kiss that tastes like the future we’re about to build. It’s not just a gesture of affection, it’s a vow. I’ve spent my life guarding borders and surviving shadows, but here, in this sun-drenched cottage, I’m finally living.
The kiss deepens, turning from sweet to hungry in a heartbeat.
I groan, my hands sliding down to her hips, pulling her into the hard heat of my body.
The boxes can wait. The bakery plans can wait.
Right now, there is only the scent of her lavender skin and the desperate need to show her exactly how much I intend to worship her in our new home.
I lift her up, her legs instinctively hooking around my waist, and carry her toward the bedroom. I’m going to spend every day for the rest of my life making sure she knows she’s cherished.
"I'm never letting you go, little bird," I murmur against her neck as I press her into the clean sheets of our bed.
"Don't you dare," she whispers, pulling me down to her.
I don’t need a second invitation. I sink into the mattress, my weight shifting the bed as I loom over her, my hands framing her head.
The afternoon sun is still fighting its way through the curtains, but all I see is the fire in Acacia’s eyes.
She looks like a queen on a throne of fresh linens, and I’m the lucky beast invited into her bed.
I capture her lips with a hunger that’s been building since we stepped foot into this new house.
It’s a kiss that claims every inch of her, a silent declaration that this room, this bed, and this woman are mine.
Acacia whimpers into my mouth, her hands sliding up my chest to tangle in my hair, pulling me closer until there isn’t a breath of air between us.
I growl, the sound vibrating from my chest into hers, and slide my hands down her curves, mapping the body I intend to worship for the rest of my life.
“Bennett,” she gasps when I pull back to trail kisses down the column of her throat. “I want to feel you. All of you.”
I strip my shirt over my head and make quick work of the rest of my clothes, my gaze never leaving hers.
When I strip her out of that flannel, the sight of her bare skin against the white sheets nearly brings me to my knees.
She’s lush, soft, and perfect. I settle between her thighs, my rough, calloused hands contrasting with the smooth creaminess of her skin as I knead her hips.
I lean down, taking one pebbled nipple into my mouth and swirling my tongue around it until she’s arching off the bed, her breath coming in rugged, needy bursts.
“You’re so goddamn beautiful,” I murmur, my voice thick with a possessive heat.
I slide my hand down, my fingers finding her center, already soaked and pulsing for me.
She cries out my name, her hips bucking against my touch.
I circle her clit, watching her face go slack with pleasure, her pupils blown wide.
I want to memorize every twitch of her muscles, every hitch in her breath.
I want to be the reason she loses her mind.
I can’t wait a second longer. I line myself up, the head of my cock poised at her soaking entrance. Acacia’s eyes snap to mine, filled with a primal, desperate need. “Now, Bennett. Please.”
I drive home in one slow, agonizingly perfect thrust. Her walls clamp down on me, so tight and welcoming I have to squeeze my eyes shut to keep from coming instantly.
I stay still for a heartbeat, feeling this connection, this closeness as my forehead rests against hers.
“You feel like home, Acacia. My fucking home.”
I start to move, a steady, rhythmic pace that has us both gasping.
Every time I hit the end of her, she whimpers, her nails digging into my shoulders, marking me as hers.
I angle my hips, finding that spot that has her toes curling and her voice breaking.
I’m relentless, my movements growing more frantic as the pressure builds in my gut.
I want to sink so deep into her that she can’t tell where I end and she begins.
Acacia’s breathing hitches, her pussy pulsing around me as she reaches her peak. “Bennett, I’m… I’m going to…”
“Come for me, little bird. Let it all go.” I snap my hips, hammering into her as she detonates. Her scream is muffled by my mouth as I kiss her through her climax, swallowing her pleasure.
The feel of her walls convulsing around my dick is the final straw. I growl, my spine tingling, and empty myself deep inside her, rope after rope of my seed marking our new beginning. I collapse against her, our hearts racing in a synchronized, exhausted rhythm, safe and finally home.
My gorgeous girl must be thinking the same thing. She sighs in contentment as I roll over and take her with me, tucking her against my chest. Combing my fingers through her damp hair, I smile to myself at how different my life is now than it was a month ago.
“I love you,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “More than I knew I was capable of. Thank you for giving me your beautiful heart, pure soul, and your perfect body.”
“Bennett,” she whispers, tilting her head up to meet my gaze.
Green eyes capture mine, and I swear the sun itself is reflected in her eyes.
Acacia radiates light, life, and warmth.
“I love you so much. I can’t believe you’re the one thanking me .
I mean, you uprooted your whole life to make my dreams come true. You sacrificed your solitude and–”
“Hold on, there, little bird. None of this was a sacrifice. Your dreams are my dreams now. I did this for us, for our future. I had nothing to look forward to before you crashed into my mountain. Now, I live and breathe for you. I have purpose again.”
Acacia burrows her face into the side of my neck, and I hold her close, letting my truth wash over her. She relaxes into my embrace and kisses my cheek before settling in next to me.
The sun is starting to set, painting the sky in brilliant oranges, pinks, and reds. I know we’ll have to get up and get some food at some point, but right here, right now… everything is perfect.