CHAPTER 38
Cal
I’m watching yet another sunrise with Victoria in my arms.
It’s not from a Penthouse soaking tub overlooking the San Francisco Bay.
This time, it’s from the overstuffed lounger on my back deck with a view of the rugged face of Mt.
Grant. Instead of being up to our chins in warm water, we’re snuggled inside a vintage Pendleton blanket.
And Ripley and Sarah Connor are curled up on their outside dog beds, snoring.
But some things are the same.
She still feels perfect in my arms. My body is once again humming with the mellow satisfaction of another long, adventurous night in bed. I bury my nose in her hair and inhale that familiar scent of citrus and flowers.
We don’t say much at first. We just appreciate the signs that the ranch is coming to life for another day.
We hear the kingfishers, quails, and cicadas.
A large red-tailed hawk catches a thermal and rides it over the barn, corrals, and outdoor rings.
A hummingbird buzzes along the deck railing, then inches closer. I feel Victoria tense in my embrace.
“It’s harmless,” I whisper, not moving a muscle.
“I know,” she whispers back. “I just don’t want to scare it.”
The bird seems curious about us and comes even closer.
Its head is a startling shade of purple.
The feathers on its body are neon green, blue, and orange.
Its wings are a blur as it hovers like that for a few seconds, then edges even closer, nearly buzzing Victoria’s hair.
It must be the bright color or the floral smell, both things hummingbirds are attracted to.
Same here, little friend.
It buzzes away, zooming past the poplars and over the roof.
“Wow,” Victoria says. “She was beautiful. So delicate.”
“Did you know that in many cultures, hummingbirds are symbols of joy, beauty, and lightness of being?”
Her back relaxes against my chest. “I’ve heard that. But you forgot love. It’s a symbol of that, too.”
I chuckle. I hadn’t forgotten—I’d just made a point of not including that part of the hummingbird lore. And here we are, anyway.
The word hangs in the air around us.
“Has that ever happened to you, Cal? Have you ever been in love?”
“I think I came close once. Maybe with more time I would’ve gotten there.”
“What happened?”
“The SEALs happened, Victoria.” I’m usually not much of a talker when it comes to this subject, so it’s a surprise that I’m so quick to answer her. “It’s damn near impossible to be in a relationship with someone when you’re active duty. It puts a lot of stress on the other party.”
“I can imagine. So how did you know you weren’t in love?”
It’s an interesting question, and one I’m not sure I’ve ever asked myself. “It was either her or the mission, and I chose the mission. That was my first clue.”
“Ah. What’s your mission these days?”
I tighten my arms around her, smiling into her hair. “You’re looking at it, babe. This place. These people. Our history. Our future. That’s my mission. It will always be my mission.”
She pushes up on my thighs and spins around to face me.
The blanket slips from her shoulders and I forget to breathe.
Her skin is pale and fine, fragile looking in the morning light.
Her lips are curled in a half-smile and her eyelids are heavy.
A thick fall of auburn hair brushes against her face and covers the top of a creamy white breast.
She’s the most splendid creature I’ve ever seen. The most perfect thing I’ve ever known. And though it’s only been a week or so since she showed up in Sweetbriar, it feels like she’s always been here. Like she belongs here.
With me.
I reach for the blanket. “I don’t want you to get cold—”
She cups the side of my face in a soft and warm palm, then caresses my unshaven jawline. It’s such a tender touch, and her smile is so gentle, that I have to be careful what I say.
I don’t want to blurt out something I can’t take back. And I’m this close. So I ask, “How about you, Victoria? Have you ever been in love?”
She tips her head. The silky auburn strands slide across her shoulder to her toned upper arm. She gives a little shrug. “Sure. At least once every six months.”
I try to hide the confusion on my face but fail miserably. She laughs.
“Ah, but see, my point is I thought it was love. Every damn time. And it broke my heart when I realized it wasn’t.”
I nod, understanding. “And? What made you realize it wasn’t love?”
She brushes her fingertips down the bridge of my nose and then across my bottom lip. She leans in, her hair falling like a curtain around us. The kiss she lays on me is tender. Her mouth is warm on mine, moving gently, slowly, like I’m something to be treasured.
I’m a grown-ass man, and it’s dawning on me that I’ve never, ever, been gifted a kiss as sweet and honest as this one.
I think she’s answering my question, just not with words. I think she’s telling me that what’s going on with us is different for her too, and the idea of that makes me stupidly happy.
Or maybe just stupid.
I saw no red flags in Evander’s preliminary report on Victoria. Everything she’s told me about her world is true. But this isn’t just someone I want to go into business with. This is a woman I’m falling in love with. A woman I imagine sharing life with.
How can I be sure that all is exactly as it seems? That I can trust her completely?
Victoria slides both palms down my chest and takes her lips from mine. She gazes at me. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was suddenly shy.
“Can I have more of you, Cal?”
Ah, fuck.
All I can do is swallow hard and nod. She climbs up on me, straddling my outstretched legs and sliding her hands into my hair. I’m already hard. Or still hard. I’ve lost track. And she slowly guides my dick into her and moves on me. It’s a steady rhythm, slow, deep, and fucking sexy as hell.
She lets her head fall back. I see her thick eyelashes rest on her cheeks. The most delicious little moans escape her open lips. Her dark pink nipples are hard little pebbles. I pull the blanket up her back and hold her close.
“You feel so fucking good on my dick, Victoria. You’re so fucking beautiful riding me, baby.”
She’s lost in her own world of pleasure. Her moans intensify as her slow grinding gets a little more greedy. I’m going to cum if she keeps this up. I don’t even know how I’ve got any left in me at this point, but I’m going to cum in her if she doesn’t change it up.
“I… I’ve never felt something like this.” Her words are soft but desperate. I think her eyelashes are wet. “I’ve never felt anything as intense as it is with you, Cal.”
I clasp at her and pull her into my body. Her hot skin sears against mine and our lips collide. Her pussy closes in on me like a vise, and I feel her shudder.
My brain empties and my heart fills as I come into her.
A few moments later, I feel her laughing against me, and I struggle to regain focus.
“What’s so—?”
Oh. I see the problem immediately. We’re being stared at by two nosy and inappropriately curious Golden Retrievers. Ripley is licking Victoria’s forearm.
“Sorry,” I say.
She pushes up and smiles at me. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to do it in front of an audience.”
I feel Sarah Connor’s hot breath on my elbow. “I’d give it zero out of ten.”
She giggles. “Same.”