Only Mine (Honey Mountain #5)(78)

I leaned close to her. “I don’t know about that, Ever. But I do know she’s good for me. And that scares the shit out of me.”

When I pulled back, she was smiling at me, her eyes wet with emotion. “I know you are. And so is she. But neither of you are people who run from their fears. Love is scary. But it’s also amazing.”

“Okay, more rolls so we can all carbo load,” Dylan said, handing the basket to her father and sitting back down beside me.

Everly winked before turning her attention back to little Jackson, who was sitting on Hawk’s lap beside her.

They all proceeded to tell stories, and most of them revolved around Dylan, the beautiful woman sitting beside me. How, when she was young, she’d once taken a frozen turkey their mom had been thawing in the sink and hidden it in the garage because she didn’t want them to eat it.

“Hey! I was six years old. I didn’t know it was already dead. I thought cooking him would kill him.” She threw her hands in the air, and everyone burst out into a fit of laughter.

“Yeah, well, you refused to tell me where you hid him, and my entire garage stunk until I found him buried under a bunch of towels in my cleaning bucket,” Jack said, swiping at the tear running down his face from laughing so hard.

“Rest in Peace, Joshua the turkey.” Dylan put her hands together as if she were praying.

There was so much more to this woman than most people knew. She was sexy and sassy and smart as hell. But she was also tenderhearted and would do anything for the people she loved. She was fierce and strong but also guarded and cautious.

Dylan Thomas was what had been missing from my life.

This wasn’t temporary—this was forever.

After a lot of laughs, way too much food, and a few intense rounds of board games with her sisters and their husbands after the kids went to bed, we headed back to Dylan’s place.

We didn’t have sex. We were both exhausted and full, and she’d fallen asleep on me two minutes after we’d slipped into bed.

I watched her sleep and stroked her hair, and she moaned a little bit as she curled into me.

“I fucking love you, Dylan Thomas,” I whispered and closed my eyes.

I felt a weight lift off my shoulders once I said it. Words I never thought I’d say to a woman that wasn’t my mother or sister.

Even though she hadn’t heard me say it, I had.

And it felt good to say it out loud.





thirty-one





Dylan





We’d just returned to the city after we’d spent the weekend in Honey Mountain. I’d taken Wolf out to the ski slopes a few times, and he was as competitive as I was. We’d raced down the hills over and over, and neither of us had ever gotten ahead of the other.

We’d hung out with my family every night. Having Wolf around the people I loved most in the world—it meant something to me.

He means something to me.

I wanted to tell him that I loved him, but I was fairly certain he would freak out and run for the door.

We could take our time.

We’d eventually get there, right?

A large hand wrapped around my stomach and pulled me closer. “Why are you up so early, Minx? What time is it?”

“I don’t know. I couldn’t sleep, I guess. It’s almost six o’clock.”

His hand moved lower, settling between my legs. “Tell me what you’re thinking about.”

“I must have been dreaming about you on that ski slope, practically naked,” I said with a moan as he stroked me slowly.

“Mmmmm, I see. Well, I’m naked right now.”

“Yes, you are. What should we do about that?”

“I don’t know. You’re awfully wet for six o’clock in the morning.” His voice was gruff as he continued to stroke me. He nipped on my earlobe before flipping on top of me, the sheet draped over his head as he moved down and pushed my legs apart.

“This isn’t a bad way to start the day,” I groaned as his tongue swiped along my most sensitive area, waking up every nerve ending in my body as my eyes rolled closed.

“This is my favorite way to start the day.” He looked up at me with this sleepy, sexy smile, the white sheet forming a hood around his face. I shoved him back down, and he chuckled as his lips covered my clit, and I gasped.

He licked and nibbled and took his sweet time.

He’d bring me close to the edge and then slow things down.

My fingers yanked at his hair, my forehead covered in a layer of sweat, as I bucked against his mouth, desperate for release.

“Please,” I begged, and I tugged hard on his hair because I was frustrated.

He looked up, his mouth glossy, and his tongue swiped out along his bottom lip, and a sexy moan escaped his mouth.

“I don’t want to stop. You have the sweetest pussy. I could die a happy man right here.” He raised a brow.

“You will die an unhappy man if you don’t let me finish,” I panted.

He chuckled and dove back down. And this time, he didn’t slow down.

His tongue slipped inside, and I nearly came off the bed as I arched and bucked and writhed beneath him.

His hands gripped my hips firmly, and his tongue continued to slide in and out until I couldn’t see straight.