Only Mine (Honey Mountain #5)(90)

He stroked my hair away from my face. “Yeah?”

“Yep. How about you?”

“I never used to, either. When I was a SEAL, my job was dangerous. I didn’t know how Bullet was able to separate that part of his life. You know, going into missions knowing he might not come out. Knowing those boys and Jaqueline were waiting for him.”

I rolled on my stomach so I could see him. “Maybe it gave him something to fight for.”

“Yeah. When I was heading into that cave, I didn’t know what I was walking into. And it was your face that I saw. I realized I had something bigger than myself to fight for. Sure, I’d always thought of my family, but for the first time, Minx, I saw a future. A future with you. And I knew I had to get out of there.”

I ran my fingers over the scar from the bullet wound on his upper arm.

“What did you see in that future?”

“Nothing specific. My adrenaline was pumping. But it was your face. It was you. The rest of my life was with you.”

I sighed. “I guess I’m sort of like a bullet. The kind that gets in there but doesn’t come out the other side.”

“Those are the kind that kill you,” he said as he barked out a laugh.

“I’m not going to kill you. But I am going to keep you.”

He smiled this wide grin on his handsome face. Just enough gruff peppered along his jaw to make him look sexy as hell. “Good. Because I’m not going anywhere.”

I settled my head on his chest and listened to the sound of his heart as I dozed off.

And there was nowhere else in the world I’d rather be.





Christmas Eve at the Wayburns’ was about as entertaining as Christmas would be at my dad’s tomorrow morning.

I loved Wolf’s family.

The house looked like something out of a magazine, but it still managed to be homey at the same time. Holiday music piped through the surround-sound speakers as Seb and Sabine met us at the door, and we all found a quiet place to chat in the library, where we sat down on the couch with a glass of champagne. There were about thirty-five people meandering around from the parlor to the formal living room.

“So, you’re finally admitting that you’re together. This is a very exciting change of events, brother dearest.” Seb chuckled.

“Shut the fuck up. And that drug-dealing friend of yours better not show his face here tonight,” Wolf grumbled.

“Nope. He actually left the country. Possibly on the run. I haven’t heard from him since he showed up uninvited to the game, but Mom heard about it from the neighbors.” He laughed.

“Good. I hope he stays away.”

“Should you really be acting like I’m the one to be worried about? I mean, you left the fucking country, had Dilly here all upset, and then you got shot twice. Glass houses, brother.”

“Touché.” Wolf raised his glass to Seb’s, and Sabine rolled her eyes.

“So, what did you decide? Are you knocking down a wall between the two apartments?” Sabine asked, leaning her head on my shoulder. We’d grown close since Wolf had scared the hell out of all of us.

“We’re going to move into his place and find a place of our own in Honey Mountain, as well,” I said, and she squealed.

“I love Honey Mountain. Let’s all get houses there.”

Wolf groaned. “Why is everyone so fucking clingy now?”

“Because we love you,” his sister said, blowing him a kiss just as Miranda walked in.

“There you are, there you are,” she sang out, and we all chuckled as she dropped down on the couch beside Wolf.

“No more hiding in here.” Natalie appeared in the doorway. “It’s time for dinner.”

She waited for us all to stand and hooked her arm through mine. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Me, too.” I kissed her cheek, grateful for this family and how, in so many ways, they felt like my own.

It had always been that way with Wolf.

And his family was no different.

We spent the rest of the night eating and visiting with Wolf’s family and friends. We snuck out because we were heading to Honey Mountain tonight so that we could wake up there to see the kids on Christmas morning.

“I love your family,” I said as Gallan drove us toward the helicopter.

“They love you. In fact, my father told me they like me a whole hell of a lot more now that we’re together.”

We pulled into the gas station, and Wolf shifted me off his lap and pushed the button to lower the partition just a little bit. “I’ve got it, Gallan.”

He stepped out of the car, and I glanced out the window and chuckled when I realized it was the gas station where we’d met for the very first time. I leaned over to roll down the window to tell him, and he was standing there.

“Hey, this is the place where we met.” I waggled my brows.

“Is it?” he asked. His voice was all tease as he leaned forward, his forearms resting on the window. “Is this where you insulted me and called me all sorts of names?”

“Well, you did cut me off.” I smirked.

“I remember every detail of that day. The way your dark brown eyes were full of golden fire. The way your hips moved in that sexy-as-fuck pencil skirt. The way that smart mouth of yours frustrated the hell out of me.”