Worth It (Forbidden Men, #6)(90)

“Told you I’d get you a new pair.”

“They’re so cute.” She ripped off her sandals and fit the ballet flats on. “And they fit.” She held out her foot to show me.

I took her ankle and slid my palm up her smooth, golden calf. “Beautiful.” When I looked at her, we shared one of those smiles where you just look at a person and are filled with happiness.

Content and so glad she was back, I stroked a little higher up her calf. “I was this close to getting you something practical you should actually wear through the woods, but then I thought that wasn’t my City at all.”

She shrugged. “I would’ve worn any shoe you gave me.”

I leaned in and pressed my lips to the inside of her knee. Eyes lighting, she scooted toward me, and I knew she was seeking a kiss on the mouth, but I only smiled and popped to my feet before holding a hand down to her. “Ready to see the last part?”

“Last part?” Confusion reigned on her face as she took my hand. “What’re you talking about? There can’t be...more?”

“This present didn’t cost me anything, but I thought…” I shrugged. “Maybe you’d like it.”

“Well, where is it?” Glancing around, she showed off all her curious eagerness as she bounced on the toes of her new shoes.

“It’s at our tree.” Turning to offer her another ride on my back, I said, “Climb on. I don’t want you to ruin your new shoes their first trip out.”

“Knox…you don’t have to do that.”

I winked at her. “Trust me, I have an ulterior motive.”

“Oh, yeah? What’s that?” Eyeing me warily, she climbed on.

Once she was in position, I reached back to grip her thighs and keep her secure to me. Then I glanced over my shoulder to grin at her. “So I can feel your legs wrapped around me and your boobs against my back.”

“You mean, like this.” She slid up my back, purposely smashing her chest to my shoulder blades.

I groaned and slid my hand higher up her thighs. “Exactly like that.”

“Just think,” she murmured in my ear before pressing her mouth to the side of my neck. “If you weren’t so noble, you could probably have me naked by now.”

“Don’t worry, I still plan on getting you there. Eventually.”

“But I’m wet right now.” Her tongue slid around the shell of my ear and I almost lost it.

“Damn, City. You definitely know how to get me going.”

“Good, because you’ve had me going since I saw you on the dock, skipping rocks.”

I shuddered, ready to get to that portion of the day, but I also wanted to wait until just the right time. I wanted today to be perfect for her. “We’re here.” I announced, turning her so her back was to our tree as I set her down.

She landed on her feet and immediately began to look around for her last present. “Where…?”

“Turn around,” I suggested.

She spun and gasped, slapping her hands over her mouth as she took in the heart I’d carved into the trunk of our tree with our initials inside.

“Knox, it’s perfect.”

I took her hand and studied the mark with her. “At first, I felt bad about scarring our trouble tree, but then I got to thinking…whenever we cut our skin and new skin grows back, it’s tougher there than it was before. And I liked thinking we were going to be permanently marked in this wood together where it’s going to be the strongest.”

She looked at me, her eyes swimming with love. “Because we have an unbreakable bond.”

I kissed her knuckles. “Exactly.”

This time, when she leaned in to kiss me, I let her. The need in me was urgent, but I let her initiate everything and set the pace. She opted for soft and slow, only sliding her tongue along mine after a while of sweet, closed-mouth kisses. But as soon as our mouths opened, we both moaned and began touching. I cupped her breasts and she gripped my ass.

“You’ve ruined me, Knox Parker.” After flicking open the top clasp on my jeans, she grasped the zipper. “I have to touch myself every night now, wishing you were there, caressing me. Licking me.”

“Fuck,” I muttered, jerking against her palm when she slid her hand into the opening of my pants.

She bit the tendon of my neck and spoke into my ear. “I keep wondering what it’d feel like if you put this inside me instead of your fingers.”

I gulped and pressed my hips deeper into her hand when she stroked me through my underwear. “God, City. I do too. I think about it every single day.”

“Then, do you think you could give me one last birthday gift?” She dug her hand into the front pocket of her shorts and pulled out a small foiled packet.

My head went light and my vision blurry as I stared at the condom. Then I shook my head in wonder. “I swear, you could tempt God Himself.”

“Then let’s get this bad boy on.” She pulled my straining cock out of my underwear and then began to rip open the package.

I caught her hands. “Not yet.” When she looked up at me with fear and uncertainty in her eyes, I kissed her forehead. “Not here on the cold hard ground. I want our first time to be special.”

Her eyes warmed. “But it will be special because it’ll be with you. And this is our tree. Our trouble tree. Where else would you want it to be?”