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I don’t care if he thinks I’m his mate or his guardian angel or his long-lost cousin… He can think whatever he wants as long as he puts my feet on the ground.
I slowly peel my eyes open and gasp in relief when I see the ground not too far away. I could fall from this height and only twist an ankle. I made it. I survived!
He carries me down the rest of the way and I start tearing up when my feet hit the dirt.
“You did it,” I say as I turn to him in shock. “You saved me.”
“That’s what mates do,” he says with a smile. I knew that smile wouldn’t disappoint. It’s radiant and sends a flood of warmth ballooning through me.
He looks up at the parachute that’s still caught in the treetops. “What happened?”
“Oh, it’s the classic story of a dickhead pilot throwing a girl out of a plane miles away from the drop zone.”
His face twists up as he stares at me. “What?”
“Forget it,” I say with a huff of breath. “I just need to get back to civilization.”
“Civilization?”
“Yeah, you know. Toilets, refrigerators, beds, basically all the stuff we take for granted but can’t live without. I need all that. Desperately.”
“Come with me, Ivy,” he says as his hand slides onto my shoulder. “I’ll give you everything you need.”
I want to melt into those big arms and cry against his chest.
I don’t know if he is my mate, but he’s definitely my gorgeous savior.
And that’s more than enough for me.
Chapter Four
Easton
My mind is still in shock as I walk with Ivy back to the ranch.
It’s her. It’s my mate.
I actually found her.
I glance over at her for the thousandth time, wondering what I did to get so lucky. She’s perfect in every way.
A lot of sass and a beautiful ass, that’s her. I don’t know how I lived my life this long without her by my side. How did I breathe before I smelled her intoxicating scent? How could I sleep knowing she was in the world without me? How could I eat with my stomach constantly in knots?
It makes me antsy and shaky all over just thinking about being apart from her now. I don’t know how I did it.
It doesn’t matter. She’s here now and I’m keeping her.
This little beauty is not getting away from me without a fight.
I’m not letting my one and only mate go.
“How long were you up there?” I ask as we walk.
I’ve never been so full of energy, but she looks tired and weak. My girl needs a hot bath, a warm meal, and a nice long nap. I’ll give it to her. I’ll give her anything she desires.
“Since yesterday,” she says with a sigh.
“Yesterday!?” I feel sick. My mate was up there needing me while I was sleeping? I’ll never forgive myself. Then, something worse dawns on me. “But it was raining last night.”
“I’m quite aware,” she says in a flat voice. “I had a front-row seat to the show.”
“You must have been freezing. And soaked. And exhausted.”
“All of the above, yes. It wasn’t fun.”
“How are you doing now?”
“Focusing on one step at a time,” she says as she watches the bumpy ground. “I’m happy to be on the ground, but I’ll be even happier in a bed.”
I don’t ask. I don’t offer. She’s my mate and I’m going to give her what she needs.
“Hey!” she shouts as I scoop her up in my arms. “What are you doing!?”
She tries to wiggle out of my arms, but she’s not going anywhere.
“You’re tired,” I whisper to her softly. “I’m carrying you.”
“You’re naked. Don’t think I’ve forgotten that.”
I love how defiant she is. How she stares me down with those fierce eyes. Strong-willed women are the best kind and I got myself a firecracker of one.
“This way you don’t have to see anything,” I say as I cradle her preciously to my chest. “Your eyes can stay above the equator.”
She sighs as she melts into my arms. Even firecrackers need rest sometimes. Even strong-willed women need someone to lean onto from time to time. I’m glad I can be that for her.
“Normally, I would never let this happen,” she says as she rests her cheek on my chest. “But I don’t normally spend the night in trees, so I’ll make an exception.”
I smile as the delicious smell of her hair tickles my nostrils. I want to bury my nose in it and inhale, but I restrain myself. I can’t wait for the day when I don’t have to restrain myself around her any longer.
“Just relax,” I whisper to her. “You’re with your mate now. Everything will be okay.”
“And this mate thing,” she says with a yawn. “We’ll talk about that later.”
I smile as I watch her eyes drift closed.
She falls asleep in no time.
