Page 72 of Another Man’s Treasure

He leans up and presses his lips to mine, capturing my mouth in a gentle kiss. “Don’t hide anything, Oz. Don’t be what you think I need. I want the version of you nobody ever gets to see, the version that’s built to love me.”

Gods, oh gods. The L word.

“I know it’s fast, and it’s probably too soon, but I’m so close to saying it,” he whispers. “Should we try it out?”

Tension has me flaring my wings wide, gripping onto holes cut out in the walls of my nest. If I had a heartbeat, it’d be racing right now, because all I can do is stare at the gorgeous male beneath me who’s looking at me like I hung the moon.

“I love you,” he says on a low, sexy growl. “I love your ridiculous, fraidy-cat dog. I love the slutty glasses that you wear but don’t need. I love that you carried me in here even if I didn’t handle that well. I’m so in love.”

Tears fill my eyes as I fall forward, bracketing him between my arms. Dipping low, I nuzzle his nose with mine, basking in words that have me wrapped up tight like the warmest, coziest of blankets.

“I love you too,” I say with more confidence than my earlier admission. “And that was a pretty good display of emotion, Mister Lane.”

His smile lights up his face, dimples popping on either side of that gorgeous mouth. “You love me too, hmm?”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” I murmur playfully, rocking my body against his.

He beams up at me, running his hands over my ass, up my back to my wing bases and back down again. “Baby, did you eat? Can I make you something?”

I wave away his concern. “You don’t have to feed me all the time, Wild.”

Growling, he rolls us over, careful not to trap my wings at an awkward angle. “Wrong. As your mate, taking care of you is my primary job. Not because you can’t, but because I want to and I can.”

My mate. Gods. Why does that sound so fucking delicious?

I’m about to ask if he wants to take care of the aching hard-on between my thighs when he rocks back on his heels, staring at me.

“Will you have lunch with me later at the ranch? I want to show it to you. Now that we’re at the end, I feel weird that you haven’t seen it.”

“I’d love to, but it’s your ranch, Wilder.”

“It would be our home,” he corrects. “What we just admitted changes everything, Oz. What if you don’t like it?”

“What if there’s a key to the city buried somewhere on that property?” I couldn’t stop thinking about that all night during my shift. Pine Gulch, saucy girl, has been keeping secrets, and she’s just revealing them now. This turned out to be exactly like that human movie The Goonies, but in real life.

“Then we’ll look for it together and decide what to do about the Sandovals then.” He shoots me a sexy little look. “Together, Oz, say it with me.”

“Together,” I murmur as I roll my hips against his, the friction of his hard-on rubbing against mine, sending a delicious thrill down the base of my spine.

Wilder

Oz and I made love for hours this morning, fell asleep until noon, and now we’re taking a picnic lunch out to the ranch I intend to make our home. I spent a few minutes this morning considering how I’ll need to change the main lodge to accommodate his wings. I want it to be easy for him to just leap out of our room. Or anywhere, really.

He’ll want a nest, of course. His is on the small size for two males of our heft. Something bigger might be nice if he’s okay with it. His walls from the apartment would have to come with us, of course. They’re carved with his family memories, and we can’t leave that behind.

He looks over at me from the passenger seat of my pickup, a soft smile on his plump lips. Lips I was all over this morning, tugging and pulling with my teeth. I’ve never been so glad not to have tusks, because I devoured him like I was starving, and I suppose I have been in a way. Always having flings and affairs and dalliances but never finding someone who fit.

I thought I was fine with that. I was focused on the ranch and taking over the Sandovals’ line of bulls. But now?

All I want is Oz beside me while we do those things together.

I smile back at him. “You’ve met Willa, obviously, but I’d love for you to meet my mother when she visits for the first time.”

He chuckles. “Oh, honey, Willa’s already told me all about her and informed me that she’ll love me, so don’t worry.” His lashes flutter. “I thought she just meant in a friendly way, but I think your sister might have been onto us from the very beginning.”

“She’s onto everybody,” I mutter as I pull into the ranch’s driveway, careful to avoid the big wooden pillars holding up the sign.

Oz looks out the window. “Speaking of Willa, have you seen her since the last time we saw her together?”