Page 48 of Evergreen

“I love you too,” he said, and the words were so quiet I almost didn’t hear them.

I blinked, certain I’d misunderstood. “What?”

“I love you too, you big, dumb idiot,” he repeated, louder this time. There was a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, but his eyes were shining with something that looked like tears. “I was going to tell you tonight. I had this whole plan, and then you just went and said it first, and now I’m standing here with my dick in my hand feeling like an idiot.”

Relief flooded through me so intensely that my knees nearly buckled. “You... you do?”

“Of course I do,” he said, reaching up to grab a fistful of my shirt and pulling me down. “How could I not? You’re kind and patient and you see me. Like, actually see me. Not the version of me that I show everyone else, but past all my bullshit. The real me. And you love me anyway.”

I kissed him before he could say anything else, pouring everything I was feeling into it. The northern lights painted the clearing in shifting colors as our magic danced together again, more synchronized now. I could feel his emotions mirroring mine. There was relief, joy, and the overwhelming sense of correctness that came from finally saying the words out loud.

When we broke apart, we were both breathing hard. Cass rested his forehead against mine, and I could feel him smiling.

“So what now?” he asked. “We’re actually doing this? Like, officially?”

“If you want to,” I said, running my hands down his back. “I know there’s still complications. I still have to graduate, and you’ve got two more years of school. But I got offered a position. A graduate assistant role in the conservation program. I’d stay on campus for at least two years, maybe longer.”

He pulled back to look at me, his eyes wide. “You didn’t tell me that.”

“I was going to,” I said. “Tonight. I wanted to see if you felt the same way first, because I didn’t want you to think I was staying just for you. But the truth is, I want both. I want the work, and I want you. I want to see where this goes.”

“Two years,” he repeated, like he was testing out the words. “You’d really stay for two years?”

“I’d stay longer if you wanted me to,” I said simply. “I love you, Sparks. I want to build something with you. And yeah, there’s still the whole thing with your parents to worry about, but we can figure that out together.”

“They’re gonna flip their shit when they find out about this.”

“That’s a problem for tomorrow,” I smiled, pulling him into another kiss. “Right now, I just want to make love to you under these stars.”

He threw his hands around my neck. “Please,” he said simply. “I’m all yours.”

Chapter 21

Cass

Ipulled Linden down onto the blanket, my tongue already exploring his mouth. My skin buzzed everywhere he touched me, our magic crackling around us from our mutual admission.

We loved one another. This was no longer just sex or a casual fling. Instead, it actually meant something. And honestly, I’d never expected it. I didn’t even know if I deserved it. But I wanted Linden’s love. I wanted it so badly that I could barely think. And right now, the only thing on my mind was proving to him just how much I loved him using every last inch of my body.

I broke the kiss only long enough to strip off my hoodie, then went back to claiming his mouth like I owned it. His hands were everywhere. My back, my shoulders, and threading through my hair. I loved every second of it. The way he touched me was incredible, like I was the most beautiful thing in the world, even though I couldn’t yet bring myself to believe anyone could feel that way about me.

His shirt came off next, and I pressed my chest against his, needing to feel his skin against mine. Our magic was still crackling around us, creating little sparks where we connected. I could feel the heat radiating off him, that distinctive warmth that was uniquely Linden. It was intoxicating.

“I love you so much,” I murmured against his neck, already working on the button of his jeans. “Tonight, I want to make love to you the way you deserve. Everything and anything you want, big guy.”

He groaned, lifting his hips to help me slide his jeans down. His cock was already hard, leaking against his belly, and I took a moment to appreciate the sight of him. Seven feet of green skin and golden patterns, all muscle and magic and completely, utterly mine.

“Your turn,” he said, his voice rough as he reached for my jeans.

I helped him undress me, and soon we were both naked on the blanket, the northern lights still dancing overhead like they were putting on a show just for us. His hands roamed across my body with a new kind of tenderness now that we’d confessed our feelings. It wasn’t tentative exactly. Linden had never been tentative after the first time with me. But it was different. There was a lot more intention behind his movements.

“I want to taste you,” I said, pushing him back onto the blanket. “I want to spend all night worshiping this beautiful body of yours.”

He let me take control, his golden eyes tracking my every movement as I worked my way down his chest. I kissed every inch of him, my tongue tracing the lines of muscle, the dips and curves of his body. His magic flared brighter with each touch, responding to my affection in ways that made my own power hum in response.

By the time I reached his cock, he was already trembling. I took my time with him, licking along his shaft before taking the thick head into my mouth. He tasted like honey and flowers, and I wanted to spend the rest of my life memorizing every inch of him.

“Sparks,” he breathed, his fingers tangling in my hair. “That feels so good.”