Page 48 of Merrily Mine
“Yes? God, is that crazy?” I shook my head. “Maybe we need to slow down. I don’t know.” I let out a weak laugh. “I’ve never done this before. But yeah. I want to. If you… want me to.”
He hauled me onto his lap, practically mauling me with more kisses. “Pleasemove in,” he begged. “After spending the last two weeks sharing a bed with you, I don’t think I could sleep apart from you if I tried.”
“Are you sure?” My eyes were watery.
He nodded. “I was gonna ask, but I didn’t want to make a mess of things. God knows I fucked things up at the beginning.So I was trying to be patient. Wait at least a month or two.” Mason laughed, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.
“I don’t want to be apart from you,” I admitted. “This Christmas was…” I didn’t even have words to describe how amazing it had been. “It was more than I could have ever expected. More than I imagined. But even if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change anything.” I loved our story. “Sure, it took a little snow to bring us together, but I like to think that was the universe—if not the good state of Montana—trying to get us together.”
“A little?” He laughed. “Same, darlin’. And now, all I want is to spend every Christmas with you from now on. Together. I know we haven’t talked about the future, but bein’ with you…” Mason cupped my cheek, stroking his thumb over my skin. “That’s all I want.”
“Mason…” I whispered.
“I love you,” he told me, cupping the back of my neck. “And I know it’s fast, but I do. God help me, Emily, I do. It hit me like a snowstorm, you know. But there you were—so beautiful and breathtaking and everything I’ve ever wanted. So fucking perfect, and all I could do was want you. But now I have you, and all I can think is that I never want to let you go. That if there’s any chance that I can keep you, I have to take it.” He leaned forward, pressing our foreheads together. “I know I have some baggage, but if you’ll have me?—”
“I love you too,” I said, no longer second-guessing if it was too soon. So what if people thought we’d fallen in love fast? I’d known him my entire life. He’d always been there. I didn’t have to second-guess this decision. Not when I’d spent the past two weeks falling in love with him. Watching him.
“I want that too,” I whispered. “All of it.”
He smiled against my lips. “Then it’s settled. You’re livin’ with me. Whatever you need, baby, whatever you want, I’ll give it to you. You want the moon? I’ll lasso it down for you.”
I laughed, a wet sound because I was crying, too. “What about a cow?”
He frowned. “You want acow?”
“Have youseenthose cute baby Highland cows? They’re adorable.”
“Alright. Guess we’re going to be cow parents,” he grumbled.
I laughed. “Just the hat is enough, Mase. I don’t need anything else. Just you.” I bit my lip. “At least, for now…” Looking up at him through my eyelashes, I gave him a small smile.
There was a chance I’d never seen Mason this happy before. Maybe the other day, when we’d ridden side by side on the backs of our horses through the Montana wilderness—that seemed pretty close. But this?
He took my breath away.
Mason rolled me onto my back, running his hand down my cheek. I widened my legs, allowing him to settle himself between them. “You know, earlier, I couldn’t help but notice how good you looked, holding a baby in your arms.”
“You like that, cowboy?” I couldn’t help but rub myself against him.
“Fuck,” he groaned. “Yes. I can’t stop thinking about it. Makes me want to give you my baby.”
I wrapped my legs around his waist, needing him closer. “I’m still on birth control, you know. Which is probably good, considering how much you’ve come inside of me.” I rubbed one of my feet up his back as I latched my lips onto his neck.
He let out a rough groan. “Em. I can’t fuck you here on the carpet with your brothers upstairs.”
I pouted at him. “Then take me to bed, Mason. We can try as much as we want now, you know.”
“But you want ‘em?”
“Kids?” I clarified.
My cowboy nodded. “Yes. You know how I feel. I’ve always wanted a few kids running around this place. And I just can’t help but hope…”
“I want kids too,” I told him, practically beaming. “Maybe a ring first, but we have time.”
“Fuck, woman,” he groaned. “I’d marry you tomorrow if you let me.”
“Baby steps, cowboy.” I kissed his cheek. “For now, you’ve got me.”
