Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
He shifts to my side, pulling me perfectly into his arms so he can wrap one hand around my waist and let his fingers glide over my sensitive clit. I bite down on my lip. He tweaks my nipple, drawing a sensual sigh from me. His fingers rub my clit with renewed speed, another orgasm building within me. My knees tremble as another wave of pleasure surges through me,
"Something on your mind, precious?" He laughs softly, his fingers gently caressing my skin, while his lips leave a trail of kisses along my shoulders.
“I can’t form words when you’re touching me like that.” I giggle as he tucks me under his arm and I trace lazy circles over his ribs, my cheek pressed against the steady rise and fall of his breathing. The night is silent except for the occasional hoot of an owl and the soft rustling of the wind through the trees.
"You’re quiet," I murmur, tilting my head to look at him.
His fingers stroke down my spine. "Just thinking."
I lift a brow. "That’s dangerous."
He chuckles, his chest rumbling beneath my cheek.
I push up on my elbow, studying his face in the moonlight. "About what?"
He doesn’t answer right away, his gaze flickering between me and the sky. Then, with a deep inhale, he turns his full focus on me, eyes dark and unreadable.
"Babies."
I blink. "What?"
His lips twitch, but his expression stays serious. "You. Me. A whole mess of kids running around this mountain raising hell."
My breath stalls, my heart skipping.
"You want—?"
He rolls, pressing me beneath him again, his big hands framing my face. "I want a family, Palmer." His voice is rough, full of something raw. "I want our family."
Emotion surges in my chest, thick and heavy.
"How many?" I whisper, teasing, but my voice wobbles slightly.
Hudson smirks, leaning down, brushing his lips over mine. "Enough to keep this mountain loud."
My heart swells.
I never thought I’d have this.
A man who wants me, all of me. A future that doesn’t look like running, hiding, and surviving.
But Hudson?
He’s giving me more.
And damn if I don’t want to give him everything, too.
"Then we better start practicing often," I murmur against his lips, wrapping my arms around his neck.
His growl is low and dangerous. "You trying to kill me, woman?"
I giggle, but the sound turns into a gasp when he shifts, positioning himself at my entrance again.
He kisses me slow and deep.
"Say it again," he murmurs.
I smile against his mouth, my heart bursting.
"Make me a mama, Hudson Kane."
And then, in the middle of the wilderness, beneath the stars, he sets out to do exactly that.
Epilogue
Hudson-six weeks later
The Spring air is crisp, the kind of chill that bites at exposed skin but melts under the warmth of a good fire—or in this case, the fire burning in Palmer’s eyes as she steps off the ski gondola at the peak of the mountain.
My mountain.
My wife.
Damn if she doesn’t steal the breath right out of my lungs.
She’s wrapped in white, layers of silk and lace draping over her curves like they were designed just for her. Sunlight catches in her hair, loose waves tumbling down her back, and her eyes lock onto mine like they know exactly what I’m thinking.
Which is mostly get through this ceremony fast so I can take you home and make you mine all over again.
Palmer smirks, like she can hear every dirty thought running through my head. And knowing her, she probably can.
The crowd hushes as she walks toward me, her boots crunching in the snow—because of course my woman wouldn’t wear heels up a damn mountain.
Ridge, Zane, and Slate stand on one side of me, looking more like a crew of outlaws than groomsmen, and Grady, Fox, and Liam are on the other, grinning like idiots.
Fox leans in. “You look like a man about to pass out.”
I grunt. “Nah, just ready to get this done.”
Grady chuckles. “That’s love, brother.”
Damn right it is.
Palmer finally reaches me, her hands slipping into mine, cold from the air but warming fast against my skin.
“You showed up,” I tease, my voice low enough just for her.
She rolls her eyes. “Didn’t have much of a choice. You’d probably come track me down if I didn’t.”
I smirk. “Definitely would’ve tracked you down.”
Her smile softens, and I can see the shimmer of emotion in her gaze.
The officiant clears his throat, and the ceremony begins.
The vows are simple. Honest.
Palmer’s voice is steady when she speaks, but her fingers tighten in mine like she’s holding onto something unshakable.
“I spent my whole life searching for a place that felt like home. And somehow, I found it in the most unexpected place. In you.”
My throat tightens, and I swear my damn heart swells to twice its size.
I squeeze her hand, my voice rougher than usual when I speak.
“I told you I’d keep you safe, Treasure. And I meant it. But I also meant that I’d keep you forever.”