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  The short hairs on his neck rose. Had she used him for sex? He tried to shove the thought out of his mind. It was none of his business what she did or didn’t do. They weren’t, nor never had been committed to one another. But it sure felt like a full-on heart dedication.

  “I called you millions of times until I grew tired of unanswered phone calls.”

  “I didn’t receive any calls.” He kept his voice solemn.

  “I know. I need to finish.”

  He nodded.

  “I didn’t know that with the help of my mom, Cal had changed your number in my phone. Each time I called or sent you a text message, it went to a phone she purchased. On the display screen, your name showed, not your number.”

  “My number was the date we met.”

  “I could never forget.”

  “Plus one.” He smirked, remembering he picked the number seven for the prominent freckles on her face.

  “Yeah, plus one.” A beautiful smile stretched across her face. “You might have to change your number. I have a lot more freckles.”

  “I think it’s good,” he said chuckling, and thought about the Lovetts. It all made sense, in a weird way. They disliked him so much they went to great lengths to sabotage their daughter’s relationship with him. “You may have forgiven your parents, but I don’t know if I will. Can you live with the idea of them and me not getting along?”

  “Yes. I haven’t let them off the hook yet, maybe in time I can. Will you forgive me?”

  The issue hovered over him like a dark shadow. The fact remained she put on a man’s ring she didn’t love. “Why did you wear his ring?”

  The dullness in her expression as she relived the past reflected on her face. “Mom invited Cal to dinner around Christmastime a year ago. We stayed cordial with one another then he came to Dartmouth to visit. I missed you so much it hurt. I longed for company. Cadence chose a different guy every week. I didn’t want that. Cal and I became friends.”

  “Sounds harmless.”

  “Yes, until Cal proposed at a family dinner. My mom pushed. I stupidly allowed him to put the ring on my finger.”

  That he didn’t get. “Why would you?” he asked again, hoping for a more direct answer this time.

  “I was confused! You weren’t here!” She raised her hands and dropped them with each exclamation. “Without you, I thought the big bang love wouldn’t happen.”

  The big bang love. His chest filled. Reactions he didn’t know what to do with—love, hope—pummeled him.

  “I considered settling for a nice relationship.”

  For a long moment he stared, his mind whirling between her suggesting they could have the big bang love Cadence used to tease her about, and the realization if she couldn’t get that with Matt, then she’d settle for okay. “I—”

  “I lost myself,” she interrupted, “lost what was truly important to me, and hurt the only man that mattered.” She rushed toward her trunk, opened it, and pulled out two stacks of bound envelopes. She raised one stack higher than the other. “Here are the letters I wrote.”

  The unopened envelopes didn’t have a postmark on them. “You never mailed them?”

  “Oh, I had.” She frowned. “I put them on the table, where the mail is always placed, for the maid to take to the post office. When they disappeared, I assumed they were mailed.”

  The letters, the handwritten notes he didn’t think she wrote, didn’t think she cared enough to write, were in her hand. “How many?” He asked, fighting to not sound like a whimpering child.

  “I wrote one every week since the day you left.” She wasn’t getting any bravo points for keeping her voice strong either. “The rest are in my trunk.”

  “I wondered.” Knowing she’d never stopped reaching out to him swelled his chest, but months had passed since Bradley found him, yet she didn’t make contact. “I figured since I didn’t hear from you, I thought—”

  “I had to recover before you saw me,” she interrupted. “I needed time, space to think, to figure out my future. You were never a question in the what-do-I-want-equation. My parents were. My job. But never you.”

  “Did you figure all that out?”

  “Not quite, still working on the job.” She hesitated. “Bradley gave me a lecture and then went on a hunting expedition. Mom hid the letters in her office in a safe. She’ll be pleased to learn her son is a whiz at cracking locks,” she said with a sarcastic tone. “He cracked their safe, had a fling with one of Dad’s lady partners, and took off to Florida.”

  Bradley’s adventures intrigued him, but that was a conversation for another day. “Does she know you have them?”

  “I don’t know. I’m sure she’s discovered they’re gone, but since she shouldn’t have had them, whom will she question? Me? My brother?” She chuckled, not a funny ha-ha type, but a bitter one. “Bradley got after me for not mailing the letters from Dartmouth. If I had, you would have received them.”

  She raised her other hand. The letters he’d written. The edges ragged, worn. “I enjoyed reading these while I recovered.”

  He tipped the stack and took in the weathered paper. “You read them more than once.”

  “Oh, yeah! Especially the ones where you wrote in detail what you would do to me when you saw me next. I hope that still stands.”

  When he’d written those letters, he had no idea how she’d react. Love the idea or tell him he crossed the line. Her reaction overwhelmed and spellbound him. “Nothing’s changed.”

  “I’m so glad to hear you say that.” Her words rushed out on a sob-gasp. The stacks of envelopes fell to the ground. “I’ve missed you,” she said, throwing herself into his arms and peppering his face with kisses.

  The tension in his muscles evaporated. With the frustration gone, his body went hard as a rock. The car supported their weight as their hands and lips rushed to touch, taste, and savor the sweet joy of homecoming.

  He eased back and cupped her cheeks. She was captivating, held so much love. The hope he had so long ago returned. One question needed an answer. “I have to ask you something.”

  She smirked, touched his hand resting against her cheek. “Hurry up. I’m a twenty-five-year-old virgin, and I’m about to lose my patience.”

  Pure excitement rushed through him and his heart flipped. A laugh started deep in his belly, worked up his chest, and he exploded in a fit of laughter. “You didn’t sleep with Cal.”

  “You thought…” She touched a finger to his chest. “Are you still one?”

  “I am, but don’t let word get out. It’s a secret.”

  She gasped, and her eyes widened. “You waited for me.”

  If the conversation weren’t so serious, it’d be comical.

  He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “Sure did, babe. Being with anyone else was cheating.”

  “Awe.” She breathed an endearing sigh.

  He kissed her, long and hard, like a person who finally had the ultimate prize.

  Hooves stomped the dirt as the horse, alpaca, and goat paced the fence. The scent of lavender, daffodils, and tulips filled the air. For the first time since he saw the ring on her finger, his senses grew to high alert. No longer would he walk through emotions; he’d live them, feel each and every one.

  He lifted her chin with his finger. Her sweet face pierced his heart. “Marry me. Right here. Right now. Marry me.”

  “Who will do the ceremony?” She glimpsed at the alpaca snorting. The horse nodded, his long mane rising and falling. “Them?”

  “The justice of the peace.”

  “I want to, but Matt—”

  A familiar ping of disappointment soured his stomach. Had he misread her reactions?

  “I’m not waiting another second.”

  Imitating her behavior years ago at the river, she plastered her body against him and held his cheeks in her palms. “I’ve wanted two things in my life.” She wept. “You, and thanks to you, Divine.”

  “Build it and she will c
ome.” He chuckled.

  “What?”

  “I hoped, no, I prayed you would come.”

  “I’m planning on doing just that.” She smiled and his knees threatened to buckle.

  He tugged her hand toward the house. “Let’s go.”

  This was it. Her everything, but she wanted something more, different.

  “No.”

  His body went rigid. “You have to find another word. No makes me think the worst.”

  She grinned. “Understood. A normal, comfortable bed doesn’t work for me. I want our first time to be unique.”

  “What do you have in mind?” He arched a brow.

  The smirk crossing his face made the devilment running through her that much more fun. “The stream.”

  “We met outside. Saw each other by the river almost every day of our youth. I think making love our first time by the water brings everything full circle.”

  “Full circle?”

  “You’re a man of few words.”

  “My brain isn’t engaging. You can lead me anywhere you want. Always could, always have, and I imagine always will.”

  “Oh, I like that.” She released his hand and grabbed a blanket from the trunk of her car. “Let’s go.” She winked.

  “Let’s take the mule.”

  She straightened. He got into this whole nature thing too much. “Wouldn’t riding a mule, um—” She wasn’t sure how to word what she assumed would happen to a man when he went horseback riding, or in his case, mule riding. Wouldn’t he have trouble getting an erection? “Would the mule’s back be lumpy, uncomfortable?” She wrinkled her nose.

  “Not a problem.” He chuckled. “Riding horse or mule doesn’t stop what comes naturally. Anyway, I’m not talking about riding an animal.” He tilted his head toward a green vehicle with four wheels.

  She could handle it. “Okay.”

  “Or we could take the ATV.” He pointed to the dark blue four-wheeler.

  Foreplay on wheels, her legs wrapped around his hips, the vibration of the machine. “Yeah, baby,” he said as if reading her thoughts.

  He pulled her closer, and kissed her.

  She melted, sinking into the kiss with a low moan and a tight knot deep in her belly. She slid out of his arms before they dropped to the ground, right there, and ran to the four-wheeler.

  He didn’t run as she’d thought he would. He hurried toward her, but didn’t quicken his pace more than a fast walk. Then she remembered his injury.

  “How is your leg?” She set the blanket on the seat when he approached and hooked her hands in the waistband of his jeans to still him. Once they sat on the four-wheeler, her straddling his hips mixed with the vibration of the machine, she’d have to concentrate hard not to have a premature orgasm.

  “My leg didn’t stop me from chasing after you.” He squeezed her hips and pulled her against him. “Something else did.” Hard male pressed along her stomach.

  “We better get moving.”

  “Or,” he said, lowering his head. “We walk around the corner of the shed.” He trailed kisses along the tender spot under her ear, soft and sweet. His breath, hot and intoxicating, heightened the sensual electricity snapping around them. “Spread the blanket out and make love by the fishpond.”

  She didn’t think, didn’t need to, and couldn’t have if she’d wanted to. She grabbed the blanket. With a hand in the waistband of his pants, she led the way around the corner, out of sight of the watchful animals. The gorgeous countryside of Jarcanda trees, wild flowers, and a small pond stole her breath. “It’s perfect.”

  “Trina,” Matt’s greenish-blue eyes peered into her soul like soft lasers. “I love you.” He cupped her face and kissed her, the most delicious kiss of her life.

  She moaned, her knees buckling.

  He wrapped his arms around her waist, steadied her, and took the blanket from her arms.

  The red blanket snapped and flowed in the air like a magic carpet before he guided it to the ground. He removed his hiking shoes, stepped onto the blanket, and held out his hand.

  She accepted it and glimpsed the metal taking the place of his foot. The flat, shiny piece curved to support him.

  “You good? Okay with this?”

  A smile stretched across her face. “More than good.”

  He stripped his shirt and tossed it to the ground.

  Hard sinew muscles glistened in the bright sun. After all the times she’d seen his torso, never had it beckoned to her as it did today. Scanning the wide expanse of land, she let her shirt fall to the ground atop of his. Her bra went next. For her, there was no going slow. The burning in her stomach wouldn’t allow it.

  She traced the outline of his muscles, smelled his clean, masculine scent. “I’ve missed this, you, the scent of you.”

  “Me too.” His sigh came out on a moan as he explored her. He slid his fingers over her neck, her breasts, tweaked her nipples, and cupped a breast in each hand. “You’re breathtaking, more stunning than I remembered.” He moved his attention to her face. “Absolutely perfect.” His mouth found a breast, drew it in. Delight skimmed her body and she shivered. Tracing the hard breadth of his shoulders, she latched onto them and arched her back, giving more of herself to him. “Matt.”

  “I need to be in you,” he said, mirroring her thoughts.

  “Yes,” she breathed. “Fast.”

  Clothes disappeared. Matt’s fluidness with his leg surprised her. His pants fell before hers. Briefs followed.

  Her blood pounded in her ears.

  He was big, real big, too big for her. Thick and hard, and all Matt.

  Her hand trembled as she slid it over the steel silkiness jutting toward her.

  “One more stroke.” His voice was barely audible. “I won’t last.” He guided her to the blanket and groaned. “I don’t have a condom. I don’t imagine you’re on birth control,” he said, his expression hopeful.

  She rolled onto her back, nudged Matt’s arm for him to shift on top of her. “Where we’re going, do you think it matters?”

  He braced his arms on either side of her, leaned his forehead against hers, his length at the entrance to her core. “You’re saying you’d want to have a baby with me.”

  Excitement danced over her, pebbling her skin. “I am. I’d love to have your baby and raise him or her in Montana, on this property where you created our home.”

  “Sounds perfect,” he whispered. He shifted to her side, kissing her while his hand went exploring. Long fingers feather-touched her breasts and slid to her stomach, until coming to the place the length of him had been.

  Her quivering body begged for more.

  His mouth, hot and demanding, suckled her breasts, sending her out of control. A warm finger slid deep inside, then two. She wrapped her legs around his hand and squeezed tight. It wasn’t enough. “I’m gonna burst. Inside me. Now!”

  In a flash, he lay on top of her, held her gaze with his own, and slid inch by inch into her, letting her body accept him with each move. Something stabbed deep inside. She flinched.

  He drew back. “Did I hurt you?”

  “No,” she said, grabbing his hips and wrapping her legs around him so he couldn’t leave. “It’s good.”

  “You’re telling me.”

  His slow movements quickened. They moved together, the sync of their bodies sweet and tender. The tightening knot ached for release.

  The sun grew hot, the air more humid. She wanted, needed more. She met him thrust for thrust. On the verge of ecstasy, she closed her eyes, held him tight, and gloried in the feel of him.

  Waves of pleasure rushed over her, years of foreplay with him coming out in a prolonged, hard orgasm. “Ah, Matt!”

  His release escaped in a loud roar as his surge tumbled.

  He lowered on top of her, his elbows bracketing her sides. Softly, he kissed her. “Not even in my dreams did I think it’d be this good.”

  “You surpassed mine.”

  When the sex fog lifted, he sh
ifted onto his back, bringing her with him. “Ready to become Mr. and Mrs.?”

  “To me, we became Mr. and Mrs. just now. As soon as I have strength enough to move, let’s locate the justice of the peace and make it legal.”

  “I couldn’t have said it better.”

  She rose onto an elbow and beheld her guy, her handsome, terrific guy. “For ten years, we’ve been connected. We found it.”

  “The big bang love?”

  She snuggled in close. Her leg draped over his metal leg, her breasts pushed into his side, and her head tucked beneath his chin. “You’re divine.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “The keychain, we never discussed it. Why did you give it to me?”

  She’d asked herself the same question millions of times. “Instinct.”

  “Where’d you get it from?”

  “My grandmother presented it to me after my grandfather passed.” Trina hadn’t repeated the story to another soul. Bradley didn’t even know. It was her precious secret with her grandmother. “She said everyone has a soul mate. My grandfather had given her the keychain in elementary school. She told me to carry it with me, and one day I’d give it to someone very special without weighing the pros and cons, I’d just do it. The recipient would be my soul mate.”

  “Huh. At fourteen, how did you know?”

  She beamed. “Think about it. Didn’t you know? Didn’t you feel it?”

  He kissed her and crushed her to him, not too tightly- but enough to feel her pressing solidly against him. “Yeah, I guess I did.” And he had. He had known it bone-deep from the first time he saw her skinny arm move a branch out of her way to step into the clearing by the river. She rocked his world that day, just as she’d done every day since, and no doubt always would.

  They’d lost so much time trying to make their parents happy. Even though his weren’t around and would have never demanded anything from him, he joined the military because he thought they would expect it instead of going after what he wanted, which was a life with Trina. “Let’s make a pact—no more letting anyone else influence our decisions.”