Page 92 of Live, Ranch, Love

Once we’re outside, she chuckles softly again. “I can’t believe you made a vision board.”

I shoot her a narrowed look. “I’d rather we didn’t share that with others.”

“Oh, I’m telling everyone.” This time she lets out a full blown, mischievous cackle, shoulders bouncing under my arm. “I might even frame it, you know?”

“Don’t make me turn around and put you on a plane,” I tease, failing to school my features into anything serious when she bites her lip, grinning. Fuck, I am completely undone by this woman.

“Quick question—what’s Priya done with that video of me?”

Aurora giggles, waving me off. “Don’t worry, she promised she deleted it. And no one’s going to say anything about what happened, I think they were all secretly cheering you on anyway.”

Relief sweeps through me as Aurora reaches into her bag, the sound of keys jingling when she pulls them out. I snatch them away, shoving them straight into my back pocket. Her eyes flare, copper waves flailing as she spins around to me, ready to protest. I’ll be making good use of that fieriness later when she's screaming out how much she loves me with my face between her legs. And probably a couple more times after that.

“I’ll pick up your truck later, but there’s no way in hell I’m driving home without you by my side. Not after I thought I’d never get a chance to be with you again.”

“Home,” Aurora repeats, rolling her strawberry lips. But it barely hides the way her grin stretches out, the kind of smile that creeps up on you when your happiness just can’t be contained.

Arm still around her shoulders, I tuck her in closer to me, relishing in the way she slots perfectly against my body. I always knew she was made for me, every inch of her perfectly created to be the final piece of the puzzle that has been my life.

“Yes, Princess, our home.”

Epilogue

Wyatt

Aurora’s grasp tightens in my curls, pulling as her breathing gets deeper, longer, with each stroke of my tongue and fingers. Toned, golden legs begin to shake, slung over my shoulders, exactly where they were designed to be. It’s moments like these, wrapped in nothing but devotion and pleasure with Aurora, that I wonder if some sort of higher power really does exist. Because there’s no way two people could be made so perfectly in harmony with each other just by coincidence.

And when she calls out my name, the sound a goddamn melody as tremors of ecstasy caress her body, I’m wholly convinced.

After lapping up the last few whimpers of her orgasm, I prop myself beside Aurora, pulling her into me, her leg resting on my hip. It’s taking every bit of self-control I have to not start grinding against her or roll her over so she’s fully straddling me. But I know we don’t have time today—well, not the amount of time I want to spend tangled up in the sheets with her.

“Did that help you feel less nervous, Princess?” I ask, rather enjoying the dazed glow in her fluttering eyes. Sunshine glitters through the crack in the curtains, a slice of morning light pouring over Aurora, making her skin glisten. So goddamn angelic.

She’s barely caught her breath back but offers me a blissful smile. “I think that might just do the trick.”

“Good,” I announce, smacking a kiss on her forehead before jumping out bed. “Because you need to get your ass up, otherwise your folks are gonna be waiting for us at the airport.”

Aurora groans, trying to pull the covers up around her face. I rip them away, revealing her crumpled face, and have to take a second to just bask in the gratitude that she is mine. But I can also still see the small glisten of worry in her eyes.

“Hey,” I whisper, brushing my lips against her freckled jaw. “They’re gonna love what we’ve done with Sunset Ranch, okay? They’re so proud of you and this business you’ve built, just like I am.”

Aurora’s soft smile and nod send a shot of warmth into my chest. Proud doesn’t cut how I feel about how hard she’s worked—constantly in awe might be a better way to describe it.

Setting up the retreat hasn’t been easy, especially as we’ve had to navigate how we’ll keep the place running during colder seasons, when having guests here just won’t work. But we’ve managed to adapt the activities to suit the weather and time of the year when we can, and when the spring hit, we were already fully booked. It’s been a rollercoaster since then, meeting so many new people, and even having to hire a couple more employees to help as we’ve expanded. Especially now we’re building a communal kitchen and dining area for guests.

But I get where her nerves have come from. Her family might know about everything we’ve been working on this past year, but this will be the first time they’ve seen it in person. Everything she chose to stay for, instead of returning home like planned.

And if anyone understands the fear of your parents not approving your decisions, it’s me. So, I sat for thirty minutes, holding her hand as we did a meditation together, knowing that sometimes she just needs someone to see her and how she feels without judgement. Then I peeled off her silky pyjamas and told her exactly how proud I am of her with my tongue.

As much as I hate to admit it, I do always feel better after doing a meditation with her. A year ago, I would’ve been appalled at the things Aurora’s managed to rope me into doing. I just didn’t realise how much more I’d care about loving her than what people thought of me back then. Which is good because I’ve been forced into far too many of her Instagram posts now. Somehow she even coerced me into going on her friend’s podcast with her.

I press another kiss to her neck, running my teeth along the sensitive skin. “Besides, your parents love me, so even if they’re not fans of the retreat, they’ll still be proud you managed to bag such a catch.”

Aurora snorts, pushing me away with a giggle as she finally climbs out the bed. “You have far too much confidence now. I think I preferred you when you were moody and self-deprecating.”

“Ah,” I say, not hiding the way I’m drinking in every inch of her bare body as she saunters over to the bedroom door, unhooking her satin robe from the back. “The good old days.”

Aurora opens the door before checking over her shoulder with a gleaming smile. “Nowhere as good as it is now.”

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