Page 73 of Plus-Size Bullied Mate

“I’m not asking for that.”

“Good… because I want this too,” Tessa says, and her voice remains quiet yet steady. She looks at our hands, then at my face, showing me just how much she means it. “I’ve been fighting it because it’s easier to fight things than it is to trust them, but I’m tired of fighting you. I’m tired of fighting this.”

Moved by her willingness to move on from the things that followed us for far too long, I feel my shoulders relax, and I let my fingers slide into her hair.

“Then don’t.”

She looks at me for a long moment, and despite the complicated history between us, along with years of distance, damage, and the exhaustion that comes with it, I watch her willingly put it all down.

Tessa leans in, and I meet her halfway, capturing her lips with mine all over again. She relaxes against me, allowing herself to bask in the moment.

I do the same, forcing myself to keep track of every feeling, both big and small.

***

The old cabin on the outskirts of our territory is still Tessa’s, as she lived there before I brought her to the main house. It just hasn’t seen life in the last few weeks.

We walk through the woods as the sunlight lowers and becomes more golden. The long shadows of late afternoon fall through the pines, lighting the way as we go.

She knows this path better than I do, as she walked it many times in the version of her life that was about surviving rather than belonging. Even so, she walks it differently now, grounded in the decision she chose, and with absolute acceptance.

I follow her without question, letting her take the lead.

The cabin is small and a bit cold inside, but once the fire is built and Tessa wraps herself in a blanket she dusted off from the bed, the space becomes cozier.

She sits on the floor in front of the growing flames, vaguely cold still, but honest in the way she huddles up.

Unwilling to let the moment pass, I sit beside her, feeling as she leans into me and shares the blanket.

The contact starts as a small thing, yet that little surrender sparks a continuous want and need inside me, longing to keep her safe and comfortable.

My arm easily slips around her as I keep her close, and the two of us watch while the fire grows as the flames engulf more of the logs. Outside, the woods settle into the early evening, and nobody is there to rush us.

The bond between us is quiet and content, still humming lowly beneath it all.

For the first time, it feels like that connection is exactly how it was always meant to be, and how I plan to keep it so long as I breathe.

Turning my head just enough, I press a gentle kiss to Tessa’s temple, letting her feel everything I have in my heart for her. She eases into it, seeking more of my presence and warmth.

Regardless of all that I’ve done in the past, she’s here with me, and that alone makes me the most fortunate man in the world.

Chapter 29 - Tessa

The cabin is warm from the fire Hunter put together when we arrived, but it isn’t the reason why I’m burning on the inside.

His hands are everywhere, mapping every inch of my body he can find, more like it’s the first time all over again. My clothes are long gone, along with his, leaving us skin-to-skin and chasing the usual rush.

We tried holding off… we really did. But the fire was nice, his solid frame was pressed against mine, and the quiet of the cabin left us with the prime opportunity to burn off the rest of our adrenaline.

Now, Hunter’s kissing down my chest while he grips my waist, leaving each affection with such care and devotion that it makes my blood rush even hotter.

He pauses on my left side, capturing my nipple between his lips. He hums at the way I squirm under the contact, which makes him pay even more attention.

A soft breath escapes me when he uses his tongue, teasing me like he’s always good at doing.

When he lets go and moves further down, his eyes flick up to meet mine. The gleam in them sends a shiver down my spine.

“Always so sensitive for me…”