“This was Mammy’s. She and River Dog were never married, you know. Not in the white culture sense. They were just… them. This is the ring River Dog gave her when he asked her to be his forever.” I showed it to her. “He made it. She wore it every day of her life. And when she passed, the day she knew she was going, she gave it to me. Didn’t say nothin’, but didn’t have to.”
“Crow…” she gasped. “I wasn’t asking you to—”
“I ain’t askin’ you to marry me. Maybe someday, if we decide that’s what we want. This is just me askin’ you to be mine.”
She took the ring from me, slid it onto her right hand ring finger. “I already was, Crow. But now I’ve got your ring on so everyone knows.”
I fell to the bed, taking her with me, holding her on my chest. “Love you, Charlie-girl. I love that you don’t hesitate to try the crazy shit. To wear my ring when we barely met each other.”
“Time is irrelevant, Crow. I know you. You know me. My heart knows how I feel about you. My body knows it’s meant for yours. My mind says this is a little crazy, a lot fast, but my brain is an idiot. My brain picked Glen because he was safe, and the good girl choice.”
“I sure as shit ain’t the good girl choice.”
“But you’re the right choice for me,” she said. “Now. Feed me, and make love to me again. This time, on a blanket outside. I’ve always wanted to have sex outside.” She giggled. “The blowjob doesn’t count as having sex outside. But it was hot.”
“Hot? Woman, you about killed me.”
She grinned. “I think I just might be a fan of giving you blowjobs.” She wiggled her eyebrows, silly, goofy, but hot as fuck. “This is good news for you.”
“Keep talkin’ about blowjobs, Charlie darlin’, and you won’t get food before we go again.”
“Oooh, baby, threaten me with a good time, why don’t you,” she purred, reaching for me, finding me nearly ready again. “God, how fast can you be ready again? It’s been what, ten minutes?”
I laughed. “Honey, it’syou. You do things to me.”
“Well, I like doing things to you.” She pulled at me. Drew me closer. Hauled me down over her and slid me home. “I can wait to eat.”
I groaned at the feel of her, bare. “I ain’t wearing a condom.”
“You’ll just have to pull out and come all over me, then, won’t you?”
I bent, laughing into her breasts. “You lost your damn mind, woman. You really want that?”
“I want everything, Crow. I want it dirty, and rough, and wild, and sweet, and messy.”
I made her come two times. Three? I lost track, so did she. And when she knew I was close, she pushed me so I pulled out, and her sweet soft quick hands stroked me slowly until I made a godawful mess all over her belly and breasts, and she traced designs in the mess, smiling at me.
“You made a mess,” she laughed.
“I’ll clean it up.” I fetched a paper towel from the kitchen, only to find her licking the finger she’d been dragging through the mess. “Damn, girl. What kinda tiger did I tie onto?”
She just laughed and let me clean her up. “I don’t know, honestly. We’re both finding out together.” Her eyes became serious, then. “And I’m loving every minute of it.”
“You sure do seem like a good girl on the surface, Charlie Goode. But get you naked and horny, and you ain’t so good after all, are you?”
“Only for you, Crow. You’re the only one who ever has and ever will get the not-so-good version of me.”
She kissed me, then, and we nearly didn’t make it out of the bed for dinner.
Forever with her suddenly seemed like an awful nice prospect.
THE END
Epilogue
Lexie
The box came about two months after Crow left for Alaska.
