Southern Seduction (131 page)

“It’s you, baby. It’s always been you.”

I walk her back towards the bed and lay her down gently. I undo each garter and slowly pull her stocking down to her feet, where I free her of her heels. She’s on the bed in nothing but a tiny pair of panties, and I love the sight of her squirming. My fingers hook around them and I pull them off of her in one swift move. Standing up, I slide my boxers down and grab my wallet to take out a condom, which I go ahead and slide onto my already hard cock.

Hovering over her, I stare down into her eyes, trying to commit this moment to memory, telling myself that this is real, that she’s really here. Her hand runs up my chest and rests on my tattoo.

“I’m your swallow,” she says quietly, almost non-believing.

Brushing the hair out of her face, I gaze down at her. “You’re my swallow. You’re my home. A pretty girl once told me that swallows mate for life, and they always find their way back to each other. For the longest time, I didn’t believe it. But then you walked back into my life, and my faith was restored.” I sit back on my heels, grabbing her foot. I lean in and kiss her swallow tattoo before I hold her foot up to my chest. “This is more than enough proof that I need to know that your dad was right. It may have taken five springs, but you’re finally back where you belong—with me, home.”

Her eyes well up and tears spill out onto her cheeks. I bring my hand up to wipe them away with my thumb, but they keep coming.

“Pretty girl, don’t cry,” I tell her, but the silent tears continue to fall.

“I’m sorry. I’m so happy that you’re here. That we’re here. The idea that we have matching tattoos is overwhelming, and my heart is so full, Sawyer. But what happened back at the hotel was awful.”

I brush her hair with my hand, trying to soothe her. “Don’t let yourself think about her, Cheyenne.” I’m naked with a condom-covered cock and she’s crying about her mother. I’m not exactly sure how to handle this, but I’ll do whatever she needs me to.

“It’s not her. I could give a shit less about that woman at this point. It’s just… In our altercation, she was able to rip my chain off and get ahold me of the rings Daddy gave her. As much as I begged, she wouldn’t give them back, and she vowed to pawn them. I guess you just mentioning him made me think of it. I’m sorry, Sawyer. I didn’t mean to ruin the moment,” she says, looping her arms around my neck, trying to pull me down to her.

As much as I want to be with her right now, I know there’s something else I have to do. I unwind her arms from around my neck and get up off the bed.

She protests, sitting up on her elbows. “Sawyer, where are you going?” she asks when she sees me walking towards the door.

“Just trust me, Cheyenne. I’ll be right back.” She looks at me quizzically, but she lets me go.

A couple of minutes later, I reenter the boathouse with both our bags. She’s giggling when she sees me.

“What?” I ask, wondering what’s so funny.

She points at my cock, trying to stifle a laugh. “Sawyer, you just ran out to the car wearing nothing but a condom.”

Looking down, I realize that she’s right. In the heat of the moment, all I could think of was her and I didn’t care that I wasn’t dressed. I send her a mock scowl, which sends her into another fit of giggles. Rummaging through my bag, I finally find what I’m looking for, closing it in my fist.

Settling back in on the bed, I hover over her. Ready to claim her. Ready to make her mine. Ready to finally be home.

Cheyenne

I can’t help but crack up when Sawyer comes back into the boathouse. Just a few moments ago I was squirming, wishing he’d make love to me already. Then, all of a sudden, I was freaking him out with my crying. The loss of the rings truly devastates me, but the thought of being here with him fills my heart with a happiness that is unparalleled.

I couldn’t believe that he could remember everything I said in the letter, and when I saw the tattoo on his chest, my heart plummeted to the ground and then did a quick soaring motion. I felt like I was on the world’s hilliest rollercoaster. When I wrote those words all those years ago, I meant every single one. At the same time, I was skeptical. The swallow had failed me once. Why should I have trusted it again? Instead, it proved me wrong, and the evidence is now hovering over me in the form sexy, sinful Sawyer Callahan.

I grip his waist, trying to draw him to me, but he resists. I groan, wishing for his closeness, having wanted this for weeks and been missing it for years.

“Pretty girl, look at me.” I can hear the emotion in his voice, and my eyes race to meet his as he continues. “I realize it’s probably too soon. And as much as I don’t want to freak you out and send you running, I need you to know what’s in my heart. Almost six years ago, I fell in love with you, and as much as I’ve tried to fight it, I’ve been loving you ever since. And I always will. I love you, Cheyenne Hamilton, and from now on, I’ll never let you run. I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth. Wherever you are, I’ll be there beside you for as long as you’ll have me.”

His words penetrate my heart, and I feel more loved than I have in such a long time. My mind is replaying his words as he positions himself at my entrance once again, and I lift up, wanting him inside me now. He grabs my hand and holds it above my head as he slowly slides into me. His other hand comes up and holds something in front of my face.

The ring in his finger catches my eyes, and I take it, my eyes widening when I realize what it is. A sob escapes, and Sawyer sits up, bringing me into his lap, still buried deep inside me. His arms wrap around me, and he holds me close as every last tear falls. Finally, I calm myself, pulling back from him.

“Can I see it?” I ask meekly, still not believing that it’s real. He nods, and hands the ring to me. “I never thought I’d see this again,” I choke out as I inspect my daddy’s wedding band. “How?”

“I guess I left that part of the story out earlier. When I went back to your house to see if you were there, I found it under your bed. I couldn’t leave it there, so I pocketed it, and I’ve been holding on to it ever since.”

I study the ring, choking up at the sight of it after such a long time. I thought it was lost to me, and tonight, when she tore her rings away from me, I was shattered. Now that I’m holding Daddy’s ring in my hands, my heart soars and swells with such love for Sawyer, knowing that he kept it for me all these years. I feel ridges on the inside of the ring, and my brows furrow. Sawyer’s being patient as hell, and while I hate to keep him waiting, I have to study the ring.

“Baby, what’re you doing?” he asks breathlessly, rocking into me. The feel of him filling me fully is enough to drive me wild, but I’m a girl on a mission.

“Sawyer, the ring. I think there’s an inscription,” I breathe, barely able to speak from the sensual movements. He stills, leaning over to flip on the lamp next to the bed.

I know this isn’t how either of us pictured our first time together after so many years, but I can’t help myself. I feel bad that I’m messing this up for him, so I give my vagina walls a little clenching motion, hoping those kegels that Cori tells me about are working right about now.

Leaning towards the light, I hold the ring up. I circle it around in my fingers before the light finally hits the inscription. My eyes focus. Then I hold the ring out and they focus again. Am I reading this correctly? Squinting, I bring the ring right up to my eyes, and I know I’m not seeing things. I look at Sawyer, whose gaze is soft, then back to the ring. He did this. He’s held on to it for so long and he had enough faith in us to do this. I slip the ring on my thumb and turn to him.

“Birdie?” I ask, the sound of Daddy’s name for me feeling foreign on my tongue, and the significance of the inscription takes my breath away.

He leans down and presses a soft kiss against my lips. “Like you said, you’re my swallow. Always have been, always will be. I love you, Cheyenne. Always have, always will.”

“I love you, too, city boy. That will never change,” I tell him, clutching my fist around my daddy’s ring, the ring that I hope one day will be his, because one thing’s for sure. I’m never letting Sawyer Callahan get away again.

Two years later

Sawyer

I know what you’re probably thinking. You think you’re about to get some big song and dance about how happy we are with an update on how many babies we have and how my girl’s waiting at home with dinner at the stove. Yeah, not gonna happen. Have you met Cheyenne?

Once we got back to Atlanta after that weekend, she insisted on switching departments. I knew how valuable she was in the production department, so instead of letting her leave, I took my dad up on the offer of CFO. That opened up the job of department head for Cheyenne, but she refused until I made it clear that she was best for the job. She finally accepted—begrudgingly—but not before she withheld sex for a week. Or well, tried to. I wore her down after a couple of days. Okay, in reality, it only took a couple of hours. It also only took her about that long to convince her to move in with me when we got home from Shiloh Grove, and I’ve been loving waking up to her every single day for the past two years.

Things with her mom were tense for a while, but we didn’t let it bother us. Without my saying anything, Dad somehow happened to find out about her cheating, and, well, he swiftly kicked her to the curb. We haven’t heard much from her, except when she needs money, but that’s few and far between, especially since the answer’s always no. Last we heard, she’s latched herself on to another unsuspecting fool. As long as she leaves Cheyenne alone, I don’t give a shit what she does.

Tonight, we’re celebrating. It’s been two years since that spring when we reconnected. Wyatt’s also finally decided to retire, causing for even more celebration. We’re back in Shiloh Grove for one last hog roast in his honor before he hands the reins over to my cousin, who’s been working for him for years. Looking around, I feel extremely grateful for that first summer I spent here. Not only did I get to meet a beautiful girl, the love of my life, but I also grew up and became part of a family I never really knew existed.

I spot my girl across the lake laughing at whatever the old man is saying to her. After the joke she told me he’d teased her with about banging cousins, I can’t even begin to imagine what he could be going on about now. She’s wearing a pale orange sundress, and it looks amazing against her bronze skin. It’s one of her favorite because of the pockets, and I can see her hands inside them now. Her long hair is in a loose braid that hangs off one shoulder, and her eyes light up at Wyatt’s joke. Not wanting to be away from her for another second, I’m about to head over when a hand clasps my shoulder.

I turn around, seeing Bryan. “Hey, man. Thanks for inviting us,” he says, gesturing back towards his girlfriend. Once he realized I wasn’t going to break Cheyenne’s heart, he warmed up to me and we became pretty damn good friends.

I nod. “No problem. Glad y’all could make it,” I tell him honestly. I’ll forever be grateful for how he looked out for Cheyenne all those years we were apart.

He grins at me, a huge grin, and I’m not sure what his deal is. “You’re a lucky-ass man, Callahan” he says cryptically then walks away. Uhh, okay? He’s right though. I won’t deny it. Maybe Cheyenne mentioned that it was our anniversary.

Suddenly, Cheyenne’s in front of me, grabbing my hand. She starts pulling me around the lake and doesn’t stop until we’re on the dock. The sun is just beginning to set, and I can hear the sound of the live band starting to perform. A smile crosses my face when a cover of our song, Fall Into Me, starts to play.

“What’re you up to, pretty girl?” I ask her, wrapping my arms around her waist. We’ve danced plenty of times on this dock over the last two summers, and I like to think of it as our special place. Her eyes twinkle and she looks around, seemingly nervous.

She takes a deep breath and then looks into my eyes. “I love you, Sawyer Callahan. Always have, always will. This place is special to us. It’s where we were met. Where we fell in love. It’s where I realized I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And I think we’ve waited long enough,” she says. I watch as she unclasps her necklace and slides her dad’s ring off the chain. She holds it in between her fingers, presenting it to me. “Marry me, city boy.”