Page 34 of In Plain Sight

Intrigued, she opened his wallet and put her fingers into the inner flap. There was something there. She pulled it out, only to stare wide-eyed at a picture of her taken months ago. It was creased and faded, as if the photo had been handled often.

“You’re the wallet chick. My brothers teased me unmercifully about that when Sean found it while rifling through my stuff,” he mumbled.

He looked adorable when he flushed with embarrassment. Tough Cullen Whitefeather reduced to mumbling about a girl. Abouther.

“Where did you get this?” Sarah was dumbfounded. The picture showed her laughing at something Julia had said. It was bright green outside, so the picture would have been taken sometime in the spring or summer of last year.

“I took it last year, on one of my first forays into town. I used to avoid Cougar Falls, like all the eagles did. We spent our time in the forests, meeting up at the clan leader’s nest a few times a month. But when the eagles left, we stayed. Mom wanted me to check out town life, to maybe socialize more. From the first moment I saw you, I was hooked.”

“You were?” she asked, breathless.

“I didn’t call it love. Not at first. Infatuation. Lust. Hell, I came into the diner so much that first week people thought I’d gone crazy.”

“But you never said anything.” Imagine that. Cullen Whitefeather infatuated with her.

“I could barely speak around you. You made me nervous, and still do,” he said with a scowl. “But don’t let it get to your head. I’m getting better around you.”

“Yes, you are.” She smiled at him, totally in love.Yes, yes, mates. Love, her bird echoed.

“Right.” He cleared his throat and stepped closer, taking the wallet from her hand. He tossed it aside, but took the picture from her hand and caressed it lovingly before setting it on the coffee table. “I wanted you. I fell in love with you. But I didn’t know how to say it. You’re so far out of my league, Sarah. So pretty, so funny, so smart. I’m a simple craftsman with a crazy family. The raptors hate me.”

“You called them a bunch of henpecked asswipes,” she reminded him with a grin.

“They are.” He cradled her to his body, making her very aware of how much he still wanted her. “But you’re not. You’re everything to me. If you still want to move, we can go.”

“But what about your family?”

“They’ll always be my family. But you’re my mate. My love.” He kissed her, and she couldn’t stop the tears of joy from sliding down her cheeks. “Will you marry me, Sarah? Bear my young? Be my wife?”

“Only if you promise we’ll stay here, at least for now. I think the clan is ready for some changes. I know I am.” She nuzzled his cheek. “Can I tell you a secret?”

He lowered her to the floor, spread her thighs, and sank inside her. “Ah, yes. Tell me anything you want, baby.”

She sighed, finally happy. “I never made a fuss about birth control because a part of me, the insane part, always wanted a piece of you with me. My eagle’s been in love with you forever.”

“Smart bird.” He thrust faster, deeper, and kissed her. “God, I love you, Sarah.”

“Come inside me, mate. Give me everything,” she rasped as he took her to heaven. She came when he did, shuddering as her body convulsed around the hard male inside her.

“You already have everything, Sarah. All of me.”

“And to think you were there all the time. Just waiting for me to notice you.”

He kissed her again. “Always waiting for you, and only you. I’m a true raptor, Sarah. I’ll always be faithful. It’s a Whitefeather trait, you know.”

“Oh hell, they’re at it again,” Sean complained from the kitchen.

Sarah blushed, and Cullen groaned. She hurried to scoot out from under him, glad the family remained out of sight. “How about we take a flight outside? It’s clear out there for once. And maybe when we come back, you can install a few locks on your bedroom door?”

“Hell, yes. Now shift before my brother sees you.”

She laughed and turned into her eagle, gratified when Cullen did the same. They blinked at the rest of the family following Sean into the living room.

“Thank God he shifted.” Ian shuddered. “Cullen’s ass is something I can do without seeing for the rest of my life.”

Sheila glared at her sons, then turned back to Sarah and Cullen. “Blessings upon your union. Your father would be so pleased, Cullen.” She blinked back tears. “Now why don’t you two take a celebratory flight over Sarah’snewterritory, her new home, while I figure out which Whitefeather’s getting mated next?”

Sarah and Cullen screeched with laughter before flying out the open back door into a dark night sky. They flew higher and higher, together as one. In the distance, Cullen’s brothers’ arguments floated on the wind.

“A perfect ending to a perfect night.” Cullen laughed.

“I love you, Cullen.Now let’s see who can fly fastest toward that large stone.” She motioned to the boulder in question.

“You’re on.”

Cullen won by the tip of a wing, but Sarah didn’t consider herself a loser. How could she with the raptor she loved by her side?