Page 62 of Made for Wilde

“What are you saying?” I whisper, almost afraid to hear his answer.

“I’m saying I want you to be mine.”

I blink, certain I’ve misheard him. “What?”

“I want you to be mine, Charlotte. And I want you to move in with me,” he repeats, his eyes never leaving mine. “To my cabin.”

I stare at him, speechless. This is so far beyond what I expected him to say that I can’t even process it.

“Koda, that’s... that’s crazy. We’ve known each other forever, sure, but this—us—it’s brand new. It’s too fast.”

He shrugs, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

“When you know, you know.”

Despite everything, I laugh. “Is that the Fit Mountain curse talking?”

His smile widens into a grin that transforms his entire face.

“Maybe. But it doesn’t make it any less true.” He takes my hands in his. “What do you say, Charlotte? Will you move in with me?”

I should say no. I should tell him we need to slow down, to date like normal people, to figure out if this is real or just incredible chemistry. But the thought of waking up next to Koda every morning, of falling asleep in his arms every night, ofmaking his cabin our home—it fills me with a joy so intense it’s almost painful.

“Yes,” I whisper, and then louder, “Yes, I will.”

His face lights up with a happiness that steals my breath. He pulls me into his arms, kissing me deeply, his beard scratching deliciously against my skin.

When we break apart, he keeps me close, his forehead pressed to mine. “There’s one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“I want you to quit your job at The Summit.”

I pull back slightly.

“My job? Why?”

“Because I don’t like the idea of you serving drinks to drunks until two in the morning.” His jaw tightens. “And because I want to take care of you. I want you to focus on finishing school and planning for that salon you want to open. You don’t need to be slinging beers for tips.”

“You’d do that for me?” My voice catches.

“I’d do anything for you.”

“What about my dad?”

Koda’s expression grows serious. “Let me worry about Jason.”

“He’s going to hate this. Hate us.”

“He might,” Koda acknowledges. “At first. But we’ll tell him when the time is right. For now, I just want to focus on us. On building something real between us without the pressure of what everyone else thinks.”

I know we’re delaying the inevitable, but I can’t bring myself to care. Not when Koda is looking at me like I’m the answer to every question he’s ever had.

“Okay,” I agree. “Us first. Dad later.”

His smile returns, slow and predatory.

“Now, about this ‘us’ thing...” He pulls me back down to the bed, covering my body with his. “I think we need to practice living together. Starting with how to share a bed.”