Bearclaw Valley [m] everything i wanted

Cole's breath caught somewhere low in his chest as she came near—soft and reverent, like the hush before rainfall. He hadn't needed her words to know, but hearing them, in that voice only he was meant to hear, struck something deep. Something older than his bones. His head dipped to meet her touch beneath his jaw, her scent curling through him like smoke through timber.
No, lil' lady, he rumbled, voice rough but steady, I ain't lettin' you do a damn thing tonight.
A beat passed. He leaned closer, brushing his nose along her temple, pausing at her ear with something like a sigh.
I'm takin' care of you.
He meant it. In every way. He would shoulder the world to keep her safe. If her heart ached, he'd be the balm. If her body cried out, he'd be the answer. There was no question anymore. Only the steady rhythm of a vow he'd made long ago, wordless and eternal.
His jaw clenched against the swell of feeling, and yet he softened as he pressed against her fully, drawing her in beneath the sanctuary of their willow.
You want this? he asked low, not to doubt—but to hear it again, to feel it spoken. You want me?