For Riggs, the rest of the day went by in a blur in the aftermath of the accident.

Although Sage had walked out of the rubble unharmed, the ambulance that arrived a moment later insisted on bringing her in. And they wanted to check Riggs out too, since an off-duty EMT who had been peach-picking insisted that he had been hit by the runaway tractor.

Meanwhile at the hospital, Riggs refused medical treatment from the increasingly aggressive staff. He finally made a frantic call to Dr. Bhimani, who asked to be put on the phone with the attending physician. He listened to her for a long time, then hung up and said he understood that Riggs was under her care. Thankfully that had the effect of stopping the staff from harassing him and his secret was safe for another day.

Though she appeared to be miraculously uninjured, Sage was kept for observation, with Riggs by her side.

Under the surveillance of the nurses and cameras they could say nothing of their feelings and experiences, so he amused her by reading magazine quizzes out loud to her and roaring with laughter at her answers.

They were finally released just as the sun was sinking. Arden picked them up in the truck. They rode home listening to how the day at the farm had gone, squished pleasantly close by the small cab.

They arrived at home to find Tansy and Burton at the kitchen counter, adding up the day’s receipts while Drago pulled a tray of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven.

“Sage,” Tansy cried.

“Riggs,” Burton said, smiling.

Tansy told them that when the police announced officially that the brakes on the tractor had been sabotaged, social media lit up, and then explained to him and his brothers what most of those words meant when put together like that.

After the announcement, it hadn’t taken long for Clement Peterson to turn himself in. Before he did so, he posted a statement:

“I am so sorry. It was just a tractor. I didn’t think little kids were going to get involved with it.”

Riggs was both relieved and a little disappointed that it had turned out not to be ninjas.

“Oh, so now you’re interested in accounting?” Sage teased her little sister, indicating the pile of receipts on the table.

Tansy pushed them over for Sage to peruse for herself.

“Glad you’re home, brother,” Drago said to Riggs.

“Me too,” Riggs agreed. “That was closer than I care to come to disaster.”

“But here we are,” Drago grinned, his blue eyes flashing.

“Here we are,” Riggs had to agree.

“One more weekend like this and we’re in the black,” Sage was telling Tansy over at the counter, her voice soft with wonder.

Tansy wrapped her arms around her sister’s neck and squealed.

“We’re going to bring cookies over to the observatory,” Burton told Riggs quietly. “We have an excuse for a neighborly visit now, to thank Bond and Posey for what they’re doing to help the farm. Otis has brought us costumes so we won’t be recognized. It will be good to see our brothers.”

Riggs nodded, glad they could see their brothers at the observatory, but wondering how long until he could take Sage to bed.

“It will also be good for you to have time alone with your mate,” Burton said.

“Alone?” Riggs echoed.

“You’re not coming with us,” Burton said. “You and Sage need, um, rest.”

Riggs looked over at his mate. She glanced up at him as if he had called to her, and smiled.

Riggs smiled back and then nodded to his brother.

“That sounds good,” he said.

Sage was already sipping a mug of tea and chatting with Tansy and Arden about how to handle crowd control the next day.

Riggs slipped off and took a shower.

When he came back the others were preparing to leave.

“I’ll just take a shower too,” Sage said. “My hair is still full of dust.”

“Do you want some help?” he suggested.

She blushed and shook her head.

“Should I wait for you in your room?” he asked.

“Yes, please,” she whispered, going up on her toes to give him a quick peck on the cheek that somehow sent his senses reeling.

When his brothers and their mates headed out, Riggs went to Sage’s room to wait for her.

He had no intention of rushing her into anything, but he couldn’t resist removing his bathrobe and slipping into her bed.

The blanket and pillows carried her light scent. He had a sudden instinct to roll around in it like Cleo the cat did when she found a smell she wanted to keep.

The sound of the shower stopped and he shivered with anticipation.

A moment later, Sage appeared, wrapped in a fluffy white bathrobe.

Riggs sat up.

“Do you feel better?” he asked.

“Yes, the shower felt really good,” she replied.

She suddenly looked shy and younger than usual.

He wondered if she was nervous about consummating their mating.

“Come, let me hold you,” he offered, holding his arms out. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions about what happened today. It’s good that we can talk now.”

She smiled and came to him, nestling her warm, fragrant body to his.

The pleasure of it was intoxicating and Riggs felt like he was in a dream, too joyful for it to be real.

“Why didn’t I get hurt in the shed?” she asked.

“I think it’s the same reason I didn’t get hurt when the tractor hit me,” he replied carefully.

“So it did hit you,” she said, her voice tinged with wonder.

“Yes, of course it did,” he said. “I felt terrible saying everyone was wrong, but I can’t exactly show off my gift.”

“So you’re super strong?” she asked.

“Not exactly,” he said. “I’m… I guess you would say I’m indestructible.”

“You’re indestructible?” she repeated.

He nodded. “Or unbreakable, however you want to say it.”

“That’s…that’s crazy,” she said.

He nodded again.

“But it makes sense,” she said. “I remember when you fell off the ladder and you didn’t get hurt.”

“Yeah,” he said. “It was too bad you had to see that.”

“Well, it’s better now that I know you don’t have internal injuries you’re hiding,” she teased.

He laughed.

“But that doesn’t explain why I didn’t get hurt,” she said quietly.

“Oh,” he said, trying to think of a way to explain to her that she had chosen to accept him without meaning to.

“I think I know though,” she said, shifting around in his arms to face him.

She gazed into his eyes and reached out a tentative hand to stroke his jaw.

“I think it’s because I accepted you as my mate,” she said.

He closed his eyes against the pleasure of her hand on his skin, her words in his heart.

“Is that what happened?” she asked.

He nodded, unable to speak.

“I’m so glad,” she said simply.

And though her words brought him joy, he still had to ask her a question.

“Sage, you said you wished you could be my mate,” he began. “But you thought you were dying and you wanted to protect me. You didn’t know you would be held to those words, bound by them.”

“And you’re worried that I might be sorry?” she asked.

He nodded, searching her face for a sign that he was right.

“I guess I’ve really been stupid,” Sage said, sighing and shaking her head.

“You could never be stupid,” he told her.

“That’s very sweet of you, Riggs. But honestly, I’m good with numbers and business theory, but not with real things, the things that matter, the things that have been right in front of my eyes,” she said.

His heart thundered in his ears.

“I love you,” she told him. “I’ve loved you from the beginning, I think. You’re kind and you work hard. You’re a good listener. And being with you makes me a better person. I don’t think I needed to say those words today for us to be bound. I had already said them in my heart.”

He crushed her to his chest, pressing his lips to her hair as she squeezed him back.

“I love you, Sage,” he whispered. “I love you so much.”

She wiggled out of his hold and put her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly again.

“We don’t have to do anything today if you’re still getting used to the idea—” Riggs began.

But she slid one hand down to untie her robe.

Suddenly her soft, warm, naked body was pressed to his.

He was nearly overwhelmed by how good it felt to share her body heat, to feel every inch of her with nothing between them.

She pressed her lips to his and he moaned at the sensation.

He ran a hand through her hair and the other down the line of her body, tracing every curve. When he reached her bottom he spread his hand wide and pressed her harder against him.

She whimpered against his mouth and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss and caress her tongue with his.

Sage clutched his upper arms as if she were trying to hold on.

He understood how she felt. Waves of need swept through him, pushing him to the edge even as he fought to move slowly, and enjoy the experience with her.

When he could bear no more, he pulled away and looked down at her.

Sage gazed up at him, her eyes hazy with need.

“Beautiful,” he whispered.

Then he lowered his head to lightly kiss her neck and brush his lips against her collar bone.

She arched her back in invitation.

He nuzzled her generous breasts and licked one stiff little nipple into his mouth.

She moaned lightly in response.

Her sound encouraged him and he skimmed his thumb over the other nipple, teasing it until it was a hard little pebble.

He left one breast to lick and suck at the other.

Sage arched her back as if to beg for more.

Instead, he licked a line down her belly and nudged her thighs open.

Sage stilled and seemed to hold her breath.

Riggs nuzzled her tender inner thighs.

Sage’s hips trembled.

He loved to see her respond to his touch, loved the way she allowed him to tease her.

He pressed a kiss to her opening at last and slid his tongue against her, exploring her gently.

“Ohhh,” Sage moaned.

The sound went straight to his cock, which went from stiff to throbbing in an instant.

Ignoring the frantic demands of his own body, he licked her slowly and thoroughly, avoiding only the stiff little pyramid he knew would throw her over the edge.

Sage’s sounds grew more and more desperate.

When she helplessly lifted her hips to meet his mouth, he knew she was ready.

Giving her one last, loving lick, he crawled up to join her.

She gazed up at him, her eyes luminous, her lips swollen from his kisses.

“Are you ready?” he asked her.

“Yes, please, please,” she begged.