by Rae, Harloe
She snorts. “I’m guessing disastrous.”
“Please put me out of my misery, babe. This separation is damn near draining my will to stand. If I stooped to my knees and begged for a second chance, would it suit you?”
Audria laughs when I begin lowering into a crouch. “Oh, I’m babe again?”
I take a chance and swipe a thumb along her silky jaw. “You always have been. I’m just an asshole. I have months of groveling ahead as retribution.”
“There’s more? I can’t imagine what else you’re capable of.”
My heart soars when she leans into my touch.
“It’s all about the anticipation,” I croon.
Her lashes flutter. “I believe a wise woman told you that.”
“She sure did.” A rumble rises from me. “I love you, Audria. I want the real deal, an actual relationship without an end date, all the bells and whistles. I’m all in.”
Her bottom lip quivers. “Really?”
“Without a doubt, babe. These feelings have been sprouting and growing and thriving for longer than I was willing to admit. I used them as an excuse to push you away. Out of utter stupidity, I believed you’d stay in Bam for the wrong reasons. I didn’t want to trap you somewhere you didn’t want to be. Assuming I had the power to do so was a grave mistake. It’s your choice to decide where to live and the reasons why. I hope you can still see me as a worthy one.”
“Oh, farmer.” She sags into me. “You’re the only one.”
I press my lips to her forehead. “Yeah?”
Audria loops her arms around my waist. “What if I don’t leave?”
The possibility makes me smile. “Don’t give a man false hope, city girl.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” She lays her head on my chest. “I can see staying in Bam.”
A cringe squints my eyes. “Is there a but attached?”
“Always.” She laughs. “Moving permanently depends on securing a job. I need an income to pay rent and all that other fun adulting stuff.”
“I hear Buck is hiring,” I offer.
She swats my arm. “I’m not gonna work at the Salt Lick.”
“Why? You can serve me all day, babe.”
Her huff vibrates into me. “That sounds lovely and all, but I went to school to teach. Working with kids is my passion.”
“Does it count if a lot of the patrons act like children?”
She taps her chin. “I’ll consider it as an option.”
I chuckle. “You’ll have plenty of better options. I doubt the school wants to lose you. Gabby will put in a good word with the principal.”
“That’ll make sticking around much easier.” Audria wags her brows.
I pick her up, spinning us around in a circle. “I love you, babe.”
“You’re making a scene,” she squeaks.
I bury my nose in her neck, reveling in the scent of sugary flowers and sheer salvation. “I don’t care. Let ’em talk. I want the entire town to know you’re mine.”
Audria cups my cheek, brushing our lips together. “I love you, Reeve Colton.”
“Damn, there are no sweeter words.”
She bites her lip. “I might have a few to test that theory.”
“And I will gladly volunteer to participate in this study.”
Before I can suggest how we celebrate, Bea and a woman I recognize from Audria’s Zoom chats materialize out of seemingly nowhere.
“Well, this is super cute.” The redhead sticks out her hand. “I’m Vannah. It’s so great to meet you. Audria just goes on and on. It seems like I’ve known you my entire life.”
“Vannah,” Audria hisses between clenched teeth.
Her friend just laughs. “She pretends to be shy, but we all know that’s not the case.”
I get the impression this chick is the female equivalent of Gavin. Getting them in a room together could be quite comical. That amusing thought gives me an idea. “Do you ladies have plans this evening?”
“We’re pregaming at Bea’s house.” Vannah lifts a basketful of chips and other snacks.
Audria chomps on the edge of her fingernail. “It’s girls’ night. We’re going to the Salt Lick later.”
“Oh, no.” Vannah shakes her head. “You’re officially uninvited, at least until this is all sorted.”
Audria parks a fist on her hip. “You can’t phase me out.”
“I’m pretty sure I just did.”
“Rude.”
“You’re welcome.” Vannah taps Audria on the nose.
Audria swats at her hand. “You drove to Iowa so we could hang out.”
“No, no. I came as moral support. Me stepping aside while you two make up doggy style is better than a pitcher of shandy. Trust me,” she whispers close to Audria’s ear.
Audria recoils from her friend. “Filter much?”
“Not recently. I find my point gets across faster without all the glitter and glam.”
I chuckle at their humorous camaraderie. “If you’re going to the Salt Lick, Gavin should be there around ten.”
A glimmer of interest sparks in Vannah’s eye. “Oh, who’s Gavin?”
“He’s no one,” Bea blurts. “I mean, he’s a total player, not the relationship type. It’s best to look elsewhere if you’re interested in meeting someone.”
“I see.” Vannah studies Bea for a long moment. “That’s good to know.”
“Yep, happy to help.” Bea’s smile wobbles at the corners.
“And on that note”—Vannah turns to us—“have fun, kids. Remember to practice safe sex.”
With a backward wave, the two girls strut toward the checkout lanes. Audria gapes at their retreating forms. “My friends just ditched me.”
“Are you mad?”
She swings her gaze to mine. “Not really.”
“It’s nice that they get along.” I lift a shoulder.
“It makes our change of plans easier to execute. That’s for sure.”
I drift my nose along her cheek. “Since your night just opened up, how about we grab a bite to eat?”
“Where will we go?”
“I know a great barbecue joint,” I hint. A full circle on this deal feels more than appropriate—fresh outlook and all that.
“That happens to be one of my favorites. Speaking of, I’ve been thinking,” she begins.
“You know how I appreciate your train of thoughts.”
She hums. “How about we don’t start completely from scratch?”
“What’re you getting at?” I feel ten feet tall as we stroll toward the exit.
“Maybe we go to my place for dessert.”
My dick twitches, offering a burst of enthusiasm. “And fourth meal?”
“Ambitious,” she purrs.
“And lonely. I need you, babe.”
Audria laces her fingers through mine. “You have me.”
We last all of thirty minutes at the Pit before I’m breaking the speed limit in our desperate hustle to consummate this newfound arrangement. I grip the steering wheel as a jolt snakes under my skin. That zap only succeeds in spurring me on. It’s official—and very arousing—to repeat that we’re a couple. Audria is my girlfriend. Damn, that’s so fucking sexy.
I pull into her driveway with squealing tires and the stench of burning rubber. I barely slam the truck into park before hopping out and dashing to her side. I slip around in the damn slush, but Audria pounces on me without worry for her own safety. With my hand strapped under her ass, she’s secure in the cradle of my arms. I rain kisses along her jaw while she blindly digs through an oversized bag for her keys. Her hands clutch at my shoulders as we bounce up the porch steps. We’re a sloppy tornado of lust spinning down a snowy trail.
She giggles as I slide across the wood boards. “Someone’s in a hurry.”
“And you’re not?” I jostle her in my hold on the icy stoop.
“I never said that.” She arches against me to unlock the deadbolt. “Watching you squirm under my palm
and unable to reciprocate gets me very hyped.”
I groan and storm inside the foyer, trapping her against the nearest wall. As if she weren’t testing my limits enough, Audria thought it’d be fun to tease me through my jeans the entire ride home. My dick is one pump from detonation. I’ll need a hot second to cool my engines, or our reunion will be far too quick.
Our mouths lead us to temptation as I lean in and reveal my intentions. “Well, guess what? I’m about to pay you back, babe.”
She wiggles against me as I peel off her coat. Her boots hit the floor with two hollow thuds. I guide her legs from around me until she’s standing. Our height difference allows me to tower over her, creating a cage of my own making. I would worry about confining her too much if it weren’t for the sultry sounds pouring from her tongue. Having her in my grasp again gets me harder than steel. A fiery rush of blood pumps south when she rubs along the hard length bulging in my pants. She reaches for me again, squeezing the base with just enough pressure. I have to flex every other muscle to counterbalance the demands of my cock.
Audria claws at my clothes, popping a few buttons off my flannel. “You’re so hot, farmer.”
My fingers fumble at her waist, searching for the combination to grant me entry. “Babe, you burn me, and it’s about to get scorching.”
She licks my bottom lip. “Flattery will grant you favors.”
“Of the sexual variety?” I lash her tongue with mine.
Her desire couldn’t be more apparent as she gyrates against me. “Most definitely.”
I lower to my knees, shucking her jeans and panties in one downward sweep. Audria whips off her shirt in a single motion. She tosses her lace bra away next, leaving her blessedly bare. Rosy nipples stand proud and erect, begging for my mouth. Those pert peaks will have to wait. My focus latches solely on the heaven between her thighs.
She yanks my head backward with a fistful of hair. Her eyes sear into mine, making a shiver skate down my spine despite the overwhelming heat. “We’ll cover all our bases on the next go. I just need you inside of me. Now.”
I drape one of her legs over my shoulder, exposing the most intimate part of her for my taking. “Let me worship you,” I plead.
Audria thrashes her head against the wall. “I want you inside of me.”
“Soon,” I assure, exhaling across her seam.
The fight leaves her with a moan, and she surrenders to my assault. I swipe through her folds with the barest hint of my lips. Her unique, tangy flavor mixes with savory lust, calling to me with the promise of satisfaction. A forward sweep brings me to the hardened precipice that makes her quake against me. I dip a finger inside her heat while keeping firm pressure on her clit. Her piercing cries reward the fast swipes and rapid spirals of my tongue. Her seam, petal soft against my onslaught, spreads open for me to delve beyond escape.
“So good,” she cries. “More. Please.”
My woman doesn’t have to beg, especially for this. I smash my mouth against her slit, preparing to drown in her essence. What a damn fine way to be sent off. Her grasp on my hair borders on harsh as she steers me tight between her thighs. I’m all too happy to let her smother me. She rocks her pelvis into my mouth, chasing her pleasure. I double my efforts, adding a second finger and flicking her nub with relentless strikes.
“Yes, yes. Right there,” Audria whimpers.
A growl rumbles from me in response, sending a vibration across her core. I stroke a thumb across the ridge at her hipbone. Touching every piece of her is becoming an obsession. I’ll get the opportunity for years to come. Nothing stands between us anymore.
She commands her passion and swivels faster against me. A mewl trips from her on a gasp as she clamps onto my pumping fingers. Her orgasm seems to tear through her, seizing every muscle in a jerking tremor. The scream that shatters between us fills my chest with warmth. She splinters apart under my ministrations. Mine. That’s the word I repeat as the final shockwaves ripple through her limbs. I straighten from my kneeling position with a smirk. Audria gives me a sluggish grin in return.
Audria doesn’t take long to recover from the afterglow. Her nails scratch across my scalp, yanking at the roots with purpose. In a cohesive motion, our mouths crash together in a savage exchange. We take and give, each breath passing from me to her. My dick is hard enough to make me dizzy. She must feel that urgency thrumming from me. I rain kisses down her neck as she unfastens my jeans. She frees me from those restricting confines, and I manage to dig out a condom before the denim drops to my ankles. I shred the collar of my shirt in the effort to remove it. With a snap of elastic, Audria drags off my boxers and sets her efforts on my arousal. Her silky palm commits a felony on my cock with each languid pump. This is torture, but I’m man enough to accept my punishment. I let her torment me with another shallow twist of her wrist before the pummeling need becomes too loud.
Beyond my comprehension, I’m sheathed and hoisting her thighs to cinch me. I pin her to the wall with the force of our combined hips. She squeezes my waist in a grip any cowgirl would be envious of and prepares to hold on for a long ride. My girl won’t get bucked off today. I align my dick at her molten center, pushing just the tip in. Audria wraps her legs across my ass, and I sink several inches.
I chuckle against her swollen pout. “Message received, babe.”
She grinds against me. “Then get to delivering, farmer.”
Her enthusiasm cannot be denied, stoking the fiery embers in my gut. I drive my hips upward, sliding into her welcoming depths.
She clenches at the intrusion and groans. “Oh, I missed you.”
“Is this real?” I rasp the question across the column of her throat. She’s in my arms. I’m buried inside of her, but the fantasy could end at any moment.
Her nails pierce the flesh at my nape, the sting another anchor tethering us. “Yes, I’m not going anywhere.”
I slam into her, plunging with force. “Promise?”
“So long as you don’t stop.” Bottomless pools of ecstasy whirl in her brown eyes.
“And if I do?” I slow my thrusts.
“Are you seriously testing me right now?”
I circle my hips lazily. “Absolutely, babe. Maybe I wanna hear you beg.”
She spanks my ass. “Please fuck me, and be quick about it.”
I laugh against the flush staining her cheeks. “Whatever the lady wants, she gets.”
In the next beat, I hammer into her with a relentless rhythm. My smooth, steady strokes are harsh and unyielding. The cords in her neck strain with a silent string of expletives. Her toes curl against my legs as I shift to sharpen our angle. I drift further into my personal version of heaven. Nothing will ever be better than getting swallowed by Audria’s depths.
On a curse of my own, I withdraw and slam forward again. My eyes zero in on the space where we’re connected. I enter her body on a slick glide, and she accepts me with a moan. Heat cascades over every pore as I become transfixed by the sight. Any restrictions previously separating us were lifted. We’re boundless, uniting on the most primal level. I claim this moment as the beginning of us. From this point forward, Audria is truly mine. I’m hers just the same.
That conviction calls out, sealed into action by the smack of our skin as I increase my pace. She demolishes all obstacles in my mind and any foolish enough to linger in our path. I plow forward with another vicious thrust just to be certain. She ignites a fire under my skin that will never diminish. The freedom to say and do what I’ve previously censored pulses through my veins.
“I love you.”
Her eyelashes flutter when I hit a particularly hidden spot. “I love you more.”
“Because I’m doing this?” I punctuate the words with a seamless rotation of my hips.
“Uh-huh, yeah. Just like that.”
“I love that you’re vocal with me,” I murmur across her jaw.
She angles her face to give me access. “And I love that you listen.”
�
�We make quite a pair,” I growl into the crook at her shoulder.
She yelps when I add a little nip. “Perfect.”
That single word motivates me to prove its worth. I sling her leg over my elbow to notch us impossibly closer. The change in position sinks me to the hilt with each gliding movement. She scratches down my back with blunt nails. I bend into her touch, wanting her to brand me. Her walls clamp around me in a punishing clinch. A fever takes over, and I can barely see straight. Our urgent motions pound with frantic hunger. My vision blurs further as a telltale tingle gathers at the base of my spine. The need for relief gnaws at me.
I fist her hair, trying to delay my impending climax. The tidal wave gains momentum and will soon crash regardless of my tactics to withstand the seduction. Then Audria loops her arms around me in an embrace that steals all my resistance. She goes rigid in my grasp while the relief pounds through her veins. The binds that previously held us captive evaporate with her throaty rasp. Spots dance in front of my eyes as I find utmost completion.
“You’re my favorite,” she whimpers. Her body trembles in the fading clutches of release.
I ghost my nose along the slope of hers. “I’d sure hope so, babe. This is forever.”
“I’m glad you agree that I’m never leaving, and not just because my legs are numb.” Audria’s chest rises and falls against mine. “What time is it?”
I kiss her, stealing the breath she tries so hard to take. “Does it really matter?”
She shakes her head, latches onto my bottom lip, and gives a slight bite. “Not even a little.”
I squint while my eyes adjust to the bright fluorescent bulbs highlighting our zigzagging trek across the Salt Lick. Reeve tugs me behind him as we wade through the thick Friday-night throng. For such a small town, it still surprises me how crowded this place gets. Not that I’m complaining. It’s comforting to be surrounded by others celebrating whatever joy brings a smile to their faces.
“Sorry we’re late,” Reeve announces to our group gathered around a large booth. “Properly reacquainting our bodies cannot be rushed. Getting our alignment in sync again is vital to the process. It’s all-consuming, really. We had to make sure we did it right. Several times.”
