“Keep thinking that, Cowboy. But you’re not coming until I let you.” The words are soft and sweet as can be, my cock cradled against her cheek, but there’s an evil glint in her eyes when she looks up at me.

  Oh, fuck. My eyes shutter closed as I groan, knowing deep inside that she’s going to destroy me. I can’t fucking wait.

  “Do your worst.”

  Her mouth engulfs me again, torturous heaven surrounding me. Her head bobbing, she teases at my balls with her free hand. When she feels them draw up, she stops everything with me right on the edge. “Uh-uh.”

  Her fingertips dance along my thighs, which feels good but is nowhere near where I need them to be.

  She takes me to the edge again, pulling back when I get too close. My legs start to buckle at the demand to stand upright when she’s bringing me to my knees.

  “Lie down,” she tells me, climbing off the bed to stand.

  I do as I’m told, putty in her callused hands. “Yes, ma’am,” I say with a little fire left in me too.

  She pulls her T-shirt over her head, caramel nipples my instant reward, and then drops her shorts and panties. “Come here,” I tell her, hands reaching out for her.

  She shakes her head and does whatever the fuck she wants, like always. She straddles me backward, on her knees with her head toward my cock. I’d absolutely be down for sixty-nine, but she’s so damn short, she can’t suck my cock if her pussy’s in my face. “Enjoying the view?” she says, her hips swaying and her pussy just beyond my reach, even if I lift my head.

  She giggles. Well, not really because it’s Erica, but her belly jumps a little like she is. She puts her mouth back on my cock, and I decide to ride this trip to wherever she’s going. I put my hands behind my head to prop up and maximize the view so I can watch her pussy get wetter and wetter as she sucks me.

  “You like sucking me? Your cunt’s damn near dripping on my chest, Lil Bit.” She moans in agreement. “Let me have a taste of you.”

  She lifts off my cock, dropping her hips back toward me. I lick and taste as much of her as I can while she grinds against my mouth. Her hands grip my hips for leverage, and I spread her lips wide to dip my tongue inside her. Too soon, she takes her pussy away, going back to suck me.

  I never thought I’d whine about getting a blow job, but damned if she isn’t making me feel like a petulant child who just lost their favorite lollipop.

  I can’t lie back and just watch any longer. My hands trace and knead along her skin, from her thighs to her ass and waist, and my hips thrust up to meet her open mouth. “Enough, I need inside you.” My voice is more animalistic than human, demanding and forceful and at the absolute edge of sanity. She’s done this to me, driven me completely wild.

  Erica lifts off with a pop of finality this time and scoots her knees down the bed to kneel over my cock with her hands on my shins. I stand it up at the right angle, and with a lift of her hips, she impales herself on me.

  Heaven. Absolute, utter heaven.

  We stopped using condoms after the fire, but I will never not have a moment of pure gratefulness to feel this woman from the inside, raw and bare. It’s a vulnerability neither of us gives easily, except it feels completely natural to give it to each other now.

  She rides me, tiny ass bouncing on me as I thrust from beneath her. I grab ahold of her hips, pulling her down hard. We buck and fight together to reach the peak that’s looming so close.

  “Touch yourself. Get there. Come with me,” I grit out.

  I feel her fingers dip into the wetness we’ve made and then move up to her clit. She lets me take over the rhythm, and though I’m overwhelmingly tempted to continue pounding her hard and fast, I don’t.

  I slow down, staying deep and giving her shallow thrusts. I grab a handful of the dark hair that’s hanging down her back, tilting her head to the ceiling. “That’s it—rub that clit, feel me inside you. When you come, your cunt’s gonna make me come, I’m that close. You want that?”

  She nods, pulling her hair slightly but not seeming to mind.

  “Do it, Erica. Take us both there.” She cries out, hovering on the edge, and I stroke into her a little more forcefully.

  “Yes,” she hisses, going wild. She lifts and drops her hips, setting a new frantic pace, and I can feel her fingers swiping madly across her clit. “Now . . .” she groans, but I don’t need her to tell me because her pussy wraps around me like a vice, pulsing waves pulling my orgasm from me too. It’s more powerful than usual, built up from her edging me, and I feel like I’m floating, with only her to keep me grounded to the bed.

  I grunt, trying to match her pace and drawing as much pleasure out of both our orgasms as I can.

  She sags, her head falling forward as I melt into the bed a bit more. “Shit, Lil Bit. If that’s your idea of punishment, get used to being thrown over my shoulder.”

  There’s no answer as she turns around and lies down by my side, her head on my chest and my arm wrapped around her shoulder. “Oh, there’s more.” Her innocent tone should be a warning, but I’m too fuzzy to catch it until it’s too late. She teases at the line between my pecs, wandering over to my nipple, before pinching and twisting.

  “Ow, fuck!” I shout, cringing away.

  She laughs as I rub at my nipple, soothing it. I can’t help but want more of that sassy, pleased-with-herself grin. “Still worth it,” I tell her with a shrug.

  She shakes her head, eyes rolling. “Come here and let me make it better.” She acts like she’s going to kiss it.

  “Why do I feel like this is a trick?” I tease.

  It is a trick, but I don’t mind in the least because when we finally collapse after round two, both covered in hickeys and exhausted from using each other’s body, it’s comfortable and natural.

  “You and Mama Louise looked like that was an important conversation tonight.” Not a question, not pressing me for details, but I want to share them all with her.

  “She told me she’s holding the farm for me, ready to sell it back whenever I’m ready.” My fingers trace patterns on Erica’s skin, connecting the freckles even though I can’t see them in the dim light of the reading lamp on the nightstand.

  “Are you ready?”

  So much in three little words. She’s asking about a lot more than the farm, and that she will be vulnerable with me this way now speaks to how far we’ve come.

  “I’m ready for a lot . . . with you, with the Bennetts, and eventually, with the farm. But I like how things are now. Never thought I’d say that, but I feel like I’m right where I’m supposed to be and with whom I’m supposed to be.”

  She snuggles in closer, not saying a word, but I feel the smile as her cheek moves against my chest.

  “Even if she is a wrench-wielding badass who can take my head off.”

  She swats at my chest, laughing. “Asshole.”

  I pull her back to my side, both of us settling to go to sleep. “Love you, Lil Bit.”

  “Love you too, Cowboy.” She’s quiet for one heartbeat before popping off again, “You’re gonna make pancakes in the morning, right?”

  EPILOGUE

  ERICA

  Ishould not be nervous. There’s no reason to be, none at all. I’ve raced Foxy a million times before. Okay, not a million, but hundreds of times for sure.

  And each of those times, I sat behind the wheel calm, cool, and collected. Ready to race down the track and let those numbers flash, every time hoping for a new personal record.

  Today is no different. Except it is.

  Everyone is here. Mom and Dad, Emily and Dan, all the Tannens, all the Bennetts, and all the track guys. Hell, even Todd’s back, though he’s not racing. The doctor says he still has a few months of physical therapy and maybe even another skin graft before he can drive. But his Challenger is ready when he is, with a properly installed and verified nitrous system, thank you very much.

  The crowd is why today feels different. Especially Dad. I know he’s proud of me. He’s told me flat-out that he is, but there’s something inside me that wants to show him just how good I am. Like he won’t really believe it until he sees it himself.

  I do my burnout and pull up to the staging line. It’s me versus Clint, which is going to be a tough race because I’ve already installed his custom carburetor. But I can still win. I have to—for Dad.

  The tree lights up, and I’m gone in less time than it takes to blink. Foxy roars down the track, vibrating beneath me with power. When I cross the finish, I’m in front of Clint.

  “You taking it easy on me?” I yell through our open windows over the deafening engines as we take our helmets off.

  He smiles easily, teeth flashing through his beard, which is ponytailed up to fit in his helmet. “Nah, just got me today. I’ll getcha next time.” He’s being way too good-natured about losing, which is answer enough.

  “Don’t take it easy on me because Dad’s here. We want to earn those bragging rights.” I pat Foxy’s dashboard.

  He nods respectfully. “You earned every one of them, Rix. But I’ll let bracket two know to give it all they’ve got.”

  I nod back, satisfied that we’re gonna have a good day of racing.

  Brody

  If it’s one thing country folks know how to do, it’s tailgate. We’ve got trucks backed up along the grassy area Ed deems ‘the safe zone’ and we’re sitting in truck beds and camping chairs. Cooper has big earmuffs on, his eyes and smile huge even though Allyson is hovering about while Brutal keeps telling her to ‘leave him be.’ Marla took Cindy Lou for the day, so the gang’s all here.

  They all came out for Erica. For me.

  Because like it or not, we are one big, happy family.

  Mama Louise and Janice sit talking like old friends, and I wonder what they’re up to again. But I don’t really care.

  Because we’re all good.

  Hell, even Reed and Manuel came. Manuel’s wife sits next to him, holding his hand and looking excited. I think she’d get behind the wheel of one of these monstrous machines if she could. Reed is alone, but I’ve seen him texting a lot lately at the shop and Manuel says he’s joined some dating sites.

  I’m glad. He’s a good guy, and deserves to be happy.

  We watch as Erica races again and again, winning in her bracket of gas-powered cars until she’s up for the main drag.

  Keith stands. His eyes are laser-locked on Erica, tense but powerful. I get up and go stand next to him. “She’s something else.”

  It’s praise for Erica, but it’s just as much for Keith. He helped her grow into the powerhouse that she is.

  “She is,” he nods, agreeing. “What’re you gonna do about it?” He’s acting casual, eyes never leaving his priority, but I know the weight in the question.

  “Gonna marry her one day,” I say without hesitation.

  He chuckles. “If that was your asking permission for her hand, it sucked.”

  “If you think I’ll be asking you, then you don’t know your daughter at all,” I tell him quietly but intensely. “We’ll know when the time’s right.”

  I look back to Erica, who’s staging.

  “If you don’t, I’m sure she’ll let you know.”

  I chuckle, knowing he’s right.

  We’re silent as the lights change and she roars away down the track. Every single time she gets the green, my heart still stutters and stops, my breath locks in my lungs, and I don’t blink until I see the red of her taillights and know she’s slowing down and safe.

  “Best time of the day,” Keith says proudly.

  I grunt, knowing the best time is still to come.

  And when Erica pulls around, getting out with her helmet held high in celebration, I know she’s it for me. For however long I get on this Earth, I want every single moment with her, and I’m going to do my damnedest to make them amazing.

  She deserves it.

  I deserve it.

  With everyone cheering for her loudly, Erica only has eyes for me. She runs my way, and I catch her easily, hands under her ass as her legs wrap around me and her steel-toed boots lock behind my back. “Best ever!”

  Yeah, she is.

  ROUGH EDGE EXTENDED EPILOGUE

  1

  ERICA

  “Holy fuck! How many strings did Katelyn pull to get us this room?” I look around the resort suite, with white velvet drapes that reach from the plush carpet to the vaulted ceiling, fluffy bedding on a king-sized bed, and a homey brown leather couch with faux-fur pillows. Through the panoramic window, the mountain overlooks smaller peaks and the town of Great Falls.

  “Hell if I know, but something tells me she’s gonna lord it over our heads for a long time to come.” Brody says it on a small laugh, as if he’s joking, but looking around at the fancy cabin-chic room, he’s probably right.

  When Brody and I first started talking about a weekend staycation, Katelyn insisted on helping us. Since we planned on staying at the only resort in town, it seemed like a sweet thing for her to do. But she outdid herself. This room must be the honeymoon or presidential suite, because it’s fancier than anything I’ve ever stepped foot in for sure.

  Now, I wonder if she had more on her mind that a fun getaway from the overrun of people and lack of privacy in Brody’s house. Maybe she knows something I don’t?

  Shit. Fuck. Damn.

  Brody drops the two bags he insisted on carrying himself, though I’m perfectly capable, and takes a running leap to fall back on the bed, sending a shower of pillows to the floor. “Ahhh, I could get used to this.”

  I knee at his ankle. “Not likely, Cowboy. Get your dirty boots off the bed.” They’re not his work boots, so I’m just giving him shit, but still, I expect him to toe them off and let them fall to the floor the way he usually does. Instead, he lifts his legs in the air.

  “How’s this?”

  I try to frown, but that cocky smirk of his gets me the way it always does. “Impressive. Maybe we can use that position later.”

  His feet fall to the floor and the rest of him follows to stand. His face pinches, “Fuck no. Your legs go in the air, not mine.” His hands find my waist and he draws me in tight, turning us. Suddenly, he lifts me and tosses me back on the bad, my legs going askew. “See? That’s much better.”

  He climbs on the bed after me, stalking me even though I haven’t moved in the slightest. He leans down slowly, shoulders bunching under his T-shirt and dark eyes locked on mine, to meet my lips with his own. I’ve kissed him hundreds of times by now, but every time, I’m surprised by the fresh hunger I find in him. It matches my own perfectly. I moan into the kiss and he curses against my lips.

  “Fuck, Lil Bit.”

  I reach for the hem of his shirt, pulling at it. Brody drops to a knee, yanking the fabric over his head with one hand and tossing it to the floor. I pull him to me, wanting his weight to pin me down. My nails scrape along the muscles of his back and my knees bend to cradle his hips.

  He nudges my jaw with his nose, guiding me to turn my head to the side, and peppers kisses and nibbles along the line of my neck.

  “What time is our dinner reservation?” I gasp out. I don’t really care in this moment, but the responsible thread inside me would feel bad if we missed it after all the trouble Katelyn went through.

  “Seven. We have hours to do filthy things to each other, and still have time to get cleaned up for dinner.” The words are murmured against my skin between licks and sucking kisses as his hand traces up my side, pushing my T-shirt higher. “Mmm. Gorgeous.”

  His gaze locks on my breasts a moment before his mouth does. I arch, wanting more. Wanting everything.

  I kick my sandals off, not wanting them on the bed either and wrap my legs around him. It’s still not enough. “More. Get naked.”

  He pops off my nipple and gives me that arrogant grin. He knows I want him, I never hide that. But he doesn’t hide how much he wants me either, and even if he tried, the thick ridge of his cock would give him away.

  He pushes off the bed to stand, hands immediately going to the button of his jeans the same way mine go to my shorts. I don’t want a slow and sexy striptease, I want him naked and inside me… now. My clothes go flying – I’m faster than he is because of his boots. By the time he steps out of his jeans, my hands are already buried between my legs.

  “Show me,” he growls.

  I drop my knees wide, letting him see everything as my finger circles my clit. I dip inside myself, gathering the wetness and holding my fingers up for Brody. He licks them clean and directs them back to my pussy. He watches for a moment, his hand absently stroking his hard length.

  “Keep going.”

  I do as he says, my fingers teasing myself as he slips one, and then two fingers inside me. It’s not the same as his cock stretching me, but it is more and that’s enough to make me groan in pleasure.

  My hips curl, fucking his fingers while he slides in and out of me. He gains speed and power, and I lose the rhythm, thrashing and bucking randomly as I get close to coming. “Brody!” On the edge, I cry out, not sure I can take much more.

  But then I fly apart. White sparks dot my vision behind my closed lids. While I’m still soaring, Brody slams into me deep and hard, and I come again. Or still?

  My ankles on his shoulders and his jaw clenched, he somehow still finds the mental capacity to give me shit. “Definitely better with your feet in the air.”

  Later, I’ll be able to think of a witty comeback. Now, I grip the edge of the bed for leverage, impaling myself with Brody’s every thrust. His hands dig into the flesh of my hips, pulling me toward him as we fuck each other.

  I’ve never experienced anything like sex with Brody. He can be absolutely fucking me senseless, but I always feel loved and fulfilled. With him, whether slow and gentle or rough and wild, there’s such a thread of care. It’s the same with our relationship. He’s shown me that I can be myself, truly and authentically. He wants me when I’m hard and bossy, he’s kind when I’m soft and needy, and I do the same for him. We’ve become each other’s home, our soft place to fall and just… be.