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  Her grasp on my arms tightened, and she cried out as her pussy squeezed tightly around my hand. The skin of her neck and shoulders was flushed pink from the orgasm and the hot water.

  Kensington softened in my arms, weakened by it all. She closed her eyes and floated in the water as I pulled my hand free. I turned her body to me, and she gasped and opened her eyes as I carried her out of the water. Her body shivered as the cool air hit her wet skin. I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her. I pulled a condom from the pocket of my pants and led her to a chaise lounge.

  I pulled her beneath me on the lounge and covered our bodies with a towel. I leaned down over her still wet body and kissed her as I slid inside of her. “I will never have enough of you, Kensie. Never.” I started slowly, but after the erotic ass play in the hot tub, I couldn’t hold back. It took me only seconds before my muscles tightened and my cock splintered into a million pieces as I came inside of her.

  I scooted next to her and wrapped the towel tighter around us. The sun was just warm enough and our bodies were still flushed from sex.

  Kensington pressed her face against my chest and sighed. “This is nice. I think I could just fall asleep right here tucked next to you on this lounge. I don’t know when I’ve ever felt this relaxed with someone. Thanks for inviting me here, Cole.”

  “The pleasure is definitely mine.” I squeezed my arms around her. I was still reeling with the whole idea that I’d finally found someone, someone who I could see myself with. Now I just had to make sure not to, as Jude had warned, do anything to fuck it up.

  Chapter 19

  Kensington

  Callused fingers brushed over my breast, and I opened my eyes into the dark room. Cole’s warm breath fluttered against my cheek as he spoke, his deep, smooth voice getting lost in the quiet of the house. “No way I can stop touching you and wanting you if you’re going to keep making those honey sweet sounds in your sleep.”

  His words sent a frisson of excitement through me. His voice, his scent, even the sound of his breathing was already becoming heartbreakingly familiar to me. Wrapped in the dark room and plush warm comforter with his hard, hot body next to me, I stretched my arms back in a luxurious yawn. The shadows in the vast room were just becoming discernible as he leaned his head over me and kissed my breast. I arched my back toward his mouth as his tongue flicked across my nipple.

  My hands were still above my head resting on the pillow. He took advantage of my submissive position by grabbing hold of both my wrists, pinning them together. His free hand explored my body as he held my hands captive against the pillow.

  He pushed back the comforter, and a discernible shiver went through me as the cool air in the room tickled my naked skin. “Got you. Now I can have my way with you,” he growled with a laugh.

  My giggle drifted into the cavernous room. “As opposed to all those times when I’ve been fighting off your lascivious advances.”

  “Lascivious?” He lowered his mouth next to mine. “You know how hot those long, complicated words make me, you erotic little, teasing poindexter.”

  I wriggled with laughter in his grasp. “I’ve been called a few choice things in bed, but never a poindexter. And, not surprisingly, I like it.” The last words came out as a whisper as he silenced me with his fingers caressing the folds of my pussy. My legs fell open, and I lifted my hips to meet his touch.

  “God, you’re so wet, baby, makes me want to fuck you right now.”

  My mind was already like pudding as his dirty words rained down on me. He held my wrists securely above my head as he caressed every inch of me. It’s what I wanted. I couldn’t see myself denying him anything, this man who made my heart race and who could magically stimulate every nerve in my body with just his dirty words.

  Surrounded by darkness and unable to move my hands, I could do nothing but enjoy the sensations his touch created. His thumb rubbed my clit as he slid two fingers inside of me. It was as if all the energy, all the heat in my body had accumulated in that one place, between my legs. I squirmed to meet the pressure of his touch, but he kept control of my hands. All the while, even with my eyes closed, I could feel the heat of his hungry gaze on my body, watching me as he coaxed me easily to an orgasm.

  “Yes, please.” My voice was ragged and quiet as my pussy held his hand. I was still in a delicious fog when he released my hands and climbed on top of me. He slid his hand under my ass and pushed my pussy higher as he nestled between my thighs. The spasms in my pussy hadn’t yet subsided as he impaled me. The intense sensations flowered inside of me again, making me come a second time. My hands now free, I held tightly to his arms as he slammed into me again and again, rocking the mattress and smacking the headboard against the wall. He was wild with need as he held me securely beneath him, rocking hard and fast against me and causing my tender pussy to ache sweetly with each blow.

  He kissed me hastily, roughly almost. “Fuck, you have to be mine, baby. I want you,” he growled against my mouth. The muscles in his arms went rigid beneath my grasp, and his body tightened as he came.

  He dropped down next to me, pulled me against him and yanked the covers up over us. We lay there in the quiet of the dark room as our pulses slowed to normal, only I was fairly certain my pulse would never return to normal as long as Cole was near.

  His deep voice broke the silence. “I’ve got to tell you, Kensie, this thing we started, this thing between us is as unexpected as it is fucking amazing.”

  I curled against him, and in the warmth and protection of his arms drifted back into a dreamy sleep.

  Chapter 20

  Cole

  Between work, motorcycles and horses and Kensington’s volunteer time at the equestrian center, we didn’t, as far as I was concerned, have enough time together. It was the first time I’d ever felt that way about anyone.

  We were starting our Saturday together at a freestyle motocross contest. Denver and Rodeo were competing, and I was there to watch and learn. I’d already had plans to watch the contest but wasn’t completely sure Kensington would be up for it. But I’d forgotten how damn cool she was. She was even excited about it.

  We’d had what could have been called autumn for about three days, but now we were back to the sun beaming down on the parched California earth with no clouds or breeze to soften the blow. Most of the stands were filled with a sea of fitted hats, sunglasses and the usual FMX cluster of fans.

  We’d found space on a bench just two beer bellied, bearded guys from the bleacher steps. Max and Bobby were decent enough seat neighbors, friendly and not shy about checking out Kensington. We’d only seen the warm-up, and already, Max, clad appropriately in a pair of loose-fitting, ass-crack revealing sweat pants, had been downing nachos and hot dogs as if today were the last day on Earth that they’d be serving food. Bobby was a little more subdued on the food chowing, but he said fucking hell a lot.

  Kensington reached over and grabbed a nacho chip from my plate. She wriggled her ass on the metal bench of the bleachers in an attempt to get comfortable. “Now I see why my mom always carried around that embarrassing butt pad when she came out to watch a horse show.”

  I picked up a chip and licked the cheese drip off before it fell back onto plate. “You could sit on my lap, but I’d probably end up dragging you back to the truck for a front seat make-out session.”

  “That might be a problem in broad daylight.” She chewed her chip and untwisted the top on her water bottle. “So, it’s the best of two runs on this jump course? Then the judges give a score up to one hundred based on the tricks?”

  “Fast learner. But I already knew that.”

  “It’s a little like competing in a horse show, where you ride your horse through a course of fences.”

  “Except the horse has a mind of its own. And the motorcycle doesn’t.”

  She shrugged. “True, b
ut if your horse is well-trained and you’re a good rider”—she pointed to her head—“you become one with the horse.” She smiled. “As long as a squirrel or gust of wind or some other terrifying, unexpected event doesn’t break that bond. Then, yes, they have a mind of their own, and it’s not always a rationally thinking one.”

  The announcer’s voice barreled down on us from overhead speakers. Denver was the first rider on the course. The crowd gave a big cheer. He always came out looking cool and relaxed as if he was just about to stroll a city block instead of ride a freestyle course. It was one of the reasons the crowd liked him so much.

  “Denver is so smart,” Kensington said. “He was telling me about the app he’s working on to keep track of vitals when a rider is running a course.”

  “Yep, that is our Denver from Boston. He rides and competes smart too. It’s like he’s calculating distance between jumps. He’s really precise with speed and lift. He knows when to risk it and when to back off. I’ve only seen him get hurt a few times, and they were just flukes. Now, Rodeo is a whole different kind of rider. He’s a good competitor, and he takes crazy chances, which you sort of need to do in this sport. His hair on fire attitude is a plus and a minus for him. He’s had plenty of trips to the emergency room.”

  Kensington took my hand and laced her long fingers between mine. “What kind of rider are you?”

  I thought about the question. “I guess I’m right between the two of them, semi-smart and semi-hair on fire.”

  Denver started with a Superman seat grab flip and moved on to a lazy boy.

  Kensington watched with excited interest. “See, I never jump a horse while taking both my hands and feet off. That’s crazy. Talk about being one with the animal you’re riding, even if it’s a motorcycle.”

  Denver rode the course almost like a machine, perfect precision and no sign of hesitation. His final jump was a kiss of death backflip, and it raised a roar in the crowd.

  Kensington glanced around and turned to me. “That looked fun and scary. It was good, right? I’m going to assume by the big cheer that Denver did well.”

  I loved that she wanted to know about the contest. “He did. Not the best I’ve seen from him, but he’ll get a good score for sure.”

  Denver waved to the crowd and rolled back toward the pits, where his team was waiting for the results. My eyes surveyed the crowd, not for any reason but to see who was there. My gaze smacked right into Nate Harkin’s angry scowl. He was six rows up and over a few seats. I glanced over at Kensington, but she was too busy taking in all the sights. She’d been to motocross races but never to a freestyle contest. She was curious about everything and always in a good mood. It was damn refreshing to be with a girl like her. I’d been with too many uptight whiners. Just thinking about some of them made me shake my head.

  Kensington caught the movement and smiled at me. “Who are you shaking your head at?”

  “Myself. I was just thinking that if I had a dollar for every minute I’d wasted with women who really weren’t my type or any fun, for that matter, then I’d be a rich man.”

  She raised her smooth brow at me. “As opposed to what you are now?”

  “Right. I’ll rephrase that, if I had a minute back for ever minute I’d wasted with boring, uncurious, complainers, then—then I’d be ten years old right now.”

  The stands vibrated with a cheer as Denver’s score of eighty-eight went up on the digital sign.

  Kensington pointed at it. “If it’s out of a hundred, then he did well, right?”

  “Yeah, most riders would be stoked about that score, but I know Denver and he’s never happy with ‘good enough’. He always has visions of a perfect score floating through that busy brain of his. But a hundred is a rare score for anyone, even Denver.”

  After a few more riders, the announcer called out Parker “Rodeo” Stevens. Kensington stretched up to see Rodeo as he rode out of the pits. “He looks kind of amped up, but I guess he’s always like that.”

  “Yeah, he’s got an entirely different style than Denver. He’ll definitely throw the bike up there for some gnarly tricks without much fear or concern for consequences. But then his moves aren’t as refined, and the judges like to see things tight.”

  “From the few times I’ve talked to him, I could see him out there breaking colts as a kid. He seems to thrive on the possibility of a painful calamity.”

  I laughed. “Painful calamity. Shit, I need to start writing this stuff down in a book.” I leaned over and kissed her. “And I’ll title it ‘cute as hell Kensie sayings’.”

  “The fact that you’re so entertained by my vocabulary makes me wonder just what kind of cardboard women you’ve been dating all this time.”

  “Cardboard women, there’s another one for the book.”

  Rodeo’s signature entry song “Sympathy for the Devil” blared through the speakers as he rolled to the start. “That boy does know how to make an entrance,” Kensington spoke over Mick Jagger’s infamous howl at the beginning of the song.

  The song always got the crowd vibrating, making the spectators as amped up as the rider. Kensington took my arm and scooted closer. “To tell you the truth, I’m feeling a little jittery about watching him ride. That was what my mom used to call her case of nerves whenever it was my turn on the jump course.”

  “Nah, he’ll be fine.”

  “Kensie?” a deep voice said from behind. Kensington tensed next to me, and I didn’t need to look back to know it was Harkin.

  Harkin moved down a step to be even with our seats. He didn’t care that he was interrupting the contest or Bobby’s sight line. But Bobby cared plenty.

  “Hey, buddy, do you mind? I’m trying to watch Rodeo’s ride.”

  Harkin glanced back toward the course and rolled his eyes. “You could just find a fucking circus clown on YouTube and get the same experience.”

  Max lifted his meaty hand and pointed at Harkin. “Hey, aren’t you that—”

  “Nate Harkin, four-time Supercross champ,” Harkin said smugly.

  “Whatever, but weren’t you the motherfucker who cut in front of everyone in the hot dog line?”

  Kensington covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.

  Harkin sneered at Max. “Yeah, and from the looks of it, I didn’t stop you from getting your usual dozen dogs. Now, shut the hell up. I’m here to talk to this girl, not you two.”

  Rodeo was at the first jump, but I’d pulled my attention from the course. I was done listening to the jerk. “Look, Harkin, these two friends of mine, Max and Bobby, paid good money to watch this contest. So unless you’re going to pay them back for their tickets, get the hell out of here and leave us alone.”

  Bobby lifted his soda toward me in a silent toast.

  Harkin stared at me, his jaw twitching in rage and his nostrils flared wide enough to suck in the tiny gnats from the air.

  Kensington, who’d ignored him until now, let out an irritated huff. “Go away, Nate. There’s nothing for you here.”

  Harkin flinched at her words, but his hard scowl was skewered to my face. “You and me, King, you spoiled, candy assed rock star’s mistake. Which one of Nicky King’s groupie whores was your mom, anyhow?”

  “Actually, my mom was Nicky King’s accountant and second wife. But I don’t know why the fuck I’m bothering to tell you. Just leave, Harkin.”

  He stayed there looming over us like a bristly thorn in our otherwise great day. The crowd sucked in a collective breath. Worst of all, he’d taken Rodeo’s ride to come and blow his blustery crap all over us.

  I leaned forward past Kensington. “Hey, Max, what happened? Did you see it?”

  “Yep, he was doing an Indian air, one handed, and the landing was a little hairy.”

  Harkin was still standing over us. He was like that itch under a
broken arm cast that you had to try your damndest to ignore.

  “One day, King, we’re going toe to toe,” Harkin said.

  I saluted him. “Looking forward.”

  He walked away.

  Max pulled out his phone. “You’re Nicky King’s son?”

  “I am.”

  Bobby and Max fist bumped each other. “Just need a selfie with ya, or the wife won’t believe me. You don’t mind, do you?” Not waiting for an answer, Max leaned over and squished Kensington between us as he held up the phone and snapped a picture.

  Just as he lowered his meaty fist, Rodeo and his bike came into view. He was a good thirty feet up in a backflip, then he let go of the handlebars and held his arms straight up like a kid on a roller coaster ride. The rubber side of the bike was down as he grabbed the bars just a little too late to stabilize them. The wheel turned sharply to the right, and Rodeo was pitched headfirst to the dirt. All sound sucked out of the arena, and the crowd got to their feet. Rodeo rolled like a rag doll several feet. He was out cold.

  Chapter 21

  Kensington

  It was hard to see past the sea of heads and even harder to see past the crew of medics in bright orange vests surrounding Rodeo. I could see his boots. They looked splayed at an angle that made me certain he wasn’t awake yet. I’d been knocked unconscious twice after falling from a horse, and both times I could remember waking to a circle of worried faces, my mom’s included. But I never knew how long I’d been out. A good knock on the head can put you out for a few minutes, even with a helmet.

  Cole’s face was frozen with worry as he stood tense and silent next to me. He had a much clearer view over the heads, but the medics blocked him from knowing what was happening on the ground. As heavy as my chest felt at seeing him so distraught about his friend, a little voice was also telling me, this guy, unlike so many other guys I’d dated, including the one who’d just stomped away in a little boy huff, had a soul. Cole’s empathy and concern for Rodeo only made me like him that much more.