Page 108 of Don't Burn Bridges
A quiet moan escaped her as she spread her feet wider, silently inviting him closer. The instant he eased one finger, then a second, inside her, her body welcomed him. He smiled when she rose onto the balls of her feet and rocked her hips, chasing every slow thrust.
“More...” she breathed.
He reached around her hip, finding the swollen bundle of nerves that never failed to make her come apart. The moment his thumb found its rhythm, her breathing hitched, and satisfaction coursed through him. After a year together, he knew exactly how to touch her, exactly how to make her unravel.
She gasped and dragged her hands down the tile as though searching for something to anchor herself.
“Please, Seth! Harder!”
Who was he to deny her?
He curled his fingers until he found the spot that made her cry out, “Yes!”
Watching her come apart beneath his touch never got old. Knowing she trusted him enough to surrender completely only made it better.
Her body fluttered and clenched around his fingers. He kept the steady rhythm until she shattered with a shout of his name, her whole body shaking against his. Only when the tremors faded did he slow, easing his hand free before wrapping both arms around her as she leaned back against him.
He kissed her ear. “I’m not sure which part of this shower I loved best—you on your knees or coming apart for me.”
Laughing between gulps of air, she said, “I think... it was... a tie.”
A little while later, Seth lay on his back, one arm draped around Shylo as she rested against his side, her fingers tracing absentminded circles across his chest. The air conditioner hummed softly in the background, keeping the bedroom cool despite the July heat. The Triple-R had finally quieted after another long day of the Rodeo Bonanza. Dawn would come early, bringing morning chores and one last day of events, but for now, everyone had earned a few hours of sleep.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this content.
Maybe never.
A year ago, he was convinced committing to one woman was the fastest way to ruin a perfectly good life. The ranch hands had given him hell for months after he'd broken his self-imposed rule, claiming they'd found proof hell had frozen over. Eventually, the jokes faded. Not because they ran out of material, but because everyone could see he didn't mind being the butt of them.
Truth was, if anyone asked, he'd tell them exactly what had happened.
He'd fallen head over boots for one hell of a woman.
Shylo tilted her head enough to look up at him, a sleepy grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. “You're smiling, and it doesn't look like your 'I just got a blowjob' smile. What are you thinking about?”
He laughed. “I have an 'I just got a blowjob' smile?”
“Oh, absolutely. It’s similar to your ‘I just got laid’ smile. And even though you did get a BJ, that's not why you're smiling. So what's going on in that head of yours?”
He hesitated for a moment, searching for the right words. “I'm just... happy.”
“Happy? About what?”
“Everything.” He shifted onto his side and brushed his knuckles along her cheek. “You. Us. The ranch. The family we've found.”
Her gaze softened. “Mmm. Me too.”
She leaned in to kiss him. When she finally drew back, she nestled against his chest again, her eyes closing.
Knowing she was exhausted, he held her and let her rest as his thoughts drifted back over the day.
The Rodeo Bonanza had become one of his favorite weekends of the year, but this one would stay with him for a long time. Watching Tucker ride his final bronc had been worth every sunburn and aching muscle that came with setting up the event. When the buzzer sounded and Tucker dismounted with another winning ride, the applause from the packed grandstands had nearly drowned out the announcer. Then came the surprise no one outside the family had seen coming.
Tucker had tipped his hat to the crowd, announced his retirement, and dedicated the buckle to his family before lifting Ashley into his arms and making one final lap around the arena. Shane, Paige, and Arianna walked beside him, waving to the applauding crowd while Paige cradled little Jude. At seven months old, he was too young to understand why thousands of people were cheering. Wearing oversized hearing protectors over his tiny ears, he beamed at the sea of smiling faces around him.
Lou had done Hazard Falls proud too. It was also the final rodeo of her career, and she finished second in barrel racing, missing first by less than half a second. Tomorrow, one of the Triple-R's ranch hands, Finn McAllister, would have his chance to bring home a bull-riding buckle and prize money. Afterward, everyone would head to the annual after-party to celebrate another year of the Rodeo Bonanza.
Beside him, Shylo let out a contented sigh in her sleep, and he smiled again.
