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  The delicate fingers on her right hand cupped my cheek, and she ran her thumb across my lips. I shut my eyes from the pure exotic pleasure of her intimate touch. Tremors shot down my spine, and my mouth hung open slightly. Lane used that as an invitation to slip her thumb into my mouth a little. I closed my lips around it, tasting her flesh with my tongue.

  How was it possible for someone to taste so fucking delicious?

  “Noel, I want you,” she whispered.

  Lane pulled her thumb from my mouth and ran it down the center of my neck, crossing my Adam’s apple before she curled her fingers around my neck and pulled my head down. Her lips crashed into mine, and a wave of emotions flooded me. I couldn’t be without this. Not for even one damn day. I had to win this bet.

  ****

  Cooking breakfast went relatively smooth. Lane even raised her eyebrows in surprise after I flipped a couple perfect flapjacks onto her waiting plate. Neither of us made a move to touch the other. It was clear that it was game-on at both ends. We were so competitive with each other it was sometimes ridiculous.

  We sat across from each other at my small, wooden kitchen table. The late morning sun shined brightly through the windows and lit up every inch of my country-style kitchen. She looked adorable wearing only my t-shirt and her panties with her hair still loose and wild from all the time we spent in my bed earlier.

  Lane spread butter across the top of her pancake and drizzled syrup all over as a finishing touch. Just to torture me, she began to lick syrup from each of her fingers in a way that reminded me of a hot porno.

  The wheels in my brain turned as I watched her provocatively clean each of her fingers free of the sticky substance. It wasn’t hard to picture her pouty lips wrapped around my cock. The mere thought of that caused an ache in my crotch as I felt my dick harden. I have to admit, I would lose my fucking mind if she kept this shit up all damn day. A man can only resist so much temptation.

  I gripped the fork in my hand tighter, trying anything to distract me from the thoughts rolling through my head.

  Lane smiled and licked her lips. “What’s wrong, Noel?”

  A rough breath purged from my mouth. “You’re kind of evil, you know that?”

  She placed her hand on her chest and raised her eyebrows in mock surprise. “Me?”

  I rolled my eyes and fought the urge to run around the table and grab her into a huge bear hug for being such a smart-assed tease. “Don’t play innocent. You know you’re cheating.”

  She shook her head as she cut into her food with a triumphant smile. “You didn’t set any rules in this little game, so how is it that I’m cheating exactly?”

  Damn it. She’s right. I should’ve been smarter about setting up this bet. Lane knew I got turned on like a fucking light switch, and she was using that to her advantage.

  I leaned back in my chair and stretched out my right leg then quickly pulled it back for fear of accidently touching her with my foot. I clawed at my bare chest out of pure frustration.

  Lane snickered after she swallowed a bite of her breakfast.

  I shook my head and raked my fingers through my hair. “What I wouldn’t give to give you a good spanking right now.”

  “Well, why don’t you?” She licked her lips slowly just to tease me.

  A sarcastic laugh tumbled from my mouth. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

  She cocked her head to the side while her gaze roamed from my face down to my chest. “You have no idea.”

  Her words nearly sounded like a purr. I tossed my fork on the table, ready to spring into action and give her just what she had requested, then had to steady myself with a few calming breaths. I couldn’t take another fucking minute of this. If she kept this shit up, I would most definitely lose and would never be able to finagle another way to get her back on my bus.

  I shoved my chair back, leaving my stack of pancakes untouched.

  “Where are you going?” Lane cried as I leapt from my chair. “Come back!”

  I shook my head. “No way. I’m winning this fucking bet. You fight dirty.”

  She poked her lip out. “Okay, I’m sorry. I’ll play fair. Just come back and eat your breakfast before it gets cold.”

  My eyes narrowed, but I didn’t make a move to sit back down. This made me seem like a pouty little bitch, but there was no way I was going to sit across from her while she continued this torture. If I had to keep my distance for the rest of the day to make that happen, then that was what I was going to do.

  Lane crossed her fingers over her heart. “I’ll be good. I promise.”

  I watched her expression sadden for a moment. That look on her face was nearly worse then the seductive one she teased me with only moments ago. Both made me ache to touch her. To hold her in my arms and give her exactly what she needed.

  Instead of touching her, I sighed noisily before I plopped back down in my chair.

  She smiled. “Thank you. Now eat.”

  We made it through the rest of our meal without another fight. We talked casually about past friends from high school and what they were up to now. Lane assured me I was definitely the most successful person from our graduating class, while I begged to differ. She was amazing and easily the smartest person I knew.

  I cleared my throat. “You know there is one other thing I owe you an apology for.”

  Lane propped her chin up with her right palm. “What’s that?”

  “I’m sorry about your job. I know how much it meant to you, and I feel sort of responsible for fucking it up for you.”

  She shrugged, but her face showed it was still a sore subject. “Diana Swagger is a bitch. Going on the bus with you and her tricking me into that stupid contract just showed me her true colors earlier on. That woman would’ve never taken me seriously. She told me that to my face. To her I was there for looks. Hell, in her mind I’m sure she would’ve tried to force me to be your sex slave if it meant getting Black Falcon’s marketing rights.”

  “I detected a sleaze factor from her when I chatted with her on the phone about you, but I still made that deal with her anyway. I guess I was so desperate to get you back, I was willing to make any deal I needed to in order to get you there.” Guilt poured over me. Never in my life had I felt as slimy as the day I made that deal with Diana. It was wrong, and I knew it. After Lane walked in on me with the two topless groupies and then the horrible dinner we had, I knew she would never speak to me unless I forced her. My anger when we first reconnected overwhelmed me, and I lashed out at her every chance I could. I was still hurt by her leaving me at the time. I wanted to get back at her, showing her everything she missed out on, and to prove deep down she still wanted me just as much as I wanted her.

  Lane stretched her arm across the table and began to reach for my hand. I grinned at how easy winning this bet was about to be, but she pulled her fingers into a tight fist at the last second. “Damn it. I almost forgot.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you go ahead and lose so we can get this over with. You know you want to come back on that bus with me just as much as I need you there.”

  “Because I’m tired of fighting with you over a stupid job. Winning this bet means you aren’t allowed to complain at all, and I like that idea.”

  It was never her job I didn’t like. It was the idea of her using it as an excuse not to give in and finally be with me that pissed me off. I’d admit that it would be hard to allow her to tie herself down to a job in Texas without bitching. If she took a job, she wouldn’t be able to just drop everything and join me on tour like I wanted. Being with her all the time was my main goal.

  “What?” she asked, shaking me out of my thoughts.

  I chewed on the skin on the corner of my thumb. “Nothing, I guess. It’s just I was hoping you didn’t have to take another job right away. I like the idea of you with me on tour.”

  She sighed. “Noel, you know I want to be with you too, but I have to find another internship somewhere so I don’t throw
everything away. I don’t really have a choice. I need experience in the marketing field.”

  “I know, but I don’t want to let you go. I just got you back.”

  Lane stood up and came around the table, stopping at my side. “Let’s call truce. You’re right. I don’t know if I can be away from you either.” She held out her hand to me. “At the same time, so we both win. I’ll come on the bus with you for a while, if you promise not to bitch whenever I do find another internship or job.”

  I stared at her hand. This was really the best of both worlds here. One, I could finally touch her again, and two, she’d be on Big Bertha with me. I slid my fingers, which fit perfectly around her tiny hand. Finally having her soft skin against mine sent a tingle up my arm. “Deal.”

  I slid my chair back and pulled her down into my lap. Her dark hair tickled my nose as I leaned into her and wrapped my arms around her waist. She tossed her arms around my neck and then laid her head on my shoulder. For moments like this with her, I was willing to be anything and everything that she needed, even if that included learning to live apart from her from time to time. Her happiness meant everything to me, and I would try my damndest to always keep a smile on her beautiful face.

  Chapter 4

  Lane’s fingers entwined with mine were what I imagined heaven felt like. Even just that small touch made me feel connected to her. It was nice finally being at peace inside my heart. Waging war on myself over Sophie for the last few months had taken more of a toll on me than I had realized. It made me do crazy, out of my mind things that I would’ve typically never done.

  We continued to walk around my modest property. It wasn’t much, but it was the perfect piece of ground. It had vast woods as far as the eye could see set atop high rising hills. There wasn’t another soul around for a couple miles, and for some reason that was a totally freeing feeling compared to my typical lifestyle.

  After the tour of the empty barn near the house, I lead Lane around the back of the house.

  “Where to next, Mr. Tour Guide?” Lane asked.

  I felt my lips pull into a grin as the dock on my private lake came into view. “My second favorite place in the world.”

  Lane gasped as she took in the landscape. The hill gradually sloped just like it did at our parent’s houses back on Cedar Creek Lake. A slightly overgrown path led down to the entrance of the dock at the bottom. I felt her squeeze my hand a little as the most beautiful smile lit up her face. I knew she would be pleased by this.

  “Come on.” I gently tugged her forward.

  Hand in hand, we made our way down the dirt path in the intense heat of the early summer day. Other than the white railing needing a new coat of paint, everything still seemed in good shape.

  Lane slid her hand along the rail once we were on the dock. So many times I dreamt of bringing her out here. There were times I sat out here with my eyes closed and imagined what it used to feel like when I held her in my arms on a dock just like this. For four years, I couldn’t shake those thoughts, and now she was here. It was almost surreal, very dream-like.

  When we came to the end, I released her hand and wrapped my arm around her shoulders as she leaned on the rail to overlook the water. “Noel, this is perfect. It’s almost like being home.”

  I brushed a loose strand of her hair off her cheek, and she turned her gaze toward me. “This could be home if you wanted it to be.”

  She twisted her pink lips. “We talked about this, remember? Taking things slow.”

  “I know, but sometimes it drives me crazy because I already know what I want, and I’m ready to make that happen.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “I’m sure because I never want to mess things up with you again. I can’t be without you. The only thing that concerns me now is your happiness. I’m just asking for the chance to be your everything. I need to be your forever.”

  The light stubble on my chin scratched the tips of her fingers when she traced my jaw. “You are my forever, Noel. I promise, no more running.”

  My heart thundered like a bass drum in my chest. Her green eyes gazed up at me, holding nothing but sincerity to back up her words. For some reason this felt like the perfect moment. What better time to do it but now? We were on a dock. We were fully committed to one another and had voiced we belong to each other forever at different times in the past couple days.

  I opened my mouth to pop the question, but the words wouldn’t come out. It wasn’t that I was afraid or anything. It was the thought of being unprepared. Lane deserved that perfect moment. One like they showed in the movies where the guy surprised her by being totally romantic and thoughtful and presented a ring that meant serious business. I felt unprepared to deliver such a huge moment. I didn’t want her to think I was doing this on a whim and wasn’t positive this, us, was what I wanted.

  My eyes roamed over her face, and I turned her body to face mine. Both of my hands cupped her face. Even though I really wanted to tell her what was on my mind, I panicked and said the first thing that popped in my mind in regards to her last comment. “Good, because chasing you rips my heart out. I want you to stay with me. Always. No more running.”

  Lane nods. “And no more secrets.”

  That stung a little. “You’re right. No more secrets. From now on, we share everything. No matter if it’s something the other probably doesn’t want to hear. Deal?”

  A slow smile filled her face. “What’s with you and all these bets all of the sudden?”

  I shrugged. “I like keeping you committed to me, even if it’s just a stupid bet.”

  That was the most ridiculous explanation ever. God! I was becoming a sappy dumb-ass. What the hell was wrong with me?

  She lifted one eyebrow and shook her head. “Are you sure you’re not crazy?”

  I knew it, even Lane thought I was losing it. Who knew trying to figure out how to get the woman I loved to marry me would make me go bat-shit crazy. This situation was getting too heavy.

  I took a step back from her and glanced around the quiet lake. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lane wipe a little sweat from her brow and it gave me a brilliant idea to lighten up the mood.

  “Oh no!” Lane said before she stepped away from me. “Don’t even think about it. I know that look.”

  I kicked off my shoes and laughed. “You might as well lose yours, too, because it’s happening.”

  She made a move to run, but I grabbed her around the waist and then hoisted her over my shoulder. Both of her feet kicked wildly as I attempted to remove her shoes. When she didn’t hold still, I gave her ass a smack just hard enough to sting through her cut-off shorts.

  Her shriek echoed around the open water as I yanked her shoes off one by one. “Noel, I swear, don’t throw me in that water!”

  I carried her to the edge of the dock. “One.”

  “Noel…” she warned.

  “Two.”

  “No. Wait!”

  “Three!” I laughed and tossed Lane into the clear water of the lake.

  The water rippled around the spot she went under, and when her head popped above water a couple seconds later, I dove in beside her still fully clothed. The crisp water shocked my summer-heated body to the core, and for an instant I felt a little evil for throwing her in here, but forgave myself a second later after I adjusted and it felt like heaven.

  She splashed water in my face. “You asshole! I still have all my clothes on.”

  My pierced eyebrow quirked up on its own accord. “Like I’ve told you before, clothing is optional around me. I prefer you naked.”

  I reached through the water until my hands found her torso so I could yank her against my body. Even through the chilled water, I could feel my temperature rise. She just had that effect on me. My eyes peered down at her chest as the thought of Lane in a wet t-shirt crossed my mind.

  “What’s that smirk all about?” she teased.

  I bit my lip. “Just how fucking hot you’ll look when we get out of
this water in that white tank-top.” I reached over and traced her bra strap with my fingertips. “If only you weren’t wearing this.”

  Her smile turned wicked as she turned away from me while treading water. With some crazy-mad skill, she pulled her shirt up just high enough to reveal her bra hook and reached behind her and did a one handed flip to unclasp it. She faced me again once her shirt was down so that I could witness her masterfully removed her bra without taking off her shirt. It swirled around the air a few times in her hand before she chucked it up on the dock.

  “That was impressive,” I laughed, fully enjoying her slight strip tease.

  Lane threw her arms around my neck and leaned in and pressed her soft lips against mine. I would never get enough of her sweet taste. I plunged my tongue into her mouth and wished I could bury other parts of my body inside her.

  It was difficult to get the closeness I craved while treading water, so I knew I needed to end this before I got so turned on I tried to fuck her right here in the lake. Sex in water was never my preference. I much preferred to slide into a woman with ease caused by her natural arousal.

  I pushed away from Lane and grinned before I quickly placed my hand on top of her head and shoved her under for a mood shift. The thought alone of being inside Lane was enough to make my dick hard.

  She resurfaced, fighting mad. “You’re such an asshole!”

  I laughed as she splashed water in my face again. “So you keep telling me, but I know that’s just another way of you saying you love me.”

  She rolled her eyes, and I knew I was right.

  Chapter 5

  I rolled over in the darkness and stretched my arm over a cold spot in the bed where Lane’s body should be. I sat up and looked around, still half asleep. There were no lights on around me, and I felt panic rip through me. I sat up and called out her name, but didn’t receive an answer.

  There wasn’t any noise as my bare feet padded across the wooded floor towards the master bathroom. “Lane?” I tried again—still no answer.