“Fuck, Lo’, that’s it. God yes, take it baby,” I urge her as she tightens that pussy on my cock, riding the hell out of me. I look up at her and watch, unable to take my eyes away from her. Her thighs are pressed tightly against me, her head bent down with her hair falling around her face, and her eyes are closed. My hands are grabbing that lush ass, holding the cheeks and pressing them, molding them as I help push her deeper onto my cock. She grinds her hips, and my cock scrapes the inside of her walls. It feels so fucking good, I have to fight not to come. Every fucking time, it just gets better and better.

Her hands slap against the back of the couch as she supports herself, her fingers biting into the cushions so hard, it’s a wonder she doesn’t tear the fabric. The movement brings her tits down to my face, and I grab one like the greedy bastard I am when it comes to her body. I suck the nipple into my mouth roughly. I couldn’t be tender if I wanted to right now.

“Luka. I’m going to come, baby. I’m going to come,” she cries out loudly. I let go of her breast and grab her neck, quickly bringing her mouth to mine. I take it hard, the pressure so forceful it’s almost painful, and I know her lips will be bruised. I growl as I taste her mouth, sucking on her tongue, and I take over her mouth just as I feel her come all over my cock.

Petal is the sweetest taste of Heaven… and one I’ll never get tired of.

* * *

Present:

“Thanks for dinner, Luka. It was nice,” Petal whispers as we walk back to my car. Things have turned kind of quiet after leaving the small diner just outside of Mason. Maybe she’s worried because I took her out of town for dinner. I don’t have an explanation, other than I just didn’t want to deal with any of the bullshit that would ensue if her mother or my parents found us. At my age I shouldn’t give a shit what they say, but it was something I didn’t want to deal with tonight. Even thinking about it is just another reminder of all the shit that got in the way of my relationship with Petal.

“It was,” I agree. “It got even better after we got real food,” I add, trying to cover up the uncomfortable vibe between us and hating that it’s there.

“You never know. You might have liked coconut fish heads,” Petal jokes as I open the car door.

“Not in this lifetime,” I declare with a laugh, helping her inside.

I take my time walking to my side of the car. I’m a bundle of nerves, which is fucking ridiculous. I’m practically a thirty-year-old man, a damned sheriff for fuck’s sake. Yeah, Mason isn’t a town that is riddled with crime, but I have still found myself on the wrong end of a shotgun from time to time. I shake it off as best as I can—angry with myself for even letting Petal being this near affect me.

I’m driving down the road and neither of us have said a word since. I turn up the radio to cover the silence. Jason Aldean plays quietly in the background. I chance a look over at Petal. She’s staring out the window. Her guard is down, and just seeing the side of her face is enough because I can see the sadness there. Maybe this was a bad idea. I didn’t want Petal with Craig, but being around each other shouldn’t be this hard or complicated either. I force myself to look back at the road. I’ll take her home and then that’s it. I won’t try to stop Petal from making mistakes. I won’t try to control who she sees and who she doesn’t. This is out of my hands—it’s all of out of my hands.

“You can just drop me off at Maggie’s, Luka.”

“Maggie’s? You staying there now?”

“No. It will just be easier tonight. I’ll get Maggie to take me to Mom’s in the morning before she goes to work.”

My fingers tighten on my steering wheel. “I’ll take you home, Petal,” I tell her gruffly, unable to keep the annoyance out of my voice. “Jesus,” I mutter under my breath, and that whole feeling of this being a mistake explodes inside of me.

“I said I want to go to Maggie’s,” she insists.

I lose it. “Are you that damned afraid of what your mother will do if she sees me bringing you home? Christ, you’re twenty-two now. Are you ever going to grow up, Petal?”

“Why do you always do this?” she asks, shaking her head.

“Do what? Insist you start taking responsibility for your own choices?” I growl, and I didn’t mean my words that way—not like I know she takes it. I see how my words slap her in the face. She visibly flinches, and I feel horrible.

“Stop the car, Luka,” she whispers, and the words are so soft I have to strain to hear them.

“Damn it, Petal!”

“I said, stop the goddamned car!” she yells.

I pull to the side of the road, and she’s out before I can even put the car into park. I jump out and catch her, grabbing her arm and pulling her between me and the hood.

“Will you just calm down?”

“I’m not the one who is being a horse’s ass right now,” she sputters out, her face tight with anger and deep red in color.

“I didn’t mean it the way it sounded,” I mutter, rubbing the back of my neck in frustration as she pulls free from my hold.

“You never do, but you can’t resist throwing the past in my face. I’m so tired of it, Luka. I’ve made a hell of a lot of mistakes—”

“Petal,” I start, wanting to stop her before she goes down that road, because I truthfully did not mean to bring the past up between us. I just got frustrated because she didn’t want her mother to know she was spending time with me. It was childish of me, and it was a low-blow. I wish I could go back and take the words away. Then again, it seems I’m always wishing that where Petal is involved.

“But I wasn’t in our relationship alone, Luka Parish! You made a lot of damned mistakes too, and I refuse to let you rake me through the coals over and over…” she continues, just talking over me and so angry that her body is literally shaking.

It’s stupid and a million other things, but I don’t think. I don’t take the time to calm down, and I sure as hell don’t stop myself. I grab her shoulders and haul her body to mine, then take her mouth. Take is the perfect description, too. The force of my kiss is almost violent. Our teeth clash and I’m pretty sure she somehow cuts my mouth when I feel the bitter, coppery taste of blood. I ignore it, intent only on getting Petal to submit to me—to assert my dominance over her. She does her best to close her lips, shutting me out. My hand moves to her neck, and I hold the side of her face, not letting her get away, not letting her shut me out. My tongue pushes into her mouth, seeking hers. Petal remains stiff, fighting against the kiss. My hand moves up to cup her breast, my thumb and forefinger pulling on the hardened nipple I feel through her dress.

“Damn it, Lo’,” I growl, my voice hoarse and needful. “Kiss me,” I demand, pulling the nipple and surging back in. She softens against me slowly, and then her tongue slides against mine. I swallow down her whimper and lose myself in the flavor that is Petal, the one woman who has always owned my heart.

It’s been so long since I’ve had her lips, and yet in this moment—this stolen moment in time—it feels like yesterday, and somehow she tastes even sweeter.