Nora vaulted off the bed with the intent to get out of dodge as soon as possible. Weighted down by champagne and humiliation, Davey easily caught up with her and grabbed her arm before she’d even made it out of the room.

“Don’t go,” he said. Shocked by his desperate tone, she spun around. She had no idea why he wanted to be with her. Sure, they had some chemistry, but he could have his pick of any number of women who were prettier, skinnier, and more sophisticated than she was.

She hovered with indecision. She wanted to go back to what they’d been doing, but it wasn’t wise. Spending the night with Davey could only end in disaster. But when he pulled her into his arms, she felt snug, safe…and wanted.

She had told him she would give him one night. Really, what could one night hurt?

As if sensing her turn-about, Davey led her back to the bed. He sat on the edge and pulled her onto his lap. Resting her head against his chest, she gave herself a few moments to soak in the comfort.

“Talk to me,” he urged as he feathered his hand through her hair.

She sighed against his chest. There was no way she was going to share her inadequacies. But her mouth didn’t get the message because the words popped out. “I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m not good at this.” Embarrassed, she burrowed her head into his chest.

He put a warm hand over her head and held her against him. “Not true,” he whispered.

“How would you know?” she mumbled, and to her utter mortification, she let out a loud sniffle.

“You’re warm, caring, compassionate.” He pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.

His sweet words made her heart swell even though she wasn’t sure what they had to do with her skills in the sack.

“How can you think you’re not good?” he asked. “You’re the most passionate woman I’ve ever met.”

How could he think that? She lifted her head. “It wasn’t great with Matt.”

“We’ve already established that he’s a dickwad,” Davey said, his voice so full of disdain that a laugh tumbled out of her. It felt good to laugh and it diffused some of her tension.

“He’s the only guy I’ve been with,” she admitted quietly.

If Davey was surprised by her inexperience, he didn’t show it. “He was a total ass who wasn’t good enough for you,” he said. “Nor did he deserve the honor of being your first and only.” He leaned in and kissed her with a sweet tenderness that turned her mind to mush. “It’s obvious that he didn’t know what he was doing.” He kissed his way down the side of her face. “That’s on him, not you.” Davey’s words made her head woozy and her heart hopeful. What if it hadn’t been her fault after all?

“If you want me to stop, say the word.” Davey nuzzled his forehead against hers. “But if you want to keep going, I’m gonna show you how a man should treat a woman.”

His words shot straight to her abdomen where they liquefied into a pool of hot desire. “Don’t stop,” she whispered breathlessly. To make sure she didn’t change her mind, she tugged off her shirt.

Gaping at her, Davey sucked in a sharp intake of breath.

Thankfully, she had worn her good undies. The fact that she even had good undies was a miracle. They’d been an impulse purchase the day before the trip. The fact that she had them on now was miracle number two. Maybe she’d put them on because of the erotic dream she’d had about Davey last night or maybe she had subconsciously anticipated this moment. Regardless of the reason, Davey’s slack-jawed expression and the way his gaze lazily appraised the sheer black material covering her breasts made her grateful that she had.

“You have matching panties?” he asked, his voice low and gravelly.

She nodded.

“Damn, Nora.” He continued to gape at her. “You’re so beautiful.”

Her heart caught in her throat. How could he think that, considering the glamorous women he typically dated?

Regardless, his words made her feel beautiful. She lowered to the bed and splayed long strands of her hair across the snow-white duvet. She felt wild, free, and for the first time in her life, truly cherished.

Davey ran a finger between her breasts and over the satin bow on her bra. He traced circles over her nipples, one and then the other. Because the material of her bra was so thin, she felt every sensation as if he were touching her bare skin. As he shifted from side to side, she took delight in his slow, sensual caresses.

When he lowered his head, she held her breath in anticipation. He flicked off her bra and moved his hands to her bare breasts. She was completely unprepared for the torrent of ecstasy that gushed through her. He massaged and flicked his tongue over her nipple, then pulled her nipple into his mouth. She clutched him, blissfully taking it all in.

He lifted his head. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” She pushed his head back to her chest. “Do. Not. Stop.”

On a low laugh, Davey lowered his head and went back to pleasuring her. She eased her hands between them and palmed his hard, lean chest and his muscular arms, reveling in every new, wonderful sensation.

Davey’s lips took a torturously slow path across her stomach.

His lips were warm, tingly, and sexy. His touch, nirvana. Even so, she wasn’t sure where he was going with this or why he was taking so long. With Matt, they’d’ve been done by now. She didn’t want Davey to feel obligated to prolong the foreplay, like he was proving his manliness or something. His thick erection pulsed against her thigh, indicating he was ready to move on…so what was he waiting for?

He continued to kiss his way up and down her body, occasionally adding small, delicious flicks of his tongue, as he traveled from her belly to the top of her head, then back again as if he had all the time in the world.

“Davey,” she managed in an unsteady voice. “You don’t need to go slow.” She lifted up on her elbows. “I’m okay. I’m ready.”

A chuckle huffed out of him. “This is where I get pleasure from pleasuring you.” His mouth curved into a slow, sexy grin. “Just lay back, relax, and enjoy.”

Before she could respond, his lips were on hers. He kissed her so sweetly, so completely that she thought her heart may have stopped beating.

When he drew back, he fumbled with the button of her jeans. This time, he didn’t go slow. Once the button and zipper were open, he lowered himself to the bottom of the bed and tugged off her jeans and panties in one smooth move.

She should have been embarrassed because she was now completely naked and Davey was fully clothed. Instead, she felt beautiful and cherished, wanted and desired. Basking in these emotions, she caught his eye. “You have on way too many clothes,” she teased.

He shot her a heated look, then tugged his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. As he climbed back onto the bed, Nora stared at his hard chest, his strong arms. His biceps flexed as he moved, making her breathing shallow. When his mouth lowered to her waist, her breath clogged. He trailed south, planting kisses down one leg and up the other. On the second round, he lingered over her inner thigh, then moved a hand in between her legs.

She jumped, and Davey lifted his head.

“Is this okay?” he asked her.

She bobbed her head up and down even though she really didn’t know. Did normal people do this? She’d read about it but had thought it the stuff of fictional stories. She started to protest—or maybe ask, she wasn’t entirely sure—when he slid a finger inside of her. It felt so good that she made a noisy whimper.

His finger caressed her core and his thumb moved over her sensitive folds in a slow, circular motion. It felt so amazing that she no longer gave a damn whether it was appropriate or not. Instead, she lost herself in his touch, lifting her hips and pressing against him to get the full impact. He slipped another finger inside and waves of bliss coursed through her. When he found that spot and lingered, rubbing and caressing, she screamed out in pleasure. She couldn’t focus, she couldn’t breathe. She could only ride out the decadent waves that crashed through her over and over again. Davey stayed with her, gently stroking until the very last one had rocked through. Afterward, she let out a long, satisfied sigh and slumped against the pillow.

Davey propped himself up next to her and moved his fingers through her hair. “You good?” he asked softly.

“That was amazing.” She shifted to her side so she could look at him. “Mind-blowing.”

He gave her that lazy smile, but this time it had some arrogance too.

Eyes on his, she laughed. “No need to look all smug.”

His grin expanded. “Sorry, but I’m feeling a little smug.”

She grinned too. After the high he had given her, he deserved to be smug. “Okay, you earned the smug.”

He kissed her forehead. “I’m glad I brought you pleasure.”

“And we haven’t even done it yet.” Her body heavy with desire, she slid closer to him. Emboldened by what they’d just done, she lowered a hand to the waistband of his jeans. “Let’s see what else you’ve got.”

Laughing, Davey rolled off the bed and tugged down his jeans to reveal Superman boxers.

A giggle popped out of Nora. She’d expected basic red or black briefs, not superhero underwear. “Nice.” She lifted up to get a better look. “A man of steel.”

Sliding back onto the bed in his boxers, Davey drew her into his arms. “I’ve wanted to do this ever since the day we met at the bar.” He pressed his lips to the top of her head. “When you called me an asshole.”

Still embarrassed over that exchange, her face heated.

Davey’s eyes danced with amusement. “I love your fiery spirit.”

He pushed down his boxers, tossed them across the room, then rolled over to grab a condom from the bedside table.

She took it from him, tore off the foil wrapper, and sheathed him. After, she put her hand on his arm and met his gaze. “I’m ready,” she said, giving him a sexy smile.

Davey loved Nora’s enthusiasm. He wanted to plunge into her now, but he reminded himself to take it slow. He wanted her to feel treasured. He wanted her to forget all about that fuck-head Matt and his failures. But first things first.

He brushed a hand over her cheek. “You’re on the pill, right?”

When she shook her head, his body froze and his mouth dropped open. How could she not be on the pill? She’d been with Matt. “But you had a boyfriend,” he finally said.

“You have a condom.” She tipped her head toward the evidence.

“Yeah, but….” His sentence trailed off as his mind raced. He was completely and utterly torn. He wanted Nora, but he never took chances. After his father had given him the talk—which had clearly been delivered too late since he’d already produced a son—Davey had taken it to heart. After their chat, he’d never, ever, had sex without two types of protection.

Nora gave him an impatient look. Maybe he was confused. “Are you on birth control shots? The patch, an IUD?”

“I’ve only been with one guy and we didn’t do it often.” Biting her lower lip, Nora crossed her arms. “We used condoms.”

He felt guilty as hell for making Nora uncomfortable. “I’m sorry. I’m a little obsessed about birth control.”

“What does that mean?” She slid away from him. “You don’t want to do this?”

He wanted to do this more than he wanted his next breath. He tugged her back and wrapped his arms around her. “Sorry.” He pressed his lips to her head. “I have issues.”

Nora touched a hand to his cheek. “We all have issues,” she said quietly.

His dad’s voice sounded in his head. Don’t take chances. Women are a distraction. But he pushed the voice aside. This time, his father’s advice didn’t feel right. He squeezed Nora in close.

Sorry, Dad, but you’re wrong. Even though it was just a thought in his head, Davey’s body relaxed. He brushed his palm up and down Nora’s back.

“You still want to do this?” he asked, hoping she hadn’t changed her mind.

Nora didn’t respond. Instead, she laid back and spread her legs open in invitation. Relief poured through him like a monsoon. He leaned in and touched his lips to hers, then kissed her with everything he had. He drew back and pushed inside her, closing his eyes for a beat to revel in her sweetness. When he blinked his eyes open and met her gaze, he found wholehearted trust and acceptance. He’d opened up to her in a way he’d never done before and she’d accepted him, faults and all. As he held her gaze, his heart did a slow roll in his chest.

After he’d composed himself, he began moving slowly, pulling out and pressing in with long, gentle strokes. She moved her hips in rhythm with his, palmed her hands over his chest, and scraped her fingernails down his back.

When he pushed in deeper, she let out an adorable moan and tightened her grip around him. He flicked his thumb over her nipple and her body quivered in response. When he slid his hands under her fine ass, she whimpered and bit his neck. Every push, every caress, generated a hot and steamy response. He’d never been with a woman who was so giving, so responsive.

“Oh, Davey,” she said on another soft moan. “I never knew it could be like this.”

She nearly did him in. He willed himself to hold on until she came, but her body’s quivers and the sweet sounds she made pushed him to the edge. “You’re amazing,” he said, stroking her hair.

Nora’s quivers intensified and shot from her body into his. When she arched against him, he shifted into super-speed. Heat exploded in his body, setting every cell on fire. Nora must have felt it too, because she bucked and trembled. They both let themselves go, riding the last scorching embers together.

Afterward, he gathered her into his arms. “You’re beautiful,” he murmured, nuzzling his cheek against hers. “And so responsive.”

She gave him a sweet, almost shy smile.

“Be right back,” he said, and quickly disposed of the condom. When he returned, he pulled her in close, with her back to his front. She nestled her body against his. Instead of planning his escape as he had with countless other women, he wanted to hold her, treasure her, protect her.

“Davey?” She flipped over so she was facing him. “That was incredible.” She blinked her lashes, then met his gaze. “Thanks for showing me how good it can be.”

The tender affection in Nora’s eyes made his heart flip over and expose its vulnerable underside. She’d given him the one night. A fucking amazing, rock-his-world night. By taking this step, he’d unwittingly agreed to her one-night rule. Even though he was a man of his word, he wasn’t sure he would be able to keep that promise.

A few days after they returned from Alabama, Steph went next door to have dinner with Nora and Hud.

Twirling the linguine on her plate, Steph lifted her gaze to Hud’s. “This is delicious, but you shouldn’t have to cook for us on your day off.”

“Second that,” Nora said, stuffing in a bite of the pasta primavera. “On both points.”

Hud waved off their concerns. “You’re my guinea pigs.”

Steph and Nora laughed.

“You keep feeding us like this,” Nora said, “and I’ll be your guinea pig anytime.”

Ben rushed into the kitchen and grabbed two cookies. “Need some fuel. Good cookies, Grandma,” he said, making Steph’s heart tug. Just a few months ago, she’d fretted that she may never have grandchildren, but here she was with a sweet ten-year-old grandson. She smiled at Ben. He had his friend Lucas over so they could play video games on Ben’s new TV. “I’m glad you like them. How’s the game?”

Grinning, Ben stuffed a bite of cookie into his mouth. “We’re playing NASCAR and I’m winning. Probably ‘cause I’m in the 36.” Of course he was in the 36—it was the number on Davey’s car. “Go get ‘em,” Steph told him.

Nora gave Ben some juice boxes to go with the cookies. “Have fun, sweetie,” she said before he raced off.

“Such a sweet boy.” Steph patted a hand over her heart. “I love being a grandma.”

Nora reached over and put a hand over Steph’s. “We couldn’t have asked for a better grandma.”

Now Steph’s heart swelled. In a short period of time, she’d come to think of Nora like a daughter. Because of Ben, they’d become close quickly and had developed a mother-daughter like relationship.

Her secret hope was that one day Nora would be her daughter-in-law. She’d seen the way Davey looked at Nora and the way Nora looked at him. Steph liked the thought of the two of them together and not just for selfish reasons. Before Nora, the women she’d seen Davey with had appeared to be passing flings. The duration of his relationships, at least according to the media, corroborated with her theory. But Nora was different. Even though she’d had a horrific childhood, she had turned into an amazing woman…the kind of woman who would make a great wife and a great mom to the additional kids she and Davey would have together. Steph told herself to slow down, but she couldn’t stop the hopeful buzz inside her belly.

“What do you think, Steph?” Hud asked, drawing her back to the present moment.

“I’m sorry.” She took a sip of white wine. “I got lost in the delicious meal.” It was a half-truth. The meal was delicious.

“I wanted to get your thoughts on adding the pasta to the OTR menu.”

“Yes, absolutely!” She took a bite of the garlic-herb roll. “And the bread too.”

Hud nodded, looking pleased.

“Do you need more help in the kitchen?” she asked Hud. He was spending an increasing amount of time creating new recipes and he still did the majority of the cooking. On The Rocks was getting busier every day. It was a good problem to have, but she needed to take care of her employees.

“Nah, we’re good.” It was the response Hud always gave her.

She nodded but made a mental note to ask others if he was overworked. Hud would work himself to the bone before he would ask for help. He always said the same thing—that he owed her. But he had repaid her for hiring him many times over.

Like most of her employees, Hud had come to OTR down on his luck. He’d been falsely imprisoned for a deadly bank robbery. Hud had been on the scene but because of a series of investigative errors and jurors condemning him because of his looks, he’d been convicted along with the real perpetrators, Hud’s neighbors. Hud had had no family to help and no one who believed his claims of innocence. Thankfully, a teller who’d been injured during the robbery stepped forward after she’d learned that Hud had been one of the men convicted. But it had taken a long time to clear up the confusion and overturn his conviction. Before all was said and done, Hud had ended up serving four years behind bars, and he’d had a hard time finding employment after his release.

“Oh, he needs help,” Nora put in. “He works all the time. He only took off tonight to test out this new recipe.”

“I like working.” Hud shrugged. “Got nothing better to do.”

Nora nudged him. “We need to find you a girlfriend.”

The tips of Hud’s ears turned pink. “No time for that.”

“If you have no time to date, we definitely need to hire help in the kitchen,” Steph said, her mind already contemplating nice women for Hud.

“What about you?” Hud asked, pinning a look on Steph. “You and Cruz seem to be all hot and heavy. Is he good to you?” Hud wiped his mouth with a napkin, flashing the large tribal tattoo on his upper arm. “If not, I’ll rough him up.”

Steph laughed. Hud was always looking out for her, and for the rest of his OTR family. “No need. Cruz looks tough on the outside, but inside he’s sweet and gentle.” She sighed. Thinking of Cruz made her stomach flutter like a flight of butterflies.

“He really is,” Nora said. “I’m glad you two are together.”

“We’re dating,” she said. “But it’s just casual.”

“For now.” Hud winked at her as he offered another roll.

“It’s not like that.” She took a piece of bread. “We’re just bringing each other a little joy.”

“Why wouldn’t you want more with Cruz?” Nora asked. “Like you said, he’s sweet and kind.”

“Tuck started out that way too.” Steph hadn’t intended to share that. But now that she had, she may as well be completely honest. “Tuck was nice at first and romantic too. He used to bring me wildflowers every week.” She smiled at their early memories, at their good times. Unfortunately, they had been short lived.

“What happened?” Nora wanted to know.

Steph pressed her lips together, contemplating how much to reveal. She never talked about it. But Nora and Hud were her friends, her family, and she trusted them. Maybe it was time to share that which she’d bottled up for so long.

“I had a crush on Cruz in high school, but at the time I didn’t realize he felt the same way.” She smiled wistfully. “Tuck swooped in and romanced me. Dinner and dancing. Football games and races. Then I got pregnant.” Tuck had been good about her pregnancy. When she had shared the news, he’d proposed. “I was seventeen and in love. We got married, but it went downhill from there.”

“He didn’t want to be married?” Hud asked.

“Or he didn’t want a child,” Nora commented.

Steph’s chest tightened and she pulled in a long breath to expand her lungs. “I don’t think it was either. He wanted to be married and he wanted to have a son.” The tightness returned over their countless fights about parenting. “Tuck wanted to build a father-son racing empire. I wanted Davey to choose what he wanted to do.”

“Didn’t Davey want to race?” Nora asked, tracing a finger around the rim of her glass.

“I’m not sure,” Steph admitted, feeling the familiar clutch of guilt. Tuck had been a bulldozer when it came to immersing Davey in racing and she had eventually given in. “Tuck had Davey in race cars before he could walk. It became Davey’s way of life more than a conscious choice.”

“Sounds like Tuck had everything he wanted,” Hud said.

She’d heard that line before—they’d been dubbed the perfect race family. But their family life had been far from perfect.

“What went wrong?” Nora asked.

“Tuck was a good racer, but he wasn’t great.” Steph pressed a hand to her stomach. She didn’t like to think about her time with Tuck, but she suspected getting it off her chest would be healthy. “He wasn’t good enough for the big leagues. When he realized it, he got bitter.” It had started with venomous words. He would blame her for his losses. She hadn’t fed him the right things, she hadn’t set the right environment or she hadn’t supported him enough. At first, he’d made her feel sad, miserable, and small. Then one day her mother had come to her in a dream and told her that she was beautiful, strong, and loved. Her mother’s light had helped her find her strength and pick herself up. She’d leaned heavily on her sister and had sought online support to avoid getting sucked into Tuck’s vortex of negativity.

While Tuck continually berated her, he was the opposite with Davey. It had perplexed her, but she’d also been grateful because Davey had been an impressionable child.

Over the years, Steph had come to the conclusion that Tuck was living his dreams through Davey. That had made her unhappy because she’d wanted Davey to have the opportunity to make his own choices. Even so, she’d been thankful that Davey and his father had a positive relationship.

She could have dealt with Tuck’s negativity. But then he’d turned mean. She shivered at the vivid recollection of the first time he’d gotten physical with her. He’d had a particularly bad performance in a big race. At home, after the race, he’d started his usual yelling. She’d attempted to make a quick exit from the kitchen but he’d caught her by both arms and had thrown her against the wall with such force that it had sucked the wind from her lungs. As she’d laid in a rumpled mess on the floor—shocked, angry, and embarrassed—Tuck had stepped over her and left her to deal with her mental and physical injuries alone.

As her hands trembled, Nora slid next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

Steph drew comfort from Nora’s embrace, and from Hud’s concerned expression. She needed to talk. “Tuck realized that Davey could live out his NASCAR dreams. He began pushing Davey harder and harder which caused more contention between us.” That was an understatement. She’d been young and naïve and had been trying to make things work. But she hadn’t been able to reach Tuck, especially after he turned to alcohol. “When he started drinking, he got even meaner.”

Nora drew back and her eyes widened while Hud’s darkened.

Because of Davey, Steph had stayed after the kitchen incident, hoping that Tuck’s violence had been a single moment of stupidity.

“Did he hurt you?” Hud asked, his voice dark.

Steph appreciated his concern, but Hud couldn’t do anything about it now. Tuck was dead. She pulled in a long breath before she continued. “He started hitting….”

“Asshole,” Nora said as Hud’s face reddened.

Steph gave her friends a half-smile, appreciative of their support. Even so, her face burned at the admission, although she wasn’t sure whether it was from embarrassment or because upon reflection she could still feel the sting from his hard hand. She touched a hand to her cheek. “And I worked up the courage to leave.”

Nora pulled her into a hug.

Steph rested her head on Nora’s shoulder. After a long moment, she straightened and glanced at Hud whose eyes were still dark. “He never hit Davey. I knew he wouldn’t because Davey was his meal ticket. But I couldn’t stay.” She clasped her hands together. “That’s my story in a nutshell.”

There had been a lot more to it. There’d been a steady stream of women that she had overlooked. Tuck had smacked her around for months before she’d finally left.

“Anyway,” she said, rising and retrieving Nora’s tea kettle. “That’s why I have no desire to get into another relationship.” While she wanted to believe that Cruz was different, she’d thought Tuck had been kind and considerate once upon a time too. Besides, there was no reason for her to get into a serious relationship. She and Cruz could have fun while keeping things light. She didn’t want to risk ruining the best friendship she’d ever had. “I’m focused on the now,” she said, using the concept that usually blanketed her in tranquility.

This time, it had the opposite effect. Unease twined through her solar plexus. You’re afraid, her inner voice advised. You’re using the power of now as a shield to avoid taking actions to build a better future.

The tea kettle whistled and she shook off her inner voice. While her intuition was usually right, this time it was wrong. Focusing on the now was a positive, and she and Cruz were bringing each other joy in the now. End of story.

At home in Nora’s kitchen, she fixed two cups of chamomile tea, one for her and one for Nora. After, she poured Hud a cup of black coffee. She carried the drinks to the table and took a sip of tea before turning to Nora. “Enough about me. What’s going on with you and Davey?”

Nora coughed. “Well….”

Steph laughed. “Come on, honey, it’s me.”

Nora’s cheeks turned pink. That was a good sign; it meant there was something to talk about. Steph smiled into her tea.

“But you’re Davey’s mother.”

Steph put down her mug and looked Nora in the eye. “I think of you like a daughter.”

Nora beamed. “I feel the same way.” She took a drink of tea and Steph got the distinct impression she was pondering how much to share. “Here’s the deal,” Nora finally said. “We’ve gone out.” Her cheeks were still flushed suggesting that going out may have been code for staying in, which couldn’t have delighted Steph more. “But I told Davey I couldn’t go out with him anymore.” Again, Nora stressed the words ‘go out’ as if they held a secret meaning.

Hud’s eyes tracked Nora’s every word but he stayed out of the conversation, quietly sipping his coffee. Hud wasn’t usually quiet, making Steph wonder if he had picked up on something more too.

“Why not?” Steph asked.

“Because Ben needs a mother-figure,” Nora said. “And he needs his father too. I don’t want to mess that up.”

Hud chuckled. “In a lot of homes, kids live with both their mom and their dad.”

Nora sighed into her tea. “Not in my world.”