Emma’s inner conflict hadn’t escaped me. Her face was a patchwork of indecision as she contemplated her choices. I hadn’t intended for this to be a major life decision and felt somewhat bad for even suggesting it at all. Just because I was exceedingly comfortable with heights, and an assortment of other daring acts, didn’t mean everyone else was. Although, to be fair, I hardly considered a securely attached wheel spinning around on its axis to be death defying. I mean, on a scale from one to dangerous, this was just below eating a big meal before jumping into the deep end of a pool.

Still, for a woman who seemed to analyze every decision by level of peril, Emma’s sudden decision to accept my offer based solely on the fact that she trusted me blew my mind. Why me? Why now? What was it about me that made her want to conquer a lifelong fear? I’d always dreamed big, but this girl felt like reaching for the stars. I wanted to show her everything, open her eyes to a new and adventurous world. What the hell was I saying? I barely even knew her, and I was already planning our damn future? Maybe there was something to that whole theory of knowing instantly – because whatever it was that I was feeling for Emma was more than just lust and excitement. She just felt like the ‘something more’ I’d been waiting for.

Squeezing her hand, I walked us up to the operator. Flashing our wristbands, we were ushered to a separate line. Emma eyed me in surprise.

“Another perk I figured out earlier today. Free rides.”

“Wow, where did you find the time?”

“I skipped formal meals and just ate off the ground.”

Emma nudged me, smiling. “It’s a wonder you haven’t come down with E. coli, or at the very least, worms.”

“You laugh now, but mark my words, Emma, I’ll have you eating off the floor in no time.”

Yeah, I knew the chances of that were be about as good as Shelby never hitting me up for money again. The ten-minute wait was long enough to weaken Emma’s resolve, so I stayed firmly by her side, chatting easily with her as I attempted to calm her tattered nerves. Her vulnerability intrigued me. This wasn’t the same determined woman who’d turned me down at the diner or the same nit-picky storm trooper who’d blasted her way through the ticket booth to secure me a wristband. No, I was slowly realizing that Emma was a hodgepodge of fascinating contradictions, and learning everything I could about her was quickly becoming my top priority.

Our carriage arrived and I guided her to the basket, holding down the step to keep it from swinging out. I figured if Emma got a taste of the rocking before she was securely seated, it would be the end of her little exercise in self-discovery. Full disclosure seemed the way to go with this woman.

“Hold on tight. When I get in, it’s going to sway.”

“Yeah, okay,” she said, gripping the sides.

As predicted, the cart swung with the addition of my weight. Startled, Emma’s legs splayed out, and the tops of her sandaled toes wedged against the inner wall of the carriage. With her wearing a flowing dress and assuming the Pap smear position, I could see all the way to her pink panties – and let me tell you, it was a sight for sore eyes, not only for myself but for the lascivious carnival roadie salivating beside me. After I gave him a dig in the ribs, the ride operator shrugged his seasoned shoulders and averted his ogling eyes.

“Maybe just move that foot an inch, so I can get in,” I suggested. “You know, just in case I need to save you.”

“Oh, right… that pesky alien invasion.” She moved her leg barely an inch to accommodate me, but I needed a little more than that as I placed my hands on either side of the cart and carefully stepped in, nearly straddling her in the process. The carriage immediately rocked back and forth, and Emma emitted a freakish yelp, grabbing me around the waist and causing me to lose my balance. Falling on top of her, we were all arms and legs and boners, on my part at least. Damn the pink panties at precisely the wrong time. Untangling, I rolled to the side and took the seat next to her.

We looked at each other in surprise and then burst into laughter.

“Jesus, Finn, you sure know how to make an entrance.”

“I was trying to be careful so I wouldn’t scare you.”

“Did I look scared?”

“Well, you have the whole ‘you use a sponge’ look going on, so yeah.”

“If I’d known you needed so much space, I would have moved over. I just thought you were a little more nimble than that. How was I to know I’d get on a ride with the only stuntman in the world who has shitty balance?”

“I don’t have shitty balance. I walk tightropes! But when a woman is spread eagle in front of me, I lose concentration. Oh, and, uh, you might want to close your legs,” I said, flicking my head in the direction of the carnie and his slobbering mouth, “to give him a little less to fantasize about tonight.”

“Oh, crap. Was he looking up my dress?”

“Your dress was already up. He was just looking.”

“Damn, I thought it was breezy,” she said, not looking the least bit embarrassed as she calmly smoothed the fabric over her thighs and disengaged her feet from the ride’s walls. To my surprise, instead of resting them on the bottom of the carriage, she crossed her legs seductively and then rested them over my own. “Now you are in charge of protecting my virtue.”

My breath quickened at the sight of her shapely legs and smooth, tanned skin so near my rattled crotch. I’d always been a sucker for long legs, but Emma’s were wearing me down quicker than usual. “If virtue is the goal, I’m not sure I’m the right man for the job.”

The ride jerked as it began to move, and Emma’s sexy teasing came to an abrupt end. Her legs disengaged, and she planted her feet firmly together on the floor of the carriage. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes.

“You okay?” I asked.

“I will be. Just give me a second.”

Good for her. She was really conquering her fears. I smiled proudly at my daredevil-in-training, complimenting myself on a job well done. See, with some people, all it took was a little patience. But then the carriage swung forward… and all hell broke loose. Emma emitted a sound so otherworldly that I actually looked around nervously just to make sure her predicted alien invasion hadn’t become a reality. She burrowed into me, on my bad side, and I struggled to stay composed. My ribs shrieked as her terror heightened. Suddenly my feet were the ones wedged up against the sides of the carriage. Her grip tightened at every stop and start.

“What’s happening?” her muffled voice called out from somewhere inside the hallows of my chest, where her head was now securely buried.

“Nothing,” I said, puffing the breath I’d been holding out. “They’re just loading more people. Open your eyes. You have to see this.”

“I’m not sure I can.”

“I promise nothing bad will happen. Open your eyes, Emma.”

Cautiously, she disengaged from my chest and opened them. Her hair was a rumpled mess as she scanned the horizon with wonder.

“Oh, wow.” She blinked in the awe-inspiring sight. “I mean, just wow.”

“See? I told you,” I said, filled with pride. “Cool, right?”

“It’s like we’re in the middle of nowhere. Lights for miles and then darkness as far as the eye can see.”

“I know. The only downside is it makes us easier for the aliens to spot.”

“Is it weird I was thinking the same thing?”

She peered at me through her dark lashes, a hint of mischief sparkling in her eyes. I swallowed hard, the pain suddenly gone but replaced by another sort of ache. Clearing my head enough to be functional, I pointed out some of the various sights, and surprisingly, Emma slowly began to relax, even grabbing my hand and wrapping it around her. Following her lead, my other hand met in the middle and before I knew it, Emma was leaning into me, my arms folded over her in a comfortable embrace. A contented smile had spread across her face.

“Are you smiling?”

“I am. Thank you, Finn. This… this is amazing.”

I pulled her tighter into me, and Emma tipped her head up, gazing at me with those trusting eyes. I leaned down and our lips met halfway, grazing and tender yet blazing all the same. Her mouth opened for me, and I took advantage of her generous proposal. Our tongues met briefly and I clutched her back, pulling her in closer. Emma groaned. It was a hollow sound as my mouth was now sealed firmly over hers, and our tongues and lips were working feverishly. She slid her fingers up my arms and set me on fire with her heat.

The Ferris wheel continued to spin, but neither Emma nor I were interested in the view any longer. Her legs had once again opened, offering me up the spot between them. I sank down over her, wedged myself between them, all but mounting her in the tiny confines of the basket. Emma was as wildly out of control as I was. She wrapped her arms around my back and raked her fingernails up. I shuddered, pushing her back against the seat, my hand snaking its way between her legs. She bit down on her lower lip and whimpered, covering my hand with her own and encouraging me further.

Suddenly a volley of whistles and cheers went up, and I pulled myself from her mouth to see that the ride had come to a full and complete stop… in front of a waiting crowd of hundreds. Emma pushed me off her and sat up, covering her face with her hand in embarrassment.

“Are you, uh, did you want another go-round?” the roadie asked, smirking. I swear I saw him adjust his dick at the exact moment I was rearranging my own.

I looked to Emma to get her opinion on the second ride opportunity. Certainly, I was up for another spin, but the stormy look in her eyes told me we were done with the Ferris wheel for the night.

“Don’t be embarrassed. No one cares,” I whispered in her ear.

“Right, like no one cared about the porta-potty couple,” she said through gritted teeth.

“In that case,” I said, standing up and offering my hand to her, “we might as well own it.”

Emma looked up and, to my surprise, her momentary hesitation had been replaced by something else… defiance. A wicked smile transformed her face as her eyes twinkled with the same amusement as mine. Again a gulp traveled up my bone-dry throat.

“America the beautiful,” she said, then put her hand in mine and I pulled her to me. Wrapping my arm around her back, I planted a heated kiss squarely on those luscious lips of hers. The crowd went wild. This just might be my most acclaimed performance.

After taking our bows and exiting the carriage, Emma and I wandered around the carnival a bit longer. Booths were beginning to shut down as they prepared for closing. I followed her gaze to the row of giant stuffed dogs with floppy ears hanging on the top rafters of a prize booth.

“You want it?” I asked.

“What? The dog? No,” she said, waving me off as she crinkled her nose and acted as if what I’d asked was nothing more than crazy talk. But her body language told another story.

“You do!” I laughed. “You want the dog.”

Her eyes lit up with the fun of the moment. “Okay, fine. I want the dog. I’ve never had a guy win me a prize before. When I was a teenager, I always thought it was so romantic.”

“Step aside, woman. Your stupid teenage daydream is about to come true.”

Plopping down the cash, I confidently picked up the basketball and took my first shot… then a second and a third. I quickly discovered the ball was bigger than the misshapen rim, and one shot after another just skidded off the edge.

“I think you aim it for the hole,” Emma said, snickering.

“The hole, you say?” I slapped my hand to my forehead in an ‘aw, shucks’ display. “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?”

Plopping the next wad of cash down, I discovered a disturbing pattern forming. Not only were none of my shots dropping, but I was quickly running out of cash to make this corny dream of Emma’s a reality.

“Dude,” I whispered to the booth attendant. “How much for the dog?”

“Not for sale. Sorry. I could lose my job.”

“Finn,” Emma grabbed my arm. “It’s no big deal really.”

“No. I’ll stay here all night if I have to.”

“We close in ten minutes,” the guy added helpfully.

“I’ll stay here for ten minutes, then.”

Taking pity on me, the attendant bent down and grabbed a small stuffed animal out from under the counter.

“Here,” he said, handing it to me. “For trying.”

Uh-huh, that was the way to impress the lady – a participation trophy.

I stared down at the stuffed animal. It was one of those cheap, made-in-China ones with no squish value at all. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that the animal I’d been given was in the middle stages of some freakish evolutionary change.

“What kind of animal is this?”

“Does it matter?” the attendant shrugged. “It’s the best you’re going to get.”

“True,” I nodded, and then bowed to Emma and handed her the crossbred shark-turtle. “For the lady.”

“Oh, Finn,” she gushed. “It’s just what I’ve always wanted. A… um… is that a fin coming out of the shell?”

“Either that or a dick,” I said, examining the animal more closely. “I honestly don’t even know which way is up. Are those eyes or balls?”

“Well, you know even evolution has its faults,” she said, playing along with the insanity. “I shall name my genitalia-enhanced shark-turtle “Darwin,” and I will cherish it forever. Thank you, Finn.”

As my reward for being a good ‘trier,’ Emma wrapped her fingers around the back of my head and pulled me into her lips – and just like that, we were at it again. Pushing her back against the booth, my hands were all over her and she was just as enthusiastic a partner.

“Um,” the attendant uttered as the booth shook.

I swiveled one eye toward him, the most I was willing to give, seeing as my tongue was down a smokin’ chick’s throat. But then Emma grabbed my ass, and I lost track of the dude altogether.

“Uh…guys,” he tried again. My eye swiveled around once more, only to see the remorse filled in his. Certainly men understood the importance of moments like these, and we did our best to support our brothers. “I’m closing. Can you, uh, take it somewhere else?”

Flipping him a thumbs up, I hooked my arm around Emma’s waist and picked her up. I walked us away from the booth and we kissed where we stood, her long legs wrapped around me. She was hotter than I ever thought possible, and I sincerely hoped our evening was just getting started.

Setting her back on her feet, our lips were still working furiously when I panted into her open mouth, “You really like the shark-turtle, don’t you?”

“So much,” she moaned back.

“Imagine what the dog would have got me.”

* * *

We walked back toward the entrance hand in hand as Emma used the other one to text her friends. When she finished, she looked up at me apologetically.

“The girls want to make sure you’re not holding me hostage. They’re demanding a selfie.”

I wrapped my arm around her and we smiled up at the camera. After she snapped the picture, we both approved of it before sending it off.

“Can I get a copy too?” I asked, both of us fully aware that if she agreed, I’d have her number, and it would be a game changer.

Emma considered my request for a moment before she nodded and sent it my way. I eagerly awaited its arrival, and when it came through, I sighed in relief. Now I had a fighting chance.

“I need to go. They’re waiting for me.”

“Are you sure you have to go right now?” I asked. “I was hoping to prove to you that I have better aim than you’re giving me credit for.”

“Yeah, I know what you were hoping for.”

I grinned. What the hell did she expect?

Emma placed her hand on my chest and gazed into my eyes. “What am I going to do with you? Do you even have a place to stay?”

“I was going to try and find a patch of grass in the dirt.”

She laughed. “Of course you were. Who comes to a three-day festival with no place to stay?”

“Well, originally we were going to stay with friends of my roommate, but because, you know, he’s man-whoring his way through a wedding, I decided to use the truck as my hotel room… and we all know what happened there.”

Her phone buzzed and she checked it again. “I really have to go. Will you be all right?”

“You know me, I’m not afraid of a few grass stains. I’ve still got my salt shaker and spoon.”

“Oh, no. That won’t work. You need rubbing alcohol for grass stains.”

“Are you serious?” I whined. I had no idea cleaning could be so complicated. No wonder all my clothes had marks.

“I’m more worried about rattlesnakes, Finn. You’re in the desert.”

“I’ll figure something out, don’t worry. Do you have plans tomorrow? Maybe we can meet somewhere.”

Or better yet, change your damn mind and let me come home with you.

“I’m not sure yet. Can I call you?”

“Will you?” I challenged, dragging her to me again and lowering my lips to hers. She pushed up against me and we were all over each other once more. Her hand slid up the back of my shirt, so mine went up her dress. Our PDA moments today were off the hook. She was clearly as into me as I was to her, so why the hell was I not getting an invitation back to her place? We stayed in our sizzling embrace, making out in the middle of the walkway. I half expected another standing ovation.

“I have to go,” she said, winded.

“Okay,” I answered, trying hard to keep the disappointment from my voice. I bent down for one last kiss. If she was leaving, I wanted her to miss me.

“Finn?” She puffed out a breath.

“Yeah?”

“You can stay….”

My face brightened. She was inviting me over. Yes. Hallelujah!

“…in my car,” she finished.

Shit. Fuck. Dammit.

“Your car?” I asked, deflated.

“I know, it’s not what you were hoping for, but I can’t invite you to my room. I’m sorry.”

Well, it wasn’t a warm bed and a hot chick, but the car was my best option yet, so I took it. Instead of sharing with her friends, Emma and I took our own Uber back to her place. I was getting the distinct impression that she was trying to keep me separate from whoever was staying at that hotel with her. Did she have some guy back there? I didn’t mind a little healthy competition, and I certainly wasn’t afraid to fight for what I wanted, but the idea of her having someone else on the side really bothered me. Was this someone kissing her like I had? And, more importantly, could he hit the damn hole at the basketball booth and win her the floppy-eared dog?