Page 55 of A Package Deal

Em eyed me warily. “What’s that?”

“A kiss at the top of the Ferris wheel.”

She glanced down at her bright pink-painted toenails and then lifted her gaze, looking shy. “I’d love that.”

I practically dragged her to the line for the Ferris wheel. She laughed, sounding a lot like Georgia when she was happy. The line took forever, but we used our time wisely, each of us getting to ask the other a question before it was the other person’s turn. She told me all about growing up with four older brothers, her mom, her old construction business, and even her vague memories of her dad. I told her all about growing up on a hobby farm and the shenanigans my brothers and I got up to. By the time we got into the metal contraption and the wheel moved us higher into the air, I felt like we were officially on a date, something we’d skipped right over in our hurry to the courthouse.

I looked out over the town that had been a constant for me growing up. I’d never experienced the kind of loss Em did, or the betrayal. As I saw familiar families all out having a night of fun together with smiles on their faces, my heart ached for everything she’d lost. Cayden had not only turned his back on Em, he’d told lies so that others in the town had sided with him at first. He’d made it so that Em had to leave the place she’d grown up. The only place that held memories of her father and mother.

Every muscle in my body was drawn tight, wanting to bash that fucker’s face in for everything he’d done to the woman who was now my wife.

“Hey. Everything okay?” Em asked, placing her hand on my thigh and snuggling tighter into my side.

I blinked, seeing we had passed the top of the Ferris wheel and were descending again, the cool breeze of the motion a welcome respite from the summer heat. One thing I wouldn’t do is let that fucker steal the present. I ran my thumb along her soft shoulder, then pulled her to me.

“Everything’s more than fine when you’re with me,” I said quietly, dropping my head to seal our lips together. She sank into my chest, letting me lead the kiss. My hand left her shoulder to sink into her hair, angling her head for better access. She sighed into my mouth and everything crystalized for me. I wanted Emmerleigh forever. Not temporarily. Not for convenience. I was truly in love with her and I would do everything in my power to make her stay. To provide a life for her and Georgia that would make them both feel safe.

My hand slipped under the hem of her sundress, and to my surprise, Em parted her thighs, letting my hand travel higher, each tattoo on my arm disappearing slowly beneath the material. She nipped at my lip and reached down to grip my forearm. My hand paused, assuming she’d keep me locked right there on her soft thigh, but she actually pulled until my hand felt silky, damp panties.

“Fuck, Em,” I breathed against her mouth. “So wet already.”

The Ferris wheel swooped us up into the sky again and she grinned at me, lips wet and red from our kiss. I didn’t waste any time, knowing this ride had to end at some point and this moment would be shattered. I kissed her again, right as I pulled the panties aside and slid a single finger into her heat. She gasped into my mouth, but ground her hips against my hand, wanting more. I slid in and out of her easily, groaning at the wet heat, the way she was gasping for breath, and the shuddering of her breasts in that fucking sundress. My thumb found her clit and kept up a steady rhythm that matched the thrust of my tongue. Right as the ride swooped us into the air again, she began to shake, clamping her thighs around my hand, and kissing me back with an urgency that had me wondering how the hell I was going to walk off of this ride without being arrested for indecency.

The ride began to slow and I softened my kiss. When Em went limp against me, I slid out of her, replacing her panties and making sure her dress covered her properly. She buried her head in my shoulder, even as I hummed my approval as I discretely adjusted myself. Fucking hell, I was harder than a sledgehammer and had about thirty seconds to get myself under control.

“Well, shit, this has been an ideal first date,” I muttered, trying to turn my brain to the farm animals and how Bessie wouldn’t let me milk her to get my erection to go down.

Em snorted, lifting her head. “This isn’t a date.”

Well, that ought to do it. “Excuse me? This is most certainly a first date.”

Em sat up and scooted over, like the blush staining her cheeks and the wild look of her blonde hair wasn’t a dead giveaway to what we’d been doing on this Ferris wheel. “A date is two people agreeing to go on a date. You never asked me.”

I waved my hand like her definition was a pesky fly in the air. “You dressed up. I picked you up. We held hands. I won a stuffed animal for your daughter. We made out on the Ferris wheel. I hate to break it to you, Slaywright, but this is most definitely a date.”

She harrumphed, but didn’t get a chance to answer as the young kid running the ride opened the gate to our bucket and motioned for us to get out. She did, careful to keep her skirt down as she climbed out. I followed, irritated that we had to argue about everything after we’d just had quite the moment up there in the sky.

Em pointed at a game with bright lights trailing up and down. “I bet I can beat you.”

She ran ahead and I followed, rolling my eyes when I saw what the game was. She dug into my pocket for tickets—which did not improve the situation in my pants—and handed them over before grabbing a large sledgehammer device. She took up a pro stance, looking so serious I wanted to take her picture. Then she wound up and swung, clanging the sledgehammer on the platform so hard the lights flew all the way to the top of the booth and a siren rang out. Several people clapped as they walked by and Em’s face broke out into a huge smile. The operator handed her a pair of blue shaggy balls hanging from a thin tassel.

“What the hell is that?” I asked when she came back over, holding up her prize.

“Blueballs for my rearview mirror!”

I groaned and dropped my head. She nudged me with her elbow.

“You gonna take a swing?”

I shook my head and put my arm around her waist. “Not a chance, hotshot. I don’t need to get shown up by my wife on our first date.”

Em burst out laughing and I couldn’t help but join her. Life sure was fun with her. I steered her in the direction of the food trucks.

“Let’s go get some deep-fried food that’ll make us sick to our stomachs.”

She settled into my side, swinging those fucking balls like nunchucks as we perused the food options. Em pointed to one I recognized, pulled me in that direction. It was a truck that sold corn dogs, hot dogs, and various combinations of food that always had sausage in it. When we got to the front of the line, Em ordered a cheddar corn dog, and from experience, I knew to order the loaded hot dog.

The woman at the window taking our order was nudged aside by another woman, this one with flaming red hair and very familiar. “Warrick Wolfe, is that you?”

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