Page 115 of Rope Me In

When I’m no longer able to hold myself up, I slide off his softening length and fall onto the bed next to him. We both lie together, the melody of our heavy breathing now the soundtrack to the aftermath of our coupling. Eventually, Kade moves, kissing my forehead before he gets up to dispose of the condom.

When he comes back a minute later, he has a lazy smile on his face, and he’s holding a wet washcloth. I lay against the pillows as he takes my outfit off and cleans between my legs with the gentle care he always has for me. While he does it, he tells me how much he loves me, how lucky he is to have me in his life, and how hot what I just did for him was. Eventually, I have to tell him to stop or I’ll combust from being over-complimented.

He continues to compliment me anyway, but when he’s finally satisfied and I’m taken care of, he lays down, tugging me to him. I place my head on his damp chest and listen to his heartbeat. It’s crazy to think that, at one time, it wasn’t beating. That if Blake hadn’t saved him, I wouldn’t be here with him right now. We wouldn’t have spent the last five months building a life together.

It’s an unconventional life but a wonderful one, busy with travel and work. We not only help his family with the dude ranch, but we also tour around the South with my band, a band I’ve come to love just like a little family. And just like a family should, they appreciate my talent and never put me down. We’re even recording an album at the end of this month in the hopes that we can get some interest from record labels—and this time, I know I’d sign on the dotted line without running.

Then there’s Night Hawk. We still help Jake from time to time even though he’s hired a few new people. My cowboy still likes to teach line dancing, and I usually work those nights with him, but Jake’s been keeping an eye out for added support. Kade, however, insists he’s fine and that being around alcohol is something he can’t avoid, especially since so many of my gigs are in bars. He’s doing his best to manage it, and I’m so proud of him.

He’s done everything he can to support himself in the last five months, including going on antidepressants and attending online therapy once a week as well as regular AA meetings. While he struggled with everything at first, it gets easier every day. Yes, he still has his days—he’s human—but he’s honest when he needs help, and we deal with it together. He even inspired me to start going to a therapist for my anxiety, and Blake and Gavin started seeing someone for their PTSD and grief.

Kade’s heart continues to beat loudly in my ear, and I take comfort in its steady pace. I wind my leg through his and mold my body against his side before placing a kiss over his heart. A moment later, his finger is beneath my chin, and he’s lifting my gaze to his.

“Are you okay?” he asks, his brow pinched in concern.

I slide up a bit so I can press a kiss to his lips. “I’m just glad you’re here.”

He tucks some hair behind my ear then kisses me slow and deep. It’s the kind of kiss that’s tender yet strong at the sametime, one that tells me he knows what I was thinking, that he’s glad he’s here, too. That he’s glad I’m here.

When he pulls back, he kisses my nose and then smiles excitedly. “You want to see something?”

I can’t help but match his infectious smile. “What is it?”

He pulls himself away from me to find his jeans on the floor. He picks them up, takes something from his pocket, and then comes back to bed. With a dimpled smile still on his face, he hands the item to me. I stare at the blue chip that says “Five Months Sober” on it.

I grip the chip in my hand and stare up into his soulful hazel eyes. “You’re amazing, Kade. I’m so proud of you.”

He beams at me. “I never thought a little chip like that could make me feel so good. But it does.”

I kiss the chip then hand it back to him. He wraps his hand in mine so the chip is pressed between both of our palms and squeezes. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

I shake my head. “You could’ve, Kade. You’re the strongest person I know. You did this—don’t forget that. It was all you.”

He sighs and grips my hand tighter. “I know we could argue about this again, and maybe my psychiatrist would say this is codependent, but I mean it. I couldn’t have done it without you.” He leans his forehead against mine. “I wouldn’t have wanted to do this without you. You’re my rock, Presley. I love you.”

I exhale a short breath and smile against his lips as he kisses me softly. “I’ll accept that.”

He chuckles and tickles my sides. Soon, I’m pinned beneath him, and his cock is hardening between my legs.

I groan. “We can’t go again, you sex-crazed man. I need to get ready for tonight, and the band will be here in”—I stretch to see the clock on the wall and gasp—“thirty minutes!” I push at his chest, and Kade huffs, reluctantly rolling off me so I canget up.

I run around the room naked, collecting our clothes and throwing them in the hamper, and Kade watches me from the bed with a smirk.

“Are you going to get ready or come to the show naked?” I ask him.

“That does sound kind of fun.” Kade stands, pulling my naked backside against him. “I’d love to see you try to concentrate with my dick in your line of sight.”

I bark a laugh and push him off me as I pick up a bra from my suitcase. “I imagine if you put that on the dude ranch’s social media, you’d get a lot of customers. I mean, you got me to Randall.”

He goes silent as I slip my bra on. A moment later, I feel Kade’s hands at my back, and he clasps the hook together so I don’t have to. I turn in his arms, and he’s staring down at me in wonder and a hint of confusion.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask.

He crosses his arms over his chest. “You came to Randall because you saw me on social media?”

My cheeks heat. “I never told you that?” He shakes his head. “I was doomscrolling, trying to figure out what to do, and I came across Night Hawk’s social media post. The picture was of you, shirtless and on a bull, and it made me stop scrolling. Of course, I never imagined that a super-hot young cowboy would ever be into me, but you caught my eye, and I stopped. Then I saw it was a job posting and clicked. And boom! Here I am.”

By the time I finish blabbering, Kade is grinning at me. “Super-hot young cowboy, huh?” I shove him and try to walk away, but he pulls me back. “You came to Randall because of me,” he states.

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