Page 85 of Rookie (Bradford Station)

Strong hands roam my naked body. Even though we’d been moments away from sleep earlier, I’m waking back up as his fingers inch closer to nipples that are already peaked and begging for his touch. My legs fall apart, making room for his bigger body.

Pulling back, his voice is deep with arousal. “Gonna keep you up tonight, baby.”

“Being tired for this reason? Completely worth it.”

My hand unhooks from around his neck, moves up to his hair and presses him down until his mouth is even with my tight breasts.

“This what you want?” His breath causes them to tighten further.

“Mmm hmmmm,” I groan as his pointed tongue comes out to lick the tip.

Once. Twice. And then a third time before he closes his lips around the nub and sucks. Tilting my head back into the pillow, I give myself over to him, knowing Danny Ramirez will take me to heaven and back, with just a little bit of hell thrown in.

* * *

“Is he nervous?”Penny asks as she and the rest of Danny’s family sits with me in the front row of City Hall.

“Yeah,” I nod. “He kept fixing his suit, and trying on his hat, this way and that. He’s always so put together and self-assured, it was weird to see him like that.”

“He doesn’t love being the center of attention,” Juan says quietly where he sits next to Penny. “We’re a lot alike in that regard.”

“Can I sit in your lap,” Mirabella asks as she comes over to me.

“Of course,” I put my purse on the ground. “C’mere,” I pull her up, situating her on my thighs.

Her hair smells of shampoo and little girl. Ringlets drop on her shoulders, and her purple dress sets off her coloring perfectly as we wait for Danny to come onto the stage. When he does, she gasps. “He looks so handsome.”

That he does. Standing tall in his uniform with the white gloves on his hands. My dad and the Mayor are saying a bunch of words, but I can’t hear any of them. My gaze is focused completely on the man who has my heart. Our eyes meet and although there’s nervousness there, there’s also love.

“Danny Ramirez come get your graduation coin,” Dad says, pride and happiness obvious in his voice.

The room explodes into applause, the guys from Bradford Station are whistling and stomping their feet. Words that aren’t fit for a graduation ceremony are being yelled. Mirabella is screaming and I’m yelling along with her. My chest swells with pride as I watch him take his spot next to my dad. And in that moment, I know, this is right where I’m supposed to be.

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