Page 26 of Spreading Her Wings

“Of course there is,” he started, looking at Auston with a smirk, “because there’s no way in hell I’m getting on any of those damn rides.”

“Wanna bet?” she purred.

Logan’s face dropped. “What kind of bet?”

“If this ball lands on zero, you have to go on all three rides without bitching. If we hit zero on the next spin, you have to go on two, my choice. If we hit zero on the third, you pick one. And if we don’t hit zero at all, then you win. We won’t go on the rides.” Simone looked between Jackson and me, noticing our clear hesitation. “But we feel pretty lucky.”

“Deal.” Logan kissed her, reaching his hand out to high five Auston. “We’resonotgoing on these rides, my dude!”

Auston laughed, and disappointment settled over me. As the wheel spun, Logan, Auston, and Ash smiled wider while Jackson and I frowned. Simone watched the ball spin, a confident look on her face.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” The dealer sounded amused, and we turned our six sets of eyes to the wheel, half of us erupting in cheers. The white ball rocked back and forth in the small green square.

“Fuck yeah!” Jackson yelled. “You better get excited, baby!” He planted a kiss on Ash’s cheek and slapped Logan on the shoulder.

Auston, Logan, and Ash groaned, and the dealer laughed while he handed out our winnings, taking the chips from the rest of the table. “Which one do you want to go on first?” Simone asked, kissing Logan’s cheek and winking at me.

“Fuckme,” Logan cursed. He groaned, as if preparing himself to beg her not to make him go on any of them.

Turning, I scooped the colorful matching chips off the table, cashing them in for official ones and tucking them into my pocket with a giggle. “Am I allowed to talk shit now?” When I asked, Auston rolled his eyes with his whole head.

Simone cackled, throwing her hand up for a high five I enthusiastically returned before planting a quick kiss on Auston’s lips. “If not now, then you can definitely talk shit when they both scream like a little bitch on the first ride,” she said.

With Auston, Logan, and Ash begrudgingly dragging behind us, we danced our way to the entrance for the first ride. I could sense the nerves radiating off of the three men while the attendant took our tickets and let us climb into the seats.

“This looks like a death trap. It’s calledInsanityfor crying out loud!” Logan practically squealed, climbing into the purple-and-green seats as if they might swallow him whole.

I laughed, hesitation skating over Auston’s face while he climbed into the seat next to me. “Don’t be a baby, you guys. It’sfine!”

Auston’s hands practically shook as he pulled down on the metal bar until it clicked into place. “I can’t believe I’m fucking doing this,” he muttered.

When I reached over and grabbed his hand, he turned his wide eyes to meet mine. “Do you trust me?” A small smile tugged at his lips when I asked, and he nodded, squeezing my hand in his.

“Of course, kitten. Let’s do this.”

He kissed me as well as he could with the plastic and metal bars holding us against the seats, and a swarm of butterflies joined the adrenaline building in my core. The ride made a hissing sound before a loudclicksignaled the bars were locked into place, and Auston jumped back. “Fuckinghell,” he mumbled through his nerves.

I squeezed his hand again, gripping it tighter when the ride jerked and started to move. Thetick-tick-tickof the ride extending over the side of the building transitioned into a whining, grinding-like sound as we started to rotate.

As the pace picked up, the ride spun, whipping us in a large circle that hung over the street below us. My hair flipped behind me, and the wind in my face was exhilarating. Next to me, Auston clung to my hand, and when I looked at him, his eyes were closed and his jaw was clenched. My chest swelled, and I squeezed his hand tighter, earning me a side glance from under half-opened lids.

When we spun even faster, his shout competed with my scream. His grip on mine was tight, but when I looked at him, his eyes were locked on me. They weren’t closed anymore. His hazel stare held mine, and even as we screamed and strands of brown hair whipped around my face, I didn’t look away.

Auston continued to hold my hand while the ride came to a stop, and the locks holding us in place released. We lifted the bars, and he tugged, guiding me out of the seat and away from the ride.

“That. Was.Amazing!” I squealed, earning an agreeable cheer from everyone but Logan, who looked like he was going to throw up every sip of gin he’d had in the casino.

Auston chuckled, grabbing my hips and yanking me towards him. Without a word, he slammed his lips against mine, devouring my mouth with hungry strokes of his tongue. I looped my arms around his neck, holding myself closer to him and moaning against his kiss before he let go of me.

“Yeah. It was pretty great.” He said it breathlessly, between short gasps for fresh air.

Logan scoffed behind him. “You’re kidding, right? Youlikedit? I can guarantee I won’t be going on the others.” Even as he tried to sound angry, he swallowed back the nausea he was likely still feeling.

“I told you you’d like it!” I wiggled my hips against him in a small victory dance.

Auston leaned in, pressing his forehead against mine. Our eyelashes nearly brushed against each other, and when he spoke, his voice was husky. “I think I just like you.”

Ipulled my jeans on, fastening the button and running the towel through my hair again before opening the bathroom door. My jaw dropped, instantly drawn to Katie running her hand down her side. The soft, black leather dress she wore hugged her body, ending mid-thigh, and when she turned around, she widened her brown eyes. She trailed her gaze down my bare chest and swallowed before smiling.

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