Page 8 of Let Her Buck

We stop near the Ferris wheel, and he turns to me. “Wanna ride?”

I eye the enormous thing warily, shaking my head. “I don’t know…”

“Scared of heights?”

“Terrified.”

He chuckles, leaning in a little. “I’ll keep you safe.”

And for some crazy reason, I believe him.

So I nod. “Okay.”

Again, I’m not normally one for adventures, but it seems that with West, the possibilities are endless—maybe I can be braver than I thought.

We pile into the gondola, and the attendant shuts the little door. The wheel starts moving, slow at first, then climbing steadily. The wind picks up the higher we go, rustling my hair, tugging at the hem of my dress.

I clutch the safety bar, barely holding myself back from screaming. “This was a bad idea.”

West laughs softly. “You’ll live.”

“I better,” I reply, rolling my eyes at him.

But then…we stop. All the way at the top. I gasp, my heart slamming hard against my chest. “Are we—?”

“Stuck?” he finishes. “Looks like it.”

I glance at him. He’s not worried. If anything, he looks…amused. And damn it, he’s beautiful. Wind in his hair, eyes glinting, all rough edges and warmth.

“You don’t seem to be bothered.”

He shifts closer. “You’re alright, Laney.” His hand brushes my knee. “I’ve got you.”

He kisses me.

Soft at first.

Just a press of his lips over mine, warm, firm, patient. The kind of kiss that steals your breath before you even realize you’re giving it away.

My first kiss!

I’m still gripping the safety bar, but West reaches up and gently curls his fingers around mine, pulling my hand down. His other palm rests on my thigh, anchoring me in the moment. He deepens the kiss, his mouth moving against mine like he’s mapping out every inch, like he’s savoring every second. Like I’m something to be devoured.

A tiny sound slips from my throat—half sigh, half moan—and I feel him smile against my mouth. I should be embarrassed, but I’m not. Not even close.

“Laney,” he murmurs, his voice low and full of heat. “Tell me to stop.”

I don’t.

I can’t.

Instead, I lean into him, chasing his mouth like I’ve waited my whole life to be kissed like this. And maybe I have. I’ve always wondered what my first kiss would feel like, but never in my wildest fantasy did I imagine this moment…stuck on a Ferris wheel with a sinfully sexy man.

It’s perfect.

I want more.

His hand slides higher on my thigh, under the hem of my sundress. I gasp as his fingers graze the edge of my panties,teasing lightly, not quite touching where I need him, but close enough to make my skin tingle.

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