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  I pushed my tip into her hot, wet center, slowly at first, watching her face as she took me in. With her head tilted back, her mouth gaped open, a low guttural moan coming deep from within her. I buried myself fully inside her, wasting no time in finding our rhythm. With every move my need for her intensified, the ache deep inside me only growing stronger. Her breasts bounced with the movement. I pumped harder and harder until I collapsed on top of her, pleasure exploding from within me in wave after wave, her tight channel clenched and pulsing around me.

  As the waves subsided, I rolled over onto my back, sweat beading along my forehead. I was totally spent. When I turned to Valentina, I swear the look on her face said she could go for at least three more rounds. I chuckled and shook my head.

  This woman might be the best thing to ever happen to me.

  Either that, or the worst.

  Chapter Five

  Valentina

  I woke up to sunlight streaming through the window, one of the oak trees in the yard casting a long shadow on the hardwood floor. I rolled over to check the time, only to be confronted with a tousle of brown hair attached to a very muscular, very attractive shirtless body. The tousle turned to me, its green eyes fluttering open, an adorably dimpled smile spreading across its face.

  Oh fuck.

  “Well, aren’t you a pretty sight to see first thing in the morning.”

  Fuck, fuck, fuck.

  Clapping a hand over my mouth, I immediately sat up, my head spinning as the realization of what happened last night washed over me. The bar…the whiskey…the dancing…the porch…and Duke Wilder inside me, rocking my world to its core.

  “I, uh, I have to go,” I muttered, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and quickly scanning the room for my clothes. My jeans were in the corner, my top and bra right next to them. Where are my fucking panties?

  “Are you sure you don’t have time for round four? Or would that make it five?” Duke drawled, propping himself up on his side with one elbow, the gray cotton sheet slipping from his waist.

  Quickly clasping my bra and slipping the straps over my shoulders, I threw my top over my head, covering myself with my jeans while I kept searching for my missing underwear.

  “Last night was a mistake,” I said, purposefully avoiding eye contact with Duke. Or with his dick. His thick, nine-inch, magic dick, which apparently had the power to make me throw all common sense out the window.

  “Wait, hold on, what do you mean a mistake?”

  “Gracias a Dios,” I said as my fingers landed on the thin lacy fabric of my panties, which had somehow ended up under the bed. After pulling them on, I turned to tell Duke off, but the look on his face caught me off guard. Any trace of cockiness was gone, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d almost say he looked sincere.

  “I don’t want you to regret what happened. We’re adults, and we deserve to have a little fun.”

  He stepped into a pair of boxer briefs and sat on the edge of the bed, the outline of his manhood in the stretchy cotton sending my mind to the first day we met. In some ways, it felt like we’d come a long way since then. But then again, there I was, half-naked in his bedroom, just like he’d wanted.

  But if I’m being honest? Just like I’d wanted, too.

  I sighed and sat on the bed next to him.

  “But I’m going back to LA soon.” Not to mention Charlotte will have a fucking heyday when she finds out about this.

  “I know. But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy each other while you’re here.”

  I crossed one leg over the other, already aware of the soreness in those tiny thigh muscles that hadn’t been used in a while. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, Duke lived up to his reputation.

  And then some.

  Jesus, the man was an animal in bed.

  “What do you have in mind?”

  Duke smiled, his lip curling into that stupid half-smirk that made me want to slap him and dry hump him at the same time.

  “You have a bathing suit? Go get changed. I’ll pick you up in a little while.”

  * * * *

  Half an hour later, Duke’s truck pulled up the driveway. My stomach did a backflip at the thought of him in a pair of swim trunks. Not that his six pack was a surprise by this point. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t excited for the show.

  I adjusted the strap of my baby blue bikini, tucking it under my tank top. I was grateful in that moment for my over-packing tendencies. Charlotte hadn’t said anything about swimming, but I’d figured it couldn’t hurt to be prepared. Thank God for intuition.

  As I climbed into the passenger seat, Duke jerked his head to a picnic basket at my feet.

  “Careful, darlin’, you don’t want to crush our lunch.”

  “Lunch? Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see. And no peeking,” he said, arching a brow as I leaned down to lift the lid. “I was hoping we could leave one last thing to the imagination.”

  I sat up straight, raising my hands in surrender.

  “I didn’t take you for the modest type.”

  “There’s a lot about me you still have to learn.”

  With that, Duke turned up the radio, country music filling the truck. Normally, I would have rolled my eyes at that twangy stuff, but as we turned down a dirt road, Duke’s taste in music seemed weirdly perfect. The trees outside my window were unlike anything I’d seen in LA. All the Texas greenery and plant life made the lonely palm trees back home look like sad Hollywood excuses for nature.

  We came to a stop at what seemed like the middle of nowhere. Surrounded by more trees and bushes I’d never seen before, the spot was beautiful, sure, but not exactly what I’d imagined our picnic getaway location would look like.

  “Is this it?” I asked as Duke put the car in park.

  He smiled and shook his head.

  “Follow me.”

  With the picnic basket in one hand, he took mine in the other, weaving through trees and pushing shrubs aside as we went. We weren’t following any path I could see, so I had no idea how he knew where to go, but by that point, I wasn’t worried. My mom had always warned me about letting strange men take me places, but Duke wasn’t a stranger anymore. I didn’t know it until that moment, but as I followed him blindly to what looked like the middle of nowhere, it hit me like a ton of bricks:

  I trusted him.

  Even if that made me like every other doe-eyed sucker who fell for him.

  Duke pushed past some thick leafy bushes, revealing a clearing unlike anything I’d ever seen before. The dirt beneath our feet led to a small sandy beach and water bluer and clearer than I thought possible. A stream poured into the swimming hole from between two huge rock formations dotted with giant leafy trees, making it feel like we’d entered a whole other world.

  “Welcome to the best kept secret in all of Shady Grove,” Duke said, setting the picnic basket down and admiring the view.

  “How is this place even real?”

  I could barely keep my mouth from gaping open as I took it all in. From the sound of the stream flowing into the reserve to the trill of the birds across the way, that place was like something out of a fairy tale. I even saw a few magical-looking dragonflies skimming the surface of the water.

  “Our parents used to take us here when we were little, before everything went south. Some of my best memories as a kid happened here.”

  “And I thought Six Flags was cool growing up.”

  Duke peeled off his T-shirt and tossed it by the basket, climbing onto one of the rocks and turning to wink at me.

  “Are you coming or what?”

  Without waiting for me to answer, he dove into the deepest part of the water. Part of me wished he would have stood a little longer on the rock so I had more time to admire his rippling back muscles, but I knew there’d be time for that later. Shedding my shorts and tank top, I walked to the water, yelping when my toes reached the edge.

  “It’s freezing!”

  “Th
is is all-natural spring water, darlin’,” Duke said when he resurfaced. “Sixty-eight degrees year-round.”

  I shuddered as I stepped deeper into the water, submerging my feet and calves.

  “At this rate, you’ll barely get your head underwater by sunset,” Duke said, splashing water in my direction.

  “Shut up.” I kept walking until the water came up to my waist, sending a spray of water into Duke’s face.

  “Make me.”

  He flashed that devilish smile of his and dove under, popping up a few feet to my left. I smiled and swam after him, loving the way the cold water made me feel like a kid again. We kept on like that for a while, chasing each other around the swimming hole, splashing and teasing and laughing until our limbs were tired and our stomachs started to growl. We swam ashore, where Duke spread out a picnic blanket, and we ate the meat, cheese, and fruit plate he’d packed for us. He’d even managed to slip a few beers in there—a couple IPAs for him, and something a little more drinkable for me.

  Everything about the day was perfect, from the surprise of the swimming hole to Duke’s lips against my skin after lunch. I thought I’d been on good dates before, but this was something else. I’d never had a man plan something like that for me, taking me somewhere I’d never been, showing me a part of his world.

  As we lay on the blanket, lips tired and sore from kissing, the Texas sun warming our skin, just one thought kept crossing my mind.

  Why can’t guys like this exist in LA?

  “Get your pretty little ass over here, I’m not done with you yet.” Duke smirked, heading straight for me with a determined expression, and my belly flipped.

  Chapter Six

  Duke

  I couldn’t tell if I was drunk on whiskey or drunk on her, but either way, my world was soaked in a slap-happy haze, and I was fucking loving it.

  When I’d dropped Valentina off at the guest house after our day at the swimming hole, my lips almost swollen from making out, I’d texted to see if she wanted to meet for a drink later, and she was quick to accept. Watching a huge smile erupt across her face as we played and splashed in the water meant more to me than I’d realized, and even though we’d spent the entire day together, I couldn’t wait another day to see her again.

  We met up at the Drunk Skunk, her hair still a little damp from the shower. I got the first round as a thank you for not jumping out of the car when I’d turned down that first dirt road. Valentina got the second as a thank you for not murdering her and throwing her body in the spring water.

  “I’ve watched enough true crime shows to know how that story would have ended,” she said, her lip curling into a smile.

  “With me in my pick-up, halfway to Canada?”

  She shook her head. “You’d have a whole band of angry Mexicans waiting for you at the border to take their revenge.”

  We both laughed, whiskey burning my sinuses as I almost snorted it through my nose. For as much time as we’d spent together in the past week, Valentina’s wit was still sharp enough to catch me off guard.

  But I also couldn’t believe it had only been a week. Sitting across from her, my whiskey on her lips, an easy, relaxed smile on her face, it all felt so natural. Like she’d lived in Shady Grove her whole life. Like she belonged there. With me.

  “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were starting to warm up to this little town,” I said, dipping my chin and swirling the liquid in my tumbler.

  “I don’t know. If I don’t drive through a Starbucks soon, I might lose my license as a city girl,” she replied, arching a perfectly sculpted brow my way.

  I smiled and shook my head. Valentina tossed back the rest of her drink, her glossy black hair shimmering over her shoulders. Even in the dim lighting of the bar, she was radiant. Her low-cut top cupped her perky breasts just right, and her jeans hugged her hips in all the right places. The whiskey made her brown eyes glitter, her full lips boasting just a hint of gloss. Sure, she could sometimes be a pain in the ass, but I couldn’t deny how much I enjoyed having her next to me.

  “Could you ever see yourself leaving the city for some place quieter? Some place like this?”

  I regretted it the second I said it. Cringed at how needy it sounded. I wasn’t the kind of man who kept women around for longer than a few lays, and I especially wasn’t the kind of man to ask a woman to move across state lines to be with him. Every muscle in my body tensed as I waited for whatever biting remark Valentina was about to throw my way.

  Only she didn’t.

  “Honestly? I never thought I’d want anything besides the city hustle, but after these past few days…I think I’m starting to see the appeal of a place like this.”

  I nodded and finished the last of my drink, shrugging like she’d said something as casual as “I like the color blue.” But in reality, my entire world just got rocked. Because what just came out of her mouth opened a whole new door of possibilities. A door I hadn’t considered, hadn’t even thought existed.

  “I’ll drink to that,” I replied, flagging the bartender down for another round.

  Just then some movement over Valentina’s shoulder caught my eye. A woman had just walked into the bar, her chin-length, curly brown hair bouncing with every step. Our eyes met, and she smiled like she knew me. I gave her a half smile back, which quickly faded when I realized who she was. Amber, my ex from college who’d moved away shortly after we graduated. Her hair was different, but her face was pretty much the same. The same round cheeks, full lips, pale blue eyes. Eyes that bore into mine as she turned the corner, making her way to our table.

  It was then that I noticed she wasn’t alone. She had a boy with her, and when his gaze met mine, my stomach dropped.

  That kid could have been my clone.

  Brown hair, green eyes, same nose, same chin. He even had my same damn dimples. My heart was beating so hard, I thought it might jump right out from my throat. What the hell?

  “Earth to Duke, are you paying for this round, or am I?” Valentina’s voice broke me from my panic just in time for Amber and the little boy to reach our table.

  “Hey there, Duke. I was hoping I’d find you here.” Amber’s voice was just as sweet and syrupy as ever, but in that moment, it sounded to me like nails on a chalkboard. She smiled broadly at me, her hands on the boy’s shoulders, while the boy stared blankly up at me.

  “Hey, Amber,” I said when I finally found my voice. “What’s it been, ten years?”

  “Almost eleven.”

  I nodded, my mind still spinning, and that’s when I noticed Valentina. She was sitting up perfectly straight, her lips pulled into a thin, taut line across her face. Her eyes were wide and trained on the boy’s face, her expression unreadable.

  “This is Valentina,” I said, gesturing to her, but the moment the words left my mouth, Valentina stood and grabbed her purse.

  “I was just leaving,” she said, quickly tucking her chair in behind her and forcing a smile at Amber and the boy.

  “Valentina—”

  I stood to stop her, but she was already gone. Every eye in the Drunk Skunk was on me and my new mini-me. Guessing it wasn’t just me noticing the uncanny resemblance. Chasing my new flame out the door would have been a surefire way of making front-page gossip news. So sadly, I let Valentina go with a promise to myself to call her later.

  Amber cleared her throat, and I smiled weakly at her. “What brings you into town?”

  “Well, me and Payton here are on a little road trip. I thought it might be nice to finally show him where I grew up.”

  I looked down at Payton, smiling and trying to treat him like I would treat any new kid I met. “Hey there, Payton. How do you like Shady Grove so far?”

  “It’s alright. Not a whole lot to do here.”

  “Yeah, I bet it’s pretty different from where you’re from. Still living in San Antonio?” I asked Amber.

  She shook her head. “I moved to Houston ten years ago. Right after Payton was born.” />
  Ten years. The math added up. Payton could definitely be my kid.

  Fuck.

  “Good for you guys. Do you like Houston, buddy?”

  Payton nodded, but it was clear he was getting restless. He shrugged his mother’s hands off of him, and Amber smiled knowingly at me.

  “I better get him back to the hotel. We’re staying at the Willow Inn, and Opal said something about bringing cookies for Payton before bed.”

  “Well, I’m glad we ran into each other. Maybe I’ll see you guys around.”

  Amber smiled, and the two of them walked away, greeting a few other old friends before leaving. I felt my entire body relax the moment they left, like I’d been holding myself together the entire time I was in their presence.

  I downed my whiskey in one gulp, racking my brain to remember those last few months of my relationship with Amber. But there was just one thought that kept circling my mind.

  Was I really that much of an idiot at nineteen?

  Chapter Seven

  Valentina

  “Maybe it’s not what you think.” Charlotte was sitting on my bed, glass of red wine in hand, watching me pack my things with those worried eyes of hers.

  I threw my still-damp bathing suit into the suitcase, stuffing the memories of our day at the swimming hole into a deep, dark corner in my mind.

  “You didn’t see that little boy, Char. He was the spitting image of Duke. There’s no way he’s not his kid.”

  And there’s no way in hell I’m sticking around long enough to find out.

  It was stupid getting involved with Duke in the first place. His whole life was here—an entire history I didn’t understand. And my life was in LA. It was as simple as that. He didn’t owe me explanations about his exes, or the fact that he had a kid I knew nothing about.