I writhed, our hearts crashing against each other’s chests, small sounds of desperation coming from the back of his throat each time I slid against him. The Tuck I’d just raced across the desert with was the Tuck I’d known, the one who’d looked to me to draw him out. He’d only ever needed a small push, the tiniest of nudges to release some of the pent-up pressure he held inside. And I’d loved it. Loved the way he’d trusted me. Loved the way he made me feel necessary. We’d always balanced each other, and I wanted to weep with the knowledge that we still did.

“Em,” he gritted, breaking from my mouth, breath coming out in harsh gusts against my cheek. “Em. I’m going to—”

“Not here,” I said, my own voice filled with the heady arousal pounding between my legs. We’d find a camp, and we’d spread out our sleeping bags. We’d have the whole night. With a shiver of desperate anticipation, I quickly swung my leg around him, scooted back, and then dismounted the horse. He jumped down easily too and turned toward me, smoothing a few pieces of hair back from my face. He looked slightly drugged and maybe feverish as well, and though I appreciated the horse for the thrilling ride she’d just given us, I needed to get her to a safe spot so we could pick up where we’d just left off. “Do you think that’s her ranch?” I asked, pointing next to us where the other horses roamed, nibbling on bales of hay sitting in various spots around the corral.

Tuck’s vision seemed to clear, and he tilted his head slightly as he watched the horses. “There are bales of hay all over. And their pen is open,” he said, pointing to where I now saw a wide-open gate.

He took the horse’s reins in his hand and began leading her to the corral. “Why would they leave their gate open?”

“Possibly because they left and weren’t sure they’d return and wanted to give the horses a way out when the food was gone. Or at least, that’s what I’d do,” he muttered.

I removed our backpacks from where they’d been draped, and Tuck took off the horse’s bridle, rubbing her down with his hand before she wandered over to a bale of hay. There was a water trough near the fence that appeared connected to a rain barrel, that another horse stood drinking from.