And it just cracked the dam she’d worked so hard to build. All of it—the fear, the hurt, the humiliation—started slowly trickling in.

Oh, hell, no. I’m not breaking down in front of this guy.

She needed to go to her room and have a good, long cry. She needed to wallow. Just for a few hours, and then she’d be good as new. She’d make new plans.

A muscle in his jaw ticked. “Anyone gonna miss you if we take off?”

She glanced to the dance floor, so crowded she couldn’t even see her sister. “I don’t think so. I was about to head back to my room anyhow.” With a jolt, she realized how that sounded. “By myself. That wasn’t an invitation.”

“Yeah, no worries. I’m not looking to get laid.” He stood up and reached for her hand. “Come on.”

As they chugged to the top of the incline, gravity nailed Coco to her seat and the cool night air washed over her skin. She thrilled in anticipation of the imminent fall.

She’d never been on a roller coaster at night, and certainly not in a city lit up in flashing neon lights. The wheels clacked, and she clutched the padded bar. “Oh, my God. I hate roller coasters. You have no idea.”

Becks—that’s what his friends had called him when he’d let them know they were taking off—covered her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I got you.”

At the pinnacle, they paused, giving her a moment to take in the brilliant lights of Las Vegas, and then…it was on. The car plummeted, the dramatic descent whooshing the hair off her face.

Her stomach lurched, and her body smashed against the restraining bar. She laughed so hard tears streamed down her cheeks.

The moment the ride evened out, it twisted, flinging her sideways and speeding along the track. The passengers behind them shrieked. Between the G-forces and her crazy laughter, Coco had to look like something in a fun house mirror.

When they rotated upside down, the blood rushed to her face.

Finally, the ride slowed, and they passed through a dark tunnel. Easing her grip, she released a breath she hadn’t even known she’d been holding. The car jerked to a stop, the safety bar released, and Becks stepped out onto the platform, reaching back for her hand.

She clasped it and got out. “That was insane.” She took a step, but her knee buckled.

He tugged her up against his hot, hard body, holding her gaze for a long, intense moment. One arm around her waist, the other lifted so he could smooth a lock of hair behind her ear. “Look at you, all wild and sexy.”