“I do. But when you meet her, you’ll understand. She’s stubborn. Muleheaded. She doesn’t want someone looming over her or being coddled.”

She reaches up, wipes her hair, and then turns from the spray. “Sounds familiar.”

“Mmm,” I say, looking over every inch of her perfection.

“You can go back,” she prompts.

“With Miles and Chance in tow. And you, because I’m not leaving you behind to get into any other mischief.”

She sputters and then laughs. “Then maybe she can come here. Visit or stay awhile. You said she can’t be a pilot any longer.”

I can’t help but smile at her thoughtful spirit. “I’m sure she’ll like the idea, but even if she’s grounded, she won’t want to leave the business for long. She’s a real taskmaster.”

Carly reaches up and cups my neck with her hand. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

Mom will love Carly, no question. Her idea’s a good one, having Mom come here to the ranch.

“I’ll bring up the idea with her. Later.”

My hands begin to roam, and I reach to shut off the water.

I snag Carly’s hand and pull her from the shower. I don’t waste time drying either of us off and tug her all the way to my bed.

Our bed.

I toss her on it and she bounces with a laugh.

I settle on top of her, straddling her hips and my hands beside her head.

“You okay?” I ask. She hasn’t shown any signs of being afraid of me, but I always pause to check.

She bites her lip, nods, reaches up and grasps me. Her small hand doesn’t even wrap all the way around the base of my dick.

I hiss at the sweet contact.

“You okay?” she asks back.

“Baby, I’m more than okay,” I tell her. “I’m going to kiss every inch of your body before I sink into you.”

“Promises, promises,” she says on a grin.

The once shy Carly is replaced with a playful one. She’s confident and brazen.

“You want promises, baby? How about this? I love you. We’re in this together. Whatever this is, it’s you and me.”

She nods. “You and me.”

“Be a good girl and tell me where you want me to kiss you first.”

Her green eyes darken and she taps her lip with a finger.

Her mouth? I’ll happily start there.

But it moves, that finger, down the center line of her body. Between her breasts and lower to her navel. Lower still to her parted thighs. I see the scars and know that the woman beneath me is so strong. So brave.

Perfect.

“Here,” she whispers.

Yeah, fucking perfect, I think, and then I lower my head.

Epilogue

MILES

“Decide to come up for air?” I smile when Austin and Carly finally grace us with their presence at the dinner table.

Carly’s cheeks are flushed pink, and Austin’s hair is a tousled mass of brown. Yeah, they both look just fucked. Make that just fucked on steroids. They’ve been in Austin’s room since he and Carly came back this morning.