It’s all way too much.

“I can’t . . .” My eyes roll back in my head. “Cole, I’m . . .”

The rest of the sentence comes out on a sigh.

“I’m almost there too,” he says, the words caught in his throat.

The sound of his desire puts me over the edge, and I begin a free fall off a climax that’s so high I think the crash might just kill me.

“Cole!” I scream, the explosive ecstasy spreading like wildfire through my veins. “Oh. My. Shit!”

My words are strangled, barely audible through clenched teeth. I shake from the pressure of the release.

His fingers are fire on my skin as he sinks into me one last time, holding himself as deeply as humanly possible inside me.

Finally, I collapse. My shoulders fall and I roll off the side—completely kaput.

The room is suddenly cold and not as brightly lit. Everything is more muted.

Everything except him.

I lie still, unsure what happens now. It wasn’t something that I had time to think about beforehand. But before I can lose myself in the questions and drive myself mad, he surprises me.

He pulls me into his side and holds me against him.

“Don’t,” he whispers in my ear.

I pause, confused. “Don’t what?”

His body shakes as he chuckles. “Don’t start thinking too much.”

“How did you know?”

He leans back and brushes a strand of hair out of my face. “Because I think I’m starting to get to know you.”

Oof. “Oh.”

He’s still breathing heavily, and even that turns me on. I did that to him.

I nestle against him, growing sleepier with each passing second. He strokes my back lazily, as if we have all the time in the world.

But we don’t.

“Palmer?”

“Yeah?”

He looks deeply into my eyes and whispers, “That was fucking incredible.”

Oh. I like hearing that.

I blush. It’s true, though. It was incredible. He is incredible.

“Let’s get you cleaned up and presentable before they get back.”

“Solid plan.”

He grins and presses a kiss to my forehead.

And out of all the things that have happened today—that’s the one kiss that I won’t forget.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR COLE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

COLE

Be safe.” I pat the roof of Palmer’s car and back away. Call me when you get home.

Palmer gives me a smile, pulling the corners of my lips up with it, and then backs the car behind Dad’s truck. Then, before I’m ready to see them leave, dust flies behind their tires as they head down the driveway.

I reach in my pocket and turn my phone back on.

My body buzzes with adrenaline from the afternoon. It’s hard to stand still. I need to move, go—do.

I want to be with her.