I smile. The past three months have been horrible. I might have shoved the feelings to the side, pretended they weren’t there, but underneath it all I was miserable. Heartbroken over Kade, and disappointed in my family. I thought running away from it all was what I needed to do to function, to heal. After all, it’s been my go-to coping mechanism for years.
Strong arms suddenly turn me around and press me against a hard body and warm lips find mine. His tongue gently traces my bottom lip, and I open with a sigh. I’ve missed this. I’ve missed him.
His presence, and the ever-present chemistry between us, grows and engulfs me whole, reminding me that I’m home.
He’s home.
I’ve been searching for this feeling since I was ten years old. I thought I’d find it once my father was back in my life. Instead, I found it in the arms of a man who flew across the world to fight for me. This man who’s quick to judge and just as quick to forgive. Who makes me feel whole with one touch, one look, one word.
The kiss deepens, his tongue exploring mine, and I get lost in it. So lost I forget where we are and who’s standing around us.
It’s not until a voice I recognize shouts loud enough for it to penetrate my happy bubble, “Oakley, save that shit for the bedroom. There’s a competition about to start I plan to beat you in.”
I reluctantly pull away, suddenly aware of where I am, all the people surrounding us. I’m tempted to look at whoever yelled at me, but the look in Kade’s eyes keeps me captive. It’s an intoxicating mixture of desire and love, understanding and acceptance. A heady combination I’ve never experienced before, and I can’t look away.
“We have a lot to talk about, Princess. But Bob is right, you’ve worked too hard to let anyone destroy this for you today. So, go out there and show them just how amazing you are.” He kisses my nose, something I’ve missed him doing more than I could ever admit to myself. “I’ll be on the sidelines, letting Dakota yell at me while she explains the rest of what happened, and I fill her in on what we learned.”
I grin at his prediction Dakota will be yelling at him, something I know she’ll do, without so much as a twitch of an eye. Like he’s already resigned to the crazy antics Kota and I usually get up to and is along for the ride.
“Okay.” I lean up to quickly kiss him, lingering a tad longer than I should, before I pull on my helmet and swing onto Whisky in one fluid motion.
I look at Bob as a thought suddenly strikes me. “Bob, do you still have that phone number of the PI your sister used during her divorce?”
Confusion is marring his face, his brows pulled tightly to the middle, but he answers without hesitation. “Yes.”
“Do me a favor and call him. Ask him to find out who leaked the story about the accident seven years ago to the press. I should have thought of asking you to do this sooner. I’m done with letting things happen without being able to do anything about it.”
“Okay,” he says and is already pulling out his phone while I turn Whisky and make my way back to the arena, thankful for Dakota who kept Whisky ready for the jump-off.
“See you on the other side,” I yell with a wave as I trot away.
***
The challenge of the jump-off is that we can’t study the course beforehand. The officials choose up to six obstacles from the final round, and we will have to adapt from the finals. It’s also the one time to try and be as fast as possible. Because you still lose if you have a clean run but someone else is faster than you.
Luckily, we’re told which obstacles have been chosen, and not only is the combination on the list I nearly had a drop, but also the triple combination. I shouldn’t be surprised they’re testing our ability; this is the Olympics Games after all.
I take a deep breath to steady my nerves when I’m called into the arena. In my head, I go through the shortened course once more when I hear Bob yell at me, “Just remember, let Whisky be himself. He likes the speed.”
I smile at the reminder just how much my boy likes to run, sometimes to our detriment, but in situations like these, where of the three riders before me, two had a drop and the third took their time, his agility comes in handy.
Time to show everyone what we can do.
Just like in every competition, I block out the spectators around me, and the announcer doing his thing.
I can feel Kade’s eyes on me, reassuring and steady. At first, I was afraid him watching would be distracting, but his quiet strength and support do the opposite. Instead I can feel peace push out the nerves, settling me down.
“We got this, handsome,” I whisper to Whisky.
The first couple of vertical jumps don’t pose a challenge, and Whisky enjoys being able to go faster than I normally let him, still keeping him in control though because the combination is up next. I take the turn not quite as tight, but I take a risk and let him reduce his stride down to four instead of five, which means he needs to stretch more. Adrenaline surges in my blood at I can feel us flying through the air. When I don’t hear the unambiguous noise a bar makes when touched, I sigh a breath of relief before we’re airborne again, flying
