“See?” I stated, lifting a hand to point at his mouth. “Badass Zone.”

He crossed his arms on his chest.

“Just to say,” I continued, dropping my hand. “I’m not only argumentative, I’m ornery and stubborn. If you want to have a badass stand-off, I should warn you, as badass as you are, there’s still a very good chance you’ll lose.”

I finished my declaration on a startled cry because Deacon lunged, nabbed my hand, and stepped back, sending me sailing into him. I was still dealing with colliding with his long, hard frame when his arms wound around me and his mouth crushed down on mine.

He kissed me with tongue and he did it deep.

When he lifted his head, he murmured, “Funny, feels like winning.”

And again, he was not wrong.

* * * * *

“Okay, Milagros,” I said into the phone. “See you later.”

“Hasta luego, Cassidy,” she said back then I heard her disconnect.

I put the phone down on the arm of my Adirondack chair and tangled my feet with Deacon’s on the railing.

Deacon didn’t object.

I fought the grin that caused and asked, “You cool with dinner tomorrow at Milagros and Manuel’s?”

“Said I was when you asked me when you were talkin’ to her,” Deacon noted.

“Yes, but I was talking to her when I asked,” I replied. “Now’s your chance to get out while you can.”

“It’ll be good, Cassie.”

I had a feeling it would.

I also had a feeling it wouldn’t.

That was because everything with Deacon was turning out good.

But Milagros and Manuel meant the world to me and there was no way Deacon could sit at their table and be Deacon. I knew this when he introduced himself as Priest.

And you didn’t lie to your friends.

Resolutely turning my mind from that to the bright side, I was right, astoundingly right, gleefully right.

Working alongside your man was fun.

Okay, not fun but it was still awesome.

I knew this because I helped Deacon install my gutters. It wasn’t done but we had three sides of the house completed.

He didn’t talk while he worked, I didn’t either, but working side by side getting something that needed done done felt great.

“Warning,” he stated, taking me from my thoughts. “There’ll come a time, and soon, when you’ll be entering Badass Zone again. This being when I talk to you about the state of your shingles.”

I grabbed my beer, brought it to my mouth, and before taking a sip, murmured, “Noted.”

“You got leaks?” he asked.

“Not that I know of,” I answered.

“Miracle,” he muttered.

I grinned at the trees as I put my beer back to the arm of the chair.

“Want dinner?” I asked.

“I could eat,” he answered.

I untangled my feet from his, put them to the deck, pulled myself out of the chair, and moved to the side of his.

I bent over him and the only movement he made was tipping his head back to catch my eyes.

“Then you’ll eat,” I said softly before I leaned in deeper and touched my mouth to his.

His eyes were warm when I pulled away.

My insides were warm when I went inside to start dinner.

* * * * *

I came hard and loud, crying, “Oh my God,” as it burned through me, doing this digging my heels into Deacon’s back.

Still coming, I felt his mouth leave me but immediately felt him thrust two fingers inside. My sex spontaneously clutched his fingers as he kept thrusting and I kept coming.

Finally, it started moving from me. I came up on my elbows to look down my body to see the third hottest vision I’d seen in my life (the first was Deacon coming, the second was Deacon breathing). This being Deacon up on a forearm between my legs, face hot, eyes hungry, fingers fucking me, my legs still over his broad, muscled shoulders.

“Not done. Want you again, Cassie. You’re up for it, gonna take it. You’re not, say now,” he rumbled.

“I, uh…going down on me?” I asked for clarification through panting breaths.

“Yeah.”

“I…uh…”

“Say now,” he ordered.

“Uh…”

“Time’s up,” he growled then I watched him dip his face back to me (this instantly taking over the spot of third hottest vision I’d ever seen) but I only got a second before his mouth hit me even as he kept thrusting with his fingers. My head dropped back. I dug my heels in and my hips surged into his mouth.

“Yes,” I breathed.

His fingers thrust harder and his mouth clamped over my clit and sucked deep.

The answer to his question was yes, I was up for it.

But I told him that in his language.

Without words.

* * * * *

“Fuck.”

“Deacon.”

“Fuck.”

“Deacon!” I cried out, slamming down on him and grinding in just as he bucked his hips up, his fingers digging in to the flesh at my hips, holding me to him as he dug his head in the pillow and I threw mine back, holding fast to his wrists so I didn’t topple backwards and lose him as my orgasm overwhelmed me.

“Ride my cum,” he grunted through his climax, his fingers still digging in but pulling me up. I didn’t think I had it in me, but I went back to moving on him, taking him fast and deep. “Fuck. Yeah,” he groaned as I reared on his cock.

I was losing it, carried away by the sensations, when his thick voice came back.

“Stop, baby.”

I slid down until he filled me and fell forward, giving him all my weight, pressing my forehead into his neck.

He glided one hand to my ass, wrapping the other arm around my back.

We did nothing but breathe for a while.

“Best lay, bar none,” he stated, his voice still gruff.

With the competition, that was quite a compliment.

“You too,” I breathed into his neck, still not fully recovered.

“I didn’t just ride you until your pussy exploded. You did that to my dick. Fuck, watchin’ all that beauty go wild, takin’ my cock, enough to undo a man. Add that cunt so wet and tight…Jesus.”

I loved his words. They weren’t flowery, but they said a lot from a man like Deacon.

Still, I lifted my head to look down at him, sliding my hand up to curl it where his neck hit his shoulder, and I told him quietly, “You know, you’re beautiful too.”