Page 49 of Down & Dirty (Holden Cove #1)

EPILOGUE

CORY - FIVE MONTHS LATER

I hadn’t attended a motocross event as a spectator since I was six years old. Walking through the gate at Southwick, anxiety began to stir; that FOMO that hit any time I’d had to sit out a race. But before my nerves could start to rattle, Micah slipped his hand into mine.

“Are you going to race, Cory?”

“Not today, champ.” Skylar gave me a sideways glance over his head, and I laughed before scooping him up in my arms. “I’m retired. So from now on I’ll be on the sidelines with you.”

“Okay!” He shouted in my ear, as if the idea thrilled him. “Can we get hot dogs

Reaching for Skylar’s hand, I brought it to my lips, kissing the back of it and giving her a wink. “Whatever you want, kiddo. But first we have to stop by Uncle Ronnie’s tent to wish him good luck.”

It took us a minute to get through the crowd, and then even longer to make our way back to the team tents. Old friends stopped us every few feet to say hi and ask how we’d been. My leaving had been such a long time in coming, it was surprising how many folks seemed shocked when I finally pulled the trigger.

“And the legend graces us with his presence,” Ronnie announ ced with a grin, as we arrived at the OTM tent. His wrist still needed a brace, but he was strong enough to ride again. It was good to see him back in high spirits. He’d been as bad of a patient as you’d expect.

“Don’t feed his ego,” Billy’s voice came from behind him. “Even in retirement he walks around this place like he owns it.”

My friend’s smiling face peeked up from behind the bike he was working on, and I set Micah down to give both of them handshakes. Billy tugged me into a one-arm hug, muttered under his breath so only I could hear, “It’s good to see you, old man.”

“You too, brother.” He let me go and I looked around the tent. Not much had changed. But some things had. “How’s it working out with Stone?”

He glanced over at Ronnie who was talking to Sky and Micah. “He’s a pain in my ass,” he laughed. “But he reminds me a lot of you in that way.”

“Hey, I came around eventually.”

His expression flattened. “The hell you did. You’d still be fighting me if you had the chance.”

Billy knew he was right. We worked well together because we each knew when to push the limits and when to back off. Ronnie still had to learn to trust Billy’s experience. But if he did, there was no better wrench in the business.

I shrugged. “At least I bought you tacos for your trouble.”

Billy laughed, shaking his head as he turned back to the bike. “Not enough tacos in the world.”

When it was time for the guys to head for the gate, we made our way back to the stands. Next to Skylar’s parents, we found my dad and brothers had already arrived. Beau wasn’t home for long, and he’d had to get special permission to make the trip. But seeing him beside Mack and my dad—at a motocross race no less—gave my gut a quick kick of pleasure. It would be really nice if gatherings like this could become a regular thing.

“Grumpy!” Micah yelled, scrambling from Sky’s arms to climb his way toward her dad .

Jacob laughed as he clambered over Mack and Beau like they were part of a jungle gym. Their faces twisted up as his boney little knees and elbows dug into their legs.

“Jeez, kid,” Mack muttered, but there was no venom in it.

“Sorry,” Skylar apologized, but Jacob shook his head.

“They were worse when they were his age. They deserve some payback.”

When the gate dropped, all eyes were on Ronnie as he tore from the pack. Our spot on the top of the hill gave us a perfect view of the course and as Ronnie dug into the first corner, I held my breath. By the time he made it around to us again, he was in third, but he was neck and neck with a rider from the Yamaha team, and just before they headed back down the hill, Ronnie got pushed aside.

“Damnit, come on Ron,” Skylar muttered, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.

I realized I’d never seen her at a race. She was just as intense as I’d imagined, but there was something more. She tilted and leaned, as if she was on that bike with him, her whole body going rigid as she watched him take each jump. She was practically willing Ronnie up the hills and over the rollers, and it was the most adorable thing I’d ever seen.

Of course, I’d never tell her that. The competitor in her would hate being called cute. But it was fun to see her like this. Sky didn’t do anything halfway, which was good, because neither did I.

“Hey, we don’t have a lot of time before dinner,” I said, skimming my hand across Sky’s back as she took off her jewelry. “Why don’t we save water and shower together?”

She eyed me in the hotel’s wide bathroom mirror, a spark of mischief behind her smile. “Since when are you an environmentalist? ”

I chuckled under my breath, bending to kiss a line along her shoulder. When she angled her head to give me access to the smooth skin of her throat, I grinned. “Being retired has given me new perspectives on a lot of things.”

“Oh?” Her eyebrows shot up, the challenge in her smirk making my cock jump in my pants. “Enlighten me.”

With our eyes locked in the mirror, I reached around to unbutton her shirt. “Fast fashion is terrible for the planet.”

She pushed her hips back, grazing my erection and making the air rush out of me. “So says the model.”

“ Former model,” I corrected her before slipping her shirt off her shoulders.

The sight of her prefect breasts in forest green lace distracted me, my hands sliding up her body until I held both in my palms, twisting her nipples with just a little pressure.

A breathy sigh slipped out of her, as her head lolled back onto my shoulder. “What other wisdom have you gained?” she asked, with her eyes closed and her hands reaching back to tug my hips forward.

I ground myself against her ass, hissing at the contact. Skylar was effortlessly seductive. Her power such a quiet version compared to mine. She barely moved and I was ready to pounce on her. But I held back. Teasing out her pleasure had become my new favorite hobby and the longer I took, the more frustrated she got. And when her control frayed, it felt like the whole world dropped out. It was just us. Exactly how I liked it.

With my lips dragging up the column of her throat I popped her bra clasp open and skimmed the straps down her arms, goosebumps fanning out and hardening her nipples even more.

“That the best things in life can’t be rushed.”

Sky whimpered, her fingers closing around the ridge of my cock through my pants. “You like torturing me.”

A flush had already begun creeping up her chest, and I’d barely touched her. Licking my lips, I drifted my hand across her belly, sliding it into her pants and dipping a single finger between her le gs. She moaned in my ear, and I bit down on her shoulder. That sound. That fucking sound wound me so goddamn tight. It was my own torture and my prize all at once.

Strumming over her clit, her breath started to thin. She tilted her hips, searching for the connection that would set her off, the building sensation shivering through her.

“Open your eyes.” She did, locking them on mine in the mirror. “Good girl,” I said, as I worked her with my hand. “Look at yourself riding my hand.”

I dragged her slickness up over her clit, moving faster, just how she did when I watched her make herself come. That flash of memory rocked through me, the tip of my cock going wet as I ground it into her palm.

“You like watching, don’t you?”

She bit her lip, her tits bouncing on a ragged breath.

“Seeing me lose my mind?”

A tinny laugh shook out of her, before her brow creased. She was so close, I could feel the tremble in her thighs, the desperate way her eyes pleaded with me to let her go over.

“You make me like this,” I told her, reaching down to yank my pants out of the way so her hand was around me, skin on skin. “You’re the only one who’s ever made me like this.”

Thrusting my cock through her grasp, I fought to hold on.

“Fuck, Cory,” she gasped, reaching for the edge of the counter. “I’m so close.”

I pumped up into her hand faster, my finger rubbing her clit over and over, every muscle on fire as she pitched up on her toes, a low moan filling the room.

“Give it to me, baby. Come for me.”

Sky nodded, her mouth hanging open as she went rigid, my hand still working her as the wave of orgasm hit. Her gaze never left mine, those icy blue eyes burning, just for me.

As soon as her body went limp, I let her go, ripping her pants down to her ankles and sliding my aching cock into her. The walls of her pussy quivered around me as I started to move, and I threw my head back at the pure fucking perfection of it.

Sky hinged over the counter, her palms pressed to the glass as she watched me. The glint in her eye as I took her from behind sent a rush of emotion into my chest, swelling like a balloon, making me feel lightheaded.

“Don’t hold back,” she said, pushing her hips back into me with every thrust.

A greedy hunger washed over her face, and I slipped my hand into her hair. With a gentle tug, I arched her back so I could kiss her, our lips bouncing off each other as I hammered deep.

“You feel me, baby?”

“Everywhere,” she whispered into my mouth, skimming her lips reverently over mine. “Don’t stop.”

Her pussy tightened, fisting me every time I drew out and slid back home. My orgasm was right there, just on the other side of the cliff she was driving me toward.

“Tell me,” I whispered, my grip on her hair tightening.

Skylar moaned, her palm streaking across the mirror as I sped up.

“Tell me, baby.”

My chest clamped down tight, the air trapped in my lungs as she turned to kiss my jaw.

“I’m yours. Only yours.”

A growl rose deep and low, pulled out of me as I exploded into her. My cock twitched as I froze, emptying myself with a gasp. When my body went lax, I rested my forehead between her shoulders, struggling to regain myself.

“You fucking wreck me, woman.”

My head jostled as she laughed. “I’m pretty sure you wrecked me first.”

Slipping out of her, I dropped a line of light kisses along her sweat-dampened skin. She tasted like salt and smelled like lilies. And if I didn’t have plans for us tonight, I’d have demanded we stay in bed taking turns unraveling each other until the morning .

“Let’s get that shower going, handsome,” she said, smacking me on the ass as she stepped out of her pants and turned on the tap. “We’re going to be late.”

“Not a chance,” I said, stepping in behind her for the fastest shower I’ve ever taken.

The sun was still hanging over the horizon and I did the quick math on how long we had before it set altogether. I smiled to myself; plenty of time.

“Are you sure this is the way to the restaurant? I told my parents to get there by six.” Sky’s head was down as she rifled through her purse, so she didn’t see me glance over at her, a grin on my face that I should have worked harder to hide.

“We’ll be there in time. I just want to check something out on the way.”

Her head snapped up. “Check what out?”

“Nothing. It’ll take two seconds.”

Her cheeks were still rosy, the pink of her skin almost glowing as she stared at me in her white sundress. She’d tied half her hair up, letting the rest fall around her shoulders. Shoulders I wished I still had my lips on. I considered Skylar to be a rare beauty every day of her life, but freshly fucked and happy, she was hard to look away from.

“This isn’t another alpaca farm, is it?” She looked down at her feet. “I’m wearing sandals that are not made for a pasture.”

Laughing, I shook my head as I took the turn into White’s Pond. “No, we’ll make sure no footwear is harmed on this adventure.”

She grumbled in her seat, looking around as we wove through the woods, trying to sort out where we were going. When she spotted the other cars in the small lot, her back went rod straight.

“Is that your dad’s truck? ”

“Huh,” I replied, sliding into the spot next to it and turning to get out before she could ask me anything else.

“Cory James Ellis,” she said, glaring at me as she hopped to the ground. “What is going on?”

With a quick glance behind her, I smiled. “Nothing bad, baby.”

Her eyes went wide, apprehension filling them that I wanted to erase. I closed the distance between us, taking her hands in mine.

“I know you’ve missed your folks. And we’ve both been so busy getting the house done, and you ready for your classes this fall.” I sighed, looking over her head at the beautiful pond, lined with maple trees, sparkling in the sun. “But there’s something we need to do.”

Confused, she shook her head. “What?”

“You’ll see,” I said, taking her hand and leading her around the simple cabin that sat on a slope above the water. As soon as we rounded the corner, her grip clamped down, and I let her pause to take it in.

Bistro lights and strings of flowers were hung from the trees, and potted plants with lush white petals overflowed, lining the path down to the dock. Simple violin music filled the air, and the smell of the Sweet Pepperbush floated around us.

But the sights and sounds weren’t what had Skylar stalled in place. It was the looks on the faces of everyone she loved that had her covering her mouth with her fingers, tears welling up in her eyes.

Her parents and Ronnie stood on one side of the aisle, next to Elle, who had Micah in her arms. On the other side were my brothers and father, all of them smiling. Well, except Mack. He just looked at us with an expectant tilt of his lips as if he had a bet on whether Skylar would bolt. Billy was beside him, though, and his smile was wide and proud enough for both of them.

Off to the side a photographer was quietly snapping photos. Even if we did this again, I wanted to make sure we never forgot a second of this day .

“If you wanted something bigger, fancier...” I started, watching her take it all in. “We can do it again. But I need you to be my wife, gorgeous. I can’t wait any longer.”

Waiting till June had been practically impossible. But the race in Southwick was the perfect opportunity with both our families finally in one place. This wasn’t our lake, but it was a simple, beautiful spot, and it felt like us.

But as Skylar stood next to me, her breath held and her hands starting to shake, I got worried I’d missed something again. I was about to ask her what was wrong, when she cut me off.

“I can’t believe you did this,” she whispered.

“Elle and your mom did most of it,” I admitted. I’d come up with the idea and found the spot, and with the few details I’d remembered Sky sharing of what she’d have wanted, they’d made it this perfect.

She turned to me. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”

My lungs gave out as I took her face in my hands. “There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Sky.” I swiped at the tears that slipped from her eyes, bending to kiss her because I couldn’t stop myself.

“Marry me, baby?”

“You know, technically we still are married,” she said, her voice watery as she quirked an eyebrow.

She’d never filed for the divorce, even when she knew it could have set her up financially without me. The reminder hit me in the chest for the millionth time.

“Yeah, but not like this. And don’t you want this?”

She nodded, sucking in a steadying breath. “Hell, yes.”

I kissed her again, smiling against her lips, “That’s my girl.” When I let her go, I blew out a nervous breath. “Stay right here.”

With a quick nod to the group, my father moved to his spot at the end of the dock and Grant walked up the slope toward his daughter.

“I’ll see you soon,” I said, kissing the back of her hand before reluctantly letting it go .

Just as the sun touched the tips of the trees on the western shore, Sky and her father made their way to me. Even after we’d put this whole thing together, and knowing exactly what was going to happen, I found myself sucking back tears as her father placed her hand in mine.

“Be good to each other,” he said, looking each of us in the eye before he let go.

“Mommy, don’t fall in!” Micah called from his spot in front of Ronnie, and I appreciated the laugh to ease the swell of emotions building.

“You both have chosen each other,” Jacob started, his expression warm but earnest as he put his newly acquired officiant license to work. “Chosen to face the ups and downs of this life side by side. And today, in front of everyone you love, you’ve decided to declare your commitment to that choice. If you have anything you’d like to say to each other, speak it now.”

Skylar looked up at me, her eyes going wide. “I...”

“I’ll go first,” I said, giving her hands a squeeze.

I cleared my throat, the words already feeling too big to get out.

“Skylar Rae Stone, I love you. I love you for giving me a reason to live, for fighting for me, for showing me every beautiful thing I’d turned away from my whole life. When you look at me, I feel like whoever you see is enough. But I’ll never stop wanting to be more for you. Better for you. Better to you. Because you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” I paused, looking over at Micah through the tears that refused to stay down. “Both of you are the best thing to ever happen to me.” When I turned back to her, her cheeks were wet and I had to fight the urge to dry her tears. “The day you came into my life is the day it started again. And I will love you with everything I have until the day it ends.”

I heard a noise behind me and turned to see Ronnie scraping a hand down his face. He shrugged when he saw me looking.

“Skylar do you have anything you’d like to say?” my dad asked, hesitantly .

Skylar’s expression was so open, so sweet, she didn’t need to say anything for me to know how she felt. But she nodded to Jake and pulled her shoulders back with a shake of her head.

“Cory James Ellis, I love you. Even when I didn’t want to, I did.”

We both laughed, and her smile was so bright my chest cracked open.

“You saw me when no one else did. You forced me to see myself. You’ve challenged me, inspired me, and believed in me. You’ve taken my little family and made it your own, and I have never felt so safe. When I’m with you I feel seen, not just for who I am or what I can give, but for every possibility I’ve never even imagined for myself. You follow your heart and you give everything you have, and I will never understand how I got so lucky to be the one you chose. But I choose you, and I will choose you, every day, for the rest of my life.”

Her words surged through me, along with awe and love, and disbelief that I could possibly be so lucky. I gazed down into her bright blue eyes, the eyes of the woman I loved, the eyes of my wife. And as my father said the words, and the people around us cheered, I took her face in my hands and kissed her deep and slow. A kiss that was a promise. The promise of us. Today. Tomorrow. Forever.

Do you wonder if Cory is done with the world of motocross? Or what he and Sky get up to in their new Maine home? Click here to find out in an exclusive BONUS !