Page 60 of Raise Me Up

I cross my arms over my chest. “Well,Jacobcan fuck straight off with those flirty little looks.”

Beau’s smile inches close to where I know those dimples exist. Next time they make an appearance, I’m gonna sink my teeth into them. I don’t care if we’re in public.

The crunch of boots on gravel has us both turning our heads. My anger immediately dissolves, incinerated by a snap of electricity as Stasi jogs toward us with three pairs of goggles in her hand. She’s wearing a dark tank top, frayed shorts, and hiking boots. Beau’s snapback is pulled low on her head, her long braid fed through the back. The whole get up reminds me of Tomb Raider.

I’m fucking here for it.

“See? Dates aren’t so bad, are they?” Beau says quietly.

I find myself giving a single nod, unable to tear my gaze away from her.

“What else do you think we could get her to dress in?”

“I’d rather not think about that right now,” I mutter, already uncomfortably tight in the jeans.

Stas holds out a pair of black goggles for me. She’s so light on her feet today. Did Beau know she likes a bit of danger? Did he know she'd show up in that outfit?

If this is all it takes to make her smile, maybe I can make an exception to my no dates rule.

Hooking an arm around her waist, I tug her against me. That pretty smile of hers has me weak in the knees.Shemakes me weak. There’s not a touch of make-up on her face today, and it makes me crave waking up next to her in my bed, snuggled between me and Beau.

An odd fluttering spreads through my chest as she stretches up on her toes and kisses me. I wasn’t sure how the two of them would feel about public displays of affection with our current arrangement. I don’t give a shit about outside opinions, but I’ve watched Stas struggle with judgment her entire life, so I was prepared to hold off.

Sliding a hand up her spine to cup her nape, I kiss her long enough for her to let out a breathy laugh.

After we break apart, she tugs my bandana up over my mouth and nose. Then she gives me a curious look. “I cover most of your face and you still make my heart race.”

I have to nudge her over to Beau to keep myself from attacking her and getting kicked out for inappropriate behavior.

Wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen. People expect that shit from a rockstar.

“Ready to get dirty?” Beau asks with an impish grin.

Faster than he can react, Stas grabs the keys from his hand and books it toward our off-road vehicle. If I wasn’t already tangled up in this woman, she’d win me over the second she hops into the driver’s seat and starts up the engine like she was raised out here in the wild, not in the wealthy suburbs.

Sheisa little wild.

I bring my hand down on Beau’s shoulder, striding past his stunned form. “Better buckle up, trouble.”

Engines rumble in response to our own aggressive-sounding UTV. I cram my giant body into the back seat—the best spot for viewing those sexy legs about to work the pedals.

Stas maneuvers us into the line of creeping vehicles headed for a thicket of trees. When we approach the first rocky hill, she breaks into a grin and tugs her own bandana over her mouth and nose.

Then it’s our turn to hit the gas.

She tears up the steep hill like she owns it. I chuckle as Beau’s hand snaps to the roll cage bar. Stas tightens her grip on the wheel in determination, battling to stay in the deep tread marks like instructed.

Why can’t she go through life like this? Full fucking force. No concerns over what anyone thinks. No worrying about pleasing anyone.

I know the answer. In all the ways I was broken physically, she and Hail were torn apart mentally. Hail bounced back quicker. He had music. He had fame.

He had me to hold him up.

Anastasia drowned for a while longer. She was silent about it. Didn’t flail or scream for help. She continued to support Hail with pep talks as he pursued his dream. Pep talks she should have been giving herself.

Stasi slings us over hills and through mud puddles with reckless abandon. Hidden beneath my bandana, I’m grinning so hard my cheeks ache as we get tossed and bounced around. I’d let her drive us off a cliff with that smile plastered on my face. She can be my angel of death.

It takes Beau some time to relax in the passenger seat. When we’re back on flat terrain, he glances at me, face splattered with mud, and gives me a thumbs up.