Page 162 of The Harder You Fall (Rixon Raiders 3)

Asher

“How the fuck did we get so lucky?” I asked my two best friends in the whole world.

“It’s a question I ask myself every second of every day. She’s everything I never knew I wanted.” Jase took a long pull on his beer, not taking his eyes off Felicity for even a second. The girls were dancing together, laughing and smiling, twirling around without a care in the world.

“This was a good call,” Cam added, shifting forward as he tracked Hailee’s movements. “I’m not sure I could have survived another party.”

“Hey, my parties are fucking epic.”

“Yeah, but this is a thousand times better,” he grumbled.

“You’re not wrong,” Jase agreed as the three of us sat there watching our girls. The girls who had come out of nowhere and knocked us so far on our asses I wasn’t sure we’d ever get up again.

“If I die tonight,” I proclaimed, the buzz of liquor simmering in my veins. “I’d die happy.”

“No one is dying.” Cam elbowed my ribs. “Don’t be saying that shit.”

“Sorry, man, I wasn’t thinking.” The pain in his voice sobered me. We’d all been through a lot senior year. Some happy, some not so happy, and some downright ugly. But we’d made it and now we had our whole lives ahead of us.

“It’s cool,” he said. “I just… well, I guess with college approaching, it’s…”

“We get it.” Jase glanced over at him. “But whatever comes our way, we handle it together. No amount of distance changes that. You’re still my best friends. My brothers. We’re Raiders and no matter what color jersey you wear, we’ll always be Raiders.”

“College,” I breathed. “I’m so fucking relieved Mya will be there with me.”

“Tell me about it. I thought I had it all figured out,” Jase said. “I thought I didn’t need anything except football. But that girl right there,” he tipped the neck of his bottle toward Flick, “I need her more than air, and it fucking terrifies me.”

“Never thought I’d see the day.” Cam smirked at him.

“Fuck off.”

“Nah, man, it looks good on you. She looks good on you.”

“You should see her when she’s riding my—”

“And there’s the Jase we all know and love.” Laughter rumbled in my chest. “You think we gave them enough time?”

“Yeah.” He slammed his bottle down on the coffee table. “I think they’re done.”

“Thank fuck for that,” I mumbled, need pulsing through me.

We each stood up and approached the girls. But I didn’t pay any attention to what my friends were doing. I only had eyes for Mya, for the way the black knee-length dress molded to her curves like a second skin.

“Ash?” she gazed up at me as I pulled her into my arms.

“Needed you, babe,” I whispered against her ear before flicking my tongue over her salty sweet skin. Mya curled her hands into my Henley, letting me sway us to the music. “Are you enjoying the party?”

“Yes.” She grinned at me, her eyes glassy with one too many cocktails. Mya didn’t let her guard down a lot, but tonight, with our friends, she had. It made my heart swell watching my girl let her hair down and enjoy herself. It’s all I wanted; to see her happy.

After everything, she deserved it.

I turned her in my arms, pulling her body flush to mine, letting her roll her ass against me. My hands found the swell of her hips and my lips found her shoulder. I was hardly surprised to see Jase already had Felicity pinned against the wall, kissing her like he thought she might disappear any second.

“Asher...” Mya turned into me. “I need—”

“Come on.” Taking her hand, I pulled her out of the room and into the hall. But I couldn’t wait. I needed to taste her, to feel her skin on mine. Crowding her against the wall, I leaned in, kissing her hard. Our tongues slid together, dancing to their own rhythm.

“Feel what you do to me,” I whispered against her lips. “Feel how much I want you.” Grabbing her hand, I pressed it against the growing bulge in my jeans.