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I opened my mouth to ask the burning question that had plagued me since he’d stopped riding. But I shut it again, sure it was none of my business.

Except Keene caught my look. “Yes?” he prompted.

“It’s nothing,” I mumbled, feeling lame for even thinking the question.

But he nudged my arm. “Hey, if we’re really trying this, you’re allowed to ask anything you want. You know that, right?”

So I blurted, “Why did you quit?”

He lifted his eyebrows, confused.

“Riding,” I said. “You won the world championship two years in a row. And you didn’t get hurt. Most people would go on to compete in adult bull riding after that.”

“Yeah,” he said softly, while ghosts from the past haunted his eyes. “Most people would, wouldn’t they?”

“I’m sorry,” I said immediately, lifting my hands to withdraw my curiosity. “You don’t have to?—”

But he interrupted me, saying, “It’s fine.” He rolled his eyes and looked slightly chagrined. “You’re just going to think my reasoning is stupid, is all.”

“I doubt it,” I told him, thinking nothing about him was stupid, not even his most immature, ridiculous moments.

He laughed softly as if he disagreed before pulling into a driveway, startling me into realizing we’d made it to Archer House already. I blinked at the split-level home in the daylight and was freshly amazed I was actually here with Keene; he knew exactly who I was, yet he still wanted me.

Bizarre.

Cutting the engine, he turned to face me as I released my seat belt.

“Okay, so my dad and I don’t exactly get along, right?

” he started, waving a dismissive hand. “Because of the whole killing my mom thing. But it wasn’t like we were ever close before that.

He never had time for me, never had patience to be around me for more than an hour.

I’ve never once been alone with him. But one thing he’s always loved was the rodeo.

And I just…” He winced as if apologizing for his upcoming confession.

“The thing is, he was never that good at it. And I just thought it’d be funny to try out the rodeo and do it better than he had. You know?”

I watched him for a moment before saying, “But secretly, you just wanted his attention, right?”

“What? No .” Keene made a face. “Not really. I mean, I always had my two grandfathers to fill the father-figure role. I didn’t need Eric. And I didn’t particularly want anything from him.” Nodding to himself, he hummed out a satisfied sound. “Yeah. I pretty much only wanted to irritate him.”

“And did you?” I wondered.

Keene smiled slyly. “Not until I decided to have nothing to do with the rodeo after winning my titles,” he announced. “Oh, man. He absolutely lost his shit when I quit. I’d never seen him so frustrated and pissed in all my life. Best day ever, I swear.”

“So let me get this straight,” I said. “You entered the rodeo, which you had no passion for, just to irritate your dad?”

“Well…” Keene scowled. “I wouldn’t say I hated it. After I got into it, I really liked it.”

I shook my head, boggled. “So then you dropped something you loved just to irritate him?”

“Uh…” Keene paused cautiously as if he’d just been caught in a trap.

“Wouldn’t that be giving him more control than he deserves?” I asked. “The best revenge you can get is to move on and live a happy life with no regard to how it affects him at all. If you liked riding bulls, you should’ve kept at it, and fuck what he thought.”

That’s what my therapist had always told me about Gerald Sprout, anyway.

Keene blinked at me before grinning. “You just want to date a bull rider, is that what I’m hearing?”

I rolled my eyes, only to bite my lip and tease him by replying, “Well, there was something seriously hot about watching you in that arena defying death itself.”

Throwing back his head, Keene laughed. “Oh-ho. So the truth comes out. You’re only hooking up with me in the hopes I’ll renew my TYbr membership.”

Grabbing my waist, he tugged me over the center console and into his lap. “I see how you are,” he murmured before drawing my face down for a long, thorough kiss. “And I’m still fine with it.”

Falling victim to his lips, I kissed him back, plowing my fingers into his hair as he gripped my ass and ground me down onto his hardening erection.

When his mouth finally broke from mine, he sighed with pleasure and closed his eyes briefly before opening them to send me a solemn look. “I get what you’re saying, though. I did give him more than he deserved by starting and stopping the rodeo thing the way I did.”

I stroked the sides of his face before murmuring, “It’s okay. As long as everything you do from here on out is because it’s what you want, I’ll allow it.”

“Yes, Mistress,” he whispered, reaching for my face to draw me back to him.

But before we made contact, a vibration came from my book bag in the back seat.

“Oh shit,” I yelped in horror, already knowing who was calling. “It’s my mom.”

Keene laughed. “And you know this because…?” he asked as he held onto my hips to steady me as I lurched onto my knees and reached into the back.

“Her tracking app alerts her whenever I travel anywhere over a mile,” I panted as I dug for my phone, cursing under my breath when I didn’t immediately find it. “And she’s going to wonder why I left campus early, plus whose address I’m at.”

“Well, damn,” Keene said as I came back to sit on his lap, still straddling him as I pressed the phone to my ear.

“Hello?” I asked, cringing over how out of breath I sounded.

“Where are you?” The seriousness in Mom’s voice told me she wasn’t fucking around.

It caused Keene to lift his eyebrows in surprise because he was sitting close enough to hear everything she said.

Biting my lip, I stared into his eyes and knew I couldn’t tell her I was skipping class to hook up with a guy, so I lied my ass off. “My friend Xander wasn’t feeling well, so I drove her home. She’s not doing good at all; I might stay with her for a few hours.”

There was a pause, and then Mom said, “So you’re skipping class?”

“Just one,” I argued. “And we’re not doing anything important there today. I can catch up by rereading all the assignments, no problem.”

She sighed out a disgusted sound. “Why can’t this girl’s family take care of her?”

“Her parents live all the way in Victoria, and her cousin in town had his own classes to attend. I thought I’d just do it.” After a pause, I added, “I wanted to be a good friend.”

Mom had been prodding me into making friends for years. She couldn’t argue against the fact that I was helping one now.

And realizing it seemed to irritate her more. “Just—don’t make a habit of skipping classes. Alright? Your future is more important than some school friendship that probably won’t last a month after graduation, anyway. Okay?”

In front of me, Keene widened his eyes at her advice and mouthed the word, wow .

I sent him a dry look, but on the phone, I said, “Of course.”

“Alright, bye,” she said. “Love you.”

“Love you too,” I told her, hanging up and breathing out a long breath, unable to believe how readily I’d told her an untruth.

Under me, Keene lifted a finger. “So question,” he said. “Why exactly are we not telling your mom the truth?”

I blinked at him, stunned he didn’t already know. “You heard how irritated she was about me leaving class to help a friend. How do you think she would’ve reacted if I’d told her I left school to have sex?”

He thought that through before nodding. “Good point.” Then he tipped his head. “Does she even know about us?”

I furrowed my brow. “ I didn’t even know about us until five minutes ago.”

“Right,” he murmured, winking at me. “Another excellent point.” He straightened. “We need to get your alibi in order.” And holding onto my waist, he leaned past me to reach for his own phone.

I blinked, shaking my head in confusion. “What’re you doing?”

“Watch and learn, darlin’,” he instructed as he opened his texting app and brought up Xander’s name.

Hey, you want to do me a solid? I’ll agree to call a ceasefire to our feud if you do,

he wrote to her.

Seconds later, three bubbles appeared, letting us know she was responding.

Maybe I have no interest in ending our feud. You’re an ass, and I’m not sure I like you.

Looking up at me, Keene sniffed. “She’s totally lying. The woman adores me.” And he went back to typing.

What’re you talking about? You love me. I’m your soul mate’s bestie. Besides, the favor’s actually for Waverly, not me.

“Soul mate’s bestie?” I repeated, shaking my head in confusion.

Keene glanced up in surprise. “Yeah,” he said, nodding as if encouraging me to keep up. “Alec.” When I merely blinked at him, he lifted his eyebrows. “Seriously? You haven’t noticed those two are completely made for each other?”

“If you think that, why are you always hitting on her?” I demanded in dismay.

Keene lifted a finger. “You mean, always was hitting on her—past tense. And because…” He shrugged. “It annoyed her. Which was fun. I never actually had any real intentions of following through.”

When I made a face, not believing that, he sighed. “I mean, maybe at first I would’ve hit that. But it seriously took less than a day to see she was freaking made for Younger.” Pointing at me, he said, “You just watch. She and Alec; it’s gonna happen.”

I drew out a breath, not as sure about his claim as he was, only to notice two more texts had come in from Xander.

The first said,

What the hell are you talking about? I don’t have a soul mate. Make more sense, you weirdo.

Then, she added,

I’ll totally be there for Frankie, though. What does she need?

An alibi,

Keene answered.

You got sick and weren’t feeling well, so she had to drive you home from school. And right now you’re both at your place so she can attend to all your needs.

And where is she really?

Keene snickered before he replied.

At your place, attending to all MY needs.

I groaned as I read that, which only made Keene grin and waggle his eyebrows at me.

Are you serious right now?

Xander demanded.

As a heart attack, darlin’. Her mom just called, tracking her location. So our girl name-dropped YOU to avoid mentioning all the orgasms I just gave her. Two so far, but more to come. Now… If someone asks, are you going to back up her story or not?

“Oh my God.” I groaned, slugging his arm for actually sending that. “You didn’t have to go into that much detail.”

“Yes, I did,” he argued with a grin. “It’s no fun otherwise.”

I sighed and shook my head as Xander answered his inappropriate text.

Of course, I’ll back up her story. But did you two really just hook up? Again?

Yep. Thanks for the help. I hereby nullify our feud. You’re good people, Girl Union.

Keene started to put his phone away, only to make a sound of remembrance and start texting again.

Oh. And another thing. You’re going to have to stop flirting with me at breakfast. I have a girlfriend now. She may be tiny, but I sense a scrappiness in her. Piss her off, and I think she might take you.

Instead of answering Keene, my phone lit up with an incoming call from Xander.

I made a sound of amusement and showed him her name.

“Seriously?” he cried and snagged the receiver from my hand. “I’m sorry,” he answered, “Waverly can’t come to the phone right now. She’s about to get laid. Again.”

“Let me talk to Frankie,” I heard Xander demand.

I slugged Keene’s arm, and he laughed, letting me take the phone from his hand.

“Xander?” I said, only to roll my eyes and groan when she muttered what an ass he was. “I know,” I agreed wholeheartedly, then snorted my amusement when she kept going, calling him immature and annoying and a pain in her ass. Glancing into his eyes, I lovingly murmured, “Trust me, I know.”

He grinned smugly as if he assumed I’d just complimented him.

Then he cupped my ass and drew me forward so he could rub me against the semi he had growing in his pants.

Meeting his heated gaze, I flushed and bit my lip, even as my hips undulated on him, driving us both a little crazier.

I covered his face with my hand to get him to stop so I couldn’t be tempted anymore, but he nipped at my palm, then licked it with an erotic swirl of his tongue that I felt between my legs.

Sucking in a surprised breath, I ground down on his lap and mumbled, “I gotta go, Xander. Sorry. He’s?—”

Taking the phone from my hand, Keene hung it up and dropped it into the center console.

His eyes filled with liquid heat. My nipples went hard.

Dropping his attention to them, he growled, “Inside. Now.”