My dick is hard again, and I want to be inside that tight little pussy.
“Dale, I—”
I lift her hips and bring her down onto my erection.
She shrieks.
A good shriek.
“Ride me, baby. Fuck me.”
She lifts her hips until the head of my cock is caught between those slick folds. She teases me for a few seconds, rubbing her wetness over me, and then she sinks down.
“Fuck,” I growl. “Never enough. Never enough with you.”
She closes her eyes, one hand trailing over her left breast, the other descending toward her clit. “You can tell me anything, my love. Anything… God, feels so good.”
She continues to fuck me. Up. Down. Up. Down.
Finally, I grip her hips, raising my own and pistoning into her.
Until I implode, each burst from my dick throbbing throughout my body.
“I love you, Ashley,” I shout. “I fucking love you!”
“I love you too.” She shatters around me, milking spurt after spurt out of me.
When she’s done, she collapses against my chest, her soft cheek nuzzled into my neck.
We fall asleep that way.
And for the first time in a long time, I don’t have a nightmare.
After meeting Willow and Dennis for a quick breakfast, Ashley and I drive home to Colorado, Willow and Dennis following in the RV. They’ll stay at my place, since Mom and Dad don’t know they’re coming. Willow wanted to stay in the RV, but I insisted they stay in the guesthouse.
In seven hours, I’ll enter Steel Acres as a married man.
Mom and Dad will be thrilled.
I think.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Ashley
“Of course we’re thrilled!” Jade says. “We’d have liked to have been there, of course, but it’s great timing. Everyone’s still home from the family meeting. We’ll have a reception for all of you tomorrow night.”
“You don’t have to go to all that trouble, Mrs. Steel,” Mom says.
“Please, it’s Jade. And you’re family now. It’s no trouble at all. Marj and I love to plan parties.”
“Marj?” Mom asks.
“My sister-in-law. Dale’s aunt. She and I are the party planners. I can’t wait to tell her.”
“Congratulations, son.” Talon pulls Dale into a fatherly bear hug. Then he whispers something into his ear.
I’ll ask him about that later.
“Dee and Bree are in town for dinner tonight,” Jade says. “I’ll text them to come home right away. I’ve got to tell everyone. This is so exciting!”
“Brace yourself,” I say to Mom and Dennis. “This family is huge.”
“The more the merrier.” Mom smiles radiantly. So far, marriage shines on her. I’m so happy that she’s happy.
Dennis is a nice guy, from what I’ve seen. He’s nice and funny and looks at Mom the way Dale looks at me.
Perfect.
“Are you hungry?” Jade asks. “We have plenty. Darla’s already gone home, but I make a mean grilled cheese and tomato sandwich.”
“We’re fine, thank you,” Mom says. “We stopped for dinner in Grand Junction.”
“Wonderful. Then let me show you to your room.”
“They’re staying with us,” Dale says.
“Nonsense. Our place is a lot bigger. The rooms are a lot bigger.”
“Jade,” I say, “we didn’t give you any notice.”
“It’s no problem.” She winks at me. “Though I understand.”
Good. I don’t want to put Mom and Dennis into the position of staying with someone they just met.
We say our goodbyes, take Penny, who stayed at the main house while Dale was gone, and drive to Dale’s place.
Mom and Dennis get settled, and Dale and I unpack in the master suite.
Wow. I live here now. This is my bedroom.
Dale wanted to say something to me last night. Something about his past.
Don’t push.
Jade’s warning.
But I’m his wife now.
Still… Does that matter?
I won’t push him.
I can’t.
I work with Ryan and Dale in the winery the next day. The mechanical crushers are crushing the harvested Syrah for the old vine. Production is changed to accommodate half the allotted grapes due to the loss from the fire.
I can’t help but think of the old traditional crushing done by barefooted crushers. I’ve always wondered what that feels like.
“Wouldn’t that be fun?” I say to Dale and Ryan.
“It’s a lot more work than you think it is,” Dale says.
“How do you know? Have you ever done it?”
“Of course not.”
“I rest my case.”
“Your feet would be permanently dyed purple,” Ryan adds.
“Wouldn’t bother me,” I say indignantly.
“Why are you two here, anyway?” Ryan asks. “Shouldn’t you be honeymooning?”
“Ashley insisted,” Dale says. “She’s determined not to take any more time off from her internship.”
“And I suppose you told her that since she’s a Steel now, she’s no longer bound—”
“Yes, yes, he told me all that,” I say. “But I follow through on my commitments. It’s a White trait.”
“Good enough,” Ryan says.
I can’t wipe the ridiculous smile off my face. I’m married to the man of my dreams, and we’re making wine. We’re making wine! I know all about the process. Once the grapes are crushed and the juice is extracted, fermentation will begin. This is where the magic happens. If left alone, the wild yeasts in the air will start fermentation within about twelve hours, but winemakers often intervene by inoculating the must to introduce a strain that will better predict what kind of wine the juice produces. I’m excited to see Dale and Ryan at work here. What will they do? How will they manipulate the fermentation? I pepper them with questions.