Unbreak My Heart (Rough Riders Legacy #1)(42)

Desire ruled—until passion overtook common sense and then all barriers between us fell away as if they’d never existed.

Twisting my hands in her hair, I held on, feeling her fingernails digging into my shoulder blades as she clung to me because we were spiraling, spinning. Locked together and completely consumed by the hot, wet, greedy, balls-to-the-wall kiss. Kissing like we were already naked and about to hit the f*cking sheets.

Soon. Fuck. Me. Please let it be soon. Because this is perfection.

Anything that intense can’t last. It shouldn’t last or it loses the impact.

Sierra sensed it at the same time.

The kiss ended.

But I felt like we’d finally begun.

“Boone,” she panted against my throat.

“I know, baby,” I whispered in her hair. “Me too.”

“Then you know I have to go.”

Jesus Christ on a jumbo jet. She had to…go? After that?

Dude. It’s not like she didn’t warn you.

I counted to ten. Then I managed, “You’re freaking out?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“I thought I was ready. For you. For this.”

“You’re not?”

“I need some time to think.”

“Sierra. Christ, woman, you’re scaring me. Are you having second thoughts?”

That’s when she looked at me. “The truth?”

“Always.”

“You walked back into my life less than two weeks ago. We’ve been together half a dozen times. This is the first time we’ve had any intimate contact. And that? That was life changing. I’m pretty sure if I was already on fire and you asked me if I wanted more gasoline I’d say ‘yes please’ just to get me some more of that.”

“That’s the most flattering thing you’ve ever said to me.”

She poked me in the chest. “It wasn’t meant to be, jackass. I’m getting caught up in the whirlwind of you and when it stops and spits me out, I won’t know where—or who—I am.”

“I am not going anywhere this time.” I kissed her forehead. Her cheeks. Her mouth. “Don’t run. Please.”

“I’m not running, but this…reminded me of the last time we kissed. It reminded me that you have the power to break me.”

“Listen to me.” I trapped her face in my hands. “The only reason I came to Phoenix is because you’re here. There. I f*cking said it. You. Are. It. For. Me. You always have been. So that power to f*cking crush a heart to dust? Runs both ways.” I dropped my hands before I used them to shake some damn sense into her. I forced myself to step back. I forced myself to start walking away.

“That little confession isn’t helping clear my head, West,” she yelled at me.

I turned and smiled at her—not a nice smile. “It wasn’t supposed to. See you around, McKay.”





I tossed and turned for hours after I’d left the bar.

I’d known that Boone would kiss me. I’d wanted it. So when it finally happened tonight…I thought I’d prepared myself.

What a joke.

Reliving the sheer perfection of how thoroughly he’d kissed me was making my breath catch even now.

It was just a kiss.

No matter how many times I told myself that…I didn’t believe it.

It hadn’t felt like just a kiss.

Looking into Boone’s eyes, I knew it hadn’t felt that way for him either.

And then he’d told me the truth.

The only reason I came to Phoenix is because you’re here. There. I f*cking said it. You. Are. It. For. Me.

So his kiss hadn’t been to remind me of the past; it’d been a promise for the future.

A future I never thought we’d have.

Because the first time he kissed me was also the last time I saw him. For seven years.

God. I didn’t want that to happen again.

I shut my eyes.

Every sight, sound, scent and feeling I’d had that night crashed over me. Sleep wouldn’t come but the memories did…


The bright moon glow that night had sent silvery light across the clearing.

Seemed a little strange, Boone calling me out of the blue and asking me to meet him. I hoped it meant something more than he was bored.

I ignored the snarky voice in my head, asking why I went running every time Boone West crooked his little finger at me. But I hadn’t seen him since his graduation. He’d slipped back into the not-returning-texts zone. School had ended two days ago and my summer plans were still up in the air.

I put my car in park and killed the ignition. Butterflies danced in my belly. Where had this nervousness come from? I was out here with Boone. Mr. Trustworthy. Mr. Oblivious.

His butt rested against his motorcycle seat. His booted feet crossed at the ankle. His arms folded over his chest. He wore a super tight T-shirt which displayed the ripped muscles in his arms and the ridges in his lower abdomen. I’d seen that shirt on him a dozen times and every time I whispered a little thank you to the T-shirt gods.

Stop gawking at him.

Nothing wrong with being attracted to my best guy buddy.

Was there?

No. Especially when he didn’t have a clue how I felt.

I walked up to him, my hands jammed into the back pockets of my jeans. “You summoned me?”