Prologue

PROLOGUE

C olson

24 Years Ago

I heard her before I saw her. Tully was always making a racket, even when sneaking out to my truck parked out back on her mama’s property. I took care of a lot of the land maintenance for Tully’s mama since her husband died when Tully was just a little girl. The last thing I wanted to do was disrespect her by getting handsy with her daughter on her own property, but this felt safer than taking her anywhere else.

Tully’s voice carried through the trees with some Britney Spears song on her lips. I waited next to the bed of my truck beside the river where we liked to hang out. I slapped at another bug that tried to land on my overheated skin. Thank God I thought ahead and brought a couple citronella candles or else we’d be swarmed. How many times had we made out in this very spot, only to leave with mosquito bites in sensitive places?Tully burst through the line of trees with a leap over a fallen log. Her pretty face was split with the dazzling smile that kept me up late, thinking about her. Her long dark hair was already curling into a frizzy mess that I loved and she hated. For such a small person, she seemed ten feet tall with her personality. I’d been drawn to her the second I saw her freshman year, due to both her beauty and personality.

“Hey, hotshot!” she trilled, oblivious to the need to be quiet. Her mama had never caught us before, but I especially didn’t want to get caught tonight. We were both eighteen and had graduated from high school yesterday. I had plans that couldn’t wait.

“Tully,” I said quietly, hoping she’d catch on.

“Are we skinny-dipping or making out first?” she asked with a shimmy of her shoulders beneath that skimpy tank top that had me harder than the rock we usually laid our clothes on before jumping in the river. I spent most of my time around Tully hard as a rock. It was a condition I was used to, considering she said she wanted to wait to go all the way until we were adults. Over the four years we dated, I thought it just might kill me, but I was bound and determined to abide by her wishes.

“I got something for you.” I held out my hand and her eyes lit up even more. She skipped over, the muscular tan legs below the cutoff jean shorts catching my gaze. She collided with my chest, throwing her arms around my neck.

“I thought we said we weren’t doing graduation gifts?”

My hands landed on her hips, slipping around and down to grab her ass. I loved her ass. Always had. She could probably get me to do anything by turning around and wiggling that thing at me, especially in these short shorts and the curve of her ass peeking out.

“This isn’t a graduation gift.” I reluctantly pulled one hand away from her backside and held out my hand, palm down. “I wanted you to be the first person to see my tattoo.”

She gasped and shoved away from me. Thankfully, I was used to her overly dramatic moves and had braced myself. She snatched my hand and held it up to her face. It was pretty dark back here with the tall trees blocking most of the moonlight. The three citronella candles weren’t doing much to blot out the black night. I grabbed a flashlight from the bed of my truck and clicked it on, shining it on my left hand, ring finger.

Tully gasped again and moved my finger left and right. I sucked in a quick breath when she pulled on it too hard. I’d only gotten it done a few hours ago and the skin was still sensitive.

Her head popped up, but she still gripped my hand. “What is it?”

I smiled, thinking about all the research I’d done before permanently tattooing this on my finger, right below where my wedding band would go one day soon.

“It’s one of the brightest constellations in the sky. Perseus within the Cassiopeia constellation. It’s a big W that’s only visible half the year.”

Tully tilted her head, looking confused, as I knew she would. I’d somehow fallen in love with Greek mythology and what these gods represented. “I’m pretty sure I fell asleep in class when we were going over Greek gods, Colson.”

“Perseus was the Greek god known for slaying Medusa and rescuing the princess Andromeda. Cassiopeia is Andromeda’s mother. I wanted to get a tattoo to show you that I’d slay dragons—or women with snake hair—for you. And your mama. I’ll be your Perseus.”

Tully’s confusion morphed into a soft smile. “And I’ll be your Andromeda?”

“My princess,” I said quietly, referring to the nickname I’d given her a couple years back.

Tully looked back at my hand, seeing the tattoo with new eyes. She dipped her head and kissed it before popping her head back up. “I love it!”

My heart rate picked up just thinking about what was next. “I got you something too.”

She squealed and let go of my hand. My girl loved surprises. I tried to give her something every week, even if it was just a bunch of wildflowers I picked along the way to her house.

Putting down the flashlight, I dug in my pocket until I found the gold band I’d saved several months for. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. Our start. I held the ring between us.

“I love you, Tully Cassio. I want to spend forever with you, starting right now.” I stepped back and dropped down to one knee right there in the dirt that smelled like summertime. Tully gasped, her eyes filling with tears. “Will you marry me?”

Tully’s head bobbed up and down before she finally screamed yes. I stood back up and slid the ring on her shaking finger. Or maybe that was me shaking. I couldn’t really tell because Tully was jumping up and down now, making all kinds of noise. I grinned down at her, feeling like everything in my life was going exactly according to plan with that ring on her finger.

Tully jumped again, this time with her hands on my shoulders, so I grabbed that pretty ass and held her against me. She wrapped her legs around my waist and I spun her around and around until we were both laughing. She sealed her mouth to mine, the laughter abruptly shifting into something else that had me forgetting all about the bugs, the possibility of being found, or even that I had work tomorrow, bright and early.

My girl could kiss. We’d spent hours making out, just teasing each other until I had to walk away or risk embarrassing myself. This time, however, Tully ground her hips against my obvious erection and I nearly dropped her. I broke away from the kiss, my forehead on hers as we both gulped for air. Looking me dead in the eye, she did it again, licking her bottom lip.

“You sure, princess?” The words barely made it through my tight throat.

Tully bit down on her bottom lip, her eyes looking half drunk. She knew exactly what I was asking her. She nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure, baby. Did you bring protection?”

I nodded, my heartbeat in my goddamn ears at this point. All the blood seemed to have gone south. My older brother had teased me for years about the name of our town and the state of my condition. Blueball had actually been named after a flower an old man had planted all over the hillside in remembrance of his dear wife, but I was acutely aware of the dirtier meaning. If I wasn’t careful, I wouldn’t be able to make this good for Tully, and I’d have to kick my own ass.

I spun her around and laid her down on the bed of my truck, which I’d lined with a bunch of blankets, hoping this was where the night would lead. I pulled the strip of condoms out of my back pocket and placed them on the blankets. Tully stripped her tank top over her head and tossed it over the side of the truck. She wasn’t wearing a bra, which had me dropping my chin to my chest on a groan. Her boobs were perfection, even if she complained all the time about them being too small. When I lifted my head, she already had her hands on the waist of her jean shorts.

“Wait,” I said, voice sounding strangled. My hand shot out and stopped her. “I want to undress you.”

She bit her lip and nodded. Instead of going for the obvious, I went for her shoes first, pulling off her flip-flops and massaging my way up her thighs. I pulled her legs apart and stepped closer. My thumbs swept under the hem of her shorts and she gasped, eyelids fluttering closed. We’d only gone so far as reaching inside each other’s pants when we made out. I couldn’t wait to look my fill without any clothing in the way.

My hands were shaking as I undid the button and zipper of her shorts. I peeled them off her legs and tossed them behind her head. She had on a pair of royal-blue underwear, the kind that doesn’t cover any part of your backside. She’d started buying underwear like that when she found out how much I liked her ass. That way, when I stuck my hand down her shorts, I got a handful of skin-on-skin contact. She told her mama the skimpy underwear were for no panty lines when she wore her cheerleading skirt, and thankfully, Sofia bought it.

“You’re so damn beautiful, Tully,” I muttered, feeling like if my heart hammered any harder, I might pass out.

Tully shifted her hips, running her bare foot over the front of my jeans. My hips lurched back. Hell, at this point, even her big toe touching my cock might have me exploding. I got the point though. I stripped her underwear down her legs and tucked the material into my front pocket.

“Spread your knees,” I whispered, eyes glued to the strip of hair she’d obviously groomed between her legs.

Tully’s breaths were coming fast, but she did what I asked, letting her knees open, giving me a glimpse of the most perfect pink, glistening pussy the gods had ever made. I’d only seen this one, but I was convinced it was perfection.

“Fuck, Tully.”

She squirmed again, reaching out one foot to hook behind me and pull me further into the truck bed. “Not fair when you’re fully dressed.”

Eyes still glued to the promised land, I stripped my T-shirt over my head and pushed my jeans down to my ankles. My erection bobbed free and now Tully was the one with wide eyes. She sat up, propped up on her elbows, taking in the cock she’d had her hands on before, but never seen.

“Is it going to hurt?” she whispered.

I shook my head and climbed up onto the truck bed between her legs. “No, princess. I’d never hurt you.” I actually talked to my older brother about this exact thing last year. He’d given me some tips on things to do to make it easier for her.

I kissed her hip bone, making her groan. Then I shifted and tentatively licked up her center. Tully gasped and her taste bloomed on my tongue. It was like a light switch flipping. I wanted to devour this girl. With a wolfish grin, I dove in, licking, tasting, flicking, kissing her right between her legs without any idea of what I was doing. I basically just did what got her squirming the most. When her fingers dove into my hair and she cried out my name, I knew I’d done what I went there to do.

I lifted my head, feeling mighty proud of myself. Tully’s hair lay a tangled mess on the blankets, her cheeks full of color and her chest rising and falling with rapid breaths.

“Oh my God, Colson.”

I grabbed a condom and ripped it open, sheathing myself like I’d practiced at home. I wasn’t sure how long I could last, but at least I’d given her one orgasm to remember. “Tell me if anything is uncomfortable and I’ll stop, okay?”

Tully blinked, looking down at where I held my cock at the base, the head nudging against her opening. She looked back up at me perched on my elbow above her and nodded, tensing.

“No, baby, you gotta relax.”

She nodded again, but looked like she was doing the opposite of relaxing. Gritting my teeth and promising my cock he’d get his later, I brushed a kiss across her lips. Tully responded, kissing me back. Soon the kiss got hot and heavy, just like all those times we’d made out. The next time I slid my tongue in her mouth, I nudged my cock inside of her. Just an inch or so. She gasped into my mouth, but kept kissing me, which I took as a good sign.

Tingles of pleasure lit up my spine and I knew I could nut right then and there. Except I’d forever remember our first time as being over without fully being inside my girl. I’d never forgive myself. Thinking about our old science teacher, who had breath like a corpse and the smell of menthol muscle cream, I got myself under control.

“Why’d you stop?”

I looked down to see Tully frowning at me, her hands on my shoulders.

“I was thinking of Ms. Farnhammer.”

Tully grimaced. “What? Why?”

I grinned. “I needed a second to control myself. I don’t want to hurt you by going too fast.”

Tully shook her head back and forth. “No. Absolutely not. I won’t allow you to think of our old teachers while we’re making love. I can take it, Colson Wolfe. Give me that cock!”

Her voice rang out against the trees and I winced, hoping her mama was already fast asleep up at the house.

“Yes, ma’am.” I dipped my head and kissed her again, tilting my hips and pushing inside of her further. She was tight and hot and so damn blissful I could imagine myself needing to stay right here inside of her forever. My eyes rolled back in my head.

Her heel whacked me on the ass and my eyes refocused. “Hey!”

Her gaze burned into me, my fierce princess. “Don’t you hold back on me.”

She was right. She might be short, but what she lacked in height, she made up for in spirit. I could trust that she’d tell me if I was hurting her. So I backed up a bit and then thrust all the way into her. I dropped my head and groaned. The feel of being completely inside of her, my balls hitting up against that luscious ass, all of it was too much. I pulled back out and slid forcefully back in. My brain was exploding with colors and sounds and a newfound appreciation for all that I’d been missing out on. Fuck, sex was awesome!

My truck began lurching back and forth with each thrust, and I was pretty sure I made just as much noise as Tully, but all of a sudden, she somehow squeezed my cock and her back arched off the bed of the truck like she was offering her boobs to me. Honestly, I’d been hanging by a thread already, so her pussy milking my cock was overload. Lightning bolts of pleasure hit the base of my spine all at once and my body locked up. Stars shot across my eyes. My balls drew up painfully tight and then I was spewing into her, my body out of my control completely.

Time took a funny jump and I found myself lying on top of her, my head on her shoulder and her legs intertwined with mine as we both just breathed. My knees ached from the hard truck bed, but everything else felt a level of euphoria I couldn’t comprehend. Tully blew out a breath, and I realized I must be crushing her.

“Holy fuck,” she whispered in awe. I lifted my head and grinned at her. Her hand was over her eyes, the gold band glinting in the candlelight. “Let’s do that again.”

And just like that, I was hard as a rock and thankful I brought the whole box of condoms I’d bought two towns over yesterday.