Chapter Twenty-Three
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
S tanding at the entrance of the Passion Plunge roller coaster, adrenaline rushes through my veins. I’m not taking this journey alone. Logan’s presence beside me, solid and reassuring, heightens the anticipation coiling in my chest. Our bodies press close together, the proximity electric, charged with a mix of excitement and something deeper, more primal.
Lust, perhaps.
He catches my eye, and my heart its own little upside down coaster. His hand slips into mine, warm and strong, and he gives it a gentle squeeze. “Ready?” he asks.
“Always,” I say, breathless with both anticipation and desire.
“Should we sit in the front?” he asks.
“The back’s faster.”
“That’s what they say. Let’s find out.”
We’re the first people to ride. Ever.
There are other people riding—members of the circus, locals visiting the carnival. They’re a blur as cross the loading area. My focus narrows to his hand in mine, the way his thumb traces small circles on my skin.
He releases my hand briefly to guide me into one of the seats, his touch lingering on my lower back. I slide into the seat, feeling the cool plastic against my thighs. Logan settles beside me. The safety bar lowers over our laps with a click.
A crooked smile playing on his lips. “Last chance to back out.”
“Not a chance.”
The ride operator’s voice comes over the loudspeaker.
“Welcome to Passion Plunge, where love is the ultimate risk! Please move forward and find your seat. Pull the bar down until it clicks, because because this ride will sweep you off your feet—literally! Keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times.”
A little buzzer goes off, and then we’re off.
My heart pounds harder as we begin to ascend.
His hand finds mine, threading our fingers together. The anticipation builds with every second that passes. We climb higher and higher. The world around us falls away until it’s just him and me, suspended between earth and sky.
We reach the crest of the hill, and for a brief moment, time seems to stand still.
I glance at his handsome profile…only to find he’s already looking at me. His green eyes fill with a mixture of challenge and affection that takes my breath away.
The roller coaster moves inexorably forward. Anticipation coils tight inside me as we start the slow ascent to the top of the first drop. Each clank counts down to something terrifying. I grip Logan’s hand tighter, and he responds with a firm squeeze.
As we inch close to the peak, the world below us shrinks. The rolling hills become a patchwork quilt of rooftops and streets, familiar yet distant. Up here, anything is possible. Like we’re untethered from all the things that tried to hold us down.
Logan leans in closer, his breath warm against my ear. “You’re mine now,” he murmurs, a hint of a challenge in his voice. “The greatest ride of all.”
I try to hide a smile. And fail. “Oh, I wouldn’t be sure about that. This one promises to be pretty good.”
“I’m sure.” His eyes are dark, intense, and filled with an unspoken promise. It’s like he can see right through my tough exterior, straight into the parts of me that still get scared, that still feel vulnerable. And he loves every inch of me.
We reach the summit. The roller coaster pauses for a split second as if savoring our anticipation before plunging us into freefall. My stomach lurches, but instead of fear, I feel an exhilarating rush—like every cell in my body is alive and buzzing.
Then gravity takes over, pulling us into a wild descent that steals my breath and sends a thrill coursing through every nerve in my body. The world becomes a blur of colors and sensations, all blending into one heady experience. For these few moments, nothing else matters.
It’s just us against gravity.
We twist and turn through loops and curves, our bodies pressed close together by the forces pulling us in every direction. Each time we catch our breath on a brief ascent before another wild descent, our eyes meet again—a silent reaffirmation of our connection.
We reach another peak. The momentum doesn’t even let us slow.
The coaster plummets down the second drop, and I let out a mixture of a scream and a laugh. The wind whips through my hair, making it fly around my face in wild strands. The thrill is electric, every nerve in my body tingling with exhilaration.
Logan’s deep laughter resonates, a sound that grounds me even as we hurtle through the air. My heart races, but it’s not just from the speed—it’s from the feeling of being so alive, so free. The coaster curves hard, pressing me into Logan’s hard body. His eyes flicker with excitement. And unmistakable lust, even this high off the ground. It’s contagious. My body heats, especially when the coaster does the sudden slow down on another set off chains, taking us up to the last big drop. It feels hot after such an onslaught of cold wind. My cheeks still sting.
“Is this wild enough for you?”
“Yes,” I say, breathless. “More than enough.”
His lips quirk. “Oh, I wouldn’t be sure about that. This one promises to be pretty good.”
My eyes widen as he puts a hand on my thigh.
His fingers slip under the hem of my skirt. I suck in a breath as he slips beneath the fabric, his touch hot against my inner thigh. The roller coaster jolts, and I grip the safety bar with one hand, the other clutching his arm.
“Logan,” I gasp, but his name is stolen by the wind whipping around us. His fingers trace higher, igniting a trail of fire on my skin. Each jolt and dip of the coaster amplifies the sensation, sending jolts of pleasure coursing through me.
His eyes lock on to mine, intense and full of hunger. He leans in, his lips brushing my ear. “Let go, Sienna.” His voice is a low growl, barely audible over the clatter of the tracks.
And then we’re diving into the final drop, this one even steeper than the last, and my stomach drops with it. Logan’s touch anchors me, his fingers finding the sensitive spot between my legs. I arch into his hand, a moan escaping my lips. The sound is lost in the chaos of the ride, blending with the symphony of laughter and shrieks around us.
Logan’s fingers move expertly, knowing exactly how to touch me, how to drive me wild.
I cling to him, my nails digging into his arm. The world around us blurs into a kaleidoscope of colors and sounds. The wind, the screams, the clatter of the tracks—it all fades away until it’s just him and me, our bodies moving in sync with the roller coaster.
His breath hitches, and I know he’s as affected as I am. The ride jostles us, throwing us against each other, our bodies pressing together in a dance of desire and danger. His touch grows more insistent, pushing me higher, closer to the precipice.
“Logan,” I moan again, my voice barely a whisper against the roar of the ride. His name is a plea, a prayer, a promise.
We hit a series of rapid-fire curves, our bodies pushed from side to side by the G-forces. He lets the movement slide my body against his hand, allowing the coaster to do the work of making me aroused and hot, of driving me inexorably to climax. presence beside me makes everything sharper, more vivid.
On the final plunge, a deep curving swoop that takes us back toward the starting position, he pinches. And I come with a shuddering, gasping, needy orgasm. It goes on and on—even as the flash blinds me, my pleasure immortalized in an on-ride camera.
My body convulses, waves of ecstasy rippling through me. I cry out, the sound lost in the wind and the screams of the crowd. It’s eaten by the snapping air, that sound.
No one knows. They’re all screaming, throwing their hands in the air, even as Logan’s hand rubs the hard, sensitive peak between my legs through the loops and spirals. The world spins around us in a blur of color and motion. Each twist and turn shedding another layer of the past—of Forrester, of all the things that tried to hold us down.
Just pure, unadulterated freedom.
His hand slips from beneath my skirt, but the heat of his touch lingers, a brand on my skin. I lean into him, my heart pounding in time with his. The ride comes to a halt, and for a moment, we just sit there, our bodies still pressed together, our breaths mingling.
The ride slows as we pull into the loading bay, the wild rush of wind easing into a gentle breeze. It’s shaking. The ride is vibrating, broken. No, it’s me that’s shaking, overwhelmed by the exhilaration that defines this ride—our ride.
I turn to Logan, my breath still ragged from the ride and from him. His eyes meet mine, dark and intense, and without another thought, I press my lips to his.
Our kiss is fierce, fueled by adrenaline and desire. My fingers tangle in his hair, pulling him closer as the world around us fades into nothingness. His lips move against mine with a desperate urgency, our bodies still rocking with the rhythm of the ride.
He pulls back just enough to catch his breath, his eyes burning into mine. Then he licks his fingers slowly, savoring the taste of me. It sends a shiver down my spine, my body still thrumming with the aftershocks of pleasure.
I glance down at the bulge straining against his jeans and arch an eyebrow. “Do you want to go again?” I ask, my voice husky.
He meets my gaze with a look that sends a shiver down my spine—one filled with tenderness and something deeper… love. “Not here,” he replies, echoing his words from that unforgettable night in jail. He leans in close, his breath hot against my ear. “The next time I come it’s going to be inside you.”
The promise in his words sends another wave of heat through me.
His fingers brush against mine, a silent acknowledgment of what we just shared. The connection between us is electric, and it’s hard to pull away from it. The noise of the amusement park around us seems distant, almost unreal, compared to the intensity of this moment.
“Lovebirds, it’s time to depart! Please unfasten your seatbelts and exit to the left. We hope your hearts are still racing. Thank you for riding, and don’t forget to purchase you photos and Passion Plunge merch on your way out.
Time to disembark. We unbuckle ourselves and stand up. My legs wobble, but Logan steadies me with a hand on my waist.
As we step off the coaster platform onto solid ground, I can’t help but steal another glance at him. There’s something about the way he looks at me right now—like I’m the only person in the world—that makes me believe everything will be okay.
We walk away from the ride hand in hand, leaving behind the rush of adrenaline but carrying forward something even more exhilarating: each other. The ride’s intensity mirrored the highs and lows we’ve faced together—the struggles, the passion, the moments of doubt followed by triumphs. Whatever comes next, we’ll face it together.
Echoes of our passion pulse through my veins.
The night air cools my flushed skin.
Logan squeezes my hand, drawing me out of my thoughts. “You okay?” His voice is low, laced with concern and something deeper. “The ride wasn’t too much?”
I give him a small smile. “It was too much. In the best way.”
The corner of his lips curves up. “It’s been a hell of a ride, hasn’t it?”
I can’t help but grin. “You could say that.”
As we leave the ride, I see the flickering lights of our tents and hear the distant murmur of voices—our family, our community. The performers who have become more than just colleagues; they’ve become part of our story.
We walk past the fortune teller’s tent where Maisie is taking a video of herself. She catches sight of us and waves, her eyes twinkling with curiosity and excitement.
I give her a nod, feeling a swell of pride for how far we’ve come.
Logan pauses for a moment, turning to face me fully. His eyes search mine, as if looking for something he’s afraid he might not find.
“Sienna,” he starts, his voice serious but gentle. “I know things have been tough… for both of us. But I want you to know that no matter what happens next, I’m here. With you.”
His words hit me hard, a lump forming in my throat. I squeeze his hand tighter, trying to convey everything I feel in that simple gesture.
“I know,” I whisper back. “And I’m here with you too.”
We continue walking, our steps synchronized as if we’ve been doing this dance forever. The lights from the big top glow in the distance, casting long shadows across the ground. It’s a beacon calling us home.
The night is alive with possibilities, each moment brimming with unspoken promises and shared dreams. And as we stand hand in hand, I know that whatever comes next, we’ll face it together—forever.