Page 60 of Forgiveness
But none of that changed the importance of Maggie’s competition the next night. Flux knew Maggie wouldn’t put herself on the sidelines when she had so much riding on her performance, and her sponsors would want her out in full force during the big night. A quick check of his phone confirmed there weren’t any missed messages from his woman. After the bullshit with Chet, and Flux having been out on club business, he hoped Maggie was resting instead of worrying about things. She needed to be back in form before riding Odysseus the following night.
The semi-rodeo finals competition was what Maggie had been training for her whole life, and Flux planned to take his woman out to celebrate her victory. If she won in barrel racing, she’d be heading to Las Vegas in December for the finals, and he’d be right by her side with the biggest grin on his face. In Las Vegas, the competition was for a giant cash prize and the prestige to take her pick of jobs from any rodeos in the country. The following night would determine if she’d compete in Vegas—the Super Bowl of rodeos, and Flux was damn honored to be in on the journey with her.
Flux took out his phone and shot a quick text her way wishing her luck in advance, sending his love, and slapping on a few sappy, stupid emojis. It wasn’t really his thing, but he knew she’d appreciate the sentiment. As a quick side note, he typed out a shortened version of the fantasy going down in his head and sent that too.
Within seconds, his phone beeped in response and a text fired back on the screen’s window.
Maggie:U got it, big guy. But if I’m 2 tired tonight, I’m making u do all the work. U’ll be riding me. Think u can tame me into submission?
Maggie included a fucking little “winky face” at the end. Flux snorted.Hot little vixen.He was thankful she was feeling more up to her regular self after what had happened with Chet. Despite all the teasing, that night Flux would be sure to take it as slow as Maggie needed in case it triggered something or if she had any reservations.
He frowned, his hand tightening on the phone. Another text sound beeped through and he checked his messages.
Maggie:I’m okay. Everything is okay.
How the hell did she know?Flux blinked and shoved a hand through his hair. Damn, everything about their relationship had felt right from the beginning, so he guessed it only made sense that they’d read each other like an open book. Fuck, he was starting to sound like those sappy, made-for-TV movies.
Flux:Good, u still down for what I’ve got planned even with all the other shit going on?
Another quick ding. Duchess must be hovering over her phone bored out of her mind without being at work. He imagined a million and one ways to relieve her of that.
Maggie:Absolutely. I need you now more than ever, big guy.
Flux:Oh yeah, darlin’. I’ll be there soon.
Without a doubt, he would have a blast bringing his Duchess to her knees. He grinned to himself as he took his swaggering, sore ass to the bull pens to find Pete. Now that he was back, he didn’t want to waste another damn minute away from her.
* * *
The next night,Flux watched from the sidelines as Maggie threw herself into a tough turn that would’ve given anyone else a hard time, but his woman took on the challenge like it was nothing. He couldn’t take his eyes off her: long blonde hair caught in the wind, lips compressed in concentration, thighs tight on her horse.
The course was almost done and Maggie was hands down annihilating any of her competitors. All she had to worry about from here on out was dodging the last set of barrels and making it to the end of the course to the sound of the buzzer for her final time. Strings of saliva hung from Odysseus’s lips as his hooves dug into the dirt of the ring. From where he stood, Flux heard the horse’s snorts and pants of exertion, and then Maggie came to a hard stop, reining back at the end of the finish line to a roar of applause.
Flux didn’t waste a second; he was over the rail and charging toward her before she could even dismount. Maggie slid into his arms with a huge smile plastered on her flushed face, eyes glossy from unshed tears. Her arms hooked around Flux and he didn’t hesitate to swing her off her feet and claim her lips with a kiss that even left his stomach with fucking butterflies.
“You nailed it, Duchess. I’m so damn proud of you. Of course, I never doubted you for a fuckin’ second,” Flux rasped in her ear as he held her close. He could feel every curve of her luscious, warm little body. “We’re celebrating tonight.”
“Big guy, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Maggie beamed back at him as the rodeo announcer called her up to the center of the ring where he would hand her a check and a trophy.
Flux broke away so she could collect her prizes, but Maggie nabbed his hand and dragged him with her out in front of all those damn people. When he hesitated, she laughed at him.
“Come on, I want you there with me. We’re on this journey together, aren’t we?” She kissed him lightly, a peck that spoke volumes, before she continued to walk toward the presenter.
The rest of the presentation was an all-out blur for Flux: clapping, shouting, and pats on the back. A couple of times he held back a wince when Maggie clung to him too hard, hurting one of his covered bruises, but nothing mattered because he was so damn proud of his Duchess. Flux wanted everyone to know that Maggie washiswoman and that she was a class A champion in anything and everything in her life.
For an instant, Flux remembered what it felt like to be part of a unit with a partner—someone who would fight for him just as he would fight for her too. Though he couldn’t be positive of the future, he knew his world was so much better with Duchess in it. And he was a damn lucky sonofabitch for it.
