Riding the High (Silver Pines Ranch Series)

by Paisley Hope

I was a lovesick teenager the moment I realized my first and true love, Zac Efron, had nothing on Cole Ashby.

“Right,” Wade says. He pats me on the back. “And you just called a guy you barely know a shithead, so…Whatever gets you through the day, bud.”

“Fine,” he says. “Fine?” I reply. “That’s it? God, you’re easy.” Cole leans in closer, spreading his hands onto his thick thighs, fingers wide. “When was the last time I said no to you, Ginger?” “I—” My mouth falls open slightly.

“If you don’t want to be my one-night stand, then it’s a good thing we’re in Vegas. I dare you to marry me, Ginger, so I can properly fucking worship you.”

“They can’t see you out there, Vixen, but they can hear you. Let them hear how much you like my tongue buried in your sweet cunt. Scream my name. Let this whole fucking city know whose wife you are.”

How I never said no to her, how I always compared other girls I knew to her. How she was the light in any room she entered. Those ten seconds she kissed me fucked me right up and showed me why I could never let myself really ever fall for her. I knew in those ten seconds if I did, I’d never get back up.

“Thank you for making today very fun for Mabel, but if you ever, ever vandalize my house with Reds shit again, I’m going to do fucking ungodly things to you.” I smirk and look back at the TV, feeling safe and brave because Mabel is on his other side. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Cole.”

Well, in the spirit of keeping things platonic so we don’t ruin our friendship, on a scale of one to ten, with one being a responsible adult and ten being a total fucking slut for Cole Ashby, I’m sitting at about a one hundred and one.

“You’re mine, Ginger. You’ve always been mine.”

He whispers into my ear. “But, Ginger, this? Us? It’s fucking everything.”

I searched for that feeling for a long time, but I never ever found it with anyone else,” he whispers. “It’s been you for so fucking long, Ginger…you’re the baseline I compared every woman to. You’re the one I sought. I sought your attention, your sass, your fucking beautiful smile. Always.”