Johanna barely made it through the weekend without lashing out at her brothers, but she did manage to postpone any dates with Brandon for at least a month. She was swamped with class work, which wasn’t a lie. Because it was her senior year, Ashford wasn’t the only one piling on the assignments and tests.

Sunday night, Izzy knocked on her door. Johanna called, “Come in.”

“So at the charity event…” Izzy said, hopping onto Johanna’s bed.

“What about it?” she asked slowly, spinning around in her desk chair. Izzy grinned and Johanna’s palms sweated. Did her sister see what had happened in the garden? If she knew, maybe someone else had seen it too. “Izzy, what’s going on?”

“Nothing, I was wondering if you saw how handsome Reider Marquette looked,” she murmured innocently and, with a girly sigh, fell backwards onto the bed. “That tux clung to him like a second skin.”

Johanna rolled her chair closer. “He’s a Marquette. Can’t have anything to do with him, and why were you checking him out to begin with?” She waited for her sister to drop the bomb that she saw them together, saw their kiss, but Izzy sat up and shrugged.

“I went outside to grab some air, and he came up from the gardens, all broody,” she muttered. “That only made him even handsomer. Didn’t you notice him when he ran into you?”

She pushed away again and rolled to her desk, turning her back on her sister. “I might’ve taken a gander, but he’s a Marquette, so it’s not like anything could happen with him for either of us, so don’t even think it,” she warned and pinned Izzy with a solid stare. “I mean it. It’s not worth the trouble.”

Then why do you keep thinking that it would be? You enjoyed that kiss and you know it!

“Jo? You alright? Your face is all scrunched up,” Izzy asked with a raised brow. “Is something going on you’re not telling me?”

Johanna hunched over the packet of papers on her desk, scanning what she had written down for Reider’s answers before she continued typing up the latest assignment. “Absolutely sure,” she answered her sister, her voice light and fluttery until she coughed. “Wanted to be sure you’re not planning on doing something stupid like try to hit on him. It wouldn’t end well for either of you.”

“Right, and are you telling me that, or yourself, sis?” Before Johanna could reply, Izzy hopped off the bed and walked to the door, a wistful grin on her face. She winked at Johanna. “I’m going to bed. See you in the morning.”

Johanna sighed, leaned back in her chair, and stared at the ceiling fan. Her sister knew nothing. If she had seen the kiss, she would’ve said something and told Johanna to go for it, but instead, she hinted at what could happen with Reider. That, right there, was the question she was dying to ask. “Except your family and his family would explode and the city would erupt in chaos from the fallout.”

She groaned and rested her head on her desk. She hated how twisted up inside she was over one damn kiss. It happened in the garden, and it would stay there—in the garden, where no one else would ever know about it except her and Reider. He would have to keep his mouth shut over it and his hands away from her, even though that was the last thing she wanted. In fact, she had wanted him the second he sat down in the coffeehouse and gave her brief glimpses into his real personality. Wanted him even more when he put his arms around her so easily in the garden to comfort her, how his voice rang with jealousy anytime mention of her dating or marrying someone else came up.

Trying to make it through the remainder of the semester without another kiss would be a nightmare, but what choice did she have? She told Izzy it wasn’t worth it, but why was part of her screaming that it might be? She wanted a way out of this life, from where it was headed too quickly for her to stop. Instead of simply stopping the train, she needed to derail it completely.

“No,” she snapped at herself and stood abruptly, pacing her room.

But her fingers drifted to her lips, brushing across them as Reider’s lips had before the kiss had heated them, and she wished they weren’t in a freaking garden where anyone could walk by and see them. She wished they weren’t in a city where their families controlled everything, and she wanted more than anything for this feud to not matter as much as it did. It shouldn’t, and in that moment, she hated her brothers and blamed her parents more for how the feud affected their lives.

Realizing there was no chance of completing any more work that night, she closed her laptop and fell into bed, hoping sleep would come with no dreams of Reider. As the sun rose and her alarm rang shrilly in her ear the next morning, she pulled her pillow over her face and screamed into it. All night, all she had seen was his face, and as she sat up, the lingering touch of his lips drove her crazy with need.

“This is going to be impossible,” she muttered and rolled out of bed. “Utterly and horribly impossible.”

After a quick shower and failing to conceal the bags under her eyes, she snatched up her tote when her cell dinged. She dug around for it in her bag and when she checked the screen, recognized the number as Reider’s. Making sure none of her siblings were around, she opened it and read it quickly before debating what to send back.

He wanted to meet that afternoon after class to go over some notes he couldn’t read from their last meeting. Johanna’s fingers twitched over the buttons, wondering if he were telling the truth or if he wanted to see her again.

“Johanna? What are you doing up there? You’re going to be late,” Lucy called up the stairs.

“I’m on my way down right now,” she yelled back and sent back a quick reply to Reider. Meeting him wouldn’t be so bad today. It was Monday, meaning Melody would be available for another alibi if she needed one. “Hey, Mom,” she said as she reached the bottom stair to find Lucy ready to greet her. “I have to study with Melody today after class.”

“For what class? You seem to be studying a lot already,” she said and reached out to fix the stray curls around Johanna’s face. She bit her tongue to stop herself from a biting remark as her mom did it. “You know, this is exactly what I was talking about. Working so much, look at the bags under your eyes. Finding a nice boy would solve your problems, sweetie.”

Johanna stepped away quickly, moving towards the door. “Senior year, Mom. I'm not going to throw it all away. I’ll text you when I’m on my way home.”

“Johanna, wait,” Lucy called.

Johanna stopped right at the front door. “Mom, I’m going to be late.”

“Did you receive a call from Brandon? Frank said the two of you hit it off the other night.”

“I did, but I’m so busy with school work right now, I told him we’d go on a date when I had some time in a few weeks,” she said, and, to ensure her mom wouldn’t keep asking, she turned, gave her a huge hug, and said she loved her before hustling out the door.

Classes dragged by the entire day, and Johanna hardly listened to anything Melody talked about, too busy scanning the crowded campus for a glimpse of Reider, hoping to catch sight of his black hair or his intense green eyes. The way they had held her gaze before the kiss, and right after, as she freaked out about it, drove her mad, and seeing them again was the only thing on her mind. When it was time for Ashford’s class, she nearly ran to the lecture hall and hurried to sit down in the front row. Melody eyed her friend curiously, her lips twitching in a smile.

“Before you ask, I can’t tell you yet, but I promise I will later,” Johanna whispered.

“If I’m playing your alibi again today, you’d better,” she said with a wink and wandered off to find her partner for the class.

Johanna grabbed her notebook and a pen from her tote and eyed the doorway closely, hoping she wasn’t bouncing in her seat. The second she heard his laugh, deep and loud, her body stilled and she sighed. He talked with a few of his friends, but when his head turned and his gaze landed on her watching him, his lips widened into a grin and his eyes glimmered with the same attraction she remembered from Saturday night.

“I’ll see you guys later,” Reider told them and patted one on the shoulder. His gaze went from Reider to Johanna and back again before he mouthed something and his face scrunched. “Hey,” Reider said as he approached.

Johanna smiled. “Hey yourself.”

“I see you’re not ready to stab me with your pen,” he said quietly as he sat down, his shoulder brushing hers. “That’s good to know.”

“Were you expecting violence?”

He shrugged one shoulder. “After what happened, yeah, pretty much. Or for your brothers to be here instead, ready to rip my head off.”

Johanna bit her tongue hard and winced. “I’d never do that to you,” she said quietly, staring down at her notebook. “I don’t think I could stomach watching them hurt you.”

“Trying to hurt me,” he said with a laugh, but she felt him shift in his desk. “Johanna?”

“Why are we doing this?” she asked, barely able to force the words out.

“Doing what? Talking?”

“Being nice to each other. What’s the point?” Every good feeling flowing through her mind and body during the day vanished in a shot at the mention of her brothers. He was right, and for some reason, the idea of her brothers finding out never crossed her mind, not after the dreams she had of Reider holding her again. “We can’t do this.”

“I recall you saying that Saturday night, too,” he remembered, smiling slyly. “But what if I can convince you?”

She lifted her gaze to his, and when the green pulled her in, her lips parted on a sigh. “Convince me of what?” she asked, breathless.

His hand slid across his desk and rested beside hers. “Convince you that our families do not have to rule our lives. That kiss meant something, and before you try to lie and say it didn’t, you can’t lie to me. I saw your eyes afterwards, saw the way they darkened with the same desire that is trying to claw its way out of me.”

Johanna’s heartbeat pounded in her ears, and she leaned closer as he did the same. “They’ll find out, and it’ll be over for both of us. You know that.”

“Do I?”

“Why would you risk anything for me?” she asked, knowing it could very well ruin the moment.

Reider’s eyes darkened, and a twitch started near his lip, but before he could answer, the classroom door slammed and Ashford dropped his bag on the desk with a loud thud. Quickly, Johanna pulled away and chewed on her pen, looking anywhere but at Ashford. He raised his brow as his gaze landed on her and Reider—or the way Reider smirked next to her.

“Right then,” Ashford said after a long moment and everyone settled down. “Let’s begin today’s lesson.”

Johanna sank lower in her seat and scribbled a few random notes here and there. The rest of the class spoke and discussed the day’s lesson as the hour wore on, but her lips remained carefully closed. Reider didn’t speak either.

“Now,” Ashford said loudly, and Johanna glanced his way. “You should be at least on the fourth page of your packets. I expect those reports in my inbox by Wednesday evening, and if they’re not there, then I will not count them towards your final grade. I don’t care if your printer runs out of paper or your dog eats it, or your cat, or an alien abduction happens,” he added to a few laughs. “This is no longer just a class. This is real life, so get used to it.” He glanced at the clock on the wall behind him and grinned. “Until Wednesday, everyone.”

The others stood up and gathered their things. Johanna closed her notebook and was ready to ask Reider about meeting soon when Ashford walked over to their desks, his hands on his hips, and smirked.

“So, I see you two are still alive and well.”

Johanna hesitated, but Reider took the lead and scoffed. “Yeah, we’re still alive. Great for us,” he muttered and slung his messenger bag over his head. “It's not like we’re going to be friends, Professor.”

“No one could ever be friends with a damn Marquette anyway,” she added and pushed hotly to her feet, shooting Reider a glare. “Probably hasn’t even typed up his half of the assignment yet.” It took everything she had not to burst out laughing when Reider’s eyes widened slightly and he glanced away, looking guilty as hell. “Don’t get your hopes up. We’re getting through this class, and that’s all.”

She stormed out of the room ahead of Reider and heard him laugh sharply. “There she goes again, pretending she’s better than everyone in the damn place!”

She shot a glare over her shoulder but kept walking until she reached a hall and turned, pressing her back against the brick. Pulling out her cell, she texted Reider and said that she would meet him at the coffee house and that they could figure out a plan from there. When she stepped back out into the main corridor, Melody was there, shaking her head.

“And I thought you two were actually getting along with how much time you spent talking the other day,” Melody said. “So, you need me still?”

“Why do I feel like you’re going to tell me you can’t?” Johanna asked as they walked. When Melody held her books tighter to her chest, Johanna groaned. “Damn. Alright. It’ll be fine.”

“Sorry. Work called, and I could use the extra hours,” she shrugged.

“You know if you ever need money you could always ask,” she said seriously. “You’ve been my friend for over a decade, Mel. I wouldn’t mind helping you out when you need it.”

“I know, but I’m not in that tight of a spot, not yet,” she promised and tucked her books away in her bag. “You sure you don’t need me? How are you going to pull this off if I’m not there?”

Johanna fidgeted with the strap of her bag, itching to take out her pen and gnaw it to death. “I’ll think of something. Izzy isn’t busy today. I’ll text her and tell her to head to the coffee house and lay low there for a while.”

Dragging Izzy into this mess wasn’t what she wanted to do, but she had to meet with Reider to work on the next pages of the assignment anyway, and if Melody wasn’t available, there was no one else who could cover for her. She got to her car and texted her sister, telling her she had to meet with a few friends, but their brothers wouldn’t approve because it was all guys so she needed Izzy to cover for her. Her sister texted her back quickly that she’d be there in an hour. She had a ton of homework to catch up on anyway, and Izzy was a closet caffeine addict. She’d be content for a few hours, except that meant Johanna and Reider had to be out of sight before Izzy showed up.

Johanna started her car and let out a worried sigh, resting her head on the steering wheel. “This is ridiculous. What are we thinking?”

All this sneaking around was going to end badly, and they were barely in their third week of classes. Her hands shaking, she gripped the wheel and drove to the coffee house. The second she spotted Reider’s Wrangler, she smiled nervously and parked a few cars down. He stood outside, waiting for her, and waved when she approached.

“There’s a table right by the windows again,” he said, shifting on his feet. He shoved his hands deep in his pocket. “Nicely played, by the way, with Professor Ashford.”

Johanna’s face went blank, and she lifted her lip in disgust. “Who said I was playing?”

Reider took a half step backwards before Johanna laughed quietly. “Oh, I see how it is. Are you trying to drive me crazier than you already do?”

“I drive you crazy, do I?” she asked and waggled her eyebrows until the seriousness of the situation sank in. “Reider, we can’t stay here. My sister’s on her way to be my cover in case my brothers try to figure out where I am.”

He turned and glanced down the street. “Right, well, that puts a damper on things. How did you manage the other day?”

She cringed. “My friend was in the bookstore the whole time,” she admitted. “I’m sorry. If Frank and Fredrick think I’m up to something and it has anything to do with a guy, they’ll track me down and it won’t end well. Especially now with… with… look, can we go somewhere else? Please?”

He pushed his left hip out as he crossed his arms, those green eyes piercing her amber ones until he nodded. “Get in the Wrangler. I have a place not far from here. No one will bother us.”

“Thank you,” she said, but he held up a finger. “What?”

“When we arrive, you tell me what you’re hiding and why you looked so bad this morning.”

“This morning? When did you see me?” she asked.

He smirked. “I have my ways. Deal?” He held out his hand, and after chewing on her tongue for a second, she shook it and followed him to the Wrangler. They hopped in, and she grinned at the fact that the vehicle had no doors. When he took off down the street, she let her hair fly wildly and laughed from the thrill of him speeding around turns. They left the small town behind and drove out into open fields, turning onto a blacktop road that veered and eventually gave way to gravel.

Johanna’s cheeks were sore from smiling for so long, but she couldn’t have cared less as she hopped out of the Wrangler and stared around the open fields. There was one building in front of them that looked like a barn, but when she walked closer and peered inside a front window, she saw a couch, a TV, and a radio, a small kitchenette, and steps leading up to what was once the hayloft.

“Where are we?” she asked as Reider came up behind her.

His head turned as he glanced around and breathed in the air. “We are on Marquette land. This is one of the stations we use, but at this time of year, it’s empty, so I use it as my getaway when the family’s too much to handle. This far enough away for you?”

Johanna nodded, eager to enjoy a few hours away from the prying eyes of anyone. Reider unlocked the door and slid it aside, flipping on lights as he walked. He set his bag down on the couch and smirked.

“I have to admit, I lied about not being able to read those notes,” he said quietly, not meeting her gaze as he fiddled with his notebook. “I… uh, I wanted to see if you were pissed at me about Saturday night.”

She set her tote down, too, and a light breeze from outside blew in, lifting the ends of her hair and bringing with it the smells of the ranches she grew up around, the sweet grass and fresh air not found near their home. “Since we’re not going to work, can we take a walk? You said there’s no one around, right?”

“No, we’re safe out here,” he said. “You owe me an answer anyway, remember?”

“I remember, don’t worry,” she said and led him back outside.

Reider left the door unlocked behind them and motioned towards a path leading into the field along the old fence. “So spill, what’s going on with your brothers?”

His hands were shoved in his pockets and his gaze watched the ground, but Johanna’s eyes remained on his face. “You never answered my question before.”

“Like you’re not answering mine now?” he asked, his lips twisting in amusement.

“Fine. My brothers’ friend has called me and is planning on dating me unless I can find a way to put it off,” she replied in a breath. “Your turn.”

Reider stopped abruptly, and Johanna turned back to look at him. His face was red, and his eye twitched as he stared at her. “He already tried to ask you out on a date?”

“Tried and was turned down, but he refused to officially take no for an answer,” she shrugged and grabbed a piece of tall grass near her hand. As she spoke, she shredded it, imagining it was her brothers instead. “I can’t keep turning him down with the excuse of schoolwork. My brothers will pick up on it, eventually.” He cursed, watching her hands closely. “Reider, tell me.”

“Tell you what?” he asked, his voice rough.

“Why you’re risking this? I’m not worth this. I can’t be.” She threw the rest of the grass aside, her mind racing with every single confusing thought she’d had since they sat in that coffee house for hours and talked like two normal people. “I’m a Chadwick. You can’t like me, not like this, so what are you doing?”

He moved away and leaned against the fence, propping his boot up on the lowest railing, and stared out over the open fields. The wind rustled his black hair, and Johanna pictured him living out here, working the land and not having anything to do with the family feud. She blinked and for a second, saw herself standing beside him in a life she could only dream of. Anger flooded her chest at that life snatched away, and she wiped at her eyes before the hot tears could fall.

“Why did you come here with me?” he asked finally, breaking the heavy silence.

“What?”

“Why come here with me, Johanna? You didn’t have to. Hell, you could’ve stopped that kiss as easily as I could’ve, and we both had good reason to keep meeting strictly for our work,” he argued, pushing away from the fence to face her.

She stood straighter, almost eye-level, and licked her lips when her gaze darted to his and back to his eyes. “We could have, but we didn’t.”

“No, we didn’t,” he said softly and moved closer until Johanna’s body shivered in anticipation.

“Reider,” she whispered. “Why does this feel right?”

His feet stilled, and his jaw clenched. Johanna mentally kicked herself, thinking she said the wrong thing, and was ready to take it back and cut and run when he stretched out a hand for her waist and drew her up against his hard, muscled silhouette.

“I don’t think we’ll ever know,” he replied, his brow furrowing as she ran her hands up his chest to his shoulders. “But, goddamn it, I don’t give a shit. I want you.”

Much like at the charity event, the moment Reider’s lips caressed hers, Johanna melted into him and moaned at the fire flooding her body down to her toes and up to her fingertips. She ran a hand through his hair, and he lifted her higher as his mouth claimed hers in a kiss so intense it couldn’t be real. She waited for her alarm to sound, to wake up in her bed filled with a painful longing for him, but Reider deepened the kiss. His tongue danced with hers in a fierce need to possess her, and she let him.

Standing together with the light breeze blowing the tall grass around them and the warmth of the sun shining on their bodies, Johanna lacked any care in the world except to keep kissing Reider for as long as she could.

* * *

Reider’s arms wrapped tightly around Johanna, knowing they were doomed. He could never have enough of her succulent lips, the sweet scent of honeysuckle in his nose, or the quiet moans she made when he deepened the kiss. The game they played was dangerous. It could destroy both of them if they were caught and cause an even worse rift, but for the first time ever, Reider knew with whom he wanted to spend his life.

The thought hit him hard, and he broke the kiss to catch his breath so he could understand his racing heart and the woman in his arms. Her eyes were dark, the brown showing more than the green, and he ran his hands through her curls, loving the softness against his calloused palms.

“Damn, woman,” he muttered and laughed. “I don’t think I can stop this from happening.”

“Good,” she said breathily and kissed his lips in a sweet peck. “Then it’s not just me.”

“You want to do this?” he asked, resting his forehead against hers.

“Don’t tell me you don’t?” she asked and leaned back until he stopped her gently by holding her closer. “Reider?”

“I do, trust me I do, but if this goes wrong… If it ends badly, it won’t be just a bad day,” he warned, watching the emotions race across her tensed face as his want for her grew until he could hardly stand not to kiss her.

She nodded. “For our families, you mean.”

“No, not exactly,” he said and fidgeted, laughing nervously in disbelief over the words about to come out of his mouth. “I just met you, really met you a few weeks ago, and I haven’t stopped thinking about you since. It’s crazy and makes no sense, but this feels right and I don’t think I can live without you now that I know what it feels like.”

He waited for her to pull back and call him crazy, to run off and never talk to him again, but Johanna did none of that. Instead, she reached her hands up and cupped his cheeks, staring fiercely at him.

“I don’t want to date Brandon or anyone else. It might be crazy, but I want you.”

He let out a loud sigh of relief and kissed her gently, enjoying the feel of her in his arms and the way they fit so easily together. He held her close and rested his chin on her head as they looked out over the tall grass swaying in the breeze.

“I know what you mean, though,” she said quietly against his chest.

“About what?”

“If this ends badly, it won’t just be a breakup,” she whispered. “It’ll be the worst storm this state has ever seen, and we’ll be at the center of it.”

Reider’s arms tensed around her in a sudden urge to protect her and keep her away from her brothers, her parents, his parents, and anyone who might come between them. A Chadwick and a Marquette being friends was unheard of, but two of them dating? Having a relationship and possibly falling in love? The notion was beyond treacherous, and he tried not to think about how limited their time might be together if they couldn’t overcome the prejudices that surrounded them.

“How about we finish that walk?” she suggested and leaned back to smile up at him, taking his hand in hers.

Reider held her hand securely in his, and together, they moved through the grass, talking about anything and everything besides their families. Before long, they laughed loudly as old friends would, the sound carrying across the open land. Reider had been in plenty of relationships before, but never had they felt this right. Johanna’s hand in his fit perfectly, like a puzzle piece, and he never wanted to let her go. They were both insane, had to be to find such a strange connection between two people meant to be enemies.

An old cottonwood tree grew beside a small creek running through the land, and Reider pulled Johanna to a stop beneath it. They stared up through the leaves at the sun speckling their faces and rested in the shade. He leaned his back against the bark, and she stood on her toes, smiling as she captured his mouth. He grunted, loving the boldness of the woman in his arms, and let her kiss him passionately.

Figures the one woman you fall for is a Chadwick, he thought, amused by the typical fierceness of the family appearing in a way he never thought to experience.

“Jo,” he said quietly when she stopped to take a breath.

“What? Don’t like it when a woman takes control?” she asked, smirking.

“Hell no, no complaints here,” he said and brushed her wild curls from her face. “Do you want to go on an actual date soon? Only you and me with no one around?”

“Isn’t that what this is?” She glanced around, laughing, and he joined her.

“Well… yeah, but I meant a nice one with dinner and not worrying about your sister—”

“Shit, Izzy!” she screeched and pulled her cell from her butt pocket. “Oh, God! I don’t have reception out here, and it’s nearly six!”

Reider pulled her close for one last kiss, leaving them both breathless before he took her hand and they ran, laughing despite the lateness of the hour, cutting quickly through the field. They reached the barn, grabbed their things, and leapt into the Wrangler. He wanted the afternoon to last longer, but they were just getting started and he didn’t want to risk what this could be because he didn’t drive her back home in time.

When he parked outside the coffee house, Johanna blew out a breath when she spotted Izzy through the window, her head bouncing to whatever music played through her earbuds.

“She probably doesn’t even know what time it is. Never even texted me,” Johanna laughed.

Reider saw the urge to lean over and kiss him in every twitch of her hands and the way she bit her lip, but he placed his hand gently on her thigh to stop her, squeezing gently. “Just have to imagine it. Go on. I’ll see you Wednesday.”

“Text me tonight?” she asked quietly, resting her hand over his.

She tugged nervously at a stray curl, and watching her twisted his gut until he wanted nothing more than to lean over and kiss her again, no matter who was around. “Promise,” he said. “Go on, before she sees you getting out.”

He watched her hop out and hurry into the coffee house. She sat down across from her sister, and Izzy’s face lit up, laughing at whatever Johanna told her. Reider idled at the curb, unable to look away, but she was waiting for him to disappear. He threw the Wrangler into drive and took off down the street, his future looking both brighter and more perilous than ever before.