Chapter 8
“Why didn’t you want me to say anything about the photo? Are you embarrassed to be doing it? You don’t have to, you know. There is no obligation.”
“I said I would because you asked. I certainly wouldn’t do it for anyone else, but I don’t mind doing it, Mary.”
They were walking close together down a fence line that led out into the flat land that spanned for miles around them. The sun was hot, but as their eyes met, neither one of them was worried about the heat. Mary looked away after a moment, his blue gaze too intense to hold for long.
She had him stop by the fencepost and lean against it again. He was a natural in front of the camera and before long she had all the shots she needed and maybe a few for her own collection. Mary thought he looked better with the shirt off and wished she had the courage to say something along those lines, but she couldn’t muster up the courage to do so.
“So was the thing you wanted me to go to tomorrow your sister’s wedding?”
Henri pushed back from his final pose and moved back towards her, walking the same direction they had been going in the beginning. The house was far behind them and he kept taking her further out. “Yeah, is that okay?”
She said it was, but wished she had something to wear. “I am sure whatever you wear will be perfect. I can’t think of anything that I wouldn’t like to see you in.” Mary wasn’t so sure that it was true, but it was sweet and when he touched her hand with his, she found her fingers lacing up with her own. They kept walking, silent for a time. Henri’s thumb brushed the inside of her palm and gave her goose bumps.
Finally she had to break the silence. Mary liked to talk and when she was nervous, it was a need that was harder than ever to qualm. “So where are we going?”
“To one of my favorite places. I usually ride down here, but it was just too nice of a day to not walk.”
Mary had to agree. The sun was hot as always, but the slight breeze was just enough to keep them cool. He wasn’t going to tell her where they were going, but as they kept walking, she saw the landscape getting greener and a small stand of trees. It looked like an oasis in the lighter green and brown color of the short grass. He had her attention in any case and Mary would have followed him anywhere, feeling safe with Henri.
His favorite place turned out to be a small pond that was surrounded by a few trees and large slabs of rocks. It looked man made, but many years before and with an eye for making it look like nature had a hand in it. Mary could see why it was his favorite place. The sound of the water was relaxing and as she sat next to him with her feet in the water, the coolness of the liquid made her almost immediately start to cool off. Mary knew that a quick dip would feel ever better. She wasn’t dressed for it, but Mary had other ulterior motives.
She wanted to see that hard body of his again and as she got closer to the edge, Henri looked at her questioningly. “Is it a good place to swim? The water feels great.”
He nodded that it was, but he was more interested in her as she stood up. “Do you want to come for a swim with me?”
Henri just shook his head. There was no way that he would say no to such an offer. He was ready to jump in as he was, but then stopped to take his shirt off. Mary couldn’t get enough of him and though she tried to hide her attraction, the way he made her feel was hard to hide. He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to the edge with him. “If I am going in, you have to go in.”
It was her idea, but Mary was more a gradual swimmer, getting in slowly to get used to the fast moving water. But Henri was having none of that and he pulled her in with him. Her clothes immediately started to weigh her down. Henri had his arms around her waist and after a short shriek and giggle, Mary had cooled off immediately. Her legs wrapped around his, as her arms encircled his neck.
Naturally his lips went to hers in that moment and she was left sighing against his lips. It was what she had wanted to do since she first saw him with his chest bare and his blue eyes glittering at her. His lips were soft and slight demanding. Every inch of her was wrapped around him as she clung to him. Mary hadn’t expected it to feel so good, for his body to feel so good against hers, but it did.
Her back felt the rough rock behind her as he leaned in for more contact. Mary whimpered when he pulled away, dragging him back in for another kiss. She wanted more, but knew she had to stop before she wouldn’t be able to and pulled away. Henri looked as disappointed as she felt and the hardness pressed against her told her that it was the case. He needed her just as bad as she needed him and not even the cold water could cool his ardor.
Moving away from his hard, tempting body, Mary tried to gain her composure, but like everything with him, it was hard. They swam for a few minutes, but there was too much tension and soon they were on their way back. She hadn’t thought things through and was soaked. He offered her his shirt to put over her own and Mary agreed, some of the reason for the simple fact that she didn’t want him to put it back on. The only thing that saved Mary from freezing on the way back was the hot sun beating down on them. But as they got closer to the ranch, the sun was starting to go down. They had been out for some time and the last half a mile, Mary was frozen by the time she got to the ranch.
Mary grabbed her bag on the way in and had Henri show her where she would be staying so she could get dressed. She didn’t see the look she got from Elna, but Henri did. She gave him a dirty look and when he left Mary to it, she asked him where they had been. “What are you doing without a shirt and her freezing?”
“We just went for a swim and should have brought the horses. Are the rest of the guys back?”
She shook her head and looked at her second to youngest son. “I really like her.”
He smiled back at her and told her that he felt the same away about Mary. It was hard not to feel something for her. She was bubbly and seemed to have come to him when he needed her most, thinking that he would never find love. Henri didn’t know what was going to happen between them, but he hoped that it would work out the way he wanted it to in his head.
Dinner was a little awkward for Mary, but considering all of the people at the table, she did pretty well about getting to know them all. By the end of the night, everyone liked Mary as much as Henri did. He gave her a short kiss goodnight before she went to bed. They both wanted more, but the house was full and it didn’t seem the time. Mary was still trying to keep her emotions together and even as she wanted more, she closed the door behind herself and leaned back against the door. Henri was a hard man to get to know, but she was glad that she had. Mary was feeling their meeting at the airport was rather fate driven.
The wedding the next day was even more beautiful and Mary had caught herself crying. The couple she didn’t even know, but she felt like she already knew Gemma. It was the love for each other that kept her a little weepy-eyed and she wasn’t the only one. Almost every woman in the place had wet eyes and it made Mary feel better. Henri wasn’t getting teary-eyed, but he did pull her in to hold her against his chest. Mary didn’t fight the warm embrace and felt content in his arms.
But reality had to set in and she had to go back to Houston for her work assignments. Mary promised to call him that evening when she was done with her errands. Henri couldn’t wait and neither one of them had brought up him going back to Venezuela.