Mia approached the barn, picking her way around the piles of mud and hay with a practiced eye. The scent of horse and dung assaulted her nostrils, but she was getting used to it. Her occasional visits kept Ethan on his toes and allowed her to still keep an eye on Chloe. They’d bonded a bit after the cupcake festival, but the girl was still stuck 24-7 to her phone, and conversation still lagged. With Jonathan coming to see her this weekend, Mia figured she’d bring a decent bribe to get her talking a bit more.
Ophelia’s cookies may do it.
The teen had her back turned toward her. Her purple hair was snagged in a ponytail and damp with sweat. Dirt smeared her black tank. She rubbed some sort of brush over a pretty gray horse, talking in a warm, open tone Mia didn’t even know the girl was capable of. The horse seemed to sense her presence first and gave a low whinny.
“Hi.”
Chloe turned, a smile on her face as she met her gaze. “Hi, Mia. What’s up?”
Mia raised her hand, holding out the still warm chocolate-chip cookie wrapped in a napkin. “I brought you a snack. The cookies are usually gone by the time you get home, so I snagged one for you.”
“Thanks! Can you put it on the table for me while I finish up?”
“Sure.” Mia set it down, then watched the girl continue her brushing, moving her hand around in slow, circular motions. “How are things going here?”
“Pretty good. Flower just got a good workout, so I’m brushing her down. Then I have to check on Big Red. His leg got screwed up, so he can’t do the trails for a while, and he gets cranky when he’s bored.”
Mia blinked. “What do you do, then, with him to keep him occupied? Show him your Instagram feed?”
Chloe laughed. Was it her imagination, or was the girl finally beginning to soften? Something about her work with the horses revealed her nurturing, gentle heart. Her appearance had also changed. No more skintight clothes or heavy makeup. Oh, the piercings and black lipstick still showed up, but Mia could actually see her real face, which glowed a golden brown from the sun. She was even more beautiful and looked like a female version of her father.
“No, of course not,” Chloe said. “I talk to him, pet him, brush him. He needs to feel important, or he gets depressed.”
Mia raised a brow, walking closer to the stall. “I guess I never realized how sensitive horses can be. I figured they just ate, slept, and trotted around a bit, not caring too much about who takes care of them.”
Chloe shook her head. “Ethan taught me how horses really bond with their caretakers or owners. If they’re ignored for too long, they become lackluster and lose interest in things. And Harper told me a horse’s heart is a gift. When they give you their trust, you need to take the relationship seriously.”
Wow. That was the deepest dialogue she’d had with the teen since they arrived. “Did you have animals growing up?” Mia asked curiously.
“I had a dog named Lucky when I was little.” Her face lit up with the memory. “We did everything together. She was a spotted brown mutt Dad rescued from the pound. I remember my mom used to tell me Lucky would wait for me to get home from school, guarding the door for hours, refusing to budge.”
“How beautiful to have someone love you so much,” Mia said softly.
“Yeah. She died a few years before my mom. I was heartbroken. Didn’t come out of my room for a long time.”
“I’m sorry, Chloe.”
The girl shrugged. “Dad kept telling me he’d get me another dog, but I didn’t want one. Didn’t think anyone could replace Lucky, and then it became easier not getting attached again, especially after Mom passed.”
The raw truth punched through Mia’s gut. Loss was such an awful thing to deal with. Chloe was still fighting her way through to the other side. “Makes sense to me. Your heart can only take so much pain before you feel a need to protect yourself.”
Their gazes locked. Understanding passed between them, an acknowledgment of something bigger, and Chloe nodded. “Yeah. Funny, though, being around the horses reminds me how happy Lucky made me. It feels . . . good.”
Mia smiled. “Then maybe this isn’t as crappy a summer as you thought it’d be.”
The girl laughed then, and Mia wondered why the sound filled up all the spaces inside of her, making her happy as well. “Maybe you’re right.”
Flower butted her head against Chloe’s arm, as if she wanted in on the lovefest. Chloe put down the brush and rubbed her ears, the connection between them pulsing live and true and real. Mia had forgotten how wonderful it was to be important to another—the give and take of touch and dialogue and affection, the beauty of truly being seen. It had been way too long since her defenses came down and she’d given herself the real opportunity to bond with someone who’d actually give a damn.
Maybe that someone was Ethan.
“Mia?”
“Yeah?”
“Wanna split the cookie with me?”
The gesture was small but symbolic. Mia didn’t hesitate.
“Sounds like a plan.” The smile they shared was natural and true, the connection between them fragile but finally beginning to blossom. Moving on instinct, she closed the distance and gave the girl a brief hug, hoping Chloe wouldn’t push her away.
She didn’t. After a brief pause, she hugged her back firmly. Mia swallowed past the lump in her throat, enjoying the rare contact. When they broke apart, something had changed between them.
“I’ll get the cookie and some water,” Mia said. “Don’t forget to wash your hands.”
“I won’t.”
“And you probably need to use more sunscreen; your skin is too fair. I got this organic oil for bugs and bought you a bottle in case you get bit. The outdoors can be treacherous.”
This time, Chloe didn’t roll her eyes. She just smiled and, with a pat to Flower’s butt, exited the stall. They ate the cookie, chattering some more, and Mia hoped it was the beginning of something good.
The next day, Mia came down the stairs to grab some of Ophelia’s cucumber-mint water, and stopped. The most beautiful voice echoed through the rooms, richly textured and hauntingly emotional. She paused, following the sound, and found Ophelia in the dining room where she served, folding napkins with economical grace, looking like she was lost in thought.
Ophelia jumped a bit when she caught sight of her. “Oh, Mia. I’m sorry, I didn’t see you.”
“No, my fault, I heard singing. Your voice is extraordinary.”
A faint blush rose to the woman’s cheeks. “Thank you. I forget I’m doing it sometimes.”
Mia ventured a few steps farther in, sensing an odd sadness radiating from her. “It must get hard, surrounded by people all the time. No real privacy.”
“I get more time alone in the winter, but I actually enjoy the guests. I love hearing their stories. It’s exciting to know where they’ve been or what they plan to do. A few months ago, I met a man who’d climbed Everest at sixty years old and just met the love of his life. He was getting married for the first time. This past Valentine’s Day, I had a lovely couple who stayed here for the weekend. She’d been told she would never conceive, and when she returned home from her vacation here, she found out she was pregnant.” Her eyes misted with dreaminess. “She called me to tell me the news. Even though I only get a glimpse, I feel like I’ve been invited into their lives for a specific amount of time, and it’s a gift.”
Fascinated, Mia tilted her head. At first, she’d thought Ophelia was simple. She was the perfect hostess, organized, and always easygoing. But the more Mia chatted with her, she realized how many layers the woman hid underneath her graceful facade.
The words popped out of her mouth without thought. “What about your story? Do you ever wish you could leave here and experience something different?”
A shadow fell over her face, but it evaporated like fog being swallowed up by the woods. “I did once, a long time ago. But things happened, and I realized I was better off here. Carrying on my mother’s legacy.”
Mia’s heart panged. “It was a boy, wasn’t it?”
Ophelia laughed, the sound tinkling like wind chimes. “It’s always a boy.”
They shared a smile, and the bond between them deepened. It was nice to have another woman to talk to, and Ophelia was trustworthy. Her truthfulness practically shimmered around her. “I’m going to head into town; do you need anything?” Mia asked.
“No, but why don’t you and Chloe join us for dinner again tonight?”
“We’d love that. Chloe’s dad will be up here this weekend—you have him down for a reservation, right?”
“Yes, he’s all set. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Ophelia.” She filled up her water bottle and headed out to the porch. It was funny, she’d expected to be going stark-raving mad by now, but she’d begun to settle in a bit. The inn wasn’t as bad as she’d originally thought. Even Gabby said she didn’t seem to be as high-strung over the phone. Maybe it really was the fresh air out here. Almost like a detox.
A loud squawking interrupted her thoughts. Hei Hei bum-rushed her at high speed and crashed into her bare shins, screeching with chicken delight. She jumped back, trying to gain precious space.
“Why are you stalking me?” she yelled. “I don’t like you, remember? And stop rubbing your feathers over me, it freaks me out.”
The chicken bobbed his crazy head feathers in the air and circled her legs, continuing to rub against her in some type of fowl affection. Ugh. Lately she couldn’t get rid of him. He followed her everywhere, trailing her steps and stalking the inn for when she’d reappear outside.
“I mean it, you need to go find another chicken to hang out with. This isn’t a healthy relationship.”
“He’s bonded with you.”
The gravelly, masculine voice stroked her ears. Her thighs squeezed in reaction, as if he’d just stroked her core. Why did her body get all needy and weak around this man? And why did their connection seem to be getting stronger, as if every word and look were leading her further down the path of something that both terrified and excited her?
“I didn’t ask for a chicken mate,” she shot back, a bit cranky at the way his body moved so gracefully, even with his damaged leg. His T-shirt clung to his body, damp with sweat, emphasizing massive biceps and lean muscles her fingers ached to stroke. The cleft in his jaw was deadly, and those full lips seemed carved out of a Michelangelo statue in sensual perfection. Oh, how she wished he’d kept his beard.
“Yet, you cast a spell on poor Hei Hei, so now he belongs to you.”
The words seethed with underlying meaning and sexual tension. These games were getting dangerous. Ever since that fateful weekend of cupcake eating and humming “Dancing Queen” together, things had heated up. Who could’ve imagined they’d bond by chaperoning senior citizens on a party bus? She was still disappointed in Ethel for sneaking in those Jell-O shots and getting tipsy at the play. Mia had expected so much more from her.
But it was the kiss that haunted her. Because if they hadn’t been interrupted, Mia was pretty sure she wouldn’t have protested if he dragged her off to his bed. In fact, she’d probably have been the one doing the dragging.
She’d never experienced such a powerful connection with a man on both a mental and physical scale. In his presence, her body slammed into high alert . . . but even worse?
She relished their conversations. Sarcasm had now turned to flirty banter with seething undertones of foreplay. When she’d caught him humming some of the ABBA songs under his breath, it had taken everything she had not to crawl onto his lap and ravish him. As if catching her thoughts, at that exact moment, he’d turned to her with a wicked smirk. And done the worst thing possible to seal her fate.
He’d held her hand. Just reached over and entangled her fingers within his warm, strong grip. For the rest of the play, all her attention focused on the absent stroke of his thumb on her palm, the shivered shooting through her body as he caressed her crazily pounding pulse point. The bastard was seducing her at a Mama Mia play after feeding her luscious cupcakes and kissing her like the last woman on Earth.
How was she supposed to fight it?
Mia tried to rally and shot out her response. “Hei Hei will have to learn early that some things are not meant to be.”
His bottom lip lifted in a half smile that was sexy as hell. He shifted closer, until just a foot of space lay between them. Her heart thundered, but she made sure her expression remained casual and neutral. She absolutely refused to pant over him like a mare in heat. Even though those rock-hard thighs encased in worn denim were completely mouthwatering. “He’s hopeful. And determined.” The chicken seemed to sense he was being talked about and butted his beak against her leg again. Ethan cocked out his hip and regarded her with a heated gaze. “He can be awfully persuasive.”
“We are so not talking about Hei Hei.”
Suddenly, he was looming over her. The primal scents of man, earth, and sweat rose to her nostrils, teasing a small moan from her chest. She swallowed it back just in time. Pure satisfaction carved out the lines of his features. He reached out and trailed one rough index finger down her cheek. “Then what are we talking about, princess?” he drawled.
“Sex,” she spit out. Why was the inside of her body burning up? “We’re talking about sex, horse man. And you know it.”
“Sex, huh?” That finger traced the outline of her mouth, skating over the flesh in light, teasing strokes. Her body swayed forward, caught in a spell. “Then let’s talk about sex.” He raked his stinging-blue gaze over her face, as if memorizing every curve and line, pausing to dive deep to see what lay beneath. “You’re shaking, and I haven’t even really touched you,” he whispered. “You’re making me crazy.”
A strangled laugh escaped her lips. “I’m not the one burning hot and cold. We’d be disastrous together.”
“Not in the bedroom.”
She fought a shudder. “I leave in a few weeks, back to my life. I don’t do well with meaningless affairs.”
In full daylight, he closed the space between them, sliding his hands from her shoulders down her arms to entangle her fingers within his. It was an intimate, sensuous gesture, firing off images of him doing that fully naked, exploring every part of her body, pleasuring her with his tongue and teeth and lips. “I don’t do meaningless affairs, either,” he growled, pressing his mouth against her ear, nipping at her sensitive lobe. Her body melted like hot caramel, helpless under his touch. Damn. He was becoming a master at turning from the rude, irritating man she disliked to this master of seduction. “But we have the rest of the summer to get to know one another. Enjoy each other. Do you know how many ways I’ve fantasized about making you come, Mia?”
Oh. My. God. She shuddered. His tongue licked the shell of her ear, hot and wet. Shivers bumped on her skin. “No,” she squeaked out.
“There’s too many to explain. I’d rather show you.” Her knees gave out, and he caught her, a wicked laugh rumbling from his chest. “My sweet little tigress. Are you listening to my proposal?”
She blinked, wondering when her brain cells had decided to check out on a permanent vacation. “Proposal?”
“Yes. I want you for the rest of my summer. Naked. In my bed. I want to take you out and enjoy the last few weeks you’re here. You’ve gotten under my skin, Mia. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“You want a lot of sex?”
His chuckle warmed her. He tugged her closer and pressed kisses down her cheeks, soft and tender, making her feel so cherished, she didn’t know what to do with all of the crazy rioting emotions flooding through her. “Yes, but more. Much more.”
Her hands curled into his broad chest, savoring this brief, perfect moment before her mind clicked into overdrive. “This could be dangerous. We need to accept it’s only temporary. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“Me neither. I’m not good for anyone long term right now. I like being back on the farm, taking things slow, figuring stuff out. And I know your life is in the city, where I no longer belong. But I can’t get you out of my head. Your scent and taste and voice. I want more of you.”
Pure longing crashed over her. She looked deep into his eyes, searching for the lie, and found just the raw, gleaming, naked truth.
He meant every word.
The sexual chemistry took hold and twisted sharp between them, all that seething male hunger demanding she surrender. Her eyes half closed, and she took a deep breath. His head lowered. Their lips stopped an inch apart, and her entire body shuddered with longing. Yes. She’d do it. She’d say yes. She’d—
“Think about it.”
Before she could process, he’d already stepped back, hands tucked in his pocket, rocking back on his heels like nothing had happened. Her skin flushed. How dare he proposition her and then calmly step away like her answer wasn’t a big deal?
She narrowed her gaze. “I need some time.” Thank goodness, her voice was steady with a touch of chill. Like she’d never even been tempted to jump into his arms and have him take her to bed.
“Of course.” Even with the space between them, his leashed sexual energy whipped out at her in waves, trying to pull her back in. “I won’t push, but you should know I’m used to getting what I want.”
His arrogance stole her breath. She stuck her chin in the air. “So am I. You won’t be able to push for anything I haven’t decided to give.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “Damn, you’re hot. You’re safe for now, princess. I’ll check in with you later. Come on, Hei Hei.”
The chicken gazed at his master, let out a screech, and inched his way back toward Mia. For some strange reason, satisfaction curled through her. “Just leave him with me,” she said. “If he pisses me off, we’ll have a nice barbeque.”
Hei Hei bobbed his crazy head and practically cooed.
Ethan studied her for a moment, then slowly nodded. “Have fun.” He sauntered away, that magnificent rear framed perfectly in his tight jeans, the slightest limp evident only when she paid close attention.
She let out a sigh. “He wants a summer affair,” she said aloud. “And I’m not sure I can say no.”
Hei Hei cocked his head and regarded her thoughtfully.
“Forget it. I cannot believe I’m talking to a chicken.” She started walking, and Hei Hei followed. She glanced back. “Don’t peck any of Ophelia’s flowers, or you’ll be sent back to the bungalow and Wheezy.”
Damned if the fowl didn’t nod.
This was certainly becoming a strange type of summer.