“Ones from your chickens?”

“No, I sold them, remember?” A feather floated in front of her and landed in her lap. Was that a chicken’s… She jumped to her feet. “You bought me chickens?”

He gave her a genuine smile. One that threw her off balance. “Not just any chickens. Your chickens.”

She ran to the back porch, not bothering to grab her coat. Throwing the door open, she ran outside and didn’t stop until she got to the chicken coop. She watched in disbelief as Colonel Sanders and company strutted and pecked.

“I can’t believe he brought them back,” she whispered.

“While I can’t believe what they did to my leather seats,” Sasha said, his shoes crunching the half-frozen grass as he walked.

She whirled around and grabbed his hands, squeezing them tight. She wanted to kiss and hug him, then dance around her backyard like a deliriously happy fool. “I’ll clean them for you. I have a recipe for cleaning that gets just about anything out.” She let go when he hissed and grimaced. “Are you okay?”

He held his hand up for her inspection and pointed to a nasty looking scratch. “The big red one got me. I can’t die a horrible death from this, can I?”

“No.” She tugged his hand down and kissed the scratch. “Better?”

“Much, but it’s getting colder.” He drew her along, threading his fingers through hers as they strolled to the house.

He held the door open, letting her go first. Instead of sitting at the table, he joined her at the sink, waiting for his turn to wash his hands. While she filled up glasses with ice and tea, he began taking bowls of steaming mashed potatoes and rolls to the table. Then he grabbed the glasses, winking at her as he did.

Turning from the counter with a platter of fried chicken, she almost bumped into him. Her face heated as they did the little side to side shuffle and tried to get out of the other’s way.

“Sorry,” Sasha said with a grin, and let her slip past.

She set the platter in the middle of the table. He pulled out her chair, gesturing for her to sit, and when she was comfortable, he finally took his own seat.

Suddenly shy, she focused on eating. The sound of silverware hitting the table with a thud made her jump and her eyes flew to his face.

His cheeks were flushed, highlighting the startling green color of his eyes. “Are we back to this again?”

“No, I’m—I don’t what to say.” She lowered her lashes and stared at the mostly empty plate in front of her.

A strong masculine hand covered hers. “Look, I’m doing my damnedest to apologize, sweetheart. Nothing more. And you owe me nothing.”

She looked up and studied his sexy face. The slash of his high cheekbones, his sensual lips and square jaw. He was an extremely beautiful man, and he knew it. But right here, right now, he looked sincere. The little voice of warning in her head was quiet. Taking a chance, she gave him a little smile. “A damned good job, I think.”

Raising his brows, he gave her a cheeky smile back. “Good enough to attend the fundraiser as my date?”

“I don’t know,” she hedged, not wanting to reveal the true reason that she wouldn’t be welcome at there. However, she was always welcomed at Harrison Collins’ bank. Or at least in his private office in the back. She inwardly cringed at the memory of having to beg him for a loan. He’d been the one man she swore she’d never go to for anything. Not even if she was on fire and he was the only person on earth with a bucket of water.

Sasha gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “No one will know it’s you.”

“How’s that?”

“Masks, love, and naughty costumes.” He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. “You would be unrecognizable.” His eyes roamed her face as his hand left hers to gently tug at a wayward curl. “Perhaps not. These are too distinctive.”

Patting one side of her head, she tried to smooth her hair down.

“Don’t, your hair is lovely.” He caught her hand with his free one. Holding both of her hands in his, he lifted them to his lips and gave them a tender kiss. “You work too hard, Rose. Go out with me tomorrow night. I’ll pay for a babysitter.”

Something broke inside of her. “I’ll go—” A look of triumph covered his face and she managed to press her hands against his mouth before he could talk. “—out with you,” she clarified, “but not any place fancy. I don’t have anything to wear.”

“I’ll dress to match,” he drawled in that sexy voice of his, and she laughed.

“Don’t worry about a babysitter. I’ll get Skye to do it. She doesn’t have to work tomorrow night,” she said, drawing her hands away. She placed them in her lap, twisting and untwisting the cloth napkin she’d placed there.

He slid back his chair and began clearing the table. “I’ll start washing up the dishes.”

It took no time at all to clean and put everything back in its place. Rose wrung out the dishcloth and straddled it along the sink, then turned to face him. “Thank you.”

Sasha shoved his hands in his pockets. “Guess I’ll turn in.”

“No!” Rose blurted, and his brows shot to his hairline. “Sorry.”

He inclined his head. “Was there something you wanted?”

She bit the side of her lip. “Can I show you something? It’s kind of a secret…well, my secret, but anyway, want to come exploring with me?”

His eyes shuttered, and for a moment she was sure he was going to say no, but a smile crept back on his face. “Sounds fantastic.”

She snagged the baby monitor off of the counter and motioned him over with a wave of her hand. “Let’s go.”

“Sure you want to do this, Rosebud?” he asked, his voice strained.

She turned and almost smacked into him. His large, lean frame overshadowed hers as his golden head bent forward. His body radiated heat and she had the urge to rub up against it. Him. But even more, she wanted to trust him. She wanted her instincts to be right when it came to Sasha. She knew he’d never tell. Why would he? The hidden spring that fed the tourist spot wasn’t a gold mine. All it did was make people think their dreams came true. Maybe it was time for another one of hers to do the same.

“Yes.” Grabbing his hand, she tugged him toward the stairs.

This was it.

Rose was going to show him the hidden springs. Later, while she was sleeping or at work, he would skulk around, and fill up several vials with water before sending them off to his uncle’s lab. And as soon as they arrived, he’d be gone. Instead of feeling relieved or euphoric, all Sasha felt was a heavy dose of remorse. Guilt. Every damn feeling in the world that he thought had been ruthlessly culled from his heart.

Hell, before now, his heart had only served as a highly efficient muscle.

As they grew closer, he started to dig his feet in and pull away. She turned left and there in the corner was a set of stairs. He hadn’t been in this section of the house before, mostly because Rose and Ivy stayed in the kitchen and family room when they were home. Wherever they were, he found himself gravitating towards them.

She halted just before the first step and turned to face him. Her pretty eyes dark in the dimly lit hall. Her pink tongue licked at her cherry red lips and he wanted to capture it with his own. To draw her sweet little tongue inside of his mouth and mate with it. With her.

“Ready?” Her voice was a breathless whisper.

Jesus, was he ever ready. He grew hard, and before he rationalized his next move, he had her pinned against the wall, his mouth on hers. She gripped his shoulders. But not to push him away. Instead, she deepened the kiss and pulled him closer. Her perfect body wantonly rubbed against him while his own roared for him take her. To claim her.

He slowly slid his hands down her slender back to cup her sweet bum, the delicious weight making him thrust his pelvis against her, his cock seeking relief.

An erotic moan left her mouth and he breathed it in. He wanted everything that was Rose inside of him, humming in his veins. She nipped at his chin, her hands no longer on his shoulders, but working the buttons of his shirt and spreading it open. The touch of her fingers like before, teasing and clever.

To his relief, she had worn a skirt to work today instead of her usual jeans. He made one of his hands leave her ass to find the hem. Edging it up, his fingers brushed at her heated skin. Higher and higher he pulled it until he felt the supple skin of her thigh, then the raised edges of her birthmark. He traced the outline of it as she trembled against him. Dear God, he wanted his mouth there.

But first…First he had more important areas of her body to attend.

Delving two fingers under her panties, he found her wet, hot, and mostly bare. His knees went weak. Locking them, he pushed a soft thigh wider with one of his own and slid his fingers inside of her. Her tight inner muscles clasped him immediately and he groaned.

“Oh my God,” she moaned into the hollow of his throat.

He began a playful rhythm—one that soon had them both panting. He brushed her clitoris with his thumb, and she let out a sound between a moan and a wail.

Over and over he teased, kept her on the edge until she was pounding at his chest and biting his shoulder though his shirt. “Do you want to come, love?” He brushed her clitoris with a whisper soft caress.

“I-I want you inside me,” she groaned and tilted her hips.

“I am inside of you.”

“Not the part I want.”

He laughed, but he was hard pressed to do it for long. As he teased her, he was torturing himself with the waiting. The longing. She licked at his pierced nipple and bit down. He let go of her ass and cupped her head, pressing it against him. “Harder,” he ordered, his voice harsh.

He cursed when she obeyed him. “Again.”

Now she became the tormentor: tugging, biting and teasing him until his entire body was shaking. She tore her mouth away from his chest. “Do you have a condom?”

Her soft request for protection was sexy as hell. “Upstairs.” He couldn’t wait that long, but he would.

He pushed deeper inside of her and pressed down on her tender, swollen flesh. Her body went rigid and she moaned his name. He stayed with her, drawing the orgasm out as his fingers continued to thrust inside of her. Finally, he left her body and she slumped against the wall. To his utter amazement, she slid to her knees and began to unbutton his trousers.

“You don’t have to do this.” Please don’t stop.

“But I want to.” Her warm hands slid inside and pulled his cock out. “Commando?” she asked, her dark brow an elegant arch.

Before he could answer, her hot mouth covered the head of his cock and he had to throw his hands against the wall to keep from grabbing her hair. After several teasing tries, she took him to the back of her throat. His forehead fell against the wall.

“Like that, sweetheart. Take me just like that,” he murmured, looking down and gently moving his hips. Her dark eyes seemed to glow as she pleasured him. As her tongue teased and her hands caressed the length of him. Over and over her playful mouth sucked and kissed his erection, until his chest was heaving. His balls drew up, tightened and he knew. He knew he had to push her away.

“Stop, I’m going to…just stop,” he panted, closing his eyes and pushing her shoulder away and against the wall. But she grabbed his ass and took him with her. Another swipe of her tongue and he exploded. “Fuck…Rose…you sweet, sweet woman,” he gasped as she continued to love him with her mouth.

Falling to his knees, he joined her and gathered her close, her body soft against his as he threaded his fingers in her silky curls. He pulled away slightly, marveling at her quiet beauty. At the graceful arches and soft planes of her features. Under his intense scrutiny, her black lashes made a downward sweep and she began to turn her face away.

“Let me look at you.”

Her lashes hovered in the air until they lifted again, and once more he gazed into her blue eyes. Desire and an indefinable emotion filled their depths as the seconds passed. Hell, it could have been hours. He didn’t know and he didn’t care.

“So beautiful.” He kissed her cheek.

She shook her head, her hair tickling his nose. “I’m not. I’m just me.”

“Beautiful,” he insisted, holding her face with his fingertips as his mouth covered hers again. Her lips parted immediately. Eagerly. His tongue stroked the inside of her mouth. He’d never get enough of this. Her.

Groaning low in his throat, he gently pushed her to the floor and covered her body with his, never breaking their kiss. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her soaked panties rubbing at his sensitized erection until he was hard again. Despite the mind-reeling orgasm he’d just had, he wanted her again. Shoving up her thin sweater, he kissed a path down her throat to her chest. Desperate to taste her. Desperate to have her bare breasts in his hands, his mouth.

He brushed his lips over her fabric-covered breast, then took the tip into his mouth and sucked. Deep. Her nipple hardened and a muted scream left her throat.

Frantically, he searched for the clasp. “Dammit,” he muttered against her breast. What was wrong with him? Usually, he had more finesse.

“It opens in the front.” Rose massaged the nape of his neck.

“Thank God.” He all but ripped it away, and was treated to the sight of her full breasts. Red nipples tightened in the cool air and he hovered over one, teasing the peak with his breath. She arched beneath him, a wordless plea escaping her lips.

Suddenly, the sound of Ivy crying filled the small space.

Rose froze. “I have to go to her.”