"Oh, she so does. Any opportunity she has to get next to that man she takes it. Did I tell you he asked her if she was bringing a date to the wedding?"
Mia sat on the bed in Harmony's bedroom and leaned against Katrina's knee. "You did not. What did she say?"
"She said she absolutely did not bring a date, she wasn't seeing anyone and she was leaving all her dances open for him."
Aubry laughed. "I don't know why those two aren't seeing each other more frequently."
"Well . . ." Harmony let the word trail off.
"What do you know that we don't know?" Amelia asked.
"He might have made a trip down to Tampa a time or two."
Mia laid her hand on her heart. "He did not. Did he, really?"
"Yes. I'd say there's definitely something going on with my mama and Elijah."
"That is awesome," Aubry said. "I'm really pulling for those two."
Mia made a mental note to keep her eye on her Uncle Elijah and on Diane, Harmony's mother, who was conspicuously absent from this get-together.
"Hey, Harmony, where is your mom, by the way?"
Harmony shrugged. "No idea. She conveniently disappeared as soon as we got here."
Katrina laughed. "I'll bet Elijah is nowhere to be found, either."
"Either that or she's with my mom going over last-minute planning," Mia said.
"I like the idea of her hiding out in some corner of the ranch making out with Elijah," Aubry said.
Harmony laughed. "You're all a bunch of sloppy romantics."
"Let's find out," Mia said, sliding off the bed. "I'm hungry anyway."
They went downstairs and found Mia's mother in the kitchen going over a list. Diane wasn't with her. They made sandwiches and sat at the island.
"Lydia, have you seen my mother?" Harmony asked.
Mia's mom looked up. "She was in here with me a while ago, but then she said she had a call to make and she disappeared. Did you look in her room?"
"Checked her room before we came down here," Harmony said. "She's not in there."
Amelia made a "hmm" sound, then said, "Interesting."
Lydia frowned. "What's interesting about that?"
"We think she's off with Elijah somewhere," Mia said.
"Oh. She probably is. They've been seeing each other."
"So you knew about that?" Mia asked.
"Of course."
"How come I didn't know about that?" Mia asked. "How come none of us knew about it?"
"Maybe because it's none of your business."
Mia rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Mom. There's romance brewing."
Her mother gave her a direct stare. "And would you want the entire family knowing your romance business?"
Mia didn't answer. She definitely would not like the entire family knowing what was going on between Nathan and her. Instead, she took a bite of her sandwich and a long swallow of iced tea.
"That's what I thought," her mom said.
"So much for us skulking around the ranch to find Elijah and Diane," Aubry whispered to Mia.
Mia turned to her. "I know. Moms ruin all the fun."
"I heard that, Mia," Lydia said. "And since none of you have anything to do other than gossip, I have a list of items that need taking care of. Mia, go get the tractor and mow the front property."
Mia wrinkled her nose. "What? Me? Why can't one of the guys do that?"
"Because I have the guys doing other things."
She sighed. "Fine."
After they finished eating and cleaned up, Mia went upstairs and grabbed her tennis shoes and a ball cap, then shoved her hair into a ponytail. On her way through the kitchen toward the back door, she noticed everyone else had left.
"Where is everyone?" she asked her mom.
"I gave them things to do. Everyone except Harmony. She's the bride and she gets a pass. She has enough to deal with."
"Huh. Fine. I guess I'll go mow."
"I guess you will."
She headed out back where the tractors were located. On her way, she saw her dad painting the outside tables, Flynn and Tucker were taking folding chairs from the storage barn over to the wedding barn, and Barrett and Nathan were pulling weeds.
She laughed at that. The bride-to-be got a day off, but the groom-to-be had to pull weeds.
Awesome.
She started the tractor and pulled it out of the barn, then dropped the deck and began mowing the side yard along the fence line before moving to the front of the property.
It was already hot as blazes outside and she was going to be a dripping, sweaty mess by the time she was through. She decided to consider this her workout for the day.
NATHAN DIDN'T MIND PULLING WEEDS. HE WAS USED to sweating outside, and any kind of physical activity worked for him. He'd gotten his run in with the guys before dawn this morning, taking in the sprawling acreage as he did his three miles listening to the sounds of nature and cattle. It had been amazing.
Now, sweat slid down his back and into his face as he took the last of the weeds he'd pulled and tossed them in the trash can.
"Water?" Barrett asked.
"I'd like to surround myself in a pool of it right now."
Barrett laughed. "I'll be right back."
Nathan took up a spot in the shade alongside the house, pulled off his ball cap and swiped his forearm across his brow. He heard the sound of an engine, so he glanced over and spotted Mia running the tractor.
Damn if she didn't look hot as fuck operating that thing. It was three times her size and she was flying across the lawn like she was master of that monster.
What the hell was it about watching Mia mow the damn lawn that made his dick hard? Or maybe it was watching her do anything that made his dick hard?
"Hot?"
He jerked his head around to see Barrett standing there with a tall glass of ice water for him.
"Oh. Hell, yeah. Thanks."
Shit. He really needed to shift his focus away from lusting after Barrett's little sister. He guzzled half the glass of ice water, hoping it would cool him down in more ways than one.
"I think we're done out here," Barrett said. "Too bad we didn't get the easy job like Mia over there."
He looked over to see Mia turning the corner and head out to mow the front of the property. "Does she do that a lot?"
Barrett shrugged. "Mom probably told her to do it."
"Pretty hot out here today."
"She's tough. She can handle it. Besides, she loves mowing, even though she grumbles about it. If you ask her if she'd rather do dishes or mow the lawn, she'll take mow the lawn anytime."
Nathan cracked a smile. "Is that right?"
"Yeah. I think that has to do with growing up with four older brothers. We were always fighting over running the tractor and Mia often got the short end of the stick. As soon as she was tall enough to sit on the tractor, Dad let her start mowing and driving the trucks around the property. Then we got stuck doing dishes."
Nathan laughed. "Sucks for you."
"For sure."
The door opened and Harmony stuck her head out. "Babe, I need you."
Barrett looked over at him. "Saved by groom duties."
"Later, Barrett."
Barrett disappeared inside, and Nathan finished his glass of water and set it on the table by the back door. He thought about finding the guys to see what they were up to, but for some reason he found himself wandering toward the front yard.
Mia had mowed most of the front area and looked to be about ready to finish up. He circled around back, grabbed his glass and took it inside.
Lydia was in the kitchen, along with Diane. They were heads together creating some centerpiece decoration thing and barely noticed him, so he refilled his glass with ice water, along with a second one. He slid out the door without anyone asking him questions. Once he was out the door, he realized he was acting all stealthy for no reason at all.
Everyone was busy and no one was paying attention to him, so he walked out front in tim
e to see Mia pulling the tractor toward the barn. He followed her in there.
She shut off the tractor and turned to him.
"You following me?" she asked.
He handed her the glass of water. "Thought you might be thirsty."
"I am, thanks." She downed half the glass in a couple of swallows, kind of like he had with his first glass. She took off her ball cap and her hair was stuck to her head. Sweat glistened all over her arms and neck, and her T-shirt clung to her breasts in a way that was more attractive than it should be, all things considered.
"You're all wet."
"No shit. It's hot out here. I need a cool shower. This is one of those days I want to go whine at my dad about never putting in that swimming pool I always begged him for."
He laughed. "I grumbled at Barrett about wanting to surround myself with water."
She leaned against the tractor. "How was weed pulling?"
"It's my dream job. I'm thinking of giving up football just so I can pull weeds every day for the rest of my life."
She laughed. "I want to be at the press conference when you announce your retirement before the season starts."
"No one will miss me. My dad will come out of retirement and lead the Sabers to the championship game again."
She took another long swallow of water. "Thought about all this while you were weed pulling, huh?"
"It's good to have a long-range plan in mind."
"You're an idiot, Riley."
He gave her a half smile. "That's why you like me."
"No, I only tolerate you."
He looked around the barn. It was filled with farm equipment, from mowers and tractors to accessories for those. Then there were hoes and rakes and hoses. He also noticed there was storage up above accessible with a ladder.
"What's up there?" he asked.
"An old-style hayloft."
"Oh, like the kinds you see in old movies?"
She frowned. "What?"
He shifted to lean against a wood column in the barn. "Come on, Mia. Haven't you ever watched old movies, where the couple climb into the barn hayloft and make out?"
She looked up at the loft, then back at Nathan. "Apparently not. And there's no hay up there. Though we have storage and horse blankets."
"Sexy. Let's go up there and make out on the horse blankets."
She laughed. "I don't think so. Horse blankets aren't comfortable. Besides, I'm sweaty."
"So am I. Let's get even more sweaty."
"It won't be romantic."
"Wanna bet? I can make anything romantic."
"Are you throwing down the romance gauntlet?"
"Yup."
She stood. "Fine. But if I end up with hives or fleas from the horse blankets, it'll be your fault."
He cocked a grin and grabbed her hand. "Aren't you just full of adventure today?"
"No. I'm hot and sweaty and I need a shower."
He followed her up the ladder. "You're very sexy when you're grumpy."
"Shut up, Nathan."
This might not be ideal, and Mia might be cranky as fuck, but he'd change her mind about being up here. And it might be his only chance to get her alone. So even though it was hot and they were sweaty, they were together.
He'd make this work.
MIA WANTED NOTHING MORE THAN A NICE, COOL shower right now to rinse off the grass and sweat. Instead, she was climbing into this airless, hellish loft with sweat pooling between her breasts and every bit of clothing she wore sticking to her skin. Her hair was plastered to her head and neck and she felt disgusting.
So. Not. Sexy.
She got to the top of the loft and turned to wait for Nathan. He made it up there and looked around.
"Hot as fuck up here," he said.
"See? It's not like the movies. There's no springtime breeze flowing through the opening. No birds singing. It's like hell up here. Can we go now?"
"I see your point." He came over and wrapped his arms around her and it suddenly got twenty degrees warmer. "But we're alone. Doesn't that count for something?"
"I can think of better places to be alone. Like my nice cool shower in my bathroom."
"You're ruining my fantasy here, Mia."
"And I'm about to pass out from the heat."
He gave her a look of concern. "We can't have that. Let's go."
She tilted her head back to meet his gaze. "Seriously?"
"Yeah. Your face is bright red. Come on."
He held her hand as they made their way back down the narrow staircase. She actually felt a little dizzy, which she would not admit to Nathan. But when they hit the barn floor she was happy as hell to be out of that hot loft.
He didn't hesitate once they got there, just took her by the hand and led her toward the house. They went in the front door and he marched her up the stairs and right to her room. Fortunately, they didn't run into anyone along the way. He went inside with her and shut and locked the door.
She was so happy to have her own bathroom, because what she needed right now was privacy. And a shower. She really wanted a shower.
She turned to Nathan. "I'm stripping and getting in the shower. You coming with me?"
"You sure about that?"
She pulled her top over her head and dropped it on the floor. "I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't sure. Can you unhook my bra?"
"Yeah." He undid the clasp and she pulled it away from her sticky body and let that drop, too. "Yuck."
She went into the bathroom and turned on the water, shimmied out of her shorts and underwear, then stepped in the shower.
Oh. Heaven. She tilted her face back and let the lukewarm water rain down over her.
She heard the shower door open but she didn't move. Nathan could just wait his turn.
"I'm hoarding all the water for a minute," she said. "At least until I rinse all this sweat off of me."
"I can handle standing in my sweat while you cool down. Take all the time you need."
She sighed in happiness and let the refreshing shower continue. When she felt like most of the sweat was off of her, she stepped out of the way and let Nathan move in. He rinsed off and took her body wash and did a quick once-over on his body. Then he grabbed her shampoo and poured some in his hand.
"Tilt your head back."
She did and he washed her hair while she leaned back against his chest. He massaged her head in gentle, circular motions. Other than an orgasm, having Nathan wash her hair was the best sensation ever.
"Rinse."
She rinsed her hair, conditioned it, then stepped out of the water. Nathan was there with soap in his hand.
She felt revived now that she'd gotten out of the heat--and that damned loft. She stepped forward and turned so Nathan could apply soap to her back. His hands on her body felt so good. After she rinsed, he soaped up his hands again and spread them over her shoulders and down her breasts, circling his thumbs over her nipples.
She sucked in a breath as pleasure spiraled. He continued to wash her breasts, teasing her nipples until they were taut, tight buds. He moved his hand over her stomach and cupped her pussy, rubbing back and forth in light, easy motions.
"Nathan." She gripped his arms.
"I know what you need to relax you. You need a good orgasm. The kind that makes you scream."
Her sex quivered and pulsed with tingling sensation. And when he released her and took the handle of the shower head off to rinse her, then got down on his knees and put his mouth over her, she had to palm the wall for support.
Water rained down over her head and shoulders, warm and inviting, while Nathan's mouth and tongue performed a magical dance over her quivering pussy, taking her right to the edge. She was pent up, hovering right near the precipice of orgasm. She wanted to stay right there, to feel those tingling sensations until the end of time.
But she couldn't hold back and she came with a strangled cry, her limbs shaking as the waves of orgasm pounded over her. She was gasping for air when Nathan stood and kissed he
r, taking the remaining breath she had with a passionate kiss that left her legs trembling.
He reached around and turned off the shower, then dragged her out with him. He reached for a towel and dried both of them off.
"I need to be inside of you. I need to fuck you."
She nodded, feeling satiated and drugged with pleasure, yet needing exactly what Nathan wanted, too.
"Condoms are in the drawer on the bedside table," she said.
He took her by the hand and led her to her bedroom. He opened the drawer and put a condom on his beautiful, hard cock, then lay on the bed and pulled her on top of him.
"Ride me," he said.
With a shuddering sigh, she climbed on top of him and slid onto his shaft, her body still experiencing the aftereffects of that mind-blowing orgasm. So when she was fully seated on top of him, she tightened around him.
"Fuck. Do you feel that?"
"Yes." She moved forward, sliding against him. The sensations were so good they almost made her weep with joy. She held on to his arms and soaked in the heated passion in his gaze.
"My dick got hard watching you mow the lawn," he said. "Do you have any idea how fucking sexy you looked doing that?"
That made her lips curve. She had felt sweaty and awful. To hear Nathan say she looked hot was everything she needed to hear. She dug her nails into his arms and rocked against him, dragging her clit along his pelvis, bringing herself even closer to coming again.
And when the pulses sparked within her, he grasped her hips.
"Yeah, I feel it. Now come on my cock and take me with you."
His gritty voice was all it took to make her take off. She dropped down on top of him and ground against him, splintering with her orgasm.
Nathan groaned and grasped her butt, drawing her closer as he shuddered. She put her lips against his and kissed him, lost in the pleasure of his cock, of her own climax and of how it felt to be connected to him.
After, she lay on top of him listening to the beat of his heart against her chest. She was exhausted. Nathan stroked her back and she closed her eyes and let herself drift off.
When she woke up, they were curled together, her leg flung over his. She had no idea how long they'd been asleep, but someone was knocking on her door. She tried to blink back the cobwebs.
"Hey, Mia. Are you in there?"
It was Aubry. Mia pulled herself out of the bed and grabbed her robe that was draped over the nearby chair. She slipped it on and cracked open the door.
"I'm so sorry," Aubry said. "Were you napping?"
"Just a short nap. The heat from mowing zapped me."
"Okay. Your mom sent me to look for you. It's time to get ready for the rehearsal."