"I don't mind," Kate said, looking at him.
"I do, and we can leave it for another time when we don't have a visitor for dinner." Magnus ended that topic. "I'm going to light the barbecue on the veranda, and you can help me with a salad, Kate, if you don't mind while Nell puts the baby to bed."
Kate followed him into the kitchen and leaned on the counter watching while he collected his barbecue tools and followed him out to the back deck. She walked to the railing overlooking the farm while he lit the gas on the hotplates.
Magnus watched her as he prepared the barbecue. There seemed to be a myriad of emotions going through her brain by the look on her face. What could she possibly be so worked up over now that he had fixed her financial problems?
Magnus wiped his hands and walked over to her. Running his finger over the back of her neck, he watched as her skin erupted in goose bumps. A small sigh escape her mouth. He teased the skin under her ear with his lips, one hand sliding around her body, cupping her breast, while the other hand pulled her closer to his hips.
She leaned back against him, and Magnus felt her mood shift as she turned around in his arms, taking his mouth with hers. She arched her body into him, seductively rubbing her hips against his.
"Looks like you missed the sex too," he murmured against her mouth, "but I think we will just have to hold out for a bit longer. Nell doesn't plan on leaving until tomorrow or the next day."
"I've always fantasized about sex in a hayloft," she whispered, nipping his bottom lip with her teeth.
"Oops, sorry to break up the, um, friendly neighbor routine guys." Nell laughed as she stood at the door watching them.
"No harm done." Magnus gave Kate another deep kiss before setting her away from him and heading inside to get the meat for dinner.
Kate watched the gleam in Nell's eyes as she came over to her. "Just neighbors, I like that."
"It's not what you think it is." Kate turned from her to lean on the veranda rail and look over the farm.
"Really? Well to me it looked like dear Magnus is finally getting a life," Nell said. "Rolf will be very pleased indeed."
"Your husband?" asked Kate. "Why should he care what Magnus is doing?"
"Yes, my darling husband, Magnus's best friend since grade school. It was him who introduced him to Adele and when…well, anyway he feels just a little bit responsible about her leaving and would love nothing more than to hear that Magnus and you seem to be hitting it off."
"I really don't think that you need to tell your husband anything, Nell," Magnus said from behind them.
"Don't be such a killjoy." Nell seemed unperturbed by his words. "You know how much that whole episode hurt him and how much he cares about you. He would be thrilled to know about your relationship with Kate."
"There is nothing to tell, understand," he ground out while Kate stood by.
"We are just neighbors, really," Kate said. "If we want to share a kiss, so what? That doesn't mean we are dating or anything."
Nell looked between the two of them and shrugged her shoulders. "Okay, if you say so," she said, appearing disappointed.
"Now that is settled do you think we should start cooking this meal?" Magnus asked. "I for one have a big day tomorrow and want an early start."
"Sounds good to me too," Kate said. "We've spent the last couple of days bringing in the calves for branding, and I could do with an early night. Not that I want to rush you or anything," she said to Magnus as he cocked an eyebrow at her. "Just saying, is all."
"I'll get the cutlery. We are sitting out tonight, aren't we, Magnus?" Nell asked.
"Why not?" he replied, placing the seafood kebabs on the grill. "Kate, can you bring out the salad from the fridge and the rolls that are in the oven keeping warm?"
"Um, sure." She followed Nell into the kitchen.
"Don't let him bully you," Nell said as Kate worked. "You guys look good together, and it's high time that he got a decent girlfriend and not one of those stuck-up model types he usually dates. Honestly, can you see Magnus being tied to one of them? His heart is in this place—it always was—and now that he has the business almost running itself, he can move down here and play farmer."
Kate tried to look interested but kept her opinions to herself while Nell babbled on.
"You look like the sensible type," she said, flicking her blonde hair from her face and leaning on the counter, the cutlery now forgotten. "I mean, really, it's not like you're after his money or anything like those vamps in the city. All they wanted was what he could give them. They never cared about Magnus the man." She grinned." Hey, I know all about it, you hear me. I met enough of them to figure them out. Just because he's filthy rich they think if they throw themselves at him like the sluts they are, he'll fall for their acts and want to marry them. I can tell you they have no hope."
The heat rushed up Kate's face listening to the remarks Nell was making. After all, if she knew what Kate had done, she would no doubt be quick to put her in the same category as the women that she was being harsh about.
"Now there's you on the other hand; a nice, quiet country girl with no
