A familiar song kicks on in my mind. “In your big green tractor?”
Reeve tips his head back with a hoot. “Have you been listening to Jason Aldean again?”
“Guilty. He’s quite swoony.” I nod as the beat goes silently on. “Is there room for two in there?”
“Absolutely, but it’s only a single seater, so we’ll have to share.”
“Fine by me.” I track my gaze along the metal body and upward. A huge cab boxes in the entire driver’s section. “This must be like the Cadillac of John Deere.”
“More like Aston Martin.”
“Even better,” I murmur.
Reeve hits a red button on the complex control panel next to us. With a low thrum and hydraulic clanking, a door at the rear opens. He points to the ladder leading to the cab. “Ladies first.”
“You just want to stare at my ass.” I begin to climb.
“I will never skip an opportunity to properly ogle you.” He lands a light smack on my butt.
“Aww, that’s almost sweet.” I wrench open the door and let my mouth drop. “That’s an ultra-deluxe seat.”
“Comfort helps when we’re trapped for hours.” He edges past me to sit down. After making a few adjustments, Reeve pats his thighs. “Hop on, babe.”
I wedge myself inside and manage to get sorted on his lap. The dashboard has more switches and levers than a spaceship. All I can do is gawk. “This is complicated.”
He swats at the overabundant controls. “We don’t need any of those for a simple joy ride.”
“Well, that’s comforting.”
“Sorry to disappoint, but the transmission is automatic.”
“I’d expect no less in such luxury. I can probably find another big stick in this cab to stroke later.”
His fingers skate under the hem of my dress. “I can guarantee there is.”
Steely hardness greets me when I squirm. “I’m already getting a tip on where to find it.”
Reeve groans, dropping his forehead to my shoulder blade. “We need to focus.”
“Okay, I’ll behave.” I stretch my hands forward in good faith. “Where to, farmer?”
“I want to show you another one of my fields.” He can’t disguise that he’s growing more aroused beneath me.
Remaining still is very difficult, especially with an eruption of molten lava flooding my veins. “And why wouldn’t you? It paid off with a banging reward last time.”
“Glad we agree.” His eyes burn with blue fire when I turn to peek at him.
“I’m about to jump on your dick if we don’t get this show on the road.” Honesty is the best policy, right?
“Right, okay. We can make this quick, just a loop around the front lot. It’s pretty much the accelerator, brake, and steering wheel you need to worry about.” He flicks a black switch, and mega-high beams illuminate the ground in front of us. “And the lights.”
“Easy enough.” I grip the wheel with white knuckles.
He slides the key into the ignition. “Ready?”
A smile stretches until my cheeks hurt. “Yes, do it.”
The motor roars loud enough that a stabbing pain attacks my skull. The deafening sound has my teeth clacking in an attempt to stave off the throbbing. I cover my ears with a whimper.
“Here!” he yells. “Put these on.”
I slide on a pair of massive headphones, and the noise instantly vanishes. All I can hear are my labored exhales and thumping pulse. Reeve nudges me, so I tap my foot on the gas. Bertha lunges forward faster than a racehorse from the chute. I fall backward with a squeak. His chest bumps against me, and I join in the laughter. He gestures for me to take it easy, which earns him an eye roll. This time, I barely press on the pedal, and Bertha responds with a gentle shift into motion.
It honestly feels like I’m floating up here. This beast is practically a steamroller, so nothing stands in our way. The field is open, thanks to being plowed after the recent harvest. That’s what I assume, anyway. The terrain is flat and continuous. It appears I can go for miles in any direction until the tractor runs out of gas.
I bump along to a silent melody in my head as the powerful machine rumbles beneath me. If it weren’t for the artificial lack of sound, I could imagine being in a limousine. All I hear is a faint hum beyond my muffled intakes of breath. A constant vibration rattles through the floorboards into the soles of my boots. The ride is smooth and effortless otherwise. I barely have to steer or touch the wheel at all.
Reeve lets me cruise the fields until I take three laps. The sun set long ago, and the darkness surrounding us provides an intimate bubble that sends a giddy flurry through my belly. Only a slight glow from the cab lamp bleeds into the blanket of black. It’s eerie, yet peaceful.
As we coast across a center section, he motions for me to stop. I ease off the accelerator and apply slight pressure to the brake. The sensitive tractor nearly slams to a standstill. When the wheels quit rotating, Reeve cuts the engine, and the lumbering beneath me ceases.
He removes my headphones with a smile. “Great driving.”
I roll my neck to ease a slight cramp. “Bertha makes it easy.”
“She’s a gentle giant.” With a yank, he seems to set the parking brake.
I huff at that but give the dashboard a pet. “Good girl.”
“Turn around, babe.” He urges me with a hand on my outer thigh.
I stand and pivot in the cramped box, arching a brow. “Yes?”
“Are you particularly attached to these?” He snaps a pinch of my knit tights between his fingers.
I glance down at my brown stockings. “Not really.”
“Well, I’ll buy you a new pair.” Without warning, he rips a hole from hood to crack.
The cool air whispers across my heated core, and I shiver. “Oh my.”
“Straddle me. You’re gonna do a different kind of riding tonight.”
A purr curls off my tongue. “On my favorite stud.”
He does a horrific impression of a horse’s neigh while slapping his thighs. “Your
