“Are you okay?” His question probed her mind, the forerunner for what was to come.
She nodded, not trusting her voice to work.
He rubbed the underside of his cock along her folds, massaging the sensitive bundle of nerves at the crest. They both exhaled in sync. Thrusting, he entered to the hilt.
For a long moment neither of them moved. A riot of emotions she hadn’t been prepared for pummeled her heart, brain, and body.
An overture to belonging and destiny.
An undeniable promise of the fulfilment of dreams.
A homecoming.
He placed her feet on his shoulders before dragging his palms along the backs of her thighs to rest on top of her hands. Her legs went to jelly as he stroked deeply. Sweat-slicked skin slapped against each other as they gasped for oxygen. She shifted her legs to circle his hips, hooking her ankles behind him. His hands wedged under her back to lift her into his lap. He guided her arms around his neck before sliding his grip to her ass. Kisses feathered over her face. His hips pumped into hers. “Even better”—he gasped—“than I imagined.”
Electricity coursed along her nerves, setting off detonations wherever it went. She quaked as pleasure again seized her body. His hands bit into her skin as he ground their centers together. He locked his silver stare onto hers, a world of emotion caught in one look before finally grunting his release.
Lory rested her head on his shoulder, trying to calm her system. Her body went lax. “Are you okay, sweetheart?” He held her against him while he switched positions so she lay on top. The blanket made a reappearance as their temperatures returned to equilibrium.
She nodded into his neck, kissing the spot where she nuzzled. Better than okay. Teetering on the edge of bliss and exhaustion, it was impossible to voice her answer. She hoped he understood that he’d set something free in her. A part of herself she hadn’t realized had been imprisoned. His fingers drew patterns on her back. Love notes written in calligraphy. An exposition she’d cherish for eternity. Their heart beats drummed against each other, finally finding the perfect rhythm. They stayed there until the fire died and the sun’s rays bled into morning.
Magnolia Tree
Antonio
He took her home, leaving the truck in the south paddock and walking her the rest of the way. She snuck in the house before texting him a minute later.
Got to my room just before Daddy went downstairs. Great timing.
He scrubbed a hand over his face as he returned to his truck. Jesus. That had been close. He’d have to be more careful in future. But it had been too damn hard to let her go.
When can I see you again? He typed the words and then hit the delete button, erasing his eagerness.
Be cool.
Glad you’re safe.
He’d scared her away once. He didn’t want to do it again. They needed to slow down. Yeah, he’d been in love with her for more than twenty years. But this was new for her. He wanted to give her all the time she needed to see him as hers.
He pulled the truck in front of the farmhouse before making his way straight to the shower.
“Where have you been?” Papà’s voice pulled him up short just shy of his destination.
Shit. Anton didn’t turn around, reaching for the door handle. The only face he wanted in his mind right now was Lory’s. Especially her firelit expression when she’d watched him go down on her. Parted lips, hooded eyes, pupils that almost engulfed the blue of her irises. Damn, he was getting hard again.
“I camped out in the field.” He cracked open the bathroom door, smelling his mother’s herbal shampoo.
“Did you put out the fire properly?”
“Sì, Papà.” Ducking into the room, he kicked the door closed behind him.
He turned on the shower a bit colder than usual and ran through a list of all the jobs he had to do.
Get the hay feeders ready.
Do a lice check and treatment.
Check the rye grass for blast…
Lory.
Lory.
Lory.
Water cascaded over his head as he stared at the drain. He’d managed to distract himself from thoughts of her for years by keeping busy. That trick wasn’t working now.
And his cock was still hard.
Wrapping a palm around his length, he squeezed the head gently before sliding up and down. Remembering the feel of her pressed against him, his cock buried deep inside her, it took less than a minute for him to come.
He soaped up, rinsed off and towel-dried before hearing a knock at the door. Covering up, he opened it a crack.
Sophia and Marianne.
He groaned. Jesus, not now. “What?”
Marianne, being taller, stood behind Sophia. Both of their faces lined up within the narrow gap he’d allowed for the exchange.
“We’re just checking to see if you’re okay?” Sophia assumed the position of spokesperson, as per usual.
“I’m fine.”
“You didn’t seem fine when you left.” Marianne mumbled.
“And neither did Lory,” Sophia added with more volume.
He sighed, knowing from experience that they wouldn’t back off. It was better not to be cornered in a room with only one exit, which they had blocked. Making sure the towel was secure, he yanked the door open and charged past his sisters.
“You need to make things right.” Sophia was like Dodger gnawing at a bone.
Oh, I did. “What makes you think things are wrong?” he threw over his shoulder as he headed for his room.
“I was the one you called to come and clean up your mess after you ditched her, remember?”
“I didn’t ditch her.” Annoyance sharpened his voice. He and Lory were so
