TableofContents

ALWAYSONMYMIND
AnotefromBella:
ChapterOne
ChapterTwo
ChapterThree
ChapterFour
ChapterFive
ChapterSix
ChapterSeven
ChapterEight
ChapterNine
ChapterTen
ChapterEleven
ChapterTwelve
ChapterThirteen
ChapterFourteen
ChapterFifteen
ChapterSixteen
ChapterSeventeen
ChapterEighteen
ChapterNineteen
ChapterTwenty
ChapterTwenty-one
ChapterTwenty-two
ChapterTwenty-three
ChapterTwenty-four
ChapterTwenty-five
ChapterTwenty-six
Epilogue
COMPLETEBOOKLIST
ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

ALWAYSONMYMIND

Lori&Grayson~TheSullivans#8

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After a tragic loss three years ago, Grayson Tyler left his life in New York City behind and

startedoverintherollinghillsoftheCaliforniacoast.He’sconvincedhimselfthatallhe’lleverneed
againisthebluesky,athousandacresofpasture,andthecrashingwavesoftheocean.Untiloneday,
Lori Sullivan barges into his life and promptly blows his emotionless and solitary world to shreds,
drivinghimcrazyasonlyawomannicknamedNaughtycan.ButwillLoribeabletoconvincehimthat
it’ssafetoloveher...andthatforeverisn’tactuallyoutofreach?

AnotefromBella:

The first time Lori Sullivan opened her mouth, she made me laugh. Over the years, I’ve written

strong heroines, sassy heroines, and sweet heroines, but I’ve never written anyone quite like Lori.
Naughtyhasneverbeenafraidtotakearisk.Evenafterfailing.Andevenwhenitturnsoutthatfallingin
lovejustmightbethebiggestriskofall.

Butthere’sanotherreasonwhyIabsolutelylovedwritingthisbook:GraysonTyler.Outonhisfarm,

inhiscowboyhatandboots,hecouldn’thaveseemedmorewrongforLori.ButIpromiseyouthatheis
the only man who could have captured her heart (and mine, as well, while he was at it!). I hope he
capturesyourheart,too.

Happyreading,
Bella

P.S. So many of you have written to ask if Lori’s book is the last of the Sullivan series. I’m

extremelyhappytotellyouthatitmostdefinitelyisn’t!Thissummer,thefirstSeattleSullivancousin—
RafeSullivan,asupersexyP.I.—willtakecenterstageinTHEWAYYOULOOKTONIGHT,andhehas
foursiblingswhoareallgoingtoneedahappily-ever-after,too.And…afterreceivingcountlessrequests
for Mary and Jack Sullivan’s love story, I’m thrilled to let you know that I also have something very
specialplannedforthemthisfall.IhopeyoureallyloveLoriandGrayson’sstory!

ChapterOne

LoriSullivanwasn’tlookingfortrouble.Shesworeshewasn’t.
JustbecausehernicknamewasNaughtyandtroubleseemedtofollowherwherevershewentdidn’t

meanshewantedanytoday.Onthecontrary—forthefirsttimeever,shewaslookingforsomepeaceand
quiet.

NooneinherfamilyknewshewasbackinSanFrancisco,havingjustflowninonthered-eyefrom

Chicago.Eventhoughshelovedthemmorethananyoneelseintheworld,shejustcouldn’tfacethemright
now. Her six brothers, twin sister, and mother were the best family a girl could have...and yet, if they
found out that she was back, they’d not only want to know why she’d walked out on her show halfway
throughitsrun,buttheyalsowouldn’tbackoffuntilthey’dwrungeveryhorribledetailoutofher.

Howdidsheknowthat?
Becauseitwasexactlywhatshe’ddonetoeveryoneofthemoverthepasttwenty-fiveyears.
So,insteadofwheelinghersuitcasefromtheSanFranciscoAirportbaggageclaimareaovertothe

taxistationtoheadhometoherapartment,sheimpulsivelyheadedfortherental-cardesk.

“Goodmorning,howcanIhelpyou?”chirpedtheblondewomanbehindthedesk.
Lori guessed the two of them had to be around the same age, but by contrast she felt at least a

decadewearier.“Ineedacar.”

“Great!Whereareyouheadedandhowlongdoyouneeditfor?”
Thewoman’ssmilewassobright,Lorifelthereyestearingupfromtheglare.Fortunately,afterher

bleary-eyedflightacrossthecountry,immediatelyuponlandingshe’dputonhersunglassestodealwith
theblindingsunlightpouringinthroughhersmallairplanewindow.She’dhateforthewomantothinkshe
wascrying.

No,LorirefusedtocryoveranythingthathadhappenedinChicago.Orduringtheyearandahalf

beforethat.

Shewasn’tacrier,damnit.Neverhadbeen,neverwouldbe.
Theworldwouldhavedoaheckofalotmorethangiveheracheatingscumofaboyfriendandtake

awayherentiredancingcareertomakehercry.

Shewasyoung.Shewashealthy.Shehadherwholelifeaheadofher.
Somehow,someway,she’dfigureoutwhattodowiththenextseventyyears.
Whichbroughtherbacktothecarrentalwoman’squestions.Wherewasshegoing?Andforhow

long?

Blaming lack of sleep for the fact that all her brain could come up with was blanks, she asked,

“Where’syourfavoriteplacetogo?”

The woman was momentarily surprised by Lori’s question, but then her face got all dreamy.

“Pescadero.”

Lori slipped her sunglasses down her nose so that she could peer at the woman over the frames.

“Pescadero?”

HavinglivedinNorthernCaliforniaherentirelife,Lorifiguredshemusthavedriventhroughthere

at some point, but as far as she could recall, Pescadero had been nothing more than a bunch of farms
strungtogether.

Thewomannoddedhappily.“Ijustlovethegreenrollinghillsthatseemtogoonforever,allthose

sheepandcowsmunchingaway,andthefactthattheoceanisattheendofnearlyeveryfarmroad.”

Lorilovedlivinginthecity.Shelovedworkingincities,too,especiallysinceherdancecareerhad

alwaysbeenintrinsicallytiedtothemovementallaroundher.Asleepyfarmtownwasthelastplaceshe

wouldeverhavethoughttopickforanimpromptuvacation.

“Itsoundsperfect.HowlongcanIhavethecar?”
Again,thewomangaveheraslightlystrangelookbeforesaying,“Onemonth,andthenI’llneedto

fill out additional paperwork. But it’s really more of a day trip. A shortish one, at that. I can’t imagine
howyoucouldpossiblyspendamonthinPescadero.”

EventhoughLoriwassilentlywonderingthesamething,shehandedoverhercreditcardandsigned

adozenformspromisingthatshewouldn’tdamagethecar.Afewminuteslater,shewasholdingthekeys
andabouttowalkawayfromtherentaldesk,whensheturnedback.

“AnyideahowtogettoPescaderofromhere?”

***

Anhourandahalflater,Loriwaswonderingifthefarmlandwasevergoingtoendwhenshesawa

roof.Feelinglikeasailorwhohadbeenouttoseaformonthsbeforefinallycatchingsightofland,sheput
her foot down harder on the gas pedal and sped toward what she could now see was the teeny-tiny
PescaderoMainStreet.

The car rental lady had been right about the pretty green fields and the cute sheep, but she’d

somehowforgottentomentionhowquietsilencewas...orhowlonesome.

Lorihadfilledherworldwithloudmusicandtallbuildingsandvibrantpeopleforsolongthatit

wasstrangetobesurroundedbynoneoftheabove.She’dflippedonthecarradioatonepoint,butithad
feltakintoturningonaboomboxinthemiddleofachurch,soshe’dimmediatelyturneditoff.

Still,forallthathermoodwasn’texactlyatitsbest,sinceitwasthefirstsunnydayshe’dseenin

weeks,shewasdeterminedtoenjoythewarmsunandblueskies.Plus,justasherauto-mechanic-slash-
mogulbrotherZachhadalwaysclaimed,therereallywassomethingaboutgettinginacarandgoingfora
drive. Granted, she thought as she looked down at her little rental car, he usually did his joyrides in a
Ferrari.Besides,hedidn’tdothemaloneanymore,nowthatheandHeatherwereinloveandengaged.

LoripulledupinfrontofthePescaderoGeneralStorejustasalittlegirlwalkedoutsidecarryinga

bigbagofdogfoodandwearingahugesmile.AmanLorieasilyassumedwashergrandfatherwasbarely
abeatbehindherholdingabrand-newdogcrate.Wearingcowboybootsandwell-wornbluejeans,they
bothfitperfectlyintothefarmtown.

Asshegotoutofthecar,Lorisawthegirl’spuppy.Hisleashhadbeentiedtoanearbypostand

whenhecaughtsightofthelittlegirl,theblackandwhitedogstartedwaggingitstailsoharditswhole
bodylookedlikeakiteflyinginthebreeze.Thegirlimmediatelydroppedthedogfoodbagontheground
andpickedupthepuppyinherarmstogiveitkisses.Thegrizzledoldfarmersaid,“You’regoingtospoil
him,”inagruffvoice,buthiseyeswerefulloflove.

Forthesecondtime,Lorifelthereyesstarttowater.She’dgottenusedtothebrightsunlightandhad

flippedhersunglassesupontopofherheadawhileago,butnowsheploppedthembackoverhereyes.

As she stepped onto the sidewalk, both the man and the girl stopped to look at her, each of them

doingadoubletake.Shecouldn’tfigureoutwhathadshockedthemsomuch...notuntilshefinallylooked
downatherself.

Oh yeah, this was why. The form-fitting, sleeveless, bright-pink top covered in multicolored

sequins that ended at mid-thigh, and nearly opaque tights combined with the glittery heels she’d been
dancingin,werealittlestrangetobewearinginthemiddleoftheday.Notjusthere,butanywhere,really.

She’d completely forgotten what she was wearing when she’d stormed out of the Auditorium

TheatreinChicago,thrownherthingsintohersuitcaseatthehotel,thenheadedtotheairporttocatchthe
next plane to San Francisco. She’d wrapped an oversized scarf around herself on the plane and in the
airport, but it was so warm and sunny during her drive that she’d stripped it off and had left it on the

passengerseat.

Ofcoursethepuppydidn’tcarewhatshewaswearing,andwhenshereachedforit,hewriggledhis

furrybodytowardher.“Whatacutepuppy,”shesaidtothelittlegirl.“What’shisname?”

“Jonas.”
“That’sagreatname,”Lorisaidasshesmiledandpattedthedog,butjustasherfingertipsstroked

thesoftfurbetweenthepuppy’sears,thegirl’sgrandfatherdraggedthemaway.

A moment later, when Lori turned to head for the General Store’s front door, the ground felt as

thoughitwasmovingbeneathher.Bracingherselfagainstthewall,Lorirealizedshehadn’thadanything
toeatfornearlytwenty-fourhours.Despitewhatmostpeoplethoughtdancers’liveswerelike,shehada
healthyappetiteandafastmetabolism,andknewsheshouldn’thavegonesolongwithouteating.

Itwasjustthatfoodhadn’tsoundedverygoodforawhilenow...
Withrenewedpurpose,shepushedthroughthedoor.Animalfeedandsuppliesranthelengthofone

entiresideofthestore.Inthemiddlewasadisplayofknitwear,jeans,cowboyboots,andwhatlooked
likepackagesofunderwearandsocks.Theothersideofthestorehadadelicounter,severalrefrigerated
unitsholdingeggsandcheeseandmilk,plusshelvesweigheddownwithcannedfood.

Shegrabbedabagofchipsandwalkeduptotheregister.Theteenageboybehindthedelicounter

turnedbrightred.“Wh-whatcanIgety—”Heswallowedhardandreacheduptoloosentheneckofhis
T-shirt.“—you.”

Evenasitoccurredtoherthatmaybesheshouldhavegonebacktothecarforherscarftowrap

around her dance outfit, she enjoyed the appreciation in his eyes. Just because she was done with men
didn’tmeanshedidn’tstillwanttobewantedbythem.Thatwayshecouldhavethepleasureofkicking
themalltothecurb—exceptforsweetteenageboys,ofcourse.

“What’sthebestsandwichyou’vegot?”
Hiseyeswentwideatherquestion,asifshe’daskedhimfortheanswertohowtheearthrotatedon

itsaxisratherthanjustaboutcoldcutsandbread.Andboy,washeworkinghardtokeephiseyesonher
faceratherthanlettingthemdroptoherbreasts,whichwereprettymuchonfulldisplayinheroutfit.It
wassocutethatshewantedtoleapacrossthecountertohughimformakingherfeelprettyagain,atleast
forafewsecondsofadolescentadoration.

“Um, I don’t know.” He swallowed hard again before turning to scan the list of sandwiches

handwrittenontheboardbehindhim.“MaybetheMuffuletta?”

“Soundsgood.”Sheputdownthechipsonthecounterashestartedtoringherup.“I’llalsotakethe

strongestcupofcoffeeyoucanbrew.”

Whoknewhowmuchlongershe’dbeoutdrivingthesefarmroadsbeforeshefoundaplacetostay

forthenight?Shedidhavetherentalcarforanentiremonth,afterall.

Hetookhermoneyfromherwithashakinghand,andwhenshesaid,“Couldyoutellmewherethe

bathroomis?”hedroppeditallonthefloor,thenhithisheadontheopenregisterdrawerwhenhewentto
pickitup.

Clearlynottrustinghimselftospeakthistime,hesimplykneltonthefloorandpointedtowardthe

backofthebuildingwithashakyhand.Lorifigureditwasagoodideatogivehimabreakwhilehemade
hersandwich;she’dhateforhimtosliceoffthetipofafingerwiththemeatcutterjustbecauseshewas
standingtoocloseinbarely-therespandexandglitter.

Afterquicklytakingcareofbusiness,shelookedatherselfinthemirrorandwouldhavelaughedif

she hadn’t been so horrified by the mess she found in the reflection. With quick and efficient
professionalism she fixed her hair and makeup. She’d always subscribed to the idea that if you looked
good, you felt good, but today she had a feeling mascara and lip gloss weren’t going to fix much of
anything.

Afterleavingthebathroom,shetookafewmomentstolookaroundalittlebit.Onsecondglance,

theGeneralStorewasprettycuteinside,alittlefarm“superstore”withgroceriesandclothesandchicken
feed,clearlyallofequalimportancetothepeoplewholivedhere.OnetablehadaLocalAuthorssignon
it and she stopped to scan the books of poetry, novels, and a couple of nonfiction tomes on farming
techniques. The books gave her a sense of the community that this store supported, likely made up of
farmersandtheirfamilieswhohadbeenhereforgenerations.

She’dbeenpartofthedancingcommunityforsolongshehadn’teverlookedforanyotherworldto

belongto.EspeciallynotwhenSullivanfamilyeventswithhermotherandsevensiblingswerefrequent
enoughtotakeupanyfreetimeshehad.

But now, even the thought of dancing made her sick to her stomach. Her ex had wooed her with

dancing...andthenbetrayedherwithit.Onceuponatime,she’ddancedforherself,forthepurejoyithad
givenher.Untilthesepastfewmonths,whenshe’dbeenlittlemorethanVictor’spuppet,dancingtotryto
pleasehim.Bythetimesherealizedthatnothingpleasedhim,she’dforgottenhowtodanceforanyother
reason.Andnow,itfeltliketherewasadead,numbzoneinsideherwhereherheartusedtobe.

Shesupposedshe’dfindanothercommunitytobelongtointime.
Loriwasjustabouttoheadbacktothedelicountertopickuphersandwich,whenshenoticeda

largeboardfilledwithflyers.She’dalwaysbeeninterestedinstrangers’livesanddevouredbiographies
asfastasherlibrariansisterSophiecouldgivethemtoher.Lookingatacommunitypostingboardwas
suchaperfectwindowintootherlivesshe’dneverlive.Andthetruthwasthatasshe’ddriventheshort
MainStreet,she’dbeensurprisedbyhowcutethetownwas.Thestorefrontsdrippedwitholdwestern
charmandshe’devenpassedafarmstandthatlookedlikeapictureoutofamagazine.

In the middle of the board was a white piece of paper with the words Farmhand Needed in a

strong, clearly masculine hand. Not for one second of her life had she ever thought about living or
working on a farm. For her entire life, she’d known exactly what she was and what she would be: a
dancer.

Only, since she wasn’t going to dance anymore, why not try something completely different,

somethingthatcouldverywellturnouttobehersecondcalling?

Maybeifshehadgottenmorethanadozenhoursofsleepallweek,shemighthavetakenaclearer,

morecool-headedlookatthedecisionshewasmaking.

Becauseshewasn’tlookingfortrouble.Shesworeshewasn’t.
The thing was, for the first time in a very long time, Lori felt a stirring of excitement. Of

anticipation.

Andathrillthatfeltalittlebitlikefear.
She’dalwayslikedthescaryridesattheamusementpark,andhadbeentheonetodraghersiblings

tohorrormovies.Butwhatcouldpossiblybescaryaboutworkingasafarmhand?

Especiallywhenshe’dalreadydecidedshewasgoingtobethebestdamnfarmhandtheworldhad

everseen.Nottotrytopleaseanyoneelse,buttopleaseherself,andtoknowthatattheendofalongday
onthefarm,she’ddonegoodworkthatshecouldbeproudof.

Loririppedtheadofftheboardandputitdowninfrontofthedeliboy.Shewasimpulsive,butshe

wasn’tstupid,sosheaskedhim,“Doyouknowtheguywhopostedthis?Isheaniceman?”

Theboynodded.“Sure,Graysonisnice.”
Lori liked the sound of that name. Grayson. Probably some old farmer like the grandfather she’d

seenon the sidewalkwho’d been marriedfor fifty years andneeded some extrahelp with his chickens
andcows.Shehadnoideawhatthathelpwouldentail,butshe’dalwaysbeenafastlearner.

Shegrinnedandasked,“Canyoutellmehowtogettohisfarm?”

***

ThiswasjustthekindofdayGraysonTylerlikedbest—quietandfilledwithbackbreakingwork

fromsunuptosundownashemadehiswayacrosshisthousandacres.

Whenhe’dboughtthisPescaderofarmthreeyearsago,thebarnhadbeenonthevergeofbecoming

firewoodandthefarmhousehadbeenamice-infestedshell.Ahundredandfiftyyearsagothefirstfarmer
hadstartedtoworkthislandandit’dhadagoodrunforawhile,butthelatestgenerationhadbeenmore
interestedintheirfancycarsandIPOsthanthefarmtheirgrandfatherhadspenthislifecultivating.

Grayson had spent seven days a week for the past three years bringing the farm back to life. His

familyhadthoughthewasoutofhismindwhenhe’dmovedfromNewYorkCitytowhattheycalled“the
middle of nowhere,” even though San Francisco was only an hour away. Not that he’d been to the city,
though. He knew too many people who flew between New York and San Francisco on a regular basis.
Thereweretoomanypotentialopportunitiestomeetsomeonefromhispast.

That was one of the great things about a farm: the past didn’t matter. All that mattered was the

animalsthatwerehungrynow,andthefutureyoucouldbuildoneplowedfield,onewell-fedcow,ata
time.Infact,hewasbusyrebuildingthechickencoopthismorning,sohischickenswereinthefieldatthe
frontofhishouse.

He was hammering in one of the final two-by-sixes for a new roost in the chicken coop when he

heardthesoundofanengine.Hishouseandthecoopwerefarenoughfromtheroadthathewouldn’tbe
abletohearacarheadingthroughPescadero,whichmeantitwascominguphisdrive.

Graysongrittedhisteethattheunexpectedinterruption.Peopleintownknewbynownottodropby

withoutlettinghimknowaheadoftime.Onlyonceinabluemoonwouldadeliverytruckcomebywitha
packagefromNewYork.

Heputdownhishammerandturnedtodealwithwhoeverhadcomeuninvited,althoughhedidn’t

recognizethecar.Thesunwasshiningonthewindshieldsohecouldn’tseethedriver’sface,butthrough
theopendriver’ssidewindowhesawalockoflong,darkhairblowout.

Awoman?Whatwasawomandoingathisfarm?
Damnit,thiswasthelastthinghewantedtodealwith—sometouristwhomusthavegottenloston

thewaytotheonlybedandbreakfastintownandwascomingtogetdirections.

His chickens weren’t used to being out around cars and the stranger was coming up the long dirt

drivesofastthatoneofhisprizeBuffOrpingtonhenssquawkedandopenedherwingstogetawayfrom
thevehicle.Unfortunately,thechickenwasnearlyfiletedunderthespinningtireswhenthedriverswerved
tothelefttoavoidhittingher...andthencrashedhercarintooneofhisbrand-newfenceposts.

ChapterTwo

The door flew open and the driver got out. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry! That chicken came out of

nowhere.I’llfixyourfence.”

Grayson heard what she said, but couldn’t manage a response. Not when he couldn’t believe his

eyes.

He’dneverseenawomanthisbeautifulinallhislife.Long,darkhairspilleddownoverhernearly

bareshoulderstoherwaist,andherbigeyes,highcheekbones,andfull,redmouthwereeveryman’swet
dream.Shewaswearingsomethingtightandsoftlookingandinthesunlightitwasalmostasifshewere
nakedwitheveryoneofherspectacularcurvesondisplay.

Andthoselegs...eventhoughshewasn’tparticularlytalltheywentonforever,endinginspikeheels

thathadnoplacewhatsoeveronafarm.

Shit.Whatthehellwaswrongwithhim?Evenifithadbeenawhilesincehe’dtakenawomanto

bed,he’dneverhadanyproblemscontrollinghisreactiontoone.

“Whoareyou?”
Sheblinkedupathimandsimplystaredforafewmoments,beforehergorgeouslipsfinallycurved

upintoasmile.

Graysonsilentlyinstructedhishearttokeepbeating,hischesttokeeppumpingair.Hejustneeded

tosurvivethenextfewminutes,sendheronherway,andthenhislifecouldgobacktothewayitneeded
tobe.

Quiet.
Simple.
Completelydevoidofgorgeouswomenwithsmilesthatknockedhimflat.
Shewasclutchingapieceofpaperinherhandandsheuncrumpleditbeforeanswering,“Thenew

farmhand,Ihope.”

Anothermanmighthavelaughedatherridiculousstatement.
Hedidn’t.
“Whoputyouuptothis?”
Shefrowned.“Noone.”Shetookasteptowardhimandhenearlytookastepbackwardinresponse

toallthoselusciouscurvescomingnearer.“I’mheretoapplyforthejob.”Shesmiledagain.“Mynameis
Lori.LoriSullivan.”

Wasshereallyserious?Heschooledhimselftoforgethowprettyshewasashestudiedherearnest

expression.

Crap.Itlookedlikeshewas.Whichmeantthatinsteadofonlywastingfiveminutesofhisday,it

waslikelygoingtotakehimagoodhalfhourtogetheroutofhere.

“IsGraysonaroundsomewhere?”Shelookedaroundhimforsomeoneelse.
“I’mGrayson.”
Hereyeswidened.“Whyaren’tyouolder?”
Hehadnoideahowtorespondtothat.Not,ofcourse,thathe’dhadmuchofanideahowtorespond

toanyoftheconversationhe’dhadthusfarwiththestunningwomanwhohadblownintohislifewithout
eventheslightesthintofwarning.

Insteadofansweringherstrangequestion,hetoldher,“Myadwasn’tajoke.”
“I’mnotjoking,”shesaidwithastubborntiltofherchin.
His heart raced again from nothing more than seeing the flush in her cheeks while she stood her

groundinfrontofhim.

“Look,I’vegotalotofworktotakecareoftodaybeforethesunsets.”Hegaveapointedlookat

thefencepost.“Likefixingthepostyousmashedinto,forone.”

Anyoneelsewouldhaveleftbythen,giventhewayhewassnarlingather,butdidthisbeautifulgirl

getthehintandgetbackinhercartoleavehimthehellalone?

No.
Instead of leaving, she took another step toward him on the most gorgeous pair of legs he’d ever

seeninhislife.“Icanhelpyou.”

He made himself sweep a hard, unimpressed look over her, even though in his previous life he

wouldhavedrunkherinwithextremepleasure.

“Whatexperiencedoyouhaveworkingonafarm?”
Whenshebitherlowerlip,hisbloodpressureshotsohighhecouldactuallyhearitrushinginhis

ears over the ongoing complaints of his chickens, who were still in high excitement over the car, the
crash,andtheveryunexpectedvisitorinherglitteringoutfit.

“Well,”shesaidslowly,“noneyet.ButI’mverydetermined.”
Helaughedoutloudatthat,arustysoundthatheldabsolutelynopleasureinit.
“Determinationisn’tgoingtogetthenewcoopfinishedorthefencepostreplaced.Ineedsomeone

whocanactuallydotheworkIneedthemtodo.”Jesus,hecouldn’tbelievehewasactuallystandinghere
debatingherqualificationswithher.“Youcan’tbemynewfarmhand.”

Shelookedmomentarilydistraughtasshestaredathimandthenbackdownathiswantadclutched

inherfist.Hecouldalmosthearthegearschurninginherprettyhead,beforeshenoddedasifshe’dmade
adecision.

“TellmesomethingyouneeddoneandI’lldoit.Rightnow,infrontofyou,soyoucanseethatI’m

serious.”Shefacedhimsquarely.“Iwantthisjob,Grayson.”

The sound of his name on her lips, her slightly husky voice playing out the vowels a little longer

thantheotherletters,madehisgutclenchtight.Hedidn’tlikethewayhewasreactingtoher.

Didn’tlikethefactthathewasreactingatall.
Helookeddownpointedlyathershoes.“You’retellingmethatyou’regoingtogettoworkonmy

farminthose?”

Sheglanced down ather sparkly highheels as if she’dforgotten she waswearing them. How, he

wondered,couldshehavepossiblyforgottenwhenherfeethadtobekillingher?

Sheshrugged.“Sure.Sowhatdoyouwantmetodo?”
He scowled as he scanned his property for something she could try to do without hurting herself,

sincehecouldn’twastethetimeitwouldtaketogethertothedoctor.Still,itlookedlikethethirty-minute
delayhadjustturnedintoanhour.Atleast.

***

Firstchanceshegot,LoriwasgoingtogivethatkidattheGeneralStoreapieceofhermind.Why

hadn’thetoldherthatGraysonwasnotonlyyoung,butalsooneofthemostridiculouslygoodlookingand
virilemenshe’deverseteyeson?

Not, of course, that she’d asked, but she could guarantee that if the sandwich maker had been a

teenagegirl,shewouldn’thaveforgottentomentionthoseveryimportantdetails.

Only, it didn’t matter that he was good looking, did it? Not when she was completely done with

men.

Done.
Shedidn’ttrustthemanymore,notonesinglemanthatshewasn’talreadyrelatedto.Theywereall

cheating,manipulativescum.Still,itwasn’texactlyeasytorememberallofthatwhenshewasstandingin

frontoftwohundredpoundsofmuscle,piercingbrowneyes,andasquarejawliberallydustedwithdark
stubblethatanywomaninherrightmindwouldwanttoreachouttorunherfingertipsoverrightbefore
sheleanedinforaki—

Lori forcefully shook the thought out of her head. Okay, so maybe the second she set eyes on the

magnificent Grayson she should have climbed right back into her car and gotten the heck out of there.
Afterleavingherinsuranceinformationforthebustedfence,ofcourse.Butithadfeltlikeeverywordout
ofhismouthwasachallenge.

AndLorihadneverbeenabletobackdownfromachallenge.
“So,”shesaid,“what’sfirstonyourlist?”
Justassheaskedthequestion,achickendecidedtopeckatoneofthesparklesonhershoes.She

triedtostepoutoftheway,butitjustfollowedherandpeckedharderatherfoot.

“Pickupthehenandputherinthecoop.”
Sheknewthejokewassupposedtobeonher,thathethoughtshewasgoingtoscrewthisup,but

howhardcoulditbetopickupachicken?

“Sure,noproblem.”
As Lori squatted and reached for the small body, the chicken was so focused on trying to eat her

shoe-sparklethatshedidn’thaveanytroublegettingherhandsarounditsmiddle.Only,justasshewas
abouttoactuallyliftthebirdofftheground,itlookedupatherwithalarm,squawkeditsdispleasure,then
wriggledoutofherhandsandstartedrunningintheoppositedirection.

She didn’t think before muttering a curse word as she stood up to go after the hen. “Come here,

you,” she said in what was supposed to be a soothing voice, but was tinged with more than a little
frustration.“Timetogobackintoyourcoop.”

When she was only a couple of feet from the bird, she made herself wait until it focused on

somethingcrawlingonthedrivebeforereachingforitagain.Butitwassmarteraboutherintentionthis
timeandbeforeshecouldevengetahandonitsfeathers,itletoutanotherloudcry,thenhalf-flew,half-
ranawayfromher.

Loribrushedherhairoutofhereyes.Shewassweatingnowandhaddirtsmudgedacrossthefront

ofhertopandalonghertights.Butshewasn’tevenclosetogivingup.Nosir.IfGraysonthoughtthiswas
enoughtosendherpacking,hewassorelymistaken.

ShewasalreadyheadingafterthechickenagainwhenGraysoncutheroffatthepass.“Ican’tlet

youupsetheranymorethanyoualreadyhave.It’llthrowoffherlayingcycle.”

“I didn’t mean to upset her,” Lori protested, immediately feeling guilty about having done

irreparabledamagetothechicken’seggproduction.

Hereacheddowntopickupthehen,andratherthanreachforitstailorwings,hecuppedhishands

inagentleVoneithersideofitsbodyandliftedit.Withonehandfirmlyunderthechicken,heusedthe
othertoholditclosetohisbodyashecarrieditintothecoop.

Well,shethoughtwithmorethanalittleirritation,hecouldhavetoldherhowtodothatbeforeshe

screwed up the hen’s life. While his back was turned, she bent down and reached for another chicken.
Thistimearound,itwasadifferent—andmuchhappier—storyasshescoopedupthehenandcarriedit
overtothecoop.

Grayson turned around just as she was about to put the chicken inside. “What the hell are you

doing?”

Shestoppedrightwhereshewasandgatheredthebirdalittleclosertoherchest.Thewarmthofthe

plumpbodyagainstherhelpedsoftenthestingofGrayson’sfierceglare.

“Ifiguredyouwantedallthechickensinside,”shesaidinavoicepitchedlowsothatshewouldn’t

spookhernewfeatheredfriend.“Didn’tyou?”

“Yes,”hebitout,buthisfrowndeepenedratherthanclearing.“How’dyoupickherup?”

Wasn’titobvious?“Iwatchedwhatyoudid.”
Hemovedhisglarefromhertothechickenandshefeltalittlesorryforbringingthebirdintothis.
“Fine.Putherinthecoopandthencollecttherest.I’vegottoseehowbadlyyourcardamagedmy

fence.”

Thistime,LoriwastheonescowlingatGrayson’stoo-broad,far-too-muscularback.Somuchfor

gettingathankyouormaybeevenalittlebitofpraiseforhoweasilyshe’dmanagedtorectifythingswith
thechickens.Itwas,shethought,averygoodreminderthatitwasneveragoodideatodosomethingto
trytopleaseaman.

Still,shedidn’tletherfrustrationwithhimimpacthergentlehandlingofthechicken.Orthenext

dozenofthem.Unfortunately,eventhoughsheknewwhatshewasdoingnow,itdidn’tmeanthechickens
necessarilyfeltlikecooperating.Andshehadtoadmitherheelsweren’texactlythebestfootwearfora
muddy,gravelly,grassyfarm,asthespikeskeptgettingstuckinthesod.Fortunately,shespottedaplastic
dish with what looked like dried corn in it that the chickens seemed to have an inordinate interest in.
Pickingupthedish,sheshookthe“treats”andwasthrilledwhentherestofthechickenscamerunningin
attopspeedtowardthecoop.Momentslatershehadthemallsafelyinside.

All but one, darn it. She responded neither to the treats nor the actions of the rest of her chicken

friends.

After the hen dodged her one too many times, Lori kicked off her shoes and, with renewed

determination,usedheryearsofquietlyglidingacrossastagetostalkthechicken.

“Aha!Gotcha!”sheexclaimedwhenshefinallyhaditsafeandsoundinherarms.Thechickenlet

outamatchingsoundthathadherlaughingoutloud.“Hadagoodtimemessingwithme,didyou?”

She was almost at the coop when she looked up and saw Grayson staring at her with such an

expressionofshockthatshealmoststumbledwiththechickeninherarms.

“What’swrong?”Shelookeddownatherfeet.“Isthereasnakeinthegrass?”Shecouldn’tkeepthe

horrorfromhervoiceasshewentcompletelystill.

“No,”hesaidquickly,“thereisn’tasnake.”
“ThankGod.”Sheletoutaharshbreath,utterlyexhaustedfromthepasttwentyminutesofchasing

chickens on top of her red-eye flight and sleepless night. Heading again for the coop, she took every
barefootsteponlyaftercarefulconsiderationofthegroundinfrontofher.“I’lljustgoputherinthecoop
andthenyoucantellmewhatyouwantmetodonext.”

ChapterThree

Next?Shewantedhimtotellherwhattodonext?
Get the hell off his property—and out of his life, taking her laughter with her—that’s what he

wantedhertodonext.Atleast,itwaswhatheshouldhavewanted.

But,forsomestrangereasonhecouldn’tunderstand,Graysoncouldn’tbringhimselftoputherback

in her car and order her to leave. Plus, after her rough start, she’d actually done a good job with the
chickensandhecouldn’tjustifypenalizingherforthat.

Sheshutthecoopdoorforthelasttime,thenwalkedstraightovertothehoseandwashedoffher

hands before wiping her hands off on her hips and turning back to him. Unfortunately, that drew his
attentionbacktoherspectacularfigure.Not,ofcourse,thathisattentionhadeverwaveredfromit.His
heartwouldhavetostopbeforehecouldignorethefactthathehadalive,intheflesh,pin-upgirlonhis
farm.

Onewhowantedtobehisnewfarmhand.
Damnit,heneededtofigureoutawaytogethertoleavebeforeshecouldgetunderhisskinany

more than she already had. Because even in her ridiculous outfit, streaked now with dirt, she was still
heartbreakinglybeautiful.And,givenwhatheknewofwomen,seemedtobeshockinglylowmaintenance
whenitcametodirtandanimals.Whywasn’tshelosingitoverthestateofherclothes,hertornstockings,
orthefactthatherheelswerenowcoveredwithwetdirtandgrassstains?Clearly,somethingmusthave
gonereallywronginherlifeforhertothinkthiswasastepup.

Unfortunately, it also wasn’t difficult to recognize in her an urge to leave her old life behind and

startoversomeplacewherenoonewouldeverthinktolookforher.

Becausethatwasjustwhathe’ddonehimselfafterhiswifediedthreeyearsago.Andforthepast

thirty-sixmonths,hisfarminPescaderohadbeenhisrefugefromthepast,fromeverhavingtothinkabout
whathadhappenedtohiswife...orhisroleinit.

Damn it, he didn’t want this woman to think he cared, but he needed to know. “Are you in any

danger?”

“Danger?”Shelookedathimasthoughitwasthestrangestquestionintheworld.
“Areyouhidingfromsomeonewho’stryingtohurtyou?Isthatwhyyou’rehere?”
A flash of emotion crossed her face before she masked it with a smile that he didn’t buy for a

second.“No,ofcoursenot.”

She moved like a prima ballerina even while chasing chickens, but obviously wasn’t an actress

becauseshecouldn’tlieworthadamn.

“Then should I be expecting an angry husband or boyfriend to show up with his shotgun loaded,

demandingtoknowwhatI’mdoingwithhiswoman?”

“No.”Sheallbutyelledthewordathimbeforetakingadeepbreath—onethatmadeithardforhim

to keep his gaze from dropping to her chest. “I’m not in trouble. No one is after me. I just want a job
workingonyourfarm.”

“Why?”
Thistimeshedidn’tsomuchashesitatebeforesaying,“Becauseitlookslikefun.”
Okay,sosheclearlywasn’tgoingtotellhimthetruth.Butwhilehedidn’tbelieveforaminutethat

working on a farm had been her lifelong dream, at least he felt fairly confident that she didn’t have an
angryguyonhertail.

Still,shehadtogo.Andhehadjusttheplantomakeithappen.
“Ineedtoseehowyoudowithsomebasicfarmhousechores.”

Hehadtogivehercredit;eventhoughshehadtoknowexactlythekindofchoreshewastalking

about—onesthatincludedtoiletbrushesandfloormops—shedidn’tlethersmilewaver.

“Thatsoundsgreat,”shesaid,thoughitwasclearlyanythingbutgreat,butinsteadoffollowinghim

intothehouse,sheadded,“AndifIdoagoodjobwiththosechores,you’llgivemethejob?”

Stubborn didn’t even begin to describe this girl. Working not to feel too much respect for her

determination,hestudiedhercarefullyforafewmoments.Hernailswerelong,andwhiletherewasdirt
under then now, they were well manicured, and her hands were soft and smooth. He’d bet all one
thousandofhisacresthatshehadn’tdonealickofcleaninginherentirelife.Withthoselegs,andthat
body,she’dprobablyspentitassomerichman’spamperedmistress.

“If you make it all the way through the list of farmhouse chores,” he said as easily as he could

aroundthetwistinginhisgutatthethoughtofLoriinanotherman’sbed,nakedandbreathlessasshecame
forhim,“youcanhavethejobonprobation.”Heturnedawaybeforeshecouldseethereactionhewas
havingtoher.

“Probation?”
Heshotheralookoverhisshoulder.“Onehouratatime,Lori.That’showwe’lltakeitbeforeI

knowwhetherornotIcancountonyou.”

“Youcancountonme,”shesaidinafirmvoiceasshesuddenlyblewpasthimandintohisliving

room.Andthen,suddenly,shewasmakingahappylittlesurprisedsound.

“Oh, look at her.” Lori rushed over to his mangy, ratty old former barn cat who was nearly done

withherninthlife.“She’sbeautiful!”

“Areyousurewe’relookingatthesamecat?”Frankly,hewasamazedLorihadevenbeenableto

tellthethingwasfemale.

“Shecanhearyou,youknow,”shesaidinachidingtone,andthen,“What’shername?”
HewantedtoremindLorithatshewasgunningfortheroleoffarmhand,notnewbestfriendwho

wouldchatwithhimalldaylong.Helikedhissolitude,damnit.Still,he’dalreadyfiguredoutthatnot
answeringoneofherpointlessquestionswouldn’tmakeherstopaskingthem.

“Mo.”
Sheraisedaneyebrow.“Yourcat’snameisMo?”
“That’sright.”
Sheturnedbacktothecatandcooedasshestrokedit.“Howcouldanyonecallsuchaprettylittle

girlsuchanuglyboy’sname.”Shescowledupathim.“OneoftheThreeStooges,noless!”Again,she
focused on the cat. “You were waiting for me to come here, weren’t you, so that I could give you
love...andagoodname.”

Love.Thewordhithimhardrightinthecenterofhissolarplexus,knockingtheairfromhislungs.

Hethoughthe’dknownaboutloveonceuponatime,buthehadn’tknownadamnthingaboutwhatlove
reallywas.Theonlythingheknewforsurenowwasthathislifewasbetteroffwithoutit.

Hisvoicewasfiercerthanitneededtobeashesaid,“You’renotgoingtorenamemycat.”
But it was as though she couldn’t hear him...even though he knew she had because he was only a

handfuloffeetawayfromherandthecat.

“I’vegottheperfectnewnameforyou!”Shelookedsoexcitedthatthecatactuallyraiseditstired

headandblinkedather.“Sweetpea.”

Graysonrefusedtothinkanyofthiswascute.“Mo,”herepeated.“ItsnameisMo.”
“It is a she. And her name is Sweetpea.” She bent over to press kisses to the cat’s head, then

promptlystartedsneezing.

“You’reallergictocats.”Thestatementcameoutasanaccusation.Hetoldhimselfhedidn’tcareif

hewasbeingtooharshwithher.Hedidn’twantherhereanyway.

“No,I’mnot.”Shesneezedagain,butcontinuedpettingthecat.“Yourhousemustbedusty.”

Itwasn’t,buthesaid,“Goodthingcleaningitispartofmyfarmhand’sjobdescription,then,isn’t

it?I’llshowyouwherethecleaningsuppliesaresoyoucangetstarted.”

Sheseemedtodeflatealittlebitatthehousecleaningreminder,butinsteadofleavingthecat’sside,

shesaid,“Howoldisshe?”

He’dworkedwithbullsforlongenoughtoknowthatsometimesitwaseasiertowaitforthemto

cometohimthanitwastotrytoshovethemintothebreedingchute.Heleanedagainstthedoorjamband
triednottonoticehowprettyLorilookedsittingcross-leggedonthefloorpettingthecat.Whenthesun
streaming in through the window hit her hair just right, the glossy, dark-brown strands held as many
shadesofredastheleavesonthemapletreeinthefall.

“Old.”
Herexpressiondidn’tchangeathisterseresponse.Shedidn’tshrinkback,orevenlookparticularly

irritatedwithhim.Irrationally,itmadehimwanttoseewhathecoulddotogetaresponseoutofher.

“Howold?”
“Idon’tknow.”
“Well,then,whendidyougether?”
“I found her in the barn when I bought the place.” Since he knew the question was coming, he

added, “Three years ago.” He looked down at the animal that had purred its way into his heart, even
thoughhe’drefusedtohaveoneagain.“Shewouldn’tleave.”

“You’reluckyshestayedwithyou.”
“Lucky?”Hehadtolaughatthat,aroughandjaggedsoundthatheldnojoyatall.“She’llonlyeat

wetfood,shecoughsuphairballsthesizeoftennisballs,andsheshedsallovereverything.”

“Ineverhadapet.”
Lori’s pout only served to make her lips look more kissable. Helplessly, he found himself

wonderingwhatshewouldtastelikeifheranhistongueallalongherfulllowerlip.Whatwouldshedo
ifhebitlightlyattheflesh?Wouldsheshiverandmoanagainsthismouth?

He had to forcefully shake the sensual visions out of his head before he could focus on what she

wassaying.“…Momalwayssaideightkidsweremorethanenoughtocontendwith.”

“Youhavesevenbrothersandsisters?”
Crap,hehadn’tmeanttoaskheranythingpersonal,butthequestionhadslippedoutinhissurprise

atwhatshe’djustsaid.Ifshehadallthosebrothers,whywasn’toneofthemoutheredraggingherbackto
herreallife?

She smiled up at him from where she was sitting, still cuddling his cat, and yet again, he felt the

beautifulforceofhersmileineverycell.

“Sevensiblingsandawholebunchmorecousins.I’vegotfamilyprettymucheverywhere.”
The word family slapped into his heart like she’d let loose a taut rubber band against it, just the

wayithadwhenshe’dbeentalkingaboutlove.

Whatthehellwashedoing?Hecouldn’tmakethemistakeoflettingherthinktheyweregoingtobe

friends.Ifshemanagedtomakeitthroughtherestoftheday,shewasn’tgoingtostaylong.Asquicklyas
she’dblownin,she’dblowoutagain.Hecouldn’tmakethemistakeofgettingattachedtoher.

WhichwaswhyheknewbetterthantoletLorigetattachedtoanythinghere,either.
“Moisgoingtodiesoon,”hetoldherinamatter-of-facttone.“Realsoon.”
Lori lifted wide eyes to him, then immediately pulled the cat all the way onto her lap, which

prompted a fit of rapid-fire sneezes. Of course, good old Mo was so old and tired that the cat barely
reactedtotheloudsoundsasshesettleddeeperintoLori’sarms.

“Howcanyousaythataboutyourowncat?It’slikeyoudon’tevenhaveaheart.”
Hepreferreditthatway.Nothavingaheartmeantnothingcouldhurthimagain.
Graysondidn’tcareonebitforworryingaboutthisbeautifulstrangergettingattachedtohisdying

cat...ortohim.

“Shehasleukemia,”hesaid,hisvoicegentlernowsimplybecause,forallthathemightwantherto

think it, he wasn’t a monster. “The vet expected her to go months ago. He doesn’t know how she’s
managedtohangonthislong.”

Fromoutofnowhere,hewasstruckwiththethoughtthatmaybeMohadheldonuntilLoricame—

thatshe’dneededasoftheartedwomantomakeafussoverherinherfinaldays.

Butthatwascrazy.Astotally,completelynutsasLoriactuallythinkingshecouldbehisfarmhand.
Hepushedawayfromthedoor.“Timetoclean.”

ChapterFour

Lorihadneverthoughtshe’dneedtocallonherdancetrainingtocleanatoiletormakeabed,but

inordertocleanGrayson’shouseperfectlyshe’dneededeveryounceoftheprecisionandfocusthatshe
usedinherchoreography,rehearsals,andperformances.

Shewashedherhands,thentookastepbacktothedoorwaytosurveyherwork.Thesink,tub,and

showersparkledthewaytheywouldhaveinaTVad;themirrordidn’thaveasinglesmudgeorspeckof
dustonit;andshe’dfoldedthefreshtowelsshe’dfoundinthelinenclosetlikethoseinahigh-endhotel.
Grayson,fortunately,wasn’taparticularlymessyman,whichwassurprising,consideringhowmuchdirt
there was all around him on his farm. And while the farmhouse hadn’t been changed from what she
guessedwasturn-of-thecenturyarchitecture,thebathroomsweregorgeousandcompletelyluxurious.

Whatshewouldn’tgiveforasoakintheclawfoottub,shethoughtasshestretchedoutherbackand

legs.ButshecouldonlyimaginewhatGraysonwoulddoifhefoundherinoneofthetubs.Thenagain,
he’dbeensogrumpyfromthemomentsheshoweduponhisfarmthatitwasmorethanalittletemptingto
messwithhimlikethat.

Only,itwouldendupmessingwithher,too.Becauseifthewayherbodywasheatingupatjustthe

thoughtofGraysonfindinghertakingabathwasanythingtogoby,shehadabadfeelingthatbeingnaked
inoneofhistubswouldleadtonakednessinotherplaces...likehisbed.

Andthatshe’dlikeittoomuchforawomanwhohadswornoffmenandrelationships.
Forcefullypushingtheheadyvisionofthetwoofthemnakedtogetheraway,shewalkedoutintohis

bedroomandranherhandoverthedark-bluebedcover.Everythinginhisroomwassimple.Clean.And
purelymasculine.

Lorileftthemasterbedroomandslowlymadeherwaythroughtherestofthehousetoverifythat

herworkhadbeentop-notch.She’dnotonlysweptandmoppedthefloors,cleanedbothbathrooms,and
madeboththemasterandtheguestbeds,she’dwipeddowntherefrigeratorinsideandoutandcleaned
theoven,too,forsheershockvalue.Lordknew,shehadbeenshockedbyjusthowtoxictheovencleaner
smelled.Fortunately,she’dbeenwearingthickyellowglovesatthetime,soshehadn’tsearedtheskinoff
herhands.

Cleaning a farmhouse wasn’t the most enjoyable job she’d ever had, but at least she felt the

satisfaction of a job well done. Sure, it wasn’t a job she’d ever planned on doing, but she’d always
figuredthatifshewasgoingtodosomething,sheshouldtakethetimetodoitright.

She’d kept her shoes off and had taken her tights off as well when they’d started to shred at the

knees,sothatshewasleftwearingonlythestretchypinktopthatcametothemiddleofherthighslikea
miniskirt. It was just as well, considering what sweaty work cleaning was. She was just stretching the
bodiceawayfromherskintofanherselfwhenGraysonwalkedintothekitchenthroughthebackdoor.

Hestoppeddeadinhistracksashestaredatherinherbarely-thereoutfit,thetoppulledhalfway

downtheswellofherbreasts.Shedroppedthefabriclikeitwasonfire,butthedamagehadalreadybeen
done.Itwasn’tasbadasifhe’dfoundherinthebathtub,shesupposed.Butthatwaslittlecomfortwhen
he was looking at her with such intense heat that she couldn’t believe she wasn’t spontaneously
combustingrightwhereshestood.

Itwasonlynaturalinatensesituationlikethisthatshe’dfallbackonyearsofbeingamotormouth.

“Iwasjust abouttocome getyouso thatyoucould takea lookatwhat I’vedone.I cleanedthewhole
house,andIcantakeyoubacktolookatthebathroomsoryoucouldjuststickyourheadintotheovento
seehowIevenclean—”

“Whathappenedtoyourpants?”Hiswordssoundedlikethegravelshe’ddrivenovertogettohis

farmhouse.

“My tights,” she corrected as she swiped her tongue across her suddenly dry lips, “were a mess

afterthechickens,soItookthemoff.”

Sherealizednowthatmaybethathadn’tbeenherbestdecisionofthedayasshelookeddownand

sawhowmuchbareskinshewasshowingGrayson.Asadancer,she’dlongagogottenoverfeelingself-
consciousaboutshowingoffherbody.Itwasnotonlyapartofherjob,butfrankly,itwasalsoalarge
partofheridentityasapretty,desirablewoman.

Only,shewasn’tdancinghereinGrayson’skitchen...andshedidn’twanttomakehimwanther.
Atleast,shesilentlycorrected,sheshouldn’twanthimtowanther.
Grayson’sjawwastenseasheshiftedhisgazefromherbarelegstoherface.Hehadn’togledher,

clearlydidn’tevenwanttobelookingatherbareskin,andyetwithnothingbutthatonequickglance,she
feltasifshe’dstrippedawayallofherclothesratherthanjusthertights.

“Don’tyouhaveotherclotheswithyou?”
“Inmycar,”shetoldhim,“butIdidn’twanttowasteanytimechangingintothem.”
Atherhonestanswer,hesighed,lookingmomentarilywornout.Andmorethanalittlepained.She

alsorefusedtodrophergazeanylowerthanhisface.Thatwasgorgeousenoughforherteeter-tottering
peaceofmind.Ifsheletherselfappreciatehisbroadshoulders,orhislargehands,orhiswell-muscled
hipsandthighs—

Ugh, she needed to stop letting her hormones run away with her. Why couldn’t he have been a

grizzledoldfarmer?

BecauseiftherewasonethingthatLorihadneverexcelledat,itwasself-control.
She thought he muttered a curse—one she agreed with heartily—before he said, “Show me what

you’vedone.”

Workingtofightherawarenessofhimasshetookhimthroughthehouse,roombyroom—especially

inthebedrooms,whereshecouldn’tbelievesheactuallystartedblushing—sheknewhecouldn’tfaulther
ononesingleaspectofthejobshe’ddone.

Then again, Victor shouldn’t have been able to fault her dancing or choreography, either, but

somehowhe’dmanagedtodoitanyway,hadn’the?

WhentheymadeitbacktothekitchenandGraysonwasjustclosingtheovenafterrunninghisfinger

alongtheinsidewallsandhavingitcomeupclean,ratherthancoveredingrease,shesaid,“Ididagood
job.”Itwasn’taquestion,itwasastatement.

Heturnedbacktoher,hisexpressionutterlyunreadable.“Youdid.”
“So,wherearemyquartersgoingtobe?ThatcottageIsawoutback?”Shetriednottosighasshe

said,“I’mguessingI’llneedtocleanthat,too,won’tI?”

Helookedsurprisedbyherquestions.“Youdon’thaveanywheretostay?”
Shegavehimasurprisedlookofherown.“OfcourseIdon’t.Ifiguredafarmhandwouldneedto

liveonsitetohelpwithallthe—”Shehadnoideaatall,really,aboutwhatthelistofchoreswouldbe,
apart from cleaning and dealing with chickens. “—farming.” When her comment fell into a weighted
silence,shesaid,“Ifyoudon’tneedanythingelserightnow,I’llgogetmythingsoutofmycarandtake
themtothecottage.”

“Youcan’tstayinthecottage.”
Shestoppedhalfwaytothedoor.“Youcan’tkickmeout.Wehadanagreement.IfIdidagoodjob

withthechores,thenIcouldhavethejob.”Sheliftedherchin.“AndwebothknowthatIdidakick-ass
cleaningjob.”

Heranhishandthroughhishair,leavingthedarkstrandsstandingonedge.Darnit,eventhatwas

sexy.Clearlyshesuckedatbeingimmunetogorgeousmen,evenwhenitwasimperativeforhermental
andemotionalhealth.

“The reason you can’t stay in the cottage,” he gritted out one tense word a time, “is because it

doesn’thavearoofonit.”

It only took a second for alarm to hit her. “I can’t stay here. In this house.” She swallowed hard.

“Withyou.”

Withoutsayinganotherwordtoher,hepickedupthephoneandmadeaquickcalltowhatsounded

likealocalbedandbreakfast.Hewaspoliteenoughtothepersonhewasspeakingto,butwhenhehung
upaminutelater,thephoneslammedsohardintoitscradlethatthewholethingvibrated.

WhenallshecoulddowasshakeherheadattheideaofsleepingherewithGrayson,hesaid,“If

youcan’tstandthethoughtofstayingherewithme,you’rewelcometothebarn.Mousedtolikeitjust
fine.”

God,whathadhappenedtoherlife?Allafternoon,hehadbeentryingtogethertogiveuponher

farmhandgoal,butshewasfartoostubborntogivein.Only,shehadn’tcountedonsleepingonlyonewall
awayfromamansheknewnexttonothingaboutbesidesthefactthathewasgrumpy,andgorgeous,and
didn’tmuchseemtolikeher.

Butshe’dalreadywalkedawayfromonejobthisweek.Shecouldn’tstomachleavinganotherone

sosoon.Besides,shewastheoneinchargeofherlife,damnit,andrightnowshewashellbentontrying
herhandatfarming.

Soshewasgoingtostay.
Anddidn’tpeoplealwayssaythateverythinglookedbetterinthemorning?
“Whilethebarnsoundssimplylovely,I’llbringmybagsintotheguestroom.”
Atleastsheknewthesheetswereclean,becauseshe’dhadtheprivilegeofchangingthemherself.

Andeventhoughanymanwithahintofmannerswouldhaveinsistedoncarryinginherheavysuitcase,
Graysonletherdragitfromhercaranduptheporchstepsallbyherself.

ChapterFive

Grayson couldn’t believe the way things had turned out. Not only had Lori dealt well with the

chickens, but she’d also cleaned his house as if she’d been working as a maid at a five-star hotel her
entirelife.He’dsearchedeverycornerfordust,hadprayedforsomuchasapillowtobeoutofplace,but
hehadn’tbeenabletofindonesinglethingtocomplainabout.

Andnow,basedonthatstupiddealhe’dmadewithher,hehadtoletherstay.
He hadn’t shared a house with a woman in three years, had been perfectly happy to have the

farmhousetohimself,untiltoday,whenabeautifulstrangerhadblownintohislifelikeahurricane.And
now he was going to have to put her up until she found another place...or until she gave up on her
ridiculousfarmhanddream.Frankly,atthispoint,hewasn’tsurewhichwasgoingtocomefirst.Hell,he
hadn’tthoughtshe’dlastthislong.

He silently cursed as he watched her struggle with her bags and had to forcefully push away the

urgetohelpher.Thelastthingheneededtodowastomakethingseasyforher.Or,Godforbid,lether
thinkheactuallywantedherhere.

Just because she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, didn’t mean that he was softening

toward her. The exact opposite, in fact. All that beauty made him wary, made him remember another
beautifulwoman...

Hecouldn’tgothere,couldn’tfallbackintomemoriesofhiswife.Nottonight.Notwhenheneeded

tostaycompletelyonhistoestomakesureLorididn’tgetunderhisskinanydeeper.

Thebestthingwouldbetokeephisdistancefromher.Completely.Butaftertheworkshe’ddone

allday,heknewhehadtoatleastfeedher.Whichwasgoingtomeansharingamealtogetherontopof
everythingelse,damnit.

Heheardthewatergoonintheguestbathroomandscrunchedhiseyestighttotrytoforceawaythe

visionofLoristrippingoffherclothesandgettingintothebathtub.Bad,bad,bad.Thosekindsofthoughts
wereevil.Heknewit...andyethewasstillaman,withaman’sneeds.Needsthathe’dgoneoutofhis
waytoignoreforthreeyears,withonlyafewrandommomentsofstolenpleasurealongthewaywhen
he’d known there was no chance of any serious connection or lingering attachments to the women he’d
sleptwith.

Hewascoveredindirt,too,andwouldhavegoneintohismasterbathtotakehisownshower,but

thethoughtofbeingonlyawallawayfromLoriwhilebothofthemwerenakeddidthingstohimthathe
couldn’tdealwithrationally.Onacurse,hewentbackoutsidetousetheoutdoorshowerhe’dinstalledat
thefarendofthebarn.Itwasacoldnightandshoweringoutsidedidn’tsoundevenremotelygood.Butit
waseitherthatorslowlylosehismindateverysoundheheardwhilethinkingaboutLoriinthetubwith
soapand—

Shit.Heneededtostopthinkingaboutherlikethat.
He stripped off his shirt and threw it on the porch, unbuckling his belt as he walked past his

animals.Eventheyseemedtolookconfusedbywhathewasdoing,comingoutinthedarktowashoffin
theirspace.

How,hewonderedasheyankedoffhispantsandbootsandhungthemoverthewoodenwallhe’d

erectedtogivetheoutdoorshoweralittleprivacy,couldapersoncausesomuchhavocinjustoneshort
afternoon?Wasitbecauseshehadsomanysiblings?Wasshethatafraidofbeinginvisiblethatshewent
outofherwaytobelouder,morestubborn,justplainmoretherethananormalperson?

Ashescrubbedhimselfhardwiththebarofsoap,keepingthewaterjustthissideofcoldsothathis

growingarousalcouldn’tcomefullytolife,hisstomachstartedgrowling.Hecrankedofftheshowerand

shookhishairoutlikeadogbeforegrabbingoneofthetowelshealwayskeptinanearbycontainerfor
justsuchanoccasion.He’dbeenplanningonasteaktonight,andgrillingupsomevegetableswithit.If
shedidn’tlikeredmeat,toobad.

When he was fully dry, he pulled his jeans back on and stuck his feet into his boots. He still

couldn’tbelieveshe’dbeenrunningaroundwithbarefeet.Citygirlslikehershouldbeafraidtogettheir
feet dirty, to mess up their pedicures, or, God forbid, get a cut from something sharp like the edge of a
rock.Pamperedgirlsalsoshouldn’tknowhowtoclean.

TheonlywayhecoulddealwithhavingLoriaround,evenjustfortheshorttimeitwouldtakefor

hertogiveuphercrazyplanandleavehimaloneagain,wastoviewherasaspoiledwomanoutfora
larkinthecountryforafewdays.

Hewishedlikehellthatitwasn’tsohardtoignoretheevidencetothecontrary.
Dinner.Thatwaswhathe’dfocusonnow,ratherthanthefactthatshewasprobablyalsodryingoff

fromherbathandslatheringhertonedandsmoothlegswithlotion.

Grayson took off his muddy boots on the porch, stepped into the kitchen via the side door, and

stoppedsoquicklythatitslammedintohisback.“Whatareyoudoing?”

Loriwassupposedtobeinherroom,damnit,notalreadyoutofthebathandinhiskitchenlooking

andsmellingbetterthananythingeverhad.Herdarkhairwasstillwet,fallingpasthershouldersalmost
toherhipsasshestoodathiskitchenislandchoppingabellpepper.She’dputonapairofjeansthatdid
shocking things to her ass, and even though her T-shirt shouldn’t have been the least bit sexy, he now
realizedthatanythingsheworewouldbesexy.Hell,hecouldhavegivenheraburlapsacktowearand
he’dstillbesalivatingoverthecurveofherneck,thebrightpaintonhertoes,thesparkthatneverquitin
herbigblueeyes.

“Makingdinner.”
Shesaiditwithoutturningtolookathim,clearlystillpissedoffattheirconversationaboutwhere

shewasgoingtostay.Andpossiblythefactthathe’dbeenajerkaboutnothelpingherwithherbags.

Hehadn’texpectedhertocleanhishouseandmake him dinner tonight, but now that she was, he

certainly wasn’t going to complain. Unless, of course, she didn’t actually know how to make a decent
meal,andwasjustdoingthistogetbackathim.

“Doyouknowhowtocook?”
Shesighed,deepandlong,athisquestion,seemingtobeatleastasirritatedwithhimnowashe’d

beenwithherearlier.“Iwouldn’tbemakingdinnerifIdidn’t.”She’dfoundthesteakhe’dhadmarinating
andsliceditup,alongwiththevegetables.“IthoughtI’dmakeastirfry.”

When he didn’t respond, when he couldn’t seem to get his throat to work right, when he couldn’t

seemtodoanythingbutstandtherelikeafoolinthedoorwayandstareather,shefinallyturnedtohim.

“Look,I’mstarvedandIdidn’tthinkitwouldbeaproblemifImadeusdin—”
Herwordsfellawayandhereyeswidenedasshefinallylookedathim.Ashergazemovedover

him, she licked her lips and he nearly groaned aloud at the sight of her tongue coming out to wet her
gorgeous lips. She wasn’t wearing makeup anymore, having washed it all off during her bath, and if
anything,shewasevenprettierthanshe’dbeenwhenherlasheshadbeendarkenedwithmascaraandher
mouthhadbeenglossywithlipstick.

“Grayson.” His name was little more than a husky breath from her dampened mouth. “You’re not

wearingyourshirt.”

He’d completely forgotten that he only had his jeans on, without the top button even done up, for

God’ssake.Defensively,hetoldher,“Youweren’tsupposedtobeinthekitchen.”

“Andyouweren’tsupposedtobewalkingaroundwithoutyourclotheson!”sheshotrightback.
He shouldn’t like the way she looked at him, as though she was barely able to keep herself from

reachingouttotouchhim.Butsincehewouldn’tbeabletohidejusthowmuchhedidlikeitformorethan

the next couple of seconds, he finally got his feet to obey the order to move again and headed for his
bedroom.

Damnit,hethoughtashebarelystoppedhimselffromslamminghisbedroomdoorshut,heneeded

anothercoldshowereventhoughhe’djustgottenoutofone.Fatlotofgooditdid,though,whenallittook
wasonelookatLori,onebreathofherhair,herfreshcleanskin,onelickofhertongueacrossherlips,
forhimtoforgeteveryrulehe’dlivedhislifebyforthepastthreeyears.

Normally, Grayson made it a point to keep his memories deeply buried. Tonight, he deliberately

pulledthemoutandmadehimselffacethem.He’dknownhiswife,Leslie,sincecollege,hadfallenfor
heronthefirstdayofEnglishLitinfreshmanyear.Theyweresupposedtobetheperfectromance,the
idealfit—thefinancemajorandtheelegantgirlwhohadgrownupinaworldwhereshe’dlearnedhow
betheperfecthostessandfundraiser.Shewasawomanwhoneversaidthewrongthing,whowasalways
thereforhimforwhateverheneeded.

Theircollegeyearsweregood,butoncethey’dgraduatedandenteredtherealworld,bothofthem

hadbeenmiserable.Becauseeventhoughtheworldoffinancewasn’tnearlyasinterestingashe’dhoped
itwouldbe—andhemissedbeingoutsideformorethanthehourittookhimtodohisdailyrunthrough
CentralPark—he’dworkedlongerandlongerhoursathisfirmtoavoidcominghometoherfalsesmiles,
to perfectly made dinners he had no appetite for, to one event after another full of people he didn’t
know...anddidn’twanttogettoknow.

Somewhereinthere,hisperfectwifehadbeguntodrink.Ofcourse,she’dhiddenitfromhim.From

everyone.Yes,she’dhavetherequisitebubblyinherhandatherparties,buttothenakedeye,itwould
looklikeshe’dbarelysippeditallnight.

Athousand times over,Grayson wished he’dhad the balls tomake Leslie sitdown and talk with

himbeforethingsgotthatbad.Butshe’dbeenjustasgoodathidingfromthemessoftheirmarriage—and
theirlives—ashewas.

Thedaythecallhadcomeinfromthepolicewasforeverimprintedinhismind.Therehadbeena

crash,justhercaronalonelyroad.Lesliehadbeendrinking.She’ddiedonimpact.He’dseenapicture
ofthesceneinthepaperthenextday...andthesamebilethathadriseninhisthroatthenrosenow.

He’dgrievedforher,deeply.Hewasprettysuretheyhadn’tbeeninloveanymorebythetimeshe’d

died. But they’d always been friends, and he’d cared about her happiness, had wished that she’d been
abletofindsome.

Only, so much worse than his grief was the guilt that lingered. Guilt that had never—and would

never—go away. If only he’d loved her better, if only he’d been the husband he’d pledged to be, then
maybehewouldhaveknownaboutherdrinking.

Andmaybehecouldhavesavedher.
Aninvisiblefistwasclenchinghisguttightlyinsideofit,whenLorihollered,“Dinner’son!”
Grayson’s memories were a grim weight deep in his chest as he headed out to the kitchen. His

stomachgrowledagain,thistimeattheincrediblesmellofthestir-fryLorihadputtogether.She’dsetthe
smallwhitetablebythekitchenwindow,aswell,withhissimplewhiteplatesandsomecolorfulnapkins
he’dforgottenhehad.Now,ashelookedatthebrightflowersstitchedonthenapkins,herememberedthat
they were a farm-warming gift from the family whose property adjoined his. The teenage daughter had
stitched them by hand, she’d informed him with pride. But he’d been too dead inside to appreciate her
workmanship.

Thetable—hell,theentirekitchen—felttoosmallasLoriservedthemboth.Herscent,herbeauty,

theywereeverywhere.Evenhisbadmemoriesdidn’tseemtobeenoughtodrownthemout.

And when he took the first bite of the stir-fry with rice that she’d put on his plate, it was all he

coulddotostifleagroanofpleasure.Forthreeyearshe’dbeenabachelor,cookingforhimself.Hewas
prettygoodwithagrill,andduringthesummerhehadanendlesssupplyoffruitandvegetablestofillup

on,buteverythingelsewassimplyfuel.Ithadbeenyearssincehe’deatenanythingthisgood.

TheybothateinsilenceandhewasmorethanalittlesurprisedtowatchLorimowthroughaplate

offoodthatwasnearlyasbigashisown.Thenagain,she’dworkedherperfectlittleassofftoday,hadn’t
she?

He was reaching for seconds when she finally broke the silence. “Is your stir-fry okay?” Her

questionhadanedgetoit,onethatclearlysaid,Athank-youwouldn’tkillyou,bastard.

Buthehadn’taskedhertocometohisfarm.Hesureashellhadn’twantedhertostay.Andmaking

dinnerhadn’tbeenonherlistofchores.Soeventhoughherstir-frywassogoodthathewantedtodropto
hiskneesandworshipatherspatula,allhesaidwas,“It’sfine.”

Sheglaredathim.“It’snotfine.It’sgreat!”
He couldn’t help but be struck by how different this dinner was from the ones he’d shared with

Leslie.Hiswifehadbeenamasterofsmalltalk,offillingsilenceswithchatteraboutweatherandgossip
andthegarden.Andshehadn’tbeenabletocook,notintheslightest,sothey’dhadapersonalchefsupply
themwithfreshmeals.

HewasjustabouttofinishhissecondhelpingwhenLoristood,tookherplateovertothesink,and

startedwashingit.Knowinghecouldn’tstandtobeinthesameroomwithherformuchlonger,Grayson
said,“Youcooked.I’lldealwiththeplates.”

Insteadoftakingthehintandgoingtoherbedroom,sheshookherhead.“Iworkforyounow.It’s

myjobtocookandclean.”

God,shewasstubborn.Butifshewantedtoaddtoherlistofchores,hewasn’tgoingtostopher.

Ofcourse,heneededtoremembernottogettoousedtomealsthisgood,sincehewassureshe’dbegone
andheadingbacktoherpamperedreallifebylunchtimetomorrow.

But just then, the plate went slipping from her hands and crashed to the floor. She cursed as she

quicklybentdowntocleanuptheshards.

Grayson moved to help her, but not quickly enough to stop her from cutting herself on one of the

sharpedgesofthebrokenplate.Hegrabbedherhandasitbegantobleed.

“Damnit,Lori,IsaidIwoulddealwithcleaningup.”
Shetriedtoyankherhandback,saying,“It’sjustalittlecut,”buthewasalreadypullingherupand

runningherfingerbeneaththefaucet.

Hedidn’tcarehowlittlethecutwas,hedidn’tliketoseeherhurt,ortoknowthatshe’ddoneitto

trytoproveapointtohimabouthowhardshecouldwork.“Youneedtobemorecareful,”hegrowledas
hewrappedacleandishtowelaroundherlittlefingerandappliedpressuretoit,“especiallywhenyou’re
tired.”

Theywerestandingcloseenoughnowthathefinallysawthedarksmudgesbeneathhereyes.And

giventhefactthat,fortheveryfirsttime,shehadn’tcomebackwithaquickretort,heknewshehadtobe
exhausted.

“Gotobed,Lori.I’lldealwiththismess.”
“I’mfine.”
Theurgetostrokehishandoverhercheektofindoutifherskinwasassoftthereasitwasonher

handsmadehisvoicemoregruffthanitneededtobeashetoldher,“Thedaystartsearlyhereonthefarm.
Youneedthesleep.”

Herfullmouthtighteneddown,beforesheshruggedandsaid,“You’retheboss.”
Shelookedattheirhandsandhebelatedlyrealizedhewasstillholdinghers.Hetookastepback

andlethergo.Ofcourse,shecouldn’tjustheadtoherbedroom,shehadtomakeapitstoptomakeafuss
over the cat again, with a promise of making her some “yummy treats” soon. It wasn’t until she started
sneezing uncontrollably that she finally wished Mo good night with a kiss to the patchy fur on the cat’s
forehead.

Hepurposelykepthismindblankashecleanedupthefloor,thendidthedishesandheadedintohis

bedroomtohitthesack.HecouldhearLoribangingaroundinherroom,knewshewaspissedoffathim,
and tried not to feel guilty about his behavior. Hell, if she’d have been the male college-aged kid he’d
plannedtohire,hewouldn’thavebeenworryingaboutbeingniceortryingnottotouchhisnewfarmhand.
Andhesurewouldn’tbepracticallytiptoeingaroundinhisownbedroombecausehewasworriedabout
wakingherupwhenshe’dobviouslybeenhardhitwiththeneedforrest.

What the hell was wrong with him? How could he have considered letting her stay even for one

night?Tomorrow,hedecided,onewayoranothershehadtogo.

Graysonwasjustpullingbackthecoverswhenheheardsomethingthathadhimstilling.
Crying.
Shewascrying,damnit.
Grayson clenched the covers tightly in his fist as his heart—the one he swore he didn’t have

anymore—brokeforher.

Hehadnoideawhat,orwho,hadhurtLoriSullivan.Butgivenhowstrongshe’dprovedherselfto

bealldaylong,heknewithadtobebadifitcouldforcehertothepointwhereshecouldn’tholdback
hersobs.

Especiallysinceheknewthelastthingshe’dwantwouldbeforhimtohearthem.
Ittookeveryounceofhisself-controlnottogotoher,andintheend,theonlythingthatkepthim

fromleavinghisroomforherswastheabsolutecertaintythatshewouldhateforhimtoseeherwithher
wallsdown,vulnerableandhurting.

Andbythetimeherbedroomfinallyfellsilentashortwhilelater,Graysonknewhewasn’tgoingto

makegoodonhispromisetohimself,cometomorrow.

Hewasgoingtoletherstay.

ChapterSix

Somuchforeverythinglookingbetterinthemorning.
Because even though Grayson had let her sleep in past sunrise, when Lori got out of bed to deal

withthecallofnatureshewasshockedbyhowmucheverythinghurt.She’ddancedforhourseveryday
fornearlyherentirelife,yetshestillachedfromthecleaningandstoopingandkneelingonthefloor.All
for someone who didn’t appreciate any of it, and who clearly had never uttered the words “thank you”
before.

WhyhadsheeverthoughtitwasagoodideatostartoverinPescadero?Insteadofrentingacarat

the airport and driving into the boonies, she could have hopped onto another plane and headed off to
Hawaii. She could be lying on the beach right now sipping drinks under an umbrella with the sound of
soothingwaveslullingawayhersadness.

Only,she’dalwayshatedlyingaroundonthebeach.Besides,shewouldhavegoneabsolutelycrazy

inHawaiiwithallofthosehappycouplesontheirhoneymoonsandanniversarieswalkinghandinhand
andkissinginthemoonlight.

Shehadn’tbotheredtoblow-dryherhairlastnightafterherbath.Shecouldjumpintoanotherquick

bathandblow-dry,butwhyshouldshewhenshewasjustgoingtogetalldirtyandsweatyagaincleaning
andcookinganddealingwithchickens?Itwasmucheasierjusttorunabrushthroughherhairandpullit
backintoaponytail.Shegaveanotherthoughttopullinghermakeupbagoutofhersuitcase,butwhatwas
thepointofthat,either?Thefarmanimalswouldn’tcarewhatshelookedlike.

And she certainly wasn’t trying to attract Grayson. In fact, it would be better if she didn’t look

pretty.Thatway,hewouldn’tgetthewrongideaaboutherandactuallystartlookingatherasawoman,
ratherthanafarmhand.

Still,itwasweirdtoforgomakeup,consideringthatevenwhenherbrothershaddraggedherout

campingacoupleoftimes,she’dbroughtthebasicswithher.ButasLoristudiedherselfinthemirror,she
wassurprisedtorealizethatshedidn’tlookhalfbadwithaperfectlycleanface,apartfromthefactthat
hereyeswerestillalittlepuffyandredaroundtheedges.

She still couldn’t believe she’d cried last night—that she’d actually lain in the guest bed and

sobbedintothepillowtomakesurethesounddidn’tcarrytotherestofthehouse.HertwinsisterSophie
hadalwaysbeenthecrier—oversadbooksorwhensomeonegothurtorevenwhenoneoftheirbrothers
didsomethingreallygreatlikewintheWorldSeriesoranOscar—butneverLori.

She’dratherhugorkissordance.Anythingbutcry.
Shetriedtotellherselfthattheyhadbeenangrytears.Frustratedtears.Exhaustedtears.Butitwas

nouse,notwhensheknewtherehadbeenplentyofself-pityingtearsmixedin,too.Andthosewerethe
onesthatsheabsolutelywouldn’tstandfor.

LoriSullivanwasn’tsomeonewhofeltsorryforherself.Shedidn’thavetimeforthatnonsense.
Movingquickly,shepulledonherjeansandT-shirtfromlastnightandlookedthroughtheshoesin

her bags. Mostly heels. The closest she had to farm-appropriate shoes was a pair of ballet flats. She
sighedatthethoughtofjusthowquicklytheyweresuretogetruinedinthedirtandmudandgrass,but
slippedthemonanyway.Justthen,shefinallylookedoutherbedroomwindowandherbreathcaughtat
theviewofGrayson’slandinthemorninglight.

My God, it was beautiful here. She’d noticed the beauty yesterday, of course, but every moment

since she’d gotten on the plane in Chicago had felt like such a battle, and she’d been so tired that she
hadn’treallyseenPescaderoclearly.

Withwonder,shedrankintheopensky,grasssogreenitalmosthurthereyes,and—

Ohmy.Graysonwasworkingwithouthisshirton,sweatgleamingonhisincrediblemusclesashe

choppedwoodlikeamanpossessed.

Thenaturalbeautyofhisfarmwasbreathtaking,butonceshecaughtsightofhim,shecouldn’tpull

hergazeaway.Notwhenhehadtobethemostperfectlybuiltmanshe’deverseen.Whichwassayinga
lot,consideringthatasachoreographeranddancersheworkedwithamazinglychiseledmenonadaily
basis.

Andthen,suddenly,hepausedandturnedhisfacetowardherwindow,catchingherwithhermouth

wateringandherbodyreactingtohimevenfromadistance.

Normally,shewouldhavethoughtbeingstuckwithagorgeousmanwasaplus.Butnow,insteadof

beingabonus,Grayson’slookswereahugenegative.ThankGodhehadsuchagruffpersonality,orshe’d
reallybeintrouble.

Inanycase,shedecidedassheforcedherselftoturnawayfromthewindow,shewasdeterminedto

bepositivefromhereonout.Nomoreself-pity.Nomorewallowinginhowbadherdecisionshadbeen
overthepastyearorso,especiallythosethathadinvolvedVictor.Shewasgoingtochargefullspeedinto
thefreshstartshe’ddecidedonyesterday.

Starving again, when she walked into the kitchen and didn’t see any evidence that Grayson had

eatenyet,shedecidedtomakethembothbreakfast.Whenthebaconwasnearlycrispandtheeggswere
almostreadytoslideoutofthefryingpan,sheopenedthefrontdoorandyelled,“Breakfast!”thesame
wayshehadherwholechildhoodwhenitwastimeforherbrothersandsistertocometothetable.

Witheightkids,everyoneinherfamily’dhadachore.She’dbeeninchargeofcookingbreakfast,

getting everyone to the table, and cleaning up the kitchen afterward. That skill set had come in handy
many,manytimesasanadult.Notonlyforovernightguests,butalsowhenoutontheroadwithatroupeof
dancers.Sherefusedtoletanyonewhodancedforherstarvethemselveswhensheneededthemattheir
verybestandshehadwooedmorethanonefigure-consciousperformerwithhersignatureblueberryand
lemonpancakes.

ShewasjustpouringfreshlysqueezedorangejuiceintoglasseswhenGraysonwalkedin.Hewas

sweaty and had wood chips stuck in his hair and to his clothes, but at least he’d put his shirt on, thank
God. She didn’t think she could handle another close-up shot of all that male perfection—not before
gettingsomesustenanceinhertobuildupsomeresistance,anyway.

Hedidn’tsayanything,not“Goodmorning”or“Thanksforbreakfast,”justsatdownandstartedto

eat.Witharollofhereyes,shefollowedsuit.

Last night their silent meal had been perfectly fine with her. She’d been tired and in no mood to

chat.Butshe’dgocrazyhavingsilentmealsforever.Clearly,ifshewantedtostartanewmealtimetrend,
shewasgoingtohavetomakethefirstmove.

“I’dlovetoknowmoreaboutyourfarm.”
Heignoredherandkepteating,butLorihadgrownupwithsixolderbrothers.Shewasn’ttheleast

bitdauntedbybeingignored.

“Whatdoyouspecializein?”
Hetookalongglugoforangejuicebeforeansweringher.“IrunaCSA.”
“I was reading an article about Community Supported Agriculture on the airplane yesterday.” He

gaveheranotherlookthathadherrealizingshe’daccidentallysaidtoomuch.“Acoupleofmysiblings
aremembersofCSAs.Sopeoplecomehereonceaweektopickuptheirfruitsandveggies?”

“Noonecomeshere.”
Wow, that sounded a little ominous. No one comes here. Geez, he acted like they were in some

gothicnovel.Sheworkedtoshakeoffalittleshiveratthedarknessinhistone.Certainthatithadcome
outmorestronglythanhehadtomeanit,sheasked,“Thenhowdoeseveryonegettheirfood?”

Bynowhewaslookingmorethanalittleirritatedwithherendlessquestions,butifshewasgoing

toworkwithhimshe’dhavetounderstandhowhisbusinessoperated.

“Ericpicksuptheboxes.Peoplegotohisfarmonceaweektopickuptheirfood.”
“ButinthearticleIread,”Lorisaidwithhonestconfusion,“itsoundedlikethefarmersselldirectly

fromtheirownfarms,andmostofthemevenhavebarnstoreswherepeoplecandropinthroughoutthe
weekiftheyneedsomethingextra.”

“That’snothowIdothings.”
ButLoriwasalreadytwostepsaheadasanexcitingideahither.NodoubtGraysonwassimplytoo

busy running the farm and producing the food for his CSA to find those extra hours for the weekly
communitypick-ups.Butshecouldchangeallofthatforhim.

“NowthatI’mhere,Icouldrunthepick-updayssoyoudon’thavetohaveyourfrienddoitonhis

farm.”Sheinstantlylovedtheideaofit,gettingtomeeteveryoneintown.Itwashowherlifeandhouse
had always been—an open door for friends and family. Maybe she’d been wrong about life on a farm
beingsoisolating.“Icouldevenopenafarmstoreforyou!”

Grayson’seyeswerecoldashepinnedherwiththem.“Isaid,that’snothowIdothings.”
Thistimehiswordswereloudenough—andhardenough—forhernottomissthem,ortheirintent.

Hewasn’tdoingthingsthiswaybecausehewastoobusy.He’dsetitupspecificallysothathewouldn’t
havetodealwithanyoneelse.

“Doyouhaveagoraphobia?”Thewordspoppedoutofhermouthbeforeshecouldshovethemback

inside.

“No.”Heshovedawayfromthekitchentable,hisplateinhishands.“Ijustdon’tlikepeople.”
She was torn between wincing and laughing. What kind of person didn’t like people? She just

couldn’tunderstand it. Whichwas why, eventhough every inch ofhis body languagewas telling her to
backoff,shehadtoask,“Why?”

***

Sheaskedtoomanyquestions,damnit.Worsethanthat,though,wasthatdespitehimself,Grayson

wantedtoaskherjustasmany.Wherehadshecomefrom?Whatdidshedoforalivingwhenshewasn’t
tryingtomasqueradeasafarmhand?Andhowthehellwassheabletomakethebestdamnedbreakfast
he’devereaten...sogoodthathe’dalmostembarrassedhimselfwhenhe’dstartedeatingit?

“Doyouwanttohearaboutmylastfarmhand?”
Shelookedalittlewaryattheunexpectedquestion.“Somethingtellsmethisisatrickquestion.But

ifyou’refinallyfeelingallchatty,goahead.”

Noquestionaboutit,shewasn’tjustpretty,shewassmart,too.Andsassyashell,despitethepithy

one-wordanswershe’dgrowledatherthroughoutbreakfast.

“Hewastwenty-two,youngenoughandstrongenoughtoworkcirclesaroundme.Hecouldn’tcook,

buthecouldchopwood,herdcows,shearsheep,balehay,harvestthecrops,anddoconstruction.Buthis
best quality was that he didn’t speak. At all. He just grunted when he was hungry or needed help with
something.”

Loriblinkedupathimwithwideeyes,atleastathousandtimestooprettyforhispeaceofmindthis

morning. He hadn’t been able to sleep just a wall away from her and had finally given up and gone
outsidetochopfirewood.

Good.Maybehe’dfinallygottenthroughtoher.Ifshewantedtostickaroundformuchlonger,she

neededtozipit.

“Wow,”shesaidinatonethathadhimbeingthewaryonethistime,“Idon’tthinkyou’vesaidthat

manywordsintotaltomesinceyesterday.”

He turned and started to wash his plate off with hard strokes of the sponge over the porcelain, a

stringofcursewordsplayingoutinhishead.He’dbeentryingtomakeapoint—quiteaclearpoint,he
thought.Hewasn’tinterestedinconversation,justingettingtheworkdone.

“Hey,that’smyjob.”Sheshovedinbesidehimatthesink.“Scoot.”
Hecouldwashhisowndishes,damnit,butwhenhefeltherhipbumpagainsthistogentlypushhim

outoftheway,hedroppedhisplatesofasttoputdistancebetweenthemthathepracticallyshatterediton
thebottomofthesink.

Justtouchingherhandlastnightwhenshe’dcutherfingerhadbeentoomuch.Knowinganythingat

all about the feel of her hips—that they were toned, yet with a woman’s softness—was miles beyond
anythinghisself-controlcoulddealwith.

“LetmemakesureIunderstoodwhatyoujustsaid,”sheofferedasshestarteddeftlywashingoff

the plates, her hands looking too elegant to be so efficient. “You don’t like to talk to or interact with
people.AndIloveboththosethings,whichyoufindannoying.”Sheshothimaglance.“DoIhavethat
rightsofar?”Whenhejuststoodthereandstaredather,shesaid,“Doyoualsoagreethatit’sdoubtful
thateitherofusisgoingtochangeanytimesoon?”Athiscontinuedsilence,shesaid,“No,don’tbother
usinguponeofyourpreciouswords.Ialreadyknowtheanswers.”

Thiswasit.Thiswaswhereshewasfinallygoingtoacceptthatsheneededtoleavesohecouldget

a real farmhand. Grayson was sure the relief was going to come any second now. After all, hadn’t that
beenwhathe’dbeenwishingforsincethefirstmomenthe’dseteyesonher—forhertogo?

Hehadtoworklikehelltoignorethevoiceinhisheadthattoldhimhe’dbeenwishingforahellof

alotmorethanthat...andthatmostofhiswisheshadLorinakedandreachingforhim.

“Itseemstome,”shesaidinaconsideringtoneassheturnedoffthefaucetandbeganwipingthe

plates dry with a clean dish towel, “that we’ll just have to agree to disagree.” The sunny smile she
followedthatinanestatementwithnearlyknockedhisfeetoutfromunderhim,givingherenoughtimeto
quicklysegueinto,“SonowthatI’malmostdonewashingup,whatdoyouwantmetoworkonfirst?”

He’dneverbeenabigtalker,butthatwasn’twhyhedidn’tanswerrightaway.Hecouldn’tbelieve

anyonecouldbethisstubborn.Delusionalwasanothergoodwordforit.

Why wasn’t she packing up her things and leaving already? Under any other circumstances, he

wouldhavedoneitforher,butthememoryofthewayshe’dcriedinherbedlastnightwasstilltoofresh
inhishead.

Somehow he needed to find something for her to do that she couldn’t screw up. Even better,

something that would convince her she was not meant for the farming life. Toilet brushes and chickens
hadn’tdauntedher...sowhatwould?

Hislipsalmostmovedupintoasmileashehitonit.“Pigs.”
Shecouldn’thideherimmediatelookofhorror.“Youhavepigs?”
Hecouldn’tbelievehowdifficultitwastokeepthegrinoffhisface.Therehadn’tbeenmuchcause

for smiling these past few years, not until an irritatingly beautiful stranger had shown up and declared
herselfhisnewfarmhand.Fortunately,hewouldhavebethisfarmthatshewasgoingtohatedealingwith
thepigs,withalltheirmudandmess—andtheirsurprisingintelligence.

“Theyneedfreshwaterandfeed.”
“Thatdoesn’tsoundsohard.”
Itwasn’t,unlessthepigswerefeelingfriskyandthemudwasfresh.Maybeitwasn’tfairtohave

herworkintheiroutdoorenclosureratherthantheindoorpighousewiththecementfloor,butafterthe
rainthey’dhadacoupleofdaysagoitdidneedtobecleanedup.“That’swhyI’mlettingyoudoit,”he
pointedout.

“Didn’tIprovetoyouthatIcouldhandleyesterday’schoresandthatIcancook?”
“Youcookandcleanwell,”heagreed,“butIneedmorethanamaid.”
Shegrittedherteethassheleanedinacrossthekitchenisland,herhandsflatonthewoodsurfaceas

shesnarled,“Ican’twaittofeedandwateryourpigs.”

Neverinhislifehadhemetawomanlikeher,onewhodidn’tbackdownfromachallengeorfrom

beingpurposelyinsulted.Shestompedouttotheporchandwasalreadyheadingforthepigpenwhenhe
finallysawtheshoesshewaswearing.

“Thosearetheshoesyou’regoingtoweartomuckoutthepigstalls?”
Hereyesclosedforasplitsecondatthewordmuck,butthenshewaspushinghershouldersback

and saying, “When I’m done with my work for the day, I’ll head into town to pick up some more
appropriateshoes.”

Ifhehadhisway,whenshewasdonewithherworkfortheday,she’dheadintotown...andkeep

going.

“Wait,”shesaidsuddenlyasshelookeddownthedrive,“where’smycar?”
“Itwouldn’tstartthismorning.Ihadittowedtotheshop.”
“So—”Shefinallylookeddauntedbysomething.“—I’mstuckherewithyounow?”
Didshehavetoremindhim?“JustuntilSamfixesyourradiatorandwhateverelseyoubustedon

myfencepost.”Heledherovertothepigs,pointingouttheirfeedandshowingherwherethehosewas.
“Whateveryoudo,makesureyoulatchthegatealltheway,orthepigswilldestroymycrops.”

Hegavehersomesimpleinstructionsonhowtomuckoutthepigs,thenleftherinherfancyjeans

andinappropriateshoestodealwiththedirtiestanimalsonearth.

ChapterSeven

Aftergrowingupwithsixbrothers,Loriknewherwayaroundmudanddirt,andwasn’tparticularly

squeamish about it. Still, as she surveyed the pigs from outside the fence, she had to admit that she’d
neverseenamessquiteliketheoneinthepigpen.

SheknewGraysonhadchosenthistasktoseewhethershe’dgetallgirlyaboutitandquit,andnow

apartofherwonderedifhehadalreadybeenoutherethismorningwateringeverythingdownsothatthe
pigpenwouldbeextrawetandsquishy.Butatbreakfasthe’dbeencoveredinwoodchips,notmud,so
sheknewthatwasjustherlingeringfrustrationwithhislittlesermononsilenceatbreakfast.

Grunting.That’swhathislastfarmhandhaddoneratherthanspeak.AndGraysonhadlikedit that

way.

Frankly,shewasgladthatshecouldgetdownanddirtywiththepigsthismorning,iffornoother

reasonthantoletoffalittlesteam.She’dalwaysworkedoutherfrustrationsbydancingbefore.Today,
she’djusthavetoworkthemoutwithsomestinky,snortingpigsinstead.

Sheopenedthegateandtookacarefulstepinside.Ofcourseherballetslippersanknearlyallthe

wayintothemud.Aftercarefullylatchingthegate,sheturnedbacktothecrewofpigsfacingher,ahalf
dozenorsointhelargepen.Theywereactuallyprettycute,butbiggerthanshe’drealized.Fortunately,
theydidn’tlooktheleastbitthreatening.Maybealittlecuriousaboutwhothestrangerwas,however.

Shefiguredshe’dgetthemtheirwaterandfeedandthenwhentheywerebusychowingdown,she’d

workonmuckingouttheirstalls.Movingslowlythroughthemud,shewashalfwayacrossthepenwhen
shesteppedinaparticularlyslipperyspotandherfeetalmostslippedoutfromunderher.

Yearsofneedingtostayonherfeetnomatterwhathadherquicklyrightingherselfandwideningher

stancetomakesureshewouldn’tfallagain.Shewasjustabouttostartheadingforwardwhenshelooked
up and saw one of the pigs making a beeline toward her, much more quickly than she could have ever
believedpossibleforsuchastockyanimal.Itslittlehooveswerepoweringthroughthemudanditscurly
tailwaswagging.

Thenextthingsheknewitwaspushingbetweenherlegsandliftingherupofftheground.“Hey!”

sheexclaimedasthepigkeptonmovingthroughthemudwithherstucktoitsbroadback.“Whatareyou
doing?”

Butshealreadyknew,didn’tshe?Thepigwashavingafabuloustimecarryingheroffthroughthe

pen...withallofitsfriendswatchingwitheagereyes,probablyvyingforwhowouldbenexttomesswith
thetotalgreenhorn.

And then, just as quickly as she’d been hoisted off the ground and onto the pig’s broad back, she

wasunceremoniouslydumpedonherrearinthemudwithahardsplat.

Shesatinthemudforseveralmomentsassheworkedtogetherbreathbackfromwheretheground

—and the very mischievous pig—had knocked it out of her. Only, when she looked down at herself
completely covered with mud, and thought about just how ridiculous she must have looked riding
barebackonapig,insteadofgettingupsetshestartedtolaugh.

Who knew working on a farm could be so crazy? So full of mishaps? Or that a bunch of stinky,

unrulypigswouldbetheonestogetherlaughingagain?ItremindedherofwhensheandherbrotherGabe
and twin sister Sophie would go out and make mud pies in the backyard after a storm when they were
kids.

ThesadtruthwasthatLorihadn’tfeltlikeakidinaverylongtime.Notuntiltoday,whenthepigs

hadmadeanychanceatbeinganythingbutamessy,muddybuddyoftheirsanimpossibility.

Ofcourse,gettingdowntothepigs’levelonlymadehermoreinterestingtothem,especiallytoone

ofthebabieswhohadstartedsnufflingaroundatherface.

“Hey, cutie,” she told him, “maybe when you’re a little bigger you could sweep me off my feet,

too.”Shestrokedhissnout.“Ihavealwayslovedaguyinpinkwithalittlefacialhair.”

Shecouldhaveswornhegaveheragrinassheslippedandslidwhilegettingbackuponherfeet.

And as she went about her duties while singing a pop song that the pigs seemed to like despite her
horriblyout-of-tunevoice,shemadesuretokeepherlegsclosetogethertostaveoffanymoreimpromptu
pig-ridingtripsaroundthepen.

***

Graysoncouldeasilyhavespenttherestofthedayfocusedonthenewroofhewasputtingonthe

cottage, but he needed to check up on Lori. Not, he told himself, because he missed seeing her since
breakfast,butbecauselettingherworkonhisfarmwaslikekeepingaboxoffireworksnexttoaroaring
fire—youneverknewwhenonelittlesparkwasgoingtolightoffthewholedamnedthing.

Thatwaswhyhe’dtoldhertoworkinthepigpen.Howmuchdamagecouldshepossiblydothere?
Asheapproachedthepigpenfromadistance,hecouldn’tmissthatshewascoveredinmud.Even

though he figured that should have been the last straw for her, he could hear her singing in a godawful
voiceasshepettedoneofthepigs,herlittlebottomwigglingbackandforthassheallbutdancedaround
inthemud.

He’dnevermetanyonelikeherbeforeinhislife—acitygirlwhowouldsinganddanceinthemud

withthepigs,ratherthanbailingonthehard,dirtywork.Witheverypassingsecondthatsheremainedon
his farm, he could feel her not just getting under his skin, but going even deeper. Just as she had the
previousnightwhenhe’dheardhercryinginbed.

God,hehopedshedidn’tcryagaintonight.Becauseifshedid,hewasn’tsurehewasstrongenough

tokeepfromgoingtoherandpullingherintohisarmsandkissingawaythosetears.

Graysonwasaboutahundredfeetawayfromthepigpenwhenhesawsomethingbigandpinkoutof

thecornerofhiseyedownbyhisstrawberrypatch.

Ohno,hadsheleftthegateopen?Oneinstruction—tomakesureitlatchedsecurely—wastheonly

thingsheneededtofollow.Buthadshedonethat?

Heranovertothebigsow,holleringathertogetoutofhisstrawberries,butthepigwastoobusy

mowingdowntheneatandflourishingrowsoffruittolookupinhisdirection.Itwasasifarototillerhad
beendrivenoverhisstrawberryplants,theveryoneshe’dbeenplanningtoloadintoboxesthisweekfor
hiscustomers.Itwasasweatyanddifficultjobcorrallingthesow,buttenminuteslaterhehadherback
whereshebelonged.

Loriwasworkingwiththehose,sprayingdownthepens,andclearlydidn’thearmuchabovethe

soundofthewaterandhersinginguntilhe’dpushedthesowbackintothepen.

When she finally caught sight of him, she was so surprised that she blasted him with the freezing

cold water straight in the chest. The clear fury in his gaze had her quickly trying to turn it off, but her
handsweremuddyenoughthatittookhermorethanafewtriestofinallygetit.Bythen,Graysonwasn’t
onlypissedashell,hewassoaked,too.

“Sorry about that! You surprised me.” She looked down at herself, her clothes and skin liberally

coveredwithmud.“Ifyouwanttoturnthehoseonmetomakeuseven,thatprobablywouldn’tbeabad
idea.”

Shereachedouttohandhimthehoseandhebatteditoutofherhandsothatitlandedinthemud

withasplat.

“I knew you were trouble when you drove like a maniac up my driveway.” He pointed to his

obliteratedstrawberrycrop.“Itoldyoutoshutthegoddamnedgate.Lookatwhathappenedbecauseyou

can’tbetrustedtodoevenonelittlethingright.”Somewhereinthebackofhismindhecouldhearhow
harshhewasbeing,butLorididn’tevenflinch.

Instead she came right back at him with, “I did shut it!” She moved across the muddy pen with

surprisinggraceandreachedbehindhimtoshutthegateagainwithafrown.“Ididitjustlikethis.”

She slipped just enough in the mud for her hip to push the gate, and as she reached out to steady

herselfthelatchbegantowobble.Shepushedalittleharderanditcamecompletelyloosesothatthegate
poppedopen.

“See?”Sheturnedtohim,herbeautifulfacefullofrighteousindignation.“ItoldyouIclosedit.”
Feeling like a total ass, he waited for her to demand an apology from him. But she didn’t, which

onlymadethingsworse.Probablybecauseshedidn’tthinkhewascapableofmakingone.

Andshewasright.Hecouldn’tseemtofindthewordsheshouldbesayingtoher.Instead,hetold

her,“Ineedsomethingfromthehardwarestore.GowashupandI’lltakeyouintotowntopickupsome
boots.”

“Newshoes?”
Hereyeswerewidewithsurpriseandwhenhenodded,shesmiledupathim.Evencoverednearly

headtotoeinmud,shewasstillthemostbeautifulwomanhe’deverbeennear.

Hersmilegrewevenbiggerasshetoldhim,“You’reforgiven.”
AndthatwaswhenGraysonrealizedhewassunk.
Becauseifhewasn’treally,reallycareful,LoriSullivanwasjustgoingtokeepstealinghisheart

onesentence,onemeal,onesmileattime.

“There’sanoutdoorshowerontheothersideofthebarn.Gouseit.”
Withthatheturnedhisfocustofixingthegateofthepigpen...andnotonwhatLorimustlooklike

nakedandsoapyintheoutdoorshowerontheothersideofthebarn.

ChapterEight

Itwasamazingwhatahotshowerandsomesoapcoulddoforaperson.Lorifeltlikeanewwoman

incleanskinnyblackpantsandaredshirt.Knowingtheywereactuallygoingintotown,she’dpulledher
makeupbagoutandswipedonsomemascara,blush,andlipgloss.Theonlycleanshoesshehadleftwere
heels,soshepickedaredandblackpairwiththree-inchheels,slungherpurseoverherarm,andheaded
backouttheporchtoseeifGraysonwasreadytogo.

Hetookonelookatherandhisscowldeepened.Shewouldhavescowledback,butsheguessedit

wouldirritatehimmoreifshesmiledinstead.

Shemighthaveforgivenhimforbeingatotaljerkouttherewiththepigs,butitstillsmartedthat

he’dimmediatelyjumpedtoconclusionsandtreatedherasifshewereafewbraincellsshortofafullset
andcouldn’tevenmanageherwayaroundthesimplestthing.She’dgonetodanceschoolinCalifornia,
butshe’dturneddownseveralIvyLeagueschoolstodoit.

Withoutsayingawordtoher,heheadedforhistruck.Sheshotanevilgrinathisbroadback.The

trip to the General Store from his farm took about fifteen minutes, and she figured a quarter hour was
easilylongenoughtogetalittlerevengeforthewayhe’dactedinthepigpen.

Astheyheadeddownhislongdrive,sheletherselfstudyhisprofile.Hiscowboyhatwaspulled

downoverhisslightlylong,darkhairandwiththedarkstubblealreadygrowingbackinacrosshistanned
jaw,helookedmoregorgeousthanever.

Nottomentionextremelyunhappytobestuckwithherashispassenger.
Facing him rather than the beautiful view of the sweeping green fields outside, she asked, “Were

yourelatedtothepeopleyouboughtthefarmfrom?”

His jaw tightened, but he must have realized he was well and truly trapped with her in his truck

becausehesaid,“No.”

“Didyouownadifferentfarmsomewhereelsebeforeyougotthisone?”
“No.”
Shewastemptedtopullapieceofpaperandpenoutofherbagtokeeptrackofhowmanywords

heansweredwithduringthenextfifteenminutes.Sofar,she’dhaveagrandtotaloftwo.

“ButyougrewupinPescadero,right?”
“No.”
Didn’t he realize he was only making her more curious with his purposely terse—and very

mysterious—answers?

“Wheredidyougrowup,then?”
Hescowled.“It’sagoodfourmilestoeithermyfarmortheGeneralStorefromhere.”Helookedat

her shoes. “Gonna make your feet pretty damned sore to have to walk all that way in those ridiculous
shoesifIdumpyououtrighthere.”

Sheshruggedasifthethoughtdidn’tbotherherintheleast.“Someone’sboundtopickmeupand

givemearide.”

“Lori.”
Her name was little more than an irritated growl from his throat. One that got her way too hot,

considering that Grayson was the last guy on earth she should be interested in. He was so grumpy, and
bossy,anddomineering...andsuper,crazy,wickedhot.

Herexhadalwaysbeensofullofsweet,sexywords,hadknownhowtosayexactlytherightthing

atexactlytherighttime,butallthosewordshadturnedouttobenothingbutlies.Whereaswhenrough,
gruffGraysongrowledather,shecouldonlytooeasilyimaginehowitwouldsoundifhealsogrowled

hernamewhentheyweremakingloveandhewasmovinghisbig,stronghandsovereveryinchofher
nakedskin.

Fortunately, she was smarter now. And completely off men. Which was why she would turn her

libidooffandverycarefullystayontask.Therewasstilltheveryimportantmatterofgettingherrevenge
forthepigpenincident,afterall.

And since she knew exactly how much Grayson hated the sound of her voice—and that sharing

personal details clearly felt to him like being gutted with a knife—the best thing she could possibly do
waskeeponaskinghimquestions.

“Youwereabouttotellmewhereyougrewup,”shesaid,pleasedtoseeamusclenowjumpingin

hisjaw.

“NewYork.”
“Whatpart?”
“Thecity.”
Okay,nowtheyweregettingsomewherewithhisnew,fancytwo-wordanswers.“IloveNewYork

City.IalmostwenttoColumbia,”shetoldhim,“butintheendIcouldn’timaginebeingthatfarawayfrom
my family.” And dance training had taken precedence over everything else. Maybe, she wondered now
that she was giving up her dance career, it might have been a good idea to get a broader education.
Althoughthetruthwasthatnomatterwhatherfutureheld,shewouldn’thavegivenupallthoseyearsof
dancingfrommorninguntillateintothenightforanything.

Grayson had stopped at a stop sign now and was staring at her, his dark, haunted eyes full of

surprise.“Columbiaismyalmamater.”

“YouwenttoColumbia?”Realizinghowherquestionsounded,shesaid,“NotthatIdon’tthinkit

takes a lot of brains to run a big farm like yours. I’m sure it does. I’ve just never met anyone who
graduatedfromanIvyLeagueandbecameafarmer.Whatwasyourdegreein?”

“Finance.”
Bothofhereyebrowswentup.“Soifyouhaveadegreeinfinancefromoneofthebestuniversities

in the country and only bought your farm three years ago, what were you doing for all the time in
between?”

Bynowshehonestlywasn’ttryingtoirritatehim—shewassimplycuriousabouthim.
“Igetit,”hesaid,insteadofansweringherlastquestion.“You’renothappywiththewayIdealt

withthepiggettingout,soyou’regoingtotorturemewithendlessquestions.”

“Myearsarestillringingfromyouryelling.”
“WoulditmakeyouhappierifIapologized?”
Shecrossedherarmsoverherchestandraisedaneyebrow.“You?Apologize?”Shemadeaclear

soundofdisbelief.“I’mprettysureI’mgoingtoseeoneofyourpigsflyfirst.”

Hestoppedatanotherstopsignandturnedhistoo-beautifulfacetohers.“I’msorry.Iwasanass.It

won’thappenagain.”

“Iwaswithyouallthewayupuntilthe‘won’thappenagain’part.YouandIbothknowitwill.”

Shecouldn’tholdbackhergrin.“Probablyinsideofthenexttenminutes.EspeciallysinceIdoapretty
goodjoboflivinguptothenicknamemyfamilygavemeasalittlegirl.”

“Nickname?”
Shewassopleasedbyhisunexpectedinterestinherthatsheturnedthefullwattageofhergrinon

him.“Naughty.”

Despitethefactthathisirritatedexpressionremainedinplace,shecouldhaveswornhislipswere

twitchingasheputhisfootdownonthegaspedal.

Howfunwoulditbetoactuallyseehimsmile?Loriknewsheshouldn’twantitasbadlyasshedid.

Alas,shehadneverbeenverygoodatbeingprudent.

Notwhenimpulsivehadalwaysbeensomuchmorefun.

***

After Grayson headed toward the hardware section, Lori found the cutest cowboy hat ever. She

immediately plopped it onto her head to buy along with new boots, then waved at her teenaged friend
behindthedelicounter.

Hisfaceimmediatelyturnedred,justasithadthefirsttimeshe’dtalkedtohim,andhisvoicebroke

ashesaid,“Hello.”

She was just about to go over and do a little flirting with him when she realized her bag was

buzzing.Shepulledherphoneoutwithfarmorecautionthansheusuallydid.Normally,hercellwaslike
afifthappendage.Butshewasn’treadytotalktoanyoneyet,andifanythingotherthanhersisterSophie’s
facehadappearedonthescreen,Loriwouldhavedroppeditrightbackintoherbagunanswered.

“Hey,Soph,”shesaidassheputittoherear,“howarethecutestlittlebabiesintheworlddoing?”
“They’refine,”Sophiesaid,whichwasstrange,becausenormally,askingheraboutherkidsmeant

gettingagoodtenminutesofdetailsthatLoriwascertainonlyamotherherselfcouldpossiblycareabout.
“I got a call from a friend in Chicago who went to see your show. She said you weren’t there. What
happened,Lor?Andwheretheheckareyou?”

Lori hated that she’d worried her sister. She hadn’t figured anyone would know she had left the

showearly,hadhopedthatshe’dbeabletodisappearforalittlewhile.Butsheshouldhaveguessedthat
someoneinherhugefamilywouldknowsomeoneinChicagoandthatwordwouldgetbackbeforeshe
wasreadyforit.

Lori had always been ready for anything, eager to grab every ounce of joy from life with both

hands,botharmsandlegs.When,shesuddenlywondered,hadshestoppedbeingreadyandeager?

Especially, she thought as she caught sight of Grayson through the slats of the tall shelves on the

othersideoftheGeneralStore,foramanwhoturnedherinsideoutwithnothingmorethanadarklook,or
a very few words. The couple of times he’d actually touched her were still imprinted on her skin as
thoughhe’dbrandedherinstead.

“I’mokay,”shesaidfirst.
“ThankGod,”Sophiesaid,andthen,“AreyoustillinChicago?”
“No.” This small farm town she’d chosen to visit on a whim couldn’t be further from the

skyscrapersandbusytrafficintheWindyCity.“I’mactuallybackinCalifornia.”

“Youare?Whydidn’tyoucalltoletusknowyouwerehome?”
“Ineededsometimetothink.”
“Lori.” Her name on her twin’s lips was infused with such unconditional love that Lori nearly

tearedupinthemiddleofthestore.“Tellmewhathappened.ItwasVictor,wasn’tit?”

“That’sovernow.”Lori’svoicewashard.
“You’vesaidthatbefore,toomanytimes.Doyoureallymeanitthistime?”
“Forever,Soph.I’llnever,evergobacktohim.Ipromiseyou,Iwon’t.”
Hersister’sexhaleofreliefwasloudandlong.“HowaboutIleavethebabieswithJaketonightand

youandIcangocatchadoublefeaturesomewherewithextra-butterypopcornandeveryboxofcandyin
theplace?”

Shelovedhersistersomuch,anditwassotemptingtoheadbacktoSanFranciscotoletSophie

takecareofher.ButLorihadsomethingtoprovetoherselffirstbeforeshecouldgobacktoherreallife.

Andshehadn’tyetprovedit,hadn’tevencomeclosetoturningthedarknessthathadsettledinside

herthesepastmonthsbacktobright,vibrantcolor.

“Iloveyou,Soph,”shesaidfirst,becauseitwasthemostimportantthingofall.Nowandforever.

Butshealsohadtosay,“ButIcan’tcomehome.Notyet.”

“Atleasttellmewhereyouare,”Sophieinsisted.
“I’mworkingonafarm.”
Loricouldeasilypicturehersister’sstunnedexpressionassherepeated,“Afarm?”
“Withpigsandchickensandcrops.I’mbuyingapairofcowboybootsrightnow.”
“Howcouldyouhavepossiblyendeduponafarm?”
“Youknowhowthesethingsgo,”Lorisaidwithagrin.
“Thereisn’tanotherguyinvolved,isthere?”
“No,”Lorisaid,eventhoughbeingaroundGraysonkeptmakingherinsidesgoallhotandfluttery.

Evenwhenhewasbeingallgrumpyandcranky.Especiallythen,ifshewasbeingcompletelyhonestwith
herself.Hewasjustsodifferentfromanymanshe’deverknown.Hedidn’twasteonesinglesecondon
tryingtobecharmingorcomplimentinghersothathecouldgetsomethingfromher.“IswearIjustneedto
shakethingsupforabit.”And,boy,hadsheeverdonethat,ifthelasttwenty-fourhourswereanythingto
goby.

Butherexplanationsclearlyweren’tdoingitforhersister,whowasmakinglittleworriedsounds

intothephone.“Lor,thisiscrazy,evenforyou.Ifyouwon’ttalktomeaboutwhat’sgoingon,youshould
atleastcallMom.”

PanicskitteredupLori’sspine.IfMarySullivanwrappedherwarmarmsaroundherdaughterthe

wayshehadforaslongasLoricouldremember,she’dfallintoamillionpieces.

“DoesMomknowI’mback?”
“No,notyet,but—”
Loriquicklycuthersisteroff.“WhenyouandJakehadyourone-nightstandafterChase’swedding

and you got pregnant with the twins, I didn’t run off to blab to Mom. I kept your secret as long as you
neededmetokeepit.Nowit’syourturntokeepmine.”

Her twin was silent for a long while. Too long for Lori’s peace of mind. Finally Sophie said, “I

don’tlikethis.EspeciallywhenI’vealreadybeenkeepingsecreteverythingthat’shappenedwithVictor
foralmosttwoyears.”

“Please,Soph,”Loribegged,“Ijustneedalittlewhilelonger.”
“Okay,”hersisteragreed,“butyou’vegottomakemeapromiseback.”
“Whatisit?”Loriaskedwarily.
“Ifyoustarttofeellikeyou’rereallyintrouble,promiseyou’llcallmeandletmecometakeyou

home.”

“Ipromise.”
“And—”
“Wait,”Lorisaid,cuttingheroff,“youalreadygotyourpromise.”
“Well, I need one more,” Sophie said, just as stubborn as she was, twins both inside and out.

“You’vegottopromisemeyou’llcometoSundaylunchwitheveryoneinaweekandahalf.”

Loriclenchedthephone.“Soph,I—”
“YouhadalreadyplannedtotakeashorttripbackfromChicagofortheweekendtoseeeveryone,”

Sophieremindedher.“Promiseme,Lori,orthedeal’soff.”

God,shehatedbeingforcedagainstthewallbyanyoneoranything.Andmaybeifitwereanyone

buthersisterdoingittoher,shewouldhavefoughtheronit.Buthowcouldshewhensheknewshe’dbe
sayingtheexactsamethingtoSophieiftheirsituationswerereversed,simplybecauseshelovedher?

“Fine,” she grudgingly agreed. “I’ll make sure I don’t miss our big family lunch in a week and a

half.”Knowingitwaslongpasttimetogetherbloodhoundofasisteroffhercase,Loriquicklyasked,
“HaveyouheardanythingfromMeganandGabe?”

“Meganhasn’tadmittedtobeingpregnantyet,”Sophietoldher,“butwhenImetherforlunch,she

gotalittlegreenwhentheguynexttoushadtheeggsalad.Gabeisgoingtobesuchagreatdad,isn’the?”

“Ourbrotherisgoingtobeanamazingfather,”Loriagreed.Gabewasafirefighterwhohadmethis

future wife and eight-year-old daughter when he saved them from a horrible apartment fire a year ago.
“Justlikeyou’reatotallyamazingmom.Summerisgoingtobesoexcitedwhentheyfinally‘fessupand
tellhershe’sgoingtobeabigsister.AndJackieandSmithJr.willhaveanothercousintoplaywith.”
Suddenly,LorisawGraysoncomingtowardher.“I’vegottogo.”

“Backtothefarm?”Sophieaskedwithmorethanalittleincredulity.
“Yes,”Loriconfirmedagain.“Backtothefarm.”
“You’d better call me every day with an update on how you’re doing,” her sister warned her,

“becauseI’mgoingtoworryeveryseconduntilIhearfromyouagain,andifIdon’tknowyou’reokay,
I’mgoingtohavetocomeafteryou,whetheryouwantmethereonthatfarmwithyouornot.”

Everyone thought Sophie was so quiet, so sedate, but Lori knew better than anyone apart from

Sophie’shusbandjustwhatapowerfulforcehersistercouldbe.Especiallyifshethoughtsomeoneshe
lovedwasintrouble.

“Kissthetwins’cutelittlefacesformeandtellthemAuntLorimissesthemandisgoingtoplay

ticklemonsterwiththemsoon.”

ShehungupherphoneandsliditbackintoherbagjustasGraysonroundedthecornerandcame

intofullviewagain.Shepickedupapairofredandblackboots.

“Whatdoyouthinkofthese?Aren’ttheycute?”
Insteadofanswering,hejuststaredather,thatmuscleinhisjawjumpingashetookinhernewhat.

Onadeepglower,hisgazefinallydroppedtothebootsshewasholdingup.

“They’ll do the job,” he said with no appreciation whatsoever for the absolutely gorgeous flame

designrunningupbothsidesofthecowboyboots.“I’llbewaitingforyouinthetruck.”

Somuchforthemomentarytruceithadseemedthey’dcometoinhistruckonthedriveover.Justas

she’dpredicted,ithadn’tlastedlong.

***

Grayson clenched his teeth even tighter as Lori walked outside wearing her new boots and hat.

God,shewascute...andsodamnedsexyhe’dhadaperpetualhard-onsincethesecondshe’dsteppedout
ofhercarthatfirstdayinherridiculouslyrevealingoutfitandheels.

Itdidn’thelpthathewasstillseeingredatthewayshe’dtoldhimshewouldhaveclimbedintoa

stranger’scarifhe’dmadegoodonhisthreattodropheroffontheroadfortalkingtoomuch.Hecouldn’t
believeshewouldbethatstupid,evenifhe’dbeentheonetomaketheequallystupidthreat.

Ontopofeverythingelse,itwashardtopushdownthirty-plusyearsofgoodmannersandnotget

outfrombehindthewheeltoopenthedoorforherandhelpherupintothepassengerseat.Buthewas
very much afraid that if he did, he would rip the new hat from her head and chuck it into the street,
becausethelastthingheneededwasforhertobecomeevenmoreirresistible.Unfortunately,thewayshe
lookedinthecowboybootsandhatwerethreateningtoripwhatwasleftofhisself-controltotatters.

Especiallyafterhe’doverheardhersideofaconversationwithapersonhe’dquicklyguessedhad

tobehersister.Lori,hefigured,hadnoideajusthowwellsoundechoedthroughouttheGeneralStore.
Particularlywhenhewas—stupidly—hangingonhereveryword.

Clearly,hersisterwasworriedabouther.AndwhileLorihadn’tgiventoomuchawaytotheother

woman, she had made it clear that she was on his farm to get a break from her real life...and she had
promisedtoheadbacktoitina“littlewhile.”

Theknowledgeshouldhavefilledhimwithjoy.
Butithadn’t.

For three years, solitude had been his companion and he’d convinced himself that all he’d ever

need again were the blue sky, a thousand acres of pasture, and the crashing waves of the ocean. Until,
fromcompletelyoutoftheblue,LoriSullivanhadbargedintohislife...andpromptlyblownhiscarefully
emotionlessworldtoshreds.

All of the facts, the truths that he couldn’t ignore, made him angry. With her. With himself. And

especially with the whole damned world for dropping someone so irritating and irresistible and
impossibletoignoreathisfeet.

As soon as the passenger door clicked shut and she’d buckled her seatbelt, he started the engine.

Shehadasmallbagonherlapand,amomentlater,shepulledsomethingoutofitandhelditouttohim.
“Wantone?”

Shewasholdingoutsomethinglongandstickyandcoveredinsugar.Itwasfluorescentgreenand

wasn’tevenclosetobeingedible.

“No.”
“Yourloss.”Sheshoveditintohermouthinsteadandstartedchewingthecandy.
And that was just the problem. He knew she was right. Because when she did finally decide to

leave,itreallywasgoingtobehisloss.

Somehowheneededtoholdhisfocusonthefarm,onthenever-endingworkthatcamewithowning

athousandacresandmorethanahundredanimals.“Haveyoueverworkedwithcropsbefore?”heasked
her.

Aroundamouthfulofgummycandy,shesaid,“IusedtohelpmymomwithherveggieswhenIwas

alittlegirl.ShesaidIhadagreenthumb.Why?Isplantingseedsnextonmylist?”

“No,”hetoldher.“Weedingis.”
Hefiguredshe’dgroanatthatnews.Instead,justasshekeptdoingoverandover,shesurprisedhim

by saying, “Oh good. I enjoyed helping her plant things, and seeing them grow was cool, but I always
likedrippingthingsoutevenmore.”

Hecouldseethewidegrinonherfaceinhisperipheralvision,whichwasascloseashecouldget

tolookingatherrightthenifhewantedtokeephiscontrolfrombeingcompletelydestroyed.

“It’slikethedifferencebetweenapirouetteandagrandjeté.Botharefun,butsometimesyou’ve

justgotmoreofanappetitefordestruction.”

He’dspentenoughyearsgoingtotheballetinhispreviouslifetoknowwhatshewastalkingabout.

He shot a look at her gorgeous legs. Even in her dark jeans, her lithe strength was obvious, and the
beautifulwayshemovedhadcaughthiseyefromthefirst.

Wasthatherstory?Wassheadancer?Andifshewas,thenwhatthehellwasshedoingonhisfarm

pretendingtobeafarmhandwhensheshouldbeuponastagesomewhere?

ThankGodhepulledintohisdrivebeforehecoulddosomethingstupid,likeaskheranyofthose

questions.Herquestionsforhimduringtherideoverhadbeenbadenough.

Fromhereonout,hevowedtokeepthemloadedupwithsomuchworkthatneitherofthemwould

havetimetoworryaboutanythingelse,startingwiththeweedsinhisasparaguspatchforherandthenew
roofonhiscottageforhim.

ChapterNine

Damnit,Graysonthoughtthenextmorningasherubbeddownhishorseafteraparticularlygrueling

ride, he’d all but worked the two of them into the ground the day before, but it hadn’t made a bit of
difference.

He still wanted Lori more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life. So much that even though

she’d made him another fabulous dinner and then breakfast, both times he’d told her he couldn’t stop
workinglongenoughtoeatwithherandthathe’dgrabtheleftoverswhenhecould.

Andlater,whenshe’dsaidthatshewasworriedaboutthecatnoteatingmuch,afterhe’dtoldher

Mowasluckytostillbehereatall,she’dglaredathimandturnedonherheelwithoutanotherword.

“Grayson?”Loripokedherheadintothestables.She’dbeenfearlesseverywhereelseonhisfarm,

butsheneverventuredtooclosetohishorses.“YoujustgotacallfromEric.Hesaidhe’sgoingtoneed
tocomeanhourearlytonighttopickuptheboxesoffood.Whatdoyouneedmetodotohelpwiththat?”

Graysonbarelybitbackacurse.SomuchforavoidingLoritoday,too.Inordertogetallofthefood

togetherintime,thetwoofthemwouldhavetoworktogether.Andworkwell.

“Ineedyoutogointothestoreroomandpulloutthecartonssothatwecanfillthem.Laythemout

acrossthetablesinsidethebarn.You’llhavetostackthemtwodeep.”

“HowmanyshouldIpullout?”
“I’vegottwohundredandfifteensubscribers,butwe’llmakeanextradozen.”Peoplesometimes

neededanadditionalboxortwo,plushelikedErictodoafewfreedrop-offsattheendofeverypick-up
daywithwhateverwasleft.

“Gotit.”Sheturnedimmediatelytotakecareoftheworkthatneededtobedone,butitwasn’tuntil

shewasgonethatherealizedsomethinghadbeendifferent.

She hadn’t smiled. Or done or said anything to get a rise out of him. She’d simply given him the

message,thenaskedhimwhatneededtobedone.Itwasexactlywhathe’dtoldherhewantedfromher.
Andyet,itfeltwrong.

Hetriedtopushthecrazythoughtoutofhishead,butbythetimehejoinedherinthebarnandsaw

the incredibly fast progress she’d made—along with the slightly dimmer light in her eyes—he couldn’t
helpbutfeellikeatotalassfornotonlybeingsohardonher,butalsoforgoingoutofhiswaytoavoid
her.

Wassheupsetabouthavingtoeatalone?Wasshethinkinghewasanogreaboutthecat?Ordidit

havenothingtodowithhimatallandshesimplymissedherfamily...orwhoeverelseshehadrunfromto
cometohisfarm?

The thought of Lori with another man was like a hard punch straight to the gut. He couldn’t let

himself have her, but Lord, he couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else touching her, either. Not when,
despite her resilience, he couldn’t help but see the sweet vulnerability in her eyes when she was
exhaustedenoughtoaccidentallyletdownherguard.

Shequicklypickeduponhisplanforthatweek’sboxandtheyworkedsilentlytogethertopickthe

remaining strawberries, artichokes, asparagus, peas, and squash. After a short while, Lori started to
arrangeeachoftheboxesinawaythatGraysonhadtoadmitwasfarmorepleasingtotheeyethanthe
wayhenormallylaideverythingoutforhiscustomers.Hecouldonlyimaginehowhappyeveryonewould
bewhentheypickeduptheirproducethisweek,likelyevenmoreinspiredtogohomeandstartcooking
upandeatingthebountywiththeirfamilies.

BecauseofLori.
Whenhewasdonepickingthefreshfruitandveggiesfortheweek,hemovedtotheothersideofthe

tabletohelpherputtogethertherestoftheboxesandsaid,“Thesearelookinggreat.”

A smile, maybe, or if he was really lucky, some laughter. That was what he’d expected her to

respondwith.Anythingbutaheadthatstayeddownasshesimplynoddedandkeptfillingboxes.

“Lori—”
Shit,hedidn’tevenknowwhathewantedtosaytoher,justthatithadtobesomething.Anythingto

bringbackthesmilehewasgettingwaytoousedtoseeing...andthemotormouththathadstartedtosound
betterthananysymphonyhe’deverheard.

Herhandsimmediatelystilledandwhenshefinallylookedupathim,hehatedtheshadowsinher

eyes.

“Whatisit,Grayson?”
Fourcrispwordswereallhewarrantednow.“Iwantedtosay—”Whenhepausedtotrytogeta

grip,hesawthehopelightupinhereyes.

“Goahead,”shesaidwithasoftcurvingofherlipsthatheldhimentranced.“I’mlistening.”
Buteverythinghewantedtosay,everythingheneededtotellher,gotstuckinhisthroat.Andinthe

end,allthatcameoutofhismouthwas,“Ifyou’retired,Icanfinishup.”

Justasquicklyasshe’dopenedherselfbackuptohim,sheshutdown,lookingattheartichokein

herhandratherthanupathim.

“I’mnottired.”Shetookoffhercowboyhat,then,andhungitfromanailonthewall.
Hertakingoffthehatfeltlikeanomen,abadone.Wherehe’dwantedtoyankitoffandtossitinto

thestreetthedaybefore,nowhewantedtopickitupandjamitbackdownontoherhead.

But before he could say or do anything more, he heard the crunch of tires over the gravel on the

drive.Ericwalkedintothebarnaminutelater.“Hey,Grayson,sorryabouttheschedulechangetoday.”
WhenhesawLori,theusuallytaciturnyoungfarmerbrokeoutintoahugegrin.“YoumustbeLori.”

ShegrinnedatEricinexactlythewayshehadn’tbeensmilingathimastheyshookhands.“It’sso

nicetomeetyou,Eric.AndthanksforyoursuggestionsaboutwhatelsetotryfeedingSweetpea.I’mgoing
totrythelivertonight.I’llletyouknowhowitgoes.”

Whatthehell?FirstshewaslightingupforEricandthenitturnedoutthatthey’dalreadyswapped

cat-feedingtipswitheachother?HadshealsotoldEricwhatanassherbosshadbeensincethesecond
she’dsignedonashisfarmhand?

“Wow,”Ericcommentedwhenhelookedattheboxesofproduce,“theselookgreatthisweek.”His

smilewasallforLori.“Musthaveneededawoman’stouch.”

Withoutawordtoeitherofthem,GraysonstartedcarryingtheboxesovertoEric’struck.Loriand

Eric chatted like old friends the entire time, with Eric happily answering each of Lori’s rapid-fire
questions.“Sohowdothepick-upswork?Isthereacheck-offlist?Doyouknoweveryone?Aretheyall
localsordotheycomefromothertowns?Dopeoplebringtheirkidsandpetsandhangoutoraretheyjust
inandout?”

Tellinghimselfthiswastheperfectwaytogetheroutofhishair,GraysoncutoffErichalfwayinto

hislengthyexplanationofhowtheevening’spick-upwouldwork.“Goandseeforyourself.”

Hedidn’thavetooffertwice,asEricandLoriimmediatelygrinnedateachotherandsaid,“Great!”

atthesametime.

Grayson’s hands would have fisted had he not been carrying three heavy boxes stacked on top of

oneanother.EricandLoriwereperfecttogether.Bothofthemhadareadysmile.Bothofthemcouldtalk
your ear off for hours. They even looked good together, Eric blond and muscular next to Lori’s dark-
hairedgrace.

“Oh,I almost forgot,”Eric said toGrayson when he finallymanaged to yankhis gaze away from

Lori.“AjournalistcalledrightbeforeIcameoverhere.He’sdoingastoryonthepopularityofCSAs,but
whenItoldhimthatI’mjustthepick-upguyheaskedifyoucouldgivehimacallback.”Ericreached

intothefrontpocketofhisjeans.“I’vegothisnumberhere.”

“Idon’tneedthenumber.”
LorifrownedathimasEricasked,“Yousure?Hesoundedlikeaniceguy,eventoldmethathe’d

heardaboutyourCSAfromseveralpeoplewhosaidyou’rerunningthebestoneinthearea.”

“I’mnotinterestedinpress,thanks.”Graysoncouldn’tstandthethoughtofanyonepokingintohis

past, not when he could guess how fast the story would turn from one about his farm and CSA into a
“tragic”storyofloveandloss.Hehadneverspokentoanyoneabouthisstory,andheneverplannedto.
PuttingthefinalboxesintoEric’struck,hesaid,“Lookslikeyou’reallsettogo.”

“I’llmakesuretobringLoribacksafeandsoundinacoupleofhours.”
GraysonbarelykepthimselffromgrowlingthatErichadbetterdojustthatorhe’dmakesurethe

othermanpaidforit.

Loriwasjustleavingthebarnwhenshesuddenlyturnedaroundandgrabbedthecowboyhatoffthe

nail.Whensheploppeditbackonherhead,Ericgrinnedatherandsaid,“Greathat.”

“Thankyou.”Hersmileathiscomplimentwassobrightitcouldhavelituptheentiretown.
AndasGraysonwatchedthemgetintoEric’struckandthendriveaway,hewonderedwhatinthe

hell he was doing sending her off alone with Eric. It wasn’t that he thought the other man would do
anythingtohurtherorfrightenher.Onthecontrary,Ericwasagood-lookingyoungguy.Hedidn’thave
anyissues,didn’thaveanyreasonsnottomakeaplayforLoriandhopethatsheplayed,too.

***

ThetwohoursthatGraysonspentworkingwithhishammeronthenewcottageroof,sohardand

fastthathisshoulderached,didn’tbringhimanyclosertoerasingthewayLorihadsmiledatEric.And
whenGraysonfinallyheardthetruckcomebackupthedrive,hewashardpressednottoyankheroutofit
andclaimherashisonceandforallwithakissthatwouldhavebothofthemforgettinganythingbuthow
goodtheycouldbetogether.

Ofcourse,Ericcamearoundandhelpedheroutofhistrucklikeagentleman.Shegavehimahug

good-byeandthenstoodinthedrivewayandwavedashedroveaway.Hersmilewasstillintactasshe
said,“Thatwassomuchfun!”

Grayson’sheartswelledinhischestatseeinghersohappy,evenifhehadn’tbeentheonetomake

herthatway.Butwhenshefinallylookedupandrealizedhewasstandingbythesideofthebarnwatching
her,hersmilefellaway.

“Ican’tbelieveyoudon’tdothepick-uphere,”shesaid,evidentlynolongergivinghimthesilent

treatment.“Yourcustomersaretheneatestpeopleandthey’resogratefulforthefoodyougrowforthem.
Don’tyouwantthesatisfactionofseeinghowhappytheyare—oratleastgivethemachancetosaythank
you?”

She’donly been backfor sixty secondsand already she waslaying into him.How could he have

beenupsetaboutherearliermoratoriumonchatting?

Knowingshewasgoingtokeepglaringathimuntilheanswered,hetoldher,“I’mtoobusy.”
She made a sound of disbelief. A loud one. “You can’t spare two hours once a week to actually

interact with your customers and community, but Eric told me you give away free food to people who
can’taffordtosubscribetoyourCSAeverysingleweek.”Sheshookherhead.“Idon’tunderstandyouat
all,Grayson.Notevenalittlebit.”Withthat,sheheadedinsidethehouseandslammedthedoor.

The sick truth was that he didn’t understand himself, either, didn’t know how he could be feeling

whathewasfeelingforhersoquickly.She’donlybeenwithhimforafewdays,andhadpushedevery
oneofhisbuttonsrepeatedly—andlikelyonpurpose—morethanhalfthetime.

Notonlywashetornbetweenwantingtostrangleherandwantingtokissher,butfrankly,hewasn’t

surewhichwasgoingtohappenfirst.

Although when he finally walked back into his house and found Lori curled up on the couch

sneezingherheadoffwithMoonherlapasshetriedtocoaxherto“justtakeonemoreteeny-tinybiteof
thesuperyummyliver,”anyonewithhalfabrainwouldhaveplacedtheirbetsonkissing.

Whichwaswhyheimmediatelygrabbedhiskeysfromthekitchencounterandheadedstraightfor

the local bar to watch a game he wasn’t interested in and eat a burger that tasted like sawdust, making
surehedidn’treturntothehouseuntilhecouldbesureLoriwasasleep.

It was long past midnight when he finally headed up his driveway, and when he saw that her

bedroomlightwasstillon,hewassuddenlyhitwiththecrazyurgetorewindthepastsixhours—hell,the
pastseveraldays—sothathecouldgetthingsrightwithherthistime.

Only,assoonashegotoutofhistruck,sheturnedoffherbedroomlight.

ChapterTen

Grayson had obviously had breakfast by the time Lori woke up—a little late, due to the fact that

she’dbeenwaitinguptomakesurehegothomesafeandsoundafterthewayhe’dbargedoutofthehouse
thenightbefore.Sheatequickly,thenwentoutsidetofeedthechickensandcollecttheireggs.Whenshe
wasdone,sheheadedintothepigpen.

“Hey,Chase,”shesaidtooneofherfavoritepigs.“Beautifulday,isn’tit?”
Thepigsactedalmostlikepuppiesastheysnuffledathernewbootsandcameforpatsonthehead.

There were seven of them, so she’d decided to name them after her brothers and sister. And since
Grayson was off somewhere doing secret farmer things that she’d likely have to pry out of him with a
crowbarifshewasinterestedenough,shetalkedtothemthewayshewouldhavetalkedwithhersiblings.

“Prettyamazinghowbeautifulitiswhenthesunsetshere,isn’tit?”shetoldthepigshe’dnamed

after her photographer brother. “Probably wish your hooves weren’t so dirty so you could pick up a
cameraandcaptureit,don’tyou?”Shecouldhaveswornthepignodded.

Shewasrefillingthewatertroughsasthefastestpigracedoverforadrink,remindingherofher

car-racing brother Zach. “There was the most beautiful classic Ford truck on Main Street yesterday.
Wouldn’titbegreattogozippingdownthefarmroadinthemiddleofthenight,underafullmoon,pedal
tothemetal?”JustasherbrotherZachwouldhave,heignoredherandkeptondrinking.

Shegrinnedasshepickedupthebagoffeedandtheoldestpigofthebunchkeptawatchfuleyeon

her,lettingtheyoungeronesfeedfirst.“You’redefinitelyMarcus,”shesaid,herhearttugginghardasshe
thoughtabouthowmuchheroldestbrother,whoownedawineryinNapaValley,wouldlovetherolling
hillsofPescadero.“MaybeyoushouldgivesomethoughttoconvincingGraysontoputinsomegrapesout
here,too.”Thepigsimplykeptacalmwatchovertherestofhismotleycrew.

Talkingtothepigslikethisdidn’tmakehermissherfamilyanyless,butitkepthersmiling.And

sheknewthatwasthemostimportantthingrightnow.Especiallywhentheonlyactualpersonshehadto
talktowaslittlebetterthanworkingandlivingwithaghost.

Shedidn’tknowhowhedidit—howhemanagedtobesobigandyetsosilent,sodomineeringand

yetinvisible,allatthesametime.Insomeways,GraysonremindedherofhertwinsisterSophie.Soph
couldslipinandoutofaroomandnoticeabsolutelyeverythinginitwithoutanyonebeingthewiser.

Lori had always loved helping Marcus out with his vineyard in Napa, but even so, she was

surprised by how much she liked working on a farm, with the exception of cleaning bathrooms. She’d
enjoyed using the riding lawnmower that morning, and had loved the thrill of having all that power
betweenherlegs.Shealsoreallylikedhavingherhandsintherichsoilassheweededthegarden,andthe
pigsandchickenshadbecomelikeasecondfamilytoherbynow.

Shehadjustfinishedmuckingoutthemamapig’sstallandwasgivingherbootsagentlehose-down

whenGraysonsuddenlywalkedoutofthestables.“Ijustheardfromtheneighbortothewestofherethat
oneofmyfencesisdownandthecowsaregrazingonhisland.Weneedtogetoverthereimmediatelyto
fixit.I’vesaddledRosieforyou.”

Lori knew she could be stubborn and full of pride. Impulsive, too. But she wasn’t stupid. Which

waswhyshehadnoproblematalladmitting,“Idon’tknowhowtorideahorse.Can’twegetouttothe
fenceanotherway?”

“Notwithoutthesoundofthemotordrivingevenmorecowsintotheneighbor’sfield.”
Shetookadeepbreath.“Okay,then,whydon’tyougivemeaquickridinglesson?”
“Wedon’thavetimeforalesson.”
Helookedasfrustratedasshefelt.Sheknewtheywerenothingmorethanemployerandfarmhand,

butoh,howshewishedhe’dtalktoher,lookather,forsomeotherreasonthanbecauseofafenceora
dirtyhousethatneededcleaningorbecauseshe’djustscrewedsomethingup.

Shewishedevenmorethatshecouldjuststopwishing,already.
Finally,heinformedher,“You’regoingtohavetoridewithme.”Helookednonetoohappyabout

it.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” she said, not happy about it either. Considering the way her body

instantly heated up even from two dozen feet away, she knew that his avoiding her had been a good
idea...andthatridingonahorsetogetherwasanequallybadone.

She couldn’t get on a horse with Grayson, couldn’t be that close to all his marvelously big, hard

muscles.Especiallywhenhewaslookingevenmorebrooding,mysterious,andsuper-crazy-sexytodayin
hisjeansandworkshirtandcowboyhatandboots.

“Moreofmycowscouldgetoutifwetakemuchlongeranditlookslikethere’sastormcomingin.

Goputonacoat.”

As he went back into the stable to bring his horse outside, she looked up at the sky, at the puffy

whitecloudsinthebrightblue.Therewasalightbreeze,butthesunwaswarmandshedidn’tbelieve
therewaseventheslightestchanceofastorminthenearfuture.No,shesuspectedhewassimplytryingto
makehercoverupsothathecouldpretendshewasn’tawomanwhiletheybumpedandslidandrocked
againsteachotherinthesaddle.

Hegaveheroneofhisfinelytunedirritatedlookswhenhecamebackoutandsawthatshewasstill

justwearingherthinT-shirt.Sheshothimonerightback.

“ComehereandI’llhoistyouup.”
Hating the way he talked about her as if she were a sack of grain, she said, “I can get up on the

horsemyself,thankyou.”

Butboy,diditseemlikealongwayup,andwhenshestalledaminutetoolong,onasoundofdeep

frustrationGrayson’sarmswentaroundherwaistandheallbuttossedheruponthehorse’sback.She
grabbedthesaddlehornandhungonfordearlife,buthewasseatedbehindheramomentlater,hisstrong
legsandhardchestholdingherfirmlyinplace.

Whenhekickedthehorseintoatrot,itwasn’tthesuddenmovementthatstoleallthebreathfrom

Lori’s lungs, it was Grayson’s warmth, his strength, his deliciously male scent...and the swift rush of
desirethatshedidn’thaveeventheslightestprayerofignoring.

***

Lord, why did the cows have to bust through the fence today? And why hadn’t he taken an extra

coupleofminutestofigureoutsomethingelse—anythingelse—sothathewouldn’tbeuphereinahellof
hisownmakingwiththesexiestdamnedcowgirlwhohadevergracedtheearth?

Graysonhadneverbeensohardinallhislife,andhehadabadfeelinghehadn’tbeenthinkingwith

therightheadwhenhe’ddecidedLoriwouldhavetoridewithhim.

“Wow,isallofthisreallyyours?”Hecouldn’tmissthewonderinhervoiceassheadded,“It’sso

beautiful—do you ever feel like you’re living in a painting? And oh, look at that!” She gasped with
pleasureasshepointedoutattheocean.“NowonderyoudecidedtomoveherefromNewYork.”

For the past years, his land had been a refuge. It had been a way to leave the rest of the world

behind.Buthehadneverlethimselftrulytakeinthebeauty.Notuntilhecouldn’thelpbutseeitthrough
thewonderinLori’seyes.

“You’re very lucky,” she said as they rode closer to the broken fence, close enough to hear the

wavescrashingontheshorebelow.“Very,verylucky.”

Shewasright,hewas,butnotbecauseheownedsuchamazingproperty.

No,todayhisluckmeantgettingtoholdabeautifulgirlwhosawwonderineverythinginhisarms

foralittlewhileunderthepretextofneedingtokeephersteadyonhishorse.

Becauseeventhoughitwasthelastthingheshouldbedoing,inthisoneraremomentwherethey

weren’t arguing, or glaring, or being frustrated with each other, Grayson couldn’t find a way to stop
himselffromdrinkingineveryprecioussecondwithLori.

***

Twohourslater...

Loritriednottoshiver,butitwasgettingsocold.Wherehadthewindcomefromsoquickly?When

they’d left Grayson’s farmhouse, the sky had been blue and cloudless, the air still. She hated that he’d
beenrightwhenhe’dtoldherastormwascominginandsheshouldputonajacket.

Ifonlyshedidn’tfeellikesheneededtodotheoppositeofeverythinghesaid.Itwasjustthatifshe

didn’t,he’dthinkhewaswinning.

Andshecouldn’tlethimwin.Shecouldn’tletanymanwineveragain.
WhichwaswhyitwassoimportantthatshestayontopofthingswithGrayson.Especiallywhenit

came to blocking the attraction between them that simmered beneath the surface of every look, every
word,everyaccidentaltouch.

Shedidn’tevenlikehim.Notverymuch,anyway.Sosherefusedtowanthim.Period.Noifs,ands,

orbuts.ShewasnotinterestedinsleepingwithGrayson.Definitelynot.

Only, despite how much she was willing herself to remain warm in the cold breeze, she couldn’t

keepahardshiverfromrunningthrougheverylastinchofher.Shesighedasshepickedupthepliers,the
coolhandlesfeelinglikeblocksoficeinheralreadychilledhands.

Theproblem,shethoughtwithanotherdeepsigh,wasthatdecidingnottofeelsomethingwasvery

differentfromactuallynotfeelingit.Andjustasshewasunabletostophershiversfromtakingherover
headtotoe,shewasverymuchafraidthatshewasn’tgoingtobeabletokeepherattractiontoGraysonat
bayforverymuchlonger,either.

Fortunately, she knew that as long as she never acted on it, he certainly wouldn’t. Talk about a

completelyunbendable,rigidguy.Itwashiswayorthehighway.

Andshewasdefinitelynotawayhehadanyintentionofgoing.
He couldn’t have said even a hundred words to her today, and they’d been working outside with

each other for hours. She’d never said so little to anyone in all her life...or been quite so powerfully
aware of someone else. Once he’d gotten her going on the fence and could be reasonably well assured
that she wasn’t going to completely screw up her part of it, he’d left her to her own thoughts, only
stoppingbytolookoverhershoulderatherworkmanshipeveryhalfhourorso.

Amazingly, despite the fact that she didn’t have anything else to focus on but the patterns of the

twistingwiresinherhands,thoughtsofVictorhadn’tassaultedher,hadn’tcreptintotakeovereverylast
openspaceinsideofherandturnlighttodark.Maybe,shethoughtyetagain,shewasrighttohavecome
heretoafarmmilesfromanyonesheknew,fromanythingshe’deverexperienced.

IfithurtherfemalepridealittlebitthatGraysonwasasfarfromfallingforherasanymanhad

everbeen,well,shedidn’tcare.Shedidn’twantamaninherlife,anyway.Herwholelifefeltlikeithad
beenoneseductionafteranother.Notonlyasadancerandchoreographertryingtogetjobs,butalsoasa
womantryingtogetmentonoticeher.

Hermotherhadraisedhertobemorethanthat,butgrowingupinafamilyofsuchdynamic,smart

siblings,Lorihadneededtocarveoutherownnicheearlyon.

NaughtywaswhatherbrotherChasehadchristenedhersomanyyearsago,andshe’dworkedtofit

thatdescriptioneverydaysince.Herhair,hermakeup,herclotheshadalwaysbeenwildandsexy.She
wasn’t someone who ever left the house looking anything but fantastic, even to get milk or the paper.
Whenpeoplelookedather,she’dmadesureitwasworththeirwhile.Andthey’dalwayslooked.

OuthereonGrayson’sfarmwasthefirsttimeinheradultlifethatshe’deverforgoneablowdryer

orletherskinbebaredtothesunwithoutatleastmascaraandblushandlipstick.Shewaslivinginjeans
andT-shirts.Theonlypartofheroldlifeshestillkeptwithherwasthelaceandsilksheworebeneath
herclothes.

The problem was that putting both dance and seduction aside left her feeling as though she was

tryingtoholdontotheairasitflittedthroughherhands.Dancingandlovehadalwaysgonetogetherfor
Lori,fromherfirstcrushasalittlegirlontheteenagerinherballetclasswhocouldlifthersohigh,so
effortlessly. All her adult life she’d fallen for other dancers and choreographers as she’d twirled and
swayedintheirarmsonwornwoodenstudiofloorsandstages.

Only,whenhermistakeswithVictorhadmadeherstopbelievinginlove,she’dalsolostherlove

fordancing.Andshehadnoideahowtorecaptureeitherofthoseloves.

But she’d never been helpless before, and she refused to feel helpless now as she stood up to

stretch her back and look out over the hills that rolled all the way to the ocean. She was struck with
wonderyetagainatthebeautyoftheland,thequiet,theever-changingcolorsofthelandscape—eventhe
clouds,whichweredarknowandcoveredthewholeexpanseofpreviouslybluesky.

Suddenly,acrackoflightningsplittheskyandLoriturnedherfaceuptothedarkeningcloudsjust

astheyopened.Itshouldn’tmakeanysensethatsheshouldfindsuchjoyinthefreezingpelletsofrainthat
pummeledher—anyonewithalickofsensewouldberushingtotakecoverfromtheharshelements—but
shecouldn’thaveheldbackherlaughterfortheworld.

Loriopenedherarmsandleanedbacktotakeitallin,tolettheforceofthestormbarrelintoher,

hersuddenlaughterjoininginwiththethunderandlightning.

TherainwasshockinglycoldonherbareskinasitquicklysoakedthroughherT-shirtandjeans,but

shesworeshecouldfeelitwashingherclean,pouringoverherarmswhereVictorhadoncetouchedher,
drenchinglipsthatVictorhadoncekissed.She’dthoughtshe’dbeensofree,sowildherwholelife,but
every time she went back to Victor after he’d hurt her, walls had started to grow around her heart,
buildingupaninchatatimeuntilthey’dheldhertrappedinside.

Now,witheachboomofthunder,witheachboltoflightning,thosewallsbegantocrumble.
OnlyGrayson’scursecouldhavebeenlouderthaneitherherlaughterorthestorm.Loriwasstill

smiling when she looked over at him, still lost in the wildness that surrounded them both. Besides, she
was getting used to seeing that scowl on his face whenever he looked at her. She was even starting to
thinkitwasalittlebitcute,truthbetold,asthoughhewerejustalittleboywhowasn’tgettingexactly
whathewantedrightwhenhewantedit.

Belatedly,sherealizedhealreadyhadhistools,andhers,putawayinthesaddlebags,andseconds

laterwasswingingontothehorse’sback.Fromuponthehorse,hereacheddownforher.

Suddenly, she could see him as he would have been hundreds of years ago, a warrior up on his

horse,bigandstrong.Amanawomancouldcountontoprotecther,nomatterwhat.

Butherromanticvisionswereyankedawayasecondlaterwhenhereacheddownandscoopedher

upintohisarmssoquicklythatshedidn’tevenhaveachancetofighthim.Hegrabbedher,broughther
chesttohis,andwithnothingbutonearm,hesettledheronhislap,herlegsoverhis...andthenhewas
ridingawaywithher.

Itshouldn’tbesexyorromantic,damnit,andshealsoshouldn’tbegettingturnedonbyhavingto

holdontohisbigmuscles,orbythewaytheseamofherjeansrubbedupagainsthisinjusttherightway,
right where she’d been overheated since the first time she’d laid eyes on his too-beautiful face and his
too-perfectbody.

No,insteadofbeingturnedonbyhisbarbaricbehavior,sheneededtoberightfullyoutragedbythe

wayhe’dyankedherupontothehorsewithhimagain.Only,justasshewasabouttoopenhermouthto
givehimapieceofhermindoverthesoundoftheraincrashingdownonthem,anothercrackoflightning
flashed—closeenoughthattheycouldactuallyseetheboltslamintoatreelessthanaquarterofamile
away.Thunderrolledinimmediatelyafterward.

Thehorserearedandastheystartedslidingonthesaddle,Loriautomaticallytightenedhergripon

Grayson, holding onto him for dear life with her arms and legs. He cursed again as he worked to keep
themsteady,hisgriptighteningaroundherwaistsothatshewouldn’tslideoffhim.

“We’renotgoingtobeabletogetbacktothehouse,”heyelledovertherainashequicklychanged

direction, heading down closer to the ocean rather than back toward the farmhouse. “I’ve got to get
Diablooutofthestorm.”

Ofcourseallhecouldthinkaboutwasgettinghishorsetosafety.Heclearlylovedhishorse,and

plannedonkeepinghimforever.WhereasLoriknewshehadbeennothingbutatotalpaininhisrear,and
hecouldn’twaittogetridofher.

Still,hewassowarmdespitethecoldwindandrainthatshecouldn’thelpbutburyherfaceinthe

crookofhisneckandbreathehimin.Nomanhadeversmelledasgoodashedid,likesoapandsweat
thatcamefromworkinghard,likefreshgrass,andrichsoil,andclean,sweetrain.

When a thick drop of rain ran down from his chin into the hollow of his neck, how could she do

anything else but lick out against it so that she could finally drink him in the way she’d been secretly
wantingtoallalong?

Anothershiverwentthroughherashertonguemethisskinandshefinallyfoundoutjusthowgood

he tasted. Only, this time it had nothing to do with being cold...and everything to do with the desperate
wantingshe’dswornshewouldn’tletherselffeel.

Whenshe’dcometoPescaderoshe’dthoughtshewasdeadinside,butGraysonhadmadeherfeel

again,rightaway,despiteknowingbetter.Andnow,theevenbiggerproblemwasthatLorihadnoidea
howtokeepsomewallsupwhileothersfell.Allshecoulddowasletthemallbreaktopieces,oneby
one,andpraythatherheartwouldbestrongenoughtowithstandbeingoutthereintheopenagain.

Ofcourse,itwasn’therheartshewasthinkingwithasshewenttotakeanothertaste.Shehadnever

beenashamedofhernaturalsexuality,anddidn’tknowhowtostarttampingitdownnow.Notwhenshe
wasachinglyhungryforGrayson’stouch,forthewonderofbeinghisotherhalfastheycametogether.

Lorihadalwaysbeenintunewithherbody,hadalwaysautomaticallytranslatedeverythingshefelt,

everythingshesaw,intodance.UntilthingswithVictorhadgottensobadthatshe’dallbutforgottenhow
toreadorspeakthatlanguage.

Butnow,assheheldontoGrayson’shardmuscles,asshefeltthepoundingofthehoovesmoving

throughherwhilehishorsegallopedthroughthewetfields,asshegazedoutthroughtheraintotheraging
oceanatthebottomofthecliffs,shefinallysawthroughtheeyesofadanceragain.

Therainhadbecomesparklesoflightpouringdownfromtheceilingofanauditoriumoverdancers

dressed in the blues of the sky and the green of the grass and the reds and oranges and yellows of the
flowers.Givingintothestorm,theydanced,wildandbeautiful.Shecouldseealonemaledancermoving
throughthem,soliddespitethepowerofthestormashereachedforoneofthefemaledancers,whowasa
colorfulwildflowerjustbreakingloosetogoflyingaway,away,away.

ThepictureofthedanceLoriwaspaintinginhermind’seyewassoclearthatsheknewthemale

wouldcradlethefemaleagainsthim,holdhersteady...thenfinallyletherloosetoflyagainwhenshewas
strongerandthebeautifullywildstormhadabatedenoughthatitwassafeforhertobesetfree.

Andjustlikethewildflowerinhervision,asthewindwhippedthroughherhairandtherainpelted

downonherlimbswhileGraysonheldhersteadyandsafeontopofthefast-movinghorse,Lorifeltasif
Graysonhadjustgivenherbackthefreedomshe’dbeenafraidwaslostwhenshe’dleftChicago.

Lostinhervisions,LoriwassurprisedtorealizethehorsehadstoppedgallopingandGraysonwas

ontheground.Sheimmediatelyfeltchilledwithouthisarmsaroundher.Fortunately,shedidn’thavelong
towaitforhimtotouchheragain,becausehislargehandswereonherwaistandhewasliftingheroffthe
horse’sbacktotheground.

Foramomenteverythinggotmixedupinherhead,themanshe’dbeenlivingwithfornearlyaweek

andthemanfromthedanceinhervisions.Whenherfeethitthegroundagainandsheblinkedupathimin
therain,theworldstoppedspinningasshestaredintohiseyes.

Hisgazewasdarkandmysterious,justlikealways.Onlythistime,insteadofsteppingawayfrom

him, she had to reach up to stroke his face, had to feel beneath her fingertips what she’d just tasted
momentsago.

Shewatchedasfireleaptinhiseyes,feltthevibrationofhisgroan,felttheheatandpurityofhis

desireforhermovethroughhimandintoherasheturnedhischeekslightlytopressintoherhand.But,too
soon,hewrenchedhimselfawayfromher.

“GetinsidethecabinwhileItakecareofthehorse.”
His words were loud to be heard over the storm. They were hard, too. As hard as anything he’d

ever said to her, and even though she thought she’d been doing a good job of blocking his grunts and
growls,thisonesentencepiercedher.Enoughthatshewantednothingmorethantogetawayfromhimfor
afewminutestotrytoregainherbearings.

Andtostopseeinghimasshehadinhervisionofthestorm-turned-dance—asstrong,asgentle,as

nurturing.

She’dbeenstupidtoomanytimesbeforewithmen,hadletherbodyandhearttakeherdownapath

thatsheshouldhaverunfrominstead.Shewouldn’tdoitagain.

EspeciallynotwithGrayson.

ChapterEleven

GraysontookDiablo’ssaddleoffandbrushedhimdown,thengatheredupwoodfromthepileinthe

rackundertheroofoverhangandcarriedtheheavyloadinside.

AndallthewhileherefusedtolethimselfrememberhowLori’stonguehadfeltagainsthisskin.
Orthewayherlithecurveshadfitagainsthiswhilehertonedlegswerewrappedaroundhiswaist

andherstrongarmswerelockedaroundhisneck.

Norwouldhelethimselfrememberthatshe’dlookedlikeabeautifulwitchwhocouldn’thavebeen

morepleasedbythestormshe’dbrewedup.

And while he was at it, he would also force himself to forget how beautiful the sound of her

laughterhadbeen...andthateveninthemiddleoftherain,thatsoundhadwarmedhimbetterthanthesun
everhad.

It was the first time he’d seen her laugh like that, with her whole body, her entire heart and soul

behindthehappysound.Whenshe’dopenedupherarmstothestormandtiltedupherfacetolettherain
washoverher,shenotonlylookedlikeshebelongedonhisland,shelookedsobeautifulthathe’dfeltas
ifsomethinginsideofhimhadbeenstruckbylightning.

Heyankedopenthedoortotheoldlogcabin,harderthanheshouldhaveconsideringtheageofthe

hinges.EarlysettlershadcomehereandlaiddownstakesanddreamsintheWest.Harshweatheroften
torethroughthispartofthecoast,butrightinthisspot,themountainsandtreesgaveenoughshelterfrom
theworstoftherainandthewind.Fromtheporch,therewasnothingbutopenlandandoceanasfarasthe
eyecouldsee.

Graysonhadnevercomeherewithanyoneelse,hadkeptitashisownprivatespacealltheseyears,

hadneverevenbeentemptedtobringanyoneelseherewithhim.

LoriSullivanwasthelastpersonhewantedinhissacredspace.Shewastooloud.Movedtoofast.

Neededtoomuch.

Graysongaveendlesslytohisanimals.Tohisland.Butneveragaindidheintendtogiveanypartof

hissoultoawoman.

Insidethecabin,hecouldn’tfindheratfirst,notuntilherealizedshewaskneelinginfrontofthe

fireplace,lightingmatchesthatwereblowingoutimmediately.Therewasapileofwastedmatchesonthe
groundinfrontofher.

Damn it, he asked himself in a silent but furious voice, why the hell did his senses come alive

everysingletimehelookedather?

Theangerthatcamefromhavingtoacknowledgehe’dneverfeltquitesoaliveinallhislifethanhe

didwhenhewaswithher,hadhimbitingout,“I’llgetthefiregoing.”

Heknewbetterbynowthantothinkshe’dlistentohisorders,andshedidn’tdisappoint.Shedidn’t

lookupathimfromthefloor,either,asshemuttered,“Iknowhowtostartafire,”thenlitanothermatch.

He dropped the wood in a pile beside the fireplace and yanked the box of matches from her.

“You’regoingtowastethemall.”

Onlyjustashesaidit,thefireshe’dlaidinthestonefireplacefinallytook.Hewaitedforherlook

ofvictory,butshedidn’tgivehimone,didn’tlookathimatallasshestoodupandmovedawayfrom
him.

Guilttwistedinhisgutatthewayhe’dorderedhertogetinsideearlier.Butdidn’tsheseethatshe

simply should have held on so that she didn’t fall off the horse, rather than moving in his arms like a
womandidwhenshewantedaman,or,worsestill,slickinghertongueoverhisskin?Andmakinghim
wantherwithafiercefurythatstunnedhim.

Shewaspushinghimallthewaytotheedge...theverylastplacehe’dswornevertogoagain.
Ofcourse,justbecausehe’dhurtherfeelingsdidn’tmeanshecouldkeephermouthshutformore

thanfiveseconds.Evenwhiletheywereoutworkingonthefence,she’dbeenhummingshowtunesinan
off-keyvoicetheentiretime.

“I’ve read so many books about this exact thing happening in England,” she muttered, “when the

heroandheroinegetcaughtinastormandhavetotakeshelterinanoldcottage.You’dbeadukeandI’d
beavirginwho’safraidtobealonewithyouincaseyoulosecontrolandcan’tstopyourselffromtaking
myinnocence.”Shemadeanoisethatwassomewherebetweenasnortandirritatedlaughterassheshook
out her wet hair and leaned in closer to the fire. “Of course, you’re no duke, and I’m definitely not a
virgin. The books made it all seem so romantic, but clearly they forgot to mention that being wet and
freezingcoldisn’tromanticatall.”

Herefusedtoacknowledgetheclenchingofhischestatthewayshe’dsaidshewas“definitelynota

virgin.” Picturing other men touching Lori, making love to Lori, shouldn’t matter to him, so he forced
himselftoignorehissenselesspossessivenesswhereshewasconcerned.

But he couldn’t ignore the way she had her arms wrapped around herself and how hard she was

shivering.“Takeyourclothesoff.”

Sheturnedtohimwithabemusedexpression.“Excuseme?”
Finally realizing how it had sounded, he said, “You’re going to get chilled if you keep your wet

clotheson.”

“Why,Grayson,”shedrawled,“Ididn’tknowyoucared.”
Hell, but she grated on him. And turned him on more and more with every one of her sassy

responses.

“You’regoingtobeevenmoreuselessonthefarmifyougetsick.”
Beforesheturnedawayfromhim,hesawsomethingmovethroughhereyes,anotherflashofhurt

thathadhimfeelingevenmorelikeaguiltyass.Especiallywhenshehadn’tdoneahalfbadjobonthe
fencethisafternoon.

Hewalkedtothewindowandlookedoutattherainpeltinghisland.Justashe’dneverintendedto

share this cabin with anyone, he hadn’t planned on sharing his land, either. But now he could see Lori
everywhere he looked, could sense her footprints, her touch, in so many things that had been all his up
untilnow.

For days the two of them had been acting like kids out on the playground, with him pulling her

pigtailswhileshethrewrocksathim.Someonehadtobethebiggerperson.Heknewitneededtobehim.

“Youdidago—”
ThewordsdiedonhislipsasheturnedandsawLoristandinginonlyherunderwear,herjeansand

socksandbootsinawetheapatherbarefeetasshepulledherwetT-shirtupoverherhead.Themuscles
ofhertautabdomenrippledslightlyunderhercreamyskin,andherbreaststhreatenedtospilloutfrom
overthetopofherlacybra.

Thefirstsecondshe’dgottenoutofhercaraftercrashingintohisfencepost,he’dthoughtshewas

gorgeous. But Jesus, looking at her in her underwear, he was on the verge of having a heart attack.
Especiallywhenthefabricbarelycoveringherwassowetandsee-throughitwasalmostsexierthanif
she’dbeenwearingnothingatall.

WhenLorihadpulledhershirtallthewayoffanddroppedittothefloor,sheliftedherchinasshe

stared back at him. “Is this how you wanted me?” She gestured to her bra and panties. “Or maybe you
meantthatIshouldtakeeverythingoff?”

Shewasafootsmallerthanhe,butasshestaredhimdowninsidethecabinthathadonlyeverbeen

his,heforgothowsmallshewas,forgotthatshewasdeliberatelytryingtorilehimup,forgoteverything
buthowdamnedmuchhewantedher.

Graysondidn’twanttowanther.
Hell,hedidn’twanttowantanyoneoranythingthewayhewantedher.
Hislackofcontrolmadehimangryather.
Butitmadehimevenangrierathimself.
Wantingherlikethisfeltlikeweakness.Aterribleweaknessthathadbeeneatingawayathimone

second,oneminute,onehouratatimeoverthepastfewdayssinceshe’dinvadedhisspace,hisfarm.His
life.

Somehowhe’dlethimselfgetcaughtinaviciouscircleofwanting,andthendenying.Wanting,then

denying.

Andyet,evenashewastellinghimselftherewasrightandwrong,blackandwhite;astheechoof

hertauntrangoutinthelogcabin;astherainpoureddownoutsidethewindowsandthefireleapttolife
inthestonefireplace,everythingthathadevermadesensetoGraysoncouldgostraighttohellforallhe
cared.

Hewaswithinreachingdistanceamomentlater,hadhishandsonherandhernearlynakedbody

pulledtightlyagainsthisinthespanofanother.

Andintheend,allthatwasleftwashisprimalneedtohaveLori...theneedtomakeherhis.
Hismouthcamedownonhersjustashersliftedtohisandthatfirsttasteofherwassweet,somuch

sweeterthananythinghe’deverknown,thathehadtoplungedeeper,hadtotakemorefromherthanafirst
kissshouldhaveallowed.

Graysonwasintheprimeofhislife,strongfromtheintenselyphysicalworkhedideverydayon

hisland.ButbeingthisclosetoLori,havingherwethairinhishands,herlips,hertongueagainsthis,
was making his heart pound so hard that he wondered if he was anywhere near strong enough to live
throughit.

He couldn’t get enough of her mouth, couldn’t seem to learn the contours, the flavors, of her fast

enough.Withhistongue,hislips,hetracedhersagainandagain,lovingthewayshegaspedwithpleasure
whenheteasedthecornerswhereherlipsmet,whenhesuckedhertongueintohismouth,andespecially
whenhescoredherfulllowerlipwiththeedgesofhisteeth.Andthen,shewasdoingthesametohim,
kissinghiminawaynowomanhadeverkissedhimbefore,withsuchpassionanddesireandfocusthat
hedidn’thaveaprayerofcontinuingtoleadtheirwilddance.

No,allhecoulddowaspartnerherinmovementsthatshouldhavebeenfamiliar,butfeltfreshand

newandoh-so-sweet.

She’dtastedhisneckonthehorsewiththetipofhertongue,butnowhewastheonebendingher

backsothatshearchedintohisarmsandhecouldrunkissesfromhergorgeousmouthdowntoherchin
and over the edge to the underside of her jaw. She shivered in his arms and her nipples pressed hard
throughthewhitesilkofherbraagainsthischestasheranhistongueallthewaydownthelineofher
neck,untilitdippedintothehollowofhercollarbone.

Hisnamefellfromherlipsashelethismouthroamovertheswellofherbreastsabovethesilkand

lace.

Thiswassomuchmorethanhe’deverthoughttohaveofher,anditshouldhavebeenenough.But,

damnit,itwasn’t.Notevenclose.Notevenwhenhesuckedonetautpeakbetweenhislipsandlavedher
nipple through the silk. And when he reached back to undo her bra and finally bared her breasts to his
handsandmouthandgaze,thatwasn’tenough,either.

Stillholdingherarchedbackagainsthimwithonehand,withtheotherhecuppedherandbrought

hertohismouthagainandagain,firstonebreastandthentheother.SweetLord,hecouldn’tremember
evertouchingsuchsoftnessorwitnessingsuchbeauty.Loriwassoresponsive,awomanmadeforloving.

Theshakygrasphehadonhissanitystretchedthin,thenbrokeentirelyashereacheddownforher

pantiesandpulledthelastofthesilkfromherbody.

***

Being in his arms, being touched by Grayson was nothing like any lovemaking she’d ever

experiencedbefore.Yes,Loriknewhowtomakesureshecamewhileinbedwithaman,whetherhewas
focused on her pleasure or not, but with Grayson she knew she wouldn’t need to do one damn thing to
makesureshewassatisfied.

He was still wearing his wet flannel shirt and thick jeans, and the contrast of the rough fabric

againstherbareskinasshewrithedagainsthimonlyinflamedhermore.Butthenhewasputtinghishands
onherwaistandholdingherbackfromhisbody.Shedidn’tknowwhy,couldn’tgetherbraintoprocessa
single reason he might not want to keep touching her, until she felt the heat of his gaze all across the
surfaceofherskinandsuddenlyunderstood.

Noonehadeverlookedatherlikethis,asthoughshewasagifthe’dneverexpectedtofindwaiting

forhim...andhecouldn’tthinkofonethinghe’ddonetodeserveit.

Needingtotouchhim,shetriedtomovebackintohisarms,butheheldherwhereshewas.
“I’mnotdonelookingyet,”hegrowled.
Eveninlovemakinghewasbossy,andthatrealizationshouldhavemadeherpullaway,shouldhave

remindedherthattheywerenogoodtogether.Instead,itmadeherwanthimwithafiercenessthatstunned
her.

For Lori, life had always been a journey of jumping from one high peak to another, with the

occasional dip into a shallow valley. At least, until everything had come to a head after Victor had
chippedawayatherpiecebypieceoverthepastyearandahalf.She’dgottenlostinaholesodarkand
deepshehadn’tbeenabletoseeawayout.

And yet, despite her experience with such extremes, she’d never felt such a powerful craving for

anyone, or anything, in her life. Doubts, concerns, worries—none of them had a chance against this
craving,againstthehungerthatwaseatingherupfrommomenttomoment.

Ohyes,shelovedthewayGraysonlookedather,butsheneededtohavehishands,hismouth,on

her, too. And thank God, a few moments later, he was moving his hands up from her waist to cup her
breastswithsuchreverencethatthegentleheatofhistouchstolewhatwasleftofherbreathaway.

“Ican’tbelieveyou’rehere.Thatyou’rereal.Thatyou’rereallythisbeautiful.”
Hismurmuredwordshadherheartbeatingevenfasteragainsthisthumbs.Loriknewshewaspretty,

andwasn’tatallashamedtohaveusedherlookstoheradvantageformostofherlife—notwhenitwas
naturalthatadancershouldemphasizeherbestfeatures,alongwithhermostfluidlines,fortheaudience.
ButwithGraysontouchingher,shewasn’tcapableofdoinganythingatallbutlookingdownathisdeeply
tannedskinagainsthers.

Hewasright—thewaythetwoofthemfittogetherwassobeautiful,onelarge,theothersmaller,

bothfullofadesirethatwasstrongereventhanthethunderandlightningragingoutsidethelogcabin.

Heranhishandsdownpastherribs,overherflatbelly,hisfingersplayingoverherhipbones,until

hewascuppingherhipsinhishandsanddraggingherbackagainsthimtotakehermouthagain.Shesank
intohiskiss,intothehandscuppinghersofirmly,sowarmly,sosweetlyastheymassagedhergentlyfrom
her bottom to the muscles of her back and shoulders, sore from both the ride on the horse and the hard
workshe’dputinfixingthefence.

One of his hands moved back to brush against her cheek before plunging into her hair, already

drying from the heat of the fire behind them. With his other hand, he stroked down the hourglass of her
curves,fromtheswellofherbreasttotheindentationofherwaist,backouttotheflareofherhips.

“Grayson.”
She’dswornnevertobeghimforanything,thatshe’dearnwithhardworkeverydayonhisfarm

andeverynightinthebedroomhe’dgivenher.Andyet,begginghimtotouchher,totakeheralltheway
overtheedgehe’dalreadybroughtherto,wasasnaturalasbreathing.Asnaturalasthepathofhishand
fromherhipstoherstomach.

Shewastremblingnowwithneedforhim,butwhenheslowlyslidhishanddownlower,andthen

lowerstillbetweenherthighs,shewasn’ttheonlyonewhocouldn’tfindsteadyground.

“Sohot.”Hegroanedthewordsintoherneck,wherehe’dburiedhisface.“Andsogoddamnedwet.

God,Ican’tbelievehowreadyyouareforme.”

Heslippedonefinger,thentwo,intoher,andshecouldn’tthink,couldbarelyremembertobreathe.
Allshecoulddowasfeel.
Theheatofhim.Theshockinglysweetslideofhisfingersinandoutofher.Thepressofhisthumb

overherclitoris.

Thestormcametoaheadoutsidewiththunderandlightningpracticallycrashingdownonthecabin

justasthestorminsideofherbroke.Sherockedintohishandandhecrushedhismouthtohersagainto
drinkfromhercriesofpleasure.

***

Hecouldn’tstopkissingher,couldn’tstoprevelingintheslicksoftnessbetweenherlegs.God,he

wantedtotasteher,wantedtodroptohiskneesandkisseveryinchofherbeautifulbody.Andthen,after
hemadehercomeagainagainsthistongue,hewantedtopullherdowntothefloorwithhim,hergorgeous
legswrappedaroundhishipsashetookherfastandfuriously.

The storm that was raging outside had raged just as powerfully inside him—until the moment he

realizedhedidn’thaveprotectiononhim,damnit.

Why would he? He didn’t need condoms to head out into the field to work with his horses and

cows,tofixfence,torotatehiscrops.

Butevenaspracticalitiesstoppedhimcold,heknewtheyweren’ttherealreasonwhyhewasn’t

goingtopullLoridowntothecrudewoodfloorandtakeher.Anditwasn’tbecausehedidn’twanther,
either. Lord, he couldn’t ever remember wanting to make love to a woman more, had never needed to
knowthisbadlywhatitwouldfeelliketosinkintoher.

AlltheseyearsinCaliforniahe’dmadesuretokeeptohimself,tofeedacommunitywithoutever

connectingwithanyonebeyondthefoodhegrewforthem.Hecouldn’tallowhimselftofallinloveagain,
refusedtoletanyonetouchhisheart,hissoul,whenheknewheneededtokeepthembothlockedupand
punishedforthewayhiswifehaddied.

ButevenasGraysonremindedhimselfofallthereasonshecouldn’tpermithimselftofeelanything

forLori,hecouldn’tstopthinkingaboutthemomentshehadfinallystilledinhisarmsafterherclimax.

He’dfelteveryinchofhersoftnessinhisarms...andeverybitofhervulnerability.
Sheactedsotough,putonthatsassyactateveryturn.Buthe’dseentheflashesofpaininherwhen

shedidn’tthinkhewaslooking,simplybecausehecouldn’tlookaway.Itwaswhyhe’dletherstaywhen
hethoughtshe’dbenexttouselessasafarmhand.

Becausehe’drecognizedinhertheneedtohealthathadbeeninhimselfthreeyearsagowhenhe’d

foundthefarm.

Andyet,eventhoughhe’dlivedwithherfornearlyaweek,andeventhoughshe’djustcomeapart

inhisarmsandithadbeenoneofthemostbeautifulthingshe’deverexperiencedinthirty-fiveyears,he
stilldidn’tknowadamnthingaboutwhyshewasonthefarm.

Orwhatshewashidingfrom.
Graysonknewwhatheneededtodo.Heneededtopushheraway;neededtolashouthardenough

thatshecouldn’tpossiblystay;neededtofindawaytolivewithhimselfforaddingmorepaintohereyes,

moretearsonherpillow.Heneededawaytoforgetthathehadbeguntorespectherforturningouttobe
much stronger than he’d initially given her credit for, filled with a determination that couldn’t help but
impresshim.

And,mostofall,heneededtorememberthatthelasttimehe’dlethimselffallforawoman,he’d

endeduplosingher.

Graysoncouldn’trepeatthat.Ever.
Lori’s fingers were moving to his belt buckle when he removed his hands from her and forced

himselftotakeastepbackashesaid,“Thisnevershouldhavehappened.”

ChapterTwelve

FivewordswereallittookforLoritofeelasifshe’djuststeppedoutintothecold,hardrain,a

complete one-eighty from the bliss Grayson had just given her, immediately making everything that had
warmedfreezeupagain.

Sheknewhewasright,thattheyshouldn’tbedoingthis,butitdidn’tstophisabruptrejectionfrom

hurting. Hurting like crazy, actually, as though his words had run a sharp grater across her already raw
insides.

Loribentdowntoreachforherclothes,buttheyweresowetshecouldbarelypeelthemapart,let

aloneshovethemonsothatshecouldgetawayfromamanshedidn’tunderstand.Amansheshouldn’t
wanttounderstandwhenhepulledherintohimonesecond,andshovedherawaythenext.

She’dbeenthere.She’ddonethat.
Neveragain—wasn’tthatwhatshe’dvowed?
Oh,howshe’dlovedbeingnakedinGrayson’sarms,butnowthathe’dpushedheraway,shehated

hernakedness.Shefeltpowerless,asifhecouldseeallthewaythroughherwhenhe’dputeverysingle
oneofhisguardsbackup.

Asobroseasshetriedtogetherstupidclothestocomeunstuckfromeachother,andshewasn’t

quickenoughatswallowingitdown.Itdidn’thelpwhenGraysonhandedherablanketfromthecouch.

“Wrapthisaroundyourself.”
Whydidhehavetochoosethatmomenttobekind?Ifhe’dbeengrufflikeheusuallywas,shecould

have stopped any tears from falling...but now all she could do was take the blanket from him and turn
awaytomoveclosertothefireasshewrappeditaroundherself,hopinghehadn’tseenthem.Heryears
of dance training were what made it possible for her to hold her proud, straight stance even as another
tearfell.

“Lori—”
Shecouldheartheregretinthewayhesaidhernameandshehatedit.Hatedthathefeltsorryfor

herforwantinghimthewayshedid.

“Don’t.” The word came out sharply. “We don’t need to talk about what happened. We can just

chalkituptoanaccident.”

Sheassumedhewassilentbecauseheagreedwithher.Butshecouldfeelhisgazeonher,feelthe

heatofitburningevenhotterthanthefire.

LoriSullivanhadalwaysknownexactlywhatshewanted,andshe’dtrustedherselftofollowher

hearteverydayofherlife.Butnowthatshe’dhadtofaceuptothemistakesshe’dmadeintrustingherex
whenshedefinitelyshouldn’thave,shehatedthatshecouldn’ttrustwhatshefeltwithGrayson,either.

Shestaredintothefireandwatchedtheflamesleapinnopatternwhatsoever.Butshe’dfollowed

the same pattern her entire adult life: She’d fallen for men who promised everything, then after she’d
givenherselftothem,noholdsbarred,eachandeveryoneofthemhadtakentheirpromisesback.

Shetoldherselfitshouldn’tmatterthatGraysonhadjusthurther,too.
Butitdid.
Hemovedtoherside,butinsteadoflookingatthefire,hestareddirectlyatherprofile.“Itwasn’t

anaccident.”

Shewasshockedenoughthatsheturnedhertear-streakedfacetohimwithoutrememberingtowipe

itcleanfirst.

A surprising tenderness—along with obvious regret—flashed in his eyes at the sight of her tears,

andshemighthavebeenabletowriteitoffasjustanotheraccidentonhispartifhehadn’tfolloweditup

bybrushingonethumbacrosshercheektowipethewetnessaway.

“No,”shefinallyagreed,“itwasn’t.”Butthatdidn’tchangeanything.“So,”shesaidinaneffortto

changethesubjectassheturnedherfaceawaytoswipeatherdampcheekswiththebackofherhand,“do
youhaveanyboardgamesinherethatwecouldplaywhilewewaitoutthestorm?”

“Whyareyouhere,Lori?”
Whatwashedoing?Whywasn’thelettingthemmoveintoshallowwatersagain?Didn’therealize

howmucheasieritwouldbe?

Luckilyforhim,shewasamasteratactinglikeeverythingwasokaywhenitwasn’t.
Loristartedtomoveawayfromhimassheasked,“Ormaybeadeckofcards?”
But he was quicker than she was, and his hand came around her wrist before she could get far

enoughawayfromhimtotakeafullbreath.“Iwanttoknowwhyyoucameherewiththewantadinyour
fistwhenyou’dclearlyneversetfootonafarmadayinyourlife.”

She couldn’t think straight when he was touching her. All she could do was crave the feeling of

those rough, calloused fingers moving across her breasts again, over her hips, between her legs. Her
breathwasalreadycomingfasterwhenhedroppedherwristasthoughshe’dturnedintooneoftheflames
inthefireplace.

“Itoldyoualready.Itlookedlikefun.”
“Bullshit.”
When his gaze didn’t waver from her face, she felt herself begin to crumble. “The past few

weeks...” God, was her voice really breaking? She took a deep breath that shook far more than she
wanted it to. She hated feeling sorry for herself so much that she forced the corners of her lips up into
whatshehopedlookedatleastalittlelikeasmile.“Theyweren’tgood.”

Hedidn’tsmileback.“Why?”
“Seriously?”Theangershefeltwasn’tentirelydirectedatGrayson.Yes,he’dhurtherbypushing

herawayafewminutesago,butitwasVictorshewasthinkingofasshesaid,“You’vemademecome
andnowyousuddenlythinkIoweyoumylifestory?”

Heranonehandthroughhiswethair,lookingasthoughhewasatwarwithhimself.Well,sheknew

exactlyhowthatfelt.Finally,hesaid,“Iknowthisisn’tyourworld,Lori.Whatis?”

Hewasright—endlesspasturesandcowsandpigsweren’tanypartofherworld.Andyet,shewas

fallingforitallthesame.

Justasshewasfallingforhim.
“I’madancer.”
Grayson’s dark gaze ran the length of her covered in her blanket, then back up to her face. “Of

courseyouare.Ihadalreadyguesseditfromthewayyoumove.”

Sheshouldhavebeensurprisedtohearhimadmitthathe’dwatchedhermove,thathe’dpaidany

attentiontoheratall.

Butshewasn’t.
“Whyaren’tyoudancing?”
She turned away from him, then, and this time he let her go. It hurt to think of dancing. Of not

dancing.Herwholelife,ithadbeenhercornerstone.Theonethingshecouldcounton.

Lost.
Shewasutterlylostwithoutdanceathercenter.Ifshecouldhavedoneanythingelse,shewouldn’t

have walked away from it. But her lifelong, soul-deep love for dancing had left her without a word of
warning.Leavingabig,blackholeinsideofherthatshecouldn’tfigureouthowtofillbackup.

“Idon’twanttodanceanymore.”
“Youlieasbadlyasyoudrive.”
God, he was like a dog with a bone, and she spun around to face him. “Why do you care if I’m

tellingthetruthaboutwantingtodanceagain,ornot?Youdon’twantmeonyourfarm.Youdon’twantto
havesexwithme.Nothingwouldmakeyouhappierthanmypackingupmythingsafterthestormbreaks
andgettingthehelloutofyourhair.”

Hedidn’tcontradicther.Shedidn’texpecthimto.Rejoicingwasclosertowhathe’ddothedayshe

threwhersuitcaseintothetrunkofherrentalcaranddrovedownhislongdrivewaybacktothecity.

“Youcan’tleaveMo.”Shecouldn’treadhisexpressionashesaid,“Notyet.”
“Sweetpea?” She was trying to figure out where that had come from. “Why are you talking about

yourcat?”

“You’vemadeherdependonyou.Youfeedherfromyourhand,forGod’ssake.”
Itwasaridiculousreasonforhertostay,especiallywhenhecouldeasilyfeedhiscatbyhandifshe

left.

Wasithiswayofsayinghewantedhertostay?Shetuckedtheblanketmoretightlyaroundherand

picked up her wet clothes, hanging them over the back of a chair near the fire. Whatever his reason,
betweenthegentlenessofhistouchonhercheekashe’dwipedawayhertearsandhisobviousconcern
for his cat, she suddenly felt safe enough to finally tell him a little bit of what had happened to her in
Chicago.

“Iwasinarelationshipforthepastcoupleofyears.ArottenonethateveryoneIknewkepttelling

me to get out of, but I didn’t listen until I found him in bed with a dancer I had personally hired.” She
sighedatherownstupidity.“Well,it’sovernow,andIneededabreakfromeverything.Fromdancing.
From my life.” She couldn’t stop herself from adding, “And especially from men.” Because how could
shehaveknownthatwhenshegrabbedthewantadattheGeneralStoreshewasgoingtobeapplyingto
workforamodern-daycowboywhoranafabulousCSAandcouldhavemadeseriousdoughmodeling
forahigh-endunderwearad?

Grayson didn’t reply for a long while, and when she finally looked at him, she expected to see

disinterest.Orpity,maybe.

Butnotdisdain.Anddisgust.
“Whyareyoulookingatmelikethat?”
“Youbrokeupwithyourboyfriend?That’swhatsentyourunningawayfromyourreallife?That’s

whyyoustoppeddancing?”

Whoa.Whatwasgoingonhere?
Andwhydidhavinghimlookatherlikethathurtsobadly?Evenworsenowthatshe’d—stupidly—

lethimtouchher.

“Hetoldmehelovedme,hesaidhecouldn’tlivewithoutme,butIfoundouthewasonlyusingme

todancehiswayuptheladder.Ialsofoundout,toolate,thathestolejobsthatshouldhavebeenmine,
anddidwhateverhecouldtounderminetheoneshecouldn’tget.Hetoldliestomyface,thenliedabout
mebehindmyback.”Itexhaustedhertosayitalloutloud.Andmadeherfuriousalloveragain.“How
canIkeepdancingwhenIcan’tevenrememberanymorewhyIloveit?”

Shehatedwhatafoolshe’dbeen,thatshe’dbeensoblindtowhatwashappeningwheneveryone

else had seen it. How desperately she’d wanted to be loved, so desperate that she hadn’t put a stop to
Victor’semotionalabuseuntilithadsuckedthewilltodance—andtolove—fromher.

But she could see that nothing she said made any difference to Grayson. “You think I’m a big

crybaby, don’t you? That I’m just here to hide from everything and lick my wounds?” She took a step
towardhimandpokedhiminthechest.“SowhatifIam?Whatmakesyouthejudgeandjuryforwhat
countsasrealpain?”

Hegrabbedherhandhardenoughthatshewouldhavecriedoutifthefuryonhisfacehadn’tstolen

herbreathawaybeforeshecouldmakeasound.

“Mywifediedinacarcrash.Threeyearsago.Itwasourtenthweddinganniversary.”

“Grayson.”
Heletherhandgoandcursed.“Thestormislettingup.Weneedtogetbacktothefarmtomake

suretherestoftheanimalsareokay.”

HerownpaininstantlyforgotteninthewakeofGrayson’sconfession,Loridesperatelywantedto

gotohim.Shewantedtoputherarmsaroundhimandconsolehimforthepainhe’dsuffered.And,most
ofall,shewantedhimtotrustherenoughtobarehissoultoherandletherhelphimfinallyheal.

“I’m sorry,” she told him over the sound of the crackling fire. “So sorry for what you’ve been

through.AndforwhatIjustsaid.”

Hisfacewasgranitewhenheturnedbacktoher.“Itwasthreeyearsago.I’moveritnow.”Hislie

wasathousandtimesworsethanherearlieronehadbeen,aboutthinkingthatbeingafarmhandwouldbe
fun.“I’llgogetthehorsereadytotakeusback.”

Hewasgonebeforeshecouldreachforhim,beforeshecouldsayanythingelse.Butsomuchwas

clear now. The way he’d pushed her away at every turn. The solitude he’d chosen despite the great
community.

Hewasright,hispainwassomuchworsethanhers—andyet,whetherhewantedtoseeitornot,

theywerekindredspiritsdespitethemselves.Becauseshe’dmadetheverysamevownottoloveagain
andriskanotherpainfulloss.

Butthatdidn’tmeanshecouldn’tfindawaytohelphim...

ChapterThirteen

LoriunderstoodwhatGraysonwantedhertodo.Hewantedhertoleavehimalone.Hewantedto

pretendthathe’dnevertoldheranythingabouthispast.Shehadn’tseenhimsincethepreviousdaywhen
he’dtakenhertohislogcabininthestorm,wasn’tsurewhenhe’dfinallycomeintothefarmhousetogo
tobed,orifhe’dsimplysleptsomewhereelseinsteadsothathewouldn’thavetotalktoher.

Buteventhoughsheunderstoodwhathewantedfromher,shejustdidn’tseehowitcouldbehealthy

forhimtokeepallhispaininsideforsolong.Maybe,she’dbeenthinkingforthepasttwenty-fourhours
straight,ifhefinallyletsomeofitout,thenhecouldstartmovingforwardagain.Notnecessarilyoffthe
farm—shecouldseehowmuchhetrulylovedhishomehereandwhathedidforalivingwiththeanimals
andhisCSA—butshehadn’tseenhiminteractwithanyoneotherthanherselfandEric.

These should be the best years of Grayson’s life. He should be making the most of them. All the

thingsthatdidn’taddup—whyagorgeous,thrivingmanintheprimeofhislifehadchosentoliveinthe
middleofnowherewithonlyanimalsforcompany—madesomuchmoresensenow.

Butjustbecauseitmadesensedidn’tmeanitwasright.
Loriwasamuchbetterfarmhandnowthanshe’dbeenatfirst,butshestillknewshehadn’tbeen

muchhelptohimsofar.Maybeifshecouldhelphimwithhisgrief,thencomingherewouldhavebeen
worthit.

Andshewouldknowshe’ddoneatleastonetrulyworthwhilethinginherlife.
Filled with purpose, as soon as she’d finished her most important chores and the sun was just

startingtosetasabrightredandorangeballfallingovertherollinggreenhills,shewenttolookforhim.
Itdidn’ttakeherlongtofindhiminthestables.

He didn’t look up when she walked in, but she could see his shoulders tense slightly. It was

temptingtoturnaroundandwalkoutagain,tohidefromaconversationthatsheknewwasn’tgoingtobe
at all easy. But she owed him this—the chance to finally unburden himself of the weight he’d been
carryingaroundforsolong.

Only,shecouldn’tquitefigureoutwheretostart,soshemovedclosertoadmirethehorsehewas

grooming.“Youreallydohavethemostbeautifulhorses.”Hedidn’tsayanything,butshehadn’texpected
himto.Notyet,anyway.“Howlonghaveyoubeenriding?”

Of course, instead of answering her simple question, he stayed right where he was behind the

horse’sflanks.“Doyouneedsomething,Lori?Isthefarmhouseonfire?Orhaveyou‘accidentally’leta
foxintothehenhouse?”

Hissarcasmstung,butsherefusedtolethimpushherawaythateasily.Notwhensheguessedthat

washowhe’ddealtwiththeworldeversincehiswifedied,justbypushingandpushingandpushinguntil
noonedaredcomecloseanymore.

Feelingmuchbolderaroundhishorsesinceshe’dsurvivedtheridethedaybefore,shegentlyran

herhanddownthesofthaironhismuzzleandtookstrengthfromthebigbrowneyesstaringbackather.
Funny,she’dneverrealizedjusthowmuchshelovedanimalsuntilthispastweek.Ifonlyshedidn’ttravel
somuch,shewouldwantatleastonedogandcatwhenshewentbackhome.

Although,ifshewasn’tgoingtodanceagain...
Wait,shehadn’tcomeintothestabletodaytoworkoutherownmessofalife.Shewasheretohelp

Grayson.Togethimtoseethathecouldtrustherenoughtofinallyopenup.

ShemovedaroundthesideofthehorsesothatshecouldseeGrayson’sface.“Myfatherdiedwhen

Iwastwo.Hewasforty-eightandmymotherwasleftwithalleightofustoraise.Iwouldclimbintoher
bedtocuddlewithhersomenightsandherpillowwouldbeallwetandshewouldjustholdmeuntilwe

bothfellasleep.”ShecouldguesswithoutGrayson’stellingherthathehadn’thadanyonetoholdafterhis
wifedied.Orifhehad,he’dturnedawayfromthembeforetheycouldgettooclose.“Iknowhowhardit
istolosesomeone—”

“Youdon’tknowadamnthingabouthowharditis!”
Hisoutburstwassoloudthepreviouslycalmhorsespookedandbegantorearup.Graysonyanked

Lorioutofthestallbeforeahoofcouldconnectwithherhead.

Hisexpressionwassofierce,hisgriponherarmsohard,thatshehadtosteelherselfnottoshrink

backfromhim.Heneededher,sheknewhedid.

Surelyitwaswhyhe’dworkedsohardtokeepheratarm’slength.
“I know you must still be in terrible pain over what happened. Have you talked to anyone about

yourwife?Haveyoutriedtoworkthroughanyofyourgrief?Becauseifyouhaven’t,thenmaybeifyou
talkedtomeaboutit,Icouldhelpyou—”

“Help?” He spit the word out as he released his grip on her so quickly she almost spun into the

oppositestall.“Helpingisallyou’vebeentryingtodosinceyougothere.Tryingsodamnedhard.”

“I have been trying, Grayson, and I’ve been doing a pretty good job with everything,” she

interjected.“ButIthinkthereasonIendeduphere,onyourfarm,wasn’tbecauseIneededtolearntobea
farmhand.Maybe—”Sheforcedherselftocontinuedespitethefuryonhisface.“MaybeIhadtocome
herebecauseyouneededme.”

Helaughed,butinsteadofjoy,thesoundwasharshandbrittle,asfarfromtruelaughterasanything

she’deverheard.

“All you’ve done since you showed up is ruin things. Break things. Push your way in where you

shouldn’t be.” His eyes were black as night, hard as coal. “All you’ve done is go where you’re not
wanted.”

Holycrap,hewasmean.Evenmeanerthanherexhadbeenwhenshe’dfinallytoldhimwhatshe

thoughtofhimandhisdancingandhisendlesscareer-climbing.Evenmeanerthanhe’dbeenwhenshe’d
accidentallyletthepigshe’dnicknamedSophiedecimatehisstrawberries.

Butwhenpushedhardenoughshecouldbemean,too,cruelenoughtoremindhim,“Youwantedme

plentylastnight.”

“Thenthatmakesbothofusidiots.”Hisglarewashotenoughtosparkafireintheloosehaythey

werestandingon.Herakedhiseyesdownthelengthofherbodyandsheactuallyfeltdirtybythetimehe
looked back up at her face. “You could take off every scrap of clothes right here, right now, and I
wouldn’tbestupidenoughtomakethatmistakeagain.”

No,damnit,shewouldn’tletanothermantellhershewasn’tgoodenough.Shewouldn’tletanyone

elsechipawayatheruntilherinsidescurledupintoatightlittleballofmisery.

“Don’tworry,”shetoldhiminanequallyhardtone,“Iwon’tmakethemistakeoftryingtohelpyou

again,either.Ifyouwanttowitherawayinyourgriefandletiteatupyourentirelifeandyourfuture,go
rightahead.Ithoughtyouwereworthhelping,thatmaybetherewasarealhumanbeing—amanwitha
beating heart—beneath all the fury and nastiness. But now you’ve helped me see that you aren’t worth
anythingatall.”

She turned to walk out on him, but before she could leave him to stew in his own misery until

kingdomcome,hesaid,“Insteadofpesteringmewithyourquestions,youshouldbeaskingyourselfwhat
thehellyou’redoinghidingonmyfarm.Becausewebothknowthisisn’twhereyoubelong,Naughty.”

God,ithurttohearhimsaythat,andthentoflingthefamilynicknameather,oneshenowknewshe

nevershouldhavesharedwithhim,asifeverylastpartofherwastainted.Unlovable.

Becauseifshedidn’tbelongherewiththeanimalsandthelandandthebrightbluesky—andifshe

nolongerbelongedinthedanceworld—thenwheredidshebelong?

Loriknewshejustneededtokeepputtingonefootinfrontoftheother,tokeeponwalkingoutofthe

barnandoutofhislife.Butevenasshetriedtogetaway,hekeptcomingatherwithmorewordsaimed
wheretheycoulddoasmuchdamageaspossible.

“HowwouldyoulikeitifIturnedmyfocustofixingyou,becauseitwaseasierthanfixingmyself?”
Hisaccusationstoppedhercold,evenwhensheknewsheshouldberunningfromhimasfastasshe

could,beforehecoulddodeeperdamagethanhe’dalreadydone.He’dalreadyhurtherwithhiscomplete
dismissal of her feelings in the cottage during the storm. Badly. And he’d made her doubt her own
feelings,madeheraskherselfifshewasreallynothingmorethantheself-absorbedpersonhe’dmadeher
outtobe.

“Do you know what I saw that day when you drove into my fence and sent my chickens running

downtheroad?”Hedidn’twaitforhertoanswer,didn’tstoptonoticethatshewascrumblingapartone
word at a time. Or if he did see it, he clearly didn’t care just how badly he was hurting her. “I saw a
scaredlittlegirlwho’shadeverythingsheeverwanted,everythingshe’severneeded,handedtoherona
platter.Andthen,whenshehitonelittlebumpintheroad,shewassospoiledthattheonlyoptionshesaw
wastogiveup.”Heputhishandsonhershouldersandspunheraroundtofacehim.“Ifyou’readancer,
thenyoushouldbedancing,damnit.”

Shecouldn’tstopthetearsfromfallingdownhercheeks,andnotjustbecausehewasgrippinghe

shouldersnearlyhardenoughtoleavebruises.“I’mnotadanceranymore.”

Hestaredatherforalongmoment,thesparksofheatandangerandastillundeniableconnection

goingoffbetweenthem,beforehedroppedhishandsfromhershoulders.“No,youobviouslyneverwere
arealdancerifyou’reabletogiveupthiseasily.”

Shedidn’thavetostayhereandlistentohisinsults.Shecouldgoworkonsomeoneelse’sfarm.

Shecouldcleansomeoneelse’stoiletsuntiltheysparkledandkeeptheirchickensandpigsfedandweed
their rows of vegetables. Not, of course, that she needed the money, considering she had plenty socked
awayfromsomeofherhigher-profilegigs.Itwasjustthatshecouldn’timaginenothavingsomethingto
do,beingleftwithherthoughtsalldaylong.Evencleaningastranger’sbathroomswouldbebetterthan
that.

Withoutsayinganotherword,shemadeabeelineforthefarmhouse,kickingherdirtyshoesoffon

the porch before going inside. Just because she wouldn’t be cleaning Grayson’s house anymore didn’t
meansheneededtomakeitharderforthepoorpersonhetrickedintoreplacingher.

Only, just as she walked into her bedroom and yanked her suitcase out from under the bed, she

heard a sound that had her chest clenching tight. She ran out to the living room, where Sweetpea was
coughingandshiveringontopofherblanket.

No,notnow.Shecouldn’tdealwiththis,too,notwhenherheartwasalreadytorntopieces.
Loriscoopedthecatupintoherarms,pressingherlipstothesoft,hairlessspotbetweenitsears.

“Poor baby,” she said as she rocked it in her arms. “Poor, poor baby. You feel rotten, don’t you?” She
kisseditagain.“It’sbeenthatkindofdayforme,too.”

Graysonwalkedin,butshewassoconcernedaboutthecatwhohadbeenheronetruefriendforthe

past week, that his presence barely registered. While Grayson had been God-knew-where avoiding her
the past few days, Lori had spent many hours with Sweetpea sleeping warm and purring on her lap,
strokingthecat’sbonybackasshetriedtogethertoeatthefoodanddrinkthemilkshebroughtherevery
fewhours.She’dbeenabouttoleavetosavewhatwasleftofherheart,butnowsheknewthat,nomatter
howmuchithurttobenearGrayson,sheneededtostayfortheonetruefriendshe’dmadeonhisfarm.

“Don’tworry,Sweetpea,”shetoldherfurryfriend.“I’mnotgoingtoleave.Notaslongasyouneed

me.”

***

WhenGraysonsteppedintothehouseandsawLoriwithhiscatinherarmsandheardhermakethe

promisetostaynomatterwhat,thereliefthatfloodedhimwassostrongitnearlybuckledhisknees.

Beforethestorm,beforethey’dendedupinthecabin,he’dwantedher.Butnowthathe’dtouched

her,tastedher,herealizedthatearlierwantingamountedtolittlemorethanthebuzzingofaflyaroundhis
ears.He’dknownthathe’dpayforthosemomentsofweaknessinthecabin,andboy,washe.Because
howcouldhepossiblyeverregretknowinghowsoft,howsweetLorihadfeltinhisarms,howshockingly
sweetthesoundofhermoans,hergaspsofpleasure,hadbeenasshecame?

Andhowcouldheeverforgivehimselfforthewayhe’djustlashedoutather,whenheknewallshe

was trying to do was help him? Especially when she’d told him that she’d come to his farm to take a
breaknotonlyfromdancing,butalsofrommen.

Heknewhecouldn’tbewhatsheneeded,butheshouldn’thavetohurthertoprovethat.
“Lori,”hesaidinalowvoiceasheapproachedher,“IpromisedIwouldn’tdothattoyouagain.I

brokemypromise.”Hefeltlikehewasswallowingfireashesaid,“I’msorry.”

God,hewouldhavegivenupeveryoneofhisthousandacresjusttoseehersmileupathim,justto

hearhersay,“You’reforgiven,”againlikeshehadthedayhe’dlostitoverthepigsandhadofferedto
takehertobuycowboyboots.

Ofcourse,heknewthatwasn’tgoingtohappen,notwhenhe’dcrossedovertheline—waythehell

overit—withherjustnow.

“We both know you meant every word you said to me,” she replied in an even voice, though her

eyesflashedwithfire.“AndImeanteverywordIsaidtoyou.Butdon’tworry.”Shestrokedagentlehand
overMo’spatchyfurandthecatgaveasoftpurrofjoyatbeingshoweredwithsuchpure,sweetlove.
“Assoon as Sweetpeadoesn’t need meanymore, I’ll be outof your hair.”Lori sneezed before adding,
“Anduntilthen,wecanjuststayoutofeachother’swayasmuchaspossible.”

Sheturnedherfullattentionbacktothecat,then,andheknewhe’dbeendismissed.Socompletely

thathemightneverhavebeenthereatall.

Leave.Heshouldleave,gobacktohisroom,takeashower,andhitthesacktomakeupforallthe

sleep he hadn’t been able to get with Lori only a wall away at night—with visions of her naked and
beautifulbeneathhersheetsrunningthroughhisheadonrepeatuntilsunrise.

Butheknewshehadtobehungryafterthelongdayshe’dputin,soinsteadofleaving,hestartedto

pulltogetherdinner.Thirtyminuteslater,afterhavinglistenedtoLorisneezepracticallytheentiretime,
hehadtwoplatesofspaghettireadyforbothofthem.

“Dinner’sready,”hetoldher.
“I’mnothungry.”
“Iknowhowhardyou’veworkedtoday,”hesaidinasoftvoice.“AndI’veseenyoueat.You’ve

gottobestarved.”Heputtheplatedownonthecoffeetableinfrontofher.“Pleaseeatdinner,Lori.”

She looked from the plate to him, her brow furrowed with confusion. For another moment, he

thoughtshe’drefusehispeaceoffering,butthenshesaid,“Ireallydon’tunderstandyou,Grayson.”

He wanted to tell her she understood him better than anyone else ever had, that everything she’d

saidtohimhadbeenright.

Hewantedtotellherhowwronghe’dbeenforlashingoutatherwhenitwasn’therfaultthathis

wifehaddied.

He wanted to confess that he didn’t know how to get over his guilt for the way his marriage had

crumbledandturnedintotragedy.

Hewantedtomakeuptohereveryharshthinghe’dsaidanddone.
Hewantedtohearthebeautifulsoundofherlaughterandknowthathe’dpleasedher,ratherthan

constantlybeingthesourceofhertears.

Butthreeyearsofnear-constantsilencemadethewordsstuttertoahaltinsidehisheadlongbefore

theyreachedhislips.Graysonbroughthisplateoverfromthekitchen,satdowninthelivingroom,and
ateinsilencewithLoriandhiscat.

ChapterFourteen

“Doyouhaveanythingnicetowear?”
LoriwasinthebarnthenextdaygettinganotherbagoffeedforthechickenswhenGraysonwalked

inandaskedherthetotallyrandomquestion.Shehadn’tbeenabletoforgettheunexpectedlydeeplookof
longinginhiseyesashe’dcomeintothelivingroomthepreviouseveningtoapologize.Butneithercould
sheforgetthewaythey’dblownupateachotherinthebarn.So,insteadoftellinghimthat,yes,shehad
severalreallyprettydressesinhersuitcase,shegesturedathermud-spatteredjeansandT-shirt.

“Whatcouldpossiblybenicerthanthis?”
Thatmuscleinhisjawstartedmoving.Heneededtostopclenchingitsohardorhewasgoingto

endupwithterribleheadaches.Notthatshewasgoingtomakethemistakeoftellinghimthat.No,from
hereonoutshe’dkeephermouthshutandheropinionsoutofhislife.Thatwaswhattheybothwanted,
afterall.

And yet, even though she knew she could have left his farm at any moment, somehow that hadn’t

beenanoption.Sweetpeastillneededher,ofcourse,butontopofthat,Loristilldidn’thaveanythingto
gobackto...andshecouldn’tbeartofaceherfamilyandfriendslikethis.

Theyallthoughtshewasinvincible.
ItwasonethingforGraysontobedisappointedinher.Itwasanotherentirelyforthepeoplewho

lovedhertofeelthatway.

Grayson swept his dark gaze over her again before saying, “If you show up with me at the barn

dancelookinglikethat,peoplearegoingtotalk.”

The word dance grabbed her gut and twisted it. Hard enough that she lost her breath and her

balanceforaminute,andhadtoreachouttogrababeamtosteadyherself.

“Whywouldyouwantmetogoanywherewithyou?Ithoughtweagreedtokeeptoourselvesfrom

hereonout.”

He shrugged. “I’ve been alone on this farm long enough that people are starting to think I’m fair

game.Ifyou’rethere,they’llstopthinkingthat.”

“People?Fairgame?”Shefinallyrealizedwhathewastalkingabout.“Youmeanwomen?”
“Yes.”Hegrittedoutthewordbetweenteeththatwereclenchedeventighterthanshe’dpreviously

thought.

“Soifyougotothisbarn—”Shedidn’tevenwanttosaytheword.“—thingwithoutme,you’llbe

subjectedtoprettylittleladiesthrowingthemselvesatyouleftandright?”

“Bereadyatsix,”hesaidwithoutbotheringtoanswerhersnarkyquestion.
Hewasalreadywalkingawaywhenshesaid,“WhyshouldI?”
Shewasn’tsureshelikedthelookinhiseyeswhenheturnedtofaceher.“I’veletyouhideouthere

onmyfarmallweek,that’swhy.”

Shecouldnolongerarguewithhimaboutthehidingoutpart,butshecouldtakeissuewiththefact

thathewasactinglikeshe’dbeenafreeloader.Andshewassicktodeathofmenwhothoughttheycould
take her accomplishments down a peg. “I’ve been working hard, not just lying on the grass in a bikini
askingyoutocrankuptheblenderformynextdrinkrefill.”ShecouldonlyimaginethefitGraysonwould
havepitchedifshe’ddonethat.“IknowIscrewedupsomethingsatfirst,butI’vebeendoingagreatjob
sincethen.”

Hemovedcloser,closeenoughthatherheartbeatkickedintooverdrive.“Ifyou’rethatafraidtogo

tothedance,justtellmeandI’llletyouoffthehook.”

Thechallengeinhiswordsreverberatedthrougheverylastcellinherbodydespitehowsoftlyhe’d

utteredthem.Andthistimeshewastheonegrittingherteethsohardshenearlycrackedhermolars.

“I’llseeyouatsix.”
FuryhadLoriweedinglikeafiendfortherestoftheafternoon,butshedidn’tgetanysatisfaction

outofthegroundshecovered.NotwhenshewastoobusyplanninghowtomakeGraysonregrethe’dever
madethatchallengetoher.

Oh, she’d dance all right. With every man in town but him. And she’d make sure that he was the

perfecttargetforeverysinglewomanwithinahundredmilesofPescadero.

Atfiveo’clockshelockedherselfinthebathroomwithherwarchest.Fornearlyherwholelife,

she’ddependedonthecontentsofthisbag—makeup,lotions,nailpolish,blowdryer,curlingiron—inthe
samewaythatshe’dneededfoodandsleep.Butforonewholeweekshehadn’tsomuchasunzippedthe
bag. It was at once comforting and familiar...and strange. She loved the way she felt when she looked
good,yettherehadbeensurprisingfreedominnotcaringonewayortheother.

Shetookouteverythingandlaiditalongthesmallcounter.Shegrinnedatthewayhergirlythings

immediatelytookovereverypossiblesurfaceinhisbathroom,andhowirritatedGraysonwouldbeifshe
leftitallforhimaftershewasgone.

Withthathappilyevilthoughtcheeringher,shestrippedoffhergrimyclothesandsteppedintothe

shower.Thehotsprayfeltgreatonheroverworkedmuscles,thewaterturningfrombrowntoclearasshe
soapedupandwashedthedirtfromherskin,fromherhair,frombeneathherfingernails.Shetookextra
care to shave her legs from ankle to hip, slicking lotion over her entire body before she got out of the
shower.

She had no intention of letting any man benefit from the softness of her skin tonight, but Grayson

didn’tneedtoknowthat.

Itwasasnaturalasbreathingforhertodoherhairandmakeupandtopainthernails.Maybe,she

foundherselfthinking,thatwaswhatshe’ddonowthatherdancingcareerwasover.Shecouldopenupa
smallsalonsomewherefarawayfromhereandhelpotherwomenfeelbetteraboutthemselves.Itwasn’t
whatshehaddreamedofdoingherwholelife,butitwouldbebetterthannothing.

When she was finished primping, she wrapped herself in a towel and left the bathroom. Grayson

wasn’teveninthehouse,asfarasshecouldtell.Itfiguredthathewantedhertoputallsortsofeffortinto
looking good, but he’d probably just put on a new pair of jeans and clean pair of boots and be ready
insideofthirtyseconds.

She’dleftherluggageopenonherbedandnowshepulledoutareddressmadeupentirelyofsatin

andsequins.Thestrapswerethinanditwasalmostcompletelybackless,endingjustabovethecurveof
herhips.She’ddancedinoutfitswithfarlessmaterialthanthisdress,butshecouldeasilyguessthatit
wouldbethemostinappropriateoutfiteverforabarndance.

Yes,shedecidedassheslippediton,thatwaswhatmadeitsoperfect.Aswerethefour-inchspike

heels she slipped on next. Where most women could barely have walked in them, Lori could dance all
nightwithoutanyproblemsatall.

Andshewould,damnit,justtospiteGrayson.

***

Graysonlookedathiswatch:6:15p.m.Loriwaslate,whichcameasnosurprisegiventhatshe’d

beenlockedinherbedroomforoveranhournow.

Just the idea of the barn dance had him feeling out of sorts, but he knew he had to do it for her.

Because he owed Lori something more than an apology for the way he’d behaved. For the things he’d
said.

Only,whenshefinallysteppedoutofthebedroom,allthoughtsofapologiesscattered.

“Whatthehellareyouwearing?”
Hehadn’tseenadresslikethatinyears—blood-redsatinandsequinsthatperfectlyshowcasedthe

curveshehadn’tbeenabletogetoutofhishead.Theskirtwashigherinthefrontthanitwasintheback
andswishedaroundherridiculouslygorgeouslegsasshemovedtowardhiminheelssohighsheactually
cameuppasthischinnow.

Holyhell,hisheartwaseithergoingtoexplodefromracingsofast,orjuststopbeatingaltogether,

thatwashowbadlyhewantedtoripthedressfromher,todragherbackintothebedroomandmakelove
toheruntilbothofthemforgotthatitwasamistake.

Actingasifhewasn’tclearlyabouttoburstabloodvesseljustfrombeingnearher,shegavehima

pretty little smile and twirled. “Just a little something I had in my bag.” Her smile still glittered, even
brighterthanthesequins,despiteneverquitereachinghereyes.“Itakeityoudon’tlikeit.”

Fuck.Whydidhekeephurtingher?Itwasn’tLori’sfaultthathiswifehaddied.
And it wasn’t Lori’s fault that he couldn’t stop wanting the beautiful, sassy farmhand he’d never

meanttohire.

Heknewheneededtoapologizeagainandwasjustabouttosaythewords,butasshewenttoward

thefrontdoorandhefinallysawthebackofherdress—or,rather,thebackofthedressthatshouldhave
beenthere,insteadofthemostgorgeous,creamyskinhe’deverseen—hecouldn’tthinkstraight,couldn’t
stophimselffromgrabbingherarm.

“Youarenotwearingthatdresstonight.”
Hereyeslitwithfuryasshewhirledaroundtofacehim.“Watchme.”
Shetriedtoyankherarmfromhisgrip,butbeingthisclosetohermadehisheadspintoofastfor

himtolethergo...ortostophimselffromdraggingheragainsthimandtakinghermouthwithhis.

Graysonhadwantedtokissheratleastathousandtimessincetheafternooninthelogcabin,when

she’dbeenpureheatandsensualwomaninhisarms.Hehadn’tbeenabletorecoverfromthat,noteven
byremindinghimselfofallthereasonsheneededtostayawayfromher.

Heneededthiskisssobadlythathebarelyregisteredhowstiffshewasinhisarms,untilshewasn’t

anymoreandthehandsthathadbeenpushinghimawayweretryingtopullhimincloserinstead.

God,shewassoft.
Andsodamnedsweethecouldbarelybelieveit.
Soonhehadherbackedupagainstthedoor.Inthelogcabin,he’dbeendesperatetotouchher,to

findoutifshefeltasgoodagainsthimasshelooked.Butnowthatheknewexactlywhatwaitedforhim
beneaththethinfabricofherdress—skinsowarmandprettythathe’dbestunnedeverytimehismouthor
handsmadecontactwithit—itonlymadehimcrazierforher.Andthentherewerethelittlesoundsshe’d
makeasherainedkissesoverher,littlegasps,softmoans,thatwouldtakeholdofhissanityandyankit
completelyaway.

Only this time, instead of him being the one to put the brakes on when he was on the verge of

headingforthepointofnoreturn,Loriwastheonedragginghermouthfromhis.

“How can you kiss me like this,” she asked him in a voice that shook slightly, “when you won’t

eventalktomeaboutwhathappenedtoyou?”

Shedidn’tsay“Stop.”Shedidn’ttellhim,“Weshouldn’tdothis.”Just,“Youwon’teventalktome

aboutwhathappenedtoyou.”

Butitwasenough.Becauseshewasright—hehadnobusinesskissingherlikethat,oreventhinking

of going further, when he could still barely think about his past, let alone share the details of it with
someoneelse.Withher.

Shewasstilltryingtocatchherbreath,herbreastsrisingupintheslinkydressasshegaspedfor

air.“Iwasn’ttryingtomakeyouhurtworsebyaskingyouquestionsaboutyourpast,Grayson.That’sthe
lastthingIwouldeverwanttodoandI’msosorryifanythingIsaidinthestableshurtyou.IswearIwas

onlytryingtohelp.”

God,he’dnearlyyankedherdressuptoherwaistandtakenheragainstthefrontdoor,andshewas

theoneapologizing.

“I know,” he said. And he did. Because for all of Lori’s faults—and he felt as if he’d gotten to

discovereachandeveryoneofthemoverthepastweek—shewasagoodperson.Maybeifthey’dmetin
adifferenttime,yearsago,whenhewasstillinthecity...

No.Hecouldn’tgothere,couldn’twishthatthingshadbeendifferent.Becauseifheweregoingto

turnbacktime,wasn’tthereonlyonethinghewouldeverbeallowedtowishfor?Hiswife,aliveand
healthy.AndifLesliewerestillalive,thenLoriSullivanwouldhavenopartofhislifeatall.

Hisguttwistedtwiceashardatthatthought.
Graysonalreadyknewthattherewasnowaytowin,thatthegriphispasthadonhimwastoostrong

evertogetawayfrom.Becausewhilehesimplycouldn’timaginehisworldanymorewithoutLoriinit,he
alsocouldn’tmovebeyondthelosshe’dsufferedbeforeher.

“I’mstillsodamnedsorryforgrabbingyouthewayIdidinthestables,andInevershouldhave

pushedyouupagainstthedoorjustnow.”Ittookeveryounceofself-controlhehadlefttostepawayfrom
her.“Iunderstandifyoudon’twanttogotothebarndancewithmenow,Lori.”

He felt awkward and too formal, as though he couldn’t get anything right with her. He didn’t

deservetohaveheronhisarm,didn’tdeserveanymoreofhersmiles,orthesoundofherlaughterasit
floatedthroughtheair.

Loristaredathimasifshe’dneverseenhimbefore.“AreyouactuallyaskingmewhatIwantto

do?”

Heranahandthroughhishair.“Youdon’thavetodoanythingyoudon’twanttodo,Lori.Youknow

that.”

Hersmilecamesosuddenlyheactuallyfeltthewindknockedoutofhimatthebeautifulforceofit.

“OfcourseIknowthat,butit’ssofuntoseeifIcanmakeyouloseit,”sheteased,andamazingly,hisgut
untwistedalittle.“Plus,itkeepsSweetpeaentertainedwhenyoustomparoundandsmokestartscoming
outofyourears—doesn’tit,baby?”shesaidtothecat,whowaswatchingthetwoofthemfromthebedof
pillowsandblanketsLorihadmadeforheronthefloorbyaheatingvent.

“Don’tletherpullyouintothisdiscussion,Mo,”hewarnedthecat.
Lori laughed out aloud, a sweet waterfall of joy that untwisted his gut even further. “Aha! You

finallytalkedtoherlikeshe’saperson.”Sheclappedherhands.“Justbecauseofthat,I’llgowithyouto
thebarnthing.”

Shewasn’tpushinghimanymoreonhiswife’scrash,sohewouldn’tpushheronthefactthatshe

couldn’tevensaytheworddance.

Buthewantedto.Andthatwaswhatworriedhimmost—evenmorethanthedesireoverwhichhe

hadnocontrolwhatsoever.Itwaswhyhewastakinghertothebarndance,afterall—becausehe’dheard
heronthephonewithhersisterandknewhowbadlyshemisseddancing,howimportantitreallywasto
her.

For three years he’d been so careful to keep himself from getting close to anyone, but Lori had

bargedintohislifeandrefusedtotakenoforananswerwhenhe’dtoldherhedidn’thavetimetotraina
farmhandwhohadnoexperienceandwasworsethanuseless.

Somehowshe’dgottenunderhisskin.
Andhedidn’tknowhowtogetheroutagain.
Hewasfrowningwhenthesoft,oh-so-sweettouchofherhandonhisjawfinallymadehimstopand

lookdownatherbeautifulfaceagain.“I’vethoughtalotaboutwhatyousaidtomeinthestables,”she
saidinasoftvoice.“Itturnsoutyouwererightaboutitbeingeasierformetofocusonhelpingyourather
thanlookingatmyownlife.”

“Don’t.”Hecoveredherhandwithhis.“Pleasedon’tletmeoffthehooklikethat.Ifuckedup,Lori.

Andyoushouldn’tforgiveme.”

Thelastthingheexpectedhertodowassmileupathim.“Youjustsaidityourself—youcan’tkeep

mefromdoingwhateverIwant.”Shelightlystrokedhischeek.“AndIwanttoforgiveyou.Butonlyfor
whathappenedinthestables.Becausewhatjusthappenedhereagainstthedoor...”Hereyesflashedwith
heat.“Well,Ican’tthinkofanypartofyourkissesthatyouhavetobesorryabout.”

Withthat,sheturnedandwalkedoutthedoortowardhistruck.Stillreelingfromeverythingthathad

justbeensaidbetweenthem,itwasahellofajobforGraysontotrytokeephiseyesfromwanderingto
herhipsashefollowedher,especiallywhenhehadabadfeelingthatshewasn’twearinganythingatall
beneaththeform-fittingdress.

SweetLord,whathe’dgivetotouchhernakedskinagain,topressnotonlyhishands,butalsohis

mouth,toher.Toallofher.

Beforeshecouldreachforthedoorhandleofhistruck,heopeneditforher,thenofferedahandto

helpherup.Shelookedsurprised,butsheplacedherhandinhis.

He forgot to let go as he looked down at her fingernails. “You’ve put on nail polish.” And she

smelled like vanilla and spice, so sweet and sultry that he was barely able to tamp down the
overpoweringurgetoburyhisfaceinthecurveofherneckandbreatheherin.

“Mascara,too,”shesaidassheflutteredhereyelashesathim.“Ididn’twantpeopletothinkyou

couldn’tdoanybetterthanagirlwhodidn’tknowhowtotakecareofherself.”

God, he was so mesmerized by the flick of her tongue against her glossy upper lip that he could

barelyrememberwhyhe’dtakenherhand.Finally,herealizedtheywerestandingbesidehistruckandthe
doorwasopen.

“Canyouclimbinokaywiththoseheelson?”
Sheshothimasassylook.Alookthatownedeverylastletterofhernaughtynickname.
“Icandoabsolutelyanythingintheseheels.”
Asheclosedherdoorandwalkedaroundthebackofthetruck,hehadtoadjusthimselfinhisjeans

totrytohidehishard-on.ThevisionofmakinglovetoLoriwhileshewaswearingnothingbutthosered
spikeheelswouldn’tgoawayastheydrovefromhisfarmtohisneighbor’spropertyfifteenminutesaway.

Graysonparkedinadarkcornerbehindalargegroupingofshrubsattheveryedgeoftheparking

area. When Lori got out of his truck, it was so dark that she asked, “Are you sure there’s a party here
tonight?”Beforehecouldanswer,shewalkedaroundthethickshrubsandfinallysawthebrightlylitbarn,
andthecoloredlanternsthatwereplacedalongthepathfromtheparkingarea.

“Look at all these lights and the lanterns and the decorations! I swear, it looks like the moon has

beenhungabovethebarnjustfortonight.Whydidn’tyoutellmeitwouldbelikethis?”

Becausehe’dneverappreciatedanyofthisuntilrightthisverysecondwhenhecouldseeitthrough

hereyes—eyesthatsawthebeautyinabsolutelyeverything.Butinsteadoftellingherthat,hesimplyheld
outahand.“Soundslikethebandisalreadyplaying.Readytoheadin?”

Shelookeduncertainforamomentbeforenodding.Whensheputherhandinhis,herealizedthat

holdingherthatwaywasshockinglyright,asthoughshereallywashisgirlandhewastakingheroutfora
nightofdancing,countrystyle.

ChapterFifteen

LorilovedhowitfelttoholdGrayson’shand.Hewasn’tgivingherhistrust,wasn’tbaringhissoul

to her and letting her try to help him, but even though holding hands was something small, it wasn’t
nothing.

Yes,sheknewitwouldbesmartertokeepherwallscompletelyupwithhim.Especiallysincehe’d

alreadyprovedheknewhowtocuthertothequick,thatallittookwasafewwell-placedwordsanda
disgustedexpressiontoripherhearttoshreds.

Butnowthatshehadsomeinsightintowhathe’dsuffered,howcouldshejustturnawayfromhim?
Justthen,shestumbledoverarockinthedarkandGraysoncaughtherinhisarms.Andwhenshe

lookedintothebarnoverhisshoulder,sherealizedeveryonewasgawkingatthem.

“I don’t think you’ll have any problem convincing the neighbors that you’re off the market,” she

murmuredasshedrewbackfromhim.

“Good,”wasallhesaidashebroughtherfullyinsidethebarn.
The barn was just as beautifully lit up inside as it was outside. She saw the hay bales lining the

largespace,thecountrybandplayinguponthestageatthefarendofthebuilding,thedancefloorthathad
beenclearedinfrontofthem,andthedrinkandfoodstationspositionedallthroughouttherestofthebarn.

Shewastheonlypersoninsatinandheels,althoughtherewereplentyofsequinsondisplay,soat

leastshe’dgottenonethingright.She’dintendedtomakeGraysonlookridiculous...onlynowshewasthe
onewhohadtogetthroughthenightlookinglikesheshouldbeattheOscarsratherthanatacommunity
dance.WhereasGraysonlookedexactlyrightinhisdarkjeans,denimshirt,cowboyboots,andhat.

“Grayson,gladyoucouldmakeit.”AmaninWranglersandabigblackcowboyhatthatmatched

hisshinyblackbootspattedGraysonontheshoulderhardenoughthatshecouldfeelitvibratethroughher.

“Placelooksgreat,Joe,”Graysonresponded.“I’dlikeyoutomeetLori.”
The man tipped his hat to her. “Pretty girls are always welcome in my barn.” He winked at her.

“Justdon’ttellmywifeIsaidthat.”

“Whatareyounotsupposedtotellme?”askedanattractivemiddle-agedwomanwithhoney-blonde

hairwearingajeanskirtthatfelltoherkneesandaleathervestoverafittedwhiteshirt.Shesmiledat
Grayson,buthereyeschilledabitasshetookinLori’soutfit.

“ThatI’veneverbeentoabarndancebefore,”Lorisaidwithasmilethatshehopeddidn’tbetray

howoutofplaceshefelt.Shehadn’tmetthiswomanattheCSApick-up,buteveryoneelsehadbeenso
nicethereshehadnoreasontothinkthiswomanwouldn’tbenice,too.“Everythinglooksamazing.”

“Thank you,” the other woman said with perfect politeness, before turning back to Grayson and

saying, “I’m so pleased you finally decided to come to one of our dances. You’ll have to tell me what
changedyourmind.”

Lori looked at Grayson in surprise. He’d never been to one of these before? He’d made it sound

liketheyhadn’thadachoice.Whatreasoncouldhehavehadtoforcehertocomewithhim?

Butbeforehecouldanswerthewoman’squestion,morepeoplestartedcominguptotalktohim.He

was,sherealized,averypopularman.Andyet,theyhadn’thadasinglevisitoronthefarmintheweek
she’d been working for him. It was almost as if everyone was scared of ruining the perfect wall of
solitudehe’dbuiltuparoundhimselfoverthepastthreeyears.

Ashortwhilelater,alittlegirlwithpigtailsskirtedthroughtheadults’legstotouchherdress,but

justasLoriwasabouttobenddowntosayhello,thefrostywomanpulledheraway.

I’m not here to cause any trouble, Lori wanted to tell her. All I want to do is help Grayson, I

swear.

Thebandbegantoplayasongbyoneofherfavoritebands,andfromaroundthemenwithwhom

Graysonwastalkingabouttractors,shecouldseethepeopleonthedancefloortryingtodoalinedance.
Shecranedhernecktoseebetter,butherviewwasimpededwheretheywerestanding.

ShefeltGrayson’sthumbbrushlightlyacrossherpalmashesaid,“Youwanttodance.”
He said it as if he didn’t know that she wasn’t interested in dancing ever again, as if she hadn’t

alreadytoldhimthatdancingmeantnothingtoheranymore.

“No,”shesaidfirmly,eventhoughshewasgettingthatlittleitchinthesolesofherfeetthatalways

happenedwhenjusttherightsongwasplaying.“It’sjustthatif,insteadofdoingabrushkickonthetwo,
theypivoted—”

Sherealized,toolate,thathewasgivingherafunnylook,andclampedherlipsshut.
“Soundslikeyouknowthisdanceprettywell,”hepointedout.
She would have tried to play off her reaction to the line dancing, if right then Joe’s frosty wife

hadn’tsaid,“Funny,youdon’tlookliketheline-dancingtype.”

Lorihadneverbeenknownforherpatience.Andithadbeenoneheckofaweek.Betweenhaving

to finally face what a total douchebag her ex was, and then the trials of not only learning to work
Grayson’sfarm,butalsotryingtopushawayherintenseattractiontohim,shewasleftholdingontoan
extremelyshortstring.

“I was the choreographer for Lost Highway’s video.” She paused a beat to appreciate the shock

registeringonthewoman’sface.“Thisismylinedance.”

Thenextthingsheknew,Graysonwasgivingheragentleshoveinthedirectionofthedancefloor

andshewasstandinginfrontofthegroupoflinedancers.Quicklypickingoutacoupleofteenagerswho
hadgoodtiming,sheexplainedwhoshewasandwhatshe’dlikethemtotrytodowithher.Scanningher
dressandheels,theybothlookedatherlikeshewascrazy,butwhenshestarteddancing,doingthemoves
aseasilyinherheelsandfancydressasshewouldhaveinbootsanddenim,theirmouthsdroppedopen.

As she ran through the moves of the line dance, a fancy stranger in the midst of a very tight-knit

community,sherealizedshewastheonlyonemovingonthedanceflooraseveryonestoppedtogapeat
her...apartfromareallycutelittlegirlLorirecognizedfromtheCSApickup,whodidn’tseemtorealize
that anything strange was happening at all. With the music pumping through her veins, not the least bit
daunted,Lorigrabbedateenageboy’sarmsothathecouldtwirlheraroundinamodifieddo-si-do.By
thetimeshelethimgo,theteenwasgrinningandjumpinginbesideher,pickingupeachmoveshe’djust
doneperfectly.

Soonthetwoofthemturnedtohalfadozenand,asthebandlaunchedbackintothesongfromthe

beginning,itseemedlikeeverypersoninthebarnwasclaimingaspotonthedancefloortokickuptheir
heelsandlaughwiththepersontwirlingintheirarms.

***

GraysonstoodagainstthewallandwatchedasLoriworkedherwaythroughthedancerstohelpget

thembackontrackandtocalloutthemoveswhenthingsgotalittlehairy.

My God, she could dance. He’d never seen anyone move like her, not even in his old life, when

he’dhadthechancetomixwithprofessionaldancersfromtimetotime.

Herdresswasclingingslightlytoherskinnowasthebarnheatedupfromallofthedancers,and

herlong,darkhairwasstartingtocurlagainstthedampnapeofherneck.Watchingthewayshemovedso
effortlesslyintheheelsandbeautifuldressgavehimaclearviewintotheworldshe’dcomefrom.One
thatheguessedwasverysimilartotheoneinwhichheusedtoliveinNewYorkCity.

Andyet,she’dbeenjustascomfortableinjeansandaT-shirt,andeventhoughshemutteredabout

going into the pigpen, he knew she secretly loved mucking around like a little kid let loose in a mud

puddleafterastorm.

Grayson honestly couldn’t choose which version he liked better—the made-up Lori was just

another side of her, yet another one he hadn’t been prepared for. All he knew was that she was
beautiful...and that, somehow, despite everything he’d done to try to stop it from happening, she’d
managedtostealhisheartonesassysmileatatime.

ChapterSixteen

Applauserangoutinthebarnattheendofthelinedancethathadgoneonforagoodfifteenminutes

straight.Lorilovedhowthelittlekidsdidn’tthinktwiceaboutwrappingtheirarmsaroundherwaistto
hugher.

“You’resopretty,ma’am.What’syourname?”
Lorismileddownatthelittlegirlwiththebigbrowneyesandbrightpinkcheeks,thesameonewho

hadwantedtotouchherdressearlier.Shecouldn’thavebeenmorethanfouryearsold,butshe’dbeenout
theredancingupastorm,followingthemovesevenbetterthanmostofthebiggerkidsandadults.

“Lori.What’syours?”
“LuLu.”Shebarelypausedforbreathbeforesaying,“You’llbehereforthenextbarndancetoteach

ussomemore,won’tyou,Ms.Lori?”

Lori felt a lump descend into the bottom of her stomach. Could she stay here forever? Could she

hideout beneath thebeautiful blue skyand have dirt underher fingernails everyday? Could she dream
aboutmoreofGrayson’skisses?

Stillfeelingtherushofthedancefloorbeneathherfeet,thethrillofmovingherbodytothemusic,

insteadofansweringthelittlegirl’squestions,Lorismileddownatherandasked,“Doyouwanttofly?”

Thegirl’spigtailsbouncedasshenodded.“Ohyes!”
Loriheldoutherhandsandwhenthelittlegirltookthemshewinkedandsaid,“Holdontight.”And

thenshestartedswingingthembotharoundinacircle,aperfectpirouettewithagigglingpartner’ssweaty
little hands grasped tightly in hers. Again and again they spun until she thought the little girl must be
gettingdizzy,andfinallyputherdown.

“Mama,Mama,didyouseeme?”thegirlsaidtohermotherassoonasherlittlecowboybootshit

thefloor.“Iwasflying.”

LuLu’smothernolongerlookedfrostyasshestrokedherdaughter’scheek.“Likeabeautifulbird,

baby.” As she hoisted her daughter up into her arms, the woman finally smiled at Lori. “You’re a
wonderfuldancer.Thankyouforteachingallofushowtodothelinedancetonight.”

CouplesquicklypairedupallaroundLoriasshestoodandwatchedthemotheranddaughterwalk

awaywithalongingthatfranklystunnedher.Whenshe’dbeenlinedancing,she’dfeltlikeshebelonged,
thatshewasn’tjustsomecitygirlplayingaroundonafarm.

Butnowthatalonenesscamebacktohithersmackdabinthecenterofherchestwithahardthud.
ThelumpinherthroatgrewbiggerasshecaughtsightofEricgrinningatherfromacrossthebarn.

Shesmiledbackandwhenhestartedtomovetowardherwiththeclearintentionofaskinghertodance,
shefoughttokeephersmileinplace.Ericwassweet.Hewasgoodlooking.Hewasagentleman.Hewas
everythingsheshouldwant,especiallyinthewakeofthesnakeherexhadturnedouttobe.

But, stupid her, who did she wish was coming for her on the dance floor, instead? Grayson, who

wasmoredeeplywoundedthananymanshe’devermetbefore.

WhenEricwaslessthanadozenfeetawayandshewasjustabouttomakeherselfmovetoward

him,alargehandsuddenlytookhersandshewasspunintoahardchest.

Theveryhardchestshe’dbeensofoolishlydreamingof.
Loriwassostunned—andsopleasedtobeclosetoGraysonagainasheledherinacountrywaltz

—thatshesimplylaidherheadagainsthisshoulderandmovedwithhim.

Justonedance.Thatwasallitwas.
Oneperfect,beautiful,impossiblyromanticdancewithamanwhomadeherheartpoundlikecrazy

andherbrainturntomush.

Therewereamillionreasonswhysheshouldn’tbehereinhisarms,movingtothemusic.Andyet

shewassodazedbythesurewayheledheracrossthefloor,sowrappedupinthedance,inthefeelof
hisbodyagainsthers,hismusclescontractingagainsther,thattherewasnoroomforthinking,nospaceto
doanythingbutbeputtyinhistalentedhands.

Secondbysecondhe’dtakenovermoreofherthoughts,herdreams,untilshehadbeguntoforget

whatherlifehadbeenlikebeforehewasinit.Allsheknewnowwasthatitcouldn’thavebeenasfullof
sparks,emotion...ordesire.

Eventhewaltz,adanceshe’ddoneathousandtimesbefore,bothonstageandoff,hadneverbeen

thiswonderful.Thisspecial.

Whenthesongfinallycametoanend,Graysondrewhertightlyintohisarmsandheldhertherefor

alongmoment.Thebandhadstartedtoplayyetanotherwaltzbutsheknewshecouldn’tsurviveanother
dancewithhim.

Notifshewantedevenonesmallpieceofherhearttoremainintactwhenshefinallylefthisfarmto

gobacktoherreallife.

Shetriedtomoveaway,buthewouldn’tletgoofherhand.“You’vebeendancingforawhilenow

withnobreak.Youneedlemonade.”

Hedidn’taskherifshewantedone,justtookhertothetableonthesideoftheroomwherethetwo

teenagers she’d been line dancing with were flirting now. He got her a cup and he was right—she was
thirsty,soshedrankit.

Loritoldherselfsheshouldn’tfeelsoweirdaroundhimnow.Notwhenithadjustbeenonelittle

dance.But,oh,whatadanceithadbeen.Andwhensheclosedhereyes,she’dbereturningtoitinher
daydreamsforaverylongtime.

Tryingdesperatelytoactlikeitwasnobigdeal,shesaid,“You’reagooddancer.”Knowingthat

compliment was far too grudging for just how talented he was on his feet, she amended it to say,
“Actually,you’reafantasticdancer.”

Thelastthingsheexpectedhimtodowassay,“Thankyou,”thenreachouttobrushastrandofhair

fromhercheekandpushitbehindherear.

Sheshiveredathistouch.Didn’theknowjusthowdangerousthisterritorywasthathewasheading

intowithher?Firstthedance,andnowatouchsogentle,sosweet,thatittoreatheralreadyweakheart.
Sheknewhowtodealwithrough,rudeGrayson.Butthis?Shehadnoideawhattodonow...especially
notwhenshecoupledhissuddentendernesswiththewayhe’dtouchedher—asifshewasprecious.

“Where—”shebegan,butthewayhewasgazingdownatherwithsuchdarkeyeshadherlosing

hertrainofthought.OhGod,thiswassuchabadidea.Sheneededtokeepontrack.Hewasherboss.She
washisfarmhand.Hewascountry.Shewascity.Whentheyweren’tkissing,theywerebothdrivingeach
othercrazy.“Wheredidyoulearntodancelikethat?”

“Yearsofballroomdancinglessons.”
Foramomentshethoughthewaskidding,butthensherememberedwhathe’dtoldheraboutwhere

he’dcomefrom.Itwasjustthathewassuchapartoftheland,suchacowboyatheart,hadsuchalovefor
thefarm,thatshekeptforgettingabouthispreviouslifeinNewYorkCity.

Whathe’dcreatedallbyhimselfouthereinthewildsofPescaderowastrulyamazing.Maybeat

firstshehadn’tappreciatedjusthowmuchhardworkwentintotakingcareofhisanimals,hiscrops,his
crew,thecustomerswhodependedonthefoodhegrewforthem,butafteraweekofworkingwithhim,
shedidnow.

“Dancewithmeagain,Lori.”
Sheshouldsayno.Allsheneededtodowasputherlipsintotherightpositionandbreatheoutthe

word.Lordknewshe’dhadenoughpracticesayingtheword,notonlyasachild,butalsoduringthepast
weektoGraysonwheneverhe’dbeenactingunreasonableandshe’dbeenabratforthesheerpleasureof

annoyinghim.

Butnow,whenitfeltlikeherentirefuture,alongwiththesafetyofherheart,restedonalittletwo-

letterword,shejustcouldn’tsayit.Shecouldn’tgetherfeettowork,either,towalkheroutofthebarn,
sothatshecouldleaveGraysonandhiscowboyhatandbootsandpigsandSweetpea-the-catbehind.

And maybe, she found herself thinking as the waltz continued, he had some sort of previously

agreed-uponarrangementgoingwiththeband,becausewhenhedrewherbackintohisarmsinfrontofthe
lemonadetableandthewide-eyedteenagers,shecouldn’tseemtocatchherbreath.

BeingwithGraysonwassosimpleandyetsocomplicatedallatthesametime.Hemadeherwant

tostompandyell...buthe’dalsojustgivendancingbacktoherwhenshe’dthoughtthatdream,thatlove,
mightbegoneforever.

Apartfromhertwinsister,she’dnevermetanyonewhomshehatedandlovedinthesamebreath.
Love.
OhGod,shewasfallinginlovewithhim.
No!Shecouldn’t.
Nothim.
Nothere.
And not when she knew he was not only still grieving his loss, but also that he might very well

choosetogrieveforever.

AllthestrengthLorihadn’tbeenabletofindafewmomentsearlierfloodedheraspanictookhold.

Shewasoutofhisarmslikeashot,movingsoquicklytowardthebig,openbarndoorsthatsheskiddedin
her heels and barely caught herself on the wall before she went down on her butt in front of everyone.
Kickingoffherheelsandleavingthemonthebarnfloor,shedidn’tnoticewhetheranyonewaswatching
herflee,couldn’tfeelanythingbutthepressureofthatloveshecouldnolongerdenycomingdownover
herchesttowraptightlyaroundherheart.

No.No.No.
What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she love someone who would love her back? Why

couldn’tshehavewhatherbrothersandtwinhad?Whycouldn’tshefindalover,afriend,someonewho
wouldalwayshaveherback,someonewhowouldgiveupabsolutelyeverythingforher...andsomeonefor
whomshewouldgiveupabsolutelyeverything?Whycouldn’tshebeonehalfoftwopeoplewhodidn’t
needanythingbuteachother?

Thatwasallshewanted.Itwasallshe’deverwanted.
Instead,shewaswild.
Shedidn’tthinkbeforeacting.
Shetalkedtoomuch.
Andshefelltoofast.
Loriwasrunningawayfromthebarndance,sprintingforhome,whenithithermidstridethatwhat

hadstartedtofeellikeherhomewasn’thersatall.

ItwasGrayson’s.Everythingwashis.Thisland.Theanimals.
OhGod,evenherheartwashis.
Andstillsheran,barelyfeelingthedirt,thegrass,thesticksbeneathherbarefeet.Thefirmmuscles

inherlegs,thepowerofherlungs,hadalwaysmadeherstrong.ButGrayson,shefoundoutabreathlater
when his arms came around her and he lifted her off the ground and against his chest, was at least as
strong.

“Youcan’trunfromme,”hetoldherinthemiddleofthefieldbeneathadarkpurpleskyasheheld

ontoher.

Lorihadalwaysgivenherselfentirelyovertolove.She’dbelieveditwouldmakeeverythingokay,

makeeverythingworkoutintheend.Butitdidn’t.Ithadn’t.Andsheknewsheshouldn’tbestupidenough

tomakethatmistakeagain.

“Yes,Ican,”shesaidasshefoughthishold,asshetriedtogetbackonsolidgroundwheresheonly

hadherselftorelyon,whereshecoulddowhateverittooktokeepherselfsafe.

“Not tonight, Lori.” His lungs were pumping just as hard as hers were from the run and from the

struggletokeepherwithhim.“Iknowyou’renotgoingtostay,butpleasedon’trunfrommetonight.”She
madethemistakeoflookingupintohiseyes.“Please,”hebeggedagain,“justgivemetonight.”

Maybeitwasthefactthat,forthesecondtimeinonenight,he’dactuallyaskedforsomethingrather

thanjustdemandingitfromher.Maybeitwasthewayhewaslookingather,likehe’dbelostwithouther.
Maybeitwasthefactthattheirdancestogetherhadsolidifiedsomethingthatcouldn’tpossiblybeputinto
words:aconnectionbetweentwopeoplewhowere,whethertheywantedtobeornot,aperfectfit.At
leastforalittlewhile—whiletheirlivescollided.

Maybe it was simply that falling in love wasn’t something Lori would ever be able to turn away

from, regardless of just how much pain she knew would be coming down the pike. And maybe, just
maybe,aslongassheneveractuallyconfessedtohimhowshefelt,thatwouldmakeitokaytogiveinto
whatshefeltforGraysonforonenight,beneaththemoon,withthesmellofwildgrassandtheoceanall
aroundthem...

ChapterSeventeen

Grayson had never wanted anyone the way he wanted Lori, but it wasn’t just physical anymore,

eventhoughherbeautywhileshe’dledtheentirecommunityinherlinedancingchoreographyhadsimply
stunnedhimalloveragain,asthoughhewasseeingherfortheveryfirsttime.

Hewantedtohearherlaugh.
Hewantedtofeelherbreathingsoftlyasshefellasleepagainsthim,herheadonhisshoulder.
And he wanted to see her spin a little dark-haired girl around and around in circles, a girl who

lookedlikebothofthem,aspitfirewhowouldyell“No”atthemjustasloudlyasshewoulddeclareher
lovebeforefallingasleepinthehomethey’dmadeforherandherbrothersandsisters.

They were all crazy dreams—especially the last one. Dreams that would never be anything more

than pure fantasy...but he already knew those fantasies were what would keep him going long after she
left.Healsoknewthatkeepingherhiddenawayonhisfarmformorethanastolenweekortwowould
unfairlydeprivetheworldofhertrulyspecialgifts.

Lorimadeeverythingfinallyseemreal,gavemeaningtowhathadonlyseemedlikeroutinebefore.

Itwaswhyhewasafraidtoputherdown,tolethertoestouchthegroundagain.Ifshechangedhermind
about tonight, then all the brilliant colors she’d painted for him since she’d blown into his life like a
hurricanewouldturnbacktogray.

Even after watching her dance, he’d been trying to keep his distance, had been telling himself he

neededtodowhateverittooktoresisther.Butthen,fromacrossthebarnErichadcomeforher,todance
withher,toholdherinhisarms...andGraysonhadsimplybroken.He’dhadtopullherintohisarms,had
togiveintohowgoodheknewitwouldbetowaltzwithher,toputhisarmsaroundherandfeelherlay
hercheekagainsthisshoulder.

HeknewexactlywhyLorihadrunfromthebarndance—hewasn’ttheonlyonewhohadtripped

andfallenintothelastpersononearthheshouldeverwanttoholdonto.Butallthegoodreasonstostay
awayfromherwerelostinthevisionsofherlaughingwithmenandwomenwhoneverusuallytookto
outsiders,thewayeverylittleboyandgirlinthebarnhadfallenheadoverheelsinlovewithherasshe
dancedwiththem.

Howcouldtheynotfallforher?
“Ineedtoloveyou,”hesaidagainstherhair,stillholdinghersotightly,evenaftershe’dpromised

nottorunfromhimtonight.

Ofcourse,shesurprisedhimalloveragainwhenshewrappedherlegsaroundhiswaistandheld

astightlytohimashewasholdingher.

“Loveme,Grayson.”
Ashefinallycapturedherlips,herealizedshekissedthewayshedanced,withoutholdinganything

back.Hewantedtolayherdowninthegrass,wantedtoloveherbeneaththemoonandthestars.Buthe
couldn’tstandthethoughtofhersoftskinbeingscratchedbysticksorrocks,soevenashekissedher,he
waswalkingbacktowardhistruckwithLoriwrappedaroundhim.

“Ridingyouissomuchmorefunthanridingahorse,”shesaid,laughingagainsthismouth.
Thesoundofherjoywassosweetthathecouldn’tkeepmovingforward,couldn’tdoanythingbut

standinthegrassandwildflowersandkissher.

“Iputcleansheetsonyourbedtoday,”sheinformedhimwithanaughtylittlesmilewhenhefinally

pulled back from her sweet lips, her gorgeous face lit by the moonlight. “Let’s go mess them up.” And
thenshewasunwrappingherlegsfromaroundhiswaist,saying,“Raceyoutothetruck,”andrunningoff
throughthefield.

Herlongdarkhairwasflyingoutbehindherashechasedheragain,herlimbsstrongandfastasthe

satinofherdresstangledupinherbeautifullegs,herlaughterfillinghisheartuntilhewassureitwas
going to overflow. He reached out for her hand just as she reached back for him, and their fingers
threadedtogetherashepulledherbackintohimforonemorehotkiss.

Heopenedthepassengerdoorofhistruckforher,andthistimewhenhehelpedherup,helethis

handsroamacrossherperfectass,whichshewiggledintohispalms.

“Youknow,”shesaidasheslidinbehindthewheelsecondslater,“I’venevermadeloveinatruck

before.”

God,hethoughtasthebloodrushedhotter,faster,throughhisveins,itwastempting.Sotemptingto

stayrighthereinthisdarkanddesertedcornerwherehe’dparked,anddragherontohislap,eventhough
hehadbeenfantasizingallweeklongaboutmakinglovetoherinhisbed.

Graysonhadspentthepastthreeyearscontrollingeverything.Hisfarm.Hisanimals.Hisemotions.

Hisneeds.Butnow,inthespanofafewseconds,itwasallslippingoutofhisgrasp.

Because the mere thought of taking Lori in his truck was so potent that he couldn’t do a damned

thingtostoptheNeanderthallurkinginsidehimfromemergingtotake.Toclaim.Topossess.

Bythetimehehadhishandsonherandwasdraggingherontohislap,herswerealreadyonhim,

movinguphischest.“Grayson.”Shebreathedhisnameintothecrookofhisneck,thesameplaceshe’d
lickedontherideduringthestormacoupleofdaysago.

Thoughhewasonthevergeofrippingoffherdress,whenshetwinedherarmsaroundhisneckand

hepulledhercloserwithdesireragingheatedandwildallaroundthem,forthemoment,justholdingher
tightwasnotonlyenough...itwasmorethanhe’deverthoughttohave.

***

Iloveyou.
Loriknewshecouldneversaythewordsaloud.NotonlywasGraysonnotevenclosetobeinginan

emotionalpositiontogivehislovetoher,buthewouldn’tbeabletoacceptherlove,either.

Only,she’dneverlovedanyonebecauseofwhatshecouldgetbackfromthem.And,asshepressed

her cheek against Grayson’s and felt his breath move with hers, slower now as they shared a perfect
momentofcloseness,shewasshockedtorealizethatshe’dneverfeltanythingthisstrong,thisdeepand
true,foranyotherman.

Becausewhatshefeltforthemanholdinghersotightly—asthoughhewasworriedshe’ddisappear

ifhedidn’tmakeabsolutelycertaintokeephertherewithhim—wasricher,andsomuchsweeter,than
anythingshe’deverfeltbefore.

ShewantedtohealGrayson,wantedtogivehimherheart,herlove,untiltheyfinallyovershadowed

tragedyandpain.

Shewantedtomakelovewithhimforhoursandhours,knewfromhiskissesalonethatshe’dnever

getherfillofbeingintimatewithhim.

Shewantedtobehispartnerandhavehimtrustthatshewouldbethereforhiminawaythatnoone

elsehadeverbeen.

And, oh, how she wanted to see him smile. One perfect smile. One full-bodied laugh. And then

she’dknowthatshe’dgivenhimsomethingimportant,somethingreal,somethingthatmattered.

When he started to rain kisses down over her cheek, and then her chin and neck, she used her

dancer’sflexibilitytoarchwaybacksothathecouldhaveunfetteredaccesstoevenmoreofher.

“Damnyouforbeingsotempting,”hegrowledwithanipattheupperswellofherbreast.“Fifteen

minutes,thatwasallweneededtogetbacktomyfarm.Fifteengoddamnedminutes.Isthattoomuchto
ask?Isthattoolongforyoutostopbeingsoirresistible?”

Herheartswelledalittlemoreateveryirritatedwordthatfellfromhisyummylips.“Mmm,”she

saidwhenshecouldfinallyfindherbreathagain,“IwaswonderingwhereMr.Crankypantswent.”

“I wanted to take my time with you tonight,” he grumbled against her skin as he ran little biting

kissesoverhershoulderuntilshewasshudderingwithneed.“Butyou’retemptingmeintotakingyouright
here,rightnow.”

Maybeitshouldn’thaveturnedheron,thewayhemanagedtobeirritatedwithherevenwhenthey

weremakingout,andyetitdid.So,somuch.Graysonhadmadeherfeelaliveevenwhenshebelieved
shewasdeadtoeverythingshe’doncecaredabout.

Shelovedtheideaoftheirbeinginhisbedtogether,ofallthewildandwickedwaystheycould

loveeachother.Butashishandsgrippedherhipstopullhermoretightlyintohimwhilehelickedupthe
curveofherneckandsentthrillbumpsrunningovereveryinchofher,wasn’titsomehowmorefittingthat
they’dendupallovereachotherinthecabofhistruck?

Their relationship had never followed the rules, not from the start, when she’d crashed into his

fencepostandhe’ddoneeverythingtogethertoleavebutpickherupandtossheroffhisproperty.And
even then, she’d seen something in his eyes that told her he wanted her, despite all the reasons he
shouldn’t. Not only a desire for her that matched hers for him, but a soul-deep longing that she also
understood.Alltoowell,evenwhenthoselongingsshouldn’tmakeanysense.

Goodthingshe’dnevercaredmuchwhetherthingsmadesense.No,she’dalwayssimplyfollowed

herheartinstead.

Amazingly,herhearthadledherhere.ToGrayson’sfarm.
Andintohisarms.
“Ididpromisetobethebestdarnfarmhandyou’veeverhad,”sheremindedhiminahuskyvoice

thatsaidasmuchabouthowbadlyshewantedhimasanywordsshespoke.“I’llbetyouneverhadone
whocoulddothis.”

With one quick shimmy, she let the slim straps holding her dress up over her shoulders drop, the

bodicecoveringherbreastsfallingdownwithit.

“Lori.”
Shethoughtshe’dbepreparedforhisreactionthistime.Afterall,he’dseenherbreastsinthecabin

duringthestorm,hadtonguedandteasedthemuntilshe’dcatapultedallthewayovertheedgeofpleasure.
Butthewayhiseyesdarkenedanddesirecompletelytookhimoverashegazedathernakedflesh...

No,she’dnevergetusedtobeingstaredatwithsuchoverwhelminghunger.
“HowamIdoingsofar?”Shereachedouttobrushherfingertipsoverthesquarelineofhisjaw.

Whenhedidn’tanswer,justkeptstaringattherapidlytighteningtipsofherbreastsuntilanticipationhad
hernearlywildwithneedinghishandsandmouthonher,sheteased,“Wouldyousaythisisfine?” She
purposelyusedthenot-quite-complimenthe’dgivenhersomanytimesbeforenow.

“Nothinghaseverbeenbetterthanthis,Lori.Notonegoddamnedthing.”
Graysonshiftedloweronhisseatandcoveredoneachingnipplewithhismouth,thentheother,then

bothatthesametimeashecuppedtheminhislarge,stronghands.Shearchedintohissweetcaresses,and
groanedaloudwhenherakedhisteethoverher.

Hewassobigandhardandwonderfullymalebetweenherthighsandassherockedintohim,she

wasalreadysoclosethatevenwithherdressandpantiesstillon,herarousalhadgrownbigenoughthat
allitwouldtakewasonemoretugofhismouthoverherandshe’dbe—

“OhGod...”
Graysonwasrighttherewithherinaninstant,oneofhisbighandsslidingbeneathherdress,upher

bare leg and thigh, and inside her damp panties to help intensify the already shockingly sweet climax.
Withhisthumbonherclitorisandtwoofhisfingersslippinginandoutofher,herinitialorgasmgave
waytoanother,evenbiggerone.

As she spiraled off and off and off, she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him with every

ounceofpassionshepossessed.Hekissedherbackjustasdesperatelyashecontinuedtostrokebetween
herthighs,bothoftheirmouthsroughandhungry.

When her inner muscles had mostly stopped pulsing in the aftermath of her double climax, she

realizedjusthowoutofbreathshewas,thatshewaspantingashardasifshe’djustdoneallthirty-twoof
theBlackSwan’sfouettés.

“My God, you overwhelm me,” he said, burying his face against her breastbone as he slowly

slippedhishandfrombetweenherlegstopullhertightlytohimagain.

Shefelthimworktoregainhiscontrolsothattheywouldactuallymakeitoutofhistruckandinto

hisbedtheirfirsttime.ButLoriknewshecouldn’twaitforthatanymore,thatthiswasexactlyhowthings
weresupposedtohappen,withbothofthemtoooverwhelmedtothinkstraight.

SexwithGraysoninhistruckwaswild.Crazy.
Andoh-so-perfect.
“Youoverwhelmme,too,”shesaidasshestrokedhissoft,darkhair.Whenhetiltedhisfaceupto

meethergaze,shewhispered,“Overwhelmmesomemore,”thenrockedherpelvisintothethickbulge
behindthezipperofhisdarkjeans.

Onagrowlofpleasure,hepushedjustashardintoher,bothoftheirbodiesyoungandstrongandso

hungry for each other that even the confines of his truck and their clothes could barely get in their way
now.

“Please,Grayson,”shebegged.“Takeme.Allofme.”
Aswildastheirnighthadbeensofar,atherbreathlessurging,Graysonfinallyletgoofthehold

he’dbeenkeepingonhiscontrol,andthenextthingsheknew,hewasmovingthemsothatshewasflaton
herbackonthebenchseatandhewastakingherprettydressinhisfistsandrippingitintwo.Shegasped
notfromfear,butfromexcitement,ashereachedforherthongnextandshreddedittopieceswithlittle
morethanonehardtug.

Allweekthey’dbeenvyingwitheachothertoseewhowasstronger,tougher,whocouldholdout

longer,buttonighttheywereequalpartnersineverything:passion,desire,need.Shereachedforhisshirt
andtoreitopen.

She couldn’t wait to get her hands on his bare chest, had actually daydreamed about it so many

times that she couldn’t believe it hadn’t happened yet. And, oh, that first touch of hard, tanned muscles
wassogood.

“You’retheonewhocan’tpossiblybereal,”shesaidasheleveredhimselfupoverhersothatshe

couldrunherhandsoverhisgorgeouslymuscledshouldersandchest,andthenthedeepindentationsof
hisabdominalmuscles.

“Youmakemeforget,”hesaidinarawvoice.“EverythingbuthowmuchIwantyou.”
“You don’t have to remember tonight,” she told him, both of them panting from the force of their

desire.“AllyouhavetodoismakelovetomethewayI’vewantedyoutofromthefirstmomentIsaw
you.”

Hefollowedherpleawithasearingkissthatmadeherheadspinevenmorethanitalreadywas.

And his hands, his mouth, were roaming over every last inch of her naked body. She couldn’t possibly
keepupashetastedherbreastsinonemoment,thennippedatherhipbonethenext.Hishandssometimes
led,othertimesfollowedthedevastatingpathofhislipsandtongueandteethoverheroverheatedskin.

She’dalreadycometwice,butwhenhecurledhishandaroundherankleandliftedherlegsothat

herfootwasrestingonthedashboard,thenstareddownatherwiththehottest,hungriestexpressionshe’d
everseen,shenearlyclimaxedagainwithoutanyfurthercontactatall.

“SweartoGod,”hesaidashereachedouttostroketheslickfleshbetweenherlegs,“I’venever

seenanythingprettierthanyouinallmylife.”Hemoveddownfromtheseattokneelonthefloorofthe

truckbeforeadding,“AndI’llbetyoutasteevenbetter.”

She gasped in pleasure when his tongue found her. He’d splayed his hands on her inner thighs to

openherupevenfurthertohim,andwhenshelookeddownandsawhistannedfingersonherpaleskin,
histonguemovingoverher,andhiseyesliftedtoherfacesothathecouldwatchherreaction,shetumbled
abruptlyintoyetanothersinfullyperfectclimax.

Slowly,hekissedhiswayupherbodyasheclimbedbackoverher.“YouwerejustassweetasI

thoughtyou’dbe,”hesaidrightbeforehecoveredhermouthwithhis.

Shewasworkingonhisbeltbucklewhenhegrabbedherwrists.“Ineedyou,”shepleadedasshe

foughttobreakfreeofhishold.“Ican’twaitanothersecondtohaveyou.”

“Idon’thaveanyprotection.Wehavetogobacktomyhouse.”Hewasalreadymovingawayfrom

hertoletherupashesaidit,andshebarelybitbackagroanoffrustration.

Soclose.She’dbeensoclosetofinallyhavinghim,andnowbecauseneitherofthemhadthoughtto

bringacondomtothebarndance,shewasstuckhavingtoshiftbackintoherseatandputonthelong-
sleevedshirthehandedheroverhernakedbodyforafar-too-longfifteen-minutedrivehome.

Lori knew she should be thankful that he’d remained lucid enough to stop before they had

unprotectedsex.EspeciallyafterwhathadhappenedtoSophieonthenightshe’dhadaone-nightstand
andbecomepregnantdespiteusingacondom.

Butrightnow,withneedroilingaroundinsideher,Lorididn’tfeelgratefulatall.
On the contrary, what she felt was a clawing need to claim—and be claimed by—Grayson, once

andforall.

Only,onceshefinallygothisshirtonandwassittinginherseat,insteadofstartingtheengineand

burningrubbersothattheycouldcontinuewherethey’dleftoff,hejustsatthereandglaredather.Three
back-to-backorgasmswithnobigfinaleinsightmadeherorneryassheglaredback.

“What’syourproblemnow?”
“I’mwaitingforyoutoputyourgoddamnedseatbelton.”
She started at his tone, and the hardness of his gaze that had been so full of hunger just seconds

before,andwasopeninghermouthonasarcasticretortwhensherememberedwhatshecouldn’tbelieve
she’dalmostforgotten:he’dlosthiswifeinacarcrash.Nowonderhewassoadamantaboutherputting
herseatbelton,eveninthewakeofwhatthey’djustbeendoingwithoneanother.

Withtremblinghands,shesnappedherseatbeltintoplace,atwhichpointGraysonpushedthegas

pedaldownhardenoughthatgravelsprayedoutfromhistires.

***

Minutes felt more like hours as Grayson forced himself to take the dark farm roads just barely

abovethespeedlimit.Andthen—finally!—hewaspullingintohisdrive.

Loriwasabouttojumpoutontothegravelwhenhecaughtherinhisarms.“Youleftyourshoesat

thedance.”

“Youhadnoproblemwithmewalkingaroundinbarefeetonthegravelbefore,”sheremindedhim.
He nuzzled her cheek and breathed in her sweet, wild, oh-so-feminine scent. “That was before I

likedyou.”Graysonwassteppingonhisporchandwasabouttokissheragainwhenherealizedshewas
pushingathischest.

“Ithinkalltheexcitementhasmademyearsgowonky,”shedeclared.“Whatdidyoujustsay?”
God,hecouldhardlythinkatallwithhersoftandwarminhisarms,hislong-sleevedshirtfalling

open over her beautiful breasts. He kicked his front door open and tried to remember, but all he could
comeupwithwas,“Idon’twantyoutearingupyourfeetonthegravel.”

“No,”shesaid,“afterthat.”

He’dhadsomanyfantasiesofLorinakedandbeggingforhimtotakeherhereinhisbedroom,that

ashecarriedherintoit,herquestionwasinstantlyforgotten.Helaidherdownonthecovers,pulledthe
shirthe’dgivenhertowearinthetruckallthewayopen,andsliditfromherbody.

SweetLord,hewantedtostartalloverfromthebeginning,wantedtomakehercomeanotherthree

timeswithhishands,hismouth.

Justashewasloweringhismouthtoherbreasts,shesaid,“Didyouevenmeanit?”
Reluctantlymovinghismouthawayfromherchest,hecuppedherbreastsinhishandsandteased

the nipples with his thumb and forefinger instead until they were sharply aroused points. “Did I mean
what?”

Nowshewastheonelosingholdoftheirconversation.“That—”Shearcheddeeperintohishands.

“You—”

He took advantage of her confusion to lick across one tip and then the other, loving the way she

gasped with pleasure as he tasted her. He was just sliding one hand down her flat stomach to the bare,
slickfleshbetweenherlegs,whenshefinallygotallthewordsout.

“Yousaidyoulikedme,Grayson.”
Again,ittookhimlongerthanitshouldhaveforherwordstoactuallymakeitallthewaythroughto

hisbrain.Especiallywhenhehadhishandcuppedoverhersexandhecouldfeelhowwet,howready
shewasforhim.

But when he lifted his gaze to hers, and he saw the surprising vulnerability in them, he finally

understoodwhatshewasasking:Washejustmakinglovetohertonightbecausehewantedherbody?

Orhadthey,againstallodds,developedadeeperconnectionthanthat?
Graysonknewheshouldn’thaveletherstayonhisfarmallweek,andthathedefinitelyshouldn’t

betakinghertohisbednow.Healsoknewthatheshouldbeworkingovertimetokeeptonighttonothing
butsex.

Butknowingallthosethingshadn’tmadeadamnbitofdifferencesofar,hadthey?
“Idolikeyou,Lori,”headmittedinalowvoice.“MorethanIshould.”
“Ilikeyou,too,”shewhisperedasshereachedouttogentlytouchhisface.“Morethanyouknow.”
Hereyeswerefullofsuchsweetemotionthathisheartstutteredinhischest.
Forthreeyearshe’dsworntohimselfthatnothing—andnoone—wouldevertouchhimagain.But

he’dnevercountedonLoriSullivanblowingpasteverywall,everyfortressinlessthanoneweek.

Anditscaredthehelloutofhim.

ChapterEighteen

Graysonknewwhatheneededtodo.Heneededtostopthemfromgoinganyfurther,justashehad

inthecottage.Heneededtoturnhisbacknotonlyondesire,butonaffectionaswell.Becausewhilehe
hadn’tbeenamonkthesepastthreeyears,therehadn’tbeenanyriskatallofemotionalconnectionwith
thewomenhe’dsleptwith.

ButwithLori,everythingwasatrisk.
“Grayson.”
His name on her lips had him refocusing on her, and when he did, he was surprised to find her

smilingasshegazedbackathim.Hecouldstillseedesireinherbeautifuleyes,butmorethanthat,he
realizedtherewasunderstanding.

Understandinghe’ddonenothingwhatsoevertodeserve.
“Onenight.That’sallyouhavetogiveme.”Sheleanedinclose,asiftotellhimasecret.“AndI

won’ttellanyonethatyoulikeme,ifyoudon’ttellanyonethatIlikeyou,too.”

With that, she drew him back down over her so that she could give him one hot, sweet little kiss

afteranother,eachoneofthemmadetoconfuseandinflameanddrivehisdemonsbackdown.Soonthey
weretangledupineachotheragain,hishandsgreedilyfillingthemselveswithhersleekcurves,hersighs
ofpleasuresoundingoutagainsthismouthashestrokedoverherbreasts,herhips.

Graysonwantednothingmorethantohear,tofeelhercomeapartagaininhisarms,butbeforehe

could take her over yet another peak with his hands and mouth, she moved so quickly, and with such
remarkablestrength,thatthenextthingheknew,hewaslyingonhisbackwithLoristraddlinghim.

“Nexttime I come,”she informed himin a no-nonsense voice,“you’re going tobe inside me. Or

else.”

Hell, those beautifully filthy words coming out of her pretty mouth were almost enough to finish

thingsoffforhimrightthenandthere,butofcourseshehadtomakethingsevenmoretouch-and-goby
reachingforhisbeltbuckleandbrushingherfingertipsoverhisraginghard-on.

“There’snothingyoulikemorethantorturingme,isthere?”heaskedasheshovedherhandsaside

toyankhisjeansandboxersoffhimself.

“Actually,”shesaidasshestaredathiserectionwithwideeyes,“there’sonethingIthinkI’mgoing

tolikeawholelotmorethanthat.”

Beforehecouldprepareforit,shereachedoutandwrappedherhandaroundhim.Hisloudgroan

reverberatedoffhisbedroomwalls.

“Lori—”
“Youhadyourfunwithme,nowI’mgoingtohaveminewithyou.”
Naughtydidn’tevencomeclosetothewayshelookedasshelickedherlipsgreedilyandmoved

herhanddown,thenbackupthelengthofhim.Andmaybehewouldhavegrittedhisteethandletherhave
herfunawhilelongerifshehadn’tshiftedjustthensothatthetipsofherlong,darkhairtickledhischest
andhecouldfeelherwarmbreathcomingdownoverhim.

“Timeforyoutocomeagain,farmgirl,”hesaidasheyankedherbackuphisbody.“Soifyouwant

tomakegoodonyourthreat,you’dbettergraboneofthecondomsoutofmybedsidetable.”

“God, you’re bossy,” she said, but she’d never looked happier about his bossiness than she did

whensheleanedovertopullouttheboxofcondoms.“You’veneveropenedthebox.”Shefrownedasshe
caughtsightofthedatestampedonit.“Theseexpirenextmonth.When’sthelasttimeyouhadsex?”

“Itshouldhavebeentwentyminutesagoinmytruck,”hegrowledashegrabbedtheboxoutofher

handsandrippeditopen,sendingcondomsflyingeverywhere.Grabbingthenearestone,hehaditonin

seconds.“Nowbequiet,andgetoverhere.”

Shewashalf-laughing,half-scowlingasheliftedherbackoverhiships,butassoonashebeganto

slideinside,hereyesflutteredclosedandshegavealowmoanofpleasure.

Heheldtighttoherhipssoshewouldn’tmovetoofast—atleast,notthisfirsttime,whenhewanted

tomemorizeeverysinglesensation.Howwarmandwetandreadyshewas.Howshefithimasthough
she’dbeenmadeforhim.

“Please,”shebeggedhim,hisstrong,dancingfarmgirlentirelylosttosensation.Toneed.“Please.

Please.Please.”

Needingherjustasmuchassheneededhim,Graysonreacheduptothreadhisfingersintoherhair

andpullhermouthdowntohisatthesamemomentthatheflippedthemoversothatherbackwaspressed
flat against his sheets. With one hard stroke, he thrust all the way inside, and as her inner muscles
clenchedtightaroundhim,hecompletelyforgoteveryoneofhisvowsaboutholdingback.

Allthatmattered—ashepulledhertightlytohimandsheheldhimjustasclosewhiletheydrove

eachotherevenhigherandfurther—waslovingLori.

Andlettingherlovehim,too.

***

Grayson was crushing her, but Lori didn’t care if her lungs collapsed from trying to breathe with

twohundredpoundsofpuremusclepressingherdeepintothemattress.

She’dneverfeltsogoodinallherlife.
Fromalmost-truck-sextocompletelymessinguphissheets,Graysonhadtotallyrockedhersensual

worldtopieces.Hereshe’dthoughtshewasaconnoisseurofsex,butnoneofherpreviouslovershad
madehercomesofast,sohard,orsorepeatedly.Heck,justlyingherebeneathhim,shewaspractically
onthevergeagain.

Only,makinglovewithGraysonhadbeenaboutsomuchmorethanjustphysicalpleasure.Forthe

veryfirsttimeinherlife,sheactuallyfeltwhole;asifshe’dneededtodateandmessupwithothermen
andrelationshipsalltheseyearsjustsothatshecouldfinallycomearoundtothisfarminthemiddleof
nowhereandfindtheonemanwhotrulymattered.

As they lay together, he continued to stroke her hip with one hand, her hair with the other. In his

arms,shefeltsatedandadoredandprotected,andcouldhavestayedlikethatforever.

Ofcourse,consideringsheandGraysonhadalmostneverseeneyetoeyeonanything,shewasn’t

toosurprisedthathehadotherideas—onesthatincludedpullingherupfromthebed.

“Isittimetomessupmysheetsnow?”sheaskedhopefully.
“Nope,”hesaidashedraggedherintohisbathroom,turnedonthewarmsprayoftheshower,and

pushedherunderit.“It’stimetocleanup,instead.”

She still wasn’t happy about having to be upright again, but at least she was getting a really nice

eyefulofhisnakedbody—nottomentionanerectionthatwouldn’tquit.Afterhewenttopickuponeof
theunusedcondomsthathadfallenontothefloor,shereachedforhimwithbothhands.

Hetookthem,butdidn’tmoveintoherarms.“Idon’tknowifIcancontrolmyselfwithyou.You’re

toobeautiful.”

Herex’ssweetwordshadbeenlittlemorethanliestogetwhathewanted.ButGraysonneversaid

anythingbutthetruth.Knowinghetrulythoughtshewasbeautifulmeanteverythingtoher.

“Well,IknowIcan’tcontrolmyselfwithyou.”Shetuggedathishands.“Nowcomehereandlet’s

bothlosecontrolagain.”

Beforeshecouldevenblink,Graysonhadthecondomon,thenwasliftingherupsothatherback

waspressedupagainstthetiledshowerwallandherlegswerearoundhiswaist.

“Iwantedtoseduceyouthistime,damnit,”hesaidinagrumblyvoiceagainstherearlobethatsent

shiversupherskin.“Slowly.”Hebitdownonthesoftflesh,thenadded,“Gently.”

“Later,”shesaidasshetightenedherlegsaroundhiswaistsothatshecouldkeepherhandsfreeto

rundownoverhisshouldersandmagnificentlymuscledback.“RightnowthisiswhatIwant.You’rewhat
Iwant.”

Sheloweredherselfontohimjustasheplungedupintoher.Wetskinslidagainstwetskin,hands

grasped,moanssoundedasheangledhishipsupperfectlytosendherspiralingoffyetonemoretimeinto
suchincrediblepleasureshewonderedifshewasstrongenoughtosurviveit.Especiallywhenhefound
hisownpleasureandsentherrocketingoffevenhigherwitheveryrough,deepstrokeofhisbodyinside
hers.

Afewminuteslater,Graysonmovedherawayfromtheshowerwallandsheunwrappedherlegs

fromhiswaist,butevenasthewatergrewcoldertheycontinuedtokiss,goingfromhungrytosweet,then
backagain.Afterhe’dtoweledoffbothofthem,carriedherbacktohisbed,anddrawnthesheetsupover
her as she yawned, she was snuggling into him spoon-style when she felt the evidence of his ongoing
arousalpressingthickandhardintoherhips.

“I’vealwaysreallylovedsex,”sheteasedhimoverhershoulder,“butyou’reinsatiable.Tellme

again,when’sthelasttimeyougotsome?”

“It’snotjustthesex,Lori,”hesaidinavoicethatheldbothdesireandsleepiness—andmaybeeven

alittlemomentarycontentment,shehoped.“It’syou.”

Lessthanaheartbeatlater,shewasrollingoverfortheslow,sweetlovemakingtheyhadn’tbeen

abletogettointheshower.Astheykissedandrantheirhandsovereachother,ashewrappedhisarms
around her and she wrapped her legs around him, as he slid into her on a groan and she sighed with
pleasurewhileliftingherhipsintohistotakehimdeeperstill,Loricouldn’tremembereverfeelingso
safe.Soincrediblygood.

Graysongatheredherevenclosertoburyhisfaceinthedampcrookofherneck,andaftertheforce

ofhisclimaxtriggeredyetonemorebeautifulreleaseforher,too,herolledheroversothatherheadlay
onhischestandherlegswereentwinedwithhis.

Thelastthingshewasawareofbeforeshefellasleepwasthesoftpressofhismouthagainsther

foreheadashekissedhergoodnight.

ChapterNineteen

ItwasthefirsttimeinthreeyearsthatGraysonhadsleptpastsunrise.
SunlightwasstreaminginhisbedroomwindowasLorisleptinthecircleofhisarms.Actually,it

wasmorethatshewassprawledcompletelyoverhimsothathewasbothhermattressandpillow.But
eventhoughhe’dalwayspreferredtohaveplentyofspacetohimselfinbed,hefoundhedidn’tmindthe
wayshe’dunconsciouslyclaimedhisentirebed—andhisbody—asherown.

LoriSullivanwasn’tjustNaughty,shewasaforceofnature.
He’dtriedlikehelltopushherawayadozentimesthispastweek,butshewasstillhere.Evenlast

night, when he’d asked her for so much more than he deserved, she’d not only given it to him without
reserve,she’dmadelovetohimwithawide-openheart,too.

“You’reanawesomebed,”shesaidassheslowlyflexedandstretchedherlimbsoneatatimeover

him,whichbroughteveryinchofhisbodycompletelyawake.“Imakeaprettygoodblanket,don’tI?”

Helovedthewayshewokeupwithasmile.“Notjustgood.Amazing.”
“IknowIam,”shesaidwithateasinggrinassherestedherchinonherhandandgazeddownat

himfromwhereshewasperchedoverhischest.“Nowtellme,isitmysparklingpersonality,mywicked
hotmovesinthesack,ormydefthandwithpigfeedthat’sgotyouinrapturesthismorning?”

Heknewheshouldjustgrinback,continueherteasing.Buthehadn’tawakenedwithawomanin

hisbedinthreeyears—especiallynotonethisbeautiful,thisgiving—andhecouldn’tthinkofonething
he’ddonetodeserveitnow.

“HowcanyouforgivemeagainandagainforwhatI’vesaidtoyou?ForthewayI’veacted?”Inhis

experience,forgivenesswasthehardestthingofall.

Her hand immediately moved to stroke his cheek, her eyes softening as she looked down at him.

“MybrothersandsisterandIfoughtalotwhenwewerekids.Mostofthemwerestupidfightsaboutdolls
orthelastbrownieorwhowontherace.Butsometimes,wewenttoofarandreallyhurteachother.Not
just with bruises and black eyes, but with words that we didn’t know how to take back.” She smiled,
thinkingaboutherfamily.“Whenmymother’dhadenough,she’dtakeusbythescruffofourneckslikewe
wereunrulycats,andthenshe’dlockusinaroomtogether.”

Hiseyebrowswentup.“Wasn’tsheworriedyou’dkeeppoundingeachother?”
“Oh,wedefinitelydidthat.Buteventhatgotoldafterawhile.Eventuallywewouldbothrealize

we were stuck in a room with the one person we hated.” She laughed out loud at the memory of those
lock-ins.“Witheightkidstokeepinline,mymotherhadtohaveplentyoftricksuphersleeve.Andher
genius was in knowing that no matter what we said or did, no matter how deep the arrows had gone,
nothing had actually changed. We still loved each other and always would. It was just that, for a little
while there, it was easier to lash out and be nasty than it was to actually work through whatever was
reallymakingusfeelbad.Bythetimeshecametoletusout,wewereusuallytoobusyplayingsomesilly
gamewe’dmadeuptowanttoleavetheroom.Andwe’dforgiveneachotherwithouteverneedingtosay
thewords,becausewe’dnevermeanttohurteachotherinthefirstplace.”

She grinned at him, the sunlight streaming in over her head giving her a temporary halo. “Just in

caseyouhaven’talreadyfigureditout,mymotherisamazing.”

“Nowonder.”
Shecockedherhead.“Nowonderwhat?”
“Nowonder...you.”
“That’sanotherreasonIforgiveyou,”shesaidassheliftedhishandtoherlipsandpressedakiss

toit.“Noonehaseversaidanythingsosweettomebefore.”Shegavehimanothersoftkiss.“Youdidn’t

meantohurtmewithanythingyousaidordid,Grayson.Youdidn’tevenknowmewhenIcamehere.You
were just doing whatever you needed to do to keep me from finding out too much, or from having to
revisitthepainfromyourpast.”Shewiggledhereyebrowsassheadded,“Butifyouthinkitwouldstill
dobothofusgoodforyoutolockyourselfinaroomwithme—naked,ofcourse—there’salittlegameI
justthoughtofthatwecouldplay.”

***

ItwasabigdealforLoritowakeupinGrayson’sbed.She’dalwaysbeensexyandfunandhad

believeditwasuptohertokeepherlovers“ontheirtoes”sothatthey’dstayinterestedinbeingwithher.
Butaftershe’dfallenasleepinhisbed—ontopofhim,noless—insteadofkeepingthingslightandeasy
thismorning,he’dgonedeeprightaway.Now,withherteasingcommentsaboutplayingagametogether,
she thought she was giving him another chance at an out he surely had to want, from emotional back to
sexy. And when he got up off the bed and locked the door, all of the sensitive spots on her body
immediatelyheatedup.

But instead of getting back into bed with her, he knelt beside it. “That day in the cabin when you

toldmewhyyouwerehere,Inotonlydidn’tlisten,Ididsomethingterriblebyturningaroundthefactthat
yourfamilyhasalwaysbeenthereforyouandmakingitsoundlikeaweakness.”Shecouldreadtheregret
on his beautiful face as clearly as she could hear it in every word. “You told me that you’d been in a
relationshipforthepasttwoyears,andthattheguywasscum,right?”

“Totalscum.ButIkeptthinkinghe’dchange,thatoneofthosetimeswhenhesworehelovedme,

he’d actually mean it. Long after my family begged me to dump him, I finally realized he never would
whenIfoundhiminbedwiththeleaddancerintheshowwewereputtingoninChicago.”Thepainof
realizingwhatafoolshe’dbeencameoverheragainasshesaid,“Hedidn’tevenrespectmeenoughto
cheatonmewithastranger.Itwaslikehediditthatwayonpurposetorubitinmyface,toprovetome
justhowmuchpowerhehadovernotonlyme,buttheentirecastandshow,too.”Grayson’sexpression
wasfierce,hishandstightfistsbesideheronthebedasshelaidhersoverthem.“ButIknewIhadjustas
muchpower.Thepowertoleave.Thepowertostartover.Andthepowertomakehimmatterjustaslittle
tomeashereallyshould.”

“Itsoundstomelikeyoumadethemistakeofforgivinghimonetoomanytimes,too.”
“No,” she said in a firm voice, “you and Victor are nothing like each other, so you can give up

trying to make the situations seem at all the same. And even if it’s stupid and gets me in trouble
sometimes,Iwon’tapologizefornotbeingcynicalandhardandholdingagrudge.”

“Neverapologizetoanyoneforwhoyouare,Lori.”
“WhataboutwhenIbreaksomething?OrifIaccidentallyletanotherpigout?Or,”shesaidasher

lipscurvedupwardatthecorners,“whatifitturnsoutthatIusedthewrongpaintonthebacksideofthe
barnbyaccident?”

Hiseyesnarrowedatherlittleadmissionbeforehebrokeoutintolaughter.Itwasasoundsosweet

thatshecouldhardlybelieveshewasfinallyhearingit.Maybetherestoftheworldwouldn’tthinkthat
makingGraysonlaughwasasbiganaccomplishmentasperformingintheshowsandonthestagesshe’d
beengunningforherwholecareer...butLoriknewitwasatleastathousandtimesmoreimportant.

Becauseitmeantthatshe’dhelpedhim,atleastalittlebit,toreclaimapartofhissoul.
“Well,maybethatmightwarrantanapology,”heteased,beforeclaiminghermouthasheclimbed

backontothebed.“Oratleastkeepingthedoorlockeduntilyoumakeituptome.”

“Mmmm,” she murmured against his lips, “maybe you should convince me not to make the same

mistakeagain.”

She felt the proof of how much he liked that idea as she rubbed over him, and was glad that she

couldtakethembothtoafun,playfulplaceforalittlewhile,atleast.Graysonhadlivedtooseriouslyfor
toolong,andeventhoughsheknewtherewasmorehewantedtosaytoherthismorning—thingshe’dkept
insideforfartoolong—shealsorecognizedfromheryearsofdancetrainingwhenitwastimetotakea
littlebreaktorelaxorlaughorjustwigglearoundandbesillybeforeputtinginmorehardwork.

FortunatelyforGrayson,shewasamasterofsilly.Andoflaughter.Nottomention,shethoughtwith

a grin as she quickly got up and repositioned herself so that she was lying face down across his lap, a
masteroffun,dirtysex.

Hispupilsweredilatedandhisbreathwascomingfasterbythetimeshelookedupathim,bither

lip, and whispered, “I’m ready to be convinced now,” in a breathy voice. She wiggled her behind for
effect,butinsteadofplayfullyspankingher,whenhishandmadecontactwithherbottomitwastostroke
overherskinwithsuchheat,andsuchobviousdesire,thatitheldevenmoreimpactthanitwouldhaveif
he’dtouchedheranyotherway.

He teased her like that for so long that she was about to start begging when he finally moved his

handfromherhipstotheslickfleshbetweenherlegs.Sheimmediatelyspreadherthighsforthesweet
slideofhisfingersintoher.Withhisotherhand,hecaressedherbreasts,andwhenherolledonenipple
betweenhisthumbandforefingerattheexactmomentthatheslidthepadofhisthumboverherclitoris,
Lorishudderedandcamesohardeverythingwentblackforasplitsecond.

Shewasstilltryingtogetherbearingswhenheliftedheroffhimsothatshewasonherhandsand

knees on the bed and one of his arms was wrapped so tightly around her waist that she didn’t need to
supportherownweight.

Grayson’s breath was warm on her ear as he teasingly said, “Have you learned your lesson yet

aboutpickingtherightpaintcolors?”

Theword,“No,”wasbarelyoutofhermouthwhenhebuckedhishipsintohers.Hefeltsogood

thrustinginsideofherinwhatwasoneofherfavoritesexualpositionsthatshecouldn’thelpbutloudly
cryoutherpleasure.Hedidn’tstillhismovementstomakesureshewasokay,didn’tmistakethesound
for anything other than the pure joy that it was as he took her so hard again and again that he ended up
havingtocoverherheadwithonehandsothatshedidn’thititontheheadboard.

And with every stroke of his body inside hers, Lori felt a little more of Grayson’s pain leave to

makeroomforpleasure.Pleasureheobviouslyhadn’tthoughthedeservedforthreelongyears.

***

“Yourwifewasbeautiful,wasn’tshe?”
Grayson’sfirstthought,ashelaywarmandlooseinatangleofLori’sarmsandlegsawhilelater,

wasthatonlyshewouldthinktoaskthatquestionabouthiswifefirst,whenanyoneelsewouldhavegone
straightforthemorbid,thesad.

His second thought was that, with the birds chirping and the leaves rustling outside his bedroom

window,itdid,finally,seemtherighttimetoanswerherquestionsabouthispast.

Lorihadjustgivenhimsomuch:wonder,pleasure,laughter.
Theveryleasthecoulddowasgiveherthetruth.
“Shewas.”HewassurprisedtofindhimselfpicturingLeslieasshehadbeenatnineteenratherthan

astheunhappythirty-two-year-oldwomanhe’dhadinhisheadsincethedayshedied.“Verybeautiful.”

“Whofellfirst?”Loriscootedupsothatshecouldfullyseehisfacewhilestilltouchinghimalong

thelengthofhisbody.“Youorher?”

Therewasnojealousy,nopityinLori’squestion,soitwassurprisinglyeasyforhimtoreply,“We

wereincollege,andshesaidnothefirsttimeIaskedherout.Definitelyme.”

Lorilookeddelightedbythetidbit.“Oooh,youhadtochaseher?”

Eventhoughtheirbodieswerealreadytouchingfromshouldertotoe,hehadtoreachouttobrush

thehairoutofhereyes,andstrokehishandoffherfaceashesaid,“Iwouldn’ttakenoforananswer.”

“WhichI’msureshefoundassexyasIdo,bytheway,”shesaid,andthen,“Tellmemoreabouther,

aboutthetwoofyou.”

AmazedtorealizethatLori’squestionswereactuallyhelpinghimrememberandhonorhiswifeina

wayhehadneverbeenabletosinceherdeath,hesaid,“Wegotmarriedrightaftergraduation.Iwentto
workinthecityformyfather’sinvestmentfirm,andshegotajobworkingforaninteriordesigner.When
weboughtourfirsthouseoutinthecountry,sheleftherjobtofocusondecoratingthehouseandworking
oncharityeventsandthefamilyweplannedtohave.”ThistimeLoriwassilentasshewaitedforhimto
continue.“Wehadtroublegettingpregnant.”

Loritookhishandinhers.Shedidn’tsqueezeit,justheldontohim.“Thatmusthavebeenhard.”
Hetookabreath,onehecouldn’tseemtoinhalealltheway.“Ourmarriagehadn’tbeenwhateither

ofushadthoughtitwouldbe.Thecountryhousehadbeenourfirsttryatmakingitbetter.Achildwas
supposedtobeoursecond.Whenneitherofthoseworked—”

Graysonstopped,knewhedidn’thavetosayanythingmore,thathe’dalreadygivenawayenough.

He’dnevertalkedtoanyoneaboutthisbefore,notevenhisparentsorLeslie’s.

But,suddenly,beingtheonlyonewhoknewwhathadreallyhappenedseemedliketoobigaburden

tokeepbearingallalone.

“Somewhere along the way, she started drinking. But I never knew about what she’d been doing

untilshecrashedintoatreeandtheytoldmeshewaswayoverthelegalblood-alcohollimit.Thatwas
whenIwenthomeandsawallthesignsI’dmissed,everylastoneofthehintsshe’dbeenleavingme,just
hopingI’dseeher.HopingthatI’dbethereforherthewayI’doncepromisedwhenwewereyoungand
theworldwasgoingtobeoursandIrefusedtohaveitanyotherway.”

Foralongwhile,Lorididn’tsayaword.Shesimplyputherarmsaroundhimandheldontight.
Until,finally,sheliftedherheadfromhischestandsaid,“Lastnight,whenyoutookmetothatbarn

dance and pushed me out onto the dance floor, you gave me back my heart, Grayson.” Her mouth was
barelyabreathfromhisasshewhispered,“AndIcan’tseehowamanwhocoulddosomethingthatgood
couldpossiblybebad.”

The birds were still chirping, the leaves were still rustling. The chickens still needed their eggs

collected, the pigs their stalls mucked. The crops needed weeding and the CSA boxes needed to be
assembled.ButasLorikissedhim,andhekissedherbackbeforemakinglovetoheryetonemoretime,
Graysonknewthateverythinghadchanged.

Becausehefinallyknewwhatitfeltliketoholdsunshineinhishands...andwhenLorileft,itwas

goingtofeellikewinterallyearround,evenonthehottestdaysofsummer.

ChapterTwenty

Thenextfewdayspassedinablurofback-breakinghardworkasLorihelpedGraysonlayinthe

boardsandbeamsforthenewroofofhiscottagewhilekeepingupwithalloftheusualfarmchores.And,
ofcourse,therewasthewonderfulsextheyhadeverynightwhentheanimalswerefinallytakencareof
andtheonlythingthetwoofthemneededtofocusonuntilsunrisewaseachother.

Thesexwassogood,infact,thatLorisometimeswonderedifshewasdreaming.Buteachmorning

whenGraysondraggedheroutofbedatsunrisesothatshecouldmakethembothbreakfast,sheknewshe
wasn’t.Adreamwouldneverbesoheartless,ormakehermusclesachequitesomuchwithhisincredibly
longlistsofworktobedoneonthefarm.

Shewastakingaten-secondbreak,dreamingofatropicalbeachandafruitydrink,whenGrayson

rodeuponhishorseandsaid,“Ineedyourhelpwithsomethingonthebackforty.”Hepulledheruponto
hishorsewithoutsomuchasa“please.”

“Youknow,”shesaidashewrappedhisarmstightlyaroundherwaistandrodeoffwithher,“I’m

sureIcouldlearntorideifyoucouldspareafewpreciousminutestoshowmehow.”

“Ofcourseyoucould,”heagreed.“You’dbeanaturalonhorseback.ButIwantyouherewithme.”
Withhissurprisinglylovelywordsechoingallthroughherheart,shesnuggleddeeperagainsthim.

“I’dratherbeherewithyou,too.”Shehonestlycouldn’tthinkofanywhereshe’dratherbethanoutinthis
beautifulgreenpasturewithGrayson.“So,whatareyougoingtodotoworkmetothebonenow?”

“Areyousureyouwanttoknow?”
Hesoundedwaytoohappywithhimselfandshegroanedwhilestewinginallthepossibilitiesof

thetorturousworkhehadplannedforher,likediggingaditchorhaulingheavyrocks.Butwhenthegrass
startedtoturntosandandhedidn’tstopthehorse,hersuspicionssuddenlyshiftedinanotherdirection.

“Doyouownthebeachouthere,too?”
“Technically,no,”heansweredashefinallytieduphishorsetoanearbytreeandhelpedherdown,

hisbighandswarmonherwaistashestoleakiss.“Butsincetheonlywaytogettothispartoftheshore
bylandisthroughmyproperty,we’renotgoingtohavetoworryaboutanyoneseeingyouherenaked.”

“Naked?”Herbodyheatedupevenashereyesnarrowed.“Areyousayingyoubroughtmetothe

beachtoseduceme?”

He pulled a large foil wrapper and a Thermos out of one saddlebag. “I brought lunch, too. For

later.”

Shelovedseeinghimlikethis.Smiling.Playful.Happy.Itwashowhedeservedtobe.
LoriwantedsobadlytohealGrayson.Heobviouslyblamedhimselfforwhathadhappenedwith

hiswife.Andshehatedthathedid.Shewantedtoclearawayhispainandfilluptheemptyspaceswith
love.

Butlife,sheknew,wasn’talwaysthateasy.Andsometimeshavingsomefundespitethepainwas

allyoucoulddo.

Shelookeddownatthepicniche’dpacked,andteased,“Well,ifyou’vegotlunch,thenIsuppose

youcouldhavemeasanappetizerfirst.”

Thenextthingsheknew,hewasthrowingherupoverhisshoulder,pullingathickblanketoutofthe

othersaddlebag,andcarryingherdowntothebeach.Shecouldeasilyhavegottenbackdownonherfeet,
butwhatwasthepointofpretendingshedidn’tlovethis?

Justasshewasgoingtoletherselfpretend,atleastforthenextfewdays,thatthiswasalifeshe

couldstayandliveforever.

They’dbarelyspreadtheblanketoutonthesandbeforetheywerebothreachingforeachother.

“I don’t know how you do it,” he murmured as they stripped off each other’s clothes and he sat on the
blanketandpulledheroverhim.“AllIknowisthatIcan’tstopwantingyou.”

“I’ll show you how,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and straddled his naked

body.Shelovedthefeelofthehardandfastbeatofhisheartagainstherownbarechest,proofthatshe
affectedhimasmuchasheaffectedher.

Shefoundhismouthwithhersandkissedhimsoftly,thesaltsprayfromtheoceanalreadyonhis

lips.She knew she’dnever forget this—makinglove to Grayson onhis beach, hisarms tight and warm
aroundher.Shecouldfeelhowmuchhewantedher,buthedidn’trushher,didn’trollthemoveronthe
blanketandthrustintoher,eventhoughbothofthemwouldsurelyenjoythat,too.

He’dgivenhersomuchpleasurewhilealsogivingherbackherconfidenceinherselfasabeautiful,

desirablewoman—andnowshewantedtogivehimbackjustasmuch.Loriknewshecouldn’tfullyheal
Grayson,thatshecouldn’tchangehispast.Butshecouldgivehimafewmomentsofsweetperfectionin
herarms.

Momentsjustlikethis.
Shelicked out againsthis tongue andhe groaned his pleasureinto her mouthas his tongue licked

back.Hemadehersmile,herroughandgrufffarmer,evenassherockedherpelvisintohis,hiserection
thickandthrobbingagainstherslickskin.

Buttherewassomuchmoreofhimshewantedtotaste,torunhertongue,herlips,over.Sherained

kissesacrosshisjaw,hisfiveo’clockshadowscratchingherlipsinthemostdeliciousway,thendown
beneathhisjawintothehollowofhisneckwhereshehadlickedtherainfromhisskinjustaweekbefore.

Thestormhadn’tonlybeenbrewingoutside,ithadhitbothofthemjustashard,justassuddenly.

Hesaidshemadehimforget,buthemadeherforget,too.Becauseonekiss,onecaressatatime,Grayson
hadtakentheplaceofeveryothermanshe’deverbeenwith—allofthemnothingmorethanapreludeto
therealthing.

Tolove.
She’dplannedtorunherhandsoverhisbroadshoulders,tokisseveryinchofhim,buttheintensity

oftheirpassionforeachotherrantoodeepforhertodoanythingbutgrabthecondomhe’ddroppedonto
the blanket, tear it open, and lift her hips up so that she could slide it onto his absolutely gorgeous
erection.

Grayson’sentirebodystiffenedwhileherfingertipsgrazedhishardflesh,andsheunderstoodhow

hard he was working to keep himself in control for another few seconds—because she was doing the
samethingherself.

“You’dbettergofasterthanthat,”hegrowled.
Loriwasbothgrinningandpantingasshedecidedtomesswithhimjusttheteeniestbit.“I’mgoing

asfastasIcan,”shesaid,evenassheletherhandslingeracrosshim,herhipsbumpjustalittleagainst
his,thetipsofherbreastsslideoverhisrock-hardpecsasshefiddledwiththecondom.

“Likehellyouare,”hesaid,andthenhewastakingthejobawayfromher,hishandsmovingtoher

hipsamomentlatertoholdhertightlyasshefinallytookhiminside,slidingdownoverhisthicklength
oneperfectinchatatime.

Her eyes fluttered closed, her breath rushing from her body as pleasure overtook her. When she

finallyfiguredouthowtobreatheagainandopenedhereyes,shefoundGraysonstaringatherwithsuch
desire—andsuchwonder—thatherchestclenchedsotightthatshecouldactuallyfeelherloveforhim
throbbingbetweenthem.

Theonlywayshecouldkeepfromsayingthewordsaloudtohimwastocoverhismouthwithhers

andfocuseverylastcell,everylastmuscleinherbody,onpleasure,onfillingherselfwithhishardheat
againandagainandfeelinghimgrowevenbigger,evenharderinsideofherwitheverystroke.

“Grayson...”Shecouldn’tseeanythingbuthim,couldn’tthinkanythingbuthisname,couldn’tfeel

anythingother than thedeepest pleasure she’dever known in herlife. And asthe ocean waves crashed
behindthemintothejaggedrocksalongthecoast,Graysonwasheranchorasheheldhersotightlyonhis
lapthatshecouldnolongermove.Shecouldonlyholdonashethrustupintoheragainandagainuntilshe
wascrashinghardintoaclimaxsobeautifulshewasnearlysobbingatthepleasurehegaveher.

Andashecalledouthername,thenexplodedinsideofherassheheldhimjustastightlyashe’d

beenholdingher,shedidn’thavetowonderifherbodyhadjusttoldhimoftheloveshehadn’tletherself
speakaloud.

Allthatwaslefttowonderwaswhetherhe’dheardit,too.

***

Thenextafternoon,thesunwasalreadystartingtosetbythetimeGraysonfoundherinthepigpen.

“You’rejustgettingtheirstallsmuckedoutnow?”

Loriremainedamazedbothbythewayhemanagedtoinfuseeachwordwithsomuchirritation,and

byhowcuteshefoundit.Notrushingasshefinishedthefinalstall,shecarefullywashedoffherrakeand
hungitupbeforesaying,“Iwouldhavefinishedearlier,butsomeonemademelateforworkthismorning
bynotlettingmegetoutofbed.”

Asshewalkedovertohimatthegate,hemadeaface.“Youreallyneedashower.”
“Well,youreallyarecranky,”sheretortedeventhoughshecompletelyagreedwithhimabouthow

niceashowerwouldberightaboutnow.“Thinkashowercanwashthataway,too?”

“Youthinkthisiscranky?”hegrowledashetookholdofheranddraggedheraroundthesideofthe

barn.“I’llshowyoucranky.”

Beforesheknewit,hehadherstandingfullyclothedundertheoutdoorshower.Hestrippedthewet

clothes,hatandbootsfromhersofastthatallshecoulddowasstandthereinshockandlethim.Onlyto
bedoublyshockedwhensherealizedhisjeansandbootswerealreadyoff,too,andhe’dputacondom
on.

Amomentlater,hepickedherupanddroveintoher,bothofthemutterlyravenousforeachother

despitethefactthatithadbarelybeeneighthourssincethey’dlastmadelove.Shedidn’tneedforeplay,
didn’tneedanythingbuthisstrongarmsaroundherandhisfiercedesiretodriveherstraighttotheedge,
and then all the way over as his lips landed on hers and he drove his tongue into her mouth just as he
thrusthishipsforward.

Later, when he soaped her up, then made her feel good all over again with his hands and mouth,

LorimadeamentalnotetoremembertocallGraysonnamesmoreoftenthanshealreadydid.

***

A few days later, Grayson had just stepped in the back door when he heard Lori’s voice coming

fromthekitchen.

“HeySoph,timeformydailycheck-insothatyoudon’tthinkanaxemurdererhasgottentome.”
Hehadn’trealizedLoriandhersisterspokeeveryday.Despiteopeninguptoeachotherabouttheir

failedrelationshipsaftertheirfirstnighttogether,bytacitagreementsincethen,theyhadn’tpushedeach
otherhardforanything.Instead,they’dbothsimplyenjoyedtheirtimetogether.

ButitwasgettingharderandharderforGraysontodenythathewasstarvedformoreofLori.Not

justherbody.Notjustherlaughter.Buttoknowherbetter.

Allofher,insideandout.
Soeventhoughheknewheshouldn’tlisteninwithoutherknowledge,hedidn’theadbackoutside

toletherfinishhercallinprivate.

“Oh!”heheardLoriexclaim.“Isthatababylaughing?Really,it’stwobabieslaughingatthesame

time?”Hefeltthewonderinhervoicedeepinthecenterofhisheart.“Whatcouldbebetterthanthat?”
sheaskedonasweetlittlelaughofherown.“Ican’twaittoseethemonSunday.I’vemissedmylittle
nieceandnephewsomuch.”

He’dknownsincethatdayhe’dtakenhertotheGeneralStoretopickupbootsthatshe’dbeleaving

himforlunchthisSunday.

Unfortunately, he also knew that the odds of her coming back to his farm—and to him—after that

wereslimtonone.Becauseonceshere-enteredherreallife,she’dseehowridiculoushidingoutonhis
farmwas.Loriwasaworld-classdancer.Shehadafamilywholovedher.Asmuchapartofthelandas
sheseemedtobeeverytimehelookedather,thetruthwasthatshedidn’tbelongonhisfarm.

Itwaswhyhe’dbeencarefulnottogettooclose,tellinghimselfagainandagainthatitwassmarter

justtofilluponpleasuresothatitwouldn’thurtasmuchonceshewasgone.

ButGraysonknewbetter:Itwouldhurtlikehell.
Andhe would haveto let herleave anyway, because keepingLori hidden awayon a farm would

deprive the world of her truly special gift. He’d known from the first second she showed up that she
wouldn’tlastverylong.Buthe’dthoughtshewouldleavebecauseshehadn’tbeenabletohackthehard
work.

Nowheknewthetruth.LoriSullivancoulddoanythingshesethermindto.Butwhiletherecould

beplentyofgreatfarmhandsoutthere,onlyafewpeopleweremeanttobedancers.

“Yes,”shesaidtohersister,“Idofeelbetter.”Shegaveacontentedlittlesigh.“Lotsbetter.What

can I say? Being a farmhand obviously agrees with me. Oh,” she added on a playful note, “and lots of
superawesomesexwithahotcowboydoesn’thurt,either.”

Shelaughedatwhateverhersistersaid.“Don’tworry,Soph.You’dlikeGrayson.He’snothinglike

Victor.”Loriwassilentforafewmomentsashersisterspokeagain.“Idon’tknow.I’mstillworkingthat
out.”

Whatdidn’tsheknow?Graysonaskedhimself.Ifshewasfinallygoingtoconfrontthedouchebag

she used to date? Or was she telling her sister that she thought there was a chance of a future with the
cowboy?

Shit.Thiswaswhyitwasabadideatolisteninonaconversation.Especiallyonlyhalfofone.
“Iloveyou,too,Soph.KisseachoneofSmith’sandJackie’sperfectlittlefingersandtoesfortheir

Aunt,okay?”

Grayson slipped back out the side door and stood in the driveway, staring up at the moon,

wonderingwheninthehellhe’dmanagedtocompletelyloseholdofhisheart.Afewminuteslater,Lori
cameoutsidetojoinhimandslippedherhandintohis.

“Iswear,”shesaidinavoicefilledwithwonder,“themoonlooksprettierherethananywhereelse.

Everythingdoes.”

“It’sevenbetterfromthemiddleofthepasture.”
Handinhand,theystartedslowlywalkingoutacrosshisland,thenightaircleanandcrisp,thesky

aninkyblue.Foronce,shewasquietasshestaredupattheskyandheknewheshouldbeappreciating
theraremomentsofsilence.

Only, more than he wanted a return to the quiet he’d grown so accustomed to over the past three

years,hewantedLori.

“Tellmeaboutyourfamily.”
Hefeltherstartinobvioussurprise,butshequicklycovereditwithalaugh.“Thesunwillprobably

bebackupbythetimeIfinishdoingthat.Thereareeightofus,remember?”

“Youonlyhaveonesister,right?”
Shenodded.“We’retwins.”

“There’stwoofyou?”
“Don’tsoundsohorrified.We’renothinglikeeachother.Infact,Icanguaranteeyouwouldlovemy

quiet, calm, librarian sister. Everyone does, especially Sophie’s pub-owning, tattoo-covered husband,
Jake.”

Heraisedaneyebrow.“How’dtheypossiblyenduptogether?”
“Sophie and Jake have been in love with each other since they were kids, but neither of them

wanted to admit it until they finally gave in and had a one-night stand at my brother Chase’s wedding.
Sophiegotpregnantwithtwinsandtherestishistory.”

By now, he wasn’t terribly surprised at the way Lori acted as if something like that would be a

perfectlynaturalprogressionforarelationshiptotake.Shedidn’texpectlifetobenormal,orbythebook.

“MybrotherGabeisjustalittleolderthanmeandSoph.He’safirefighterintheCityandrecently

married Megan after saving her and her daughter Summer from a bad apartment fire last year.” With
barely a breath between sentences she explained, “Summer is an amazing eight-year-old who made my
brotherZachtakehernewpuppyforacoupleofweekswhiletheyweregoneonvacation.Heendedup
meetingHeather,who’sadogtrainerandwantednothingtodowithhim.Butthenherdogfellinlovewith
hispuppy,andZachrealizedhecouldn’tlivewithoutHeathereither,sonowthey’reengaged.”

His head was spinning with names and details. “The dogs are engaged? Or are you talking about

yourbrotherandhisdogtrainer?”

“Oooh,”sheexclaimed,“Summerwouldloveitifwehadalittleceremonyforthedogs,too.Good

idea!”Shepausedforhalfasecondbeforejumpingtowhatseemedlikeatotallyrandomquestion.“Do
youlikebaseball?”

Hegaveheralookthatsaidsheshouldknowbetter.“I’mared-bloodedAmericanmale.Ofcourse

Ilikebaseball.”

“Butsinceyou’refromNewYork,you’reprobablymoreofaYankeesfanthanaHawksfan,right?”
“Areyoukidding?AfterseeingRyanSullivanpitchupclose,I—”Thelastnamessuddenlyclicked

intoplace.“Don’ttellmeyourbrotheristheguyresponsiblefortheHawkswinningtheWorldSeriesthis
year?”

“Last year, too,” she confirmed with a happy smile. “He just got engaged to his best friend from

highschool.Vickiisanawesomesculptor.Soawesome,infact,thatoneofmyotherbrothershiredherto
workonhislastmovie.”

Graysonhad thought hewas catching up,but now she waslosing him again.“You have a brother

whoworksonmovies?”

“I should make you guess this one.” She waited expectantly for him to figure out who the hell in

Hollywoodshecouldpossiblyberelatedto,beforefinallyscrunchinguphernoseandsighing.“Idon’t
knowwhynobodyeverseesthefamilyresemblance.I’llgiveyouahint.”Shepretendedshewasholding
agunwithherfreehandandpointeditathim.“Alltherightfriendsinalltherightplacescan’tsaveyou
now,canthey?”

“Jesus,”hesaidasherealizedherbrotherwasSmithSullivan,oneofthebiggestmoviestarsinthe

world.“Isthereanyoneyouaren’trelatedto?”

“Well,”shesaidjustslowlyenoughthatherealizedshewasgoingtohithimovertheheadwithyet

anotherwhopperofasibling,“youknowthewinewehadwithdinnertheothernight?MybrotherMarcus
ownsSullivanWinery,and—”

“There’sanand?”
Lori started humming a song he’d heard on the radio approximately a thousand times in the past

year.Itwascatchyandwellwrittenenoughthatsomehowhewasn’tsickofityet.“Youknowthatsong,
right?”

“Whodoesn’t?”

“Marcus’sfiancéeNicolawroteit.Andsangit.”Sheliftedherhandstohischest.“Butbeforeyou

totallystartfreakingout—”

“I’mnotfreakingout,”hesaid,butsheignoredhim,ofcourse.
“—sinceIhaven’tnoticedthatyou’reallthatintophotography,youprobablyhaven’theardofmy

brotherChase.”

“IwasontheboardofdirectorsfortheInternationalCenterofPhotographyinNewYorkCity,”he

growled.“OfcourseIknowwhoChaseSullivanis.”

Hadhereallybeenstupidenoughtothinkthathecouldhaveuncomplicated,no-tiessexwithLori

Sullivan?

Hell, in everything he did or saw or listened to for the rest of his life, he’d think of her and her

family.

“Andyouknowthatmyfatherdied.Iwasonlytwo,butmymotherandolderbrotherstellthemost

wonderfulstoriesabouthim,soitfeelslikeIhavememoriesofhim,eventhoughIreallydon’t.”

Hepulledheragainsthim,intotheplacehealwayswantedher,withherbodypressedclose,her

cheek soft in the crook of his neck. When she’d told him about her father before, he hadn’t been kind,
hadn’ttoldher,ashedidnow,“I’msorry.”

“I am, too,” she said as she wound her arms around his neck. “Now will you tell me about your

family?”

“It’s pretty much the opposite of yours. I don’t have any brothers or sisters. My father is still

workingthestockexchangeandmymotherhelpsrunhalfthecharitiesinthecity.”

“They must be so amazed with your farm, with everything you’ve done here to make such a

differenceinfeedinganentirecommunity.”

Heshookhishead.“Theyhaven’tseenit.”
“Howcouldtheynotwanttocomeseewhatyou’vecreatedhere?”Shelookedextremelyinsulted

on his behalf. “I mean, I know it’s different from what they’re used to in the city, but a little mud isn’t
goingtohurtthem.”

Shewassuchafiercedefenderofhim,soreadytotakehisside.When,what,howhadheeverdone

anythinggoodenoughtodeservethistimewithher?Andhowcouldhepossiblyfindawaytokeepher
herewithhimforlongerthantwoweekswithoutherresentinghimforkeepingherfromherfamily,her
career,herreallife?

“I’veneveraskedthemtocome,”headmitted.
“Oh, Grayson.” She lifted his hand to her lips and pressed a kiss to his palm. “Don’t they know

better than to wait for an invitation when the only thing that works with you is just showing up and
refusingtoleave?HowcomeSweetpeaandIaretheonlyoneswhohaveeverfiguredthatout?”

Allday,allnight,Graysonhadwantedtokissher,butnevermorethanhedidrightthen,withher

sweetemotionsclearasthenightskyinherbeautifuleyes.

Leavingthehandshewasholdingbetweentheirchests,hethreadedthefingersoftheotherthrough

hersofthair.Shewasalreadytiltinghermouthuptohisasheloweredhisdownontohers.

EverytimehekissedLoriandtastedhowfreshandsweetshewas,Graysonfeltasthoughhewas

beingbathedinwarmsunlightonaperfectsummerday.Andevennow,ashekissedherbeneaththemoon
and the stars, that warmth moved through his veins, pumping through a heart that had been cold for so
long.

Heneverwantedtostopkissingher,neverwantedtoletgoofthebeautifullywarmandsweetgirl

inhisarms.Aweekago,hewouldhavemadehimselfletgoofheranyway.Butherconversationwithher
sisterwasareminderthatshe’dbeleavingsoonenough...andhewasn’tevenclosetohavinghisfillof
heryet.SoinsteadoflettingLorigo,Graysonpulledhercloser.

Andwhenshegaspedherpleasureagainsthislips,itwasthemostbeautifulsoundhe’deverheard.

***

Allthenextday,LorithoughtaboutthekissGraysonhadgivenherinthemoonlight.
She wasn’t surprised to find that he had a deeply romantic side. Not when he’d been revealing

himselftoherinbitsandpiecesoverthepasttwoweekswithoutevenrealizingit.Howgentlehe’dbeen
incoaxingababygoatoutoftheblackberrybramblehe’dgottenhimselfstuckin.Thewayhespoketohis
horses in low, soothing tones as he groomed them. The care with which he picked up his prize hens to
stroke their feathers. And, of course, his romantic side was even more fun when contrasted with his
cranky-pantsattitudeduringtheworkday.

Truthbetold,therewasn’tasideofhimshedidn’tlike,andmoreandmoreoftenshefoundherself

wonderingaboutthefuture...andifitcouldbepossibleforthemtohaveonetogether.Couldshefigureout
awaytocombinethelifeshe’dhadbeforeGraysonwiththenewoneshe’dfoundwithhimintherolling
pasturesofPescadero?

Intwodaysshe’dbeheadingtohermother’shousefortheSundaylunchshe’dpromisedhersister

shewouldattend.They’dwanttoknoweverything,andsheknewshe’dhavetotellthemaboutherex,the
farm,theworkshe’ddonethesepasttwoweeks.

ButwhatwouldshesayaboutGrayson?
Andhowcouldshepossiblyexplainwhatshe’dfoundherewithhimwithoutthemseeingthatshe’d

fallenheadoverheelsinlovewithamanwhocouldn’tloveherback?

Yes, she knew none of them had had an easy road to their own happily-ever-afters. Nonetheless,

beingtheonlyoneleftinafamilyofjoyously-in-lovesiblingswasn’teasy.

GoingwithErictohelpwiththeCSApick-upswasbittersweetthistimeasshewonderedwhether

itwouldbethelasttimeshegottodoit.Afterhedroppedheroffanddrovebackdownthedriveway,she
foundGraysonontopofthecottageroof.

“Hey,cowboy,”shecalleduptohim,“youmakeagirlwanttostareupattheblueskyforever.”
Anditwastrue—evenlookingathimfromadistancemadeherheartclenchandherstomachtwist

andherbreathcomefaster.Shemightonlyhavelovedhimforaweek,butthatloveransodeeplythrough
herthatshecouldbarelyholdthewordsbacksometimes,especiallywhenhewaskissingherandholding
herinhisstrongarmsatnight.

Hegrinneddownather,thesmileshesolovedmakingherheartflip-floparoundinherchestlike

crazyashesaid,“Lookinggooddownthere,too,cowgirl.”

“Goodenoughtotakealittlebreak?”shesaidwithaplayfullittleflounceofherchestandhips.
“Hell,yeah,”hesaidinsuchahot,sexyvoicethatherheadspunandherkneesgrewweak.“Grab

the small hammer from the kitchen counter for me and I’ll nail down these last couple of shingles.” He
strippedherwithhiseyes.“AndthenI’llnailyou.”

Boy,didheknowhowtomotivateherassheallbutranintothekitchentogethishammer.Butwhen

shesawSweetpealyinghalfwayoffherbedofpillowsandblankets,withherheadturnedinaslightly
strangeposition,LoriimmediatelyforgotaboutGraysonwaitingforherontheroof.

“Baby,areyouokay?Pleasebeokay.”
She ran a gentle hand over the cat’s side and was beyond relieved to find her still warm and

breathing.Sheimmediatelyscoopedheroffthefloor.DespitethespecialmealsLorihadbeenmakingand
handfeedingtoher,Grayson’scathadbecometerriblythin,sothateveryoneofherribswasshowing.
Evenhertail,whichhadremainedthickdespiteherillness,wasnownearlyhairless.

LoriwasstillsittingonthecouchrockingthecatinherarmswhenGraysoncameinthesidedoor.

“How long were you planning on making me wait for the—” He stopped cold as he saw her with
Sweetpea.“DidsomethinghappenwithMo?”

Foronce,Lorididn’tcorrecthimonthecat’sname.“Idon’tthinkshefeelsverygoodtonight.But

we’rejustgoingtocuddleitout.”

Grayson sat beside them on the couch and ran a large hand over the cat’s skinny frame before

placingitoverLori’s.Theystayedjustlikethatuntillongpastthemomentthecatfellpeacefullyasleep—
thelonerandthetwostrayswhohadrefusedtolethimbealone.

ChapterTwenty-one

Early the next morning, Grayson forced himself to get up with the sun, despite having the most

beautifulgirlintheworldinhisbed,warmandsoftandalwaysreadyforhim.Butwhenhewentoutinto
thekitchentopoundaquickcupofcoffee,heimmediatelyknewsomethingwaswrong.

It was Mo. She wasn’t making her little snuffling noises. She wasn’t blinking her eyes open to

acknowledgehispresenceforasplitsecondbeforegoingbacktosleepawaytherestofthemorning.

Shewasgone.
Hisheartbrokeashefinallylostthefurryfriendwhohadbeenwithhimeverystepofthewayashe

builtanewlifeonthefarm.Atthesametime,he’dcometoacceptlifeanddeathforhisanimals.Itwas
nature.Itwasthecycleofthings.

ButLoriwasgoingtobeabsolutelydevastated.
Takingablanketoffthecouch,hecarefullybundledupthecatinit.HecouldburyMobeforeLori

wokeupandspareherthepainfulgood-bye,butheknewthatwouldbeworse.

Carryingthecatinhisarms,hewalkedbackintothebedroom.HesimplystaredatLoriforafew

seconds,drinkinginthesightofherinhisbed,herdarkhairspreadoutacrossthepillows,herbeautiful
facecalm,herendlesslyenergeticbodyfinallystillforashortwhileassheslept.Hermouthwastiltedup
slightlyatthecornersandhehopedshewasdreamingofhim.

Crap.Hecouldn’tdothistoher,couldn’twakeherfromherhappydreamsandbreakherheart.He

wasmovingawaytodealwiththecathimselfwhenshestirred.

“Grayson?”
Heswallowedhardbeforeturningbacktofaceher.Sheimmediatelynoticedthebundleinhisarms.
“IsitSweetpea?”Lori’svoicewassurprisinglysteady.
Grayson,ontheotherhand,couldn’tseemtofindhisvoiceashenoddedinstead.
Silently, she drew back the covers and got dressed. She wasn’t crying, but he could feel sadness

radiating out from her with every single movement. Together, they walked outside, both of them
automatically heading past the barn. Lori walked over to the spot with the most sweeping views of his
land.

“Here.Sweetpeashouldberighthere.Rightbythebarn,whereyoufoundher.”
He handed Mo to her and got the shovel. It didn’t take long to dig the hole and, soon, Lori was

kneelingandplacingthecatintoit.Onetearsliddownhercheek,andthenanother.

“Thankyouformakingmefeelsowelcomehere,Sweetpea.Iloveyou.”
Somehow, just barely, Grayson kept his own tears from falling as Lori stepped back and he

shoveledthedirtintoplace.Shefoundarockandsomeflowersandlaidthemdownoverthegrave.

When she looked back at him, her face awash with tears and her shoulders bowed with grief,

Graysonfinallypulledherintohisarmsthewayhe’dwantedtofromthestart.Theystoodlikethatfora
longtime,untilshestartedshiveringinhisarms.Gently,hebroughtherbackinside,Loricryingharder
witheverystepawayfromthecat’sgrave.

“Loveistoohard.”Shefitthewordsinbetweensobs.“I’mtooweakforlove.”Sheshookherhead

against his chest. “I’m never going to love anything ever again. Never. Ever. Again. Not anyone or
anything.”

Grayson pulled her closer, held her tighter. He’d known she would cry and he would have done

anythingintheworldtomakeitsoshedidn’thaveto.

Butshehadto.Becauseshehadlovedhisbalding,foul-breathedcatwitheverythingshehad.
HeknewnowthatthiswashowLoriSullivanloved.Alltheway.Everysingletime.

Evenwhensheknewthatherlovewouldn’tbeabletosaveanyoneoranything.
“YouhavethesoftestheartofanyoneI’veeverknown,”hesaid,whisperingthewordsintoherhair

asherockedher.“Andit’sexactlywhatmakesyousostrong.”

And it was why he loved her. One of the reasons, anyway. Because he also loved her bratty

comebacks.Helovedthewaysheputherentireselfbehindwhatevershewasdoing,evenifshehadno
idea what she was doing and was getting it all wrong. He loved the way she danced as if she was
connectedtothecloudsandthesunandtherainbows.

Andhelovedthatshe’dstormedintohislifeandturnedeverythingupsidedownbeforeheeverhad

achancetostopher.

Maybeitwasn’tfairtolaythisonhernow,tocombineloveanddeathintoonemoment.Butifthere

wasonethingGraysonhadlearnedduringthepastthreeyears,itwasthatlifewasn’tfair.Theweather
couldtakeouthiscropsovernight.Ahealthyanimalcouldfallsicksosuddenlythattherewasnotimeto
callthevet.

And a beautiful girl could show up on his doorstep and change his life with no warning at all,

leavinghimnotimetofigureouthowtoguardhisheartfromher.

“Iloveyou.”
Shewasstillsobbing,hertearssoakinghisshirt,assheliftedherheadtofacehim.Hereyeswere

redandhernosewasrunning...andshe’dneverlookedmorebeautifultohim.

“Whatdidyoujustsay?”
Itfiguredthatwhenhefinallylosthisheartagain,itwouldbelikethis.Toawomanwhohaddriven

himcrazyfromthemomentheseteyesonher.

“Isaid…”Hepausedsothatshewouldn’tmissitthistime.“I.Love.You.”
Hersobsrecededassheblinkedathiminshock.“Youloveme?”
She said it as though it was the craziest idea in the world. As though there was no way he could

possiblyloveher.

Frustration—thefamiliarfrustrationhe’dfeltsincethatfirstday,whenshe’dtoldhimshewasgoing

tobethebestfarmhandhe’deverhad—startedtoeatathim.

“Yes.”Hetriednottogrowlthewordsather.“Iloveyou.”
Hewaitedforhertosmile.Tothrowherarmsaroundhim.Todeclareherloverightbacktohim.
Instead,shesaid,“Areyousureyou’renotjustsayingitbecauseofSweetpea?Becauseifthisis

somecrazyideayouhavetomakemefeelbetter...”

Damnit.Couldn’taguydeclarehislovetoagirlwithoutgettingtwentyquestionsthrownbackat

him,nottomentionheapsofdisbelief?

Nottrustinghimselftospeakthistime—he’dyellatherandthenshe’dyellbackandthenthenext

thingyouknew,there’dbedoorsslamming,andnoneofthatwouldbefairwhenshewasstillsadabout
thecat—hepickedherupandheadedtowardthebedroom.

“Whereareyougoing?Whatareyoudoing?”
“I’mgoingtoprovetoyouthatIloveyou,damnit,”hesaidbetweengrittedteeth.
Hetossedherontothebed.Hardenoughthatshecaughtair.
“Ijustbounced.”Shelookedutterlyamazedbyit.
Herippedhisclothesoffandthencameather.“You’regoingtobounceagainifyou’renotcareful.”
Damnit,thiswasn’tthesweet,carefulwooingthatheshouldbedoingtoprovethathelovedher.

But she drove him so crazy he couldn’t think straight, couldn’t stop himself from yanking her shirt and
jeansandbootsoff,too.

“Iloveyou,”hesaidashethrewherbootsacrosstheroom,wheretheyhitthewallandfellwitha

satisfyingthudtothefloor.“Sothatmeansyou’regoingtohavetolovesomethingagain.Iknowyouhate
doing anything I say, but this time you’re going to have to. Because you’re going to love me back. I’m

goingtomakesureofit.”

Sheonlyhadonherbraandpantiesnow,butsuddenlyitwasirrelevantthathewasnakedandshe

was nearly there when she said yet one more time, “You really love me?” as if it couldn’t possibly be
true.Butbehindthedisbelief,heheardsomethingelse.

Fear.
She’d always acted so sure about everything, even when she wasn’t. His chest clenched at the

thought of his proud, brave girl ever being afraid again. He wouldn’t stand for it, wouldn’t let her be
scaredofanythingjustbecauseshe’dmadesomecrappychoicesaboutmenbeforeshemethim.

LoriSullivanhadbeenborntofacelifedown,tolaugh,andtodance.
Andtobehis.
“I’dsayitagainifIthoughtyouwerefinallygoingtobelieveme,”hesaidashepouncedonher.He

threadedhishandsintoherincrediblysofthair.“NowbequietsoIcanprovetoyouthatIloveyou.And
thatyouloveme,too.”

Ofcoursesheopenedhermouthtosaysomething,sohecovereditwithhisandkissedthewords

away.

Nomorewords.Hewasn’tanygoodwiththose,anyway.
Butbythetimehewasdonewithmakinglovetoher,she’dunderstandexactlyhowhefeltabout

her.

He’dmakeabsolutelysureofit.

***

Lorirememberedthefirstdancelessonshe’deverhad.Hermotherhadtakenhertothestudioin

downtownPaloAltoandshe’dbeenafraid.Shehadn’tleton,ofcourse,thatshewasscared.Noteven
when her legs were shaking so hard she was afraid she’d embarrass herself in front of the beautiful
teacher.Becauseonedaywhenshegrewup,shewantedtobejustlikeMadameDubois,tallandslimand
proud,herhairpulledbackintoabun,herlimbssogracefulsimplycrossingtheroomtoshakehandswith
hermother.Madamehadsmileddownather,thenreachedoutahandanddrawnherintothemiddleofthe
room.Therewereothergirls,olderones,stretchingalongthebarresthatwereplacedinfrontofthefloor-
to-ceilingmirrors.

“Dance for me, Lori,” was what Madame had said, and then, suddenly, she hadn’t been scared

anymore. Because dancing was who she was, the very core of her. She’d started leaping and twirling,
closinghereyessothatshecoulddancetothemusicinherhead,asymphonyofemotionandbeauty.

Now,asGraysondrewherintohimandkissedhersosweetly,soperfectly,sherememberedthat

littlegirlwhohaddancedbecauseshelovedit.Shehadn’tbeentryingtopleaseanyone,hadn’tdanced
for any other reason than because it made her feel whole and perfect and beautiful and so wonderfully
alive.

It was just how Grayson made her feel, even in those first days when she hadn’t wanted to feel

anythingatall.

Helovedher.
Disbeliefhadcomefirst,butthatwasbecauseshehadn’tbeenexpectingit.Andalsobecauseheso

lovedbeingcranky,evenwhenhewassayinghelovedher.

Butthen,therehadbeenfear.Suchbigfearitthreatenedtoswallowherwhole.
Fearthatshecouldn’tloverightthistime,fearthatshedidn’tknowhowtoputloveinitsplaceand

keep it there safe and pretty and simple, fear that she’d just end up making all the same mistakes she
alwayshad.

LoriclungtoGraysonashekissedherandshespundeeperintohim,intoeverythinghe’dgivenher

withouteverwantingto.

ShefeltsorawfromlosingSweetpea,andsheknewshewouldforalongtime,butshecouldalso

feelGrayson’skissesalreadyhealingherwhereshewastornandhurting.

He rained kisses over the rest of her face, her eyelids still damp from her tears, and then her

forehead and the curve of one ear, before taking her lobe between his teeth. She shivered at the sweet
pleasureofthesmallbite,andthentheslowswipeofhistongueoverthesensitiveskinonherneck.

Hewassobig,sostrong,sotough,andyetnoothermanhadeverbeenthisgentleinbed,thisintent

ondrawingeveryounceofpleasureoutofher.Hemovedlowerthen,histonguedippingintothehollow
ofherthroat,andshemoanedaloudashelaidherbackagainstthepillowssothathishandscouldfollow
thedevastatingpathofhismouthandtongueandteethallalongherskin.Shearchedintohiskisses,his
caresses,gaspingateveryperfectkiss.

Themorningsunwascominginnowthroughhisbedroomwindowandbathingthemboth.Where

she’dbeensocoldoutsidejustashortwhileearlier,nowshewaswarmandsafe.

Andloved.
Hewaspressingkissestotheupperswellofherbreasts,andshereachedouttostrokehischeek.

Hisstubblewasthickasitrubbedacrossherbreastsandbeneathherfingertips.Helickedoutacrossone
ofhernipplesthroughherbrabeforecatchinglaceandfleshbetweenhisteethandshewrappedherlegs
aroundhim,nowordsnecessarytotellhimwhatsheneeded.Shearchedherbacksothathecouldundo
herbraclasp,andaheartbeatlaterherchestwascompletelybaretothemostwonderfulmouthanyman
hadeverpossessed.

Shecouldn’tcatchherbreath,butitwasjustaswell,becauseamomentlaterGraysonwascrushing

hismouthtohersagainandtheywererollingoversothathewasonhisbackandshewaslyingacrosshis
big,hardbody.Hishandscuppedherbreastsasshesatuptostraddlehimwhilepressingtheveeofher
legsintohisenormouserection.

“Comeforme,Lori.Ineedtoseeyoucomeapartforme.”
His kisses had heated her up so much already that his erection throbbing between her legs and a

handful of sexy words were a potent combination. So when he leaned up, pressed her breasts together,
andtookbothnipplesintohismouthatthesametime,shewentspiralingallthewayoverintoamind-
blowingclimax.

Longbeforeshehadherbreathback,hehadherlyingbackonthebedagain,andwaspeelingoff

herpanties.Sheshookwithcontinuedneedashebrushedhisfingertipsbetweenherlegs,thenlowered
hismouthtopressassoftandgentleakisstohersexashehadearliertohermouth.

Lori had never been so overwhelmed, so completely swamped with desire—and pure, sweet

emotion—for anyone. She’d always thought she’d given all of herself to her family, to her friends, to
dancing. But when she was in Grayson’s arms, when he was loving her so beautifully, she knew she
hadn’tevencomeclosetothetruedepthsofwhatshehadtogive.

Untilhe’dcomeintoherlife—or,rather,beforeshe’dforcedherwayintohis—shehadn’tknownit

waspossibletofeelthismuch.

Sheopenedhermouthtotellhimhewasright,thatshelovedhim,whenheslidhisfingersintoher

attheexactsametimethathislipsandtongueampeduptheirseductionofhermostsensitiveflesh.Andif
he hadn’t been there to gather her into his arms and hold her steady as she shook from the force of the
pleasureofyetanothershockinglystrongclimax,shewouldhaveslidallthewayoffthebed.

Butnothingwasforever.Sweetpeahadtaughtherthat.Soshecouldn’twaitanothersecondtotell

himhowshefelt,couldn’ttakethetimetofindherbreath,hervoice,towaituntiltheyweren’tnakedand
sweatyandwrappedupineachother.

“Iloveyou.”Sheslidherarmsaroundhisneckbutshedidn’tkisshimagain,notuntilshe’dsaidit

atleastonemoretime.“Iloveyousomuch.”

Hisgrincamefast,andwassodarnbeautifulthatshewasalreadygrinningbackashesaid,“Iknew

it.”

How could she declare her love for him in one breath and want to growl at him in the next? “I

wouldn’thaveifIcouldhavestoppedmyself.”

Hissmilegrewevenbigger.“Youneverstoodachance.”
Sheusedherdancer’sstrengthtorollthemovertostraddlehimonceagain.“OfcourseIdid,you

farmer.”

“Oooh,baby,youknowIloveitwhenyoucallmenames.Whatelsehaveyougot?”hetaunted.
“Bigbully.”
Hestrokedherbreastsandcuppedherhipswithhisdeliciouslybigandcallousedhands.“Sohot.

Givememore.”

“Blockhead.”
“Yousittingonmenaked,callingmeallthosenames,isbetterthanporn.”
Shelaugheddespiteherselfandhadtopokehiminthechesttotrytoshowhimhehadn’tgottenthe

betterofher.“You’retheonewhoneverstoodachance.”

Sheexpectedhimtolaughagain,toteaseheragain.Instead,hisexpressiongrewserious.
“Ineverdid,Lori,notforonesinglesecond.”
No matter what happened from here forward, she knew she’d never stop loving Grayson. It

wouldn’tmatterthattheirlivesdidn’tfittogether.Itwouldn’tmatterthathedeservedsomeonewhocould
beafull-timefarmerwithhim.Itwouldn’tmatterwhenshewasthreethousandmilesawayfromhimona
stageinabigcity,dancingforacrowdofstrangers.

Shewouldstilllovehimwithherentireheart.
“Dance with me, Grayson.” Love was forever, but not everything else could be. So she’d take

now...andshe’dholdontoitforaslongasshecould.“Please,dancewithme.”

Theirbodieswerepoisedtocometogether,andanyothermanwouldhavebeenbeyondfrustrated

withherforwantingtogetupontheirfeet.Fortunately,Graysonhadbeenfrustratedwithherfromminute
one,soatleasthewasusedtoit.

Sheclimbedfromhisbodyevenasheswunghisfeettotherugbesidehisbigbed.Shelovedthat

he’dbuiltnearlyeverythinginthisroom,thatshecouldfeelhistouchineverysurface,inthewoodposts
ofthebed,intheweldedironworkoftheheadandfootboards.

And then she was in his arms and they were dancing. There wasn’t much space on his bedroom

floor,buttheydidn’tneedit.Notwhenitwasenoughtojusttobeineachother’sarmsandtoswaytothe
musicshewassuretheybothcouldhear.

Tears came again, falling as fast, as thick as they had before and, for the second time in one

morning,helethercryagainsthischest.

“Itwillbeokay,sweetpea,”hesaidintoherhair,usingthesamenameforherthatshe’dusedforthe

cat.“Ipromiseitwon’thurtlikethisforever.Onedayyou’llfeelbetter.”

Butdidn’theknow?“You’vealreadymadeeverythingbetter.”
Hismouthcapturedhers,andthenhewasliftingherupofftheflooraltogethersothatherlegswere

wrappedaroundhishipsandhewaspressingherbackdownontothebedandcomingintoherwithslow,
perfectheat.

“Sohaveyou,”hetoldherashethrustintoherandshemeteachthrustwiththepressofherhips

against his. “Everything’s better now. So much better than it’s ever been. So much better than I ever
thoughtitcouldbe.”

His cheek was pressed up against hers and that was how they loved each other, with her smooth

skinrubbingintohisstubble,herhandsholdingontohimjustastightlyashewasholdingontoher.

Lori had always been loved by her family. She had seen the love between her siblings and their

husbandsandwives.Sheknewhowitwastoholdababynieceandnephewinherarmsandstareinto
purewonder.

Butitwasn’tuntilshewasinGrayson’sarms,andhewaskissingawayhertearsandcaressingher

sogently,sosweetly,untiltheywerebothshudderingwithpleasure,thatLorifinallylearnedwhatlove
trulywas.

Addicting.
Selfless.
Andentirelywithoutbounds.

ChapterTwenty-two

Twodayslater,Loristillcouldn’tbelieveGraysonhadagreedtocometoSundaylunchwithher.

They’ddroppedherrentalcarofffirst,andnow,asshesatinthefrontseatofhistruck,shecouldn’tsit
still. Taking him to meet her family was a really big next step for her. All the men she’d thought she’d
been in love with before—now she knew none of them had ever meant anything to her because she’d
neveroncebeentemptedtobringthemhometomeetherfamily.

WhenGraysonputhishandonherknee,shetoldhim,“Youdon’thavetoworrywithmyfamily,”

eventhoughhehadn’tsaidanythingaboutbeingworried.“They’reamazing.”

“From everything you’ve told me, I’m sure they will be,” he said, but the muscle jumping in his

cheekbetrayedhisobviousreservations.

“They’regoingtoloveyou,”sheinsisted.
“They’re going to take one look at me and instantly see that I’m not good enough for you,” he

countered.“AndsixolderbrothersmeansI’mgoingtohavetoleteachofthemgetatleastonepunchin.”
Herubbedhisjawasifhecouldalreadyfeelthepain.“Butdon’tworry,”hesaidashesqueezedherknee
andgaveheralopsidedgrin,“Iwon’tletthemdamageanyofthegoodparts.”

Sheknewitwashiswayoftellinghereverythingwasgoingtobeokay,butforthefirsttime,she

didn’tfeelliketeasinghimback.

“They’reallgoodparts,Grayson.”Shecoveredhishandwithhers.“AndIwouldneverletanyone

hurtyou.”

***

Graysoncouldn’timagineactuallywantingtohavelunchwithone’sfamilyonceamonth.Hisfather

hadalwaysbeenbusywithhiscareer,hismotherequallysowithhercharities.Asakidhe’dlearnednot
to count on them being there for much more than the requisite recitals and graduations. And the formal
mealstheydidhavetogetherhadbeenfulloflongsilencesandawkwardquestionsaboutschoolandgirls.

ButevidentlyLoriandherridiculouslyfamousandsuccessfulsiblingswillinglymetupallthetime.

Graysonhadbeenacynicalbastardbeforeshe’dbargedintohislifeandnowthatcynicalvoiceinside
himwastellinghimthattherehadtobesomefamilydysfunctionLorihadn’tmentioned.Likejealousy.Or
competitiveness.

Only,wheneverLoritalkedaboutherfamily,shewasalwayshappy.Laughing.Andfullofnothing

butlove.

Still,thatdidn’texplainwhyshehadn’tgonehometothemwhenherworldhadfallenapart,rather

thandrivingoutintothemiddleofnowhereandinsistingthatagrumpystrangerputherup.

LoridirectedhimtoaranchhouseonasuburbanstreetinPaloAlto.Hecouldfeelherexcitement

growingwitheverymiletheygotclosertohermother’shouse.

“Ican’twaittoseehowbigthebabiesare.”She’dtoldhimallaboutoneniecefromherbrother

Chase and a niece and nephew from her sister Sophie. “They’re so cute, it’s crazy. And Summer is the
perfectoldercousinforthem.Sheevenchangesdiapers,”Loriaddedwithascrunchofhernoseatthe
thoughtofit.“Thethreedogstakeituptotheperfectlevelofcraziness,justlikewhenwewerekids.”
Hersmilefalteredslightlyasshesaid,“IwishSweetpeacouldhavecomewithustoday.Shewouldhave
lovedbeinginthemiddleitall.”

Hereacheduptostrokeahandoverherhair.“IwishMowasheretoo,becausethenIcouldhave

usedherasabigfurryshield.”

She smacked his hand away in mock irritation, but she was laughing again as they got out of the

truck.Walkinghandinhanddownthesidewalk,hecouldhearthelaughterandconversationcomingfrom
hermother’syard.Lorispedupandpulledhimtowardthefrontdoor.Shedidn’tringthedoorbell,just
walkedin.ThelivingroomwasemptyandtheFrenchdoorsouttothebackwereopenwide.

Of course, the second they walked into the backyard, every eye in the place turned to them—the

babiesandanimalssensingsomethingbigwasup,too—andGraysonwasgladforthosestressfulyearson
WallStreetwherehe’dlearnednottoletanyoneseehimsweat,nomatterhowbadthepressure.

Crap,hethoughtashesawjusthowbigeachofherbrotherswasinperson.Hewasscrewed.
“Everyone,”Lorisaid,“thisisGrayson.”Sherattledoffthenamesofhersiblingsandtheirother

halvesandchildrenoneaftertheother.

He hadn’t been expecting a warm welcome from her brothers, and he wasn’t disappointed when

theyallscowledathim.Inperfectcontrast,abeautiful,gray-hairedwomancameforwardwithopenarms
andareadysmile.

“Grayson,”shesaidinawarmvoicethatsoundedsomuchlikeLori’sasshereachedforhishand

withthesameelegantfingers,“I’mMary,Lori’smother.I’msogladthatyoucouldcometoday.”

Hestaredather,stunnedasherealizedhewaslookingatapictureofLoriinfortyorsoyears...and

thatshewouldbeevenmorebeautifulthanshewastoday.

Inthatmoment,hewantedtotellMarythathewasinlovewithherdaughter.Butashelookedinto

Mary’seyesandsaid,“Thankyou,”somethingtoldhimshealreadyknewexactlywhathefelt.

Lori,ofcourse,immediatelyranofftoliftonebabyafteranotherintoherarms.Graysonstoodwith

Maryandwatchedhershowerthemwithlove.

“Shemissedthem,”hesaidtoMaryinalowvoice.“Shemissedallofyou.Itriedtogethertogo

backhome,butshewouldn’tleavemyfarm.”

“Of all my children, Lori’s always been the most stubborn, even when she’s wrong about

something.”HefeltMary’seyesonhim,wiseandsurprisinglycalm,consideringthechaosallaroundher.
“Sheisn’talwaystheeasiestpersonalityforeveryonetolike,”Maryadmitted,“butshe’simpossiblenot
tolove.”

A baby reached for Grandma Sullivan and as she moved to pick her up, Grayson remained apart

fromeveryoneforamomenttobettertakeinthesceneinfrontofhim.EveryoneinMary’sbackyardwas
pairedoff.Somehadchildren,somehadpets,somewereengaged,somewerepregnant,butallofthem
wereclearlyhappy.

But even crazier was that, instead of making him uneasy, he realized why Lori had been so

irresistiblefromthestart.Love—pure,unconditionallove—wasallshe’deverknown.

And that same love was what she’d given him, even when he hadn’t deserved it, and hadn’t

believedhe’deverbecapableofgivingitbacktoher.

Buthedidloveher.Somuchthateventhoughtherewasnothingmorehewantedthantokeepher

holedupwithhimonhisfarmuntiltheywereoldandgray,heknewhehadtosetherfree.

Graysondidn’thaveonesingledoubtthatshewasrightforhim...buthecouldn’tignorethequestion

ofwhetherhewasrightforher.

Whenitwasjustthetwoofthem,workingtomixoilandwaterwasachallengetheybothrelished,

anditmeantthatthey’dcertainlyneverlackforspark.Buttheycouldn’thideoutonhisfarmforever.Lori
wouldneedtodanceincitieswithcrowdsandstrangers,andshedeservedtohaveapartnerwhocould
supporther,shedeservedtobeinarelationshipwithamanwhocouldbethereforher.Notamanwho,
since his wife’s death, hadn’t been able to go back to New York, and had completely avoided San
Franciscoaswell,sincethepeoplefromhisoldworldshuttledeasilybetweenthetwo.

The women were now chattering and playing with the babies, while her brothers were silently

glaringathim.

Fuck.
Iftheseguyshadbeenanyoneelse,hewouldhavejustwaitedoutthesilence.OnlyforLoriwould

hehavemovedtowardthegroupandsaid,“Loritalksalotaboutallofyou.”

Smithspokefirst.“Shehasn’ttoldanyofusaboutyou.”Themoviestar’sexpressionwasglacial.

“Whydoyouthinkthatis?Oursisterisn’texactlythesilenttype.”

Graysonshookhisheadandagreed,“No,she’snot.”
“Thenwhatthehellhasgoneonthepasttwoweeks?”
Heunderstoodherbrother’sanger,theirfrustration.IfLorihadbeenhissister,hewouldhavefelt

exactlythesameway.“Ican’ttellyouwhatyoursisteristhinkingorfeeling.IcanonlytellyouwhatI
feel.”Foryearshehadn’tspokenoffeelings,evenwhenhewasmarriedandlifehadstillbeenrolling
forwardnormally.Itwasn’tuntilLoricameandkeptpokinghimwithhersharpstickofatonguethatthe
floodgateshadburstopen.“Iloveher.”Clearly,herbrotherswerestunnedbywhathe’djusttoldthem.“I
wantwhat’sbestforher,justlikeyoudo.”

Justthen,Lori’stwincameovertosavehim.Graysonhadalwayspicturedhimselfwithwomenlike

Sophie—quiet,sweet,soft.Muchlikehiswifehadbeen,infact.WhereasLorilaughedtooloudly,talked
toomuch,movedtoofast...andyet,hecouldn’timaginehimselfwithanyonebuther.

“You look like you could use a beer.” Sophie took his arm and gently led him away from her

brothers.“Ignorethem.They’rejustupsetthatLorididn’tconfideinthem,andthey’vealwaysthoughtit
was their duty to play mean-and-scary with our boyfriends.” She reached into the ice chest and handed
himabottle.“Butyoushouldknowthatifyouhurtonehaironmysister’shead,theywon’tgetachanceto
takeyoudown—becauseI’llhavealreadydoneitmyself.”

Despite how elegantly pretty and soft Sophie looked, Grayson had no doubt at all that she would

tearhimtoshredsifhemessedwithhersister.“She’sluckytohaveyou.”

Hewassurprisedwhenshesighed.“Idon’tknowifshe’llagreewiththat,especiallyonceshefinds

outthatJakeandImadeacoupleofcallstoChicagoandpulledinsomefavorstodealwithherexbefore
shecoulddoitherself.”

“What are you two whispering about over here?” Lori asked, suddenly appearing beside them

withoutmakingeventheslightestsound.

Hertwinjumped.“HowmanytimeshaveItoldyou,”Sophiesaid,herhandoverherheart,“don’t

dothat!”

Just then, Mary called out, “Lunch is ready,” and everyone went to take a seat. But the second

everyone’splateswerefilled,Lori’sbrothersstartedinagain.Only,thistime,Loriwastheirtarget.

“Wherehaveyoubeenfortwoweeks,Lori?”Ryanaskedher,pointblank.Onthepitcher’smound,

he was as easygoing—and lethal—as they came. Now he was just lethal. “What the hell happened to
makeyoupulloutofyourshowinChicagolikethatandnottellanyofus?”

Grayson’sfirstinstinctwastoprotecther.Heputhisarmaroundherwaistandpulledbothherand

her chair as close to him as they could get. Instead of answering her brother’s question, she turned to
Graysonandpressedasoftkisstohismouth.

“It’s okay,” she reassured him, before finally turning to her brother. “All of you warned me for

almosttwoyearsaboutwhatascumbagVictorwas.Now’syourchancetosayItoldyouso.”

“Noneofuswantstosaythat,Lor,”thebrotherwiththeradioturneddownlowonhisbeltsaid.

Justalittlebiggerthantheothers,hehadtobethefirefighter.“Whatwewanttodoiskillhim.”

Graysonagreedwholeheartedlywithherbrother,butLorishookherhead.“Victorwasn’tworthmy

time,andhedefinitelyisn’tworthanyofyours.”GraysoncaughtthelookthatpassedbetweenSophieand
herhusband.HeowedthembigtimeforavengingLori.“And,honestly,itwasn’tevenwhathedidthat
wasthelaststraw,”sheadmitted.“ItwasrealizingIdidn’twanttodanceanymore,becauseallthefun
hadbeensqueezedoutofit.SoIwalkedout—notjustontheshow,butonallofit.”

“You?Notdance?”Judgingbythebabygirlhappilyrattlinghersofttoyonhislap,Graysonguessed

thiscamefromChase,thephotographer.“That’scrazy,Naughty.”

“Don’tworry,”shetoldhim,beforeturningbacktoGraysonwithasmile.“I’mnotquittingafterall,

because Grayson helped me realize that I do love it—while I’ve spent the last couple of weeks on his
farmbeingafarmhand.”

Hehatedthewayshewasbeingputonthespot,butwhenshelookedathimlikethat,withsuchtrust

and love, how could he do anything but forget that they weren’t the only two people in the world, and
smileback?

“Youhavebeenworkingasafarmhand?”
Graysondidn’tlikethenoteofdisbeliefinherbrotherZach’svoice,evenifitwasexactlythesame

reactionhe’dhadwhensheshowedupthatfirstdayinherrentalcar.“MyCSAcustomersloveher,and
sodothechickensandthepigs.”

Lorilookedadorablysmug.“Theyreallydo,don’tthey?”
“Yes, they really do,” he said with a quick kiss to the tip of her nose. He knew her family was

watching them closely, but he didn’t care what anyone else thought. Either they’d like him or they
wouldn’t.Butherfamilywouldn’tbethereasonheandLorididn’tworkout.

No,thetwoofthemhadplentyofotherreasonsalreadystackedupagainstthem.
Leaning into his chest, she contentedly laid her head against his shoulder as she told them, “The

countrycommunityisreallycoolandit’ssoincrediblybeautifuloutthere.Youshouldseethestarsand
themoonatnight.”

Hestrokedhishandoverherhairandupperarmasshespokeandastheconversationslowlyturned

from Lori’s last two weeks to baby milestones and budding vines and movie sets and concert tours,
Graysonwassurprisedtorealizethathewasenjoyingbeingpartofthelargegroup,evenifitwasonly
temporary.Thewomen,forthemostpart,werefarmorewelcomingastheyaskedhimquestionsabouthis
farm,whileherbrotherscontinuedtotreathimasthoughhewasonprobation.

He couldn’t blame them for that. Not when he completely agreed that their sister was precious

beyondmeasure.

Andthatshedeservednothingbuttheverybest.

***

Lori was trying not to be frustrated with her brothers. It was just that they were being so

unreasonable!Especiallyheroldestbrother,Marcus,whohadn’tyetsaidawordtoGrayson.Ifanyone
shouldhavesomethingincommon,itwasthetwoofthem,sincetheybothearnedtheirlivelihoodsfrom
workingwiththeland,andsheandNicolabothhadverypubliccareersasasingerandadancer.

She’dbeenglaringatMarcusallthroughoutlunch,tryingtomakeitclearthatsheexpectedhimto

bend a little and accept the man she was in love with. But when all he did was ignore her in the most
irritatinglybig-brother-likeway,sheshovedoutherchairandsaid,“Marcus,weneedtotalk.”

Graysonpushedhischairbackasifheplannedtocomewithher,buthermotherquicklyheldout

herarmandsaid,“Grayson,couldyoutakealookatmyvegetablebed?I’mhavingsometroublewithmy
artichokes.”

LoriandMarcushadalwaysbeenespeciallyclose,andshelovedandrespectedhimforallhe’d

donetohelpraiseherwhentheirfatherhaddied,butsherefusedtolethimactlikeheknewwhatwas
bestforher.

“IloveGrayson,”shesaidtoMarcusassoonashewalkedintoherchildhoodbedroomandclosed

thedoor.TheroomthathadheldthecontentsofherandSophie’sentireworldaslittlegirlsnowseemed
sosmall.Andyet,itwasstillcomforting.“You’renoteventryingtogettoknowhim.”

“Youmettheguyontherebound,Lori,andyou’veonlyknownhimtwoweeks.Lessthanthat.How

canyouactuallybelieveyou’reinlovewiththeguy?”

“HisnameisGrayson,”shegrowled,“nottheguy.Andareyouseriouslysayingthattome?”She

raisedaneyebrow.“Isn’twhatyoujustdescribedexactlywhathappenedwithyouandNicolainwayless
thantwoweeks?Youdidn’ttellanyofusabouther,either,notuntilyoushowedupatSundaylunchand
declaredyourlovetoherinfrontofeveryone.”LoriwasafootsmallerthanMarcus,butthatdidn’tstop
herfromfacinghimdown,toetotoe.“Weallacceptedher.Weallmadeherfeelwelcome.Whycan’tyou
dothatwithGrayson?”

“Because I love you and I can’t stand to see you make another mistake!” His booming voice cut

throughherfrustrationlikeafoghorn.

Shecouldeasilyreadbetweenthelinesofwhathewassaying:Hewasnotonlyworriedabouther

heartbeingbroken,hewasalsoworriedabouthergivingupherowncareeranddreamsforthemanshe’d
falleninlovewith.

“YouandNicolahavemadeitwork,beingontheroadforhermusicandalsohavingtotakecareof

thevinesandyourwinery.Don’tyouthinkGraysonandIcan,too?”

“Evenifhelovesyouandyoulovehim,it’sobviousthathe’sdamaged,Lori.Badly.Wecanallsee

it.”Hedrewherintohisarms.“Iknowhowsoftheartedyouare,thatyouwanttotakecareofeveryone
andshowerthemwithlove.Butsometimesloveisn’tenoughtohealaperson.Idon’twanttoseeyouget
hurtagain.”

“Iloveyou,too,bigbrother,”shetoldhimasshewrappedherarmsaroundhim,“butIwouldn’t

walkawayfromGraysonwhenhewashellbentontryingtomakemeleave,andIwon’twalkawayfrom
him now, not even for you.” She drew back to give him a stern look. “So when we go back outside, I
expectyoutobenice.”

Ofcourse,Marcuswasjustasstubbornasshewas,soinsteadofagreeing,hesaid,“Tellmemore

aboutthefarm.”

Itwasn’tmuch,butitwassomething,soshegrabbeditwithbothhandsasshetoldhimallabouther

firsttimeinthepigpen.

***

HersiblingswereallusedtothewayLoriblewandinandoutofaroomsofastthatifyoublinked

you might miss it, but what they weren’t used to was seeing her with someone she was obviously very
muchinlovewith.

Especiallywhenitwasthekindofguynoneofthemwouldeverhavethoughttopairherupwith.
AftersheandGraysonheadedout,Smithlookedaroundthetable.“So?”
Sophie immediately jumped in with, “I like him.” Though she and Lori had had a slightly rocky

coupleofyears,noonewassurprisedtoseeSophiestickupforhersister.Notwhenthey’dalwaysbeen
especiallyclosetoeachother.“She’sneverbeenwithaguylikehimbefore,butsomehowhe’sperfectfor
her.”

Gabenoddedgrudgingly.“Theydidseemtobeagoodfit.”
ButZachwasshakinghishead.“Okay,somaybehe’sagoodguy.Andmaybehedoesreallycare

about her.” All of them had been able to see that in every look, every touch, the way he’d instinctively
wanted to protect her when they’d been grilling her on what had happened to her in Chicago and why
she’d disappeared on them all. “But he lives on a thousand-acre farm and runs a CSA that supports an
entirecommunity.Hecan’twalkawayfromthatforher.”

“Who says she’s asking him to walk away from it?” Sophie shot back, no longer the quiet little

sisterthey’dnicknamedNicewhenshewasalittlegirl.

“CanyoureallyseeLorilivingonafarm?”Ryanasked.
Marcushadsteppeduptotakecareofallofthemaftertheirfatherdied,buttheyallknewheand

Lorihadaspecialbond.“Actually,”hesaid,“shehasalwayslovedtohelpmeinthevineyards.”

But Ryan was holding firm. “I’m sure being out on a farm is fun for a week or two—something

different,especiallyafterwhathappenedinChicago.Butshe’sNaughty,”heremindedthemall.

“You’re right, Ryan,” Chase said. “It’s Lori we’re talking about here.” He gave them all a

consideringlook.“She’snotlikeotherpeopleandneverhasbeen.Sowhyareweallthinkingherlove
lifeneedstomakesense?”

Only one person hadn’t spoken up yet: their mother. They all turned to her now to see what she

thoughtaboutthemanherdaughterhadbroughthometoday,astheyhadturnedtohersomanytimesbefore
foranswers.

MarySullivansmiledatherchildrenandatthemenandwomenandchildrenwhohadalsobecome

apartofherfamilyduringthepasttwoyears.“LorilovesGrayson.Andhelovesher.”

Withafewsimplewordsandthatcalmsmiletheyknewshewasright:Therewasn’tanythingelse

they needed to know about Lori and Grayson’s situation. Because there was nothing they could trust in
morethanlove.

“Now,”Marysaidasshestoodup,“who’shungryfordessert?”
Summerranbacktothekitchentohelpbringoutthechocolatecakewithextrarainbowsprinkles

they’dmadetogether.Eachofthecouplessqueezedeachother’shandsjustalittletighter.They’dallbeen
whereLoriwasrightnow,inaplacethatdidn’tnecessarilymakesense,butatthesametimewasmore
rightthananythingelsehadeverbeen.

Andlove,asMaryhadgentlyremindedthem,hadprevailedeachandeverytime.

ChapterTwenty-three

“So?”LorisaidtoGraysonastheyheadednorthtowardherSanFranciscoapartmentinhistruck.

“Didyousurvivemyfamily?”

Graysonknewtheclockhadbeentickingfromthemomentshe’dcrashedintothefencepostonhis

driveway two weeks ago, but now it felt as though time was racing at warp speed. Days had become
hours.Hourshadbecomeminutes.Toosoon,they’dbeleftwithmereseconds.

“You’vegotagreatfamily.”Hiswordscameoutalittletooraw,butLord,hewasgoingtomiss

her.

“WhatdidItellyou?”shesaidwithajauntylittlegrin.“Andnooneevenpunchedyou,sothatwas

aplus.”

Sundaylunchhadn’texactlybeencomfortableforhim,butherfamilyreallywasgreat.
“Believeme,”hetoldher,“itwasclosethereforawhile.Ifyoursisterhadn’tsavedmefromyour

brothers,Iwouldhavebeenagonerforsure.”

ThesoundofLori’slaughterfilledupalltheplacesthathadbeendarkandcoldandemptybefore,

andashedrankitin,hewishedlikehellthathe’ddonemorejokingwithherandlessgrumbling.

Thenagain,she’dpushedeverylastoneofhisbuttons,hadn’tshe?
Lorireachedforhishandandrubbedherthumboverhispalmastheydrove.Affectionwassucha

simplethingforher,andnowheknewwhereshe’dlearnedhercapacitytolove:fromherfamily.

“I’mtheyellowtwo-storyapartmentonthecorner,”shesaid,pointinghalfablockahead.Hefound

aspotjustoutsideandgrabbedhersuitcase,andwhensheopenedthedoor,hewasn’tsurprisedbythe
color, the energy, the exotic sculptures and paintings displayed on every possible surface. Where
everythinginhisfarmhousewastherebynecessity,nothingLorihadwouldeverbecallednecessary...and
yet,itallwas.Becauseeverything,fromtheclayfigurineofdancinggirlstothetribalmaskshangingfrom
thewalls,madeuptheincrediblewomanthatshewas.

“I got this in South Africa,” she told him when she found him looking at a vibrant, brilliantly

stitched wall hanging. “And this one,” she said, pointing to a painting of a young boy and girl about to
kiss, “came from Paris.” He recognized city scenes from London to Sydney, all places she’d clearly
dancedinandwouldagain.

The chasm between his life and hers grew deeper from moment to moment. Because that was all

theyhadleftnow.

Moments.
Andeveryoneofthemwasprecious.
Loriwasholdinghishandandpullinghimdownthehall,saying,“Itshouldn’ttakemelongtograb

someT-shirtsandjeans,andthenwecan—”whenGraysontuggedherbacktowardhim.

Hetookherbeautifulfaceinhishandsandkissedherwithadesperationhecouldn’tcontrol.She

immediately melted into his arms, her strong body so sweetly pliant in passion. They quickly ended up
againstthewall,oneofherlegscominguptowraparoundhiships,herhandsthreadedintohishair.

Theywerejustsecondsfromhavingahotanddirtyquickieinherapartment.Butthatwasn’thow

Graysonwantedtosaygood-bye,damnit.

“What’swrong?”Shereachedupahandtocuphisjaw.“You’vebeenonedgeforthewholedrive.”

Shegavehimacrookedlittlesmile.“Andnotjustyournormallevelofedge.”

He stared into her eyes, so full of life, so bright—brighter than any star in the sky. Brighter even

thanthesun.“Iloveyou.”

Shestrokedhischeek.“Iloveyou,too.”

Hersmilethistimewassoft.Andsosweethenearlybrokerightthenandthereandfelltohisknees

tobeghertostaywithhim.Andtonever,everleave.

“Nowspititout,”shedemanded.
He hadn’t talked to her once before, hadn’t let her in. But now he knew he had to. Even if every

wordhesaidwasgoingtoriphisheartoutofhischestalittlefurther.

“Webothknowwe’renotheresothatyoucanpickupnewclothes.”
A flash of fear passed through her eyes, but she quickly masked it with a wicked little smile. “I

plannedforustotangleupmysheets,too.”

Ruthlesslyshovingbackthevisionofstrippingoffherclothesandmakinglovetoherinherbright

andsunnyapartment,hesaid,“You’vegottodealwithwhathappenedinChicago.”

“You’reright.Idohavetogo.”Shetiltedherheadbackenoughthatshecouldlookupintohiseyes.

“ButwhileI’mgone,Idon’twanttoleaveyouonthefarmbyyourself.”

“Iwasaloneforthreeyears.”He’dneverforgivehimselfifhewasthereasonLorididn’ttakeher

lifeandcareerbythehornsagainandshowitwhowasboss.“I’mprettygoodatit,youknow.”

Sheshookherhead.“You’retoogoodatit.That’swhatworriesme.”
“Don’tworryaboutme.”
“Allthistimeyou’vebeenlookingforawaytomakemeleave,”shesaid,clearlytryingtotease

him,butsoundingmoresadthananythingelse.“Butjustasyoucouldn’tgetridofSweetpea,you’renot
gettingridofmethiseasily,either.”Shelookeddeeplyintohiseyes,asiftomakesurehereallysawthe
truthofwhatshewassayingtohim.

I’mcomingbacktoyou.
Hekissedherthen,longandsweetandsoft,beforesayingallthethingsheshouldalreadyhavesaid

toherathousandtimesover.“I’veneverhadfoodasgoodaswhatyoumake,thechickensdon’twantto
eatscrapsfromanyonebutyou,thecropshavebeengrowingtwiceasfastsincetheyfirstfeltyourgreen
thumbs...andMoandthepigsandIhaveneverlovedanyonemorethanweloveyou.”

“Oh, Grayson.” Her face finally crumbled, her beautiful mouth wobbling, tears running down her

cheeks.“Itwouldbesomucheasierifyou’djustbecrankyandbossyrightnow.”

God,thehardestthinghe’deverdoneinhislifewasgivingupwhathewantedsothatthewomanhe

lovedcouldgetwhatsheneeded.“Nowthatyou’vewhippedmyfarmintoshapeandtaughteveryonein
PescaderohowtolinedancejustliketheydoitinNashville,it’stimetogoshowthatidiotinChicago
whatyou’remadeof.”

Shesniffled,nodded,huggedhimcloseandheldontight.Theystoodtogetherinherhallway,two

peoplewhoshouldneverhavebeentogether...butwhocouldn’teverhavefoundwhatthey’dfoundwith
anyoneelse.

When she suddenly pulled back, her eyes were dry and filled with the resolve and determination

thathe’dseenonthefarmeverytimehe’dchallengedher—andshe’dchallengedhimrightback.“BeforeI
headoffforChicagoandyougobacktoyourfarmtofeedyourchickens,IthinkthatIshouldteachyoua
newdance.”

“What’sthedancecalled?”heaskedassheledhimintoherbedroom.
Shewasalreadypullinghimdownoverheronthebedassheanswered,“Thetangle.”

ChapterTwenty-four

“Lori!”TheminuteshewalkedintotheChicagodancehall,herfriendAliciaranoverandthrew

herarmsaroundher.“I’msogladyou’reback.”Aliciapulledawayanddidaquickonce-over.“You’re
gorgeousandglowing.Ihopethatmeansyou’vefoundsomeonetoreplacethescumbag.”

Scumbag?“Whatdoyouknow?”
Aliciascowled.“ThatVictorisapatheticexcuseforamanandadancer.”
“Whoelseknows?”
“Everyone.”Herfriend’sscowldeepened.
“But—” Lori didn’t get it. How, after nearly two years of hiding the truth about Victor from

everyone,didtheyallsuddenlyknowthescore?“How’dyoufindout?”

“Didn’tyoursistertellyou?”
Loriraisedaneyebrow,atoncefilledwithloveforhermeddlingtwinandannoyancethatshe’dfelt

shehadtostepintodealwithLori’smess.“Mysisterdidn’ttellmeanything.Whatdidshedo?”

Alicia looked a little worried now that maybe she’d stepped into something she shouldn’t have.

“Justmadeacoupleofcalls,Ithink...”

“And?”
“And,uh,somepeoplecamebytotalktoVictor.Somebigpeople.Withlotsoftattoos.”
Perhapsitwasn’tniceofhertolaughatthepictureofherexhavingtodealwithJakeMcCann’s

Irish-pub-owningfriends,butshecouldn’thelpit.

“Besides,”Aliciaadded,“whenyouwalkedoutlikethat,weguessedsomethinghadtobeup.The

onlyreasonanyoneeverputupwithVictorwasbecauseofyou.Weloveyou,Lori.Buthim?”Herfriend
madeaface.“It’sbeenhorriblesinceyou’vebeengone.”

Lori had done a lot of thinking in the past two weeks, not only about what Victor had done, but

aboutwhatshe’ddone,too.Itwasn’therfaultthathewasanasshole,buthadn’tsheshieldedherfriends
and family from his true personality? Because if they had known what he was really like—that he was
selfish,anddemanding,andunfaithful—thenshewouldlooklikeanidiotforstickingwithhim.

“ThankGodyou’rebacktotakeoverforthelastweekoftheshow.”
Lori hadn’t planned to stay, tried to form the words to explain to her friend that there was

somewhereelsesheneededtobe...butshecouldn’t.Notwhenshefeltterribleaboutleavingherdancers
inabadsituationlikethisinthefirstplace.

Andnotwhensheknewthatstayingtoshepherdherdancersthroughtotheendwastherightthingto

do.

“I’msorryIleftyouwithVictor.”
“Noneofusblameyouforgoing.Andtrustme,noonehasanyplanstoworkwithVictororGloria

again.Pleasesayyou’regoingtochewhimtopieces.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Lori assured her friend, “I’ve learned a lot these past couple of weeks about

dealingwithanimals.”

***

Victorcouldn’thidehissurprisewhenLoriwalkedintothesmallofficeupstairs.
“Getoutofmyseat.Ihaveashowtofix.”
Attheclearcommandinhervoice,heimmediatelystood,beforerealizingheshouldhavestayed

rightwherehewas.Holdingontothebackofthechairasiftokeephisclaimonhershowintact,hegave

herahurtlook.

“Howcouldyouhavewalkedoutonallofuslikethat,Lori?Ifanyoneisresponsiblefortheshow

goingdownhillthesepasttwoweeks,it’syou.”

If she hadn’t gotten mad and disillusioned enough to walk away, she never would have found

Grayson.Which,shewasmorethanalittleshockedtorealize,meantthatifshehadittodoalloveragain,
shewouldhopeitallplayedoutexactlythesame...ifonlysothatshecouldfinallylearnwhattruelove
was.

But even if everything she had been through had been worth it just to get to Grayson, she still

deservedherpoundofrevenge.Tenpoundswouldbeevenbetter.

“You’reright,”sheadmitted.“Walkingoutontheshowwasn’tatallprofessional.Ishouldn’thave

doneit.But,”sheaddedinacalmtonethatdidlittletohidetheicebehindherwords,“youshouldn’thave
beenalying,cheatingdouchebagwhosleptwiththeleaddancerIhiredformyshow.”Shesmiled,baring
herteethathim.“SoIguesswewerebothwrong,weren’twe?”

They’dhadmorethantheirfairshareofargumentswhiletheyweretogether,butLorihadfocused

moreonthemake-upsexthanwhatwasbehindthefights.Shehadtoldherselfitmadetheirrelationship
exciting.Really,though,allithaddonewasmakeherafool.BecauseinallthetimesheandVictorhad
beentogether,shecouldn’tthinkofonekindthinghe’ddoneforherthathadn’tbeenforhisowngain.

WhereasGraysonhadtakenhertothatbarndance,andthentoherfamily’sSundaylunch,whenthey

were both the very last places he’d wanted to be. He’d even pushed her to return to her own world
despitehisobviousbeliefthatshewouldn’tcomebacktohim,backtothefarm.Allbecausehelovedher,
andwantedthebestforher,ratherthanhimself.

“Wewereonabreak,”Victorprotested.“Youcouldhavesleptwithsomeoneelseifyouwanted

to.”

“Funny,” she said, though there wasn’t even a trace of humor in her voice, “I wonder how many

otherbreakswehadthatIneverknewabout?AndI’massumingthat’salsowhatyoutoldGloriawhen
youtookhertobed?DidyoualsotellhershewasabetterdancerthanIam?Andwasshestupidenough
tobelieveyourliesthewayIalwaysdid?”

Shewatchedhisfacecarefullyasshespoke.Nowthatshewasnolongerdesperatetoconvincehim

to love her the way she’d thought she loved him, she could finally see her ex for what he was. A
handsome, charismatic, underhanded snake. Right now, she guessed, he was trying to decide between
hurling insults or turning on the charm. When she saw his half-scowl turn to a smile, she knew he’d
decidedoncharm.

Grayson may have been short on charm, she thought with a secret smile, but at least she could

alwayscountonhimtobehonest.Hewouldneversayhelovedherjusttogetherbackintobed.Andhe
wasnoslouchinthehandsomedepartment,either.Ifthetwomenweretostandsidebyside,Victorwould
look like a glossy, pint-sized poser compared to Grayson, who had earned every one of his muscles,
everygloriousinchoftannedskin,fromgood,honestworkbeneaththesun.

“Imadeamistake,baby.Igotcaughtupintheheatofthemomentduringrehearsals.”
Loriknewallaboutheatnow,abouthowstrongapullanotherpersoncouldhaveonyourlife.That

whenyouweremeanttobetogether,noamountofcommonsense,noattemptsatself-control,madeany
difference.

Graysonhadtoldherthatsheforgavetooeasily,butshecouldn’timaginegoingthroughlifeholding

ontogrudgesthatwouldeatawayather.Evenwhensomeoneclearlydeservedthegrudge.

“Iforgiveyou,”shesaid,andreliefimmediatelymovedacrossVictor’sfeatures.Hewasopening

uphisarmsforherasshesaid,“Now,getoutofmyway.”

Hestoodthere,hisarmsstillreachingtowardher,astunnedlookonhisface,butshewasdonewith

himnow,soshesimplysatdownandstartedtogothroughthepaperworklaidoutacrossthetable.

Justasquicklyashe’dputonthecharm,herexstrippeditaway.“You’retheonewhowalkedout

ontheshow,notme,”hesneered.“Insteadofadmittingitwastoobigaproductionforyoutohandle,you
ranoffcryinglikealittlegirlwhogotherfeelingshurtinthesandbox.Noonethinksyou’regoodenough
tomanageashowthissize.Andnoonewantsyouback.”

Without acknowledging anything he’d said, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed the show’s

producer.“Neil?Hi,it’sLoriSullivan.Yes,Ireallyamsorryforleavingsosuddenly,andIpromiseI’ll
makeituptoyou,butnowthatI’mback,Ijustwantedtodoaquickcheck-inwithyouaboutfiringV—”
Whenshewascutoff,shelistenedforamoment,thensaid,“Yes,I’lltakecareofitnowandthenI’llsee
youbackstagetonightaftertheshow.”

Shedisconnected.“Lookslikeit’stimeforyoutotakeanotherbreak,”shetoldherex,thenreally

did completely put him out of her head as she started calling her dancers one by one to let them know
abouttheemergencyrehearsalshewasschedulingforthatafternoon.

Nowthatthenearlytwo-yearbreakshehadtakenfromclearandrationalthinkingwasfinallyover,

LoriSullivanwasback.

Andshewasgoingtobebetterthanever.

***

Tenhourslater...

God,shemissedGraysonsomuch.
Lorihadwantedtocallhimallday,butithadbeenonethingafteranother.Whensherealizedthat

everythingreallyhadgoneofftherailsonhershow,she’dknownshehadtospendasmuchtimewithher
dancersaspossible,bothtoreassurethemandtogetthemexcitedagainabouttheirperformance.Andof
courseshe’dhadtodealwithGloria’stearsandapologiesadnauseum,too.

LoriwasjustpullingherphoneoutofherbagtofinallycallGraysonandtellhimshelovedhim,

andthatshewasgoingtomisshimeverysinglesecondoftheweekittookhertocomebacktohim,when
itranginherhand.Thenameonthescreenwasoneofthebiggestproducersinthebusiness.

“Hi,Carter.Howareyou?”
“I’mfreakingout!”
Lori grinned. Carter was always losing it over something. A man he had a crush on. A slightly

pulled muscle. The sky not being quite blue enough to suit him. He was flamboyant and funny and
brilliant. Getting to work with him a couple of times this year had not only been the highlight of her
career,butevenbetter,she’dmadeaverygoodnewfriend,too.

“Poorbaby,”shemurmured,“howcanIhelp?”
“TheInternationalExhibitionofModernDanceisnextweekandtheleadinthecentralpiececame

downwithmono.”Loriwasalreadyrackingherbrainforsomeoneshecouldcalltohelphimout,when
hesaid,“IneedyoutocometoNewYorkimmediatelyandsavemyexhibition.”

“Me?Butyouknowmoderndanceisn’tmyspecialty.”
“Trustme,you’llbeperfectforthepiece.AndI’llbesunkwithoutyou!”
“I’mflattered,”shetoldhim,andshereallywas,“butIcan’tleaveChicagountilmyshow’sover

nextweek.Andthenthere’ssomewhereelseIreallyneedto—”

“Ijustemailedyouthevideos,”hesaid,cuttingheroffbeforeshecouldactuallygettothepartof

the sentence where she said no. “You can rehearse in Chicago, and then the second your show wraps,
we’llgetyouonajetandintodressrehearsalswiththerestofthetroupe.You’llhaveforty-eighthoursto
finetunebeforetheshow.It’sonenightonly.OneveryimportantnightwhereIneedyou.”

Everythingwashappeningsofast,whichwasjustthewayLorihadalwayslikedit.Andshestill

did, she realized. Only, it felt like she was spinning farther and farther away from Grayson with every
minute.

“Well,”shefinallysaidtoherfriend,“IsupposeIcouldlookatthevideosandletyouknowifI

thinkIcandothepiecejustice.”

Carterwhoopedandtoldherheadoredhertopiecesbeforehangingup.
LorihadtoldherselfitwouldbeeasytoheadstraightbacktoGrayson,thatshehadsimplycometo

Chicagototieupsomelooseends.Butlookhoweasilyshe’dbeenpulledbackintonotjustoneshow,but
two. She could have said no, but the truth was, she wanted to dance. Of course, she wanted to be with
Grayson,too.Andnowshefeltlikeshewasbeingyankedintwocompletelyoppositedirections.

Graysonhadclearlyseenthiscoming,hadobviouslythoughttheywouldn’tbeabletoputtheirtwo

worldstogether.She’dswornhewaswrong.

Butwashe?
Two weeks ago, she’d avoided going to her mother for advice, simply because she hadn’t been

readytohearit.Now,asshedialedthetopnameonhercellphone’sfavoriteslist,sheprayedhermother
washome.

“Hi,sweetie,”hermothersaidasshepickedup.“Iwasjustoutinthegardenthinkingaboutyou.”
“Thegarden?Howcouldthatpossiblymakeyouthinkofme?”
“Whenyouwerealittlegirl,youlovedtocomeoutsideandhelpmewithyourlittleplasticshovel.

You’dpickoutwormsandbesothrilledwitheverycarrot,everypotatoandtomato.Doyouremember
thedanceyouusedtodoaroundthevegetablebed?”

Lori smiled as she thought back to those wonderful summer afternoons out in the backyard, when

shehadhermotheralltoherselfandlotsofnice,softdirttoplayin.“Ican’tbelieveIthoughtthatdanceI
madeupwouldhelptheplantsgrowfasterandbigger.”

“It did work,” her mother told her. “Nothing has ever grown as well since you moved out of the

houseandintoyourownapartment.Eversincethen,I’vealwaysthoughtwhatanunexpectedlyperfectfit
gardeninganddancingare.”

“Inthatcase,I’llmakesuretodoalittledanceforyourveggiesatthenextlunch,”Lorisaid,her

voice thicker now as she soaked up all of the love her mother was giving her...and the renewed
confidenceinthepoweroflovetotranscendabsolutelyanything.“I’llbetSummerandthebabieswould
lovetodancearoundyourgarden.”

“Yourfather,”Marysaidsuddenly,“wasagreatdancer,too.”
Lori could so easily picture her mother in her father’s arms, elegant and oh-so-beautiful as they

moved across the dance floor. It was, she knew, just the way she and Grayson must have looked at the
barndanceasthey’dwaltzed.

Sheknewhedidn’tthinkshewascomingback.Anditwasn’tbecausehedidn’tloveher.Onthe

contrary,helovedhersomuchthathecouldn’tstandthethoughtofmakingherliveanywaybutexactlyas
shewantedto.Butdidn’therealize,shethoughtwithalittleshakeofherhead,thatshealwaysgotwhat
shewanted?Andsinceshewantedbothhimanddancing,somehow,someway,shewasgoingtoworkout
awaytohaveboth.

Especiallynowthatshe’dfoundherunexpectedlyperfectpartner.

***

Graysonhadneverbeenhappieraboutallthethingsthatcouldgowrongonafarm.Today,ithad

beenthemistergoingoutinhispigpen.He’dspentthedaycoveredinmudandswearingatplasticpipes
andtubing.But,frankly,hewasn’tsurehowhewouldhavegottenthroughthedayinonepieceotherwise.
NotwheneverysinglethingonhisfarmremindedhimofLori.Thewaythepigshadsnuffledaroundhim

allday,wishinghewastheirbeautifulfriendcomingwithspecialtreatsandpatsfortheirlittleheads.The
waythechickenshadruntothegatewhentheysawhimcoming,onlytobackawaywhentheyrealizedhe
wasn’tLori.

Whentheplumbingjobwasfinallydoneandevenhecouldn’ttakehisstenchanymore,heshowered

outbythebackofthebarn,butthatremindedhimofthefirstnightwhenhe’dhadtocomeouttoshowerto
trytoescapeherandthefeelingshecouldn’tcontain.He’dwantedhersomuch,butmorethanthat,he’d
already begun to admire and like her. And then, of course, there were the many sexy showers they’d
sharedafterthat...

Whenthewatergrewcold,hewrappedatowelaroundhimselfandwentbackintothehouse.
God,itwasquiet.Toodamnedquiet.Buttherewereflashesofcolorallaroundnowfromwhere

Lorihadbroughtoutavasethatshe’dfoundupintheattic,alongwiththebrightyellowquiltshe’dbought
intownattheGeneralStorebecauseshesaiditmadeherhappyjusttolookatit.

Hisphonerangandwhenhesawhernameonthescreen,heleaptatit.“Lori.”
“Grayson.”
Evenforamanoffewwords,he’dneverrealizedthatsomuchcouldbesaidwithsolittle.
“I’vemissedyousomuch,”shesaid.“Tellmeaboutyourday.Evenifithastodowithsomething

boringaboutatractororfertilizer,Iwanttohearit.”

Helaughed,thesoundnotnearlyasrustynowasithadbeenformostofhislife.Allbecauseofher.

“Ispentthedayknee-deepinpigsandmudandbrokenwaterpipes.Yourbasicaveragedreamdayona
farm.”

Howhelovedthesoundofherlaughter,couldpictureherholdingthephoneuptoherear,probably

twirlingaroundonherjaw-droppinglyperfectlegsasshespoketohim.

Alwaysmoving.
Alwayslaughing.
Andsofulloflovesheneverfailedtostunhim.
“Wow,twosentenceswasonemorethanIthoughtI’dgetoutofyou,”sheteased.“Youmustreally

loveme.”

“Iloveyousodamnedmuch,”heconfirmedforher,beforesaying,“Nowit’syourturntotalkmy

earoff.”

“I did it, Grayson. I got in Victor’s face and told him to get out of mine. I fired him with the full

supportofeveryoneintheshow.ItturnsoutthatafterIleft,theyputtwoandtwotogetherandfoundout
whathedid.Buthonestly,”shesaidinafarmorechippervoicethanhewouldhavethoughtafterhaving
todealwiththatslime,“squashingthatbugonlytookafewminutes.TherestofthedayIwasworking
withthetroupe,andthatwasreallygreat.”Shebarelypausedforbreathasshebarreledaheadandsaid,
“I’mgoingtoneedtostayherefortherestoftheweektotakethemthroughtotheend.”

“Of course you are. They need you.” And she needed them just as much. It was something he’d

neverdoubtedforaminute.

Itwasn’tuntilshewasfinallysilentforalongmomentthatheknewsomethingelsewasup.
“Iwantsobadlytocomebacktoyouandthefarmthesecondtheshowisover,but…”
Anotherpausecameandhehadtograbakitchenchairandsitdowntobracehimselfforit.
“AfriendofmineneedsmetogotoNewYorkCitytobealast-minutereplacementfortheleadin

hisshow,whichmeansI’llneedtoflyfromChicagotoNewYorktoperformattheInternationalDance
ExhibitionthefollowingweekendbeforeIcancatchared-eyetocomebacktoyou.”

Graysonwantedtobeg,evenwantedforaminutetobebitterthatshe’dchosendancingoverhim.

Buthowcouldhedoeitherofthosethingswhenheknewshewasmakingalltherightchoices?

Ofcourseshehadtodobothshows.Andofcourseshe’dhavetodoalltheothershowsthatwould

come next, opportunities she couldn’t possibly turn down. Not only because so many people in her

industrydependedonher,butalsobecauseshewasmeanttodance,andtokeepdancing.

Butshewasalsomeanttobewithhim,damnit.
Graysonwantedtoseeherdance.Andhewantedtobeasbraveforherasshe’dbeenforhim.Not

onlyinthewayshe’dinsistedonlovinghimafterhe’dtriedsohardtopushheraway,butbyconfronting
themanwhohadhurthersothatshecouldloveagainwithawholeheart.

Lorihadbeenbraveenoughtofacedownherpast.
Itwaslongpasttimeforhimtodothesame.

ChapterTwenty-five

Grayson stepped off the plane in New York and found the driver waiting for him by the luggage

carousels.Foramoment,itfeltasthoughthepastthreeyearshadn’thappened.Asthoughthiswerejust
anotherbusinesstrip,andhewassimplyheadinghometoWestchestertoshowerandchangeandhavea
pre-dinnerdrinkwithLeslie,wherebothofthemtriedtoactinterestedinthingstheydidn’tactuallycare
aboutatall.

Whenhegavetheaddresstothedriver,totheman’scredit,hebarelybetrayedaresponse.Inthe

backseatofthetowncar,GraysontookoutthepictureofLoriasalittlegirlthatMarySullivanhadgiven
tohimatSundaylunch.He’dkeptitwithhimeverysecondsinceshe’dbeengone,anditneverfailedto
bringasmiletohisface,evennow.

Bothof her frontteeth were missing,she was wearing rippedboys’ jeans anda T-shirt that were

bothatleasttwosizestoobig,andshewashandsdowntheprettiestthinghe’deverseeninhislifeasshe
leaptthroughtheair,dancinginthemiddleofhercrowdedbackyard.Hecouldseetheway,evenateight,
that she’d blossom into such a striking beauty. He could also see that she was too determined, too
stubborn,toeverallowanythingoranyonetotakeawayherjoy,herloveforlife.

Graysonwanted to beworthy of sharingthat life with her,but he wantedsomething else, too. He

wanted,oneday,totakepicturesofhisownlittlegirlasshedancedandlaughedandlovedjustlikeher
beautifulmother.

AttheentrancewasaflowerstandandGraysonaskedthedrivertostop,tuckingthepictureintothe

pocket above his heart as he opened the door and stepped out of the car. He didn’t buy the biggest,
flashiestbouquet.Instead,heboughtasmallbouquetofbrighttulips,Leslie’sfavoriteflower.

“I’llwalkfromhere,”hesaidtothedriver,whonoddedandpulledovertothecurbtowait.
Thecemeterylookedthesameasithadthreeyearsagoduringhiswife’sfuneral,thelasttimehe’d

everbeenhere.Thegrasswasperfectlygreenandmeticulouslymowed.Theskywasfullofdarkclouds
thatlookedasiftheywouldburstwithrainatanymoment,thegray,coldskysodifferentfromtheclear
blueoverhisfarm.

AsheapproachedLeslie’sgravestone,hecouldseethatitwaspolishedcleanandbright,withan

enormousbouquetofflowersinavasebesideitthatheknewhadtobefromherparents.

Thelasttimehe’dbeenhere,he’dbeenstunned...andrackedwithguilt.Theshockhadeventually

lessenedasheacceptedthatshereallywasgone,buttheguilt,theblamehe’dplacedonhimselffornot
knowinghisownwifebetter,haddeepened.Everyday,ashe’dputonhissuitandtieandgoneintowork
to field questions and sympathy from colleagues and friends and people he only knew from cocktail
parties,theguiltandblameanddisgustwitheveryonewhosaidtheylovedherandmissedherbutwho
hadn’tdoneadamnthingtostopherself-destruction,grewtothepointwhereheknewhecouldn’tstay
there another second. He’d needed to start over in a world that was as far from New York society as
possible, so he’d gone west and, just like Lori in her rental car, had stumbled onto his farm. The real
estate transaction had been completed by nightfall, and Grayson had never planned on looking—or
coming—back.

“Leslie.”Hekneltdownandlaidtheflowersonhergrave,puttinghishandoverthecoldstoneasif

thatwouldhelpthemfinallyconnectagain.“I’msorryIhaven’tbeenbackforsolong.”

Itwassoawkwardthathefeltliketheywerehavingoneoftheirsurfaceconversationsagain,where

both of them spoke, but neither of them said anything. Lori, he knew, would never have stood for that.
Cemeteryornot,shewouldhavesaidexactlywhatwasonhermind...andinherheart.

Suddenly,hecouldpictureherthere,egginghimon:Comeonandgrowsomeballs,farmer.Why

areyoustillsoafraidofbaringyoursoul?Unconsciously,hishandwenttothepictureofherinhisshirt
pocket.They’reallgoodparts,she’dtoldhim.AndI’dneverletanyonehurtyou.Evennow,hecould
feelherprotectinghim,hisfierceandbeautifuldancingfarmgirlwhohadthebiggestheartofanyonehe’d
everknown.

Grayson sat down on the grass beside Leslie’s gravestone and ran his fingers slowly over the

engravingofhername.“I’msorryIwasabadhusband.AndI’msorrythatIwasn’tmuchofafriendby
theend,either.Iknewyouwereunhappy.Iwasunhappy,too.ButIdidn’tknowhowtofixanyofit,soI
ignoreditinstead.Iignoredyou,Leslie,andI’mso,sosorry.”

He’dapologizedmoreinthepasttwoweeksthanhehadinhisentirelife.Andyet,justashehad

withLori,hecouldn’tseehowhiswifecouldeverforgivehimforthemesstheirliveshadbecomebefore
shedied.Noamountofapologizingwouldchangethat.

But since his big mistake had been that he hadn’t talked to her—really and truly talked to her—

whenshewasstillalive,hefigured,attheveryleast,hecouldchangethatnow.

“Afteryoudied,Iprettymuchlostit.Iturnedawayfromeverylastperson,everylastpieceofour

life,anddecidedtostartover.I’minCalifornianow,onafarm.Abigone,rightbytheocean.Whenever
thefogrollsin,Ithinkofhowmuchyoulovedtowalkalongthecoastonstormydays.Iwasn’tsearching
forhappiness,justforanescape,buttheamazingthingisthatIfounditafterall.Notjustintheland,and
myanimals,butwiththelastpersononearthIwouldeverhaveexpected.

“You would have liked Lori, Leslie, and I know she would have liked you, too. She never stops

askingquestions,andwhenItrytoignorethemshejustasksmore,soI’vetoldherallaboutyou.About
whenwewereincollege,howweusedtotheTreeLightingandYuleLogceremonies,andthatoneyear
weweresoexcitedaboutbeingthebigwinnersofthebadpoetrycontest.Ieventoldherallaboutthe
way I asked you to marry me and ended up dropping the ring into a storm drain because I was so
nervous.”

Hethoughtheheardsomethingthen,arustlingoftheleavesabovehimthatsoundedlikeaquestion:

Isshepretty?

Beforeheknewit,Graysonwaslaughingandcryingatthesametime.OfcourseitwaswhatLeslie

wouldwanttoknow.

“Yes,”hesaidashefinallylethistearsfallforthewomanwhohadbeensuchanimportantpartof

hislifeforsolong.“Sheis.”

Andduringthenexthour,ashesatandfinallytalkedtohiswife,thethickgraycloudsblewaway

onebyoneuntiltherewasnothingbutbright,blueskyabovethetwoofthem.

***

LoristoodbackstageattheJoyceTheatreinNewYorkCityinacirclewithherdancers,allofthem

holdinghandsastheygotreadytogooutonstage.Ithadbeenthecraziestforty-eighthoursofherlife,but
she’dlovedeverysecondofit.

Carterhadbroughtherintotakeoveronchoreographythathadbeensetinstoneformonths.Butthe

vision she’d had was so clear and pure that she’d choreographed a brand-new dance barely one step
aheadofthedancerslearningthemovements.

“Thankyousomuchforgoingonthisjourneywithme,”shetoldthemnow.“You’reallamazingand

wonderful and I love you guys for trusting me with this dance and putting your hearts and souls into
somethingthatmeanssomuchtome.”Shegrinnedatthem.“Nowlet’sgomakesomemagichappen.”

Onebyone,theytooktheirplacesonthedarkenedstageandwhenthelightsslowlycameup,the

audiencesawthemnotasdancers,butasbeautifulwildflowersinredandorange,yellowandpurple.All
aroundtheflowersthewildgreengrassesswayedinthebreeze.Thescoretheorchestraplayedsounded

liketheoceanonaclearday,withchildrenplayingwithbucketsandpailsinthesandandseagullsflying
abovethegentlycrashingwaves.

Onacrackofthunderfromthepercussionsection,thebright,sunnylightinggavewaytoasudden

storm, blue lights and whisper-thin streamers beginning to rain down from above the stage. To the
crashingsoundofthewavesandthehardpelletsofrain,theflowersandgrassesgaveintothewildness
ofthestorm,evenmorebeautifulnowastheywereblownhardbythewind,soakedbytherain.

And then, suddenly, the smallest wildflower was ripped from the ground by the wind. She was

blowingawayfromtherestofthem,whenfromthecenterofthegroup,thelargest,mostpowerfulblade
ofgrassreachedforher.

He cradled her against him in a beautiful dance of protection and love as the storm continued to

rage,andthen,whenthestormwanedandthesunemergedagain,hefinallysetthebrightlycoloredflower
freetoflyaway.

Oh,howbeautifulthatwildflowerwasassheflew,higherandhigherinthatbright,puresunlight.

Theotherflowers,thegrasses,watchedherdancethroughthesky,astheyknewshe’ddreamedofdoing
allherlife.

Thesunwassettingandtheflowerswereclosingtheirpetals,thegrassesalreadycollectingdewin

thecoolnight,whenthewildfloweremergedagaininthedarksky.She’dalwaysdreamedofflying,but
oneperfectdanceinastormhadgivenhernewdreams.

Shestillwantedtofly...butshenolongerwantedtodoitalone.
Andthenthewildflowerandthebladeofgrasswerecomingtogetheragain,wrappingthemselves

aroundeachotherinadanceoflovethatwasjustasbeautifulbeneaththecalmmoonasithadbeeninthe
rainandthewind.

ThatwaswhenthelightscameupenoughforLoritoseetheruggedlybeautifulmaninthefrontrow.

Graysonwassurroundedbymenintuxesandwomeninsequins,butinhisflannelshirtanddarkjeansand
cowboyboots,hewastheonewhoshone.

She’dchoreographedthisdancetocelebratethebeautyofhislandandtobaskinthepassionthey’d

discoveredtogetheronastormyafternoon.Now,shedancedonlyforhim,thewildflowerthathadbeen
blowingoffcourse,untilhislovehadshownherexactlywheresheneededtobe.

Withhim.
Forever.

***

GraysonwaswaitinginthewingswhenLoricameoffstage,andsheflewintohisarms.
She’dsaidIloveyoutohiminadozendifferentwaysduringthedance,andnowhewastheone

saying,“Iloveyou.You’reeverythingtome,Lori.Everything.”

Hedidn’tletgoofherhandasshewenttocongratulateherdancersonthephenomenaljobthey’d

done,couldn’thavestoppedtouchingherforanyoneintheworld,evenwhenshewentoutofherwayto
embarrasshimbysaying,“Everyone,thisisGrayson,thehottestfarmeryou’llever—”

Ofcoursetheonlywaytoshutherupwaswithakiss,sorightthereinfrontofthirtystrangers,he

tuggedhercloseandcoveredhermouthwithhis.

Everyone was applauding and hooting and hollering by the time he finally let her up for air, and

whileLoriworkedtogetherbreathback,hesaid,“It’snicetomeetyouall.Iwasblownawaybyyour
performance.”

Just then, a slim man dressed in a silver-blue suit rushed up and threw his arms around Lori.

“Amazing,Lori.Simplyamazing!JustasIknewyou’dbe.Peoplecan’tstoptalkingaboutyourprogram.”
When he realized that Lori’s hand was connected to Grayson’s, the man pursed his mouth into an

appreciativeO.“Andwhoisthisgorgeoushunkofyours?”

SeeingthegleaminLori’seyethattoldhimshewouldsayanythingsheneededtoifitwouldegg

him into giving her another kiss, Grayson held out his hand. “I’m a big fan of yours, Carter. And even
moresonowthatIknowwhatgreattasteyouhaveinchoreographers.”

Theman’seyeswidenedasheblushinglythankedGraysonforthepraise.Heair-kissedthemboth

onbothcheeksinhischaracteristicallydramaticwaybeforerunningofftokeepwatchovertherestofhis
production.

When the two of them were finally alone again, Grayson stroked his hand over Lori’s cheek and

said,“Iknowagreatpizzaplacearoundthecorner.Bestpepperoniyou’lleverhave.”

She quickly changed and they headed outside. Holding each other, in sweet silence they walked

downthecrowdedsidewalkandturnedintoasmallersidestreet.Theypassedthejewelrystorewhere
Lesliehadexclaimedoverdiamondearringsandhe’dsurprisedherwiththemontheirfirstanniversary.
They’dofteneatenatthispizzaplaceduringfinalsincollege.

Butinsteadofbeingfollowedbyaghost,itfeltmorelikeLesliewasanangelwatchingoverthem.
Graysonknewhe’dneverbeamanoftoomanywords,butfromhereonoutheplannedforevery

one he said to Lori to matter. Once they were sitting on stools at a tiny booth with dripping, steaming
slicesofpizzainfrontofthem,hetoldher,“IneverthoughtIcouldbeinthemiddleofNewYorkCityand
myfarmatthesametime.ButasyoudancedIwasthere,Lori,rightbackinthatstorm,holdingyouinmy
arms,wantingtokeepyousafeandknowingyouneededtoflyfreeagain.Allthistime,Ithoughtonehad
togiveupfortheother,thatitwasimpossibleforthemevertoconnect.”

There was so much more he wanted to tell her, so much he had to say, but he’d never had much

practiceatit,andthewordsgotstuckinhisthroat.ThankGodLorihadalwaysheardeverythinghedidn’t
knowhowtosay.

“Accordingtomymom,whenIwastwo—”Shepickeduphersliceofpizzaandjammedahuge

bite into her mouth. “Oh, my God!” she exclaimed after she’d chewed and swallowed in clear rapture.
“Thisreallyisthe best pepperoni in the world!” She mmm’dandah’d over the pizza until, finally, she
continuedherearliersentence.“Iusedtothinkthewordimpossiblewasactuallytwowords.EvidentlyI
woulddanceandtwirlaroundthehousedeclaringI’mpossible!overandoveruntileveryonewasgoing
crazy.”

“Iknowhowthatfeels,”hesaidinalowvoicethatclearlydidn’tscareherintheleast,becauseshe

stuckouthertongueathiminresponse.

“So,”sheaskedasshepickedupwhatwasleftofherenormoussliceandgavehimasoftsmile,

“howisshe?”

Of course Lori would know where he’d been today without his saying a word. It was one of the

many reasons why they were so perfect together. He was a man who didn’t say much, and she was a
womanwhoknewhowtolistentoalook,atouch,aglance.Akiss.And,tonight,heknewexactlywhat
shewasdoing,talkingandteasingandeatingasthoughhisbeingherewithherinthecitythatheldallof
hispersonaldemonswasperfectlynormal.He’dnevermetanyonewhowassoopenlyemotional,orso
willingtoshareherheart.

He could see how much every one of her dancers, and the show’s producer, adored her. And for

good reason. Lori was completely adorable, even with grease dripping from the corner of her greedy
mouth.

Hewipeditawaywiththetipofhisfingerbeforesaying,“Sheaskedifyouwerepretty.”
Lori looked absolutely delighted with that, even as her eyes grew soft and a little misty with

emotion.“Youreallydohavegreattasteinwomen,youknow.”

Graysonknewhehadn’tdoneeverythingheneededtodoyet.Hestillneededtositdownandtalk

withLeslie’sparents,andhisparentswereinEurope,sohecouldn’tintroduceLoritothem.Butwhile

talkingtoLeslieathergravehadn’tbeeneasy,ithadn’tdestroyedhim,either.He’dcomeback,soon,to
saytherestofwhatheshouldhavesaidsomanyyearsago,toeveryoneheshouldhavesaiditto.

Butthistime,he’dhaveLoribyhissideeverystepoftheway,alongwithanangelwatchingover

bothofthem.

Hereachedforhispizza,buthisplatewasempty.Ofcourse,heknewjustwheretolookforit:in

Lori’smouth.

“Youweren’teatingit,”shesaidwithhermouthfull.
Evenashegrowledathertogiveuphissliceorelse,heknewshewasright.
Hereallydidhavegreattasteinwomen.

ChapterTwenty-six

Graysondidn’tknowifhe’devergetusedtobeingwithawomansobeautifulthatsheturnedheads

everywheretheywent,andsofriendlythathalfthepeopleontheplanehomefromNewYorknowhadan
invitationtocomevisitthefarm.ButeventhoughtherewasnoquestionthatlifewithLoriwouldbeahell
ofalottohandle,hedidknowonethingforsure:Justashermotherhadtoldhim,shewasworthallthe
strugglesandfrustrationsthatcamewithlovingher.

Smart woman, that Mary Sullivan. No wonder she’d raised eight great kids. Grayson looked

forwardtospendingtimewithheroverthecomingyears.

He’d figured Lori would want to go by her apartment to pick up some of her favorite things, but

whenshesaidshewastooantsytogetbacktothefarm—andthatmovingtheirsister’sstuffwaswhatbig
brotherswerefor—theyheadedstraighttoPescaderofromtheairport.Althoughtheydidmakeonequick
stopattheairport’srental-caroffice,whereshesmackedakissstraightonthelipsoftheverysurprised
womanbehindthecounter.

“Youwereright.Pescaderowasamazing!”LorihadgesturedtoGrayson,andhewouldhavekissed

hertoshutherupagain,butshe’dbeenhavingsuchagoodtimethathelethersay,“LookwhatIfound
there.”

ThewomanlookedfromLoritohiminconfusionforamoment,beforeherlipscurvedupintoabig

smile.“Andtothink,allIevercamehomewithfromPescaderowasasackoforganiccarrotsandsome
prettypicturesofthecoast.”

Inhistruck,Lorihadturnedonthelocalcountrystationwaytooloudandwassingingalonginan

equallyloud,off-keyvoice,whenshesuddenlycried,“Stopthetruck!”

The dire tone of her voice had him slamming his foot on the brake. Before he knew it, she was

scramblingoutofherseatandrunningacrosstheroadafterwhatlookedtobeawhiteplasticbag.

He leapt out of the car and hollered, “Get out of the road!” Of course, she didn’t listen, not until

she’dfinallycaughtthetumblingbaginherhands.

Whensheturnedbacktohim,herexpressionbrokehisheart.“It’sakitten.”Shetoreopenthebag

allthewayandscoopedoutalittleballoffur,tellingit,“You’resafenow.”

Graysonkeptaneyeoutforoncomingtrafficonthetwo-lanefarmroadashewenttoher.Loriwas

alreadysneezing,butheknewthatwasn’twhyhereyeswerewet.

“Sweetpeasenthertous.”Shekissedthefluffbetweenitsears.“ShelookslikeaMillie,don’tyou

think?”

“Actually,IwasthinkinghelookslikeaBob.”
She grinned at him and nodded, and for a moment he thought maybe she was going to agree with

him.Thatis,untilshesaid,“Comeon,Milliebob,let’sgohome.”

For the rest of the drive, she chattered to the kitten—whom he swore he’d never, ever call

Milliebob,evenasheknewhe’dbebreakingthevowbyweek’send—tellingthelittlecatallaboutthe
farmandtheotheranimalsandhowmuchshewasgoingtoloveitthere.Assoonashepulledup,Lori
jumpedoutofthetrucktotakethekittentomeetthepigsshe’dnamedafterherbrothersandsisters.

Laterthateveningastheywalkedoutside,handinhand,tobetogetherinthecool,darksilencethat

youcouldonlygetonathousandacres,Loritoldhim,“Ireallymissedithere.”

Hervoicewasfullofaweatthebeautyallaroundthem.Anhourago,she’dbeencoveredinmud

andhadbeenashappyasapiginit.Nowshewasfreshfromtheshowerhe’dgivenheroutbythebarn,
onethathadstartedwithsoapandendedwithpleasure.

Loristoppedshortastheypassedthelargegroveofoaktreesandshesawthenewfoundationhe’d

beenputtingin.“What’sthis?”

He’dmissedherlikecrazyeverysecondshe’dbeeninChicagoandNewYorkCity,somuchthat

he’d thrown himself into this huge new project, praying with every board he’d cut for the forms, every
nailhe’dhammered,thatshe’dactuallycomebacktohim.

“Astudio.Foryou.Andyourdancers.”
Shethrewherarmsandlegsaroundhimandwasabouttokisshimwhenthenightskysuddenlylit

upsomuchthattheybothturnedtolookupatit.

“Ashootingstar!”Hereyesshonewithexcitementandhappinessasshegazeddownathim.“What

didyouwishfor?”

Standing in the middle of wildflowers and blades of dark green grass beneath the stars, Grayson

pulledaringoutofhispocket.“Iwishedforyoutobemine.Always.”

And as Lori told him she’d always been his, and promised that she always would be, the two of

themdancedtogetheronathousand-acrestagebeneaththespotlightofthemoon.

***

Threemonthslater...

“NowthateverySullivanfromaroundtheworldhasarrivedforourfamilyreunion,”Lorisaidto

Grayson,“doIneedtogetyouabagtohyperventilateinto?”

DespitethedozensofSullivansandspousesandkidsandanimalsrunninglooseallaroundthem,

GraysonwrappedalockofLori’slonghairaroundhisfingersandtuggedhercloser,asiftheywerethe
onlytwopeopleintheworld.“I’vegotamuchbetterideaforwhattodowithmymouth.”

Eventhoughthey’dkissedapproximatelyatrilliontimesduringthepastthreemonths,itfeltlikethe

first time all over again as Lori’s heart raced, she lost her breath, and her toes tingled in her cowboy
bootswhileherfiancéshowedher,yetagain,justhowmuchhelovedher.

“Seriously,though,”shesaidwhenhefinallylethercomeupforairandhersynapseshadbegunto

fireagain,“you’reamazingforagreeingtohavesomanypeoplehereonyourfarm.”

“Not my farm. Our farm.” He stroked her hair one last time, then moved his hand down past her

shoulderandoverherarmtoleaveapathoftinglesallacrossherskin,beforeheslidhisfingersthrough
hers. “And you know I like your family.” He lowered his cowboy hat against the bright sunlight as he
lookedoutatthehugegroupofSullivans.“Evenifthereareawholehellofalotofthem.”

Justthen,shesawonemorerentalcarpullintothemakeshiftparkingareathey’dsetupbytheside

ofthebarn.Grayson’smotherandfathergotout.Hishandtightenedslightlyinhersandsheliftedittoher
mouth to press a kiss to it before saying, “I’m so glad your parents happened to plan their trip for this
weekend,too.”Ithadbeenasurprisingcoincidenceoftimingwhenhe’dtoldherabouttheirtravelplans,
butofcourseshe’dbeenthrilledbythenews.

NotwantingtheTylerstofeelatalloutofplacearoundherbigfamily,shemadesuretohurryover

togiveeachofthemawarmhug.“I’msogladyoucouldcomeforavisit.”WhensheandGraysonhad
visitedthemontheirestateinNewYorkamonthearlier,she’dbeenabletoseejusthowmuchtheyloved
theirson,eveniftheyweren’tgreatatsayingthewordsaloud.Justasshe’dknownbetterthantowaitfor
Graysontoinviteherintohisheart,sheknewshecouldn’tlethimandhisparentswaitanylongerforeach
other,either.

Heshookhisfather’shandandputhisarmsaroundhismother,andLorihappilynoticedthattheyall

heldonjustalittlebitlongerthantheyhadamonthago.Peoplesaidmiraclescouldn’thappenovernight,
butwasn’tthathowquicklylovehadblossomedbetweenherandGrayson?Andhadn’tlifealwaysbeen
one miracle tumbling and leaping after another, from her family to dancing to her little nieces and

nephewstothemanstandingbesideher?

Afewmomentslater,hermotherwastheretowelcomeGinaandBrentTyler.Lorilovedwatching

theeffecthermotherhadonpeople—thewaysheimmediatelymadethemfeelrelaxedandappreciated.

“Youraisedawonderfulson,”MarySullivantoldtheTylers.“EverysingledayI’msohappythat

heandLorifoundeachother.”

AsGraysondrewLorievencloserandpressedakisstothetopofherhead,hismother’seyesgrew

damp.“Yes,”sheagreed,“theyareaperfectmatch,aren’tthey?”

Funny, right then it looked as though his parents and her mother and then Grayson, too, were all

sharingasecretlook.Suddenly,hermotherturnedtoLoriandsaid,“Didyouhearaboutthegreatsurprise
yoursisterputtogetherforthegirls?Shebroughtinseveralhairdressersandmakeupartiststofixallofus
up before the big family pictures are taken. They’re all set up and waiting for us in your new dance
studio.”

“That sounds fun,” Lori said, even though she couldn’t figure out why her twin would have any

interestatallinsomethinglikethat,consideringSophieworealmostnomakeupandrarelyneededtodo
anythingtoherlong,glossyhairtomakeitlookgreat.“CanyouletherknowI’llheadoverlater?FirstI’d
liketogiveGrayson’sparentsatourofthe—”

Graysoncutoffhersentenceinhisfavoriteway:withakiss.Sometimesshewouldrunoffatthe

mouthevenwhenshehadnothingwhatsoevertosay,justtoscoremorekisses.

“Gowithyourmother,”hetoldher.“I’llshowmyparentsaround.”
She had thought he’d want her there with his parents as a buffer, just in case things got awkward

again,butnowsherealizedheprobablywantedsomealonetimewiththem.“Okay.”Only,whenshewent
towalkaway,hedidn’tletgoofherhand.

Shelookeddownattheirentwinedhandsandwasabouttomakeafunnycommentabouthisneeding

toletgoofherwhenshelookedupintohisface.

Thesheerdepthoftheloveinhiseyeshadherforgettingeverythingexceptherownloveforhim.

Hermother’sarmaroundherwaistwastheonlyreasonshecouldhavewalkedawayfromhimjustthen.

“You really did find a wonderful man, honey,” Mary said as they headed off toward the studio

Graysonhadbuiltforher.“It’shardtobelievehehasn’talwaysbeenapartofthefamily,isn’tit?”

Overthepastthreemonths,Lorihadwatchedatrulyspecialbonddevelopbetweenherfiancéand

hermother.Shefiguredpartofitwasthattheyhadbothlostaspouseandunderstoodeachother’spainin
awaythatotherpeopleneverwould.Butjustashermotherhadsaid,theirrelationshipwentdeeperthan
that. Grayson was already family—a total guy with her brothers, the sweetest uncle-to-be ever to the
babiesandSummer,andalwaystheretohelpoutaSullivaninneed.

“Icanhardlywaittomarryhim,”shetoldhermother.“IfIcould,I’ddoittoday.”
Afewmomentslater,thetwoofthemsteppedinthroughthedoorofthestudio.Severalofthebest

hairandmakeupartiststhatherbrotherChasehadworkedwithovertheyearswerealreadyworkingtheir
magic on Sophie, Nicola, Chloe, Megan and her eight-year-old daughter Summer, Heather, Vicki, and
Valentina.Growingup,Lorihadalwayslongedformorethanonesister,andeverydayshegavethanks
fortheamazingwomenherbrothershadfound.

Summerclappedherhandsandsaid,“Lori’shere!”Megan’seyesgotbigforamomentbeforeshe

leanedovertowhispersomethingtoSummerthathadherdaughtersmilingandzippingherfingersacross
herlips.

“Yourfarmisamazing,”NicolasaidasshehandedLoriaglassofchampagneandledheroverto

anemptychair.“Whatagreatplaceforafamilyreunion.”

Lori knew how much Marcus’s pop-star fiancée loved his vineyard in Napa, and that her brother

lovedtouringtheworldwithNicolajustasmuch.“Justwaituntilyougetouttherewiththepigs,”Lori
teasedhersoon-to-besister-in-law.“You’regoingtolovetheoneInamedMarcus.Hekeepsalltheother

pigsinthepensafeandsound.”

She’dtakenpicturesofeachofthepigsandgiventhemasgiftstotheirnamesakesinspecialframes,

knowing her siblings would love it. Her brothers and sister hadn’t let her down—each of the pictures
werenowdisplayedontheirmantelsalongwiththeirotherfamilypictures.

There were few things Lori loved more than being surrounded by her friends and family. This

family reunion had already made the short list of the best days of her life. Meeting Grayson was, of
course,attheverytop.

As the makeup artist and hairdresser both got to work on her, Lori sipped her champagne and

listenedinonthehalf-dozenconversationsgoingonaroundher—aboutdogsandkidsandcarracesand
newsculpturesandmoviesets.Clearly,shethoughtasshetookintheextra-bigsmilesandhappyvoices,
everyonewashavingjustasmuchfunatthereunionasshewas.Andthefarmhadbeentheperfectplace
tohostit.

“Wow,”Summersaidasshecameoverashortwhilelaterwhenherhairandmakeupweredone,

“youlooksobeautiful,AuntLori.”

Lorismiledatoneofherfavoritekidsinthewholewideworld.“Youdo,too.Iloveyourcrownof

wildflowers.It’ssopretty.”

SummerwasholdingsomethingbehindherbackandgaveMeganaquickglance.Whenhermother

nodded,shehelditouttoLori.“Imadeyouone,too.”

Loriwasbeyondtouched.“You’rethebest!Canyouputitonme?”Shebentherheaddownsothat

Summercouldreachthetopofit.

WhenLoriturnedtofacethemirroragain,shebarelynoticedhowglossyherhairwas,ortheway

her features had been perfectly played up with mascara and blush. All she knew was that with the
wildflowersinherhair,she’dneverfeltprettier.

The room grew quiet and she noticed all of the women looking at each other in a particularly

seriousway.Andhermotherwasgone.Whenhadsheleftthestudio?

“Hey,issomethingwr—”Butshenevergotachancetofinishhersentence,becausejustthenher

motherwalkedbackintotheroomholdingadress.

Aweddingdress.
ItwasthemostbeautifulweddingdressLorihadeverseen…becauseitwastheonethathermother

hadwornatherownwedding.AndLoriknewitwouldfitperfectly.

“Oh,myGod.”Shetriedtostand,butwhenherlegsweretoowobblytoholdherup,shehadtogrip

the arm rests and sit down again instead. “What—” Her brain wasn’t working. “How—” Her mouth
wasn’tworkingeither.“You—”

Hermothersmiledatherandsaidoneword.Theonlywordthatmattered.“Grayson.”
Lori Sullivan wasn’t a woman who cried. But she’d broken that rule on this farm in Pescadero

againandagain.OutofdespaironherfirstnightinGrayson’shouse.OutofpuresadnessafterSweetpea
died.

Andnow,outofpurejoy.
“From the first moment I met Grayson,” her mother told her, “I knew he was the man for you,

sweetie.ButifI’deverhadanydoubts,hisaskingmetohelpplanasurpriseweddingforyouwouldhave
putthemimmediatelytorest.Onlyamanwhotrulyknewandlovedyouwouldthinktodosomethingthis
perfectforyou.”

Sophie put a Kleenex in one of Lori’s hands and then pulled her out of her chair with the other.

“Yourgroomiswaiting.Ratherimpatiently,Ibelieve.”

Lorilaughedevenashertearscontinuedtospill.Everyoneshelovedwasherewithhertodayand

theywereallsoamazingtohelpGraysonsurpriseherwiththiswedding.

“Iloveallofyousomuch.”Thegirlsallgatheredaroundherinagrouphug,allofthemcryingand

laughingnow.

Loriwasnotoriouslysteady,bothonstageandoff,butnowherfingerswereshakingsomuchthat

her mother and sister had to help her get her clothes off. After she’d put on the gorgeous silk lingerie
Sophie handed her, her sister showed Lori the amazing heels they’d bought to go with the dress. Lori
shookherhead.“I’mgoingtowearmyboots.”Theywerehernewwhiteoneswithcolorfulwildflowers
stitcheduptheside,afterall.Thensheliftedherarmsandtheyslidthesilkandlaceweddinggownon,
her mother lacing up the back while Sophie readjusted the flowers on her hair and dabbed at the tears
underhereyelasheswithoutsmearinghernewmakeup.

A knock sounded on the door and her mother went to open it. Lori’s oldest brother Marcus was

standingthereinatux.Hewassmilingather,butshecouldseehiseyesgrowalittleglassyashesaid,
“You’reabsolutelybeautiful,Lori.”Heheldoutanarm.“Readytotakeawalkdowntheaisle?”

MoretearsthreatenedtospillassheputherhandinMarcus’s.“Didyouknowaboutthis?”
“Allofusdid.”Hebrushedalockofhairfromhereyesandadded,“Youwererightnottogiveup

onGrayson.Talkingwithhimthesepastfewmonthshasprovedtomethathetrulydoesloveyoutheway
youdeservetobeloved.Withabsolutelyeverythinginsidehim.”

Shehuggedherbrother,hissupportmeaningmoretoherthanhecouldeverknow.Everyoneelse

movedpastthemtogotaketheirplacesatthesurpriseweddingsetupinthemiddleoftheopenfield.She
knew she should have been amazed that they had been able to pull all this off without her guessing
somethingwasup,butshe’dalwaysknownhowwonderfulherfamilywas.

Herhandtightlygraspedinherbrother’s,thetwoofthemmadetheirwaytowherethecountryband

from her very-first-ever barn dance was playing a waltz, and Sullivans from all over the world, along
withGrayson’sparents,weretheretocelebratewithherandGrayson.

Andthenshesawhim,standingattheendofthewildflower-strewnaisle,gorgeousinatux,black

cowboyhat,andboots.Shedidn’tthinkbeforelettinggoofherbrother’shand,liftingupherskirts,and
runningtohim.

Shenolongersawanyoneelse,nolongerheardthebandplaying.AllshecouldseewereGrayson’s

darkeyesfilledwithsuchhunger,suchpassion,suchlove.Andallsheknewwasthathewaseverything
she had ever wanted, everything she had ever waited for, as she flew into his arms and wrapped hers
aroundhisneck.

Laughingwithher,heswungheraround,herhairflyingbehindherastheydidyetanotherperfect

dancetogether.TheirmouthsfoundeachotheramomentlaterandthecrowdofSullivanscheeredthem
on.

“Iloveyou,”shewhisperedwhenshewasfinallyabletopullhermouthfromhis.
“Iloveyou,too,”hewhisperedbackagainstherear.“AndIcan’twaitanothersecondforyoutobe

mine.”

Withthat,heputherbackonherfeetandtookherhandsinhisastheofficiantbegantheceremony.
“I’mverypleasedtowelcomeeveryonetowhathastobethemostuniqueweddingI’veeverbeena

partof.”Everyonelaughedandthenthemansaid,“Lori,Grayson,doeitherofyouhaveanythingyou’d
liketosaytoeachotherbeforeIcontinue?”

Lorinodded.ShemovedclosertoGraysonandlookedupintohisbeautifuldarkeyes.“Iloveyou.

Always.Forever.”Allherlife,she’dtalkedandtalkedandtalked.Buttoday,standingwithGraysonin
hermother’sweddingdressinfrontoftheirfamilies,therewasnothingelsesheneededhimtoknow.

Graysongrinneddownather,somehownotatallsurprisedbythefactthatshe’dchosenthisvery

momenttostopbeingamotormouth.

“Grayson?”theofficiantasked.“IstheresomethingyouwouldliketosaytoLori?”
“Yes,thereis.”Hisdeepvoicerumblingoverherskinfeltasgoodasthesweetcaressofhishands

alwaysdid.“WhenyourmotherandyoursiblingsandIplannedthisweddingtosurpriseyou,Iwantedto

beabletostandhereandtellyoutheexactmomentIfellinlovewithyou.ButIcan’tdothat.”

“Youcan’t?”Apincouldhavedroppedinthegrassanditwouldhavebeenheardinthatmomentas

everyonegrewperfectlysilenttolistenforhisreply.

“No, I can’t. Because every single moment I’ve spent with you is that moment, Lori.” With a

collective“Ahh”and“Isn’tthatsweet?”soundingfromtheiraudience,hetoldher,“Ifellinlovewith
youwhenyoucrashedintomyfencepostandchasedaftermychickensandfelldowninthemudwiththe
pigs.Ifellinlovewithyouwhenyoutaughteveryoneintowntolinedance.Ifellinlovewithyouwhen
youputMo’sfeelingsbeforeyourownandstayedwithherforaslongassheneededyou.”Onefattear
sliddownhercheekashesaid,“And,mostofall,Ifellinlovewithyouwhenyoushowedmethatitwas
safetoloveagain.Ikeepfallinginlovewithyouagainandagain.JustlikeI’mfallingrightthissecond.”

She had to kiss him again before they both said “I do,” and then Grayson was sliding a beautiful

ringontoherfingerandLoriwaspickinguponeofthewildflowersonthegroundtotwineitaroundhis
ringfinger.

The man who claimed he wasn’t good with words—and who had thought he wasn’t capable of

lovingagain—hadjustprovedhimselfirrevocablywrong.Onbothcounts.Shecouldn’twaittotellhim
everysinglelittlethingshelovedabouthim,ofeverypossiblewayhe’dpleasedherwiththissurprise
weddingtoday.Butallthattalkingwouldhavetowait.

Becauseshewasn’tnicknamedNaughtyfornothing.
Andrightnowwastheperfecttimeforthenewbridetodraghernewhusbandofftoasecretcorner

oftheirpropertytoshowhimexactlyhowmuchshelovedhim,bodyandsoul.

Epilogue

MarySullivanhadalwaysbeenproudofherchildren.Notonlybecauseofhowsuccessfulthey’d

always been, but because of the exceptional men and women they were. And just as she so often had
before,shethoughtabouttheirfatherJackandhowhewouldhavelovedtoseeanotherofhisprecious
littlegirlsgettingmarried...

Butshe’dalreadycriedenoughtearstodayduringthebeautifulceremony.Shewantedtherestofher

dayandeveningtobefilledwithsmiles,withlaughter,withhugsandjoy.Itwassoeasytofindthatjoy,
becauseitwasallaroundher.

HeroldestsonMarcuswasdancingwithhisfiancée,Nicola.Theywouldbegettingmarriedathis

wineryandvineyardinNapaValleylaterthatyearandMarywasgreatlyenjoyinghelpingthemplanit,
sincetheywereoftentravelinginsupportofNicola’smusiccareer.NoteveryoneunderstoodNicolaand
Marcus’srelationship—theyoungpopstarandthematurebusinessman—butMarycouldn’timagineher
sonwithanyonewhocouldhavebroughthimmorehappiness.

MaryturnedhergazetohernextoldestsonjustasSmithandValentinagaveeachotheroneoftheir

secretsmiles.Maryhadneveradmittedasmuchtoanyone,butSmithhadbeentheonesheworriedabout
the most over the years. People always told her, “What a charmed life your son must live as a movie
star!”butshehadknownbetter.Yearafteryear,ashisstarhadgrownbrighterandbrighter,he’dpaida
higherandhigherpersonalpriceforthatfame.InValentinahe’dfoundsomeoneabsolutelyidealforhim:
She understood the demands of his world, but wasn’t at all interested in the glitter. It warmed Mary’s
hearttoseethepeace,thecontentment,onherson’sface.

ThesoundofalittlegirlgigglingdrewMary’sattentiontoChase,Chloe,andEmma,theirdaughter.

Thethreeofthemwereoverbythebarnlookingatthepigs,andEmmawasclearlydelightedbythefarm
animals.MarysmiledasshewatchedthewayhersonChasetooksuchgoodcareofhisfamily...andher
smilegrewassheobservedChloe’sextraspecialglow.Shecouldn’twaitforthemtohaveanotherlittle
boyorgirl.Somethingtoldhershewouldn’tbewaitinglong.

Overonthegrass,Ryanwastossingballstothekids,andhisfiancéeVickiwashelpingthegirls

andboyschasethemwhentheytumbledoutoftheirlittlehands.Assoonashersonhadbroughthisbest
friend home for dinner in high school fifteen years ago, Mary had known they were “the one” for each
other. A decade and a half later, they’d both finally realized what they meant to each other in a perfect
friends-to-loverslovestorythatmadeMaryfeelgoodeverytimeshethoughtaboutthetwoofthem.

Notfarfromtheimpromptubaseballgame,severalofthemenweregatheredaroundZach’sFerrari.

His fiancée Heather’s enormous dog, Atlas, was sitting right beside him and Heather was holding their
other,muchsmallerdog,Cuddles.Butwhilethemenwereallfocusedonthecar,Zachwasreachingout
for Heather and running his hand through her long hair, saying something for her ears only that had her
laughing.Thereweren’talotofwomenwhocouldhavegonetoetotoewithZach,letalonerunhimin
circles. Only the very extraordinary woman he’d fallen in love with. Every time Mary saw the two of
themtogether,shedeeplyappreciatedtheabilitybothhersonandHeatherhadtolaughandloveinequal
measure.

Mary’s firefighter son Gabe was dancing with eight-year-old Summer while Megan sat out the

dance in the shade of a large oak tree with their poodle. Mary knew Megan was having a little trouble
with morning sickness, but from the huge smile on her face as she watched her husband and daughter
dance together, no one would have guessed it. Again, tears threatened as Mary thought about the way
MeganandSummerhadcomeintotheirliveswhenGabehadsavedthemfromwhatcouldhavebeena
deadlyapartmentfire.TheywereallsoblessedtohavefoundeachotherandMarycouldn’twaittohold

anotherbabyinherarmscomeChristmas.

Just then, her daughter Sophie and her husband headed off toward the farmhouse with their twins

anddiaperbagsintheirarms,Jake’snosewrinkledasheheldlittleJackie.Marylaughed,remembering
all those years of changing her kids’ diapers. Mary would never forget the look on both Sophie’s and
Jake’sfaceswhenthey’dseeneachotherforthefirsttimemorethantwentyyearsago,orthewaythey
onlyhadeyesforeachother.HerdaughterhadbeenfiveandJakehadbeeneleven,butonethingsheknew
forsurewasthattruelovedidn’tcomewithatimeline.

AndnowLorihadfoundheronetrueloveinGrayson.
MarygaveahappysighasshelookedoutoverthelargegroupofSullivanswhohadgatheredfrom

Seattle,fromNewYork,evenfromLondonandAustralia.Hopefully,shemused,eachofthemwouldsoon
findtheirhappyendings,too.

“Heythere,beautiful.Careforsomecompany?Andalittlebubbly?”
MarysmiledatRafeSullivanasshetooktheglassheofferedher.Hewasaprivateinvestigatorin

Seattleandoneofherfavoritesofherhusband’sbrothers’children.

“Best family reunion we’ve had so far,” he said with a grin. “It’s not too often you get to see

Naughtysurprised.”

Mary laughed before saying, “Speaking of surprises, is there anybody special in your life we

shouldknowabout?”

ThistimeRafewastheonelaughing.“I’mthinkingweshouldfinishgettingyoursideofthefamily

completelymarriedoffbeforewestartlookingatmine.Besides,nowthatalleightofyourkidsareoffon
theirhappily-ever-afters—”Hehadthesamemischievouslookhe’dhadevenasalittleboy.“—isn’tit
yourturn?”

Sheshookherhead,asthoughhisaskingaboutherlovelifewasatotallyridiculousquestionatthis

pointinherlife.Buttherewasareasonhernephewwassuchagreatinvestigator:hesawalltheclues,
bigandsmall.

“Mary?”Helookedathermorecarefully.“Areyoublushing?”Whenshecoveredhercheekwith

herfreehand,hisvoicegrewgentleashesaid,“Youknow,ifthereissomebody special in your life, I
thinkmycousinswouldunderstand.”

Thankfully,justthenthebandstartedplayingAlwaysOnMyMind.“Thishasalwaysbeenoneof

myfavoritesongs.”HersandJack’s.

Rafe took her champagne glass and put it down before holding out his hand. “I’m pretty sure

everythingLoriknowsaboutdancing,shelearnedfromyou.Comedancewithme,AuntMary.”

Hernephewledheroutonthedancefloor,andsurroundedbyherchildrenandgrandchildrenand

the extended Sullivan family members she loved so dearly, Mary let herself get lost in the pleasure of
twirlingacrossthefloor.

Noquestionaboutit,whoeverfinallystolehernephewRafe’sheartonedaywasgoingtobeavery

luckywoman.

~THEEND~

Watch for Rafe Sullivan’s story—THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT—coming Summer 2013…

andMaryandJackSullivan’sveryspecialromanceFall2013!SignuponBella’snewslettertofindout
themomenthernewbooksareavailable:

http://eepurl.com/eXj22

***

Anddon’tmissthefirstsevenbooksintheSullivanseries

THELOOKOFLOVE

(Chase&Chloe,TheSullivans#1)

FROMTHISMOMENTON

(Marcus&Nicola,TheSullivans#2)

CAN'THELPFALLINGINLOVE

(Gabe&Megan,TheSullivans#3)

IONLYHAVEEYESFORYOU

(Sophie&Jake,TheSullivans#4)

IFYOUWEREMINE

(Zach&Heather,TheSullivans#5)

LETMEBETHEONE

(Ryan&Vicki,TheSullivans#6)

COMEALITTLEBITCLOSER

(Smith&Valentina,TheSullivans#7)

***

THELOOKOFLOVE

Chase&Chloe–TheSullivans#1

WhenChaseSullivanfindsChloeandhertotaledcarinNapaValley,she'ssolovely,insideand

out,hewantstolove-andprotect-her.Only,shehasvowednevertotrustamanagain,despitehis
lovinglooksandsinfullysweetcaresses.Butishetheonlyexception?

Pleaseenjoythefollowingexcerpt...

Chase almost missed the flickering light off on the right side of the two-lane country road. In the

pastthirtyminutes,hehadn’tpassedasinglecar,becauseonanightlikethis,mostsaneCalifornians—
whodidn’tknowthefirstthingaboutdrivingsafelyininclementweather—stayedhome.

Knowingbetterthantoslamonthebrakes—hewouldn’tbeabletohelpwhomeverwasstrandedon

the side of the road if he ended up stuck in the muddy ditch right next to them—Chase slowed down
enoughtoseethattherewasdefinitelyavehiclestuckintheditch.

Heturnedhisbrightsontoseebetterinthepouringrainandrealizedtherewasapersonwalking

along the edge of the road about a hundred yards up ahead. Obviously hearing his car approach, she
turnedtofacehimandhecouldseeherlongwethairwhippingaroundhershouldersinhisheadlights.

Wonderingwhy she wasn’tjust sitting inher car, dry andwarm, calling TripleA and waiting for

them to come save her, he pulled over to the edge of his lane and got out to try and help her. She was
shiveringasshewatchedhimapproach.

“Areyouhurt?”
Shecoveredhercheekwithonehand,butshookherhead.“No."

Hehadtomoveclosertohearheroverthesoundofthewaterhittingthepavementinwhatwere

rapidlybecominghailstones.Eventhoughhe’dturnedhisheadlightsoff,ashiseyesquicklyadjustedto
thedarkness,hewasabletogetabetterlookatherface.

SomethinginsideofChase’schestclenchedtight.
Despitethelong,darkhairplasteredtoherheadandchest,regardlessofthefactthatlookinglikea

drownedratwasn’ttoofaroffthedescriptivemark,herbeautystunnedhim.

Inaninstant,hisphotographer’seyecatalogedherfeatures.Hermouthwasalittletoobig,hereyes

alittletoowide-setonherface.Shewasn’tevenclosetomodelthin,butgiventhewayherT-shirtand
jeansstucktoherskin,hecouldseethatsheworeherlushcurveswell.Inthedarkhecouldn’tjudgethe
exactcolorofherhair,butitlookedlikesilk,perfectlysmoothandstraightwhereitlayoverherbreasts.

It wasn’t until Chase heard her say, “My car is definitely hurt, though,” that he realized he had

completelylostthethreadofwhathe’dcomeoutheretodo.

Knowinghe’dbeendrinkingherinlikehewasdyingofthirst,heworkedtorecoverhisbalance.

Hecouldalreadyseehe’dbeenrightabouthercar.Itdidn’ttakeamechaniclikehisbrother,Zach,who
owned an auto shop—more like forty, but Chase had stopped counting years ago—to see that her shitty
hatchback was borderline totaled. Even if the front bumper wasn’t half smashed to pieces by the white
farmfenceshe’dslidinto,herbaldtiresweren’tgoingtogetanytractiononthemud.Nottonight,anyway.

Ifhercarhadbeeninalessprecarioussituation,heprobablywouldhavesenthertohangoutinher

carwhilehetookcareofgettingitunstuck.Butoneofherbacktireswashangingprecariouslyoverthe
edgeoftheditch.

Hejerkedhisthumboverhisshoulder.“Getinmycar.Wecanwaitthereforatowtruck.”Hewas

vaguelyawareofhiswordscomingoutlikeanorder,butthehailwasstartingtosting,damnit.Bothof
themneededtogetoutoftherainbeforetheyfroze.

Butthewomandidn’tmove.Instead,shegavehimalookthatsaidhewasacompleteandutternut-

job.

“I’mnotgettingintoyourcar.”
Realizingjusthowfrighteningitmustbeforalonewomantoendupstuckandaloneinthemiddle

ofadarkroad,Chasetookastepbackfromher.Hehadtospeakloudlyenoughforhertohearhimover
thehail.

“I’mnotgoingtoattackyou.IswearIwon’tdoanythingtohurtyou.”
SheallbutflinchedatthewordattackandChase’sradarstartedbuzzing.He’dneverbeenamagnet

for troubled women, wasn’t the kind of guy who thrived on fixing wounded birds. But living with two
sistersforsomanyyearsmeanthecouldalwaystellwhensomethingwasup.

Andsomethingwasdefinitelyupwiththiswoman,beyondthefactthathercarwashalf-stuckina

muddyditch.

Wantingtomakeherfeelsafe,heheldhishandsup.“Iswearonmyfather’sgrave,I’mnotgoingto

hurt you. It’s okay to get into my car.” When she didn’t immediately say no again, he pressed his
advantagewith,“Ijustwanttohelpyou.”Andhedid.Morethanitmadesensetowanttohelpastranger.
“Please,”hesaid.“Letmehelpyou.”

Shestaredathimforalongmoment,hailhammeringbetweenthem,aroundthem,ontothem.Chase

foundhimselfholdinghisbreath,waitingforherdecision.Itshouldn’tmattertohimwhatshedecided.

But,forsomestrangereason,itdid.

***

ChloePetersonhadneverfeltsowet,somiserable…orsodesperate.She’dbeenbeatingthespeed

limit for the past couple of hours, before the storm had kicked into overdrive. She’d slowed down
considerablyonthesuper-slickpavement,buthertireswereoldandbald,andbeforesheknewit,hercar
wasskiddingofftheroad.

Straightintoamuddyditch.
Itmighthavebeeneasier—smarter,too—tositinhercarandwaitoutthestorm.Butshe’dbeentoo

keyeduptostaystill.She’dneededtokeepmoving,otherwisethethoughtsknockingaroundinherhead
weregoingtocatchupwithher,soshe’dslungherbackpackoverhershouldersandsteppedoutintothe
rain,justasitturnedintoout-and-outhail.

Thehardlittlepelletshurtherskin,butshe’dbeengladforthecold,forthesting.Becauseitgave

hersomethingelsetofocuson,somethingbesideswhathadhappenedjusthoursago.

Shehadn’tbeensureexactlywhereshewas—orwhatshewasheadedfor–butshe’dhopedshewas

walkinginthedirectionoftown.

Allnightlongtheroadshadbeenstrangelyempty,butshe’dbarelystartingwalkingawayfromher

carwhenshe’drealizedheadlightswerecomingupbehindher.

Fearhadknockedintoheragainasthecarpulledovertothesideandshe’dhadtostoptobrace

herselftowithstandit.Shewasallaloneonadark,wet,countryroad.Shedidn’thavehercellphone,and
evenifshehad,shedoubtedtherewasenoughreceptionouthereinthestormforittogetasignal.

Andthenaman–alargeman–hadgottenoutofhiscarandstartedwalkingtowardher,tellingherto

getintohiscar.

Noway.
He’dtriedtoconvinceherthatshewassafewithhim.He’dsaidalltherightthings,butshe’dhad

toomuchexperiencewithpeoplelikethat,whoeasilysaidonething,thendidanother.

“Idon’tknowyou,”shetoldhim.Hecouldbeanaxemurderer.Shehadfeet.She’dwalkandfinda

placetodryofflater.

Shecouldseethefrustrationonhisface,knewhewasabouttotryandreasonwithheragain,when

suddenly,thesoundofskiddingtirescameatthem.Beforesheknewwhatwashappening,hewaspulling
herintohisarms.Shedidn’thavetimetothinkoffightinghim,didn’tevenconsideritwhensherealizeda
fast-movingmotorcyclewaspracticallyontopofthem.

She closed her eyes, bracing for impact, when the man effortlessly lifted her and jumped into the

ditch,holdinghertightlyagainsthim.

She opened her eyes just in time to watch the motorcycle’s back tires skid and then finally catch

holdjustintheplaceshe’dbeenstanding.Herheart,whichhadallbutstopped,startedracingagainas
shewatcheditspeedaway.

“Areyouokay?”
Chloelookedupatthemanwhohadshieldedherfromharmwithhisownbody,andforthefirst

timesincehe’dsteppedoutofhiscar,shewashithardwiththerealizationofjusthowattractivehewas.

No,shesilentlyadmittedtoherself.Attractivewasapaltrywordforamanlikethis.Eveninthe

darkness,shecouldseethatheputothermentoshame.Asbigasshe’dfirstthought,eveninthecoldrain,
hewasutterlygorgeous.

Andherbodywasreactingwithsurprisingheat.
Ormaybe,shesuddenlyrealized,thatheatwascomingfromthefactthathewasstillcradlingherin

hisstrongarms.

Thewayhe’dmovedheroutofthewayofthetoo-closemotorcyclehadherteeteringontheedgeof

trustinghim.Andonanyothernight,perhapsitwouldhavebeenenough.Butwasit?

Theywerebothsplatteredwithmudfromwherehe’dlandedwithherinhisarmsandnowthatthey

weresafeagain,shestruggledtostandup,totryandrightherthoughtssothatshecouldcometosomesort
ofrationaldecision.

“Waitaminute,”hesaid,“letmegetusoutofhere.”
Afewmomentslater,heputherdownonthesideoftheroad.“Itreallyisn’tsafetobeouthere.Not

foreitherofus.”

Commonsensetoldherhewasright,andyet,shewasstillwary.Incrediblyso.
Butatthisverymomentwhatotherchoicedidshehave?
Replayinginhermindthewayhe’dprotectedherfromharm,Chloefinally,said,“Okay.I’llgowith

you.”

Shesincerelyhopedshedidn’tendupregrettingherchoice.

~excerptfromTHELOOKOFLOVE,copyright2012byBellaAndre~

Buy

THELOOKOFLOVE

foryourKindle.

***

FROMTHISMOMENTON

Marcus&Nicola~TheSullivans#2

Forthirty-sixyears,MarcusSullivanhasbeentheresponsibleolderbrother,steppingintotake

care of his seven siblings after their father died when they were children. But when the perfectly
ordered future he's planned for himself turns out to be nothing but a lie, Marcus needs one reckless
nighttoshakefreefromitall.

Buy

FROMTHISMOMENTON

foryourKindle.

***

CAN’THELPFALLINGINLOVE

Gabe&Megan–TheSullivans#3

Gabe Sullivan risks his life every day as a firefighter in San Francisco. But after learning a

brutallessonaboutprofessionalboundaries,heknowsbetterthantoriskhishearttohisfirevictims
ever again. Especially the brave mother and daughter he saved from a deadly apartment fire...and
can'tstopthinkingabout.

Buy

CAN'THELPFALLINGINLOVE

foryourKindle.

***

IONLYHAVEEYESFORYOU

Sophie&Jake–TheSullivans#4

SophieSullivan,alibrarianinSanFrancisco,wasfiveyearsoldwhenshefellheadoverheels

inlovewithJakeMcCann.Twentyyearslater,she’sconvincedthenotoriousbadboystillseesheras
the"nice"Sullivantwin.Thatis,whenhebotherstolookatheratall.Butwhentheybothgetcaught
upinthemagicofthefirstSullivanwedding,sheknowsit’slongpasttimetodowhateverittakesto
makehimseeherforwhoshetrulyis...thewomanwhowilllovehimforever.

Buy

IONLYHAVEEYESFORYOU

foryourKindle.

***

IFYOUWEREMINE

Zach&Heather–TheSullivans#5

Cantwopeoplewhohavebothswornofflovefindforeverineachother'sarms?Thelastthing

ZachSullivanwantsistotakecareofhisbrother'snewpuppyfortwoweeks.Untilhemeetsthedog
trainer,thatis.Heatherisbright,beautiful,andhecan'tstopthinkingabouther.Unfortunately,she
justmightbetheonlywomanonearthwhowantsnothingtodowithhim.

Buy

IFYOUWEREMINE

foryourKindle.

***

LETMEBETHEONE

Ryan&Vicki–TheSullivans#6

An unexpected friends-to-lovers romance might not only turn out to be so much hotter than

anythingbadboyprobaseballplayerRyanSullivanhaseverknown...butmuch,muchsweeter,too.

Buy

LETMEBETHEONE

foryourKindle.

***

COMEALITTLEBITCLOSER

Smith&Valentina–TheSullivans#7

MoviestarSmithSullivancan’taffordanydistractions.He’sstakinghisentirereputationonhis

new film...but he can’t stop thinking about Valentina Landon and the fire he sees smoldering just
beneaththesurfaceofhercoolexterior.Valentinaisn’taversetosensualpleasure,oreventotheidea
offindingtruelove,butasaHollywoodbusinessmanagershe’swatchedtoomanysmartwomenfall
for actors...only to be torn apart when the fairytale comes to its inevitable end. But when intense
weekstogetheronsetturntheirheatedattractionintored-hotflamesofpassion,Smithknowshehas
tofindawaytoconvinceValentinatolethimgetalittlebitcloser.Closeenoughtocompletelysteal
herheart...thewayshe’sstolenhisfromthestart.

Buy

COMEALITTLEBITCLOSER

foryourKindle.

COMPLETEBOOKLIST

ThefollowingBellaAndretitlesareavailableinelectronicformatfromAmazon.Pleasescrolldownfor
AmazonUKandAmazonCanadalinksaswellaspaperbacklinks.

TheSullivanFamilyseries

TheLookofLove
FromThisMomentOn
Can’tHelpFallingInLove
IOnlyHaveEyesForYou
IfYouWereMine
LetMeBeTheOne
ComeALittleBitCloser
AlwaysOnMyMind

TheWayYouLookTonight(RafeSullivan’sStory,comingSummer2013)

BadBoysofFootballseries

GameForLove

/

GameForSeduction

/

GameForAnything

TakeMeseries

LoveMe

/

TakeMe

Stand-aloneNovels

CandyStore

/

Ecstasy

/

OnePerfectNight

/

RedHotReunion

/

TemptMe,TasteMe,TouchMe

HotshotFirefighterseries

WildHeat

/

HotAsSin

/

NeverTooHot

ForAmazonUKpleaseusethefollowinglinks:

TheSullivanseries

TheLookofLove

/

FromThisMomentOn

/

Can’tHelpFallingInLove

/

IOnlyHaveEyesForYou

/

If

YouWereMine

/

LetMeBeTheOne

/

ComeALittleBitCloser

/

AlwaysOnMyMind

/TheWayYou

LookTonight(RafeSullivan’sStory,comingSummer2013)

BadBoysofFootballseries

GameForLove

/

GameForSeduction

TakeMeseries

LoveMe

/

TakeMe

Stand-alone

CandyStore

/

Ecstasy

/

OnePerfectNight

/

RedHotReunion

/

TemptMe,TasteMe,TouchMe

HotshotFirefighterseries

WildHeat

/

HotAsSin

/

NeverTooHot

ForAmazonCanadapleaseusethefollowinglinks:

TheSullivanseries

TheLookofLove

/

FromThisMomentOn

/

Can’tHelpFallingInLove

/

IOnlyHaveEyesForYou

/

If

YouWereMine

/

LetMeBeTheOne

/

ComeALittleBitCloser

/

AlwaysonMyMind

/TheWayYou

LookTonight(RafeSullivan’sStory,comingSummer2013)

BadBoysofFootballseries

GameForLove

/

GameForSeduction

/

GameforAnything

TakeMeseries

LoveMe

/

TakeMe

Stand-alone

CandyStore

/

Ecstasy

/

OnePerfectNight

/

RedHotReunion

/

TemptMe,TasteMe,TouchMe

HotshotFirefighterseries

WildHeat

/

HotAsSin

/

NeverTooHot

ForpaperbacktitlesatAmazonusethefollowinglinks:

The Sullivan series:

The Look of Love

(paperback coming May 28, 2013) /

From This Moment On

(paperbackcomingJune25,2013)/

Can’tHelpFallingInLove

(paperbackcomingJuly30,2013)/more

paperbackscomingsoon…

BadBoysofFootballseries

GameForLove

/

GameForAnything

/

GameForSeduction

TakeMeseries

LoveMe

Stand-alone

CandyStore

/

Ecstasy

/

RedHotReunion

/

TemptMe,TasteMe,TouchMe

HotshotFirefighterseries

WildHeat

/

HotAsSin

/

NeverTooHot

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

Havingsoldmorethan1.5millionbooks,NewYorkTimesandUSATodaybestsellingauthorBella

Andre’snovelshaveappearedonTop5listsatAmazon,Apple,Barnes&NobleandKobo.Aftersigning
a groundbreaking print-only deal with Harlequin MIRA, Bella’s Sullivan series will be released in
paperback in a major global English language launch in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia in
continuousback-to-backreleasesfromJune2013throughMarch2014.

Known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly), her

books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine ”Red Hot Reads” twice, have been translated into nine
languages, and her Sullivan books are already Top 20 bestsellers in Brazil. Winner of the Award of
Excellence,TheWashingtonPosthascalledher“OneofthetopdigitalwritersinAmerica”andshehas
been featured by NPR, USA Today, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and most recently in TIME
Magazine.ShehasgivenkeynotespeechesatpublishingconferencesfromCopenhagentoBerlintoSan
Francisco,includingastanding-room-onlykeynoteatBookExpoAmericain2012onherself-publishing
success.

If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or

laughing.Marriedwithtwochildren,BellasplitshertimebetweentheNorthernCaliforniawinecountry
anda100yearoldlogcabinintheAdirondacks.

Foracompletelistingofbooks,aswellasexcerptsandcontests,andtoconnectwithBella:

VisitBella’swebsiteat:

http://www.BellaAndre.com

FollowBellaontwitterat:

http://www.twitter.com/bellaandre

JoinBellaonfacebookat:

http://www.facebook.com/bellaandrefans

SignupforBella’snewsletterat:

http://eepurl.com/eXj22