Here With Me

“You need to decide what you want and go for it.”

“I’m pretty sure I have decided.”

“Then maybe you should share that information with me.”

Her sudden feistiness melts my irritation. I don’t know how we went from being so close to bickering, but I’m ready to get us back on track.

“Come here.” She doesn’t move, so I lean forward and catch her by the waist, pulling her onto my lap in a straddle. “I said come here.”

“I’m mad at you.”

“No, you’re not.” My hands slide up her thighs, under that skirt to her soft ass. She exhales a little noise, and I kiss the side of her jaw, inhaling her scent of flowers and spice.

The heat between us is rising fast, and I look around. Lights are below us near the lake. I can’t take the chance of somebody walking up on us out here.

Moving my hands to her back, I clear my throat, refocusing my thoughts. “Leon’s been a bigger help than I expected.”

“So.” Her voice is pouty, and I kiss the side of her neck.

“So something’s happening tomorrow that hasn’t happened in a long time.”

“What?” She sits back to meet my eyes.

“We have the day off.”

Her eyebrows shoot up. “In the middle of harvest?”

“I know. I couldn’t believe it either. We busted our asses all week, we’re ahead of schedule. So I gave everybody the day off.”

“You can come to the nursing home tomorrow and help me!”

“That wasn’t what I was planning—”

“Please? I need you.” Her head tilts to the side. “Mr. Grady wants to do a pageant, and I’m trying to make it happen without costing any money. I need help digging boxes out of storage. We can spend the day together. It’ll be fun.”

“It doesn’t sound like fun.”

“Please, Sawyer.” She bats her eyes, and I lean my head against the cab.

“I spent the last six days hauling fifty-pound crates of peaches—”

“And you look so good doing it.” She leans forward, running her cold nose against my neck. “Maybe if I give you a nice back rub…”

I’m very aware of her hands on my waist, moving under my shirt, across my stomach, lower… “That’s not my back.”

“It’s not?” She leans up so our lips brush. “Maybe I can rub something else… Make another wish.”

Heat floods my pelvis, and I scoop her up to her feet, hopping over the side of the truck. “Come on. I’m taking you home.”

“What’s wrong with here?”

“Too many people around.”

Her hands are on my shoulders as I lower her to her feet, between me and the driver’s door. “But you’re staying with me tonight?”

Reaching up, I catch her cheeks in my hands and kiss her, pushing her full lips apart and sweeping my tongue inside to find hers. She exhales a little noise that registers straight below my belt. Why the fuck did I drive us so far?

She’s on her toes, holding us close. “You’re sleeping at my place.”