She’d never masturbated with anyone else in the room, but she closed her eyes now and pictured Paige sitting at the edge of the bed, asking if she wanted some help. Yes. She pulled the dildo out again and set the vibrating tip on her clit, holding it in place until she was writhing to have it inside again. She drove it in hard then, enjoying how her body clenched around it. The image of Paige holding the other end of the dildo flashed in her mind.

  She gulped down her surprise as her body responded to the fantasy. Fantasizing about someone she knew hadn’t happened before. She’d always pictured nameless, unidentifiable people. But when she pushed up her hips, not only could she see Paige, she could almost feel Paige’s hands on her. When she dropped back down, it was Paige pushing her to the mattress.

  She increased the speed of the strokes, the dildo sliding in and out of her slickness. As good as it felt, there was still no hint of a climax. Frustration got the better of her and she tossed the second dildo aside. Sometimes masturbating was like tickling—she simply couldn’t do it to herself. But tonight she wasn’t giving up. She needed to get off and it was all Paige’s fault.

  At her first OB-GYN appointment after the positive pregnancy test, her doctor had mentioned that sex was okay—as if she needed the reminder that she could get laid if only she could find someone. But her hormones were only lukewarm about the idea of sex that first month. Weeks passed and she’d gotten to the fire-hot stage of horniness she’d been told some women felt. She’d sent an email to the nurse helpline asking if toys were okay. Thankfully, she’d been given a green light. Still, her arousal had never been at this level.

  Impatiently, she grabbed the last dildo. As she coated the tip with lube, she wished Paige was the one doing it. Then when she poised the tip between her legs, knowing it was too big but wanting it anyway, she imagined Paige wearing it.

  She swallowed, pushed her hips forward, and let the dildo part her slit. The bulbed head met the rim of her vault and went no farther. She bounced her hips on the mattress, bucking as she tried to take it inside. The shaft wouldn’t budge. She pushed harder, wanting it more than ever. Her effort was rewarded with a centimeter of progress.

  “Fuck me.” She sighed, eyeing the burgundy dildo between her legs and wishing she didn’t have something that tempting in her house if it didn’t fit. It was like a gorgeous dress that would look amazing on someone else. She licked her finger and coated her folds with spit, rejuvenating the lube, then tried again. No luck. The length of the dildo stuck out of her like a popsicle she couldn’t have.

  “Come on.” She pushed again, felt her body strain, and then flopped back on her pillow. It was no use.

  If only she had help. She’d let Paige fuck her with anything at the moment. She pictured Paige’s hand guiding the dildo and her body opening up to take the length of it. She lifted her hips and pushed the base.

  It didn’t happen quickly, but under the steady pressure the resistance ebbed. She felt a delicious spasm as the bulb slipped past her rim. When she eased the shaft all the way inside, a warmth spread out from her center. A delicious calm filled her, and she gave up trying to fight back the fantasy of Paige fucking her.

  “You like that, don’t you?” She heard Paige’s husky voice in her head and her arousal shot up.

  God, yes. She tried to stroke the burgundy dildo, but her center was clenching too much around the shaft. The weight of it, the fullness, was what she wanted but she needed more still. She reached for the bullet vibe.

  As soon as she cozied the vibrator up to her clit, her hips jerked involuntarily. Her hand banged against the hunk of silicone wedged inside her and her vault clenched. It was almost painful but that turned her on all the more.

  “Oh, yeah.”

  She breathed out and started rhythmically pumping her hips. She pushed one palm against the base, and that was Paige, pushing it deeper into her. She felt it move another centimeter and her clit responded with a tremor.

  “Fuck.”

  Every part of her felt good and tingly. Like tinder about to blaze. She licked her lips, closed her eyes again, and Paige came right to mind. Paige, sitting astride her hips, gripping the dildo.

  “You want more?”

  She nodded her head. Sweat beaded on her brow and her breath came in pants but she increased the pace of her pumping hips. The promise of a climax rose inside her as one song melted into another. The vibrator played on like a backup singer to Mazzy Star’s smooth alto.

  “I’m so close,” she moaned.

  “I know you are,” Paige said.

  Her fantasy had taken over completely. It was Paige stroking the too-big dildo that was exactly right tonight. In and out, she stroked. Paige was pushing her almost too far, but she wanted it anyway.

  “Come for me.”

  Another stroke and the orgasm hit. She stiffened, her legs clenching hard on the dildo. The wave rolled through her, and she shivered despite the heat. A moment later she went limp. Aftershocks came, one following the other till she felt dizzy and weak, but all she could think of was Paige. Paige’s arms around her. Paige caressing her cheek. Then Paige kissing her lips.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Even after a full morning of barn calls, Paige was still replaying her non-date with Seren in her head. So much had felt so right. She’d thought they were on the same wavelength and really connecting up until the moment Seren had said she was glad they weren’t on a date. That had hit like a punch. Even if she understood Seren’s reasons and partly agreed, she’d gone to bed thinking of all the possible ways they could date without committing—which led to a very nice fantasy. But she’d woken up that morning wishing that Seren would change her mind and consider a relationship.

  When her phone rang in the middle of a pitstop for tacos, she hoped it’d be Seren and had to mask her disappointment answering Leslie’s call. “Hey.”

  “Ready for your good news?” Without waiting for a response, Leslie continued, “You know that property I mentioned last night? I got the owners to agree to a private showing. It’s a little smaller than what you’d said you were ideally hoping for, but I’m ninety percent sure you’ll like it anyway. And I think it’ll be in your budget.”

  “What’s the price?”

  “We haven’t decided on one yet. They wanted to meet you first.”

  Deciding on a price after meeting a buyer couldn’t be standard protocol. Did the “we” part mean that Leslie knew the sellers?

  “I’m sure you’ve got questions, but let me tell you the good parts first. Four-stall barn plus a storage shed. Two arenas. Three raised garden beds and a fruit tree orchard behind the house. Only five acres, but it’s all fenced. Want to hear about the house?”

  Probably she should care about the house, but a four-stall barn and five fenced acres was enough to make her ready to sign her life away to the bank. “How far from town are we talking?” If the property was anywhere near her budget, it’d likely be a long haul getting to work.

  “I clocked it when I was driving out there this morning. Nine miles.”

  “Wow. That’s perfect. You really think their price will be in my budget?” She’d shown Leslie her preapproval paperwork from the bank. No secrets with realtors.

  “I can’t guarantee anything yet. I’m hoping once they meet you, they’re going to want to make this work. It’s an emotional sale.”

  “What do you mean by emotional?” Maybe someone had died in the house? That might deter others, but it wasn’t a dealbreaker for her. Still, she could already imagine her mom going on about ghosts and séances.

  “Emotional might not be the best word. Complicated? The property is owned by an older couple—actually, Seren knows them. The mister wants to sell, but the missus has memory problems. Some days she understands and agrees that they need to move out, other days she’s sure it’s 1985 and everyone’s on their way over for Thanksgiving dinner.”

  Paige’s mind was still turning over the connection to Seren when her order number came over the loudspeaker. “Hold on a minute, Leslie.” She grabbed her tacos and headed outside. The sun shone on another perfectly clear Davis day. Not too hot, not too windy. Exactly how early spring always was, and in her mind, few places could compete. If she could find a ranch—even if it was smaller than the ten acres she’d hoped for—close enough to her mom and work, she was willing to do anything to get it.

  “Leslie, I’m not in a rush. If this couple needs more time to be ready to sell, I don’t mind.”

  “They don’t need more time. What they need is finessing. I talked to one of their adult children this morning. He’s in his sixties himself. All the siblings want the place sold and the parents moved to an assisted-living facility with memory care services for his mom. But he says his dad won’t leave unless he is sure the place will be taken care of. There’s a few animals that will be part of the deal.”

  “Animals I can handle.”

  “That’s why I want them to meet you. Any chance you’re free this evening?”

  After the barn calls that morning, a C-section on a bulldog when she was supposed to be eating her tacos, and an afternoon jam-packed with sick cats and dogs, she ought to be exhausted. But as soon as Leslie pulled up to the clinic and Paige realized Seren was in the passenger seat, she didn’t feel tired at all. She did, however, wish she’d had time to shower.

  Seren opened the front passenger door and smiled. “Nice scrubs.”

  “I didn’t have time to go home and change.” Paige glanced down at herself, guessing she’d find evidence of the last patient of her day—Saint Bernard hair got everywhere. Yep, she was hairy, all right. At least she’d changed out of her boots and coveralls after vaccinating the sheep.

  “No, I meant it. You look good in them.” Seren gestured to the front seat she’d vacated. “You get to sit up front. I’m only tagging along to visit with the Landrys. They’re old family friends.”

  “The Landrys are the family that own the property?”

  Seren nodded. “Mrs. Landry has dementia and Leslie thought it might be less stressful if I kept her company while you check out the place.”

  Leslie leaned across the car’s console. “We’ll explain more on the way. I told Seren this was her way of repaying you for fetching her wallet and phone last night.”

  “Oh, that was nothing.”

  Seren shook her head. “It wasn’t nothing. And thank you. It’s silly to worry about going even one night without a phone, but I probably wouldn’t have slept.”

  Seren’s sincere tone made it seem like a much bigger deal than it’d been. If she could make her happy that easy… Paige cut her train of thought short. Nothing could happen. “It’s not silly. You live alone and you weren’t feeling well. Totally reasonable to want a phone handy. I would have given you mine for the night if I hadn’t found yours.”

  Leslie cleared her throat. “Not to rush you two, but I promised the Landrys we’d be there by seven.”

  For the first five minutes of the drive, Leslie detailed what she knew about the property and the surrounding area. Paige tried to focus, fighting the impulse to climb into the back seat with Seren.

  “You’re going to love the barn. I don’t even like barns and I like this one. It’s old school. Red with white trim. Super cute. Did I mention there’s two arenas?”

  Paige nodded. When she turned to look out the window, she caught Seren’s profile in her peripheral vision. She was staring out at the passing view—plowed fields waiting for a first spring planting, more gold than brown as the sun leaned low on the horizon.

  Was Seren thinking about the scenery? Or only lost in thought? She’d said the Landrys had been family friends which likely meant a tie to her mother. Paige recalled how her face had clouded at only a brief mention of her mother’s passing. Hopefully this visit wouldn’t make her feel worse.

  “And there’s plenty of room for you to add on another barn if four stalls isn’t enough for what you need.”

  Leslie’s words pulled Paige’s attention back. Right. She was here to look at a potential property—not think about Seren.

  She glanced out the window again. The plowed fields had been replaced by fields of green alfalfa lining either side of the two-lane road. From the looks of it, the alfalfa was about ready for a first cut. The green wouldn’t last long. Still, it was a gorgeous sight.

  Not a bad view for driving home from work. She couldn’t get her hopes up yet, but she’d been doing exactly that since Leslie’s lunchtime call. All the open space they passed made her long even more for a spot to call her own. With five acres, she could finally get cows.

  Soon Leslie turned off the main road onto a gravel drive. Beyond the green fields, distant mountains made a blue ridge on the horizon. “This really isn’t too far from town.”

  “No, but this gravel road goes for a ways. And it could use a little TLC.”

  From the back seat, Seren spoke up. “I forgot how beautiful it is out here. I haven’t been here since I stopped taking piano lessons with Mrs. Landry.” She paused, seemingly thinking. “Feels like forever ago. And yet not.”

  Leslie slowed over a dip in the road. She was right. The road could use some TLC along with a fresh load of gravel.

  “When Seren mentioned the Landrys I couldn’t remember why the name sounded familiar.” Leslie glanced over her shoulder at Seren and smiled. “Mrs. Landry taught a garage band class that we both took in high school.”

  “Garage band? That was a class?”

  “Special elective,” Leslie said. “And super popular. Mrs. Landry was a hoot. I remember thinking she was an old lady then. Twenty years ago. Seren, how old do you think she is now?”

  “She’s probably in her nineties. Her and Mr. Landry celebrated their seventy-fifth wedding anniversary at my mom’s church a year ago. When my mom told me, I tried to do the math.” She laughed. “‘Old’ is what I came up with.”

  Leslie nodded. “And this house, Paige, looks about as old.”

  “I’m okay with an older place. As long as it comes with a barn.”

  “It’s all about the barn?” Leslie smiled. “I like having an easy client.” She slowed as the car lurched into a dip in the road. “And I’m hoping you weren’t looking for a pristine driveway either.”

  “This road used to be in better shape,” Seren said. “But I do remember the potholes even when I used to ride my bike out here.”

  “Do you still play piano?” Paige knew she should be thinking about the condition of the road and how much fresh gravel would cost. At the moment, though, she was more curious about Seren.

  “I can still knock out a few songs. But my heart was never really into being a concert pianist like my mom hoped. I wanted to be a rock star. So did Leslie.”

  “It’s true,” Leslie said. “Though Seren had all the talent.”

  “You had talent too. Along with terrible stage fright.”

  Leslie sighed. “Also true.” She glanced away from the road long enough to stick out her tongue at Seren. “Be careful what you tell my client. I know plenty of juicy secrets about you too. Remember the name of our first band?”

  “You two had a band together?”

  Leslie nodded. “I played the guitar and another friend of ours was the vocalist. Seren alternated between keyboard and drums.”

  “You play the drums?” Paige looked back at Seren. “That’s awesome.”

  “Used to play.” Seren shook her head in Leslie’s direction. “It’s been years now.”

  “She got recruited to play with the G Street Girls. She switched between keyboard and the drums.” Leslie glanced over her shoulder and asked Seren, “How long did you play with them?”

  Seren waved off the question, clearly not happy with the spotlight on her.

  “Anyway,” Leslie continued. “In high school she was a backup drummer for anyone touring through the Pubster.”

  “In high school?”

  Before Seren could confirm, Leslie said, “In case you couldn’t tell, Seren’s one of those cool kids who’s good at like a million things.”

  “You can stop talking about me now.” Seren made a face at Leslie, earning her a blow-kiss and a laugh.

  Paige pictured Seren behind a drum set. Seren with a pair of drumsticks banging out a rhythm was about the sexiest thing she could imagine. She had about a dozen questions she wanted to ask as follow-up but before she could, Leslie reached across her to point out a red barn.

  “There’s your barn. I’m guessing you’d like to check that out first?”

  The barn was even better than she’d hoped for—bigger than she’d imagined and in better condition. Plus, it came complete with an apple tree on one side and a white fenced-in corral. “Yes, please.”

  Seren hopped out first as soon as Leslie parked. “While you two check out the barn and everything, I’m going to go chat with Mrs. Landry.”

  Paige fought back a wave of disappointment. She wanted to see everything with Seren. And talk to her about her plans. Okay, dreams. The fact that Seren knew the family selling the property and wanted to come visit them made the “meant-to-be” feeling impossible to ignore.

  Chapter Seventeen

  After they’d toured the barn, complete with one old gray mare who Leslie thought was twenty-five but looked closer to thirty, and two black barn cats who were starved for chin scratches, Paige was ready to make an offer. Yes, every surface was in sore need of a fresh coat of paint. All of the fences needed repairing. And weeds had entirely taken over the arena. But each of the four stalls had separate paddocks and there was a turnout area in addition to a main riding arena. Plus, there was plenty of room for hay in the barn and rafter space for more storage in addition to a tool shed.