He tore his mouth free from mine, his eyes almost black. He clutched the back of my head as he stared at my mouth, his chest heaving with exertion.

  I straightened up, rolling my hips before letting my head fall back.

  His hands dropped to my hips, holding me tighter against his shaft. I probably was rubbing him raw, but I couldn’t stop.

  “That’s it. Take what you need, baby.”

  I closed my eyes and moved against him. The music in the background had changed to a drum-heavy song with epic feminine vocals. I’d been so lost in him and and then before that, trying to recover. The music had faded to the background.

  But now there was nothing but the snowy day behind us and soft golden light above us. I instinctively moved to the beat of the song.

  He sat up, sliding his hands up my back to pull me forward. My breasts flattened into his chest and I had no choice but to wrap my arms around his shoulders for stability.

  Our teeth clashed as we tried to kiss, but we were too far gone for that. Instead, I pressed my face into his neck and wished for another condom. Wished he would slide inside me like he’d done before. Pushing all the turbulent emotions out of my body. Cramming me so full I couldn’t think.

  His name was a prayer as the soft glow of lights fractured. I closed my eyes and shuddered over him as his heart thundered in time with mine.

  As the thunder increased.

  He stilled against me, even as I sagged against him. Slowly, I came back down from another freight train-level orgasm, but the pounding wasn’t stopping.

  “Are we having an earthquake?”

  He laughed. “I’m pretty sure it’s more like a hurricane.”

  I frowned and rolled my forehead against his shoulder. “In a snowstorm? I’ve heard of thunder snow.”

  He wrapped his arm around my waist and lifted me free with a groan. “Fuck, you are so hot.”

  I shoved my hair out of my face. “What’s going on?” The thundering sound I thought I’d heard cleared into a forceful knock as my brain came back on line. “Is someone pounding on my door?”

  Gently, he set me on the bed and then he rose, grabbing his jeans before he flew out the door.

  “Hey!” I tightened the sheet around me and raced after him. “It’s my house, dammit.”

  He was already at the bottom of the stairs.

  “Don’t let Gary out,” I called after him. “Dammit.” I tripped over the queen-sized sheet about three stairs down. I gathered the flowing fabric, but it sagged around my boobs. I should probably go back upstairs, but it would take too much time to go get dressed.

  I heard two male voices as I hit the last stair. “Who is it?”

  Ransom stood on the porch, snow salting his dark hair. His eyebrows shot up as he caught sight of me.

  Clay spun around then tried to close the door on his friend. Gary was in his arms, trying to climb up his chest to his shoulder. “Would you go put clothes on?”

  “Too late. I already got a show,” Ransom called from the porch.

  I hiked the sheet up higher and flipped the longer end over my shoulder toga-style. “What does he want?”

  Clay strode over to me, dumped the cat in my arms then lifted me up by the elbows until my toes were off the floor. “You are almost naked.”

  “Well, what’s the emergency? It’s a little late now anyway. He’s already seen the goods.”

  Clay towered over me, his face impassive. “I’ll make him unsee them.”

  “Good luck.” Gary hissed and leaped out of my arms, streaking up the stairs. I struggled with the gray sheet.

  Clay glanced over his shoulder, then back to me. He lifted one end and spun me twice until I was sheathed from ankle to shoulder. Then he turned me around to face the stairs and slapped my ass. “Get fucking dressed.”

  I shot a look over my shoulder. “You said you didn’t have anywhere to be.”

  “Yeah, well, you were a better offer.”

  I flushed. I couldn’t argue with that part, but what right did he have to tell me what to do? Or to smack my ass.

  We weren’t going to discuss how I kinda hadn’t minded it.

  However, the chill from the snowstorm was snaking up through the sheet. I waddled to the stairs. “I’m only going because it’s cold. Not because you told me to.”

  “Rachel.” His voice was little more than a growl.

  I hopped up the step, then wiggled my way to turn around, hanging onto the banister so I didn’t pitch forward. “I’ll be right back. And we might have to revisit that butt stuff.” I huffed and turned back around. I bent down to get my ankles free enough so I could climb the steps.

  “That is not what butt stuff means,” he called after me.

  Gary was washing his face at the top of the stairs with one fluffy white paw. By the time I got to the top stair, the sheet was toast. I stepped out of it and bundled it into my arms as I rushed into my room. I grabbed the first sweatshirt and pair of yoga pants I got my hands on in my closet and shoved my feet in my bunny slippers. I noticed his thermal and plaid shirt and grabbed them before I hurried down the hall and headed back downstairs.

  Voices drifted up as I got closer.

  “You’re the one who turned off your phone. This would have ended in a text if you hadn’t been an asshole.”

  Clay sighed. “The off phone was your first clue that I was busy.”

  “Or dead,” Ransom shot back.

  I paused on the stairs. That seemed a little severe. Just what kind of friends were they that death was his first thought?

  “Don’t be dramatic.”

  “I can’t help it if the old man is sick. You can’t call off the party, man. Someone has to show at the…”

  I couldn’t make out the name, dammit.

  “If you didn’t notice, there’s like seven or eight inches of snow out there.”

  Gary zoomed down the stairs and leaped at one of his rattling toys. Traitorous cat. I stepped down to the last stair. Clay turned at the sound and spotted me. He frowned at my sweatshirt.

  I looked down. I hadn’t paid attention to what I’d put on. It proudly stated I was a Dean Girl.

  “Who’s Dean?”

  I snorted and rushed forward to shove his clothes at him. “Winchester?”

  His eyebrows snapped down as he caught them against his naked chest.

  “Dude, Supernatural. What? It’s an old sweatshirt. I like the bad boys.” I peered around him to Ransom. “How’s it going?”

  “Hey, Rach.”

  I grinned at him. “Pizza delivery, escort, what don’t you do?”

  Ransom crossed his arms and leaned against my counter. “Escort is a new one. I haven’t stuck that one on my resumé yet.”

  “Well, you’re here to take him with you, aren’t you?”

  Ransom closed his eyes and I swear he wanted to smile, but he didn’t.

  Rats.

  Clay came over to me and took my hands. “I thought I could get out of this business dinner party, but my grandfather can’t make it. If both of us are no shows, it would be…”

  I twisted my hands free. “No big deal. Work is work.” Another clue. What would his grandfather have to do with his work? Or a party. Hmm.

  I padded into the kitchen and Clay followed me. He pulled the still damp thermal over his head and tried to reach for me, but I was on a mission. Two over six feet tall dudes in my kitchen plus me made the room seem even more doll-sized. I squeezed by Ransom, who simply glared at me in his grumpy way. I beamed a smile up at him and opened the fridge. “Thirsty?”

  “We gotta go.” Ransom’s voice was clipped and no nonsense.

  I pulled out creamer then my canister of dark roast I’d ground this morning. “Want coffee for the road? Or…whatever you’re doing.”

  Clay frowned at me.

  It was only two in the afternoon. It felt much later since it was so overcast. That and I’d done more exercise in a few hours than I’d done in a month. Was sex exercise? I mean, it burned calories, but did they count?

  Maybe cardio.

  I filled my electric kettle, dumped in a few scoops, and set up my basket for my pour-over drip coffee. Being on my own for the last few months had given me more than enough time to get even more particular about my coffee.

  “Don’t you just have one of those Keurig things?”

  I gave Ransom a sideways glance. “You don’t get coffee.”

  Clay came up behind me. “I’m sorry I have to bail.”

  I turned on the kettle and turned around. God, he was close. The whole casual sex thing didn’t mean he should be all in my space afterward, did it?

  Or was that part of the deal?

  I’d never done a casual fling. I mean, it seemed like it could be cool. No strings, just hook up when we had the time.

  Clay glanced at Ransom. “Can you give us a second?”

  Ransom huffed out an annoyed breath and turned on his heel. “The coffee smells good though. Maybe we could have a to-go thing?”

  “Or something,” I muttered. I slipped away from Clay, but he caught my hand. “What?”

  “Is this gonna be weird?”

  “Not if you don’t make it weird. Coffee and sex doesn’t sound like a bad day, right?”

  He glanced over his shoulder at Ransom, who was crouched in front of the cat who was perched on the couch. They were having a staring contest, I was pretty sure. I shook my head and went back to my kettle, which was already boiling.

  I slowly poured the water over the coffee grounds in a circular motion.

  Clay came up behind me and put his hands on my hips. “That does smell amazing.” He rested his chin on top of my head for a moment before he stepped back, letting me go. “I should be back this weekend.”

  “Should?”

  Ugh. Asking questions didn’t fit a carefree fling, did it?

  I waited for the water to drip through then poured again. I didn’t turn around. I didn’t know what to do with my hands, so it was better if I kept them busy.

  “If my grandfather is out, I might have to pick up the slack.”

  I wanted to ask him what his grandfather did when it came to his company, but that was against the rules.

  Casual meant no real details.

  Not that it was exactly the best time to start grilling him about his work and family with Ransom practically vibrating near the door.

  I pulled the metal filter out and reached for a few to-go mugs in my cabinet, but of course I had them on the higher shelves because I used one specific mug for myself.

  “I’ll get it.” Clay crowded me into the counter, resting one hand on my thigh as he reached for the third shelf. His wandering hand slid around between my thighs. “I don’t want to go.”

  “I know.” I gripped the counter as he slid his hand higher, cupping me through the cotton. I hadn’t taken the time to put on underwear.

  He groaned against my hair. “I really don’t want to go.” His voice lowered. “I want to slide my hand down these stretchy, show everything pants and feel that slick, hot heat around me again.”

  I shut my eyes and rested my head against his chest. Cripes, I was pretty sure I was dripping just from him talking about it.

  “Next time I see you, we won’t be interrupted.”

  “And I’ll have two extra large boxes of condoms,” I said under my breath. I damn well impressed myself that my hand was steady as I poured coffee into both mugs.

  “Deal.” He kissed my neck and grabbed the mugs. “See you soon.”

  I wasn’t sure how long I held onto the counter after he left. Lucky for me, my cat reminded me he hadn’t been fed in forever.

  If forever was about four hours. And today, it sort of felt like it had been.

  Chapter 11

  Rachel

  Hump Day Minus the Hump

  I sat on a small seat tucked in the very back of the bus just below the cabinet I’d stolen from the donation pile. Aunt Laverne had remodeled the main house over the summer and had earmarked the salvageable cabinets for recycling.

  Then things had gotten busy in the orchard. Add in the end of wedding season, and well, all this bounty had been sitting under a tarp. Handily, it had been stored in the same garage the bus had originally been parked in. Beckett had gotten back more garage space when the brothers had hauled off what was left of the pieces after I picked over them.

  Hayes, another one of the Manning boys, had looted the remnants for his studio as well. It seemed as if the whole farm was getting some rehab.

  Justin, the youngest of the three, and all around handyman of Happy Acres, opened the back door of the bus. “Hey, the seat works.”

  I wiggled my butt on the bright red seat. “I feel like I’m sitting in one of those flight attendant seats.”

  “Exactly what I was going for. Jackie gave me the idea.”

  I assumed it was his flavor of the moment. Justin wasn’t exactly the most settled of my cousins. And he liked it that way.

  He reached for something outside of my eye-line. When he hefted it over his shoulder, I clapped with a screech. “You adjusted it!”

  He grinned, dimples digging in despite his scruffy face. “Easy to take wood away, Beans. Adding is the hard part. Now hop out so I can install this bad boy.”

  I slipped past him and stepped down. “It looks so great. You even stained it.”

  “Of course. I figured pine green matched the vibe.” He swept pine needles out of the bus with his foot.

  I rolled my eyes. No matter what I did, the pine needles invaded every corner. From the ground, to the floorboards, to my freaking hair by the time I went home. They were everywhere. But the deep green stain updated the dated cabinets, making them look sleek and modern.

  “Hand me the drill?”

  I spotted his toolbelt and unholstered the bright yellow drill.

  “Hey, Rach! You have a delivery,” Jim Townes called from the barn. He ran the tree farm with Clay.

  Actually, I’d figured he was the owner when I’d helped him and his wife with the marketing aspect of the business.

  Evidently, Clay was a much more hands-on silent partner than most. A twinge made my belly flip. I hadn’t thought of him today. Okay, not since lunch when he’d texted me.

  “You okay without me?” I asked my cousin.

  “Yeah, I got it.” Justin grunted as he pulled a miniature level out of his back pocket. “Go on, Beans. I got it.”

  I twisted my fingers. I was sure he’d put it in the right spot. I went on my toes and winced at the gap between the cocoa maker and the cabinet.

  He glanced down at me. “Go.”

  I huffed out a breath as I spun on my heel to meet the delivery truck. The driver had a hand truck stacked with all the things I’d ordered on Monday.

  “Hey.”

  “Miss Doyle?”

  “That’s me.”

  He held out an electronic unit with a stylus dangling on a cord.

  “Did you have a hard copy?”

  “Emailed to you as soon as we finish up. Paperless.”

  “Right.” I jammed my hands into my vest pockets as he finished up.

  “Thanks.” He set the machine on top of the stack. “We’ve got cups, chocolate mix in three flavors,” he tapped the bottom box, “and flavor shots in this one.”

  “Lids?”

  He went back to his machine. “Shoot. One sec.”

  I peeked in the top box as he went back to his truck. I’d ordered kid-sized and regular cups. I pulled the smaller sleeve out and unwrapped it enough to check that they were the ones I ordered. I grinned at the snowman, Rudolph, and elf faces. The adult cups were much like the Starbucks holiday cups without the logos. A festive ribbon illustration made up a Christmas tree.

  Simple and elegant.

  Next year I’d order cups with…

  If I was here next year, I’d order cups with Happy Acres Christmas Trees on it.

  Big if.

  I shoved the cups back into the box and rolled my neck. Making future plans wasn’t something I did.

  Especially in a place like this.

  It was temporary on every level.

  “Got ‘em.” He set a flatter box on top of my pile. “Where do you want them?”

  I pointed to the bus. “Right next to that, thanks.”

  “Sure.” He tipped his brown hat and toed off the brake on the cart.

  I followed, trying to put my head back on right.

  Justin hopped out of the bus and shook the guy’s hand. Small town often meant everyone knew each other. They made quick work of the boxes and I was pretty sure Justin had made plans to meet him for a beer.

  I smiled weakly at the guy as he passed me, waving at Justin. “Do you know everyone?”

  Justin shrugged. “Most people know me. We play on a darts team in town when snow doesn’t trap us inside.”

  I sighed. We’d been lucky so far with snow, but it was coming—and soon. I just hoped it held off until after we did the customer appreciation weekend.

  “How’s it looking?”

  “C’mon and look, Miss Fussy. You can tell me what I did wrong.”

  “It’s not that.”

  He looped his arm around my shoulders. “Beans, I’m messing with you.” He frowned at me. “How are you doing?”

  I shrugged his arm off and stepped onto the bus. “I’m fine.”

  “Like you’d tell me if you weren’t?”

  I stiffened. It was a fair question. I’d been pretty useless for the first few months I’d been back. I pasted a smile on my face. “I like keeping busy.”

  “Not too busy.” He tugged on my ponytail. “Now let me show you your awesome setup.”

  I nodded. “Yes. Show me.”

  “Top cabinets are deeper, so you can store bigger, lighter items like the cups. I made sure you could just slide them in like this.” The lips of the cup made a zipping noise as he pulled them out and opened the door. “I took out the lip so it would slide right in.”

  A minute later, I was fully stocked and I could actually reach everything, miracle of all miracles.

  “I saw you giving me that side-eye about the gap here.” He tucked his fingers in the gap. “It’s for cleaning and the heat of this bad boy.” He patted the cocoa stand. It looked much like a coffeemaker, but it was set up to handle milk products instead of water.