Chapter 2
2
L una couldn’t quite believe that she had blurted that out. Usually when people asked her about Michael, she had a really hard time talking about him or telling people that their marriage was over. Mostly, because she felt like a fool that she hadn’t seen the signs of him cheating on her or that they were so unhappy.
Admitting her marriage had ended was hard because she hated failure, but it had been several months since the divorce was finalized in April. It was getting easier to own up the fact that she wasn’t married any more.
Michael was not part of her equation.
This was her life now.
Though she didn’t know what she wanted right now, or where she was going after the summer, when she looked at Roan her body insisted she wanted him.
She glanced up at him, after she labelled the samples she’d taken from the feed bin, but his expression was unreadable. She only hoped he didn’t pity her. Boy, she was tired of the sympathetic looks, or people asking her why it all ended with Michael. He ran a hand through his dark brown hair.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, but didn’t ask for more information.
“Thanks,” she replied, relieved. “What’s in the past, is in the past.”
“Right.” He nodded.
They stood there in awkward silence, which was silly. They were no longer bumbling, gawky teenagers. They were over thirty. They were adults and they weren’t strangers.
And as she looked him over, head-to-toe, she felt things she hadn’t for a long, long time.
He’s probably married, a little voice inside her head reminded her.
How could he not be? A successful dairy farmer with such a big operation?
“How about you? Last I heard you were working in the salt mine. Now you have all this. This is impressive, Roan.”
“I worked hard. I’ve been saving for a while, but when my grandparents died, they left me enough for a downpayment on a place. I sold their home in town after I flipped it, then I found this operation. It was rundown, but I knew it would be something great.” Roan looked at the barns with pride, and she couldn’t blame him.
He’d built something here and it was incredibly hard these days for anyone to build a farming production like this. Especially in Ontario, where land prices were high.
“You should be proud. Did you finally settle down?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Are you asking if I have a wife?”
“Or a significant other. I had heard rumors.” Which is true, but she had been with Michael at the time, so it didn’t matter.
A slow smile spread across his face. His eyes twinkling. “No. There’s no one. I’m not saying I’ve been celibate, but my main focus has been building this, so there hasn’t been much time for romance. Cows come first.”
Heat flushed in her cheeks. “Right.”
She couldn’t believe Roan was still single. It was mind boggling. He was such a great guy.
“So we’re both single,” he said, huskily. “That is…interesting.”
It was the way he intoned the word interesting. Like there was a sinful promise in there and she wanted to be a part of that.
Badly.
“Except I’m your herd nutritionist,” she managed to say, hoping that her voice didn’t shake. “It’s business.”
Although there weren’t any explicit rules that stated she couldn’t date a client, it was a personal preference not to mix business with pleasure. Something she considered breaking right now, as her stomach was doing flips flops of excitement and she was resisting the urge to reach out and touch him, just like she used to do.
“For now,” he replied and then he tore his gaze away to look over at the field where his cows were grazing. “If it’s the feed…”
“I can assure you that Meadowland Milling will compensate you. Meadowland does not want to lose you as a client.”
“I hope to work closely with you, Luna. To solve this dilemma.”
“You can call me any time.”
Seriously. Any time.
Only she didn’t say that thought out loud, but she was thinking it. Her whole body was thinking it, being this close to him.
“I appreciate that. Would you like to see the herd? You also want to see my production log books. Right?”
She nodded, trying to shake all the naughty thoughts away. “Yes. Let’s do that.”
It would be good to get back to the task at hand and focus on the work. And not think about Roan’s strong hands on her.
“Follow me.” He turned away from his feed bin and headed to the paddock.
“Let me just put the samples in my truck,” she called out, and turned quickly, completely flustered. All she could think about was how hot he was. How he still turned her on. Was she really this hard up?
Well, yes, but still she wasn’t here for hanky-panky.
Even though it had been a long time since she had even panky.
She turned around the corner of a barn, trying to find a short cut. She glanced back at Roan, who was waiting at the pasture’s gate and then tripped over a rock, landing ass backwards into a pile of manure.
Are you fucking kidding me?
“Luna!” Roan shouted across the yard, running toward her. “Holy shit are you okay?”
She sat up and looked up at him. “Holy shit is exactly right.”
He grinned and chuckled softly. “I should’ve said something, that’s not a short cut to the main yard.”
“Agreed. I think I’ll have to get fresh samples.” The feed samples were buried deep in the steaming pile of poo and she wasn’t going to fish them back out.
He chuckled. “I think you need a shower first and I think you also need to wash your clothes.”
“What about the evening milking?”
“I have coveralls you can wear.” He squatted and held out his hand. “Come on. I’ll hose you off and then you can peel off your clothes before you head into my house.”
If she wasn’t covered in crap, the idea of Roan hosing her down, getting her wet and naked sounded like an interesting prospect indeed, but given the situation there was nothing sexy about her current predicament.
She grabbed his outstretched hand and he righted her, pulling her flush against him.
“I think we’ll both need a shower,” he remarked as he held her close.
Another rush of heat coursed through her. She wouldn’t mind sharing a shower with him. They could conserve water. Together.
Instead she swallowed the lump in her throat. “Yeah, we’re both a bit…”
“Dirty?” he teased, a smile playing on his lips.
“Yes,” she responded, softly.
“Come on.”
Roan didn’t let go of her hand as he led her away from the manure pile and around the proper way to the side of his yellow brick house.
“Stay here,” he ordered.
“Why?”
“I’m going to hose you off.”
“You’re serious?” she asked, stunned.
He grinned as he pulled out the hose and gave her a very chilly spray down that felt like icy needles boring into her sweaty skin and had her gasping for air.
“Jesus Christ, Roan!” She screeched.
“What?” he asked, feigning innocence.
“It’s fucking cold.”
“Yeah. It would be. It’s straight from the well, but it’ll be good for you. Detox you from all that chlorinated crap you’ve been drinking in Toronto.” He turned off the spray and she began to shiver. “Get out of those clothes and I’ll get you a blanket so you don’t give any of my farm hands a heart attack standing out behind my house naked.”
He toed off his boots, took off his socks and then peeled off his dirty overalls on his back porch. He was absolutely stark naked and her pulse began to thunder between her ears, as her hungry gaze roved over his muscle honed backside. He did not have a farmer’s tan; every inch of him was tanned. From his broad shoulders to his round ass that she wanted to slap.
“I’ll be right back,” he called over his shoulder, slipping into the house.
“Uh…kay,” she managed to get out. She was completely reacting to him and she couldn’t ever remember wanting someone so much. She loved being with Roan when they were younger, but this was something different.
Lust.
Like full blown hunger.
She’d read about it in books, seen it in the movies and on television, but didn’t really think it was real.
Now she knew.
It was real.
So real.
The best thing about this was she knew what it was like to be with Roan. Often she thought of those memories, of their last summer together and how he made her feel. She used to tell herself it was just nostalgia, but now she was wondering if it was something more and maybe she wasn’t just romanticizing the past.
Roan returned with a towel wrapped around his waist, one draped over his arm and a laundry basket. He handed her the towel and then dropped the basket in front of her. “To put your clothes in.”
“Thanks.” She really hoped her voice wasn’t shaking. It wasn’t because she was cold, it was because she was suddenly very nervous about this whole situation. She had to remind herself that nothing could happen between them. She was his herd nutritionist and this was all business.
Of course, it was hard to focus on that when she was slipping off her wet jeans and shirt and was standing out in the middle of his yard in her undies and bra. Roan was looking away, like a gentleman, but there was a part of her that didn’t want him to be a gentleman.
Not in this instance.
She wouldn’t mind sharing a shower with him. Her body heated with need and she wrapped the towel around herself quickly.
“You good?” he asked, his head still turned away.
“Good,” she answered.
He turned back around and his gaze slowly travelled over her.d A tingle of excitement went down her spine and her heart was racing. He tore his gaze away and then picked up the basket of dirty clothes.
“Follow me and you can use the shower. Warm yourself back up and I’ll get you something to wear.”
Luna didn’t say anything else. She just followed him inside and tried not to stare at the outline of his muscular ass in the towel. His mudroom was neat and tidy; there was a washer and dryer in the corner, a coat rack and a small freezer. She could see the steps down to the cellar were cement and she could only imagine that it was under the old part of the yellow brick house. There were a few steps up to a kitchen that was in the process of being renovated. The wallpaper was still a retro print of brown and gold daisies, which was a bit of a shock. Her grandmother used to have that very busy wall paper.
“It’s a work in progress,” he said, noticing that she was looking into his kitchen. “I work on renovating this house when I have a chance. Most of my time is with the animals.”
“Understandable.”
“Everyone stares at the wallpaper.” He smirked.
“It’s only because my grandmother had the same.”
“My grandma did too.”
“Right, she did. I forgot.”
He snorted. “You’re lucky. I think it’s permanently etched into my memories, probably why I haven’t pulled this down still. Nostalgia.”
“I block traumatic wallpaper,” she muttered playfully.
They stood there in his mud room, her heart racing as she clutched the now damp towel to her, knowing that he was naked under his towel and that all that separated the two of them was a couple thin pieces of fabric. Arousal unfurled deep in her belly and, for the first time in months, she wanted someone. It had been over a year since she had sex, and now she was hungry for physical touch and connection.
Roan rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, the bathroom is around the corner there. It has a shower.”
“You have a shower in your mudroom?” she asked.
He shrugged. “It makes the most sense as I’m often muddy coming in from the cows. It’s a simple shower, my bathroom off the master is modern and new.”
“Ah, I can see that making sense.” She laughed nervously looking down at her disheveled state.
“Have a nice hot shower and I’ll leave you some clothes outside the door.”
“You can just bring them into the bathroom.” And heat crept up into her cheeks as she said it.
His eyes widened, for a moment. “What?”
“We’re adults. We’ve seen each other naked. It’s okay if you come into the bathroom and leave me a change of clothes.”
“Okay,” he assented.
He didn’t say anything else. Instantly she regretted suggesting that. She quickly made her way into the bathroom and shut the door. Her stomach was twirling and she tried to catch her breath, trembling as she leaned up against the door.
Roan stood there in shock for a few moments, processing what Luna had just suggested to him. It was hard enough to do the gentlemanly thing and turn away when she was getting undressed, because he wanted to watch her. Seeing her again, it all came flooding back to him like no time had passed.
It made him hard just thinking about the fact that she was stripping off her clothes and now she was getting in his shower. He dumped the dirty clothes in the washing machine and preset it. He’d start it after she was finished with her shower and she could put her wet underwear and bra in there if she’d like.
Fire burned through his veins as he thought of what was underneath that pink cotton boy short she wore. It had been so long ago, but he could still remember how it felt to be buried deep inside her.
He pulled out a pair of coveralls from the closet, another clean dry towel and then headed to the bathroom door. He could hear the shower running and his cock twitched, knowing that she was under the water, naked, cleaning herself.
He knocked and then opened the unlocked door. There was a lot of steam and through the frosted glass of the shower door he could see her body, but it was blurred.
“It’s me,” he announced finding his voice. “Just leaving these coveralls on the vanity.”
“Thanks,” she responded and then the door slid open and his heart leapt up into his throat as she peeked her head around the corner of the shower door, her auburn hair loose over her creamy freckled shoulders. “Roan?”
“Yes?”
“There’s something wrong with the pressure, it just dropped off. Could you take a look?”
“Now?” he asked.
“If you could.”
Never in his whole life was he thankful for a finicky old shower tap as he was right now, but he still stood there a bit dumbstruck at what she was asking and why he was suddenly so nervous.
This was Luna.
The woman he never forgot and never could seem to move past.
Right now, he felt like that young man from over a decade ago when he took her in his arms the first time and made love to her.
He peered around the shower door and tried to keep his eyes averted, but it was so hard to. She was all curves and he was eye level with her pink nipples. Right now, all he wanted to do was run his tongue over her skin, push her up against the wall, taste every inch of her and thrust into her, never letting her go. He was getting harder by the second, being this close to Luna. Instead, he tried to focus on the problem with the shower tap, because she was right, the pressure was off.
“You just have to wiggle it,” he muttered, under his breath, as he reached down. As he did, the pressure returned and sprayed them both with water.
Luna let out a little cry of surprise and he fell forward, bracing himself with his arms. His towel slipped off of him. There was no hiding his arousal now. He righted himself and was standing under the spray of the shower. The hot water didn’t feel so hot, because looking at her naked in front of him was causing him to burn. She was against the far wall, her chest rising as she panted. Her green eyes sparkling with something in the dim light of the shower.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t…” he trailed off and couldn’t think of the words to say.
She took a step forward and placed her small hand on his chest. A pink flush crept up her neck. “I don’t think you have to say anything.”
“Don’t I?”
She shook her head and then pressed against him, kissing him lightly on the lips. Such a simple, soft kiss, but it completely fired his senses. Could he really give in to her? He meant what he said to her, that there hadn’t been anyone else that mattered.
No one had ever made him feel the way Luna had.
As much as he wanted to bury his dick inside her, he realized he didn’t have protection and there was no way he’d risk getting her pregnant. Kids were not part of his plan right now.
So no, he might not be able to do what he wanted to do to her right now or give into the raging instincts burning in his veins, but there were other things he could do. There were other ways he could pleasure her, because that’s all he ever wanted to do when he was with her. He wanted to bring her pleasure.
Always.
Make her come and make her forget anyone else existed, so that she only remembered him and yearned for him.
“Roan,” she whispered. “I want you…”
“I want you too, but not here.”
“Why?”
“No protection, and when I take you again I want it to be more than a quickie in the shower.” He kissed her to show her exactly how much he wanted her. As he slipped his tongue past her sweet lips, he let his hands trace lazily over her curves, before moving them back up to cup her supple breasts.
Her nipples hardened as he dragged his thumbs over their tight pink nubs. She sucked in a deep breath and he longed to drop to his knees and run his tongue over her pink peaks. His fingers trailed down her side, over her stomach and lower to the thin strip of hair between her legs.
Fuck. She was soft.
Luna wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck, her touch making him burn like it always did.
“I want to make you come,” he whispered, as he stroked her.
Her back arched and her nails dug into his shoulder as he touched her.
What he really wanted was to feel her come around his shaft, but that could wait.
For now.
She moaned against his ear, rigid as she clung to him. He could smell the sweet scent of her arousal, and leaned back to see the flush of blood blooming in her face and on her chest. And then she cried out, relaxing against him. He kissed her neck and shoulders, holding her close.
“I think there is something I can do for you,” she murmured.
“Hey, boss?”
Fuck. Figures.
She jumped back and he grabbed the towel that had fallen to the floor when he slipped. He wrapped it quickly around his waist and headed out of the bathroom. At least, with the surprise interruption, he wasn’t sporting wood and no one would know Luna was in here with him.
Harvey, one of his hired hands, was at the door. His eyes widened when he saw him. “Sorry, boss.”
“It’s okay,” Roan answered, tightly. “Just cleaning up after a mishap. What’s up?”
“The Meadowland feed office called for their nutritionist. You seen her?”
“Yeah, she was part of the…mishap. She’s upstairs cleaning up. She’ll be out shortly. Round up the herd for milking.”
“Sure thing.” Harvey left and he let out a sigh of relief running his fingers through his damp hair.
She peeked around the corner, a towel wrapped around her. “I better call my office.”
“There are coveralls on the vanity. You can call the mill from my office.”
She nodded and slipped back into the bathroom. He wished they could finish what they’d started but there was time for that.
Luna stated she was staying for the summer and he planned to convince her to stay forever. He let her go once, and he wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.