Chapter 27 #2
Mara tried to scowl at her brother, but she couldn’t manage it. She was too happy.
Seth kissed her hair. “We’ll wait until you arrive to watch that one.”
Ford popped a bottle of champagne and offered the two of them the first flutes.
On screen, her family held up their own beverages. Her dad held a champagne flute of his own while most of the others held a beer.
When everyone held a glass, Ford lifted his. “Congratulations. Seth, you’re almost good enough for my baby sister.”
Laughter surrounded them while Ford continued. “Welcome to the family, Babs. You two are perfect together. Whatever you need, you know we’ve got your back, the family here at the farm and the one on the screen. Congratulations.”
Mara leaned into Seth. Everyone held up their glasses while echoes of Congratulations filled the air.
They chatted for a few more minutes, and then her family signed off with congratulations and best wishes. Her dad was the last to leave. “Well done, Seth. You’ve got the best girl in the world. You take care of each other now. Love you both, talk soon.”
Blinking back happy tears, her dad signed off. Mara squeezed Seth again. “I can’t believe you did all this.”
He chuckled. “Anything for you. I knew they’d all get a kick out of it. They helped me choose the movie.”
She laughed. “You all know me so well. This was better than I could have imagined.”
“And it’s only going to get better from here.”
Seth couldn’t contain his grin throughout the rest of the movie. Mara snuggled close to his side, and he couldn’t stop touching her. His fiancée.
Not everyone would be up for such a public proposal, but he knew she wouldn’t think of it as public. Other than the incident with Anson back in New York, he knew she told her family everything. Despite the age range and the distance, they were an incredibly close family.
He kissed her hair as the singing festival happened on the screen. Throughout the movie, he recognized several songs as ones Mara sang or hummed while she worked. Edelweiss was a particular favorite of hers. When the captain sang it to the audience, he felt the poignancy deep down to his toes.
He chuckled as the nuns showed how they’d disabled the Nazi’s cars and breathed a sigh of relief when the family made it to the mountains unscathed. Von Trapps one, Nazis nothing. Just as it should be.
After the movie, they received another round of hugs from Nash, Olivia, Lawson, and Dani, who lived at the rear of the property.
They headed home, leaving most of the group at the farmhouse with more hugs and congratulations.
In the inn, Gray reset the alarm behind them. “Congratulations again. Remember, we have no guests in the morning, so no need to be up with the sun.”
His buddy’s eyes twinkled with fun as he and Amber hugged them again.
Finally, they were alone in their rooms. Fritter leapt from the chair to twine himself around their legs. Mara scooped him up, and Seth pulled them both into his arms.
Mara stroked the cat. “Guess what, Fritter? We’re engaged. See the gorgeous ring?”
Then she described the evening to the cat. Her obvious joy in how he’d set the scene had him grinning along.
Then she ruffled the cat’s head. “Now, you go find a place to snooze. I’m going to seduce my fiancé.”
The cat leapt and moved to the chair he preferred at night.
Seth ran his hands up and down Mara’s curves. “That sounds remarkably similar to my plan. Seducing my fiancée. I love you, Mara.”
Her hands came up to cup his face. Her eyes sparkled. “I love you, too, Seth. So much. Thanks for having my family be a part of tonight.”
He chuckled. “I figured you’d enjoy the whole plan.”
Her smile widened. “It was amazing. Perfect. They’ll be talking about it for years.”
Seth swooped her up into his arms. It might not be their wedding night, but he thought carrying her over the bedroom threshold on their engagement night set the right tone. He couldn’t wait to do it after their wedding. “How soon can I talk you into marrying me?”
She laughed and traced her fingers along his jaw. “As soon as we can arrange for my family to be here.”
That sounded perfect to him. “Now, let’s stop thinking about your family and get busy with the seduction part of the evening.”
An idea struck him, and he turned around, leaving their suite and closing the door behind him so Fritter wouldn’t escape.
Mara’s eyes widened. “Where are we going?”
Her hushed voice made him grin. “They’re on the third floor; we have the whole place to ourselves.”
“But—”
Her voice dropped away and her smile bloomed as he strode into the kitchen with her still in his arms. The moon was almost full and provided enough light.
Seth moved to the island and set her on top, then stood between her legs. “It was in the farmhouse kitchen when I first saw you, but even then I imagined stripping you bare and spreading you out on the island for my personal feast.”
Mara laughed. “You, Mr. Clean, were horrified by my sink full of dishes.”
He grinned and slipped her sweater over her head. “I was, but that didn’t stop me from fantasizing, Chaos Machine.”
“Tell me more.”
He eased her t-shirt over her head next. “I thought you were a looker with those deep eyes that held worry and hope at the same time.”
When he grazed his thumbs over her bra-covered nipples, she gasped and leaned into his touch.
“I figured sharing a kitchen with you would be a nightmare. I even thought that you’d be fired from any restaurant because you don’t clean up as you go.”
He replaced his fingers with his lips and sucked her breast into his mouth.
Her hands gripped the counter, and her voice trembled. “I thought you were going to be a nightmare control freak and that we’d never get along.”
He laughed and moved up to kiss her. He unsnapped her bra and eased it off. “And now?”
“I’ve learned to appreciate both sides of your personality. Mr. Clean is an amazing chef who takes care of his kitchen and the people around him.”
He kept his tongue busy on her breasts as his fingers worked on undoing her jeans.
“I couldn’t have imagined there was a Mr. Dirty side, though. At the moment, he’s my personal favorite.”
Seth chuckled and boosted her up so he could slide her jeans and panties to the floor. He leaned back to study her. “Beautiful. You’re so damn beautiful, Chaos Machine. Even better than my fantasy that day. Now, lean back on those elbows for me. I’ve got some work to do down here.”
She complied, smiling at him. “You need to lose a few layers of clothing, Mr. Dirty.”
“Soon, Chaos. But let’s take care of fantasy number one first.”
She laughed, eyes sparkling. “I seem to remember a mention of me wearing an apron.”
He groaned, thinking of her working at the sink with nothing beneath her apron. “Number Two. Let’s make that fantasy number two.”
He yanked over a stool and sat down. He was going to need to save his leg if they were taking care of several kitchen fantasies tonight.
When he swiped his tongue over her core, Mara gasped his name.
“Hang on, Mara. We’re just getting started.”
She laughed. “We’re going to have the best life, Seth.”
She was right.
Bonus Scene
Wyatt Foisy
Wyatt tossed the snips onto the table and raised his arms to stretch his back. Bending over worktables and splicing plants required frequent breaks.
Maybe a permanent one.
He looked around the lab. Sterile. Even filled with dozens of plant varieties, it felt sterile. The cleanliness part was good. The lack of soul sucked.
He’d taken the job working at the lab when he’d left the army. Cancer had taken his dad while Wyatt had been deployed. Instead of re-upping for another tour, he’d taken the honorable discharge and moved back to San Antonio to help out his mom.
His parents had been renowned botanists who hadn’t planned on a child. They were in their forties when Wyatt had shown up. They’d done their best by him, had loved him the best way they could, but working with plants had been their first love.
Which was why he was sitting in the sterile lab his parents had loved with people he didn’t know well. He’d taken the job to be close to his mom, but she’d been gone for months now, while he continued to get through the days on autopilot.
Wyatt enjoyed playing with the plants, combining them to create something new and different, helping Mother Nature mutate species that would help humans while making the planet healthier and more beautiful.
But he didn’t want to do it here anymore.
He had no family left. No connections.
His last relationship had ended with a bang when his girlfriend banged a former so-called friend.
The army had trained the impulsiveness out of him, but today, it surged to the forefront.
Wyatt exited the lab and shucked his lab coat and goggles. Then he gathered his things from his locker and shoved them in his army duffel bag.
A quick trip to Human Resources later, he stepped into the parking lot a free man.
The blazing heat tried to melt him in place, but he was made of sterner stuff.
Maybe it was time to be made of less sterner stuff. Find a place that wasn’t trying to melt him all the time.
Where?
Refusing to give in to the mild panic at being jobless, Wyatt drove to his tiny apartment. Years in the army had taught him that stuff was transitory. He didn’t need much, and it wouldn’t take long to pack.
Now, he had to figure out what he wanted to do next. And where the hell did he want to do it?