Yes,she definitely needed a cold shower.
The weather only grew more suffocating as the day wore on, but there was little time to notice it as more and more visitors swarmed through the farm to pick their own berries and browse the shop’s ever-growing range of Sweetbriar produce. Since Dad’s ankle was still sore, he took care of customers at the entrance while Rae guided pickers around the fields, showing them which fruits were ripe and teaching some of the more curious children everything she knew about growing and harvesting. She was surprised how much of the knowledge returned, despite not having needed it in so long.
She was showing a trio of hungry teenagers to the farm shop when Struan arrived with his group of tourists in tow. Most of them were older than him, all of them pink as lobsters. He cast her a wave immediately, face shaded by a navy cap that shouldn’t have made her toes curl, but the sight of his honey-blond hair snaking around his jaw and of his jacket tied around his middle made her mouth run dry.
He’d been so kind to her last night. She wasn’t sure she’d deserved it – and yet he’d known exactly the right things to say and do, right down to the way he’d slathered butter across her toast while it was still hot enough to melt.
He was perfect. So perfect, it frightened her. He could pull the rug out from under her and watch her fall, or he could catch her, and she didn’t know which was worse. Which would be easier to tell Martha about when the time came?
She grabbed a pile of harvesting baskets for the hikers and made her way over, shins rubbing against her wellies. ‘Welcome to Sweetbriar! How has your tour been today?’
‘Hot,’ one man complained.
Struan took off his cap to fan his red face, wafting the fragrance of coconut sun lotion. ‘Aye, you can say that again.’
‘Well, feel free to relax. I’ll grab you all something cool to drink.’ She passed around the baskets and headed towards the house, not realising Struan had followed until she turned around, hoping to sneak another glance of him with his T-shirt pasted to his broad shoulders, only to find him inches away.
‘Looks like you’re getting the farm back on its feet after all.’
‘I wish it could have gotten back on its feet on a cooler day,’ she complained.
They dipped into the house, the corridor’s draught cloaking Rae’s sticky skin for one blissful second before they reached the kitchen. She was prepared for keeping the customers cool today, fridge filled with pitchers of water and Gran’s hand-made strawberry lemonade. She pulled out one of each, along with plenty of glasses to place on a serving tray.
Struan watched, lazing against the counter with bright eyes. His thumb trailed over the bridge of her nose. ‘You’re getting sunburn.’
‘I think most people are.’
‘You should be wearing a hat, at least.’
‘I lived in Australia for a year. I can survive.’
He glanced around before grazing his knuckle down her arm, drinking in her red and white gingham dress. ‘Do you have any idea what these skirts and sundresses of yours are doing to me?’ Her heart battered against her ribs when he lowered his hand to creep under the hem, which brushed the top of her knee. ‘When I’m in bed tonight, I’ll be thinking about this. About how easy it would have been to just—’
She pushed his hand away before it could slip between her legs, blushing. ‘Not now.’
‘Later, then?’ He grinned wickedly. ‘We could find some shade in the orchard, again. Take a wee dip in the river.’
Just the thought had her tingling, that pulse between her legs more intense somehow, with the heat clinging to her skin.
‘Or I could take you somewhere else,’ he continued, squeezing her hips gently as his mouth dipped to her neck. ‘Somewhere we can cool down together. Somewhere nobody will hear you moan.’
‘Do these lines usually work?’
He stopped, fixing her a playful glower. ‘What do you mean, “usually”? I can see your blush.’
‘That’s because it’s thirty degrees outside.’
‘Hm. So I wouldn’t find you wet, then, if I just…’ His fingers slipped against her underwear, a sharp gasp falling from her as he pressed the cotton between her folds. She should have been embarrassed when he chuckled, no doubt feeling the arousal spreading fast through the fabric, but all she could do was arch as a delicious spark roiled through her.‘You’re starting to become a little less convincing, sweetheart.’
She didn’t think before driving her palm into his groin, where his erection strained against the seam of his shorts. His lids fluttered, lips parting, and God, she loved how much he wanted her. How easy it was to prove it. With him she didn’t require all that experience she’d spent her entire adult life worrying about. She just needed to listen to her body, and his.
But first, she wanted to make him ache the way she currently did, so she drew away to take the tray. ‘Come on. We can’t keep your group waiting.’
She bit down on a laugh when his pained grumble followed her all the way out of the house.
21
Rae panted as Struan led her across the uneven dry mud towards his favourite place in the world. The dense foliage of the surrounding rowan trees and birches provided enough shelter that the early evening sun couldn’t quite reach them here – the only reason he’d dared lead her along this path at all – but it didn’t help the sweat dripping down his back, thankfully hidden by his backpack.
