| |
Tina
After a busy morning in the orchards, Tina left the crew to it. She was anxious to get to The Mill; her time with Doc had provided inspiration for a new project. But first, she took a detour toward the old outbuilding that had been converted into an office way before her time.
“Does your brother make all the decisions for the family business?”
Doc’s question kept rolling around in the back of her mind. It wasn’t so much the question itself as the way he’d said it. As if he knew something she didn’t.
That seemed unlikely. How would he?
Regardless, it continued to bother her until she felt compelled to do something about it.
Gunther was a creature of habit, and lately, one of those habits was taking a particularly long lunch. Tina didn’t know where he went, but if the rumors were to be believed, he wasn’t heading back to his house to spend time with Giselle.
She waited on the ridge until she saw Gunther drive away in his fancy car. She dawdled a few minutes more, just in case he doubled back for something.
Otto was walking the short distance from the office toward the warehouse. He looked up when she pulled into an empty space in front of the building.
“Hey, Otto.”
“Hi there, Peaches. How are you feeling?”
“Back to normal finally. Thanks for asking.”
“If you’re looking for Gunther, you just missed him.”
“Damn,” she said, hoping she sounded convincing. “I wanted to catch him before he left. He said he has some papers for me. Any idea when he’ll be back?”
“Didn’t say, but I imagine it’ll be around two, as usual. Anything I can help you with?”
“No, I don’t think so. Did everything get straightened out with your paycheck?”
Otto tapped the envelope sticking out of his shirt pocket. “Yep. Going to cash it right now, in fact.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it.”
“You have a good day now.”
“You, too.”
Tina went back to her truck and pulled out her phone. She waited until Otto was across the lot before she went inside. The outer area was kept unlocked, but it was the inner office where Tina was headed. She knocked first, and after receiving no answer, she tried the knob and found it locked.
After checking the window to ensure the coast was clear, she pulled out her set of rakes and hooks and picked the lock. Her skills were rusty, but thankfully, she hadn’t lost her touch.
Tina slipped into the office and closed the door behind her.
The place still smelled slightly of her grandfather’s pipe tobacco. Quilted flannels hung on pegs inside the door, most likely Rick’s or Kief’s. Gunther preferred his high-end designer outerwear. Framed photos of generations of stern-looking Obermachers hung on the walls along with images of the farm over the centuries.
She wasn’t sure what she was looking for exactly. The optimist in her hoped she found nothing to warrant her growing sense of concern, but intuition and experience suggested otherwise.
A quick scan of the desk revealed nothing useful. Purchase orders. Work schedules. A bunch of square notes impaled on a round wooden base with a nail-like spike, a relic from the days before Post-it Notes.
The filing cabinet gave up no clues either. While Gunther’s filing system left a lot to be desired, she found no evidence to suggest her suspicions were anything more than the product of an overactive imagination.
Her hand was on the door when an image of Otto reaching into his pocket flashed into her mind for no apparent reason. For the hell of it, Tina walked over to the jackets hanging on the wall and started going through the pockets. She found gloves, a half-empty pack of chew, some pocket money ... and a key.
It looked old and worn and familiar, as if she should know what it went to but the memory eluded her.
At the sound of the outer door opening, Tina shoved the key back into the pocket and quickly pulled out her phone.
Rick entered a moment later, his eyebrows pulling down hard when he spotted her. “Bert. What are you doing here?”
“I was just sending a group text,” she said, slipping her phone into her pocket. “Do you know if we got the results back on those soil samples yet?”
“We didn’t,” he said quickly. Too quickly. “Where’s Gunther?”
She frowned. She’d seen the manila envelope stamped with the university logo in the inbox beneath the latest seed catalogs. However, she couldn’t exactly say so without admitting that she’d been snooping.
“I don’t know. He wasn’t here when I got here. Are you sure about those results? They promised me I’d have them last week. I need those numbers to optimize the fertilizer ratio.”
“I’m sure.”
“Shit. All right. I guess I’ll call the lab directly. Thanks.”
“How’d you get in?”
She pretended to think about it. “Uh, I turned the knob and pushed?”
“Wasn’t it locked?”
“Sure it was,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest and cocking out her hip. “I waited until everyone left, and then I climbed up the drain pipe, squeezed my fat ass through the ventilation window, and mission-impossibled my way into the office. And then, I unlocked it from the inside to make it look as if it had been open the whole time. In retrospect, I suppose I shouldn’t have parked my truck right out front in plain sight. That’s a dead giveaway, huh?”
“Don’t be a smart-ass,” he rumbled.
“It’s who I am. Let me know when those numbers come in, will you?”
Without waiting for an answer, she turned to leave.
“Bert.”
“Yes?” she said with exaggerated patience.
“You need to get that windshield fixed.”
He didn’t ask what had happened, suggesting he already knew.
“I will. I’m still waiting for the auto insurance guy to call me back.”
“You need me to spot you some petty cash?”
If she didn’t know better, she might think Rick was trying to assuage a guilty conscience.
“No, thanks. I think you’ve done enough, don’t you?”
His eyes widened. “You don’t think I had anything to do with that, do you?”
“Well, you did threaten me. Something about”—she made air quotes with her fingers—“ ‘consequences’ if I kept going up to Sanctuary. Sound familiar?” She let that soak in for a moment and then continued, “Look, I know it wasn’t you who followed me and shot out my tire. But there’s no doubt in my mind that some of your friends did.”
He didn’t deny it, instead asking, “Why would they do that?”
It might have been retaliation for firing Eddie. Or maybe someone warning her off Sanctuary because if Bonnie knew what she’d been doing, everyone knew. Maybe it was both—retaliation and a warning.
It didn’t matter what message they had been trying to send. Eddie was never stepping foot in her orchards again, and she was now more determined than ever to continue her weekly trips to Sanctuary. If her pursuers had intended to intimidate her, their plan had backfired spectacularly.
To Rick, she replied, “You could probably answer that better than I can.”
His expression hardened. “You know, if you’d gotten off your goddamn high horse and just listened once in a while, none of this would have happened.”
“And if you got your head out of your ass and stopped listening to idiots, you’d realize how ridiculous you’re being right now.”
“I’m being ridiculous? I’m not the one cozying up to borderline psychopaths.”
She almost laughed. Compared to Rick’s temper tantrums and Eddie’s half-assed sabotage, the Sanctuary guys were models of rational, adult behavior.
“But they’re not the ones shooting at me now, are they? Tell me, Rick, who are the real psychos here?”
Rick’s jaw clenched, as did the hands curling into fists at his sides.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
“You can’t even see it, can you?” he asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “They’re luring you in, just like they lured in the others. Next thing you know, one of those guys will be hitting on you, if one of them hasn’t already.” He narrowed his eyes. “Have they?”
“How do you know I haven’t been the one hitting on one of them?”
“Don’t even joke about that.”
“Let’s face it, Rick. There aren’t many keepers in the Sumneyville pond.”
“Jesus, Bert.”
“I’m done here. Oh, and, Rick? Stay out of my business—unless you want me poking into yours. Or maybe I’ll just follow you to O’Malley’s one of these nights. That’s where you go, isn’t it?”
He ground his teeth and said nothing.
“What’s going on? And don’t even think of telling me nothing because I know better. Something has you vexed.”
“I told you. Nothing you need to worry about.”
“Bullshit. Obermacher Farms is as much mine as it is yours.”
“You sure about that? Because I’m not the one who went and created my own company now, am I?”
He was still pissed about that—clearly. And she still didn’t care. Now more than ever, she was convinced she’d made the right decision.
“If something’s going on, I need to know.”
“You just worry about your precious mill and leave running the farm to us. Anything else? I’ve got work to do.”
Tina glared at him. There was no point in arguing further, not when his back was already up. But if he thought she was going to stop trying to get answers, he had another thing coming.
On that note, Tina turned around and walked out of the office.
* * *
“I don’t want to wait until Sunday to see you again,” Tina told Doc over the phone later that night. It had only been three days, but they’d been three very long days. “I could really use one of your magical massages.”
“I could drive down and give you one.”
“Would you?”
“In a heartbeat. Sooner if those gateway sexual favors are still on the table.”
She laughed, taking great pleasure in the fact that he seemed every bit as anxious to see her as she was to see him. Plus, she couldn’t stop thinking about the time they’d spent in his trailer. Her body lit up at the thought of what they could do with her new prototype edible body butter and the box of condoms she’d picked up.
“What are you waiting for? Get down here.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The crappy mood that had been plaguing her instantly lifted. Doc had that effect on her.
Figuring she had a good thirty minutes before he arrived, she took a quick shower, ensured she was completely stubble-free, and then applied the cocoa, coconut, and orange butter to her skin. It soaked in almost instantly, leaving her skin soft, smooth, and delicious, if she did say so herself.
Doc made good time. She’d barely thrown on leggings and a brushed cotton tee when he knocked on the door.
He took one step inside her cottage, wrapped her in his arms, and told her she smelled fantastic.
“It’s a new product I’m working on, and you’re the inspiration.”
“I am?”
“I enjoyed our taste-testing so much that I decided organic body edibles were the way to go. I did some online research, and the stuff that’s available is all chemically—”
She didn’t get to finish that statement. The steamy kiss that followed made her especially glad she’d done the extra prep. Judging by the damp ends of his hair and the lingering scent of shaving cream on his skin, he’d done a bit himself.
“You taste as delicious as you smell.”
“That’s the idea.”
The gold flecks in his eyes flashed at her. “Ready for that massage?”
“So ready. But good manners require me to offer you food or a drink first. Do you want anything?”
“Just you.”
She grasped his hand and led him to her bedroom.
“What’s all this?” he asked, taking in the scented candles and the soft, barely audible ocean sounds coming from her white-noise machine. His eyes widened when his gaze landed on the open jars of body butter in various trial flavors and the foil packets beside them.
“I figured we might as well make it a full sensory experience.”
She’d barely gotten the words out before he was using his larger, stronger body to back her toward the bed. Then, suddenly, she was on her back, feet still on the floor, and he was over her, kissing her again.
She pushed her hands up under his shirt, needing the skin-to-skin contact. He stood up and shrugged off his flannel shirt, and just that quickly, he was leaning over her again. One arm suspended him above her, the other reached behind his head and tugged, removing the T-shirt in one smooth move.
Tina took a moment to observe and explore. Taut skin stretched over a toned, sculpted chest dusted with dark golden hair. She ran her fingers over his broad shoulders, along the ridges and dips, and then downward.
Doc sucked in a breath as she skimmed over his abs, reaching for the waistband of his jeans. He captured her hand before she could do anything more than unfasten them.
“Slow down.”
“Why?” The one-worded question sounded breathy and impatient.
When she’d imagined the evening, it had been with images of sensual touches and lots of exploring, pushing those self-control boundaries of his, and culminating in great sex. Suddenly, that didn’t seem nearly as much fun as taking the edge off quickly and leaving the leisurely exploration for later.
“Because I promised you a massage.”
“I don’t mind. I can wait.”
He chuckled softly, deftly stopped another attempt of hers to get into his pants, and straightened. His gaze dipped to her chest, where her nipples were pressing prominently against her shirt, bidding for attention. If the desire in his eyes was anything to go by, her impromptu decision to go braless had been a good one.
Dipping his head, he wrapped his mouth around one hardened peak through the material. He tongued and then bit lightly, eliciting a moan and a desperate need to tangle her hands in his hair.
He moved to the other and repeated the process. The warm, wet spots cooled quickly, making them even harder.
When he leaned back and admired his handiwork, his eyes were practically glowing.
“Beautiful. But this”—he fingered the collar of her top—“needs to go.”
She was totally on board with that plan and wasted no time in grabbing the bottom edge and lifting her shirt over her head. Once again, he chuckled at her enthusiasm and then sucked in a breath when her breasts were revealed.
In that moment, she learned another interesting fact about Doc—he was clearly a breast man.
He lavished the same attention on her without the cloth barrier between them. By the time he pulled away again, the area between her legs was as wet as her nipples.
“Too distracting,” he murmured more to himself than to her. Reaching behind her knees, he swung her legs onto the bed, then promptly rolled her onto her stomach and tugged at her leggings.
It all happened so quickly. One moment, she had been pulling his hair and arching her chest into his face. The next, she was facedown and naked. A delighted thrill ran through her.
Now, who was the impatient one?
“Fuck, Tina,” he said on an exhale, discovering that she’d gone commando down there, too.
He climbed up onto the bed and straddled the backs of her thighs, the denim of his jeans providing a soft friction against her freshly shaved skin. Then he leaned over and dipped two fingers into the jar.
The cocoa butter–based lotion melted against her skin with the heat of his hands, releasing the rich aromas of chocolate, coconut, and oranges as he applied just the perfect amount of pressure.
“My mouth is watering. This smells good enough to eat.”
“It is,” she said on a moan.
He started at her neck and worked his way slowly downward. By the time he got to her ass, she was limp, relaxed, and incredibly turned on.
He dipped his fingers in the jar again and slid them along her natural creases and crevices, and she was the one holding her breath. His finger glided down from her tailbone to the needy area at the juncture of her thighs and back up. It was hard to tell if the slick wetness was the melting body butter or her body’s natural lubricant.
He repeated the gliding strokes several more times, adding a finger dip and an artful swirl each time he reached her sex.
Then, it was two fingers.
Then three.
Tina moved her hips in a desperate bid for more, but instead of giving her what she wanted, he stopped entirely.
She was about to voice a complaint when the warm weight of his body pressed against her back—his warm, naked weight—and she felt something thicker and stiffer where his fingers had been.
“I wanted to make this last,” he grumbled against her ear in a low, sexy growl as his hips rolled, sliding his cock along the outside of her sex.
It felt wonderful, but it wasn’t enough.
She slid her hand beneath her body and touched her fingers to the sensitive bundle of nerves, desperate for some contact. When his cock touched her fingers, she included him in her self-stroking action, too.
In another smooth move, demonstrating his strength and mastery of basic leverage, she was on her back, staring up into his beautiful face and lust-filled eyes.
“Say yes or say no, but say something before I lose my fucking mind.”
“Yes. One hundred thousand times yes.”
His sheathed cock teased her entrance with agonizingly shallow strokes, each one going just a hairbreadth deeper than the last. Tina lifted her knees, opening herself to him, needing more.
But he was in no hurry, his thrusts slow and controlled as he lavished her with kisses and rolled her aching nipples between his lips and fingers.
“Doc. Please.”
He paused his kisses only long enough to gaze into her eyes, a hungry smile dancing over his lips. Had any man ever looked at her with such intensity? As if she belonged to him and him alone?
In that moment, she wanted nothing more.
Without breaking eye contact, he entwined his fingers with hers and raised her hands above her head. He began to push deeper but still not enough to satisfy the need building to a fever pitch inside her.
She stretched to accommodate him, greedy for more, until he filled her completely. He was so far inside her that it was impossible to tell where he left off and she began.
She’d never felt anything so good. She’d never felt so connected to another human being. It wasn’t just his body entering hers. It was him. And they fit together perfectly.
He began to move, slowly at first, drawing back his hips in a smooth glide. Her inner muscles squeezed around him, desperate to hang on, only to relax and welcome him back a second later.
She wrapped her legs around his hips and moved with him, matching his rhythm, curling her hips to take him even deeper with each thrust as they stared into each other’s eyes, saying everything without words.
His strokes became faster, more insistent, stealing her breath away and pushing her toward a peak the likes of which she’d never experienced.
Tina tried to prolong it—she really did—but her traitorous body obeyed only him, and before long, she was clamping down around him in the throes of a powerful orgasm. Just when she thought it couldn’t get any more intense, he pushed even further, and she felt the pulsing throb of his own climax deep within her.
Then, he pressed his lips to hers in their most intimate kiss yet.
“I’ll be right back,” he whispered and withdrew.
Her body protested the loss immediately. He was back a moment later with a warm washcloth, wiping gently between her legs and then pulling the covers up over both of them.
“You okay?” he asked softly, stroking her skin with the back of his hand.
“Perfect,” she murmured. “You?”
“Perfect,” he echoed. “Though I don’t think I’ll ever be able to smell chocolate without getting a hard-on again.”
* * *
“I should get going. It’s going to be dawn soon, and you need some sleep.” Doc nuzzled the sensitive spot near her ear. He didn’t sound any happier about it than she was.
“I was sleeping.” Quite soundly in fact.
“I know, but if I stay any longer, I’m going to have you again.”
Spooned as they were, she could feel the hard ridge of his cock tucked snugly in the gap at the apex of her thighs. With a slight lift and shift of her hips, he could be inside her. She was certainly wet enough. Something about having his bare skin pressed against her and his arm possessively cupping her breast kept her in a constant state of readiness.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
He kissed her shoulder and squeezed her hip, withdrawing only long enough to sheathe himself. She moaned in pleasure as he pushed into her again in a slow, deliciously snug glide. She pushed back, taking him even deeper.
“Fuck, Tina. I have no willpower when it comes to you.”
His words gave her a thrill. He slipped his arm under the knee of her upper leg and lifted, opening her and changing the angle of his thrusts. At first, his strokes were slow and deep, but they soon escalated to hard and fast until he took them both over the edge.
“Now, I really have to go,” he said regretfully, “or I won’t make it to the road while it’s still dark.”
“I know. Go.” She placed her hands around his face and kissed him. “I’ll call you later tonight.”
She stayed in bed, appreciating the bunch and play of his muscles as he got dressed. It was a nice view indeed. He had the lean build of a healthy, athletic guy who took care of himself and worked out regularly. That, combined with his intelligence, thoughtfulness, and generosity, made him pretty much her ideal man. She’d have to be careful. If he kept being so wonderful, she could easily see herself losing her heart.
“Take care of yourself today,” he commanded softly, and with one more quick kiss, he was gone.
Tina snuggled under the blankets and buried her face in the pillow, still warm and scented from the man who was quickly becoming an addiction. She didn’t have to get out of bed for a little while yet, and she was going to enjoy the quiet, happy moments while she could.
Her body was still thrumming with the aftereffects of her latest orgasm. Some parts were more tender than others, but she wasn’t complaining. The man knew a thing or two about pleasure points. She wondered vaguely if that was a natural talent or something he’d picked up in his medic training.
She allowed her eyes to drift shut, using tactile memory to recall the heat of his skin, the grip of those strong fingers, and the weight of his body atop hers. It was a nice place to be, suspended in between sleep and wakefulness and wrapped in such lovely thoughts.
She drifted deeper, and other happy, cozy memories rose up, too. The way her mother used to brush her hair. Her father lifting her up into the air to pick the plumpest, juiciest peaches. Accompanying her grandfather into the network of underground root cellars ...
Tina’s eyes popped open, and she sat up abruptly. She remembered where she’d seen the key in Rick’s jacket pocket.