In The Hay (Uninhibited in Apple Trail, Arkansas) (6 page)

Chapter Seven

The next morning Drew closed his phone and set it next to him on the table. “Looks like work is canceled for the day.”

He glanced out the glass door at the rain drenching the outside. It sucked. The small weather system had grown over night and had moved farther south than they originally called for. Canceled working days meant it would take longer to finish the job. But then again, his gaze lifted to
Lette’s
very nice ass as she watched toast in the oven, there was a significant benefit. His hands curled, remembering how her hair fell between his fingers last night as she’d slept. He still didn’t get it. Didn’t understand what she’d been after last night, but he’d enjoyed letting her take it, that was for damn sure.

There’d been something about it. An exploring innocence with each touch and look. But then, not quite. It was just
her
and how different she was from other women with her natural tackle-life mentality. He shook it off.

Clyde whined at the door and he glanced back to her. “Do you let him out during storms?”

She shrugged. “Either that or he’ll probably crap on the carpet or something and I don’t want to clean that up.”

“Good point.” He walked to the door. Clyde’s tail wagged and beat on the wall, sounding like a hammer pounding. Drew unlatched the door and opened it.

Clyde shot out the door and ran right for the middle of the yard. Drew slid the door closed and watched as the animal ran around, rolled, chased, and licked the air. Drew looked over his shoulder. “You sure he needed out?”

Lette
pulled the toast from the oven and set it out to cool. She joined him at the window and chuckled when she saw the dog playing in the mud. “Looks like he’s having fun to me.”

“Are you going to slip-n-slide today?”

She blinked and looked up at him. Her eyes were widened. Lips parted.

“You thought I forgot?”

“I didn’t know how much you were paying attention.”

He wrapped her in his arms and tugged her close. “I paid attention to every word you said. Do you have any plastic?”

She shook her head. “I guess I need a big tarp.”

Eh. She needed a long strip of plastic to make it good. “Painter’s plastic. What they lay down before a job. It comes in rolls.”

“Good idea.” Her eyes lit up and that was something else he most certainly remembered, how she seemed to beam at something that got her excited. “I’ll have to run out and get some after breakfast. I think I saw a hardware store on the square.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me. There’s not a name brand fast food restaurant for miles, but there's a hardware store.”

“I want some pineapple, too.” Her cheeks colored. “I’ll see if that little diner has some while I’m out.”

“Pineapple?”

A single shoulder, bare and so soft in her loose tank top, shrugged. “Something to snack on.”

“I thought peaches?”

And her cheeks glowed red as an apple instead. Eyes blinked wide and lips parted. In that hay field he’d heard her breath catching with every word he’d said. With a dark grin curling deep in his gut, he’d remember that for later, for when they weren’t waiting on a dog to take a shit.

Clyde finally squatted and did his business. He ran back to them and sat at the glass door. His tail wagged. His pink tongue dangled from the side of his mouth. After a couple seconds, he barked. Mud was caked to his belly. Water dripped from his curly fur.

Drew laughed. “I think he wants back in.”

She winced. “Not looking like that. We’ll have to bathe him.”

We’ll
? He ran a hand up her back, initially planning to reject the idea, but then thought better of it.
Lette
dripping wet. In that white shirt she had on. “Right after we eat. Then we’ll make a run for the plastic.”

She lay her head on his chest. “Do you think I’m crazy for wanting to do these things?”

Was she crazy? Lot of people would probably think so, but not him. She was fascinating in her not-exactly-wild adventures. He shook his head. “It's adorable.”

Somehow, she melted a little closer to his side and it was just right. Her curves fit along his. Her arms knew where and how to wrap around his waist and hold him. His hands hung perfectly to rest against the sway of her lower back. Something tightened in his chest, but it wasn’t painful. It was gentle and soft and cuddly. Like her head on his chest last night as she slept.

More than a little bit of him wished it’d rain tomorrow too. Hell, not just tomorrow, but bring on a monsoon until she left so he could have her all to himself. His gut twisted. His spine straightened without thought.

She looked up at him. Her deep, soulful eyes searched him. “Something the matter?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Getting hungry, I guess.”

“Oh.” She pulled out of his arms.

It was like ripping a band aid from his whole body as she moved away. Like an old band aid which had nearly become part of his skin and needed to come off.

She peeked inside the toaster oven again. Her ripe, round ass was up in the air. She wore those boxer shorts, but they were tight and hid little. “The cinnamon toast is ready.”

He dropped in a chair and refused to think about her body or her eyes. The way she kissed and the way when she looked at him, it was like locks tumbling and fitting in place.

Sonofabitch
. Not the locks tumbling in place thing. He’d heard about those locks clicking in from friends. They’d been excited. Then they got married. Half of them had kids.

Not Drew. He had too much left to prove and do before he could take time for locks. He shoved his plate away from him.

“Is it bad?” She looked from his plate to hers, and then up at him.

The food? No. Everything else? It was all rotting in hell bad. He needed air. Space and a moment to think and clear his head. He didn’t think these things about women. He just never had. Not once in his life had he looked in a woman’s eyes and been curious about the woman behind them. Hell, they were eyes. His only interest should be wondering how they’d dilate and roll back as she came. That was normal. And comfortable.

This was his curse for not giving back last night. Damn it, he’d never taken without pleasing in return and now he was being cursed for it. He needed to one up her to set the world back to rights. Get her to bed. Get her squirming. He needed to see her skin flush. Watch her eyes roll back. Taste her sweetness on his tongue. Remind him what they were all about.

He needed to feel her shaking arms in the aftermath reaching for him and pulling him down to her. Have her head on his shoulder in that perfect, comforting and relaxing way.

He shot up from his chair.

“Drew?” she called.

“I’m going to run into town real quick and get that plastic.”

“But I thought—”

“Might as well get it now. If not we’ll both have to shower and bathe after cleaning the dog just to go get some plastic and get dirty all over again.”

“Oh.” Her face fell, kicking his gut right along with it. “All right, then.”

“In this weather it might take me a little longer to get there.” Because he had to get out of this town and away from these crazy people affecting him like this.

Chapter Eight

Nicolette stood on her toes and looked out the window of the front door to see Drew pulling back up. About time. He was gone for nearly two hours. She could have run on foot to the hardware store three dozen times or more in the amount of time it’d taken him. He opened the door and ran with a black roll of plastic tucked under his arm. A grocery sack dangled from his hand. Rain sheeted down sideways and wasn’t looking to be letting up any time soon.

She opened the door and held it wide as he ran through. “I didn’t realize it would take you so long.”

“I ran into El Dorado to go to Wal-Mart.” He brushed a hand through his hair, sending droplets to fling out.

He dropped the roll of plastic and pulled his soaked shirt over his head. His chest was damp and glistening. Water dripped down his arms. And his belly. Dear God, his belly. That was all. Just,
mmhm
.
Until she followed the water path dripping and soaking in the front of his jeans. She all but fanned herself with a double
mmhm
.

He walked next to her, his hand fell on her lower back. “You changed clothes?”

She glanced at him. “I had to after bathing Clyde.”

“I thought we were going to do that together?”

“You were gone for two hours. I didn’t want to leave him outside that long. He was barking like crazy after you left.”

He looked down and around. “Where is he?”

“I just poured food out for him.”

“Ah. Let’s go outside then.” He bent and picked up the plastic. “Grab some soap and we can get right to it.”

She stared at the plastic, at him and rubbed at chills coating her arms. The whole time he’d been gone, she’d checked out the windows every few minutes. Constantly wondering where he’d gone, when he’d be back, how much time had passed since the last time she’d checked. It was not at all what they were supposed to be doing. After this week she was going to run home with only great memories, no regrets and hopefully no humiliation. And that was it. While waiting on him to come back, she’d been worried. And impatient. And stirrings of clinginess had come over her. She didn’t realize she’d gotten so attached and needed to tame that back ASAP. “I’ve already had a shower.”

A brow rose. “The
Lette
I met last night wouldn’t let that stop her.”

Lette
. God, she loved it when he called her that. It was freeing and adventurous. It sounded so dangerous compared to her debutant sounding name. A
Lette
would go out in the rain and strip nearly naked for a little fun with a hunky guy she barely knew. A
Lette
would be having sex with that guy twenty-four seven while thumbing her nose at any clingy thoughts.

He dropped the plastic again and closed in on her. “What’s bothering you?”

“Nothing.”

He frowned. “Are you tired? We can do this later. The rain might be gone, but we can hook up the water hose.”

She shook her head. “No. Not tired.”

“Hungry?” He bent and lifted the second sack she’d seen him running in with. “I picked up four pineapples.”

Oh, and then she went and melted a little bit. A smile touched her to the bottom of her toes as she peeked in the sack and saw nothing but green stalks and yellow prickly skin.

Drew leaned over, his voice down to a whisper. “You know, I could go for some pineapple. I know I said peaches, but I love the sticky juice. Would love it more licking it off the curve of your neck right here.” Then he kissed her on that sensitive bend of her shoulder.

Her eyes liked to have rolled back in her head as his lips and tongue moved over her skin. Forget all this relationship stuff. There was only one question in her mind: How long after eating pineapple would it take to get
down there
? At least half an hour or so, surely. It had to digest and get in her system and stuff.

Drew nipped her and she yelped, curving in a little closer to the chest she’d had the pleasure of kissing and licking last night. She should watch what was in his diet because he had tasted good. So good in fact, she could strip him now and got for another all over kissing expedition.

Drew straightened and stared down at her.” What do you say?”

She licked her lips. “Quick snack and then I’ll be ready to go outside.”

He tore open the plastic and pulled out the thick roll. “I’ll get this rolled out and let it start getting wet while you cut the pineapple. Meet me outside in a bit with the soap?”

She nodded and hurried toward the kitchen only to be stopped.

“And
Lette
?”

She glanced back.

His smile was intense, his eyes swept down her body. “Save me some of that pineapple.”

New energy floated through and she finished her trip to the kitchen where she cut and sliced as fast as she’d ever dared to handle a knife, snacking the whole time. Keeping an eye out through the back patio glass doors, Drew was outside in the sprinkling warm rain, standing at the top of the small hill in the back yard as he rolled the plastic down. He followed the clear plastic unwinding to the foot of the hill where he stopped. His back was to her and he bent over.

A hunk of pineapple fell out of her hand and hit the floor. Clyde gobbled it up and Nicolette was done. She saved the last of it as promised in a bowl to keep it away from Clyde who looked ready to lick the counter clean.

And if he did while she was outside—oh well. Because she was going to act like a seven year old in the next few minutes. It was going to be so worth it, because going down that plastic with Drew, with their bodies slick, was going to be anything but childish.

She swiped the soap bottle from the kitchen sink and darted toward the door. Clyde waited there, his tail wagged. “Oh, no you don’t. I already bathed you once.”

She put her hand to his head and started out, but stopped and reached over to pull the curtains. Dog or no, she wasn’t into an audience. “Go lay down.”

Clyde just stared at her and she slipped out. Why she bothered with trying to give him commands she didn’t know. He only listened to about twenty percent of them. Good thing the animal was cute and loveable because he wasn’t the smartest.

She glanced at the plastic stretched up the small incline of the backyard. Drew stood at the top of a long sheet of plastic. Her breath caught in her throat. The rain had plastered his jeans to his body.

He gestured at the makeshift slide. “Hose it down with the soap on your way up.”

She flicked the top off and squeezed, sending random streaks of yellow dish soap in squiggly lines all over until she reached the top. He grabbed the bottle from her hands and tossed it aside. He reached for her, but not for her hands. He grabbed her shirt and lifted. “Off.”

She didn’t hesitate but raised her arms and allowed him to strip her to her bra. The warm summer rain coated her and he pushed down the boxers she wore, leaving her in her panties. Before she could comment on his jeans, he laced his fingers through hers. “You ready?”

“I think so.” She stepped forward and started to sit but he tugged her up.

“Uh, uh. You
gotta
do this right.”

“There’s a wrong way to go down a slip-n-slide?”

He kissed her knuckles. “Yes ma’am, there is.”

He tugged her back a few steps and without giving her a second, tightened the grip on her hand, and took off running.

“Drew!”

But he didn’t listen.

Oh, God, she struggled to keep stride or be dragged along. The top of the plastic was only steps away. He wouldn’t do it. He wouldn’t hurl his body face down onto the hard ground and drag hers along. But he tugged and threw his hands forward—forcing hers with his.

He shot out, never letting go of her hand, never giving her the option to stop.

“Drew!” she screamed midair and smacked the ground. Air shot from her lungs, her face bounced off the plastic. There was no stopping. The soap coated her body in an instant and they flew down the slid, gaining speed. His body brushed alongside hers. His fingers squeezed hers. He laughed. Wind whipped over her face. They careened down. She was just starting to smile.

Until she noticed the end at the edge of the grass. There was no landing puddle or anything to stop them. Nothing but ground.

It was too late to do anything. They shot off the end of the tarp, the grass not as slick and they were like a couple of bowling balls hitting a rack of pins. Bodies and legs flipped and flopped and rolled. Grass raked her skin. Dirt flicked in her eyes and mouth.

Dear God, make it end.

Drew flopped over on top of her, smashing her into the ground. She finally rolled to a stop. Flat on her back. Staring at the cloudy sky. Rain peppered her raw and burning skin. Dirt was everywhere. Gritty in her teeth. Itchy in her eyes. Stuffy up her nose. The cut grass and fresh mud was scented so strong, she couldn’t even smell the usual masculine scent on Drew.

She gasped for air while trying not to drown on droplets filling her mouth. “I will never do that again.”

He rolled and leaned over. “Why not? It was fun.”

“Fun?” She sat up. “You nearly killed me! You might as well have picked me up at the top and chunked me down for the way you jumped us off there. And then we hit the grass and you
rolled
over me. You’re not exactly a light weight. My whole body feels like someone just took sandpaper to it. Why couldn’t you have just let me go down the way I wanted to?”

“
Lette
.” He trapped her arms by her side.

“
Lette
, nothing.” She bent her legs up, not caring how hysterical she was sounding. “Look at my knees, they’re bleeding!”

He lifted his arm and showed her his bleeding elbow. “That’s part of slip-n-sliding, honey.”

“This is not how people slip-n-slide.” She struggled for a breath. “Parents would not buy this for their kids.”

He shrugged and sat up on his knees. “Of course not. They buy that
whimpy
shit, don’t pour soap on it and they for damn sure don’t put it on a hill like that one.”

She blinked sand and dirt from her eyes for several seconds and finally managed to put a few words together. “And why couldn’t we have done that?”

“
Lette
.” He crawled over her and dropped his forehead to hers. “If a five year old thinks it’s the best thing ever, it’s boring as hell. Come on. Let’s do it again.”

She shook her head. Even he could never talk her into that again and she figured he could get her to do just about anything. “No way.”

His lips twitched. “You can sit at the top and I’ll give you a little push down.”

She shot backward in a crabwalk, out from under him. “Hell no. You’re not touching me at the top of that thing. Besides, it wasn’t just the going down. The landing was horrible too.”

He caught her by the ankle to stop her retreat. “Go to the top and I’ll catch you at the bottom.” He kissed the turn of her ankle. “I swear.”

Her eyes narrowed. No. She wasn’t going to be tricked into that nightmare again.

He got up and moved to stand on the plastic at the end in a football, waiting-for-the-play-to-start position. “Waiting on you. If you’re not too scared to go down the chicken way.”

She stood and dusted grass and mud from her raw thighs. “Stop calling me a chicken. I’m—”

“
Bock-bock-bock.
That’s all I’m hearing.”