All romantic tension forgotten, wedding planner panic took over. Murmuring an apology to Hayes, I untangled my mind from his spell, spinning on my heels and rushing to my sister.
Breathlessly, I asked, “Josie did you look underneath the tablecloth? I always keep the cake-cutting knife hidden underneath the cake table. You know that.”
My little sister rolled her eyes at me. “No kidding, Louie. This isn’t my first rodeo. I checked—it wasn’t there! You must have forgotten it!”
My eyes darted around the room, frantically searching for the clear plastic box marked, ‘Cake Server.’ The crowd had gathered around the table, making bets on whether the happy couple would smash cake into one another’s faces. The bride and groom linked arms and were heading for their cake. In a matter of seconds, they would be standing at the cake table, the bride’s family heirloom silver-plated cutter missing.
Where had I put it? I never forget to put the cake cutter under the table. Never.
There was a tap on my shoulder. “Looking for this?” I turned to find Hayes, holding the plastic bin in his hands.
“Thanks. Hold it for me?” I sighed with relief. Hayes held the box, watching me curiously as I carefully opened the lid. Removing the white glove from within, I slipped it onto my right hand. I reverently lifted the shiny knife and server from the box. I hurried over to the table, discreetly depositing the items on the tiny X marks of tape and shuffled back into the shadows by Hayes. I quickly took off the glove and placed it back into the box. Hayes replaced the lid, murmuring, “Talk about attention to detail.”
I smiled as my eyes trained on the happy couple. They held their hands together around the handle of the knife just the way I had shown them last week during my three-hour mandatory ‘Bride and Groom Bootcamp.’ I always held it the week before the ceremony to be sure they knew what would be expected of them on their big day. I also always requested Memaw fix them fried chicken for lunch, so they never minded.
“How’d you find the box?” I whispered.
“A magician never reveals his secrets.” There was a twinkle in his eyes as he said, “Also... you left it in the office. I saw it in there just before the wedding, but I assumed you knew it was there. You never seem to forget anything.”
Had I left it in the office? I meant to move it to the hall after I had finished decorating the barn but seeing Hayes for the first time after he kissed me had thrown me into a tizzy. In my flustered state, I had forgotten all about going to the office to get it and take it with me to the Mess Hall.
Hayes was right—I never forgot anything. This would never do. We had narrowly missed an absolute wedding disaster. A bleak spot on my career. What on Earth would have happened had Hayes not come out with the cake knife when he did? My stomach roiled at the thought of Josie running toward the couple, messy bun bobbing, yelling, “Here, use this!” and handing the bride a plastic butter knife. I shuddered. This would never do.
I was first and foremost, a professional wedding planner. And I could not let one fine-ass cowboy distract me into making mistakes.
“Hayes—we need to talk,” I whispered beside me. His arm pressed against mine as we stood next to one another, watching the bride feed a dainty bite of cake to her groom. The heat from his body radiated into me, once again clouding my thoughts.
“What about?” he asked quietly.
Clearing my throat, I took a deep breath, preparing my speech and trying to ignore that delicious clean man smell emanating from him. “I pride myself in my work. And though last night was lovely, you’re my boss now... things between us are...” What word could I use to describe that band of tension that ran between us and had me forgetting cake knives and wearing soaked panties all day? Things are... sexy between us? Smoldering, delicious, panty melting?
But it needed to come to an end. I just wasn’t a baby girl kind of girl. It wasn’t in me. And as much as I was attracted to Hayes, it wasn’t fair to lead him on.
I took a deep breath. “Things between us are... weird. We need to maintain a professional demeanor if we are going to work with one another. What happened last night... can’t happen again. Also, things like close, slow dances are off limits. As well as inappropriate jokes,” I added.
His brow furrowed. “What joke?”
Giving an exasperated sigh, I said, “You know. The joke you made in the barn... the marriage proposal—”
Hayes turned to fully face me, his hand suddenly on my waist. His gaze locked on mine. I held my breath as he said, “It wasn’t a joke.”
A buzzing filled my ears and my heart seemed to stop beating. White heat covered my face. A cheer went up from the crowd as the couple kissed.
The features of his face were etched in stone. The color of his eyes seemed to darken as he stared into mine. “I’m serious, Louanne. I’m in love with you. I have been for some time now—over ten years to be exact. Ever since that night of stargazing in the bed of my truck.” My breath caught in my throat. Wordlessly I stood, staring up at him
His hands went to either side of my face. My cheeks tingled as his fingers wound their way into my hair. “Regardless of what happened between us last night, I’d marry you today if you’d let me.”
Wordlessly I stood, staring up at him. He wrapped his arms around me as his face moved toward mine. My eyes closed. His lips were on mine, pressing against me. Time stood still for a moment and I allowed myself to return his kiss. A slow melting inched over my body as he held me, our lips joined. All thoughts of maintaining a professional, working relationship were forgotten.
He pulled away. His dusky gaze held mine. A smile spread across his face. “You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted you.”
Fear be gone and taboo baby girl/daddy concerns be damned. It was time for Luna the moon goddess to replace good girl Louanne and be the woman who took what she wanted. And, I wanted Hayes.
“Me, too,” I whispered.
Where did we go from here?
* * *
“Get it together or forget it forever, Louanne,” I demanded to my reflection. I had been messing with my hair for the past twenty minutes—which was utterly pointless as it was pin straight. I longed for volume, curls, anything other than... ordinary, which was what I had. At least the light brown had no gray—yet—and the bangs Beezus had cut in to frame my face looked pretty, but still, I longed for the beachy waves Bridgette got from just a few minutes with her magic hair iron. I had already spent ten minutes longer than usual dabbing concealer under my eyes and lengthening my lashes with mascara. It was nearing early summer, so my skin had a touch of color from the ranch sun. I pinched my cheeks, staring unhappily at my reflection.
What was wrong with me today? Scratch that—I knew exactly what was wrong with me today. Hayes had declared his love for me. And we hadn’t yet seen one another since his confession.
After our second kiss last night, he got called away by Travis to lend an extra hand. A cow was birthing and his usual assistant, Georgia, was under the weather. Casting me a glance over his shoulder, Hayes left with Travis.
Josie and I, along with the staff, cleaned up as much as we could. I dried every dish by hand, wanting to stick around and talk to Hayes after the kiss, but Josie was growing impatient and we had ridden to the ranch together.
On the drive home, Josie asked me more than once why my head was in the clouds, and why I had ‘that weird look on my face.’ I tried to make small talk about how pretty the bride was, or how did she think the food went over, but I was gone.
I dropped her off at my mom’s house, then made my way to my cozy cottage. Pulling up to the little white house, I took a deep sigh.
The porch steps were dotted with potted flowers. The handmade wreath I had made last week hung on my bright blue door. The porch light shined, welcoming me home.
I went in, locking the door behind me. After showering, I laid in bed a long time, remembering the kiss and the way Hayes’ body had felt pressed against mine. His words lingered in
my mind: I’m in love with you. Lying on my bed had me even more wrangled up. My hair still smelled like him.
Eventually I fell asleep. My morning alarm had woken me up, puffy-eyed and messy-haired. Try as I might, I couldn’t get myself looking good enough to suit me. Because, I knew I would be seeing Hayes.
It was as if the world now spun in a different direction. I had known him almost all my life. My time spent on the ranch with him had grown and changed over time, but now, it was completely different.
Hayes had declared his love for me. And he had kissed me where other people could see. Staking his claim.
But could I be a baby girl?
I had always been a little intimidated by the devotion the Jenkins men gave their women. Yes, it was thrilling to watch. And I was envious of the protective way they doted on their girls. But I was also terrified by their dominant nature. I was an independent woman who liked to do things her own way and did not answer to a man.
But hidden deep inside me was a very strong urge to cuddle up on Hayes’ lap and call him... Daddy.
I was so utterly, impossibly confused. Huffing a sigh, I gave myself one last long look. “Give it up, girl. It’s time to go.” I pulled on my worn cowgirl boots, smoothing my long skirt over top, grabbed a light jacket, and headed out the door.
The drive back to the ranch was surreal. I watched the sunrise over the hood of my little white Jetta, winding up the curving road to the ranch. As I drove, I talked to myself. “Louanne, you need to tell him that even though you may have feelings for one another, you’ve worked too hard for this job and you want to maintain a professional working relationship. Or... just tell him that you think you might love him, you want to make him your daddy and rip his clothes off and jump on top of what has to be a magnificent cock.”
I parked the car and allowed myself one bang of my forehead on my leather-wrapped steering wheel. I took the last sip of my French vanilla creamer with a dash of coffee. Then, I got out to face the day.
The heels of my boots crunched over the gravel as I made my way to the office behind the Mess Hall. Mumbling to myself as I went... remain professional... declare your undying love... keep your job... have his babies. I put my key in the lock and turned it. The door easily opened without the usual jiggle I had to do—either the lock was acting up again, or someone else had already unlocked it.
I opened the door to reveal Hayes, seated at my desk.
His face brought back the memory of the kiss. His declaration of love for me. The spanking, the kiss, the dance, the... the word daddy whispered in my mind. Clearing my throat, I tried to assemble a cool composure. Overly conscious of my body, and how it may look to him, I walked over to the desk.
Hayes stood, stepping out from behind the desk and moving toward me.
“Hayes—” I started, ready to repeat the monologue I had crafted on the drive to the ranch. He took one last step, closing the distance between us. His hands went to either side of my face, cupping my cheeks. His eyes closed, and his mouth was on mine.
All words were erased from my mind. My knees went weak, my head lolling back. My lips parted, letting his tongue slip inside my mouth, exploring. His hands went to my jacket, undoing each button slowly. I shrugged out of the coat; it fell to the floor with a soft whoosh.
My arms wrapped around his neck, my hands running through his soft, short hair. He grasped my waist, squeezing my hips. Leaning up on tiptoe, I pressed into him. My breasts felt heavy, my nipples straining against my bra. He moved from my hips, caressing my back. One hand snaked forward, taking my aching breast into his hand. He cupped and squeezed, gently. My nipples further hardened. A soft moan escaped my mouth as we kissed.
Hayes’ hands returned to my waist. They circled me, lifting me. I giggled as he turned me around, setting me up on the desk like a doll. I sat on the edge of the desk, my legs parting as his thighs pressed between them. His hands went to the back of my neck, tangling in my hair. Tingles ran from my neck down my spine. His mouth found mine once again. He kissed me hungrily. My core melted. My pussy clenched. My panties were wet.
The smell of my arousal from underneath my skirt reached me as his hands went to my bare knees. My breath caught in my throat. Goosebumps rose on my skin as he made his way up my thighs. Then, his hand found my pussy. Over my damp panties, he ran two of his fingers, pressed together. Up and down over my panties, stroking my clit. I shivered, my knees trembling.
His other hand went to my lower back, pressing me further in toward him as his fingers moved quicker. Breaking away from his kiss, I turned my head to the side, letting a moan escape my lips. His mouth went to my neck, licking and biting. His fingers found their way underneath the elastic waist of my panties. Exploring through the tendrils of my curls, his fingers dipped within me, collecting my juices. His slick fingertip found my clit once more, rubbing and stroking.
My hips gyrated, my ass pressing into the wood desktop. I grabbed the back of his head, pulling him in toward me. My mouth was on his. My tongue darted between his lips, the craving and passion in his kiss deepening with each stroke of his expert hand. My pussy tightened and clenched.
His fingers slipped from within me and went to the waistband of my panties.
I froze.
I pressed the palms of my hand into his chest. I pulled my head back away from him. “Hayes. I—”
His eyes focused on mine. “Luna—I’m sorry.” His hands found their way out from under my skirt. Embarrassed, I looked down at my lap, smoothing the material. I waited for him to speak again. “I got a little carried away. I shouldn’t have...” He trailed off.
Kissed me? Sat me on the desk? Fingered me? Tried to take off my panties? What could he say... I had wanted him to do all that he did and more. But things were moving too fast. In one night, Hayes had gone from childhood crush to almost lover. And I was still the good girl. And as much as I wanted to sleep with him, I didn’t want the first time to be a wham, bam, thank you ma’am on my desktop.
My eyes locked on his. I cleared my throat and said, “Hayes. I need to slow down.” A whoosh left my lungs. I read his face for a reaction.
His brows sprang up in surprise, his eyes widening. Before he could begin the long apology I knew was coming, I hopped down from the desk. “I don’t want you to apologize for anything that happened. It was my decision too. I just need some time to sort out my emotions.”
Closing his mouth, he gave a nod. “I respect that.”
“I’m sorry, I just... it’s a lot happening really quickly and—”
“Take all the time you need. You, Louanne Dixon, are worth the wait. Every second of it, baby girl.”
Shivers ran through me at his gentle words. I had no idea what to say.
The ringing of my phone startled me. I used the opportunity to compose myself, picking up the receiver and saying a cheerful, “Louanne Dixon, event planner.” Hayes gave me a long look, a tight grin, then left my office.
The door shut quietly behind him. I let out an enormous exhale of breath and plopped down in my chair. Trying to focus on the client’s concerns, I half listened, my mind in a dream-like state. A smile slowly spread across my face. I had a feeling my multiyear dry dating spell had ended abruptly. My hand swept over my desk where Hayes had sat me down, the memory of his hand in my panties sending chills down my spine.
Luna the moon goddess.
* * *
The staff were gathering in the Mess Hall for lunch. Memaw was already dishing up enchiladas when I arrived. A blush crept into my cheeks when I saw Hayes seated at the table, an empty chair beside him. Quietly, I snuck in next to him, sitting down.
“Hey, baby girl,” he whispered to me, flashing me a stolen smile.
Baby girl. The words made me melt.
“Hey, yourself,” I murmured back. My hand brushed over my tingling lips. I wanted to kiss him again. Underneath the table, his hand rested on my knee. My skin tingled with warmth from his touch.
Memaw stopped in fron
t of me, holding the pan in one hand and a spatula in the other. She gave my face a long, hard stare. A blush crept into my cheeks—I felt like she could read every emotion on my face. After a long, hard look, she gave Hayes a nod, saying, “It’ll stick. And it’s about damn time, too.” Digging her spatula into the dish, she slapped a chicken enchilada down on my plate. “Not a moment too soon. I was beginning to think poor Hayes would die a bachelor. Death by unrequited love.” Cackling, she went off to the next plate.
My face burned. Had everyone in the Mess Hall heard her? There had been whispers about Hayes and me around the ranch as long as I could remember. People were not going to allow us to quietly and privately figure out what was going on between the two of us. They would make it a family affair. Having Memaw—who had absolutely no filter—call us out in the middle of staff lunch was exactly what I didn’t want.
Georgia’s mouth dropped open. Looking from Hayes to me, then from me to Hayes, she said, “Are you kidding me? It’s finally happening? After all these years?”
Bridgette showed up with Lila Bell on her hip. “What, Georgia? What’s happening after all these years?”
Georgia looked to me to confirm Memaw’s words.
I said nothing.
“Mind your business, G. Or I’ll tell Brody you’re starting rumors again. That didn’t go so well for you last time.” Hayes gave her a threatening look.
That shut her up. When Bridgette first arrived in Little Peak, Georgia had gotten herself into trouble starting a rumor that pertained to Bridgette’s dating life. It was water under the bridge now, but they all still liked to tease Georgia about it. Georgia’s pretty mouth closed, a blush rising on her cheeks. Bridgette hid her mouth with her hand, giggling behind it. Lila Bell mimicked her mother, giggling as well. Giving me a wink, Bridgette took off toward the drinks table, calling over her shoulder, “Yeah—that didn’t go over so well with Brody. Did it, G?”
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