by Gaelen Foley
When she climbed back up, she found herself with a new view of the hills—and it was then that she noticed motion on the driveway.
Through the shady screen of the woods, she could make out a truck rumbling along; a moment later, she could hear it. Colby’s few halfhearted barks confirmed it, alerting her they had a visitor.
When the pewter-gray SUV emerged into view a moment later, she gasped in astonishment, instantly recognizing Harry’s Range Rover. “No way…”
Eyes widening, she gripped the ladder rails to keep from falling off the thing as her heart lurched and her pulse started pounding.
Watching from her high perch, she steadied herself as he climbed out of the vehicle and shut the door. Then he lifted the bag she had left at his condo out of the back seat. He glanced around, then carried it up to the house, pausing on the porch to give the dogs a pat. He knocked on the screen door and waited, his hand in his pocket, until he must’ve figured no one was home.
Looking over his shoulder, he spotted her pickup and apparently deduced that she was here somewhere.
Bea stared, her heart in her throat. A part of her wanted to jump down off the ladder and go racing to him through the tall grass like she was dang Half-Pint in the opening credits of Little House on the Prairie. But she refused.
Damn it, he should not have this scatterbrain effect on her. Especially considering that he probably despised her now for leaving in that taxi—on top of her role in his getting fired.
Consumed with anxious curiosity to hear what he had to say and to see what sort of demeanor he would have toward her, she shouted toward the house, “I’m up here!” She waved from atop the ladder to flag him down.
He glanced around, his head lifting until he saw her up on the hill. He squared his shoulders, and Bea swallowed hard as he began striding toward her.
With butterflies crashing about in her belly, Bea kept picking plums, refusing to overreact, at least outwardly. Her hands shook a little as she plucked another few fruits off the laden branch, spying on him discreetly as Harry approached.
He still had that same confident, take-charge walk, but he sure looked different than on that first day he’d pulled up to the farm stand. This time, he’d arrived in a vehicle better suited for the rugged country roads, and was more appropriately dressed in khaki cargo pants and hiking boots, with a sexy white fitted t-shirt stretched across his chest.
God, had he gotten more handsome in the past two days? He looked amazing with the light wind riffling his sleek black hair, the rosy glow of sunset warming his bronzed skin.
I wish… her heart whispered, but Bea didn’t let herself finish the thought. There was no point in wishing when it was probably smarter to brace for more of the cold shoulder he’d given her when they’d parted. Dreams like him didn’t always come true.
Harry still had a lot of ground to cover until he reached the spot where she was working, so Bea climbed down from the ladder, wetted her dry lips with a swallow of water, and pulled the colorful bandana off her head, discreetly fluffing her hair.
Not that it mattered, she insisted, her pulse hammering away. It was probably over between them, after all.
By the time Harry joined her, strolling down an orchard aisle beneath the long green tunnel of arching branches, Bea had arranged herself to sit ever so casually on a middle rung of the A-frame ladder, her feet planted on the ground.
She noticed in surprise that he searched her face, looking nearly as nervous as she was as he approached. He called out a friendly but fairly awkward “Hiya!”
She cleared her throat a little and rose, unable to sit still. “Howdy, stranger.” She hooked her thumbs in the front pockets of her cutoffs, greeting him with a wary but cordial smile. “Didn’t expect to be seeing you again.”
“Yeah, well…” He bowed his head, but held her gaze as an apologetic half-smile curved one corner of his mouth. “I told you I never go away. Remember?”
It sounded vaguely familiar, and she recalled him saying something like that at the Knickpoint. But she just looked at him uncertainly, not daring to hope, to leap to conclusions.
“I brought your bag back.” He nodded toward the house as the awkwardness between them deepened. “Left it on the porch.”
“Thanks. You didn’t really have to do that.” She began tossing a plum up and down like a baseball just to keep her hands busy.
Harry watched for a moment. “You gonna throw that at me?”
She smiled guardedly and stopped. “Why would I do that?”
“Oh…maybe because I wasn’t very nice after everything that went down in the city.”
“You were upset.” She shrugged.
“Still, I should’ve been more understanding after what you went through. I just wanted to say I’m sorry about that.”
Having expected a much colder reaction from him, Bea furrowed her brow, confused. “You really don’t have to apologize. Anyone would’ve been freaking out in that situation. Here you were, on the verge of some big promotion, and instead, I got you fired.” She faltered, tilting her head. “Did you get your job back?”
“Back? No,” he said, then shook his head. “I don’t want it back.”
“You don’t?” she asked.
“God, no.” He glanced away, watching a few birds squabble over territory. “I could never work for Culpeper now after what he did to you. Bea.” He looked at her again and took a step closer. “I wanted to tell you how sorry I am that I ever let you go into that office by yourself. I feel like such a fool for trusting that guy. If I hadn’t been so blind about him—you know why.”
“It’s okay, Harry, I’m fine. I promise. Don’t worry about it.”
Harry searched her face. “You sure?” he murmured.
Forget the tornado—an earthquake shook her heart at his soft tone and gentle gaze. She blinked out the momentary trance that his blue eyes cast on her and managed to nod. “Yeah. Tough little whitewater babe, remember? So, stop beating yourself up, please. Curt’s the one who acted like the cretin.” She hesitated, afraid to ask. “Any calls from his lawyer? Visit from the cops?”
“No,” Harry said with a sardonic snort. “Curt’s too proud to press charges for a man-to-man punch he knows he deserved. Of course, he’s also too proud ever to admit that he was wrong. But never mind him. Listen—I’m sorry I’ve been out of touch.” He paused, struggling, studying her. “I guess I wasn’t ready to talk for a couple of days there.”
“Understandable.” Bea nodded encouragingly as the crickets chirruped on the evening air. “And, um, how are you doing now?”
“I’m okay. I just… There’s something I wanted to ask you.”
She gulped, nodded rapidly, and ventured a cautious step toward him. “Okay.”
Harry blew out a sigh, put his hands in his pockets, and studied the ground for a moment. Then he lifted his head and stared her right in the eyes. “When we were leaving my mom’s, you said you’d still be interested in going out with me even if I was broke. But the minute the shit hit the fan, you left. I don’t understand,” he said with a shrug, a flicker of hurt and vulnerability behind his cobalt eyes. “I mean, I kind of do, but…”
“Oh, Harry, I’m so sorry,” she said in a low, pained whisper. She stared at him with her lower lip beginning to tremble. “I think I made a terrible mistake.”
“What do you mean?”
Bea knotted her fingers and struggled for words. “I never wanted to hurt you. I know how bad it must’ve looked to you, the timing. But I was stupid and selfish ever to let you risk so much for me in the first place. You didn’t owe me anything. You were just being a nice guy. You were only trying to help me, and look what it cost you. Some thanks for saving my life that day on the river.” Tears welled in her eyes, but she held his gaze longingly, completely vulnerable before him. “I feel terrible about it. And afterward, you seemed so mad at me—I was mad at myself—I just wanted to get out of your space. Cuz let’s be honest, I’m the reason you got f
ired—”
“No, you’re not,” he said with startling vehemence. “It was my fault, Bea, not yours. I’m responsible for my own actions. I punched my boss in the nose—and frankly, I’d do it again. To him or any guy who ever insulted you like that. The son of a bitch deserved it.” Harry frowned, searching her face. “Anyway, don’t feel too bad, because every hour that passes, the more I see this is actually a good thing.”
“What?” She felt like the ground fell away from beneath her feet.
Hearing it from Vanessa was one thing, but hearing it from Harry himself was something else entirely.
He waved a hand dismissively. “It took me a while to see it, but I really needed to move on. In hindsight, that place was holding me back.”
“Do you…really mean that?”
“Yeah. I probably should’ve quit a long time ago, but Curt kept dangling the carrot of that damned CEO post in front of my eyes. Whether he ever would’ve actually delivered, who knows? But I bought into it for long enough. Out of a misplaced type of father-son soft spot for the old man, I guess, I let him control me like a damned marionette. So stupid.” He shook his head at himself and then gazed up at the sky. “Oh well. Live and learn, right?”
When he looked at her again, Bea stared at him, overwhelmed. Then the words broke from her in a torrent. “Harry, I meant what I said leaving your mom’s, I meant it with all of my heart. I just don’t want to ruin your life. It seemed like I’d already started to, so I had to get away from you before I somehow made it even worse. You have to believe me—I didn’t want to go. I was trying to do what I thought was in your best interest.”
“Well, I appreciate that,” he said softly, holding her tremulous gaze. “But did you really think I’d let you get away from me so easily?”
Bea swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. “But Harry, I’m a curse.”
“Not to me.” He took a step closer, gazing tenderly at her. “To me, you’re a blessing. Honey, how can I say this? The job can be replaced. But I’ll never find another you. Now, if you don’t want to pursue this, or you’d rather wait until my situation is more settled, I’ll understand—”
She did not let him finish the sentence. Closing the distance between them with a few swift strides, she flung herself into his embrace and stopped his foolish words with an exuberant kiss.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her off her feet.
“All I wanted was what’s best for you,” she whispered, arms around his neck, new hope unfurling inside her like the bud of some sweet flower. “I’m so sorry if I hurt you. I was trying to do the right thing.”
He set her down gently again, but kept his arms around her. “So you don’t mind me being a jobless bum, eh?” he teased softly.
“I’ll put you to work if you want,” she whispered, a naughty smile spreading across her lips.
“Mm-hmm. And what would my duties entail, Ms. Palmer?”
“Oh, I think you know,” she breathed, and stole a little kiss.
He paused, gazing into her eyes. “Bea, I think I’m falling for you.”
She gazed at him in joyous awe. “Me too, Harry.”
They stared wonderingly into each other’s eyes.
“It’s barely been a week,” she whispered. “Is this even possible?”
“This week changed my life,” he declared.
“Not all in a good way, though,” she said.
“In a great way,” he murmured. “I’m finally free. Thanks to you. Come here.”
She went gladly as he wrapped her in his warm, strong embrace, and simply held her for several blissful minutes. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world, her head on his chest while he stroked her hair. Bea felt like she could breathe again. She clung to his waist in relief.
“God,” she finally said, “that almost really sucked.”
With a soft laugh, he ran a knuckle down her cheek. “You can say that again.” He kissed her forehead, then went on caressing her back up and down, comfortingly, his head resting atop hers while the stars began peeking out of the gathering twilight.
She closed her eyes, a tremor moving through her at thinking of what she’d so nearly lost. “Oh, Harry, I was so scared you hated me now.”
“No way.” He pulled back a tiny bit to look at her, lifting her chin with a gentle press of his fingertips. His stare was deep and tender. “I've never felt this way before about anyone, Bea. I think we’ve got something real here.”
“So do I.” She pressed up on her toes and brushed his lips with a soft, heartfelt kiss.
He drew her closer, claiming her mouth with deep, searching desire, only pausing after a moment to growl, “Screw Culpeper, touching my woman.”
“Is that what I am?” she asked breathlessly.
He pulled back just a little with a smoldering glance at her lips. “You tell me.”
“I’d rather show you.”
A wicked glimmer of rakish passion flared in his eyes. “Works for me.”
A husky laugh escaped her as Bea pulled him back down to her by his t-shirt. God, she was starved for this man. It might be playing with fire, but she couldn’t resist him. He gathered her closer, stroking her tongue with his own with lavish, intoxicating slowness, making her shake with want. The feel of his hard chest against her, the fading scent of his cologne, the skillful touch of his hands shaping her curves. A tingling rush skittered down her spine.
Am I dreaming?
His hard body was enveloping her, all six foot two of him, with that irresistibly thick jet-black hair and yearning blue eyes. The man of her dreams. She had never felt so deeply cared about—and unbelievably lucky—in her whole life.
“Hey, Bea? You want to make up the rest of the way?” he purred a moment later, nibbling her earlobe.
She melted against him, weak-kneed. “God, yes, please.”
He didn’t wait for his cue. With a ravenous inhale, he swept her off her feet with thrilling ease, kissing her all the while. His powerful arms flexed as he carried her a short distance under the archway of drooping branches, past endless rows of trees in full, glorious bloom. Her skin felt cooler under their shade, but that wasn’t why she was trembling. She wanted him more than she could stand.
Harry devoured her with his kisses, holding her strongly in possession with every new breath.
Safe and secure in his grip, Bea let herself go. She tasted him hungrily, eager to affirm their new start in a most physical way.
The sweet smell of ripened peach, plum, and cherry hung in the air as he laid her down while the sun began to fade. The sky whispered a tickling, soft breeze, causing the leaves to rustle, while it cast an orangey glow across the sleepy hilltop.
In that moment, she knew this was exactly where she needed to be, here on this beautiful hilltop with Harry, possibly forever.
Careful and calculated, he lowered to his knees, still embracing her, and folded himself forward to lay her gently onto the soft grass between two plum trees.
He seemed to be mustering all the self-control in the world as he paused to sit back on his heels, gaze into her eyes, and take a mental photograph of her eager body beneath him. At long last, he leaned down to kiss her again with a gruff murmur. “God, woman, I need you.”
And there was nothing Bea needed or wanted more at this moment than Harrison Riley.
She flung her tank top off with one quick move, and Harry dove for her. Though her bare skin tingled, she resisted. “No fair,” she teased, struggling to tear his shirt away, to finally uncover his smooth, sculpted body.
He happily obliged, whipping it into the trees with a newfound sense of desire. She dragged her hands over his taut middle, his muscular back, and willed herself to breathe.
As he lay down skin to skin on top of her, Bea finally, desperately, hooked her fingers into his jeans and began to pull. His caress was masterful, measured, and tantalized her until she purely ached. She simply couldn’t wait any longer. Necessity washed over her an
ew, and there was no holding back. As Harry pressed into her, she gasped with undeniable greed, desperate want.
Gripping velvet handfuls of his jet-black hair in her fists, caressing him unceasingly, she drew in his warm breath, reveled in the tickle of his unshaven jaw as he took her.
Lost in his rhythm, she was his completely. He, too, was swept away with pleasure, feeding heart and soul on what they shared. Eager as they were to touch and kiss away the hurts of the past week for each other, it wasn’t long before the storm shook them both. Bea cried out with bliss beneath him, her legs wrapped around him, and Harry moaned, giving her his unconditional surrender.
At last, spent and breathless, he collapsed on top of her. The weight of him, like a heavy winter blanket, made Bea feel calm, cozy, secure after the splendid chaos. Her body tingled from head to toe with delicious satisfaction.
“We should… Oh, never mind,” she whispered, laughing at her own halfhearted thought of getting up.
But she slid her palms across his warm back, content to linger there a while longer. Her grandparents wouldn’t be home for another couple of hours.
“Mmm,” Harry rumbled, his long, thick eyelashes finally parting. He looked a little drunk, and grinned. The flash of sparkling blue in his eyes reminded Bea again just how lucky she was.
She petted his head, then stroked his cheek and kissed him gently. “You rock my world, Harrison Riley.”
“Aw shucks,” he whispered with a roguish smile. She giggled and he captured her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
They basked in their embrace under the trees for a short while longer as the sun finally slipped behind the hills.
Eventually, dressed and composed once again, they wandered, hands joined, back to the farmhouse under the rising moonlight. The first stars shone brightly in the purple sky, and for the first time in a long while, Bea felt real peace settle over her heart.