A lone firefly danced in the approaching shadows and was soon joined by another. There were never as many as he remembered from his youth. Then, mason jars could be filled with the glowing insects. There were more on Lara’s farm. Maybe he would stop by the toy store before he went back and find Mackenzie one of those nets used to collect bugs, and they could spend twilight out in the back field. They could make that memory together, him and Mackenzie and Lara.
And there it was again, that crazy feeling. That this place, and the life he had built, was not where he belonged any longer. In the few weeks that he had lived on the farm, it had become more of a home to him than this place had ever been. And Lara and Mackenzie had become as vital to him as breathing.
It was hopeless. There was no falling in love with Lara. He was already there. Over the cliff, head over heels. And it terrified him.
Headlights turned onto his street, and he heard the dull roar of a powerful engine. Thad clutched his glass tighter and got to his feet, a wild hope rising in his chest. It's couldn't be…
The lights turned into his drive. The porch light overhead illuminated the glossy purple paint of the Charger, and Lara, hair in a wild jumble streaming down her back, getting out of the driver’s seat.
She strode up the walkway, a huge smile lighting her face. After a stunned moment of shock, he noticed that she had not even bothered to put a bra on.
He walked down the steps in a daze.
“Gonna invite me in, Professor?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.
He let the glass fall into the flower bed. He yanked Lara to him and smothered her giggle with his mouth.
Yes, his mind shouted as he picked her up and carried her into the house. He kicked the door closed behind him, and her bag fell to the floor.
Screw what was sensible. He could not let her go. He pressed her back against the door and devoured her, delving into her mouth until all he could taste and feel and experience was the sweetness of her tongue tangling against his. Her body vibrating with hunger and suppressed passion, a match to the wild torment of emotions that had completely destroyed his rational mind.
He moved away from her mouth long enough to tug her shirt over her head. Light hair cascaded down her chest, framing beautiful breasts. Thad groaned. Unless they moved, and soon, he was going to make love to her for the first time while leaning up against the door.
“Bedroom. Bedroom now.” He picked her up and Lara twined her legs around his waist, grinding her pelvis against him. He stopped thinking. It was no more than 30 feet to his bed. He could make it that far.
Lara squirmed against Thad, the hard crest of him rubbing against her just right. Throughout the whole of the two hour drive she had been in a state of fervent arousal, and if he had not grabbed her as soon as she walked on his property, she had been fully prepared to seduce him.
He strode through the hall, bumping them against furniture and laughing even as he kissed her. And then he lowered her onto a bed, and gazed at her with so much volcanic passion that her heart began to speed up even faster. The sound of her pulse thundered in her ears.
“You have three seconds to lose the pants,” he growled, tugging his shirt off, followed by undershirt. He bent down and jerked off his boots.
Lara kicked off her shoes and wiggled out of her jeans. When Thad saw that she was not wearing any underwear his eyelids fluttered closed for a second then opened on an expression that reminded her of a hungry tiger finally cornering its prey.
He was finally naked, looking at her, but hesitating. “What's wrong?” she asked, afraid that there was something he had not told her. Maybe he was still married. Or had started out life as a woman. Or had twelve children out of wedlock. Not that she could complain, she was the queen of keeping secrets.
He shook his head, and pulled open a night table. He emerged holding a foil packet, and sheathed himself. “You sure about this?” He asked, crawling until he crouched between her thighs.
Lara lifted her torso until her breasts brushed against his chest. “I want you,” she breathed, running her nails down his back. “I want you inside of me,”
He was buried in the tight confines of her body before she had finished speaking, and her words died on a groan. Lara tensed, flexing around him, and Thad buried his face in the crook of her neck. She twisted, trying to impel him to move, but he remained absolutely still, locked in place.
“You feel so good,” he growled, then pulled back from where he was pressed against her chest. He ran his hands down her torso, teasing her nipples and then grasping her hips. He rolled, keeping their bodies locked together, and Lara gasped at the sensation of him pressed so deeply inside of her.
“You do it,” he whispered, then flexed his hips, wedging himself more deeply inside of her. In the darkened room his eyes glowed, beautiful as jewels, and filled with passion that was even more amazing because it was for her, not the creature they had turned her into.
Lara balanced her hands on his stomach and began to move, slowly at first, watching the play of it on his face. He was close, she could tell, and he would never forgive himself if he finished too quickly.
“Oh no, Professor, you are not getting away quickly” she crooned. She caught one of his hands and moved it to the juncture of her thighs. He caught on quickly, and his fingers delved between them, petting and caressing her as she rocked slowly back and forth, circling her hips as she danced to their rhythm.
Her hair tickled her breasts and she tossed it back. The movements of her hips became quicker and less graceful as passion burned white hot inside of her. She rose up onto her knees and then pressed down, brushing herself against his fingers. It was so close, she could feel it hovering just out of reach, building pressure as it snaked up her legs.
“Lara.”
The sound of her name broke through the haze. She opened her eyes and saw Thad watching her, a look of almost unbearable tenderness stamped on his features. He tangled fingers in her hair and dragged her down to rest against his chest, hips still moving.
His lips formed words against her mouth as they kissed.
“I love you”, he whispered, and Lara felt herself let go. Pleasure cascaded around her in waves, sending her higher than she could have imagined and then dragging her back with an emotion that was like the tide, or quicksand. In the midst of it all she never lost herself, was never less than aware that he was with her, holding her so tight that her bones ached in protest.
They cuddled together in the pool of moonlight. Lara lay on her side with Thad’s arm pressing her against his chest. Their legs intertwined and although the sweat was only beginning to dry off their bodies, Lara could feel him beginning to fill the damp place where he rested between her legs.
Against her neck, Thad’s lips smiled, making her shiver.
“Hmm?” She asked, so sated and comfortable that she never wanted to move again, although her mind kept coming back to what he had whispered. He could not have meant it, she thought. Experience had taught her that the words “I love you” came easily to some men.
“This is nice,” he whispered. “Just being here with you, like this.”
“Better than what was before?”
He twined his fingers with hers. “No. That was amazing. But I could stay here with you like this forever.”
She stretched, pressing herself against him. “We’d get hungry, eventually.”
“For food, or for…” His voice trailed off as he moved his hand in a lazy caress from her shoulder to her back, cupping her against him. “At the risk of behaving like a horny teenager, we need to do that again,”
They made love more slowly this time, savoring it, drawing it out until their breaths were matching ragged gasps and they hovered on the edge of exhaustion. As he crushed her to his chest and shuddered with the weight of his orgasm he did not tell her that he loved her again, but Lara felt the words there, all the same.
Chapter 13
“Well, what do we have here?”
&
nbsp; Lara heard the amused drawl as she stumbled out of the bedroom, naked with tangled hair hanging in front of her eyes. She blinked and focused on the two figures sprawled on the couch, their long legs resting on the coffee tangle. They were alike as two peas in a pod, and plainly enjoyed the view. When she whirled and flew back into the room, their laughter swelled behind her.
“Nice ink,” one of the brothers called, voice rich with amusement.
“What's up?” Thad asked sleepily from a nest of sheets. They had made love again just as the sun was coming up, wincing a little at the hint of soreness but still doing it because it felt so good, so absolutely right.
“There are two strange men in your front room, and I really need to find a bathroom.” Pulling on her jeans and t-shirt, Lara ran her fingers through the mass of her hair. “Oh my God, those are your brothers, aren’t they? And I just walked out there naked.”
Thad made a valiant effort to control twitching lips as he blinked the sleep from his eyes and found his glasses. “If it makes you feel any better, you are not the first naked woman they have seen. You want me to go out first?”
The temptation was there to let him field the awkwardness of this meeting, but Lara shoved it aside. “No, I've got this.” Lara stuffed her feet into her discarded boots and opened the door.
As expected, the two men were avidly watching the door. Their faces fell when she emerged fully clothed.
“You didn’t need to get dressed on our account,” one said. Lara looked at his face and saw that there was a small scar that bisected his left eyebrow. It was the only discernible difference between their two handsome faces. Blonde hair cut close to the scalp topped strong, handsome features and dazzling green eyes. They looked very similar to Thad; handsome and intelligent, although they were more obviously athletic. Muscles bulged under their shirts, and she would have known them as military even without Thad having told her. It was something in the way that they carried themselves, even when relaxed. Predatory, her mind helpfully supplied. The twins were predators.
“And here I was thinking this was the beginning of a particularly naughty dream.”
The twins flashed identical wide grins. The one who had not yet spoken winked at her, and said in a voice deeper than his brothers, “We could play along.”
Lara's face must have been a picture, because the brothers dissolved into hearty laughter, which Lara eventually joined.
“Which of you is Logan and which is Lucas?”
The brother with the scarred eyebrow answered, “I’m Lucas.” He twisted and laid one muscled forearm against the back of the couch. “And my brother’s taste has definitely improved.” The look he gave her was positively smoldering, bordering on pornographic.
“Knock it off, asshole.” Thad had padded out from the room and was buttoning his jeans. A long red scratch decorated his torso, vivid red against golden skin. When he turned and closed the door, Lara saw two more scratches. Morning sex had been intense, bordering on rough, just how she liked it. Looking at him now, decorated with the marks of her hands, made her wish that they still had the house all to themselves. Had the brothers not been there, she could have dragged him off to bed again.
He gestured to the hallway at the left. “The bathroom is through there.”
By the time she returned, Thad had finished dressing and was in the middle of making coffee. The aroma of beans scented the room. The kitchen was a bright and airy space with a bank of large windows that filled it with morning sunshine. Logan and Lucas sat at a table that seemed too small for their huge frames.
They looked up at her approach, and the smile that shone from each face was so strikingly similar that Lara could not help grinning in return. Thad handed her a cup of coffee already laced with cream and began to make scrambled eggs, cracking a dozen in a glass bowl while heating up a skillet. Perfect. He'd remembered how she took her coffee, even though they had only breakfasted together once.
Logan was the quieter twin. While Lucas began talking almost immediately to Thad about their journey from the Middle East, Logan said little. Lara was conscious of his scrutiny as he flipped through the paper that littered the top of the table.
“So you’re the mystery woman.” Lucas said.
Lara glanced up at Thad, but he shook his head minutely. “What do you mean?”
“Thad fell off the map for the last few months and we thought it must mean a new lady.”
"I have too many rough edges to be a lady," she said.
"Even better," chimed in Logan with a wicked smile.
Thad turned the conversation to Dwayne, and the legal maneuverings that had occupied the last week. Lara sipped her coffee and watched them, enjoying their teasing banter.
“I should get back to the farm,” she said after they had finished eating.
Thad rose and pushed back his chair. “I’ll walk you out.”
Logan nodded a goodbye to her, then rose and walked to the window, staring at the driveway. “That’s a real nice car.”
Lara felt a sinking in the pit of her stomach. “Thanks,” she said, and hurriedly grabbed her bag.
“I saw one like it on a car auction show, about a year ago.”
Damn it. So much for keeping her past from Thad's family. Buying the car had been the last thing she had done before disappearing from the public eye. She had tried to go incognito: her arms, red and swollen from the laser treatments she was undergoing to remove the tats, had been covered by a long sleeved shirt, conspicuous in the hot Arizona sun. Her hair was still dark, however, and the famous cat-eye makeup had been instantly recognized when she had taken off sunglasses to get a better look at the Charger. It was a car that she had always loved. Brett had been with her at the time, turning the auction into a sideshow, especially when he insisted on paying for the vehicle. A going away present, he said, wiping away an imaginary tear.
Though they did not follow, Lara was conscious of the combined weight of their stares focused on her back as they walked to the driveway. Thad gave her a goodbye kiss that nearly scorched the paint off the house.
Chapter 14
The ringing of her cell phone jolted Lara, making her drop the pitchfork she was using to clean out the sheep shed. A quick glance at the ID showed "Child Services" and Lara bit back a groan. This would not be good.
"Lara?"
It was Helen; some of her anxiety dissipated. "Hey, what's up?" She asked, dusting her knees off while leaning against the door frame. The sheep watched her with interest, occasionally nudging at her overalls for the treats she kept there.
There was the sound of shuffling papers, and Helen's breath came out as a sigh. "I just wanted to let you know that I am being taken off of your case. I have gotten behind because of the workload, and there are a few cases that require my full attention."
"But there is only two weeks left until the hearing," she protested.
"That's exactly what I told my supervisor, but it is not my decision to make."
Lara was conscious of a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Who is the new case worker going to be?" Not her, please, God, anyone but her.
"Vanessa Moore."
Damn it.
Helen's voice lowered almost to a whisper. "I know that you two have a...uh, complicated history."
"You could say that." She and Vanessa had known each other since high school, and hated each other almost as long. A full blown migraine was suddenly pounding behind her eyes, blood and flashing red lights slamming into her brain with the force of a hammer.
"I tried to argue against it, but her mother is the head of the department, and she has the lightest case load right now." The forced cheer in Helen's voice did nothing to dispel Lara’s anxiety. "I am sure that everything will go smoothly at the hearing. Mackenzie has been with you for almost a year, and there have been no disruptions or incidents of any kind.
"Of course it will," Lara agreed even as she pressed her forehead against the rough oaken beam. "We will miss you, though."
"I will miss you, too. You have given that baby a good home, and I know you love her. She loves you, too. Everything is going to be fine." A note of desperation had entered the social worker's voice, and Lara did not know which of them she was trying to reassure.
As soon as Helen hung up, Lara called Thad and left a voicemail.
"We need to talk."
The ominous weather was an accurate reflection of Thad's mood as he pulled into Lara's driveway.
It had been a very long week. Dwayne had left yesterday, a huge weight off his mind. He had been in the airport seeing the kid off when Lara's phone call had come through. Despite her reassurances, he could hear the despair in her voice when he called her back.
"It's just a new caseworker. I'll explain everything when you get here tomorrow."
This as good as told him that she was ending their relationship.
The day was threatening rain. Billowing gray storm clouds had rolled across the horizon during the drive north, bringing with it a cool breeze. August was quickly approaching. Soon he would have to pack up his gear and return to the city for the beginning of term. Hell, given Lara's tone, he might be heading back home sooner than he had thought. Tonight, even.
Thad parked his Jeep and jumped out, looking around the yard for Lara. There was a strange truck and trailer backed into the barn. He stowed his computer in the trailer and walked over, trying to keep his anxiety from showing on his face.
Lara smiled at him from atop a mountain of hay bales stacked in the mow. An older man in a John Deere cap was loading the bales from the trailer onto the hay elevator. Lara caught the bales as they were dumped at the mow and stacked them, wedging them into the raised platform. She wore overalls, which made him smile, and her slim arms were bare except for gloves.
“Hey, stranger,” she called, and swept a lock of sweat-soaked hair back from her forehead.
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