Lana fumed and raised her hand, slapping the man across the face. “Get away from me, or I’m calling the cops. And you leave my sister alone, got it?”
“Lana!” Alex ran over and placed himself between her and Hank. “Who are you?”
“He’s an asshole, that’s who he is!” Lana yelled over Alex’s shoulder.
Hank tipped his hat and, whistling, walked away, not even seeming to care that he had been slapped across the face so hard it left a mark. Alex tried to talk to her, but she had to text Natalie and tell her what was going on. Her fingers shook so badly, she garbled the message a few times before finally sending it.
“I think I screwed everything up,” she mumbled and clung to Alex. “Oh, Natalie.”
* * *
“You’re cheating,” Vincent grumbled as Natalie held up the fishing line with another largemouth bass on it. “You’re singing to the damn fish or something, aren’t you? I’m calling bullshit, right now.”
She beamed at him as she unhooked the fish and dropped it into the bucket beside her. “I think that’s enough for a good fish fry, don’t you?”
“I think I hate you right now.” He cast his line out into the lake again.
Natalie giggled with glee beside him, a contagious sound that soon had him grinning again. “You’re jealous.”
“Yes. Yes, I would be that.”
So far, the day had been nothing but perfection. He’d started the morning with another tantalizing romp in bed followed by a good old-fashioned Texas country breakfast with enough calories to last until dinner. They went horseback riding through the fields and the trails around the ranch, and she spotted the archery range he and his dad used a long time ago. They rode back to the house and hiked through the trees and tall grass to the range. She was good—incredible, actually. Watching her shoot was such a turn on, they made love right there in the grass, sharing their passion with the rest of nature.
Afterwards, he led her to the private lake on his land and they fished. She was up by three, and the only thing he caught was a damn turtle that wouldn’t leave his line alone.
“I think your friend’s back,” Natalie teased and nodded out to the water.
“That bastard,” he growled as the turtle swam through the water, chasing his line all the way back to the dock. “That’s it, I’m calling it. I think we’re finished for the day.”
Natalie reeled her line in and handed it to him so she could carry the bucket of fish. “Not a bad haul for this afternoon.”
“No,” he agreed, nudging her playfully with his elbow. “Not at all.”
The adventurous side of Natalie had been in full swing since the second they stepped out of his truck on the gravel drive. He’d only brought one other woman here, and the last thing she wanted to do was spend time out in nature. Natalie, no makeup or jewelry, wearing her ratty denim shorts, sweatshirt, and cowboy boots, sloshed lake water on her legs as she walked and not giving a single damn about any of it. The light in her eyes had yet to dim, and he wanted to see it grow even more.
He put the poles up in the barn, and she sat out on the back patio at the cooking station, filleting the fish like a pro. “Please tell me you’ve done that before.”
“Once or twice,” she told him, concentrating on the fish in her hands.
“Once or twice. Okay, I’m going to go change real quick. If you need me, holler.”
He’d barely stepped inside when she yelled for him. He darted back outside, thinking she’d sliced open her hand by accident, to see her grinning like a madwoman and shaking, trying to contain her laughter.
“Seriously?”
“What? You said holler if I need you. I always need you.”
Grunting, he stomped onto the patio, wrapped an arm around her waist, and crushed her to his body as he kissed her hotly until she panted for more. Then he set her back on her feet with a wink and whistling, strode back into the house.
“That’s not fair!” she called after him.
“I don’t play fair!”
He walked into the bedroom and changed out of his dirty clothes from their hiking, using them as a blanket when they had sex, and the slime from the fish on his jeans. He dug through his suitcase, looking for a fresh pair of jeans, when he saw the bright pink gift bag left by her sister. He peeked out the bedroom door, but she was still outside on the patio. As quietly as he could, he dug through the tissue paper and pulled out several different items that instantly made his cock stand up, ready to go another round.
“Oh, good God,” he whispered.
Inside the bag was a vibrating dildo, which he set aside as several ideas came to mind. The next item was a cock ring which he had never seen before in his life. Apparently, it vibrated, too. Several pieces of skimpy lingerie with beads making up the crotch instead of fabric were also part of the package. He pictured those on Natalie and groaned, imagining her walking towards him in nothing but that pink slip of fabric and pearls. A pair of fuzzy handcuffs came next, but he wasn’t into the bondage scene. The last item was a bottle of strawberry-flavored lube for both sexes.
“You done in there or what? I’m ready to fry these bad boys up!”
His lips curling with a mischievous grin, Vincent slipped the items he wanted into his suitcase and tucked the pink bag away again. After dinner, they would have some fun. They would have lots and lots of pleasure-squeezing fun.
* * *
The fish was delicious, probably made even more so by the fact that Natalie caught all of them, showing Vincent up for the second time that day. He might not admit it, but she was a better archer than him, too. All through dinner, his eyes raked down her body as if she was already naked, and by the end of it, Natalie’s breath was shaky and her thighs were clamped together hard, trying to quell the throbbing want for him.
He pushed back from the table. “I’ll clean up the dishes if you want to shower.”
“Are you telling me I stink?” she asked curiously. He was up to something, but she had no idea what.
“Only a little,” he added and winked.
“Hey, if you want to do dishes I would be more than happy to shower.”
She planted a kiss on his cheek and trotted off to the master bathroom to clean up. She showered quickly, not wanting to miss a moment of time with Vincent since this was their last night together. Though the honeymoon was short, Natalie had loved every second of it and knew they were returning home even closer than before. This marriage would work. She felt it deep in her bones.
When she turned the water off and pulled back the curtain, the clothes she’d picked out to wear were gone. In their place was the damn strip of pink lace with beads for a crotch. A wildflower rested beside it with a note.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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