Free Forever Hidden (Forever Bluegrass #2) by Kathleen Brooks

away.
    “Oh no, you don’t!” Deacon taunted as he dodged another mudball. They were both covered in gunk from head to toe. Only their eyes and wide smiles were visible. Sydney wiped a muddy sleeve against her mouth and stuck out her tongue.
    Deacon similarly wiped his mouth and grinned. He pretended to look away, and when Sydney bent to scoop up some more ammunition, Deacon dove at her. Sydney only had time to let out a surprised squeak before Deacon dragged her down into the mud with him. They laughed as he rolled her into the mud. She was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. He stopped laughing as he realized he was very intimately lying on top of her. She seemed to notice at the same time.
    Deacon used one hand to cup her cheek. He couldn’t tear his eyes from her lips. He felt her breathing hitch as he bent his head toward hers. One of her hands ran down his back while the other grasped the bicep of the arm he was propping himself up with. And when his lips met hers, the earth shook. The cold disappeared as heat flooded his body. Her fingers tightened on his arm as her mouth opened to his. His tongue plunged in and Sydney moaned as she arched against his shaft. They were electric together. Light burst around them, and Deacon was brought crashing back to reality.
    “Shit. We have to get inside. That was lightning.” Deacon leapt up and helped Sydney from the ground. As they ran hand in hand toward the house, Deacon cursed himself. He’d done exactly what he swore he wouldn’t do. He wasn’t any better than any of the others, and if there was one thing he wanted, it was to make her feel like the most cherished woman in the world. He couldn’t do that while he was grinding against her like a teenager.
    He pushed open the door to the mudroom, and they tumbled inside. Mud and water pooled on the tile as they stood dripping. Deacon opened the washing machine and slid out of his shoes.
    “We can toss our clothes directly into the wash. There are towels right over there.”
    Sydney turned to grab the towels. Her mind was in shock. Never had a kiss been so powerful. It was supernatural the way the heat had flooded her body. She was astonished by her desire for a man she’d just met. The thought of them in a shower washing the mud off so they could pick up where they left off made her blush.
    But when she turned to hand Deacon a towel, he was standing with his back to her. His shirt and pants were off, and she admired the view of him in his boxer briefs. Everything about Deacon McKnight screamed male.
    “Here you go,” she smiled as she held out the towel. Deacon only turned at his shoulders and grabbed the towel. In a flash, he had it around his waist. He slid off his boxer briefs and tossed them in the wash without giving her so much as a peek at what was underneath.
    “I’m going to take my shower and order dinner. I’ll let you change in privacy.”
    And then he was gone . . . again.
    “What the hell?” Sydney mumbled to herself as she stripped out of her muddy clothes and turned on the wash. Baffled, Syd headed upstairs. She stopped in front of Deacon’s room and stared at the closed door. Behind it, she could hear the shower running.
    “You’ve never taken a chance, Syd. Come on,” she told herself as she reached for the doorknob. She turned it, but then couldn’t move it anymore. It was locked.
    She stood staring at the locked door. No man had ever locked her out. She hung her head and walked to her room, grateful he didn’t see the knob turn. It appeared Deacon was ultimately uninterested.
    Sydney turned on her shower and stepped inside. No. She knew he was interested. She felt Deacon’s interest pushing eagerly against her not ten minutes ago. He’d said there was no wife, but he didn’t say there wasn’t a girlfriend. Maybe that was it. Well, one way or another, she was going to find out more about Deacon. She wouldn’t make a move until she was sure he was the loyal, kind, and totally