Free In The Hay (Uninhibited in Apple Trail, Arkansas) by Keri Ford Page B

the hot afternoon and she took a deep breath of fresh grass and lemon from the soap as she slipped down. This was what she wanted. She glanced to the bottom. Drew was there, waiting. His arms were open and ready for her to fall into them.
    That was a nice image. And a dangerous one that she was going to remember was temporary. She put her hand down, pressed her palm against the ground, and turned sideways to make for an easier catch…or to protect herself one. She crossed her arms over her chest, bent her head forward and prepared to mow him over, flip him to his back, and flop off the ground again.
    His laughter pulled at her. “Relax, Lette . A baby crawling could go faster than you right now.”
    She only shook her head and barreled right into his embrace. And stopped. She opened her eyes. She was still sitting on the plastic and was curled against his chest. He’d dropped to one knee and stopped her right there at the end.
    She blinked and looked up at him. “I can’t believe you stopped me.”
    “I told you I would.” His fingers wrapped around her hair. “Was that time better?”
    “Yes.” And no. She dropped her gaze. The first time was with him. It had been a thrilling ride because he’d done it with her. His warmth had been next to her. They had rolled together. It’d hurt like hell, but the exhilarating rush had been there.
    He was the rush to make her little dull things exciting. It was when she’d caught him staring at the bar that she had really enjoyed the dancing. At the railroad tracks—when he’d stood behind her and held her up.
    Drew was the one turning her experiences into experiences and allowing her to live out things she never had.
    “Want to do it again?”
    She glanced at the long strip and shook her head. Other ideas were filling her head instead. “I think this adventure is done.”
    He chuckled. “Probably a good idea.” He grinned and lifted her face to his. “Because now it’s time for a shower and you might need help getting all that grass out of your hair.”
    “You ought to help, it’s your fault there’s grass in there.”
    “What can I say?” He shrugged, a bit of his boyish charm seeped through in the simple move. “I know how to show a girl a good time.”
    She spun on the plastic to face him and pulled him to her. The weight of his slick body covered hers. His soaking wet jeans pressed into her skin. He pushed hair from her face and angled her chin up.
    “You are so pretty.”
    She flushed, knowing he was lying because she knew good and well she looked horrible and her hair was a wreck. “I’m starting to wonder about how many girls you’ve seen before me.”
    He frowned.
    She waved her hand around her face. “My hair is soaked and plastered to my head. I have no makeup on. My body is scuffed up, thank-you-very-much for that. I’m coated in grass and dirt and God only knows what else.”
    The corner of his lips turned up. His thumb stroked over her bottom lip. “True, but….” He shook his head. His cheeks tainted red. “Never mind.”
    “What?”
    He swallowed. “I like your natural look.”
    “Well that’s good, 'cause bet I look as natural as drowned rat right about now.”
    “A sexy rat.”

Chapter Nine

    Glowing. Yes. Not a drowned rat, and Drew had nearly told Lette she was glowing. But hell, she was. She truly had a glow on her skin and a light in her eyes that sucked him in. And she was all his, at least for a couple of days. He’d take what he could in the mean time.
    He dropped his lips to hers. Her arms wound around his neck as they often did when he tugged her close. It was an intoxicating little movement. A simple one. Something he’d had done to him before, but Lette always gripped with a needy grasp and her body fit along his differently.
    She sighed against him. Her body softened under his touch. Those locks tumbled again. On a purely physical level, all those locks twisted in and locked in place as she arched, and he pressed