Page 46 of Pick Your Spot

Sexy. Giving. Funny. Knox had never laughed so much during sex. And he’d never, ever had sex that had left him completely wrecked.

He wanted nothing more than to keep his arms around Thea and stay right where they were until he had the energy to make love to her again. She was absolute magic.

But he needed to get rid of the condom and help her clean up. In the middle of an orchard without a bathroom in sight.

Knox ran his hands over Thea’s sexy body and kissed her hair. “I need to deal with the condom.”

She nodded and lifted her head to smile at him. “And now we’ve found the downside of sex in the forest.”

He laughed and kissed her. “Worth it.”

“Totally.”

In the end, Thea had a few tissues in her pockets. “When you work with compost, you learn to be prepared.”

Seemed like he might have to add tissues when he added condoms. Because it had totally been worth it.

They walked hand in hand as they strolled back to her cabin. His thirst for her had been momentarily slaked, but his body had already recovered, and he was thinking about their next time. And how soon it could be.

The orchard from this direction was a maze to Knox, but Thea’s steps were sure as she led him to her home. It rose as a black shape in the night, the outline growing more distinct as they neared.

She hadn’t left on a light but it still exuded homey vibes. Her face lit up when she pulled out her keys to open the deadbolt and the door. He hated that she’d lived without even that basic safety measure for so long.

He bolted the door behind them and then disposed of the tissue-wrapped condom in the garbage. No leaving garbage in the orchard.

Thea put a kettle on the stove and turned on the heat. Then she leaned against the counter. “I can’t believe we did that.”

He laughed. “I know. I’ve been wanting to make love to you almost from the first moment, but I didn’t expect our first time to be in the orchard.”

Her smile widened. “But you did expect there to be a first time?”

He shrugged. “Hoped. And I’m thrilled that there was. I’m hoping for a second time when you’re ready. Unless you’re having regrets?”

Laughter filled the small room. “Impossible to have regrets after that.” She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’ve never experienced anything like that. I think my shivers still have shivers.”

Relieved to see both her smile and delight shimmering in her eyes, he leaned down to kiss her. “We’re pretty spectacular together. Sex has never nearly killed me before.”

She laughed again, and Knox wondered how he’d ever gone without hearing that sound.

The kettle whistled, and they broke apart from another kiss. Thea turned off the burner. “Would you like some tea? I’ve got a few flavors.”

She gestured at a shelf of mason jars filled with tea leaves. “Is the apple cinnamon made from our apples?”

Her eyebrows shot up. “No, but that’s a really good idea. Although I don’t have a clue how to make tea or get the apple flavor. I wonder if that’s another use for the blemished apples.”

His head spun with ideas. “I’ve got a spreadsheet on my laptop for ideas to build more profit from the farm. I’ll add tea to it.”

“What else is on it?”

He grinned. “Anything I can think of. I put in the usual, like apple pies and tarts. It would be great if we had someone in the area who liked to bake or cook. We need something unique to lure people into buying our products. If we’re going to make a go of the farm, we need to keep costs down and profits up. Having a ready-made market would be great. So if we had a local baker looking for apples to use, that would help.”

Thea’s expression turned thoughtful. “I don’t know much about baking, but I bet there are tons of people who do. There’s plenty of time before harvest to look into finding sources. Do you think your family will want to keep the farm that long?”

Her shaky voice betrayed her nerves, and he felt like an ass. “Hell, I was going to tell you the news, but I got completely distracted by seeing you in the moonlight like some kind of fairy witch spreading her beauty to the trees.”

Her face flushed, and he had to kiss her again. “You’re addictive, Thea.”

“Yes, you are.”

---