Page 68 of Suddenly Desired
She looked Blake up and down, then winked at Ellie. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d have said he enjoyed it,” she went on. “You’re suited to this life, Blake.”
“I don’t know about that.” He looked at his mud-streaked clothes.
But hewassuited to it — Ellie could tell by the way his cheeks glowed, the way his eyes seemed brighter. She waited until her mum had left the barn, then she took his hand.
“Sorry about your clothes,” she said. “I’ll wash them.”
He laughed. “It’s nothing. Honestly, I think it’s a good look. I always hated formal wear anyway.”
“Clean clothes aren’t exactly formal,” she teased, squeezing his hand. “But Mum was right, you do look like you’re suited to this.”
“The farm?” he asked, tilting his head as if considering it seriously. He nodded, the smile on his face deepening. “Yeah. I never would’ve thought it, but there’s something about it. The air, the freedom . . . it’s like I can actually breathe out here.”
He paused, his gaze softening as it lingered on her. “And maybe it’s not just the farm,” he added, his thumb tracing lazy circles over her knuckles. “Maybe it’s the company.”
Ellie felt her cheeks heat, the flutter in her chest impossible to ignore. She looked down at their joined hands, a smile playing at her lips.
Blake shifted closer, his free hand lifting to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. His touch was warm, and she shivered at the sensation. “I like this side of you,” he murmured. “Here, out of the city. You’re . . . glowing.”
“Glowing?” she repeated, laughing softly.
“Yes,” he said, his tone serious despite the teasing smile on his lips. “Glowing. And it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
Her breath caught, and for a moment, the barn seemed to shrink around them, the air between them charged and electric. She leaned into him slightly, her pulse racing as she caught the look in his eyes — a look that made her feel like she was the only thing in the world that mattered.
“And you,” she whispered, her voice trembling with honesty. “You’re not so bad yourself, city boy.”
Blake chuckled, the sound low and warm, then tilted his head towards her, his lips hovering just inches away. “I could afford a nice place,” he murmured, his voice rough as he pulled her closer, their bodies barely a breath apart. “Maybe something nearby. A few acres, some animals . . .” His fingers brushed against hers, their warmth igniting tiny sparks along her skin. His lips quirked into a teasing smile. “But there’s just one condition.”
“What?”
“No goats.”
Ellie burst into laughter. “No goats,” she agreed, her hand sliding up his muddy chest.
Blake leaned in, capturing her lips in another kiss that was anything but gentle. It was hard and possessive, filled with every ounce of desire. Ellie melted into him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she kissed him back with equal intensity.
“And one more thing,” Blake whispered against her lips, his voice ragged with need.
“Anything,” she breathed.
“I want you to be there with me.”
Her heart raced, her pulse thrumming in her ears as she tilted her head up and kissed him again. This time it was slower, deeper, her body pressing against his like she wanted to memorise every line, every contour of him. Blake groaned softly, his fingers tangling in her hair as he pulled her even closer.
“Deal,” she whispered against his lips. “We could leave the city, leave the smoke and the noise.”
It sounded like the best idea in the world, and she couldn’t believe it when he nodded.
“We could live out here,” he said. “Not just live, butlive.”
She held him close, her head on his chest. His heart pounded, and she knew it was only partly to do with the fact that he’d just wrestled a goat. That was the drum beat of somebody who genuinely felt excited. She could have listened to it all day.
Except there was something else on the edge of her hearing, a strange thumping noise coming from outside the barn. She pulled away, cocking her head to hear it better.
“It’s back,” Isla said, storming into the barn. “That pesky thing is what spooked the goats.”
“What is it?” Ellie asked.
