Page 98 of No More Secrets
Carter pressed cash into Summer’s hand and a kiss on her mouth and sent her off to grab take and bake pizzas from Maizie at Peace of Pizza’s stand for a late lunch back on the farm.
With Nikolai following them in his rented SUV, they headed back to the farm where they enjoyed a casual, friendly lunch on the porch. Nikolai took the afternoon to shoot at the stables and Jax tagged along. Presumably to put himself in Joey’s way.
Summer volunteered to weed and water the flowerbeds while Carter and Beckett repaired a portion of fencing that had been damaged by a tree branch during a summer thunderstorm.
The humidity clung to Summer like a sweater, and in minutes she had worked up a satisfying sweat. It was such a pleasure to discover how good physical labor made her feel. It was comforting, the simplicity of clearing out what didn’t belong and leaving order and beauty in its place.
She gave the front beds a good soaking with the hose before working her way around the side of the house where Carter and Beckett were just finishing up the new fence rail.
“Hey, Summer, when you’re done there we have a field of lettuce to harvest,” Beckett teased.
She glared at him and fisted her hands on her hips.
“Now, Beckett, don’t go picking on her like that,” Carter said. “Summer can’t help that she’s a city girl who doesn’t like getting dirty.”
“Aren’t you two funny?” she snipped. “You know, I don’t mind getting dirty as much as you two mind getting wet.”
She managed to spray Beckett in the chest with the hose and hit Carter full in the face before he gave chase. She dropped the hose and took off, looping around the front of the house and running for her life past the little barn.
She made it as far as the orchard before her lungs and legs gave out.
Crouching behind an apple tree, she tried to catch her breath. Her hands were coated with mud from weeding and sweat trickled down her back.
“Summer, where are you?” His sing-song tone told her she was in trouble if he caught her.
She smothered her laughter as he stalked past her, gaze roaming the orchard.
Carter never saw it coming. One moment he was the hunter and the next the hunted. Summer launched herself onto his back, her muddy palm smearing across his face, through his beard, and up into his hair.
His counterattack was lightning fast and brutal.
He spun her off of his back and tossed her over his shoulder like she weighed less than a sack of feed.
Her victorious laughter quickly changed to nervous giggles when he started to walk and then run.
“Where are you taking me?” she yelped, trying to right herself.
He smacked her soundly on the ass. “Farm rules, honey.”
She saw the wood of the dock racing by under his feet and realized what he was about to do.
“Carter Pierce, don’t you dare,” she shrieked.
Her protests did no good. Carter sprinted the length of the dock and launched them both off the end.
The icy pond water closed over her and Summer tried to flail her way to freedom. But his strong hands were everywhere. She froze when one of those hands splayed across her bare stomach under her t-shirt. Their heads broke the surface and she could see the fire in her eyes mirrored in his. He locked her legs around his waist, keeping one hand just under her breast.
“Summer.” It was a warning.
“Carter.” It was a dare.
And then his mouth was on hers. The frigid water forgotten, Summer opened for him. His tongue swept into her mouth, stealing her breath and sanity. His hands cruised up, taking her t-shirt with them. He tossed it over his shoulder where it landed with a sopping thump on the deck.
“Here?” she whispered against his mouth.
“I don’t have a condom,” he said, moving his lips over hers.
She pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it toward land.
