Page 30 of The Dairy Farmer's Daughter

He closed his eyes. “I was happy without him. I had my stepdad, and he was great. But now I realise that I'll never have the opportunity to know Boyd, my real father. I'm so angry with him, because he never gave me the chance to know him."

She softly wiped away the single tear that rolled down his cheek. "You did miss out. But he missed out on knowing you and that was the greater loss." She kissed his cheek, then looked him in the eye. "I wouldn't give up knowing you for anything."

He saw the sincerity of her words, the honesty and empathy with which she lived her life.

She slipped her arm around him and rested her head against his chest. Justin lay back, feeling her body rise and fall with every breath.

An unfamiliar sense of peace swept over him.

"Stay." After having made love to her again, Justin leaned across the bed, and pulled Freya in for another kiss.

"I can't. I have to go to work." She gave him a longing look before pulling on her jeans.

He admired the way they clung to her thighs and backside. Her body was perfect, and his fingers itched to discover it again and again and again.

And God, it felt right. Perfectly, wonderfully right.

He threw back the sheet covers and pulled on his jeans before following her to the living room. The air was cold against his shirtless chest and he shivered.

"It's been raining," she said from the window. Outside, low clouds blanketed the fields. "The mist should rise soon. We need the rain though, so we can't complain."

He went to her and touched her shoulder, letting his hand glide down her arm until their fingers linked. He brought her palm to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss against it. "When can I see you again?"

Her smile lit up her face as though she had been hoping he would ask just that question. "How about lunch? You can come to the café, or we can try somewhere else?"

"Only if I can have you for dessert," he teased as he pulled her in for another heart-stopping kiss.

"I'm sure that can be arranged." She held him close against her for a moment before letting go, gathering her belongings, and slipping out the door.

He leaned against the doorframe and watched her drive away. He could still smell her intoxicating scent in the room, on himself.

He was so grateful for having met Freya. This amazing, sexy woman who seemed to understand him and know him like no one else.

Shit.

Falling in love with her wasn’t on the agenda. Though as his heart continued to thump and his skin tingled at the memory of her touch, he had the uneasy feeling it was already too late.

Shaking his head, he walked back to the bedroom where he showered and shaved. He was making the bed when his phone rang. He answered the call and greeted his lawyer.

"I've got some news, Justin. We've had an enquiry about the farm, from a solicitor acting on behalf of a property developer.” The lawyer paused dramatically. “They have made an offer."

Justin's head was spinning. Faced with the chance to sell, he realised he’d been leaning towards leasing the estate out to the Montgomerys after all.When did that happen?

"What does a developer want with a dairy farm?"

"They want to turn it into a housing estate."

Justin heard the hesitation in the lawyer’s voice.A housing estate.All Justin could picture were cookie-cutter houses crammed onto tiny blocks of land. His father's farm would be carved up into little chunks and sold off for top dollar.

The idea didn't sit well with him, but he also had to think about himself and his future. He had to at least consider this.

"What kind of an offer are we talking about?"

"A very generous amount. I think you should come into the office."

CHAPTER 11

Freya drove straight to the café and parked in the staff parking. She didn't want her mum or dad to pick up on her post-coital glow and tease her about being out all night.

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