Page 83 of The Christmas Fayre on Holly Field

‘I’ll walk you back,’ Owen said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and dropping to the floor with a thud.

The noise woke Etta, who had been curled up on one of the seats on the other side of the van, her back to them in disgust. The dog hadn’t been happy at the turn of events.

Harriet had, though. She had been ecstatic.

She still was. The glow from their lovemaking warmed her, inside and out, and she hugged herself in glee.

Owen held out his arms. ‘I’ll catch you,’ he said.

Trusting him, she pushed the duvet back and scooted to the edge of the bed. It seemed a long way down, but she eased herself over the side and slid into his waiting arms.

Pressing hard against him, she wriggled seductively.

‘I thought you needed to get back?’ he murmured, his lips teasing her ear and making her squirm with pleasure.

‘I do.’

‘In that case you’d better stop doing that,’ he warned.

Reluctantly, she pushed him away to find her clothes, which were scattered across the floor. Etta eyed her warily, as if expecting her mistress to resume her shenanigans.

Harriet would have loved to, but it was already nine o’clock and the children were due back in half an hour. Normally, she wouldn’t have let them out on a school night, but the tickets had been gifted to her parents – something to do with friends of theirs not being able to go at the last minute and not wanting them to go to waste – so she didn’t feel she could refuse.

But that hadn’t been the sole reason. When she had realised that she would have a child-free evening, Harriet had grabbed some snacks and high-tailed it to the field where Owen’s van was parked.

She had debated phoning him to let him know she was on the way, but hadn’t, rationalising that if he was at home then it was meant to be. And if he wasn’t, it was a sign from the heavens that maybe the time wasn’t yet right to take their relationship to the next level.

But hehadbeen home, and the time had most definitely been right.

Harriet didn’t regret it in the slightest.

Owen got dressed and she gazed at him out of the corner of her eye, trying to commit his surprisingly muscly chest, trim waist and narrow hips to memory – not knowing when she would see him in all his glorious nakedness again, but praying it wouldn’t be too long.

Her attention was caught by his hands as he tied the laces on his sturdy hiking boots, and she blushed to think how much she’d enjoyed them roaming over her body. Then she began to think about other parts of his anatomy, and her blush intensified. Who knew making love could be so good? He had been more skilled and attentive than she could ever have imagined, and although she had only just risen from his bed, she couldn’t wait to return to it. If they had more time, she would—

Behave!she told herself. She needed to stop the lascivious thoughts and put her sensible head back on, because in twenty minutes she would have to be mother to two tired children.

Finally clothed, Harriet clipped the lead onto Etta’s collar. ‘I don’t want to go,’ she said quietly.

‘I don’t want you to go, either,’ he replied. ‘I wish I could hold you all night.’

‘Just hold me?’

‘And more.’ He took her in his arms and kissed her deeply.

‘Oh,’ she breathed, when he finally released her and she saw how much he still wanted her. ‘I wish…’

‘So do I, but there’ll be plenty of other times to make love. Right now, I’d better escort you home.’

With a disappointed sigh, Harriet cast aside her seductress persona. He was right. They had all the time in the world.

Chapter 18

A couple of weeks later, Owen popped into Harriet’s house after she had finished work for the day to find her busily drumming up trade for the Christmas Fayre while preparing the evening meal at the same time.

‘No, there’s no charge for the pitch,’ Harriet was saying, her mobile wedged against her ear as she attempted to peel some carrots.

Even the simple act of slicing vegetables fascinates me,Owen thought, unable to take his eyes off her. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her and had taken every opportunity he could to be with her since that glorious evening two weeks ago when he had taken her to bed.

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