Page 116 of Summer At Willow Tree Farm

But this time, instead of covering the nerve any way he could, he knew he had to go with the pain, own it, let it own him. And hope to hell Ellie didn’t decide to slice right through it when he was through.

‘That’s not what makes you inconvenient,’ he murmured.

She threw up a hand, the fingers trembling.

‘Bugger off, Dalton. I’m not having this conversation any more.’ The bright sparkle in her eyes threatened tears that weren’t going to fall. ‘I’m through. I’ve got a wedding to organise.’ She dug into a pocket in her dress with shaking fingers and pulled out a tissue. ‘Maddy’s arriving in ten minutes. I’m going back to be there for people that matter to me. You can come with me or you can piss right off. I don’t care any more.’

He grasped her wrist, and dragged her into his body. Enfolding her into his arms, the tension she refused to let go vibrating through her body.

God, she was so strong. So perfect. And he wanted her so much to be his. All his, that the fear she would reject him was crucifying him. But he had to get over his fear now. And put himself out there, or he had no chance of getting her. And, more importantly, he would never ever deserve her.

‘You’re inconvenient, because you make me feel all that stuff too,’ he whispered into her hair.

Her body stopped struggling against his. At last he got up the courage to loosen his grip. She stared at him, the shock in her deep emerald eyes making his heart melt all over again.

‘What?’ For once she didn’t seem able or willing to talk. Which meant he would have to fill the silence, put the record straight all on his own.

It was exactly what he deserved. The torture of having to try to articulate his feelings at the most important moment of his life, with words instead of moves.

Right now he’d give anything to be able to show her what he meant by bringing her to an earth-shattering orgasm. By putting his mouth on her body and making it sing. But that was the easy way. The easy way he’d taken all along. They’d done this his way. Now he had to do it her way. What a travesty, because he sucked at talking about his feelings.

‘I love that you care about me, that you care about Toto.’ He swallowed, now for the big one. ‘But it terrifies me too. Because if I get you and then I lose you. If you decide I’m not enough…’ Like every other woman he’d ever had in his life, bar Dee ‘…it would destroy me.’

Her hand, still trembling, reached up to cup his cheek, the tears sliding over her lids now and down her face. ‘Is that your backhanded way of telling me you want more than just a sex-for-the-sake-of-it affair?’

‘Only if you admit you want more than a guaranteed orgasm?’ he said, hating the defensiveness, the desperation in his voice.

She chuckled. ‘I’m not going to deny your orgasm guarantee is a powerful incentive to me and my lady bits. But no, Art, that’s not the only thing I want from you.’

He grasped her head, let his hands sink into her hair and frame her face, let his gaze glide over her and take in all of it, the pert nose, the heart-shaped face, the tiny slant of her eyes now bright with tears, the lush lips that he could spend the rest of his life kissing while hanging on every word that came out of them.

‘Good, because it’s not even close to all the things I want from you,’ he murmured.

How weird to think after so many years of being terrified of letting anyone know how he felt, what he might need, it had been so easy to say it to her.

His mouth sealed the deal, covering hers in a soul-searching kiss that tasted hot and cool and everything in-between.

*

Ellie felt as if she were floating above the forest floor, as they raced back through the woods to the wedding together, her hand clasped firmly in Art’s.

They came out of the trees just as Maddy climbed out of the horse-drawn trap decorated with autumn greenery and two glowing carriage lanterns.

The young woman looked like a medieval queen in her vintage antique lace dress, flowers woven into her hair, sequins glittering on the neckline. Jacob stood under the gazebo, his stunned face breaking into a cheeky grin as she made her way down the aisle of folding chairs towards him on her father’s arm. Josh and Toto led the way, scattering handfuls of rose petals over the carpet of reeds and most of the congregation. Melody danced with glee as Toto halted the whole procession to sprinkle petals on her hair.

The humanist minister read out the vows the young couple had written for each other in a calm steady cadence, giving Art time to duck into position, replace Rob as the stand-in best man, and hand the ring to Jacob.

Ellie joined Tess and Annie and Dee in the front row where they had saved her a seat.

‘What have you two been up to?’ Annie whispered, her eyebrows lifting in w

icked amusement. ‘You almost missed the best bit.’

Ellie chuckled, her heart as light and airy as the autumnal breeze as she watched Jacob cradle Maddy’s head and proceed to kiss her senseless, declaring them husband and wife to the backtrack of whoops and cheers.

‘Don’t worry, I’d never let that happen,’ she shouted over the noise, finding Art’s dark gaze and holding it.

Excitement prickled across her skin and pummelled her ribcage in hard heavy thuds.

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