by Jaci Burton
"How's it going?"
"Good. Stopped by your house today."
He nodded. "I was there the other day. They've made a lot of progress. Walls are in place and drywall and flooring is in. I can see how the place is going to look now."
"I really like how it's taking shape. You'll be surprised how fast they finish it. Before long I'll be putting the final decorating touches on it. In fact, you need to make the final decision on paint because they're waiting on that."
"Yeah, I know."
Drake came over and draped his arms around both of them. "You two over here talking pillow colors?"
"You know it's my favorite topic," Barrett said.
"How's the place coming along?" Drake asked.
"Good. You need to come by and take a look."
Drake stepped back. "What? And miss the big reveal? I'll wait for the open house. The one that comes with beer."
Barrett laughed. "Okay."
"In the meantime, Mama said dinner's ready."
They sat and ate and, as usual, Mama and her aunts had set out a feast--way more food than Harmony could eat in one sitting.
She'd grabbed a dish towel and tucked it into the neck of her dress. This was one of her favorite dresses, and no way was she going to get barbecue sauce on it.
"You should put one of your mama's robes on," her Aunt Paula said.
"Yes, because that would be even more attractive than that towel you're wearing." Alyssa gave her the side eye.
"Oh, I'm fine with this, thank you."
"The bib looks great," Barrett said. "I especially like the red and blue birds."
That's because the red and blue birds were spread across her breasts, but she was not going to say that out loud. "Thanks, Barrett. I thought the color scheme was ideal."
After dinner, the guys did dishes, which was the norm.
Harmony and Alyssa took glasses of iced tea out to the back porch. A storm was brewing. It was cloudy and the wind had picked up, but she was grateful for the breeze and the sudden drop in temperature.
They were soon joined by Mama and the aunts, and then all the guys.
"I want to thank you for the invite to your family's ranch," Mama said to Barrett.
"My mother said to tell you she's made up your favorite guest room. And that they just picked some corn the other day."
"I do love fresh, farm-raised corn on the cob. Is that handsome ranch hand still working there?"
"My Uncle Elijah?" Barrett asked with a grin. "Yes, he's still there."
"I look forward to seeing that man again."
Drake shook his head. "Do I need to watch out for you and Barrett's uncle?"
Mama pointed her finger at Drake. "No, you need to mind your own business."
Harmony laughed. "Oooh, she told you."
"I guess she did."
The wind started to get violent, so everyone moved inside. The aunts left, then some of the guys.
"I should go," Alyssa said. "I have to make a stop at the hair-supply store before I head home."
Harmony hugged her. "Looks like the storm is going to get bad. You be safe driving home."
"I will. You, too."
Harmony said good-bye to her mother, who made her promise to call as soon as she got home, then told her brother she'd see him in Texas, since he was heading down there tomorrow morning and she wouldn't fly out until tomorrow night.
She headed out, with Barrett right behind her. She could see lightning out in the distance. Hopefully she'd beat the storm home.
She got into her car, and as she hit the highway, she noticed Barrett's car behind her. Not unusual, since they lived in the same direction, but as she got closer to home, his car stayed behind hers.
She smiled, and was grateful to have him stay behind her because the downpour started several miles from home. It was a hard rain, with heavy wind, thunder and lightning. She pulled into her garage, leaving the door open when Barrett pulled into her driveway. He made a quick dash into the garage, but he had gotten wet.
She shut the garage door.
"Crazy storm out there. Thanks for following me."
He shook water droplets from his hair. "I needed to be sure you got home okay."
They walked inside. "Which reminds me, I need to call my mom. There are towels in the downstairs bathroom you can use to dry off."
"Okay."
He disappeared and she fished her phone out of her purse, made a quick call to her mother to let her know she was home and safe, then laid her phone on the counter.
Barrett came out of the bathroom with a small towel, rubbing it over his face and hair.
A sharp crack of thunder made her jump.
Barrett laid the towel down and came over to her, sliding his arms around her to tug her against him. "Scared of the storm?"
"Not really. Just surprised by the thunder."
"It's okay. I'll keep you safe."
"How about you take my mind off of it?"
His lips curved. "I can do that. You know, when we were at your mom's tonight, it took all my willpower to keep my hands off of you."
"Is that right?"
"Yes." He smoothed his hands down her arms, then turned her around to face her kitchen counter. "I kept thinking of being behind you over the kitchen counter, lifting that pretty white dress and fucking you."
Her stomach tumbled, the need she'd held in check all night releasing in a full-blown shudder when he drew the zipper down on her dress, then reached inside to cup her breasts. Even with her bra on, her nipples responded, tingling and hardening against his questing fingers.
Every time with Barrett was like this, her desire for him as fast and frenzied as the lightning outside. He bent her over the counter and pressed his lips to her neck.
"Whenever I'm around you all I can think about is being inside of you. You make me hungry, Harmony. You make me hard."
He lifted her dress over her hips, drew her panties down around her ankles. She kicked off her heels and wriggled her panties off while she heard the tearing of a condom package. He pushed her thighs apart and nudged his cock to the entrance of her pussy, reaching around to rub her clit with his hand.
Her anticipation had put her nearly there. With a few strokes of his hand she climaxed. Tingling pleasure shot through her with an unexpected rush of delight. She cried out when he pushed inside of her, the waves of her orgasm continuing to pulse inside of her while he drove into her.
"Fuck," he said. "You're still coming."
She came again when he fucked her harder and faster, making her grab onto the counter for support. When he climaxed, he wrapped an arm around her waist and shuddered against her, thrusting his cock in deeply, his groan a delight to her frenzied senses.
He laid his chest against her back and she felt the wild beating of his heart, felt the perspiration of his skin as his thighs rested against hers.
"You're sweaty," she whispered.
"The things you do to me."
She closed her eyes. He had no idea what he was doing to her, the way he made her feel, the responses he evoked in her.
It had never been like this for her. Not with any man before. She'd had great sex before, for sure. But with Barrett, it was as if every time was so incredibly powerful it laid her out, made her feel as if he were irrevocably weaving a spell over her.
He pulled out, then turned her around, framing her face with his hands to kiss her so tenderly it brought tears to her eyes. She fought them back, fighting the emotion.
This was just sex. Hot, rocking, crazy sex. Nothing more.
It couldn't be more because she knew that's what it was for Barrett.
She wasn't going to get emotionally involved with him.
When he disentangled, he said, "I think I need a shower."
They went upstairs and she pinned her hair up and joined him in the shower for a quick rinse off. She changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top, then fixed them both a glass of iced tea.
"Stay tonig
ht?" she asked. "Storm's still raging out there."
She thought he'd object, but he just nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."
They cuddled up on the sofa together. He gathered her close and she laid her head against his chest and he rubbed his fingers up and down her arm. She wondered if maybe it was too late to fight the emotional attachment she had to him.
If so, she was in deep, and it was starting to worry her.
Twenty-Seven
Harmony had never been to the Double C ranch, but had heard stories about it from her mother and from Drake. She'd heard it was sizable, that Barrett's parents owned it. Barrett's father, Easton Cassidy, was a football legend, a retired quarterback who'd forged a dynasty of amazing sports stars.
Barrett, Flynn and their brother Grant played football. Tucker, Barrett's twin brother, was a pitcher and the only member of the family to play baseball.
Of course there was also Mia, the youngest Cassidy sibling and the only daughter. She was in postgraduate school and not the least bit interested in sports.
Barrett's mother, Lydia, was a former attorney who now helped Easton run the ranch as well as various family foundations. According to Harmony's mother, the woman was formidable but also one of the nicest people her mother had ever met. She was one of the reasons Harmony's mom had decided to go back to school, get her degree and was now a financial analyst.
Harmony had a lot to thank Lydia Cassidy for.
Drake and Barrett had flown in earlier in the day, but since both she and her mother had to work on Friday, they hadn't been able to fly out until later in the day. Barrett had told her he'd have a car waiting for them at the airport in Austin, and true to his word, as soon as they arrived there was a sign with her name on it and someone had helped them with their luggage and directed them to a nicely air-conditioned SUV.
It turned out the guy wasn't with a car service but was one of the ranch hands who'd been sent to pick them up.
It was about a fifty-mile drive from Austin to the Double C ranch. They went from city to country and when they hit the gates of the ranch, Harmony was in awe at the sheer amount of land they passed through.
The main house was massive, surrounded by tall trees and barking dogs and a lot of cars.
"Is there a party tonight?" Harmony asked.
"I don't know, honey. Knowing the Cassidys, probably. They do like to entertain. But they also have a big family."
Her mother climbed out of the car, greeted all the barking dogs, and left her to climb up the stairs and hug a petite, slender, gorgeous woman with light brown hair. She wore a maxi skirt and a tank top and sandals and looked like a mature fashion model.
Harmony made her way to the porch--after greeting all the dogs, of course.
"Go. Shoo," the woman said to the dogs, who scattered on command. "Sorry. They're all super friendly. Hello, Harmony, and welcome to the ranch. I'm Lydia Cassidy."
It was hard to believe this beautiful woman was the mother of five children. Harmony held out her hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Cassidy."
Lydia smiled. "Call me Lydia. We're very informal here. And it's hot outside. Let's go in where it's cooler."
They walked inside and, as a designer, Harmony took in everything, from the gorgeous wood floors to the incredible, state-of-the-art kitchen. She'd already had a glimpse of the amazing, obviously handmade dining room table they'd passed by on the way. It was all done in a very homey, country way that also felt modern and was incredibly beautiful. The decor was amazing and spot on.
"Your home is lovely," Harmony said.
"Thank you. I made some lemonade. Would you like some?"
"I'd love some," Harmony's mother said.
"I would, too, thank you."
"Me, too, Mom."
Harmony turned to see a beautiful, dark-haired young woman walk in, wearing shorts and a sleeveless cotton shirt. She looked to be in her early twenties, but Harmony instantly caught the resemblance between her and Barrett.
She held out her hand. "I'm Mia."
"Harmony Evans. Nice to meet you, Mia."
"Hello again, Mia," Harmony's mother said.
"It's nice to see you again, Diane. I hope the flight wasn't awful for you two. Personally, I hate flying, but sometimes it's an evil necessity."
Harmony laughed. "That's true. Barrett told me you're in college?"
"Yes. I'm doing postgraduate work at the University of Texas. I'm working on my MBA."
"Good for you."
"Thank you. Right now I'm enjoying the summer off before classes start up again."
"Oh, Drake and Barrett detoured to the university with Easton," Lydia said. "He wanted to show them off to his alma mater. They'll be here later."
"Okay," her mother said.
"Tucker--that's Barrett's twin--should be arriving soon. Flynn is already here. He's out in the barn."
She wanted to mention she had already seen Flynn last week, but of course she couldn't say that without revealing she'd gone to San Francisco with Barrett.
"I heard you've been harvesting the corn crop," her mother said to Lydia.
Lydia grinned. "Yes. Oh, and you should see the tomatoes this year, Diane. It's been hot, but we've been lucky with the rain. The garden is thriving. Would you like to see it?"
"You know I would."
"We'll be right back," Lydia said.
"You two have fun with that," Mia said, sliding onto a barstool at the island next to Harmony.
After they left, Mia turned to her. "Mom has a thing about her garden, and is willing to show it off to anyone remotely interested in vegetables."
Harmony laughed. "My mother loves her garden as well, though she doesn't exactly have a ranch-sized one."
"Those two will likely spend an hour in that hot sun, waxing poetic about various tomato varieties. Me, I don't get the appeal."
"Neither do I. So tell me about school. What will you do with your MBA?"
"I'd like to eventually get my PhD. With a concentration in managing the sports business arena."
Harmony's eyes widened. "Wow. That's ambitious. Planning to start your own dynasty someday, or possibly buy a team of your own?"
Mia laughed. "Not sure about that, but the whole sports thing has been ingrained in me for so long I think it's rubbed off. And I love management. I'm not sure where I'm headed with it, but it fascinates me. I may end up studying the dynamics and psychology of sports at some point."
Uh, wow. Talk about ambition. "I'm absolutely fascinated by your career trajectory."
"Thank you. Me, too. What do you do, Harmony?"
"I'm an interior designer."
Now Mia's eyes widened. "Get out of town. Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"You must love that."
"I do."
"Would you mind awfully if I picked your brain? I moved into an apartment in Austin last semester, and it's bare bones. I have some ideas, but I could use some advice."
"Of course. It's my favorite thing to do."
"Great. I have some pics of the place on my laptop. Hang on."
Harmony grinned as Mia dashed out of the room. She returned a few minutes later with her laptop, then scooted her barstool closer.
"You sure this isn't an imposition?"
"Of course not. I love design."
"Awesome. Anyway it's a one bedroom, very open and industrial."
She brought up the photos and handed them off to Harmony, who perused them, her mind sparking ideas right away.
"The space is so light and spacious. And you're right about the industrial feel. But the windows--you must love all those windows."
"I do. It was the biggest selling point for me on the place. A lot of my college years were spent in tight, dark spaces. This open, airy feel is so freeing. Plus, the balcony space."
"I totally agree. You could set up a desk with study space over here, which affords your best use of natural light. Sofa here, a couple of tables here. A conversation area here."
> Within twenty minutes she had sketched out furniture placement and had provided several design links for Mia to consider, from accessories to pillows to furniture.
"This is awesome," Mia said. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome. It's a great space. All you need are a few key pieces of furniture and some accessories to set it off, and it'll be perfect."
She heard male voices--a lot of them.
"And it was so quiet while it lasted," Mia said, winking. "The boys are home."
Lydia and her mother came through the back door at the same time as a horde of people walked into the kitchen.
"What, did you all show up at the same time?" Lydia asked.
"Seems that way," Barrett said, eyeing Harmony and giving her a big smile.
She felt a burst of butterflies flitting around her stomach. Ridiculous, but there they were.
Flynn was there, and Grant and Tucker with their respective fiancees and families. Flynn gave her a grin that told her their secret was safe with him.
There was also an older man who looked just like his sons.
"Okay," Lydia said, "introductions all around since I don't know who has met whom yet."
She met Grant's fiancee, Katrina Korsova, whom she recognized because she was a world-renowned fashion model. She also met Katrina's younger siblings Anya and Leo.
Tucker introduced his new fiancee, Aubry, who Harmony learned was a doctor.
Then she met Lydia's husband, Easton, who shook her hand. "Last time Diane was here with Drake she raved all about you."
Harmony looked over at her mother, who beamed a smile at her. "Mama does like to do that. And it's very nice to meet you, Easton. I've heard amazing things about you."
Easton grinned. "I like the amazing part."
She also met Easton's brothers, Eddie and Eldon, and their wives. And then there was Elijah.
Oh, Elijah was quite handsome. She could see why her mother had mentioned him.
Drake came over to hug them.
"Hope you two had a good flight."
"We did," her mother said. "I've already been out back with Lydia checking out her garden. Makes me want to expand mine."
Drake shook his head. "Of course you do. Do I need to buy you a bigger house?"
"I don't know. Maybe I need to move to Texas."
"Bite your tongue, Mama," Harmony said. "We'd miss you too much."
Her mother patted her cheek. "You know I'm just joking, honey. Home is Tampa. Always has been, always will be."
"Unless I get traded to Houston," Drake said.
"Now you bite your tongue," Barrett said. "Nobody wants to get traded to Houston."