A Summer Romance (6 page)

As she rode her bike down the quiet dirt
road lost in thought a loud clap of thunder boomed overhead.
Seconds later rain began to pour down in sheets. It was raining so
hard she couldn’t see to ride and had to pull over. She was soaked
to the skin within minutes as she walked her bike along the road
with her head turned down against the onslaught. She didn’t even
hear the truck pull up alongside her over the roar of the rain.

“Get in!” She recognized Aaron’s voice and
her head snapped up to see him jumping out of his truck and
reaching for her bicycle. She felt both relieved and little scared
all at the same time. She’d just spent the last ten minutes
contemplating whether or not this man was possibly dangerous and
now here she was on a deserted dirt road in the middle of a
thunderstorm being told to get into his truck. She mentally kicked
herself for her hesitation. This was the same man who’d she’d
invited into her kitchen for lemonade and who’d helped her name a
cat. He wasn’t dangerous.

She climbed into the cab of the truck as he
lifted her bike and put it in the back. He jumped into the cab with
her and slammed the door against the rain. He shook the rain out of
his hair laughing.

“Nice day for a ride,” he teased as he
started driving down the road.

“At least it wasn’t too hot,” she defended
playfully. Aaron laughed heartily.

Aaron had such a carefree laugh and
contagious smile. Maggie immediately felt at ease, just being in
his presence again dissolved all the questions that had been raised
by the people of Sweetwater. Whatever they believed about him was
wrong. In that moment Maggie decided that it didn’t matter whether
or not Aaron had a troubled past, she wasn’t going to let that stop
her from getting to know him. She liked him.

“So where’s your car?” Aaron asked.

“I sold it,” Maggie admitted sheepishly.

“Really? Why?”

“It broke down and it was going to cost more
money to fix than it was worth,” Maggie explained. “I know I’m
going to need to get another one,” she added quickly. “I just
haven’t figured that part out yet.” As she said it out loud Maggie
realized how ridiculous it sounded. Who sells their car without a
backup plan?

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out. In
the meantime just let me know if you need anything,” Aaron offered.
His confidence in her was reassuring. He didn’t sound at all
judgmental about Maggie’s rash decision to sell her car instead he
simply offered his help. “I’ll leave you my number. My place is
just a couple acres from the main house. So, you know, I’m close if
you need me.”

“You live on the property?” she asked,
confirming her suspicion that Sheriff Rutledge had in fact been
referring to Aaron when he’d said she wasn’t the only guest on the
Devereaux property.

She hadn’t really considered how close he
lived to the house. She’d been walking the property every morning.
The thought that she could’ve stumbled upon his house was kind of
exciting.

“It’s actually an old barn, but it was
converted into living quarters for the groundskeeper a long time
ago. Ms. Devereaux’s letting me stay there in exchange for
maintaining the property. But I’m working on building up a few more
clients, and once I do I’ll be able to get my own place.”

“So you’re trying to start up your own
landscaping business?” Maggie asked.

“Well, yeah, I guess. I hadn’t really
thought of it like that. I’m just looking for work,” he said
humbly, and Maggie liked him just a little bit more. He didn’t try
to boast or impress her, he was real, and for the first time in her
life she felt like she’d found somebody that she could be real with
too, somebody who wouldn’t judge her or hold her to an unrealistic
expectation.

The rain had slowed to a drizzle as they
pulled up to the house. Maggie didn’t really want to say
goodbye.

“You can just put the bike in the garage,”
she told him as he lifted it out of the back of the truck. She
realized that he already knew exactly where the garage was, but she
led him there anyway, suddenly very aware of her movements as he
walked behind her.

She entered the dark garage and turned
around to face him. He’d just leaned the bike against the wall. She
took a step closer.

“Thank you.” She was breathless with
anticipation. This was the moment. This was when she would figure
out if he was interested or just being kind. She had a feeling he
liked her too, but she needed to be sure. She looked up into his
eyes expectantly. Her pulse was racing and her breathing shallow,
but for the first time it was a welcome feeling.

He looked down at her and she saw the desire
in his eyes. She was sure he was going to kiss her. She wet her
lips. He reached over and gently brushed the damp hair from her
forehead and tucked it behind her ear. It was the simplest gesture,
but extremely intimate. Her breath caught in her throat. Her lips
parted slightly and his gaze fell to her mouth. A pained look
crossed his face.

“I’d better be going,” he said solemnly as
he bowed his head. He stepped away, his eyes darting up to hers one
last time. She knew he could see the confusion there and she
thought he looked apologetic. Without another word he turned and
left her alone in the garage and it was then that Maggie realized
just how dangerous he really was. If she let him, he had the power
to break her heart.

It had rained for two days. The air was
heavy with humidity but Maggie convinced herself it was a perfect
morning for a walk. She told herself it had everything to do with
being cooped up for two days and nothing at all to do with not
seeing Aaron in that time.

She walked farther than she ever had before,
the whole time trying to convince herself that she wasn’t looking
for an old barn but daydreaming about what would happen if she did
stumble upon it. As the morning wore on her daydreams became more
daring.

What she did finally discover was not a barn
but a small lake. At the sight of the glistening water she realized
just how hot it had gotten. The sun burned high overhead and the
sparkling water looked like an oasis.

She walked to the edge and felt the cool
water. She glanced around at her surroundings. The lake was nestled
between rolling hills dotted with trees. It felt very secluded and
it was surprisingly liberating being so far away from civilization.
She ran her fingers through the water it felt so refreshing against
the heavy heat of the day. She stood and surveyed the area again.
There was no one around for miles. Except for Aaron.

That last thought stirred something deep
inside her. Maggie reminded herself that she was trying to do
things outside of her comfort zone. She was trying to be more
carefree, more spontaneous. Before she could talk herself out of it
she removed her shirt, then with a deep breath she slid down her
shorts. She told herself that her bra and panties were no different
than a bikini. Regardless she skipped quickly to the water to
submerge herself from view.

The water felt amazing. It was the perfect
temperature against the hot day. She rolled her head back, dipping
her hair into the water. As she floated on her back underneath the
summer sun she felt more relaxed than she’d ever known possible.
This was the single most peaceful moment of her life.

She swam until her body was tired and her
mind was renewed. This was why she’d come to Georgia. Back on the
bank she no longer felt self-conscious as she sprawled out on a
large flat rock to dry in the sun. This place felt magical.

His shadow over her alerted her to his
presence. She opened her eyes to see him staring down at her, his
eyes burned with passion. She made no attempt to cover herself as
she lay exposed beneath him. He pulled off his shirt without a word
as he towered above her. She smiled coyly at him. He fell to his
knees beside her and pulled her into his arms as he kissed her
deeply. She ran her hands up his back, feeling his muscles flex
beneath her fingers. He kissed her neck, gripping her breast
firmly. She moaned in pleasure.

He kissed and nibbled his way to her
breasts. With a snap of his fingers her bra popped open and she was
completely exposed to him. She ran her fingers through his hair and
gripped handfuls of it as he suckled and nipped at the tender buds.
He continued to kiss lower leaving a trail down her stomach. He
quickly flicked his tongue into her bellybutton and she whimpered
and arched beneath him. He lifted his head to look up at her, his
blue eyes sparked with electricity. He slipped his thumbs under the
waist band of her panties and began to slowly pull them down.

Something jolted Maggie awake. She was still
lying on the large sunning rock by the lake, alone. She quickly
scrambled for her clothes, still feeling flushed from her erotic
dream. She wasn’t sure what had woken her but she felt as if she
was being watched. She scurried away from the lake feeling a bit
weak in the knees. That dream had been more intense than anything
she had ever experienced in real life, and it had felt so real. She
could still feel his hands on her.

As she made her way back to the house her
breathing gradually slowed and her heart rate returned to normal,
but the images from the dream would stay with her the rest of the
day and late into that night.

The next day was Tuesday. Maggie waited
impatiently for Aaron to arrive. She spent the morning in the
kitchen with her new cookbook opened and ingredients strewn across
the counters. When she heard the mower circling the house a huge
smile broke out across her face. Images from the dream flashed in
her mind but she tried to shake them off. She had to remind herself
that their last encounter actually involved him rejecting her in
the garage, not making love to her by the lake. She tried to tell
herself that she should take the hint, but she just didn’t believe
that he wasn’t interested. His eyes betrayed him, the way he looked
at her sometimes said so much more than his words ever had. She
knew she should leave it alone, but knowing he was right outside
was just too much for her. She had to see him.

She waited until the sounds of the mower had
faded away while she cleaned up the kitchen then she went in search
of Aaron. She found him in the driveway trimming the box hedges
around the fountain. She waited patiently, leaned against a large
column, as he finished his work. He’d just begun to load up his
truck when he spotted her watching him from the porch. A wide smile
spread across his face at the sight of her and she felt encouraged.
She took a few steps down the porch as he walked to meet her.

“Mornin’,” he drawled. She loved his
Southern accent and the sexy way his hips swayed as he moved toward
her. She loved the way his blue eyes always seemed to be smiling
and she was momentarily mesmerized by his dimples. A few seconds
passed before she realized it was her turn to speak and she’d just
been staring at him like a smiling fool.

“Potato salad,” she blurted out and then
closed her eyes in embarrassment. “I’ve made some potato salad,”
she clarified, with her eyes still closed. She opened her eyes to
see Aaron watching her with an amused expression.

“Would you like some lunch?” She realized
that had come out completely jumbled and not at all how she’d
practiced in her head.

“I’m trying out a new recipe,” Maggie
continued before he could answer. “For the Fourth of July barbeque
and I need a taste tester.” She knew she was rambling now, but she
just couldn’t seem to help it. “That is if you like potato salad. I
have some left over roast chicken too, I could make some
sandwiches,” she continued nervously.

“I like potato salad,” he interrupted,
thankfully sparing her from rambling further. She smiled with
relief.

She turned and walked into the house, very
aware of him following close behind. She led him to the kitchen and
began pulling food from the fridge as she once again started
rambling nervously.

“I bought a cookbook at the farmer’s market
a few days ago. Have you ever been to the farmer’s market? It’s
really quite impressive. The whole town of Sweetwater is. I really
like it here. Anyway, when I bought this cookbook from a woman in
town she told me about the Fourth of July barbeque. It was Lacey
Buchannan, do you know Lacey?” she asked, looking up from the
sandwiches she was preparing.

Aaron was casually leaned against the
counter watching her with that same look of amusement he’d had
outside. He shook his head slightly, in answer to her question.

“She’s a lovely girl, and she told me about
this barbeque. The whole town comes together and everyone brings
something. So I decided I needed to figure out what I could bring,
and I found this recipe for potato salad which seemed easy enough.
I’ve never made potato salad before. Honestly I haven’t eaten it
too often either, so I wasn’t really sure if it turned out right.
Which is where you come in.” She stopped to take a breath and
smiled nervously at Aaron.

He wore a sexy crooked grin, showing one
adorable dimple. He was staring at her intently. She felt the need
to flutter and check her hair, but she suppressed the urge. Instead
she retrieved the bowl of potato salad and added some to each of
the plates with the sandwiches. Suddenly she was out of things to
do with her hands to keep busy and simultaneously she couldn’t
think of another thing to say. She could feel an edge of panic
slipping in. She looked to Aaron for help. He stepped forward as if
on cue and picked up the plates she’d prepared.

“Well then, let’s try this potato salad.” He
smiled at her with that look in his eye. The one that told her
potato salad was the last thing on his mind. She smiled sheepishly
and gestured to the bar stools that were set up around the kitchen
island.