“The church in Austin is booked, and the reception venue is as well,” Katrina said. “I have the guest list in order. It doesn’t appear to be shaping up to be small.”
Lydia laughed. “That doesn’t surprise me. Between family and our friends and yours and Grant’s friends, plus all the media attention the wedding will have, it’s bound to be quite the event.”
Katrina wrinkled her nose. “I’m hoping to keep media to a minimum, or not at all. This is a family-and-friends-only event, not something I want on the cover of the tabloids.”
Lydia nodded and jotted something down in her notebook. “We’ll talk about security, make sure it’s beefed up for both the church and the reception.”
“Thank you, Lydia.”
“How about you, Aubry?” Lydia asked.
“We have the church and the reception. That’s about it. Oh, and I’ve picked out my dress.”
Katrina’s eyes widened. “You have? We haven’t gone dress shopping yet.”
“Well, I haven’t tried it on, but I have something in mind. I saw it online and fell in love with it.”
“Now you know we all want to see it,” Lydia said.
She shook her head. “I’ll wait until we hit the store. It’s going to be a surprise.”
“Tease,” Mia said.
“I know. I can’t help it. But I think you’re all going to love it. I hope you all love it.”
Lydia smiled. “I’m sure we will. Have you booked an appointment for the dress yet?”
She shook her head. “Not yet. But I’ll be sure to let you all know so you’re available.”
What fun it must be to plan a wedding. It wasn’t something Harmony had thought much about, mainly because she’d never been deeply enough in love to think about marriage. At least specifically.
Sure, she’d always thought she might get married someday. And she occasionally pondered the thought someday she’d fall in love and live happily ever after, but she didn’t read bridal magazines or keep a pin board with wedding venues or favorite cakes or anything like that.
Whenever it happened, then she’d design the hell out of her wedding. Until then, she was mostly a live day by day kind of woman.
But listening to Katrina and Aubry talk flowers and cakes and invitations and the like sure was fun.
After a while, she got up and wandered the house, taking in all the beautiful old furniture, the antiques and the old photos of generations of Cassidys.
She refilled her tea and walked outside. It wasn’t quite dark yet, but the sun was setting, a bright orange glow mixing with the straight blues and oranges streaking along the horizon.
So gorgeous.
She was alone out here—except for the dogs, who excitedly greeted her.
“Hey, kids.” She bent to scratch all their ears, then stepped down off the porch to wander the path that led from the house to the barn.
She lived in the city, in a town house, where one wall butted up against her neighbors. She was used to constant traffic and loud noises. Out here it was peaceful and so quiet she could hear everything from birds to crickets to the wind rustling through the trees.
It was something she’d never experienced before. A quiet calm settled over her, a peacefulness that fell over her like a warm, serene blanket. She let it flow through her as she continued to stroll along the property, content to just breathe in the scents of hay and animals and fresh, unpolluted air.
She’d made her way past the first barn to another when she heard footsteps behind her. She wasn’t concerned, figuring it was either one of the ranch hands or one of the Cassidys.
“Lost?”
Her lips curved as Barrett came up beside her. “Intentionally lost.”
He led her off the path, where they walked a distance toward the second barn. It was dark in there, but he didn’t turn on the light.
No sounds came from within but she inhaled the smell of hay.
“Agricultural lesson?” she asked.
He took her glass and set it down, then backed her against the wall of one of the stalls where horses were obviously housed. “No. Biology.”
His mouth came down on hers, hard. She wound her arms around his neck and when he lifted her, she wrapped her legs around him, feeling the hard thrust of his cock against her.
She was damp, her breasts tingly and tender and her entire body pulsing with need.
Barrett kissed her neck, his tongue sliding along her throat as he lowered her to the ground. “I hate not being able to touch you. Damn if it isn’t the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”
He lifted up her shirt and leaned down to kiss her stomach, rising to pull the cups of her bra over her breasts. His lips closed over one of her nipples and sucked. She bit down on her lip to keep from crying out.
“Barrett.” His name fell from her lips in a whisper. She was trying to be careful because she didn’t know who was out wandering. But when he continued to lick and suck her breasts, and then slipped his hand into the waistband of her pants to cup her sex, she no longer cared.
Being so close to him but not close enough had been torture, and also a turn-on. It had been like a touchless foreplay, and she was more than ready for him.
“Yes. Touch me. Make me come.”
He met her gaze and rubbed her, sliding a finger inside of her as he rubbed his thumb over her clit.
She kept eye contact with him as she gasped. “I’m going to come. I’m going to come.”