by Andrea Thome
“Wyatt, India tells me you’ve met.” Smiling innocently, Violet linked hands with her husband and continued, “Would you mind terribly walking her back to Woodshed? Rex and I would give her a ride, but we need to stay and wrap things up with the band. I’d hate to make her wait, and you know this place so well.”
Violet waited expectantly. The energy being exchanged between Wyatt and India was palpable.
Wyatt hadn’t been prepared for Violet to beat him to the punch. India looked equally surprised, but she recovered first.
“Oh gosh, it’s OK. Wyatt’s already had to drive me around once today. I had a lovely walk down here, so I’m sure I’ll be just fine on the way back.” India smiled at Wyatt, and he could tell she was trying to let him off the hook.
Wyatt cleared his throat. Plan B.
“I’d actually like to walk you back, if it’s OK with you.” The air seemed to form a vacuum as they awaited her response.
CHAPTER
EIGHT
Wyatt and India said their good-byes to Violet and Rex and then headed down the moonlit path leading away from the pond. The evening was alive now with the sounds of unseen woodland creatures, lending an eerie vibe India hadn’t noticed earlier. Maybe it was the stillness of the inky night that was unsettling, or perhaps it was this man who had some inexplicable effect on her. She had to figure out a way to slow her pulse, reminding herself to keep her breath as steady as possible as they set out on the path in silence. The evening wasn’t cool, so there was no explanation for the goose bumps that traveled across her neck and shoulders. She let out an involuntary shiver.
Wyatt could tell she was skittish. Hell, he was nervous himself. He really had no idea what he was doing. He was drawn to her in a way that he hadn’t experienced with any woman since—well, in a very long time. He noticed her shiver, and wondered how she could be cold when he was so damned hot.
Shrugging out of his jacket, he slowed his step.
“Here, take my coat. It’s cooler now that we’re away from the fire, and we have a ways to go.”
She paused and didn’t protest when he draped the garment around her bare shoulders, thanking him with a smile.
Those bare shoulders. He’d wondered what her skin felt like there. Was it as soft and warm as it looked? He’d had a hard time all night concentrating on anything else, really. He’d caught the scent of her as he leaned close to drape the coat around her, and he immediately felt betrayed by his own body. He flushed and cleared his throat, hoping he could reclaim some control.
He wanted her. Badly.
India’s senses were overwhelmed. Wrapping herself in his jacket was almost like being in his arms. The smell of him was intoxicating, and she struggled to thank him for the gesture. She supposed she owed him an apology for her abrupt dismissal earlier that evening.
“I’m really sorry I was so crisp before. I didn’t mean to be dismissive. I guess I was just surprised that you didn’t mention your job when we were talking about photography earlier. Honestly, I overslept before dinner, and I think I might have been a little grumpy after waking up so late.”
She pulled his jacket closer around her as they passed by the old barn.
Wyatt conjured up the image of India sleeping in that big bed in Woodshed he’d stayed in himself many times, and he shifted uncomfortably as he lost the battle with his body. He’d thought she looked sleepy when she’d arrived. Sleepy in a just-rolled-out-of-bed kind of way. He worked hard to focus on the path before them.
“I probably should have said something, but I didn’t want to sound like some know-it-all,” he said. “Besides, everything I’ve been able to do in my career is because of Violet, and you were on your way to her workshop, not mine.” India raised her eyebrows at that.
“Turns out, I’m going to be studying under you now anyway,” she said.
The thought of her studying anything under him was too much to bear. He steered the conversation back to safety.
“That is a new development. Rex and Violet have an opportunity to travel for a while, so I’m going to take over here while they’re away. They want to show me the ropes this week. And so, I’m teaching.”
He turned to her and slowed his pace.
“I promise you, I wasn’t trying to be vague. And I’m really glad we’ll get to work together. This really is the most incredible place to discover through the lens. It’s amazing for me to see it through the eyes of a first-time guest.”
India felt herself starting to relax a little. It was easy to talk with him, and he was clearly invigorated by photography.
“Your job sounds amazing. What’s it like to travel for a living? It must get lonely, being away from your family and friends so much.”
Wyatt tucked his hands into the top of his jeans pockets as they resumed their pace.
“Honestly, I love my job. I’ve traveled all around and seen some incredible places. It’s a dream job for a photographer, for sure. I will say, in the last couple of years, I’ve noticed that it’s gotten more difficult to leave and more rewarding to come home. Violet and Rex have the most amazing little girl now, and I hate the fact that I’m missing out on seeing her grow up.” The little girl in the photo on his dashboard. India smiled, listening to Wyatt talk about Violet and her family in the same way Violet had spoken so fondly of him.
“I can tell how close the three of you are—you, Violet, and Rex, I mean. They seem like lovely people. You’ve known them a long time?”
She was aware that the journalist in her was digging for information, but she couldn’t help herself. She wanted to know his story.
“They saved me from myself, really.”
He paused, changing course.
“Violet showed me that photography could be healing, and she got me an interview at National Geographic at a critical time for me personally. The job gave me my life back. I guess that’s what makes me question whether or not I can survive in one place. I’ve been a rolling stone for so long.” “I guess you’re about to find out.” India smiled.
He’d been through something serious; that much was clear. It made her want to open up a little in return.
“My job has been my life too. I love it, I do.”
Their eyes met, and his expression encouraged her to continue.
“I’ve wondered lately if there isn’t something missing, though. In fact, I was this close to getting married in December, but at the last minute, I knew it wasn’t right.”
She looked at him intently now as they had both slowed back down. She sighed.
“So. Plan B.”
He nodded in silent agreement.
Wyatt couldn’t figure how someone could have let her go. In all honesty, he was relieved to hear that she wasn’t interested in marriage. He couldn’t imagine himself as a husband again. But that didn’t make him desire her any less. In fact, her vulnerability made her even sexier.
And his greatest relief was hearing that she was single.
They walked in silence for a few more minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. They rounded the bend, and Woodshed came into view. It looked so cozy, with the windows spilling out soft light and a plume of smoke rising up from the chimney. India could smell the fire, grateful for the staff that had prepared her cottage for the evening.
“Isn’t it a cool place?” Wyatt asked. “It’s my favorite of all of the accommodations on the property. I like being so near the fields too. I’m close with Finn, our master gardener. That’s who I was talking with today. Make sure you take a walk over to his planting shed. Just allow enough time; he’s passionate about what he does, and he’ll talk your ear off if you get him started about heirloom seeds.” India smiled.
“I’ve actually read about him in Food and Wine magazine. There’s a guy who loves what he does. I’m definitely planning a visit with him.”
They’d arrived at her cottage and were now standing on the path looking out over the fields, which were bathed in moonlight. There was the shiver again
, reminding India that she should return his jacket. She turned sideways to offer it back to him.
“Thank you once again for your chivalry. Your jacket kept me warm, but it sure looked better on you.” Did she really just say that?
Wyatt stepped closer, gently lifting the coat off her, dipping his head to catch her scent once more. A heat rose off her, and before he knew what he was doing, he let his fingertips lightly graze her bare shoulder.
Soft, yes. Like fine silk. And so warm. He stiffened when she shivered in an instant reply.
India closed her eyes at his touch.
She turned back toward him, their faces just inches apart. His eyes searched hers for what to do next, but before he could read her, she had taken a step toward him and had risen up to place the softest kiss on his jawline. She backed away quickly, licking her bottom lip nervously.
“Thank you, Wyatt.”
She was sure he could hear her heartbeat; it was overwhelmingly loud in her own ears. She summoned up the courage to take it further.
“Would you like to stay and have a drink with me on the porch?”
His emotions were clashing inside him. He’d never been this aroused, of that he was sure. But he felt guilty, as if he were betraying a memory. Even so, he craved that taste of her that he had allowed himself to fantasize about earlier. But he decided to use the last of his wits to stop himself from taking this too far.
“Thanks, but we both have a full day tomorrow. I’ll see you in the morning at the barn. Eleven, right?”
He thought he saw a flicker of surprise and disappointment in her eyes as he turned to walk back down the porch steps.
“Sure, of course. See you at eleven.”
India was both relieved and horrified. What had she hoped to accomplish by offering him a drink? No wonder he’d practically run out of there. She had just opened the door to go inside when she heard his voice.
“What the hell.”
Wyatt had turned around, and he was bounding back up the path toward her. He took the door and kept it propped open against his back. She stood frozen on the threshold, staring up at him with those blue eyes. She was illuminated from behind by the fire, making her appear to him like an angel. He took her face in his hands, staring intently back at her as if searching for something, then slowly lowered his lips to meet hers.
The first graze was soft, almost imperceptible. She felt breathless as his stubble grazed her slightly parted lips. She inhaled sharply. His second pass hit the bull’s-eye. She opened her mouth a little more, inviting him in to explore.
They couldn’t get enough of each other.
She tasted of coffee and cream liquor; Wyatt of Scotch and wood smoke. His hands left her face, traveled along her neck, pausing to play gently with the hair at her nape, and finally skimmed to a stop on the back of her shoulders.
She instinctively reached up to him, allowing him to explore her mouth more deeply, feeling his desire for her.
Wyatt was vaguely aware that he was losing control.
He could never get enough of her; he knew that now.
He reluctantly broke their kiss and leaned back, turning to go.
“Good night,” he told her, smiling gently as his hands slid off her shoulders and down her arms. He stepped backward, and before India could speak, Wyatt was headed down the path and had disappeared into the evening.
CHAPTER
NINE
Wyatt cranked up the music on his iPod as loud as it would go and finally felt himself break a sweat. Eminem informed him that he only had one shot, and that this opportunity comes once in a lifetime. He tried not to think about how that seemed to directly apply to him lately.
Mornings on the farm were special. Wyatt loved to get up before the sun, strap on his running shoes, and head out before most guests had had their first cup of coffee. This morning, the air was cool, and a silvery mist rose up off the warm waters of Walland pond, making the boathouse look like a painting. There was no breeze, so the only movement was the wake in the water being left by a pair of mallards who’d risen earlier than he had.
His feet thumped against the pavement in sync with the music as he felt the adrenaline start to kick in. His plan was to run the perimeter of the fields and then stop by the garden to help Finn stage the heavy bags of soil before hitting the shower and heading to the barn. His mind wandered as he rounded the bend and ran past the small family cemetery on the hill. It was usually a place he stopped for a few moments, but today he picked up his pace and sped by.
What had he done? He thought he’d been smart, dragging himself off that porch before she noticed how desperate he was to touch her. But that palpable vulnerability of hers. He couldn’t leave her standing there thinking that she was undesirable; he could see her confusion when he’d declined the drink. He’d only been trying to be a gentleman, but trying wasn’t succeeding.
He’d obviously lost all reason when he turned around to go back to her. Now, he wondered if he’d taken too much.
That kiss was ridiculous.
It had taken every fiber of his being to finally pull away. He’d left before she could say anything, and all night he’d lain awake, those eyes of hers haunting him as he tried to figure out the thoughts behind them. He hoped she wouldn’t be uncomfortable around him in class today. He resolved to be strictly professional so she wouldn’t have any reason to be uneasy. His new resolve helped him accelerate up the last big hill and into the garden, where Finn stood waiting for him in the early-morning light.
India was up early too, snuggled into the overstuffed sofa, her steaming cup of coffee starting to unscramble her brain. She was exhausted, but she couldn’t spend another moment in that bed where she had fitfully tossed all night, reliving the previous evening.
She vacillated between cringing at her own pluck for inviting Wyatt to stay and the flutter she felt when she remembered the feel of his mouth on hers. She couldn’t remember exactly, but she was pretty sure she had stopped breathing for a time.
She’d felt like a drunk who couldn’t get enough to feel satisfied. It was as if her guts had been scooped out when he’d pulled away, and she’d spent way too long leaning against her closed door with her hand against her cheek, touching the place his stubble had rubbed her cheek raw.
She got up and walked into the bathroom to see if she was still pink from his touch. The woman staring back at her had changed. She couldn’t figure out why, but she felt like she was looking at a stranger. She’d just shrugged out of her oversized T-shirt, preparing for a hot shower, when she remembered that she’d left the coffeepot on. She wrapped herself in one of the plush white towels and tiptoed out into the kitchen to turn it off. When she glanced out the window, the coffeepot was forgotten.
Finn was standing at the end of one of the rows of the garden with a wagon full of seedlings to plant. But that wasn’t what had caught her attention.
Wyatt was striding toward him with a huge bag of soil slung over one shoulder. He’d been at it for a while, if his mudand-sweat-caked back were any indication. He was wearing a baseball cap backward, his thick curls spilling out the bottom. He wore a pair of running shorts and sneakers, but not much else. His entire body glistened in the sun, beads of sweat and soil somehow enhancing his good looks. India started chewing on her finger absentmindedly. Her desire was tangible. She allowed herself a few more minutes of this riveting spectacle before finally tearing herself away from the window.
Forget the shower, she thought. She was going to want a few moments alone in that soaking tub. She hoped she could get herself together before class.
Mornings at Blackberry officially began with breakfast in the main house, so India jumped into her golf cart, figuring she’d have plenty of time to grab something to eat and take a short walk before heading back to the barn for class. She’d been hoping for one more peek at the action in the garden, but the rows were empty now, save for bags of soil at each row’s end, ready to be spread.
India had jus
t finished her breakfast and was enjoying her coffee in a cozy booth near the window when she spotted Violet and Rex, with Wyatt bringing up the rear, carrying their little girl. A hostess led them past her table toward another dining room. Violet, chatting with Rex, hadn’t noticed India, but Wyatt was staring right at her.
“Morning,” he said with a smile. She smiled back, answering him in kind, but was surprised when he kept on walking without stopping to talk. The little girl had been trying to braid the ends of his hair, she’d noticed. She saw the four of them sit down in the rear of the restaurant by the fireplace, Wyatt holding the child on his lap.
Her mind was racing now. Maybe he regretted the kiss? Violet had been the one to suggest he walk her home. What was the poor guy supposed to do, say no? Or maybe it hadn’t had the same effect on him. She shook her head. Impossible.
That kiss was epic. His body hadn’t lied.
She finished her coffee and then scooted out of the dining room before they did, hoping to avoid a second humiliation. Stopping by the concierge desk, she grabbed a map of the hiking trails on the property and purchased some more bubble bath for her tub. Time to regroup. She’d head out that afternoon after class and lose herself in the woods, after which she’d enjoy a long hot bath with a good book and a giant glass of wine. That’s why she’d come. To relax. Not to get all hot and bothered.
Wyatt was glad Violet had been distracted. He’d spotted India the moment they’d walked in. Damn, she was a knockout. Today, her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she was wearing a white button-down shirt with jeans and boots.
Effortless.
Even without much makeup, her face was luminous. He worked hard to avert his eyes.
Scooping Sadie up into his arms, Wyatt chuckled when she started pulling on his hair. She could be his excuse. He wanted to be professional with India to put her at ease. He smiled and said hello as they walked past, and she smiled back. Better to keep the small talk to a minimum, he thought, and he followed Rex and Vi to their table without stopping.
