3

The lights in the trees and along the arbours around the dance floor lent the not usually very glamorous Grange some romance.

The scent of jasmine hung in the air, and Nathan thanked heaven for the breeze and the cleverly placed fans for keeping the place from being sweltering. Sweltering would have meant less opportunity to get nice and close to Lily on the dance floor.

And as delicious as she looked, he didn’t want to waste a moment.

Currently, she sat across from him, her head bent towards his sister Beth as they laughed about something or other. Didn’t matter what, he just liked to look at her. Liked to see her there with their friends and family.

“I hear you two finally set a date.” Maggie Chase leaned across her husband Kyle to squeeze Lily’s hand. “Polly has been talking about it nonstop.”

“I really can’t believe she’s offering to let us use the house. It’s far too generous. But she wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

The entire table erupted with laughter. Everyone who knew Polly Chase knew she didn’t take no for an answer when she wanted the answer to be yes. She was a tiny woman with a will bigger than most he’d ever come across.

Nathan knew, much as Maggie would have, that Polly considered the Murphys part of her family, and once Polly considered you family, that was that. She’d see an offer of their house for the wedding as something to do because she’d do the same for her biological children.

Maggie looked to her husband a moment before looking back to Lily. “We got married there, so did Liv and Marc. It’s a perfect spot. And you know Polly will love helping. She wouldn’t have offered if she hadn’t meant it.”

Lily smiled and Nathan’s chest tightened with emotion at the sight of the tears glimmering in her eyes. “She told me you all had a history of Christmas weddings and proposals, and she’d love for us to add to that tradition. She knows how to make a girl cry.”

“I’m just relieved we have a date at last and a place. She can’t run out on me now.” He sent her a smile and she sent him one back, warming him all over. It was really time to go. Time to get her home and alone to divest her of all those clothes she had on. He wondered what her panties looked like and then realised he’d know all up close and personal-like very soon.

She blushed, probably knowing he was thinking dirty things about her. “Ha. You think I’d give you up now that you’re all trained and stuff? I’m no fool.”

“As guys go he’s not bad.” Beth tossed a beer-bottle cap at Nathan’s head. Tate laughed.

“So guess what? I stopped by the Honey Bear earlier today, and William told me Joe Harris is coming back to Petal.” Joe had been William’s best friend back in the day. He’d been from the part of town Nathan and his siblings were. Joe had lived a hard life before he’d even turned eighteen. He’d been content to wild around getting in trouble, got arrested a few times for stupid, petty stuff. But he’d enlisted in the military and had turned his life around.

“I figured he’d go anywhere but Petal after he got out of the military.” Nathan knew that feeling too.

“William said he was thinking about opening a business here. He couldn’t get really detailed, it was busy and the counter was overrun.” Tate sat back against Matt.

Lily spoke to Nathan. “Get his contact info when you get the chance, Nathan. We need to invite him to the wedding.”

Lily sent a look to Beth—a quick, sneaky girl look—and Nathan narrowed his gaze suspiciously.

Beth raised a brow and both women laughed.

“You didn’t date him. I would have known.” Nathan shook his head.

Lily laughed. “Oh goodness no. He was such a bad boy, my parents never would have let him up the front walk. But if I remember correctly, he’s mighty cute, and from everything I’ve heard, he’s changed his tune and turned his life around. Plus he’s a friend of your brother’s. It’s welcoming, you know, to invite an old friend to a wedding.”

"Yes, I agree. It’s neighbourly and all.” Beth nodded, a smile edging her mouth, and Nathan looked towards Tate, who shrugged noncommittally, which meant she knew exactly what was up.

But when he looked back to Lily, she had that smile, the one she gave only to him, and suddenly nothing else mattered.

“I’m feeling a little tired.” He said this looking straight at her.

“Yeah, me too.”

Within moments everyone had gotten up and headed out to the parking lot. Hugs were exchanged as the husbands steered wives to cars.

“You know,” Lily said as she buckled her seat belt, “we have all sorts of time. I don’t think I’ve been out parking…well, ever.”

“You think I know the best places to drive out into the country? Hmm?” With a hand on her thigh, he pulled out onto the road and began to head away from Petal. “You think I’d know where to take a female for some smooching and a few bases?”

“I totally do, Nathan Murphy. You’re a rogue. A handsome one at that. So I imagine you’ve taken a few ladies out to look at the stars while you were all smooth and got your hand up under their sweaters. They might have even let you put in the tip.”

“Goddamn, Lil, you know what it does to me when you’re this way.”

She settled back against the seat with that smile of hers. “Oh yes, I surely do.”

He drove, managing, just barely, to not break the speed limit. The last thing he wanted was to have this time with her interrupted by a ticket. Truth be told, he hadn’t been out parking in a good fifteen years, but he was a high school teacher, after all. He’d heard the kids talking about this place or that place to go and make out. Pretty much the same places from when he was in high school.

She watched him as he drove, the window was down and her hair blew all over the place but she just pushed it back. He loved that she wasn’t fussy, even as she was always so pretty and put together.

The road he took out to the lake wasn’t as well maintained as the main one so he took it slow and finally found a good spot to park. The lake was down a hill and off in the distance. The moon was full and gave plenty of light.

Before he could say anything, she was in his lap and he had to push the seat back. “I’m not wearing any underpants. I put them in my purse an hour ago.”

“Good Lord, woman, you’re going to kill me.” That he said this as his hands busily skimmed up her thighs and under the skirt to find out if she was lying sort of negated the whole dying thing.

And yes indeed she was bare. Warm and wet, waiting for him. She gasped and then shivered when his fingers slid through her pussy, finding her clit and tickling it. Just a breath of a touch.

She squirmed and made that sound he loved so much. He skated his mouth down the line of her neck, and she held him to her, her fingers sliding into his hair and tugging.

“Demanding.” He flicked open one of the buttons at the bodice of her dress and then another. “I’m going to take my time, so shush.”

She laughed and leaned close enough to nip his ear and lick over the lobe. She knew it made him crazy. And it did.

“I love you, Lily.” He took her mouth when she straightened to return the sentiment. She sighed into him, softening and letting him take the kiss wherever he wanted.

He tasted and teased, revelling in her, in that moment. Her tongue slid along his as she tasted and teased right back. They had amazing chemistry. He wanted her from the moment he woke up until the moment he fell asleep. Even with his hands on her, he wanted her. The need for what they did together, the energy they made, the way she filled his life excited him.

Impatient, she took matters in her own hands and unbuckled and unzipped his jeans, bringing his cock out. He started to argue, but why? Why complain when she rose up enough to slide herself down on his cock, taking him inside fully.

“That’s so much better.” She spoke into his mouth as he smiled.

“Mighty forward, ma’am. I am helpless against your filthy urges.”

This made her laugh. “Hush now. We can’t get this truck rocking or we’ll attract attention. So I’ll do my best to keep my movement…internal.” She showed him what she meant as she squeezed around him, jutting her hips a little and then back.

It was the illicit nature of the encounter, coupled with the heat of her, that tight embrace and the slide of her around his cock, that shredded his control.

“Just so you know, I’m going to fuck you again when we get home.” His fingers got busy on her clit and she squealed.

“I’m counting on it. You do have some mighty fine recovery time. What girl wouldn’t like that?” She braced her hands on his shoulders and pressed down on him, taking him in so deep he saw stars.

“I have the best fiancée in the whole damned world.”

She laughed again but then gusted a curse when he increased the pressure of his fingers against her. Her pussy tightened around him and he knew it wouldn’t be long for either of them.

And when she fell over the edge, she leaned forward and sank her teeth into his shoulder to keep from crying out. Which only made him hotter for her. Pushing him over right with her.

“I suppose some might think it’s crazy to get down out here when we have the house all to ourselves,” she said sleepily.

“Some don’t have gorgeous, sexy women who’ll take their panties off and give their men the night of their lives in a pickup just like they were teenagers again.”

She appeared to be in no hurry to leave so he held her there on his lap, her body against his, still inside as their heartbeats slowed to normal again.

“I love you, Nathan.”

He smiled against her hair. “I sure am glad.”