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  She looped the linen towel over a peg beside the tub and stepped into the water. A little hot, but she could stand it. Gripping the sides, she slowly lowered herself into the steamy liquid. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d taken a bath without some sweet-smelling bubble bath or salts. And she used a particular brand of body shampoo with a fresh pear scent. She reached for the cake of soap. It smelled strong and clean, but not anything she could describe as fragrant.

  She lathered the cloth and rubbed it over her gritty face. The suds felt good and she worked the cloth down her arm. “Oh! Damn!” The bar of soap squished out of her grip and went skittering across the floor. She started to reach for it and knocked over the stool. She grunted again, then pulled herself to a standing position.

  “Mel? Are you alright? Did you fall?” Helmut stepped through the hanging quilt barrier just as Mel stood fully upright, her skin glistening in the candlelight. He froze in place and took in the spectacle slowly. His gaze traveled the length of her, feasting on her nakedness.

  Mel stared at him. An ocean of longing poured toward her, reaching out like arms to embrace her. She took a breath and pointed to the floor. “The soap.”

  “I see.” He didn’t take his eyes off her, but reached to retrieve it. Extending the bar to her, he stepped nearer.

  She heard the ragged breath he drew. A half smile came to her lips as he placed the soap in her hand.

  Helmut released the shoulder straps of his overalls.

  Mel couldn’t repress her grin. Boxers or briefs?

  The overalls slid down his tanned chest, skimmed over his lean hips and muscular thighs before landing on the floor.

  Her eyes widened. Oh, commando. Would you look at that?

  He stepped out of the overalls and reached for her.

  His touch set off a chain reaction. She felt as though a down pillow exploded in her chest, creating a fluffy swirl of feathers. She held out her arms and he stepped into the tub, drawing her into an embrace. As he enfolded her, she registered surprise that such a big man could express tenderness so eloquently.

  He held her firmly against his solid length and rested his chin against the top of her head. When he released her, he lowered himself into the water and held out his arms.

  Mel’s heart throbbed against her ribcage as she immersed herself, settling between his thighs and into his arms. The idea of taking a bath with a stranger had never entered her mind, but now...

  He took the wash cloth and soap and lathered the cloth, stroking it gently over her shoulders, then pulled her back to recline against his torso.

  The rough cloth abraded her flesh, but the large hands caressing her were like balm. He extended her arm and washed it with great concentration, his lips close to her ear. His breathing came faster as his palm caressed her breast.

  Mel was both relaxed and energized as never before. He kissed the top of her ear and the side of her neck. She turned to seek his mouth, stopping short when she caught the intensity of his gaze. His hunger was palpable, igniting her with the power of his longing.

  He caressed her cheek with his fingers and lowered his mouth, his lips soft against hers. Hesitant at first and then bolder as his tongue danced with hers.

  A sound escaped her throat, something between a moan and a whimper.

  “Melanie?” His voice broke, turning the sound of her name into a plea.

  “Yes,” she whispered. Pulling away, she rose, water streaming back into the tub.

  Helmut remained seated, staring up at her.

  “The bath is over.” She held out her arms to him.

  Uncertainty registered on his face as he pulled himself to his feet.

  Mel placed both hands on his chest and explored the firm muscles with her fingertips. She wound her arms around his neck and lifted her chin. “Kiss me now.”

  A slow grin spread across his face. The flickering candlelight caught the gleam in his eyes. This kiss was hard and slow and touched with desperation as his hands explored her wet body, lifted her against him.

  He pulled her higher, her wet breasts sliding over his muscular torso, teasing her nipples with the soft graze of blonde chest hair. One of his hands cupped her butt, pressing her against his magnificent erection.

  Mel wrapped her legs around him, gripping him with her thighs. A hard man is good to find. Talk about well endowed!

  Helmut stepped from the water and wrapped the towel around them both.

  Resolutely, he walked to another door and, pushing it open, carried her to a bed, bigger than the other. Without releasing her, he climbed onto the surface, rolling onto his side.

  He stroked his fingertips over her skin, his touch sending shivers to her core. “I will make love with you.”

  Mel giggled against his lips. “Just don’t kill me with that thing, okay?”

  #

  CHAPTER TWO

  Helmut was a man of his word. He made love to Mel, leaving her thoroughly sated and pleasantly exhausted. His hands were rough, but his touch was gentle and his energy source was industrial-strength.

  When he was finally done with her, he rolled onto his back, taking her with him.

  Mel lay face down on top of him, gasping for air. His heart beat a rapid tempo under her ear, matching cadence with her own.

  This man knew his way around a woman’s body.

  Helmut silently stroked her short, spiky dark hair and stared into the darkness.

  Mel’s legs felt like jelly. She thought about searching for the bathroom behind the house, but considering that she was naked and it was pitch black outside, she decided to pass.

  When she stirred against him, he lifted her higher on top of his body and snuggled a quilt around her.

  “That was awesome,” she breathed against his skin.

  A laugh rumbled deep in his chest. “You sound surprised.”

  She giggled, feeling self-conscious. “I didn’t realize this was a full-service rest stop.”

  His fingers caressed the side of her face and his lips pressed against her temple. “Just for you, Mel.”

  She relaxed, giving in to her drowsiness. In the distance she heard a lonely howl and moments later another in a slightly different tone. She hadn’t thought about wild animals nearby, but supposed they were safe enough. Her lids closed and she released a deep breath.

  In a matter of minutes she drifted off to asleep and didn’t awaken until she heard a loud screeching outside. She started, pushing away from the arms that embraced her.

  It was still dark. The sound again. A rooster.

  In an instant, Mel recalled the events of the previous day and what she had done. She strained to see the man in whose arms she had slept, but couldn’t, so thorough was the darkness.

  “Go back to sleep, Mel. I will wake you when it is daylight.” He pulled her closer, his hands sliding over her skin.

  She swallowed and sank down into his embrace.

  Gently his hands stroked her, caressing her breasts, gliding over her hips. She relaxed against him, allowing him to gather her into a spooning position, surrounding her with his strength and his tenderness at the same time.

  In what seemed like the blink of an eye, she was fully awake. Daylight streamed in through the uncurtained window. Not quite daylight, but at least a lighter sky was visible.

  Mel’s neck rested on one of Helmut’s cushy biceps and she saw that his fingers gently encircled her wrist. Nice. Not grasping, just holding. With his other arm, he embraced her, pinned her, held her captive.

  He nuzzled her ear, sending chills down her spine. His fingers teased her nipples, stroking and pulling them into tightly sensate buds.

  She was in a state of erotic hangover, all of her senses heightened after her passionate surrender the night before. A whimper-like moan escaped her throat as she arched against him, offering her breasts for his exquisite torture. Her bottom pressed against his erection.

  Helmut hissed an intake of air through his teeth.

  Mel turned to f
ace him and he cupped her cheek in his palm, gazing at her hungrily before pressing kisses against her skin. She grazed his mouth with her open lips, softly inviting, tasting him with her tongue.

  Helmut groaned and rolled her onto her back. He kissed her lips, her eyelids, her nose, holding his weight off her.

  Mel reached for him, stroking his skin with her fingertips and dragging her short nails over the surface.

  He exhaled, his breath falling on her skin like a whisper.

  Mel’s drew her legs up around him, embracing him with her limbs. A flicker of something feral crossed his face sending a shiver down her spine.

  A gurgle of laughter spiraled up from her chest, suspended for a moment on air and disappeared just as quickly. His expression darkened and he lowered himself, entering her slowly, deliberately, prolonging her desire, filling her with his need.

  Over the next hour Mel lost track of how many times she reached a climax, but each one seemed to take her to a higher peak than before. She sensed that Helmut was trying to prove something to her, or perhaps to himself. When she was exhausted and lay in his arms, a sodden, quivering remnant of woman flesh, he kissed her tenderly and began one final assault that brought her to a place where she screamed for relief. And then he delivered it, sweetly, tenderly rocking her in his arms as he filled her with his passion.

  Mel’s entire body throbbed as though her senses had been scraped raw. Helmut’s lips against hers were soft, but the stubble on his chin rasped against her flesh. He tasted salty and when he pulled away from her she saw that she had given him two love bites, one on his neck and the other on his shoulder. Since he didn’t seem to have a mirror in the house, he might not notice.

  “Stay,” he said. “I am late. I must tend to the other animals.” He grinned, flashing his dimples and strolled through the doorway in the buff, giving her a view of his fine posterior.

  She heard water being pumped and in a few minutes he brought a ceramic pitcher and basin, setting them on the nightstand with a fresh linen washcloth and towel.

  He slipped into a pair of worn denim jeans and an even more faded shirt. He turned to give her a wink before he left the room, the shirt hanging open to display the array of muscles adorning his chest and abdomen.

  Mel sighed and rolled to a dry spot in the bed, snuggling the quilt around her shoulders.

  I am used up. But she couldn’t erase the smile from her face. She couldn’t ever recall being made love to so thoroughly. It had been a long, dry spell, and somehow this stranger had awakened every molecule of her libido, leaving her both satisfied and wanting more.

  Sex had always been a momentary, fleeting pleasure, but the way Helmut delivered it was like a life-giving river flowing into her soul, quenching her thirst and creating an instant addiction.

  Mel sat upright in bed. She laughed, one short syllable. What am I thinking? I can’t stay here. She threw back the covers and placed her bare feet on the cool hardwood floor.

  The pitcher on the nightstand held water. She poured some into the basin and gave herself a wash from her face to her toes. Much better. Although she would have preferred hot water, she was still refreshed. She looked around for her dirty clothes, but didn’t see them. They were undoubtedly where she’s left them by the bathtub.

  Mel gathered the quilt from the bed, swathing it around her shoulders like a cape. She peeked into the kitchen and found no trace of her clothing. The galvanized tub had been emptied and tucked into a corner.

  The heavenly aroma of coffee and ham filled her nostrils. She spied the plate of scrambled eggs and thick slices of ham sitting on the warm stovetop with a couple of slices of thick brown bread that had been toasted in a skillet. The coffeepot was beside it. Mel parked herself at the table where Helmut had set out eating utensils and a jar of home-canned apricot preserves. She spread the treat on a slice of toast and took a bite, savoring the sweet and tart flavors mingling on her tongue.

  Who is this guy? Martha Stewart?

  She finished her food and pushed back from the table, her chair scraping against the wood floor. She tightened her grip on the quilt before looking outside. Her sandals were arranged side by side on the covered porch beside the doorstep, but Helmut’s boots were missing. She noticed he’d cleaned all the mud and muck from her footwear.

  An independent woman, Mel wasn’t accustomed to having anyone clean up after her, but she appreciated the effort. Although she hadn’t located her clothes, there was an overnight bag in the trunk of her bruised vehicle.

  She approached the Boxter warily. She felt as though she had been physically beaten up along with her car. One side was covered in mud. There were a few dents and scrapes and something was hanging down on the ground from the undercarriage. Her throat tried to close up on her, not allowing her to breathe. Drawing a painful gasp, she squared her shoulders.

  Not so bad. It can be fixed.

  The keys were still in the ignition. She leaned in and removed them, clutching them in her palm. Her eyes stung with unshed tears as she stared at the Porsche emblem dangling from the chain. A miniature security symbol with her apartment and office keys attached. Mel popped the trunk and removed her small canvas overnight bag and her most important possession. Her camera case.

  As she turned back toward the house, she recognized her neon yellow shorts and knit top flapping in the breeze beside her bra and panties. Helmut had washed out the muddy stains and hung them on the clothes line in back of the house. A painful catch in her throat stopped her, almost made her lose her grasp on her bags. Mel Hannigan certainly wasn’t used to being taken care of.

  She stepped up onto the porch and looked around. No sign of Helmut, but the dog came trotting up to sprawl at her feet. “Where’s your daddy, huh?”

  She looked out over the fields of ripening grain. Blue skies served as a backdrop for puffy white cumulous clouds. Mountains embraced the fertile valley. The only sounds were the soft rustling of grain and the whomp-whomp metallic sound accompanying the windmill blades rotating in the breeze.

  She ached to get her clothes on and start shooting pictures.

  Mel dressed in the short gauzy cotton shift with the soft pastel swirl of paisleys and florals. She scuffed into her sandals and ran her fingers through her short, spiky hair.

  With camera in hand, she emerged from the house and immediately espied Helmut strewing handfuls of grain from a bucket onto the ground. A clutter of chickens followed him, pecking at the morsels.

  Mel adjusted her lens, framed his shoulders, captured his hair blowing in the breeze. She gazed at him through the lens. Her breath caught in her throat as the sunlight danced across the carved planes of his face. The high cheekbones, the wide set eyes and the fullness of his mouth, contrasting his finely chiseled jaw.

  Helmut was better looking than any man she had ever seen, and she had seen a lot of handsome men. Men who were professionally beautiful. Male models. Men who stomped down runways and tossed their hair, gazed provocatively into her lens and posed in their underwear and other fashionable attire.

  Not that Helmut needed any enhancements. He was beautiful all over. She clicked off a run of close-ups.

  She noticed how his hair framed his face. She suspected that he cut it himself, squared off at the back of his neck. He might be able to gather it in a short pony tail. Maybe not. He walked briskly back into the barn, taking long strides, swinging the bucket.

  Mel swallowed hard and checked her shots. Damn! What was I thinking? This guy is a natural. She looped the camera strap around her wrist and followed him into the barn.

  The smell of animals assailed her nostrils as her eyes adjusted to the dimness. She saw dozens of cows gathered at the other end of the barn and some were attached to strange devices. Everything seemed to be made of stainless steel and was immaculately clean.

  Helmut emerged from behind closed doors and set a bowl of milk on the floor for two cats, giving each a stroke before he rose. She captured the moment with her lens.

&
nbsp; Her movements caught his eye and he turned, grinning when he acknowledged her presence. A little catch in her stomach acknowledged his.

  “Almost done,” he said. “Then I take you for a ride.”

  She grinned. “On the tractor?”

  “On the horses.”

  Mel swallowed hard. “Horses?” The fine hairs at the base of her neck stood on end.

  He grinned down at her, ruffling her hair. “Horses. You know, like on the carousel, except they do not go round and round.”

  “I’ve never been on a horse in my life.” Mel shuddered. “They’re so big.”

  He swept her with his gaze. “I would not let you get hurt, Mel.”

  She felt a warm flush creeping up from her chest. She glanced around, seeking to change the subject. “How come you have such a modern barn and such an old-fashioned house?”

  He chuckled. “You do not like my house?”

  Her blush deepened. “I like it. It’s just that...the bathroom isn’t inside the house.

  He pulled her into his arms. “I see.” He stroked the side of her face. “It is good enough for a bachelor.”

  She giggled. “I need my shower and make-up mirror.”

  A flicker of amusement passed over his face before he lowered his mouth to hers. “So be it, then.”

  Mel leaned dizzily into his kiss, grasped his shirt to stay upright. When he pulled away, she hungered for more.

  Helmut drew her with him to a stall where two magnificent white horses were enclosed. He put a bridle on one and hoisted Mel onto the horse’s broad back.

  A feeling of panic rose in her throat as she gazed down at the ground below her.

  Helmut stroked the horse’s neck and ran his hand down Mel’s bare leg as though calming her. With no effort at all he gathered the reins and heaved himself up behind her.

  As Helmut’s thighs closed in behind her and his arm encircled her waist, she was reminded of how he’d held her spooned against him as they slept. Having the large animal below her was not unlike wrapping her thighs around Helmut.

  “Relax,” he whispered against her ear. He urged the horse forward and a wave of fear shot through her as they got underway.