She fixed her knees into the horse and held on tight until Maggie had found a nice comfortable pace of her run.

Hardly a few seconds passed when Blake overtook her. The frown on his face dissipated when he saw her smile as he passed. Instead of forcing them to a stop, he let Blaze take the lead and Maggie followed.

Cool air coursed through Samantha’s hair, pulling it out of the clip she’d used to hold it back. The landscape buzzed past, but not so quickly that she didn’t manage to scent the lavender blooming, or the fresh grass under the horses’ hooves. This she could get used to. The freedom of riding away from life’s worries, the big outdoors to escape into.

They cleared the open space in five minutes and had to slow the horses to pick their way through the trees. Seemed both Maggie and Samantha were in need of catching their breath. “That was wonderful.”

Blake’s grey eyes caught hers and held. For the first time in days, he looked relaxed and carefree. For a moment, she thought he was going to say something, but he lowered his eyes and pulled on the reins to move Blaze deeper into the woods.

“It’s so beautiful here. And quiet.”

“When I was a kid, I used to take a horse out here all the time to escape my father.”

“Was he so bad?” Seemed her husband and his father had the worst of relationships, but Blake hadn’t really elaborated.

“I wasn’t him.”

“And that’s what he wanted, a miniature him?”

Blake nodded.

Samantha wanted to ask more questions, but Blake moved his horse in front of hers as the path narrowed. Soon the sound of water sounded over the horses.

When the trees opened up to reveal the stream, Samantha knew why Blake chose this place to get away. Crystal-clear water cascaded down rocks and dipped around fallen branches and trees. Moss and grass grew along the banks of the stream, which made her envision Blake as a little boy sitting by the water’s edge tossing rocks.

“Is this still on your land?”

“It is. The estate is over five hundred acres. But this is the most beautiful location on it.”

“It’s amazing, Blake.”

The path opened to a small meadow with a cottage sitting on one end. Once they cleared the trees, Blake swung off his horse. “We’ll let them drink before we hitch them.”

Samantha slid to the ground with wobbly legs. But the energy felt good, refreshing. As the horses drank from the stream she asked, “How often is this cottage used?”

“Not often. For a time, I was the only one who came out here. I think Gwen used to escape here after I moved away.”

“I’ll have to ask her.”

Blake led the horses to a post and tied them with enough rope to allow them to graze. “Let me show you inside.”

Samantha took his hand, enjoying the warmth of his fingers circling hers, and walked beside him up the few steps to the cabin porch.

The door swung open with a tiny nudge. “You don’t lock it?”

“No need.”

As she stepped inside, Samantha’s breath caught in her throat.

In the center of the room was a table set for two. Linen napkins, beautiful china, and crystal goblets were waiting for them to enjoy. A bucket stood to the side with wine chilling inside. Large silver trays were covered with food. “Oh, Blake, this is lovely.”

“You like?”

She turned to him and wove a hand around his waist. Looking up into his eyes, she smiled and tipped her lips to his. “I love it.”

Blake accepted her lips for a brief kiss, but when she started to pull away, he held her close and moved his head to the side. Her kiss of gratitude swiftly moved from ‘thank you’ to ‘more.’

The feel of his hands roaming down her back brought a moan from deep inside her chest. Everywhere he touched heated instantly. Whenever they made love, it seemed they couldn’t touch enough. Blake nibbled at her lip as his hand reached for her breast. “I’m an awful person,” he said between kisses.

Her head fell back, already lost. “Why do you say that?”

He backed her into the room and kicked the door close behind them. “We haven’t even eaten, and I’m already crawling all over you.”

Laughing, she kicked her shoes free and peeled away at his sweater “Are you saying we were only supposed to eat?”

Blake helped her with his shirt by flinging it across the room. “Eat first, then make love. That was the plan.”

Licking her way across his collarbone and down to one taut nipple, she laughed. “Make love, then eat…” she nibbled a path to his other side. “Then make love again.”

Tugging her clothes free, Blake kept backing her away from the food to the only bedroom in the cottage. Samantha hardly glimpsed the lace curtains that framed the window, or the patterned quilt covering the mattress before Blake pressed her under his frame.

“You feel so good,” she told him, loving the weight of him on her.

“Yes, you do.” His fingers managed to unclasp her bra and toss it aside in seconds. His lips claimed her nipple as he laved up one side, circled her dusky tip, and nipped. “Tastes like spring,” he whispered before shifting his attention to the other side. He took his time with slow, even strokes of his tongue. Samantha writhed with pleasure. Traveling down her tight stomach, he peeled away her pants, kissing a path over her hip and down her thigh.

They’d always giving into the need for penetration when they’d made love, but already Samantha felt this time would be different, slower, and just as satisfying. The soft pad of Blake’s thumb traced up her thighs after her pants were on the floor. He hooked a finger under her panties and petted the sensitive skin at her hip. “I think,” he said, blowing a heated breath above her flesh, “that my nourishment will come before and after we eat what’s in the other room.”