Love in Country: De La Fuente, #4

ONE

PROLOGUE

Aiden

I’m happy for my brother Eric. He’d married Sylvia in an amazing wedding on the De La Fuente farm. The blushing bride had brought my brother to tears as she’d made her way down the makeshift aisle. My only disappointment had been that Sarah wasn’t on my arm as my guest.

The town vet has been on my mind since the moment my eyes landed on her, and now she’s embedded in my heart. Her dark red hair is usually neatly braided, but tonight she’s wearing it loose, with soft curls cascading down her back. Her cheeks are sun kissed and her green eyes always shine with excitement whenever I’m near.

Our situation isn’t ideal and often causes me lack of sleep. I want and need her to be with me all the time, and she would be but for the slight problem of Greg, her husband. We’re not having an affair—it isn’t something either one of us has suggested. It doesn’t change my deep-rooted desire for her though.

Her husband has no respect for her, and the sadness that I often notice on her face makes me want to take her away from him. He seems to have a problem keeping his zipper up and the whole town is aware. He’s a first class jerk and one of these days I won’t be able to hold back when I see him. Speaking of said asshole, he slipped out of the reception tent about ten minutes ago and has yet to return.

Quickly glancing around, I slowly move toward Sarah, approaching her from behind.

Without care or thought, I slip her hand into mine. Our fingers intertwine and I briefly squeeze her hand before leading her into a darkened corner. No words are spoken, but none are needed between us. Whenever we’re together the chemistry is explosive, and as I hold her close my body tenses with lust.

I cup her face with my hands and hold her a breath away as her hands slip underneath my jacket, her fingers dig into my sides. My forehead drops to Sarah’s and my eyes focus on the green ones staring back at me. Tears swim in her emerald depths. The craving to kiss them away is killing me, but if I start, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop.

The words I love you are on the tip of my tongue.

I want to tell her that I can’t carry on loving her from afar anymore, that I want her by my side always.

But I can’t say any of that…at least right now.

Our thighs brush together and her arms hold me snug in her embrace as we sway to music I’m not really hearing. Blood rushes through my ears as I feel her feminine curves rubbing against my erection. I can’t catch my breath. Her scent surrounds me to the point that I can’t think straight. I know that I’m going to have to let her go home, but every cell in my body is screaming that she’s already there. I’m her home.

Sarah, I whisper, burying my face in the curve of her neck as my hands drop to her hips. You have to be mine, I beg. Soon.

It takes a minute but then the soft sound of Sarah sobbing into my chest finally registers in my lust filled brain. I freeze, and caress her face while I meet her tear stained gaze. My heart breaks at the pain I see reflected in her eyes.

I want to be yours, she whispers, before another sob breaks free, but, I can’t. Not yet. I’m so sorry, Aiden. Sarah pulls free and runs out of the reception.

I move to follow her, but my brother Diego grabs my arm. Let her go.

I can’t.

Diego tugs me out of the opposite exit before he pulls me into his embrace. Bro, you have to let her go…no matter how painful it is.

Clinging to my brother, I admit, I love her.

Diego sighs. Tell me something I don’t know.

Sarah

I hate the way I left Aiden. The more time I spend with him, the more attached I get.

My heart feels so heavy when I think about going home. I act the part of the happy wife when in fact I’m miserable. My husband has a lover who he has been with since before our marriage. Greg even expects me to turn a blind eye to all the talk about us in the town.

I hate the gossip. The people of the town have him bedding anyone with breasts, when in fact the female anatomy does nothing for him at all, which I’m okay with and always have been. Ours is a marriage of convenience and nothing more. A façade meant to deceive his employer. When Greg offered to compensate me for my trouble I’d had no idea that Aiden was waiting for me in my future. So I’d signed ten years of my life away on a dotted line and in exchange it allowed me to finish my veterinary studies.

Greg promised to be discrete about his indiscretion, of course that hadn’t lasted long. Moving to Great Falls, Montana should have been the fresh start we both needed, but before too long he was back to his sneaking around.

Instead of the friendship that we started out with, I’ve gradually started to resent him. He has the life he wants, whereas I’m stuck in limbo wanting to be with someone else.

That someone else held me tonight, cherished me. As usual though, I’d run before I got too attached.

The gentle breeze cools my heated skin. The peace doesn’t last too long as I find Greg climbing into his truck. When he catches sight of me he hesitates and jumps down, making his way over to me. I came looking for you a few minutes ago. He sneers, letting his words hang in the open.

He must have seen me dancing with Aiden.

"I saw you…my wife, he sneers. My wife, he growls, wrapped up in another guy."

"Yes, I was. What difference does it make to you? Everyone knows you can’t keep your pants zipped. Even tonight you went off with him," I counter, standing my ground.

Greg inhales and exhales before he turns and climbs into his truck. Get Aiden to give you a ride home. He slams his door and turns the ignition.

Stunned, standing there like an idiot, I watch him leave a trail of dust behind him.

The tears that I thought were over with return full force and fall down my face as I try to suffer in silence.

That doesn’t work as I hear a voice call out, Hey, can you hear me?

Mateo?

My head snaps around.

We just want to help you, Aiden’s voice follows.

My heart stops and jumps with excitement. Aiden?

Sarah? He pauses. Where are you?

I don’t need to answer because Aiden appears in front of me as I walk around the front of a large truck.

Aiden doesn’t slow until he stops mere inches from touching me.

He left me here, I whisper.

Thank fuck! Aiden wraps his arms around me and pulls me tightly against his chest.

I’m where I want to be, and after a slight hesitation, I wrap my arms around Aiden’s neck and bury my face in the curve of his shoulder, crying into him.

Sarah, Aiden breathes deeply. Let’s go inside the house.

I nod.

Aiden leads me into his family’s home and I blindly follow him to what I presume is his room.

Sorry. He quickly moves some of his things around.

He looks as nervous as I feel at being alone in his room, which makes me giggle and startles him. "I’m sorry. It’s, um, been a while since I was in a boy’s room." I giggle again and look out of his bedroom window. The reflection in the glass shows me that Aiden approaches as he tosses his jacket and tie on the bed.

I turn, and he doesn’t stop moving until he’s directly in front of me. Do you want to tell me why he left you the way he did? Aiden asks, brushing the hair back from my face in a gentle caress.

Reaching out, I lay my hand against Aiden’s chest. He closes his eyes and shudders in reaction before his green eyes focus on me again. I feel his heart racing beneath my hand.

He saw me with you, I admit.

Aiden curses under his breath. Do you want me to talk to him? He takes the one remaining step into me.

His chest brushes against mine, sending bolts of desire straight to my nipples and Aiden’s body answers when his throbbing erection hardens, and nestles against my belly.

Ah, no. Don’t talk to him.

Good! Because I can’t apologize when it felt like heaven having you wrapped up around me with your soft curves rubbing up against mine, he whispers, and moves in to nuzzle my neck, drawing a sigh from my lips.

What is he doing to me?

I certainly can’t apologize when you make me feel things no other woman has ever come close to making me feel.

His lips skim along my neck while I raise both my hands and slide them into his hair. He groans against my skin as his hips arch and thrust.

Hesitantly, I slip my hand between us and palm the bulge behind his zipper. He quickly grabs my wrist and pins it above my head.

You touch me there and I won’t be able to stop what happens next, Aiden pants and returns his face to the curve of my neck, a place I think he likes.

When Aiden releases my hand, I slide my fingers through his hair, craving him like a drug. The only thing stopping me is knowing that afterward I’d have to go home to Greg. I wouldn’t be able to stay with Aiden no matter how much we both would want that.

Aiden is special and is already buried so deeply in my heart that it hurts—badly—as I live a lie with someone else when the man I love stands before me.

I know you have to go home, he whispers. I know that, but just for once, I want to pretend you’re mine…I want to hold you close and pretend that I don’t have to let you go.

I tighten my arms around Aiden’s neck and sigh in pleasure at the feel of him against me. He’s all hard muscle, pure man, and I know that I only have to say the word and I’ll be under him on his bed.

I want that more than he can possibly know.

For the first time in the past seven years, I want more than a sham marriage. But with three years left of my contract to fulfill, I don’t see a way out.

TWO

10 MONTHS LATER ~ SARAH

The smile that is currently splitting my face would be embarrassing if I stop to think about it, but Aiden is a sight for my aching heart as he strides toward me.

We shouldn’t even be here together, but only catching glimpses of each other since his brother’s wedding has me, and I guess him, at the end of our patience.

Aiden has made my heart flutter in my chest since the first time I’d laid eyes on him when I’d come to the farm to talk to his father. Aiden’s green eyes had held me captive and they still do. Just one look from him is like a caress over my heated skin.

He isn’t as large as his other brothers, but his slim build is muscular, and the feel of his hands on me always sends shards of pleasure through my blood, even just the simplest of touches while I’m working.

As he gets closer his breath freezes in the cold February air, and then he’s in front of me, cupping my face between his gloved hands.

Sarah, he breathes as his lips hover above