Read Online Under A Harvest Moon by Joleen James - Free Book Online
Authors: Joleen James
Tags: Romance
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the garment into the golf cart.
"What are you talking about?" She rolled her neck from side to side to get the kinks out. "I'm not swimming. I don't have a suit."
"Not that excuse again." He came around the vehicle and grabbed her hand, pulling her out. The motion caused her to stumble into his naked chest. Her palms flattened against his skin, the contact electric. Danielle jumped back.
He flashed a wicked, knowing grin. "You don't need a suit."
With a laugh, he tugged her down the path. At the river, he let her go and jumped in. Water shot up and out, the icy droplets wet Danielle's face, her clothes. The cold water cooled her skin, made her long for more relief. Suddenly, she couldn't get her shoes off fast enough. Fully clothed, she jumped in. The icy water stole her breath and took the sting out of her sunburn. Her feet touched the bottom of the river, and she sprang up, out of the water, close to Nico.
"Feel better?" He used his hand to shove his wet hair from his face.
"Yes." She floated onto her back. Above her the blue sky stretched as far as she could see. Her body temperature cooled quickly. Even her hot, tired feet felt refreshed.
"This is the quickest way to cool down," Nico said. Although the water was only about five feet deep, he swam over to her, treading water beside her. "You worked hard today. You surprised me. You aren't the girl I remember. That girl would never have worked in the fields."
"That girl was never asked to." She quit floating. Her feet touched bottom, but she remained crouched under the water. "This girl intends to earn her money."
"Fair enough." Nico smiled, making her forget every bad thought she'd had about him while they'd been working that morning.
The sun glinted off Nico's black hair. Tiny beads of water dotted his face, and Danielle had the strongest urge to smooth those drops of water away with her hands. The slow burn of desire caught her off-guard. Upset about her reaction to him, she swam to shore and waded out of the river. She didn't want to feel anything for him. She didn't trust him or his motives when it came to her and his precious vineyard. She wasn't about to let another man use her for his own gain. She'd already been down that road with Peter.
"Wait, where are you going?" Nico asked.
"I should get back." With no towel available, Danielle used her hands to wipe the water from her arms. Water dripped from her everywhere. She gathered her hair in her hands and squeezed the moisture from it.
Nico trudged through the water to the riverbank. "I need to get back to work anyway."
"What?" Danielle said with surprise. "Isn't your workday done? You've been at it since three a.m."
He shook the water from his hair. "I usually work until mid to late afternoon. This time of year I work seven days a week."
"That's dedication." No wonder he'd earned her father's respect. She'd drop dead if he made her go back out in the vineyard now, but his words made her wonder if she'd be as dedicated as Nico if her father had included her, made her feel wanted. She'd only been here a short time and she could see what a loyal, hardworking employee Nico was. She didn't feel that passionate about anything except Kaiden. And while she loved her son to pieces, she knew she had room in her life for something more, an interest of her own.
Nico started down the path. "I'm not the only dedicated employee. Everyone works hard this time of year. We all want a successful harvest."
"I'm starting to get that." She followed him, unable to keep her eyes off his sleekly muscled back and gorgeous backside. Nico still "had it" -- that indescribable something that had fueled her fantasies more times than she could count. Giving in to her need to look at him, she allowed herself to simply enjoy the view, but once they left the path, she averted her eyes, not wanting him to guess just how attracted to him she was. Attraction to him had no place in her plans to sell the vineyard and start a new life.
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"What are you talking about?" She rolled her neck from side to side to get the kinks out. "I'm not swimming. I don't have a suit."
"Not that excuse again." He came around the vehicle and grabbed her hand, pulling her out. The motion caused her to stumble into his naked chest. Her palms flattened against his skin, the contact electric. Danielle jumped back.
He flashed a wicked, knowing grin. "You don't need a suit."
With a laugh, he tugged her down the path. At the river, he let her go and jumped in. Water shot up and out, the icy droplets wet Danielle's face, her clothes. The cold water cooled her skin, made her long for more relief. Suddenly, she couldn't get her shoes off fast enough. Fully clothed, she jumped in. The icy water stole her breath and took the sting out of her sunburn. Her feet touched the bottom of the river, and she sprang up, out of the water, close to Nico.
"Feel better?" He used his hand to shove his wet hair from his face.
"Yes." She floated onto her back. Above her the blue sky stretched as far as she could see. Her body temperature cooled quickly. Even her hot, tired feet felt refreshed.
"This is the quickest way to cool down," Nico said. Although the water was only about five feet deep, he swam over to her, treading water beside her. "You worked hard today. You surprised me. You aren't the girl I remember. That girl would never have worked in the fields."
"That girl was never asked to." She quit floating. Her feet touched bottom, but she remained crouched under the water. "This girl intends to earn her money."
"Fair enough." Nico smiled, making her forget every bad thought she'd had about him while they'd been working that morning.
The sun glinted off Nico's black hair. Tiny beads of water dotted his face, and Danielle had the strongest urge to smooth those drops of water away with her hands. The slow burn of desire caught her off-guard. Upset about her reaction to him, she swam to shore and waded out of the river. She didn't want to feel anything for him. She didn't trust him or his motives when it came to her and his precious vineyard. She wasn't about to let another man use her for his own gain. She'd already been down that road with Peter.
"Wait, where are you going?" Nico asked.
"I should get back." With no towel available, Danielle used her hands to wipe the water from her arms. Water dripped from her everywhere. She gathered her hair in her hands and squeezed the moisture from it.
Nico trudged through the water to the riverbank. "I need to get back to work anyway."
"What?" Danielle said with surprise. "Isn't your workday done? You've been at it since three a.m."
He shook the water from his hair. "I usually work until mid to late afternoon. This time of year I work seven days a week."
"That's dedication." No wonder he'd earned her father's respect. She'd drop dead if he made her go back out in the vineyard now, but his words made her wonder if she'd be as dedicated as Nico if her father had included her, made her feel wanted. She'd only been here a short time and she could see what a loyal, hardworking employee Nico was. She didn't feel that passionate about anything except Kaiden. And while she loved her son to pieces, she knew she had room in her life for something more, an interest of her own.
Nico started down the path. "I'm not the only dedicated employee. Everyone works hard this time of year. We all want a successful harvest."
"I'm starting to get that." She followed him, unable to keep her eyes off his sleekly muscled back and gorgeous backside. Nico still "had it" -- that indescribable something that had fueled her fantasies more times than she could count. Giving in to her need to look at him, she allowed herself to simply enjoy the view, but once they left the path, she averted her eyes, not wanting him to guess just how attracted to him she was. Attraction to him had no place in her plans to sell the vineyard and start a new life.
At
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