Waiting for You by Heather Huffman Page A

and blanket, they set out through a field behind the house. When they passed by a pocket of goats, Aidan paused to point out each animal and tell her something about it. When Karise learned the field was called the bachelor pad, where the male goats were kept so their stink wouldn’t impact the cheese, Karise smirked. Several quips came to mind, but she bit them back. It probably wasn’t very nice to tease him when he’d gone to so much trouble.
    They passed through another gate. A large hill loomed ahead, making Karise wonder if their picnic site was worth the trouble. Aidan picked up the pace, glancing over at Karise as they neared the top of the hill.
    When they reached the peak, Karise knew without asking they had reached their destination. Before them stretched an endless field of red poppies. Individually, the flowers were silken works of art. Collectively, they were breathtaking.
    “What do you think?”
    “There are no words.”
    “Yeah, that’s what I thought when I stumbled across this place. I’d owned the farm for two months before I even discovered it.”
    Karise stepped forward, holding a hand out to skim the tops of the flowers as she waded into their midst. “Magical,” she whispered.
    “Yeah,” he agreed, his voice taking on a huskier tone.
    Karise studied the field for a moment longer before turning back to smile at Aidan. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
    He took a step toward her. “You’re welcome.”
    “You may never get me out of here. I just might decide to live right here, in this field.”
    Aidan chuckled. “You might get cold at some point. Besides, the poppies don’t last long. This is the peak of their season. After that, it’s just a field.”
    “A field with a promise worth waiting for,” she amended.
    “Something like that.” There was a pause. The expression on his face made Karise wonder what he was thinking. She was pretty sure that whatever it had been, it was more than his suggestion that they pick a spot to eat, which were the next words out of his mouth.
    Karise only nibbled at the food he spread out in front of them. Her mind was racing in too many different directions, and her stomach had way too many butterflies for food to be a top priority. She listened as Aidan talked about how this field had inspired many of the designs used in his marketing material. The gentle cadence of his voice was like a caress. She couldn’t keep her eyes off of him – all of the excuses she’d been hiding behind faded away a little more with each syllable that fell from his lips.
    Aidan paused mid sentence to eye her warily . “Is everything okay?”
    Karise nodded. “Yes, sorry. Go on.”
    “Am I boring you?”
    “Quite the contrary.”
    “You’re killing me, Karise. What is it?”
    She hesitated then took a deep breath and threw caution to the wind. It’s possible she leapt at him. She couldn’t be entirely sure. All she really knew was that she was right where she wanted to be now: in his arms. His surprise quickly gave way to eager acceptance as he met her kiss with one of his own. He was salty and sweet at once. The hint of sandpaper on his jaw grazed her soft skin. A low growl of longing rumbled deep in his throat as he pulled her more firmly on his lap.
    She wrapped her legs around his waist, arching into him as his mouth pulled away from hers to roam the skin exposed by the V of her shirt. Her fingers sank greedily into his dark hair as he left a trail of fire across her flesh. Karise couldn’t tell if she was flying or falling or something in between.
    She kissed his temple, then his cheek, then reclaimed his lips. He leaned into her, deepening the touch. Time melted away. Karise was aware of only two things: She’d never felt anything remotely like this before, and she wanted more of him. She shifted positions, gently pushing him back on the blanket. She ran her hands up his sides, shoving his shirt out of the way as she did. Karise had lost many nights’