Talon urged me to sit down, and then he took my plate and his back into the kitchen. A few moments later, he came back out with two steaming plates full of glorious French food. He bade me to wait another minute, and he came out with two plates of salad and a gorgeous baguette with some European butter.

Talon poured himself a glass of wine, rather than the bourbon I knew he usually preferred. He held up his glass. “To us, blue eyes.”

I followed suit and clinked his glass. “To us.”

I took another sip of the soft and luxurious wine. Yes, I could get used to living like this.

“Dig in, baby. There’s plenty.”

After a day of court appearances and no time to stop for lunch, I was famished. I cut a piece of the chateaubriand and dipped it in the sauce.

Oh my God, so good.

“I hope you know that’s Steel beef,” Talon said, winking.

“Of course. It’s the best, right?” I took another bite. So tender. So flavorful.

“This is the grass-fed beef too, blue eyes.”

“I didn’t know you raised grass-fed beef.”

“It’s a specialty line of ours. Joe knows more about it. For an operation as big as ours, it’s impossible to raise solely grass-fed beef, but it is better for you, and I think better-tasting. Although all of our beef is awesome.”

“It’s been awesome every time I’ve tasted it.”

“Tonight, I wanted the best. Grass fed and perfect for my baby.”

“So tell me,” I said. “When will those amazing Western slope apples and peaches be ready?”

“I am so glad you asked that, blue eyes. Everything’s looking good. And Felicia made you a surprise for dessert.”

“Oh my God. What?”

He smiled. “You just have to wait and see.”

The surprise turned out to be peach pie with Talon’s perfect Western slope peaches. I had never tasted anything better. He served me a light dessert wine with it that perfectly complemented the sweet peaches.

“How did I ever think I had tasted peaches before this?” I said, savoring my last bite of pie.

“There’s only one thing I can think of that tastes better than my peaches, blue eyes.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“You.”

My body heated. The way he was looking at me, I was sure my clothes were melting off from the heat in his gaze. His dark eyes, so full of promise, so full of passion. No one had ever looked at me the way Talon did.

He stood. “Come with me, blue eyes.”

“But you haven’t finished your pie.”

“I’ve got a taste for something better than pie.” He came to me, pulled me out of my chair, and picked me up in his strong arms. Then he walked down the stairs of the deck.

“Aren’t we going to your room?” I asked.

“I thought we’d start out here. Such a beautiful night.” When we walked below the deck, I spied something the railing had been hiding. An air mattress covered with a soft comforter had been spread out on the lawn. He had made a bed for us. It was the sweetest and sexiest thing I’d ever seen. I let out a sigh, my body melting.

“Talon, that’s just lovely.”

“Nothing’s too good for you, blue eyes.

Another bottle of wine and two glasses sat next to the little bed, along with a picnic basket. I couldn’t begin to guess what was inside of it. I was completely sated from dinner, couldn’t eat another bite. Unless it was a bite of Talon’s succulent flesh.

He took my hand and led me over. “I want to undress you, blue eyes. I want to peel every layer of clothing off of you until you’re naked, standing before me, offering yourself to me.

“But we’re out in the open, in plain view.”

“This is my ranch. No one can see us.”

“What about Ryan? In the guest house?”

“First of all, he’s half a mile away. And second, I’ve told him that if he dares come anywhere near this house tonight, I will kick his ass.”

I couldn’t help but smile.

He cupped my cheek, caressing it with his thumb. “You’re so beautiful, Jade. I’m going to undress you slowly. I’m going to savor every inch of you as you bare yourself to me.”

I sighed into his palm.

I had come straight from work, and I was wearing a form-fitting stretch dress. But he was not to be deterred. He slid the sleeves over my shoulders and down my arms, slithering the dress over my ample breasts, down my belly, and over my hips. Soon it was a puddle of forest green at my feet. I stood before him now, only in a pink bra and panties and my brown wedge sandals. I silently wished I had worn some black patent-leather stilettos. They would be so much sexier. Of course, I wouldn’t have been able to walk all day.

He raked his gaze over me, his eyes blazing with fire. “So beautiful,” he said again.

He unclasped my bra and removed it from me, tossing it onto the grass. My breasts fell against my chest, my nipples already hard for him.

Talon licked his lips.

And my body heated.

He skimmed my pink panties over my hips and down around my ankles. I stepped out of them.

“Lie down, blue eyes.”

I complied, and he unbuckled my sandals and removed them. My toes were painted a neutral reddish-brown.

“I’ve never told you how beautiful your feet are, baby.”

My feet were just feet. Certainly not my best feature, but not my worst, either. But here was this gorgeous man, worshiping them with his hands. He massaged them gently and then more firmly. I let out a sigh. It felt so good. He kissed each toe as he continued his massage. Then he began moving his hands up my calves, massaging my tired muscles and my thighs.

“Turn over, baby.”

I obeyed, and he continued his massage up my calves, up my thighs, kneading my hamstring and then up to my glutes.

Did he realize what he was doing? He had been in this position, getting a massage from me, when he’d flown off the handle that first time. When I’d…

When I had massaged his anus.

Oh, God.

He said something horrible had happened to him.

Had Talon been…raped? Twenty-five years ago? Dear God, he would’ve been only ten years old.

My eyes began to flood with tears, but still he was massaging me, groaning endearments to me, telling me how beautiful my body was.