Country Mage 2, page 14
She winked at him. “Oh, Corinne, hm? Tell her I said hi. I’d love to see her again soon.”
“I expect you will,” James said, a smile surfacing on his lips.
Lucy laughed and gave him a playful push. “I bet!” She then shooed him off. “Now go, get your stuff. I got other customers I need to help.”
Laughing, he turned and headed into the store.
Most of the supplies James purchased were things that would keep well outside the fridge, but he threw a yearning look at the freshly cut strips of bacon, promising himself to prioritize a solution for refrigerating his food — magical or otherwise.
Still, he took a small carton of eggs. They were fresh — from Corinne’s farm — not like the eggs one would purchase in the bigger chains in the city.
Those eggs were usually already a few weeks old at the time of purchase and couldn’t be kept outside of the fridge for too long. These, however, were no more than one or two days old, which meant they would keep for another day or so. He and Sara could have them for breakfast tomorrow.
He also got cheese and sausages that kept well outside the fridge and a few pots of pasta sauce that were generous on the meat — just the way Sara liked it.
Then he got plenty of bread, vegetables, fruit, a bottle of wine for those romantic sunset nights, and some stuff to snack on, including crackers, a bag of crisps, and some jerky — he was pretty sure that Sara would love that.
When he got everything he needed, he paid at the counter, gave Lucy another kiss on her plump lips, and returned to his car.
It would soon be time to meet up with Corinne.
Chapter 26
James dropped the groceries off at the cabin. As promised, Sara still lazed on the couch — she had fallen asleep again, cuddled up in the oversized shirt.
Smiling at the sight of his cute cat girl napping, James placed the soft kiss on her cheek, stashed the groceries, and packed his stuff for a day at the lake in his duffel bag.
When he went outside to put the duffel bag in the trunk of his car, he noticed the clouds had already been driven off by the wind. The sun was now beating down on the forest, warming the earth and releasing the crisp scents of summer.
He took a deep breath before heading around to check on the work he had done yesterday.
The tarp he had used to cover the cleared and leveled ground was still in place and undisturbed. James gave a satisfied nod. He was eager to see Corinne and take her to the lake, but he was also looking forward to starting the actual work on his planned expansions and workshop. There was much to do.
He stepped into his car and drove down to Corinne’s farm.
When he drove out of the ratty road that led to the cabin and onto Forrester Trail, he could already see the pretty redhead leaning against a fencepost of her farm.
God, James thought. She looks beautiful…
The sparkling image of summer, Corinne wore an airy white dress with a floral pattern. It danced about her slim and toned body as the breeze played with it, and her ginger locks were like flames billowing in the wind.
She saw him coming, and a bright smile marked her beautiful face, making the sprinkling of freckles around her nose dance.
If ever there was a natural beauty, Corinne had to be her.
James’s heart was thumping in his chest when he pulled up beside her. He turned off the engine and leaned over to roll down the window on the passenger side.
“Hey, cowboy!” she said, a teasing grin on her plump lips.
“Hey, yourself,” he said. “You look beautiful.”
She smiled, her eyes turning to the ground for a moment before she looked back at him from under long lashes. “Thank you,” she said. “You look pretty snappy yourself too!”
He laughed, then pulled the grip of the door on the passenger side and gave it a firm push so it creaked open. “Not exactly a ride befitting of your beauty,” he said, exaggerating the words to make it a little over-the-top. “But I’m afraid it will have to do.”
She grinned as she pushed off from the fenceposts and walked over to the car, her beautiful hips swaying.
“A car is a car,” she said. “I don’t need fancy stuff; only real stuff.” She turned to pick up the basket and cooler she had placed by the road.
“Well,” James said. “Real is something I have plenty of.” He nodded at the basket and cooler. “Let me get those.” And he hopped out of the car.
But Corinne wasn’t the type of dainty dame who would wait in the car while he loaded up the trunk. He liked that about her — her independence and her can-do attitude. She helped him put the food and drinks in the trunk, then went around to the passenger door as James took the driver’s seat.
James admired her limber figure as she lowered herself into the passenger seat beside him.
She settled in, clicked her seatbelt in place, and looked at him. For a moment, her expression betrayed that she was excited about this — their date. “Let’s roll out, cowboy,” she said.
He laughed as he turned over the engine, put the car in drive, and pulled out.
With a beauty like her by his side, how could the day go wrong?
Chapter 27
The lake was on the south side of Tour, so their drive took James and Corinne down Main Street and past Rovary’s Lot, where James had cut trees for a few days shortly after arriving in Tour.
As they drove, they spoke little, but the silence wasn’t awkward.
Corinne had rolled down her window and leaned back in her chair, letting the warm air caress her face. James could tell she was tired — she’d been working very hard to keep the farm running. She told him before that it was a challenge to do all the work by herself.
This is probably her first day off in a long time, he thought.
He resolved to make it a wonderful day for her; something to energize her for the days to come.
Finally, they came upon a narrow but tidy road that snaked into the woods, taking them through the forest to the south.
Their drive was scenic, especially with the sunlight shining through the trees and lighting up the path and dappling it with beams of sunlight.
“It’s so pretty out here,” Corinne said, the first words she’d spoken in a while.
“Hm-hm,” James agreed. “And you know what the strange thing is? I’ve been here for a few days now, and I’m… Well, I’m not getting used to it, if you catch my drift? It never gets old.”
An understanding light flashed in her pretty green eyes. “I know what ya mean, James,” she said. “I’ve lived in Tour all my life, and the place still amazes me whenever I leave the house. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
“You know,” James said. “I think I’m beginning to feel that way too.”
She placed her hand on his knee and gave a squeeze. “Good,” she said.
There was a small lot before the trail hit the lake, but there were no other cars in sight. That made sense. Tour was small, and James imagined that only a few people came here from time to time.
Had a city been close, the cars would’ve lined up as far back as Main Street. But it looked like they had the place to themselves today.
James parked the car, and they got out.
Corinne stretched her limber body, giving James a moment to admire her willowy, almost sprightly, beauty.
She wasn’t a Fae like Sara, but she certainly had something elfin about her. She could have easily featured in the painting of some classical master as a nymph or dryad from an ancient Greek myth, bathing languidly in a natural spring as her long, red hair cascaded down her slender shoulders.
James took the duffel bag from the trunk of the car, shouldered it, then took the basket with food and the cooler before walking up to Corinne.
She flashed him a smile and placed her hand on his biceps. “I’m looking forward to this,” she said. “It’s been a while since I really relaxed.”
He returned the smile and nodded for her to come along. “Let’s make it a good one then,” he said. “Come on. The lake is waiting.”
As expected, they had the place to themselves.
Corinne let out a deep sigh as they entered the clearing around the lake. The cool breeze blew across their faces and brought with it the fresh scent of pine needles and clean water.
James took his bag off his shoulder and dropped it on the springy grass beside the cooler and the basket. Corinne crouched beside the basket and took out a blanket, spreading it on the ground in the same movement.
James smiled at that. Corinne had a way of doing things that were both practical yet elegant at the same time. He was glad he had met her — that they had met each other.
He sat down and took off his shoes before grabbing two sodas out of the cooler and handing one to Corinne as he settled down on the blanket beside.
She took the can and opened it with a fizzing sound. Then, she leaned back on her elbow, turned toward James as he sat cross-legged, peering out at the blue lake.
“That water looks really good,” James said.
She laughed. “Well,” she said. “It’s a little early for lunch, so we could have a swim before we eat?”
He nodded. “I would like that. I even brought my swimming trunks!”
She grinned. “I’m already wearing my bikini.”
He turned his eyes to her, and she lifted the hem of her summer dress, revealing a milky white thigh — thick and tasty — that led up to a cute, side-tied bikini bottom. It rode her shapely hips low and was the same color as her eyes — a vivid green.
James licked his lips and shook his head, chuckling. “Now you’re just teasing me,” he said.
She giggled and gave him a push before lowering her dress again. “I showed you mine,” she teased. “Now you have to show me yours.”
He laughed. “I have to change first. I didn’t put it on this morning.” He jerked a thumb at his duffel bag. “It’s in there.”
“Oh my,” she said. “The cowboy has to change!” There was a teasing edge to her voice and a naughty light flickering in her eyes as she watched him.
“But how will our gunslingin’ hero go about that task without insulting the fine sensibilities of his lady companion? Will he change behind a tree, hopping around awkwardly as he rids himself of his breeches and changes into his trunks? Or will he just turn around and treat his fine lady friend to a full moon as he slips out of one and into the other?”
James grinned, leaning back on his elbows as he fixed her with his eyes. “You keep talking like that, and I’m going to toss you into the lake myself.”
“Hmm,” she purred. “I’d like to see you try.”
James didn’t reply. He lay back, a cryptic smile on his lips, letting her comment go.
But the moment she turned her eyes away, he shot to his feet with lightning speed. He hooked one arm under her knees, the other behind her back, and he lifted her up with a groan.
She yelped and kicked her legs, laughing as he lifted her up into the sky.
“No! James! No! Don’t!”
She didn’t weigh much, and she was a joy to hold in his arms.
But he would not hold her for long.
She laughed and kicked and tried to get loose as he carried her to the lake. When she realized she wasn’t getting loose, she clung to him, throwing her arms around his neck as she laughed.
“I’m taking you with me!” she warned him.
The grin still on his lips, not in the least dissuaded. He waded into the water on his bare feet. The lake was of a pleasant temperature, having been warmed up all summer, but retained that unique freshness that you will only find out in the wild where people rarely come. He relished in how the water felt against his feet before wading in deeper.
By now, Corinne had burst out laughing, kicking her dainty legs as she draped in his arms. One of her slippers had flown off somewhere along the way.
“You’re going in,” James said, teasing.
“Then you’re going with me!” she said, barely able to form coherent words through her laughter as she clung to his neck.
He waded deeper still, not caring that the legs of his pants were getting wet. It was a warm day, and it wouldn’t be a problem. When he was up to his ankles in the water, he sped up.
“No! No! James!” Corinne laughed.
He threw her, laughing all the way.
But she hadn’t been joking. Her grip on him was firm — she was a country girl, after all.
She clung to him with surprising strength, and James’s eyes widened as he lost his balance, the fierce redhead clinging to him and burying her face in his neck. He almost recovered, with her still hanging from his neck, but she used her own weight for leverage.
For a moment, they hung in the balance — a tangle of limbs and laughter.
Then, with a splash, they both went in.
Chapter 28
James came up spitting water and laughing.
Corinne had given him a run for his money. He hadn’t expected the limber and willowy redhead would be able to pull him along if he tried to throw her into the lake.
But she had some hidden strength.
She came up beside him, her beautiful hair now colored a deeper red from being wet, and the sunlight shone in her bright emerald eyes, bringing them to life like mountain lagoons.
She was smiling.
So was he.
With a single stroke of his arms, he was with her. The smile on her beautiful lips, dripping with water, remained, but something smoky surfaced in her beautiful eyes as she watched him — something hazy, something of need.
He couldn’t help himself. His arms found her narrow waist underwater, touched the soaked fabric of her summer dress still clinging to her body, and he pulled her in closer. She gave an amused mewl, and she wasn’t complaining.
James knew he saw it right; she wanted him as badly as he wanted her.
His wet lips brushed hers, teasingly, and hers pouted slightly as they touched. Underwater, she raised her shapely legs and folded them around his waist, clinging to him as her slender arms wound themselves around his neck.
She laughed. Pure elation and joy, and it was an infectious laugh. James couldn’t help but join her.
And at the end of that laughter, their lips met.
The sudden intensity of Corinne’s kiss surprised James. Her grip on him tightened, and she pushed her entire body against his, both under and above the surface of the lake. She drew her arms back and held his cheeks as her tongue danced with his, soft moans rising in her throat.
Strands of wet hair cascaded down as she leaned into him, brushing his face, chest, and neck. The fresh and natural scent of Corinne danced about him, filling his nostrils and rousing his inner need.
When she pulled back from their kiss, her full lips pouting, there was a look almost of surprise in her bright green eyes. She loosened her embrace a little, and her cheeks crimsoned.
“Uh, I’m sorry,” she muttered.
“Sorry?” he murmured, his voice husky with desire. “Sorry for what?”
She smiled. “That, uh, kiss was a little intense. I didn’t mean to come on so… well, so strong.”
He grinned, his hand still on her waist. “I didn’t mind it in the least bit, let me assure you of that. In fact, whenever you feel like coming on so strong, go straight for it.”
She laughed and bit the corner of her lower lip as she leaned into him again, her body pressing against his underwater.
“Good,” she just said before resting a cheek on his shoulder.
They stood like that for a while, her in his arms, their upper bodies above the surface of the lake. Warm sunlight came down from the sky — clear by now — and spread on their skin the warmth of summer. By the way he held her and she held him, James knew Corinne was looking for much more than just a lover, and that she hoped to find all of that in him.
She would.
Deep within, feelings blossomed for Corinne. In fact, they had been blossoming ever since he first ran into the beautiful redhead on his way to the cabin for the first time. James was happy that she returned those feelings, and that she got along with Lucy and Sara. In his heart, hope grew that — together — they might be a family.
He closed his eyes, banning all thought and just enjoying Corinne — her touch, her weight, her scent — as she held him tight.
“I think I’m getting a little hungry,” Corinne said after a while, her voice muffled by her face being buried in James’s neck.
He laughed softly at that. “Well, I think we should eat something. Did you have breakfast?”
“Barely,” she groaned. “I spent all morning tending crops and taking care of the chickens.”
“That fox girl been coming around again?”
“Nuh-uh,” she mumbled against his neck, sending a delicious little tremor down his spine. “But they’re still jumpy.”
He grinned. “Well, I can't blame them for that.” He reached down with one hand and gave her a pat on her round bottom. “Come on,” he said. “We’ll get out of the water, dry up in the sun, and grab a bite to eat.”
“Hmm,” she moaned. “I don’t want to let go yet. One more minute.”
He happily obliged, holding her a little longer before she finally heaved a sigh and said, “Let’s go grab some food.”
They waded out of the lake, hand in hand. They were both thoroughly drenched. Corinne’s summer dress had been white and of a light fabric to begin with, so the water rendered it nearly transparent, revealing the cute bikini underneath.
She caught him looking and stuck out her tongue teasingly.
They made it to the blanket, and James began undressing, ridding himself of his button-down shirt and slacks until he was down to his boxers. Corinne blushed a little as she studied him for a moment.
