“Oh, fuck yeah,” he said, fucking her pussy with his finger.

When she came, she shuddered hard, waves of pure ecstasy washing over her until she fell limp against him. She bit into his shoulder while he continued to use his fingers to pump into her.

Then he pulled his fingers from her and reached down to draw her pants and underwear off. He laid them over the gate.

He pulled a condom out of his pocket, unzipped his pants and put it on, then kicked her legs apart and slid his cock inside of her.

“Ohhh, yes,” she said, as he cupped her butt to draw her closer to him.

“I love being buried inside of you, Harmony. Goddamn if it’s not the only fucking thing I can think about. The way your pussy squeezes my cock when I’m in you, those sounds you make when I bury myself deep. You drive me crazy.”

His words drove her over the edge, the way he pulled back then thrust deeper, grinding his pelvis against her clit. She could feel the tension building, the quivering, spiraling need inside of her ready to explode again.

She dug her nails into his back. “Just like that, Barrett. Harder.”

He groaned against her neck, then plunged into her, giving her what she needed to come. And when she did, she couldn’t hold back the wild cry. Barrett absorbed it with his mouth, kissing her with a depth of passion that sent her careening ever deeper into the throes of her orgasm. He went with her, groaning against her lips as he shuddered against her.

They both finally stilled and he broke the kiss, looking down at her. Sweat dripped down the side of his face, his expression dead-on serious.

“What am I going to do with you, Harmony?”

The words hovered on the tip of her lips: Love me.

Where did that come from? She’d never say that to him.

The trouble was, in this moment, she felt it. And God, she wanted him to feel the same.

Dangerous waters.

Instead, she grinned and swiped the sweat from his brow. “I could think of several things you could do with me.”

He finally let out a short laugh and disengaged. They got dressed and he led her into the tiny bathroom in the barn to clean up a little.

He splashed cold water on his face.

“Good thing it’s still hot outside, which will explain all this sweat,” he said.

She smoothed her hair and righted her clothing. “Good thing you didn’t lay me down in all that hay. It might have taken hours to get it all out of my hair.”

He turned and pulled her into his arms. “That sounds like a challenge. I’m up for it if you are.”

She laughed and shoved at him. “I think we’ve been gone long enough.”

“Okay. You go on and head back. I’ll be around after you.”

She didn’t want to rock the boat, but felt it should be mentioned. “You know, we wouldn’t have to do all this skulking around if you’d just tell Drake we’re seeing each other.”

He shook his head. “Not right now, Harmony. Not long after we get back, training camp starts. I don’t need to be at odds with my teammate, let alone my best friend.”

She wasn’t sure she accepted that, but a part of her understood it. “I guess.”

He rubbed his hands up and down her arm. “Listen, if it were anyone else, then yeah. But you know how Drake gets about you seeing someone.”

Now that part she did understand. “Yes, I do know how he gets. He’s a little unreasonable about me and dating.”

Barrett arched a brow. “A little?”

She laughed. “Okay, a lot. We’ll keep it on the down low for now. But not forever.”

He tipped her chin with his fingers, then brushed his lips across hers. “No, not forever.”

Harmony walked out of the barn and Barrett stood there, his body still burning for her.

Yeah, he wanted things out in the open.

But he also knew Drake. Drake was as overprotective as a brother could be. He’d been around Drake when Harmony started to date someone. He was like a private investigator, needing to know the guy’s background. And no matter who the guy was, he wasn’t good enough. And God forbid the dude did something to hurt Harmony.

Yeah, he’d seen Drake’s reaction when Harmony and a boyfriend broke up. He wanted no part of that.

No. The season was gearing up and it was important he and Drake both be on their game. Putting Barrett and Harmony’s relationship in the middle of all that would spell disaster. He’d just let things play out the way they were for now. See how things went for a while. And then, down the road, if he and Harmony were still going strong, he’d break it to Drake.

Because Barrett had been in and out of relationships before. He knew how those things went. Some lasted. Some didn’t.

Right now it was good. He hoped it stayed good. But he just didn’t trust that it always would. And he wasn’t about to put his years-long friendship on the line unless it stayed good between Harmony and him.

Maybe it was shitty of him to think that way.

In fact, as he started the walk back to the house, the thought of not seeing Harmony again caused an ache in his gut.

That should tell him something. So maybe he was in denial.

But denial was a good place for him right now.

And if that put him firmly in asshole territory, he supposed he’d have to live there for a while.

Twenty-Nine

On Saturday, Mia surprised Harmony by asking her to go into Austin early in the day.

“I thought we’d go shopping, have some lunch, then meet everyone at the hotel later,” Mia said.