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“What happens if you give him a mess of girls?”

“I won’t.”

“You can’t know that, Deb.”

“I won’t. Or, we will talk about it.”

“Allof us? I will talk to you and your husband about your children with him? Why don’t I think that’ll work…”

“We have time, Harriet. We have time to worry about that. For now, it’s still just you and me. Don’t you see that? I’ve still only been with you. You’ve still only been with me. We belong to each other no matter what happens, but for now, it’s still only us.”

It dawned on Harriet then just how lucky they were to have this extra time because of something they’d never known about John David.

“You’re sure that he didn’t just say that to get you to confess? They could be coming for us right now, and here you are, holding on to my face like you’re about to kiss me.”

“I’m sure. Jacob was at the house after breakfast this morning. I’m sure.”

“So, we can be together?”

“Yes.” Deb smiled wide. “Yes, we can.”

Harriet’s shoulders, which had been at her ears since yesterday, finally fell.

“I love you,” she told Deb.

“I love you, too.”

Harriet let Deb’s hands fall, which she knew they would, and she moved hers to Deb’s face then, pulling her mouth to her own while Deb’s arms wrapped around her waist.

“Do we have time?” Deb asked between heated kisses.

“Not much,” she replied.

“We never havemuch. But do we have any?”

“She was kneading the biscuit dough,” Harriet replied and moved Deb over to the workbench, pressing her back against it. “We’ve got enough time.”

“Good. I need you to touch me. I need it to be you, Harriet. Always you.”

Harriet lifted Deb’s dress up and pushed down at her underwear. Her lips met Deb’s neck. She was always careful never to leave a mark, but she realized then that now that Deb was married, people would just assume that John David had put the mark there. Part of her was angered by that, but the other part, the bigger part, loved the idea that she could mark her wife how she wanted because now, they had an excuse. John David could take the credit, which would help keep up their lies, and she could have the woman she loved up against this workbench, sucking on her skin and listening to Deb’s soft sounds because they had to be soft. If anyone walked by, they’d hear them.

“We shouldn’t,” she mumbled against Deb’s skin as her hand moved into Deb’s underwear. “One of my brothers could come in and find us.”

“Please,” Deb begged. “I needyouinside me.”

Harriet pushed all thoughts of the world around her away and gathered what Deb had already had ready for her, slipping her fingers down and, without hesitation, inside her.

“Oh,” Deb let out.

Harriet took her in for a moment then. Deb’s eyes were closed. Her hands were now around Harriet’s neck, and her mouth was open. Her head was back against the wall of tools behind the haphazardly put-together bench.

“I love you,” Deb said breathily.

“I love you, too,” Harriet replied and pushed in deeper, filling her up before she began to curl.

“Please,” Deb requested as her hands moved to the hem of Harriet’s dress, and she lifted it.

Harriet knew what she wanted, so she held the dress up to help. When Deb’s hand slipped into her underwear and cupped her, Harriet’s hips instantly began to rock against herhand. Deb’s fingers moved into her folds, and she stroked her clit in only the waysheknew how to do. They gasped and moaned quietly together while bringing each other to an orgasm, and when they both came down, they just stood there, frozen in time, breathing heavily between kisses, not wanting to move.