Its wide streets and wooden buildings were home to about two-hundred; not counting all the farmers, trappers and traveling merchants who might be in town on a given day. She was in town to buy seeds for her family’s spring planting, with a second agenda her father probably wouldn’t approve of.

Celeste arrived at the smithy just as Darus was putting the last shoe on a horse. The village blacksmith was a few years older, with quite a reputation among the local ladies; due to equal parts charm and skill with his cock. He also had the body of a man who swung hammers all day and no intention of settling down, all of which made him a perfect candidate for a bit of sweaty recreation.

People on the frontier enjoyed an open attitude toward sex. As her mother had always said, some enjoyed being open more than others. Celeste was convinced she was one of those people, but she was looking for something more exciting than the tedious fondling of boys from the neighboring farms. She was looking for a man, and she knew which one she wanted.

Her problem was that Darus still thought of her as the awkward girl who would pester him with questions for hours on end. These days she stood around flirting for hours, but he didn’t seem to be getting the hint.

She got a room at the inn, changing out of her farmer’s tunic and pants for a green dress that went well with her golden hair. It wasn’t fancy, but it laced up the front and managed to give her some cleavage. She’d been working up the courage to do this for weeks and was determined to get through to him this time, no matter how blunt she had to be.