Penelope couldn't help but smile as she watched Gordon stride towards her through the waist high corn towards the farmhouse. He should have looked foolish. Definitely not at all masculine. However, Gordon, being Gordon, managed to make the gypsy skirt he had teamed with combat boots and one of his usual gaudy Hawaiian shirts look extremely masculine.

She had laughed at him, but he had claimed that in the middle of a Kansas summer, there were many advantages to wearing a skirt like that. She was starting to think he was right. The loose cotton trousers she was wearing were hot against her skin.

Although some of that was, she was sure, caused by watching Gordon. He was so absolutely confident in his own skin, in his own sense of self. She envied him that many times. As he turned to speak to the Foreman, she peeked at her phone at a certain picture…. Gordon wearing nothing but his two gold medals. Oh yes…. Gordon looked good.

Penelope looked up again at the in the flesh version who clapped the Foreman on the shoulder and continued to the house, taking the steps to the porch in two strides. "Sorry to keep you waiting Penny. But I had to check a problem with one of the irrigation machines in the far field."

"Is it serious?"

"Nah. I managed to get it fixed and its working fine now. But we're going to replace it just in case." He leaned down and kissed her. "How about we go inside in the cool? Why are you outside anyway?"

"I wanted to be out in the fresh air. It's so lovely to be out of London and to be able to relax for a few days."

Gordon ran his hand through his hair as they headed into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and pulled out a jug of water. "You can relax," he said pouring two generous glasses. "I can't. It's my turn to check the place out, so I need to make sure everything is OK."

Another smile from Penelope. "Your family never really did leave here, did they."

Gordon drank his water in one long draught and poured another glass. "No," he said seriously. "This is our home; even more than the Island is. Probably because it was where the Tracy's have been for a couple of hundred years now. It's a source of pride to us that the farm keeps going in the good times, especially since it kept the family alive during the really bad dust-bowl years in the early 20th century."

"It's in your blood," she replied thoughtfully. "As much as you claim to be a child of the ocean, this farm is in your blood."

"Yeah. Suppose so," he said and ran his hand through his hair again. "But I'm done for the day now, so what would you like to do, My Lady?"

"Come here, Gordon Tracy," she said, crooking a finger at him in invitation.

His kiss was all she hoped for, deep, commanding and the taste and smell of him filled her senses, making her body tingle with desire. Shirts were pushed off and Penny revelled in the feel of his muscular chest and arms beneath her hands; whilst Gordon appreciated the attributes Penny had.

He scooped her up and strode through the living area to the guest bedroom and laid her on the bed. Penny laughed and fumbled with her trousers, before reaching for him and let him deal with her trouser problem.

"Gordon! You aren't wearing underwear!"

He chuckled. "Like when have I ever?"

"But… the skirt…" He shrugged and started to kiss her, taking advantage of his skirt being pushed up and his lack of underwear.

"Let's call it an advantage of wearing a skirt," he said. "You should try it sometime." He sank into her and neither of them could think for some time after that.

When she could think however, Penny smiled to herself. He was due to escort her to the Highland Ball in a month time. Perhaps then they could both take advantage of wearing a skirt.