Poppi put his arm around her and said, “I think these two could survive on the love between them.”
“True, but we might be out for a while and need the nourishment.” Brett reached for the bag. He turned and kissed Sophie. “Ready, beautiful?”
“For anything.” She held him a little tighter.
His hand covered hers as he tipped his hat to Poppi and Nana and said, “Pretend we’re riding off into the sunset.”
They rode through the pasture to the trails Poppi had taken Sophie on when she was a girl. When they came to the meadow where she did her first cartwheel, Ruthie slowed to a walk.
“Whoa, girl,” Brett said, bringing her to a halt. He dismounted and reached up to help Sophie down. “We survived.”
“We more than survived. That was the hugest aphrodisiac ever.”
“Mm,” he said against her neck as he placed a kiss there. “I told you, I’m going to fulfill all your fantasies, sexy girl.”
She pushed her hands beneath his shirt. His skin was hot, his muscles hard, and when she gazed into his eyes, she saw just what her touch was doing to him—and loved it.
“Careful, baby. There’re no trees around here. I’ve got no place to tie up the horse.”
“Who needs to tie her up? All you have to do is stand there.” She dragged her hands down his abs and hooked her finger into the waist of his jeans. “Have I told you about my cowboy fantasy?”
His eyes smoldered.
“Don’t let go of the reins, big boy…” She unbuttoned his jeans and pressed a kiss to his stomach, then proceeded to fulfill a steamy fantasy she hadn’t even known she possessed until her panty scorcher rode up on the horse.
Chapter Seventeen
BRETT PACKED HIS clothes Tuesday evening, listening to the sounds of Sophie and her family floating up from downstairs. They were leaving the next day, and the end of their visit was bittersweet. After being woken up at the crack of dawn by Nana the Curtain Opener, Brett had learned how to milk a cow. He’d helped with the barn chores, and Nana had made an elaborate breakfast. He and Poppi put up motion-sensor lights on their house and on Sophie’s parents’ house. They spent the rest of the day picking apples at an orchard with her grandparents and baking. Brett thought Dylan, who loved to bake and who Brett loved to tease about it, would get a kick out of hearing he’d spent the day in the kitchen. The banter between Nana and Poppi had Brett in stitches, but it was the intimate moments he and Sophie shared as they worked side by side cutting apples and measuring ingredients, pouring love into the food, that made him want even more than they already had together.
“Daydreaming? Isn’t that my sister’s job?” Lindsay walked into the bedroom carrying a small stack of his and Sophie’s clothes.
“Shoot. We forgot to throw those into the dryer. I’m sorry.” He took the clothes and put them in his bag.
“No worries. Mom threw them in for you.” She sat on the edge of the bed and tucked a sock that was hanging over the edge of the bag back inside. “I heard Sophie talking to Grace on the phone earlier. You know she’s head over heels for you, right?”
He zipped up his luggage. “It’s mutual, Lindsay. You don’t need to read me the protective-sister act. I promise I’m not going to hurt her.”
“I wasn’t going to.” She rose to her feet again, and her gaze softened. “I just wanted to be sure you knew.”
“I can’t hide my feelings either. How could I miss hers?”
“From what I’ve heard, you can be a little slow on the uptake.” She smiled with the tease. “Seriously, though. I’m glad you’re in her life. I’ve never seen her this happy. And what you did for her in the barn? It almost makes me wish I wanted a long-term relationship.”
Brett laughed. “I couldn’t have coordinated that night without your help. Thank you. And as far as forever goes, love hits when you’re busy trying to avoid it, so watch out.”
“I’m pretty love repellent. Hurry down or you might not get any dessert. Your girlfriend has a thing for whipped cream and hot apple pie.”
As she left the bedroom, he mentally added whipped cream to his grocery list.
He went to the window and gazed out at her backyard, thinking about what he’d said to Lindsay about avoiding love and realized it wasn’t really true. When he’d rushed to the airport, avoiding anything having to do with Sophie wasn’t anywhere near his radar screen. But there was one thing he had been avoiding for too many years to count, and he wouldn’t have imagined it had anything to do with falling in love. But he would have been wrong, because the more deeply in love he fell with Sophie, the more he wanted her world to be everything she’d ever dreamed of. If he had a hope in hell of offering that to her, he needed to deal with the ghosts of his past.
He needed to deal with his father and try to mend the fences he’d broken. His mother had long ago forgiven him for his recklessness, but he’d never even tried to heal the pain he’d caused his father. Mick was probably right about the demise of their family, but that didn’t negate the truth of how Brett had acted in the years following Lorelei’s death. There was a great deal of shame that came along with that confession—including the thing that hurt most. If Lorelei had been able to see him in those destructive years, she’d have seen a brother she wouldn’t have looked up to.
He set his bag on the floor beside Sophie’s, determined to right his wrongs, and headed downstairs. He went slowly, taking in the pictures of Sophie and her friends and family. He recognized a few more faces now. He stopped midway down the steps at the sight of the picture he’d given Sophie of the two of them standing in his mother’s backyard. His chest constricted, but now he knew that was love, a feeling that no longer felt foreign. He didn’t think it was possible to fall in love with a family other than his own, but it was happening just as effortlessly as he’d fallen in love with Sophie.
The smell of baked apples and cinnamon surrounded him like an embrace as he came to the bottom step, and his heart took another hit. Hanging on the wall was a picture of him and Sophie standing beneath the willow tree, moonlight raining down on them. He was cradling Sophie’s face in his hands, gazing into her eyes. How had Lindsay captured the moment he’d told Sophie he loved her? He took a moment to soak it all in. He was in love, and it was as real and undeniable as Lorelei’s death.
He followed the sounds of the others into the kitchen and found Nana and Angel chatting while they sliced pie and doled out ice cream. Lindsay was ladling dollops of whipped cream on top. Del and Poppi stood by the patio door talking, and Brett spotted Sophie heading up from the creek with a handful of wildflowers.
“Thank you for hanging up the pictures of me and Sophie,” he said to Lindsay.
Lindsay smiled. “I don’t think we’ll need screws for those.”
“I have no idea how you timed it so perfectly, or how you could have gotten out there without us seeing you, but I’d really like a copy of that picture for our house.”
“Our house?” Lindsay arched a brow, and the kitchen grew quiet.
He hadn’t even realized he’d said it. He didn’t want to go back to two separate residences, not after spending this time together. He shrugged and smiled. “Slip of the tongue.”
“We like tongue slips,” Nana said as Sophie came in the door.
He imagined his brothers there, eating pie and making snappy retorts to Nana, and it made him almost as happy as Sophie walking into his arms.
“Hey, flower girl. You’ve been busy. Did you see the picture Lindsay took of us?”
“Yes. It made me cry.”
“Aw.” He brushed a kiss over her cheek. “Happy tears are good tears.”
“Tongue slips are even better,” Nana said as she passed by on her way to the table carrying two plates of pie.
“Nana!” Sophie gave Brett a chaste kiss and put the flowers in a vase her mother had filled with water. “Thanks, Mom.”
Angel set the vase on the table and everyone sat down. “I can’t believe you guys are leaving tomorro
w. I’m really glad we got this extra time with both of you.”
“I’ve had a wonderful time. Thank you.” Brett pulled out a chair for Sophie, then sat beside her.
“You’ll be back in a few weeks for the Halloween shindig,” Nana said.
“Halloween shindig?” he asked.
“Celebrate every holiday, remember?” Poppi said with a confirming nod.
“And then there’s Thanksgiving and Christmas. Oh, and New Year’s Eve. That’s a biggie around here.” Nana ate a forkful of pie “Mm-mm.”
“Nana, Brett might want to spend the holidays with his family,” Angel reminded her. “But, Brett, I hope you know you’re welcome to join us. In fact, you’re welcome to bring your family here and we can all celebrate together if you’d like.”
Brett reached for Sophie’s hand and squeezed it gently. “Thank you. I guess we have some decisions to make.”
“Don’t feel any pressure to—” Sophie said.
“Feel pressure,” Nana interrupted. “Pressure to be included in family celebrations is good! We already got one slip of the tongue.”
“What…?” Sophie’s brow wrinkled in confusion.
Brett lifted a forkful of pie to Sophie’s lips in an effort to change the subject. She took the bite, and he caught Nana chuckling.
They ate too much pie, talked about Nana and Angel’s plans for upcoming celebrations, and Lindsay made Nana promise not to bring any prospective suiters to future parties. Even knowing Nana for the short time he had, Brett had a feeling Nana was already making lists of men for Lindsay, who was probably next on her matchmaking list.
A while later, they stood on the front porch saying goodbye to Lindsay, Nana, and Poppi.
“Swing by for a brown-bag breakfast.” Nana gave Brett a hug and pinched his cheek. “My friend Cora did an online search of you. It seems you’re even more impressive than you are charming. A real catch. But so is our Sophie. I’m glad you two have found each other. Take care of her in that big city.”
“I’m not sure I’m such a catch, but I only need one woman to believe I am.” He gathered Sophie in his arms and said, “She’s my number one priority, Nana, but Sophie’s a strong, capable woman. She did fine before I came along.”
“Of course she did,” Lindsay said. “You can’t grow up here and not be a badass.” She hugged Sophie. “But unlike me, most people like knowing someone’s watching out for them.”
Brett embraced her. “I guess you want me to send a security crew to your house to shore up your windows and doors?”
“Why on earth would she want that?” Sophie asked.
He winked at Lindsay and said, “We wouldn’t want anything sneaking in while she’s trying to avoid it.”
Chapter Eighteen
AFTER RETURNING FROM Virginia Wednesday afternoon, Brett and Sophie stopped at her apartment to pick up a few things for the next couple of nights before heading over to Brett’s. Usually when she returned home she flopped on the couch and called Grace, happy to regain her footing in her own space. But this time she couldn’t wait to submerge herself in Brett’s world, although as he opened his front door, butterflies swarmed in her belly.
The scent of leather and something spicy greeted them. Sophie’s gaze swept over the rich, hardwood floors and rough brick walls, brown leather couches that sat low to the floor, and an enormous granite coffee table. Around the perimeter of the living room, several heavy floor lamps had metal casings that looked like scaffolding, interesting wooden bases, and spotlight housings. Spotlight-type sconces were placed along the far wall, where a metal staircase ran up to a second story. A black leather armchair and ottoman sat beneath a tangle of lights in a corner by one of the nearly floor-to-ceiling windows. Beside it, a wooden crate with heavy metal clasps was home to a few workout magazines.
“Why am I so nervous?” she asked as Brett dropped their bags by the door. She saw the kitchen through an archway in the brick wall, all clean lines and lighted cabinets. Several potted plants sat atop one of the expansive counters beside a bank of windows. The kitchen looked as big as her apartment.
He put his arm around her, nuzzling against her neck, and said, “Because you know I want to do dirty things to you on every surface.”
“Nope. I counted on that, though.” She pressed her lips to his, then glanced around the room. Every piece of furniture, even the walls and floors, appeared substantial and elegant, yet subdued, not showy. His home wasn’t intimidating or terribly inviting, and she wondered if that was because he had been so unsettled his whole life. She had the sense that he lived here, but he’d never put down roots and made it his home.
“Then why are you nervous, babe? You know I don’t bring women here, so it’s not like there’s anything to be jealous of.”
“Maybe because of that. Not jealousy, but this is your private space and you’re letting me in. That’s huge.”
“Not as huge as meeting your parents. Or making love to you in their barn. Or telling you I love you under their forever-kiss tree.”
He brushed his lips over hers. She closed her eyes and whispered, “I love you.”
She felt him smiling and went up on her toes to steal a real kiss. His mouth pressed firmly against hers, warm and hungry.
As he trailed kisses along her cheek, his husky voice swaggered into her ear. “I have something huge to show you.”
He sank his teeth into her earlobe just hard enough to sting deliciously. She heard him groan. Why, oh why, was that such an aphrodisiac? She drew back, meeting the inferno in his eyes.
“Are you trying to distract me from being nervous? Because it’s working really well.”
“I can’t help myself around you. Maybe we should go for Naked Wednesdays instead of Naked Saturdays.” He lifted up the edge of her sweater and pushed his hand beneath, palming her breast.
“I’m not sure Mick will think that’s appropriate since I work on Wednesdays.” That earned a brooding stare and he tweaked her nipple. She gasped and tugged him down by the collar of his T-shirt. “You’re so jealous. It’s kind of cute.”
“I’ll show you cute.” He swept her into his arms and looked around the room like he wasn’t sure where he should take her. Mumbling something about a theater, he carried her down a hallway.
She kissed his neck, then the prickly scruff along his jaw, and he made another greedy noise as they entered a dark room. He lowered her to an enormous couch that felt cold like leather and came down over her.
His eyes shimmered in the darkness. “You have never made out in a theater, right?”
“You have a home theater?” She leaned up, surveying their surroundings as her eyes adjusted to the dark. There was a row of recliners behind them, which sat higher than the couch. An old reel-to-reel projector sat off to the side on a tall table, and the walls were covered with old movie and Broadway posters set in elaborate frames. “Wow.”
“I’d rather hear that when I take my clothes off.”
“Oh, you will,” she promised, still looking around.
He touched her cheek, bringing her attention back to him. “Would you like to see the room, baby? Maybe watch a movie?”
“Yes, I’d like to see it. You can’t take me into your private theater and expect me not to want to see this secret side of you.”
“I was getting ready to show you the secret side of me.” He picked up a remote lying on a table beside the sofa and pushed a button, illuminating a blank wall in front of them and several artistically angled, dimly lit fixtures throughout the rest of the room.
“Your secret is about as safe as Victoria’s,” she said as she pushed to her feet.
He pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her passionately. “I happen to like Victoria’s Secret.” He pushed his hand beneath her dress, running his fingers over her panties. “And from the lingerie you wear, I believe you do, too.”
“Maybe so,” she whispered, “but I like your not-so-secret secret much better. I’ve seen enough movie roo
m. Secret now, please.” She straddled his lap as the room went dark.
SEVERAL INCREDIBLE ORGASMS and one pizza delivery later, Sophie lay in Brett’s arms on the couch watching a movie, their bodies intertwined. Dylan had called earlier and invited them to watch football at his place on Sunday. Sophie couldn’t get over how happy Dylan was about the two of them coming together. It felt like ages since she’d seen everyone, even though the perfumery opening was only two weeks ago. She felt like they’d been away for a month. A very long, wonderful month, and she wasn’t ready to go back to real life. She hated the idea of spending several hours apart when she’d gotten used to seeing and kissing Brett anytime she wanted. They’d become so in sync and comfortable with each other, she wondered if anything would change once real life crept in.
“Have lunch with me tomorrow?” he asked. “I can’t go cold turkey for eight-plus hours.”
He nipped at her shoulder. She couldn’t get enough of those love bites!
“I’d really like that.” She turned toward him and said, “Careful, Mr. Bad. Your commitment is showing.”
He tightened his hold on her. “I’d like to put it in lights, or on a billboard. ‘Sophie Roberts is Taken.’”
“Only if I get one claiming you as mine, too.” She closed her eyes, snuggling closer. Real life could creep in all it wanted. It had nothing on them.
Chapter Nineteen
THE NEXT FEW days moved by too slowly, and the nights too quickly. Sophie and Brett had been staying at his place ever since they’d gotten back in town. Sophie was the joy at the end of his workday, the light to his dark, worrying thoughts about going to see his father. She’d even become his workout partner, which usually ended up with them rolling around naked, and he realized he no longer felt the need to beat his body into submission. But yesterday morning Sophie had gone to work out with Grace, and he’d gone running with his brothers. He’d almost told them about wanting to go see their father, but he’d held back because he knew they felt their father was, for the most part, a lost cause. Now, as they rode the elevator up to Dylan and Tiffany’s apartment to watch the game Sunday afternoon, Brett second-guessed himself. He didn’t like keeping secrets, especially from his family.
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