by Dawn Brower
“Why not,” he countered. “It’s pleasurable and I promise you will not regret it.” He fully intended to make her scream so many times she’d lose count. Nicholas loved making her orgasm. It was one of his greatest pleasures, and when he was finally able to come inside her…he was blinded by his own.
“Darling,” she said through the tiny breaths she took. “There are…” She moaned as he rubbed the pad of his thumb over her erect nipple. “…people waiting for us.”
He sighed. “So you would like me to stop then.”
“Like isn’t the word I’d use.” Her head fell back and another moan slipped out of her mouth. Nicholas took it as an opportunity to push her shirt down and place his mouth on her breast. He sucked and licked until he felt her shiver. She was close to an orgasm. If he pressed the palm of his other hand to her core she would topple over. He reached down and did just that and she screamed as it rolled through her. He’d done that to her and he wanted to do far more.
“Oh, God,” she said. “You have the wickedest touch.” Peyton pulled away from him and stood up. She shook a little from the aftermath of her orgasm. “But we really need to go outside now.” She waved her hand toward him and then at the door. “Let’s go.”
He sighed and stood. “I think you are making the wrong choice, but I will do what you want.”
“Good,” Peyton said, then grinned. “Because I’m not going to take no for an answer.” She wiggled her forefinger indicating he should come forward. “I’ve been waiting for this day ever since I drove you to London when you first arrived.”
That didn’t sound ominous at all… Still, he got up to follow her. He would follow her to the ends of the Earth if need be.
Peyton couldn’t wait for Nicholas to discover what they had planned for him. It had taken a lot to convince Bradford and Trenton to do as she had asked. Neither one of them were looking forward to these lessons, but it was needed. If Nicholas really intended to stay he needed to learn how to drive. They had already paid for him to get proper documentation…including identification that would allow him to drive. He would be known as a distant cousin of Bradford’s.
“Why are we going outside?” Nicholas asked. “Are you certain you wouldn’t rather go upstairs to our room?” They had agreed to share a room after they stopped using his bedroom altogether. There was no point in separate spaces when they couldn’t stay away from each other.
“I’m sure,” she said firmly.
She opened the door and they walked out to the driveway. Bradford stood next to a car…one he didn’t mind as much getting smashed if Nicholas happened to drive it into a tree. It was a simple grey sedan that had been purchased specifically to teach Nicholas to drive. It even had a few dents in it already.
“What is that monstrosity?” Nicholas asked. His eyes widened. “It’s horrid.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Bradford replied dryly. “Which is why you are going to drive it. Get in.” He motioned toward the driver side.
“No, thank you,” Nicolas said and backed away. Peyton was there to push him forward though, and he stumbled a little as he went toward the car.
“Get in,” Trenton said. “Bradford and I will be here every step of the way.
Regina came out of the manor carrying her son, and Genevieve followed her out. They both went to stand by Peyton.
“Are we making bets?” Genevieve asked.
“Of course we are,” Regina said and snorted. “I bet a hundred bucks my husband loses his shit before Nicolas even gets the car in drive.”
Genevieve chuckled. “Two hundred he puts it in reverse first and hits that nice fountain over there.”
Peyton shook her head and frowned. They had no faith in her honey bun. She had to show him that she believed in him. Otherwise he would fail before he even had a chance to begin. “Don’t be foolish. He’ll find drive on the first try. It’s park we need to be worried about.”
Regina lifted a brown and burst into laughter. “How much?”
“A thousand.”
“I don’t like you three very much right now,” Nicholas said. His face had lost any inkling of color. “You all will regret betting against me. When you least expect it, that’s when you’ll experience me at my worst.”
Bradford patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t get your panties in a twist. It’s all good fun.”
“I don’t wear panties,” Nicholas said indignantly. “Any type of underclothes is chafing.” He pulled on his jeans.
“Too much information,” Trenton said and shuddered. “And I am going to pretend I don’t understand what you mean.”
Nicholas sighed and went to the driver side of the car. He got inside and put his safety belt on as Peyton had taught him. Bradford got in the passenger side and Trenton sat in the back. The engine roared to life. Bradford was saying something to Nicholas but Peyton couldn’t hear it. She hoped Nicholas did well.
The car started moving slowly down the driveway. It jerked a few times and if Peyton had to guess, Nicholas had hit the break instead of accelerating. Bradford’s hands were waving wildly and then the car took off. Nicholas found the right pedal…
He swerved a few times but after a few moments he managed to gain control. Peyton’s heart beat wildly inside her chest and she held her breath. Why had she thought this was a good idea?
Genevieve leaned close. “Breathe sister dear.”
Peyton turned to her and frowned. She was grateful her relationship with her sister had grown, but she still had trouble with the teasing at times. Peyton missed Serenity. They had always been close and her staying in the past was difficult. At least she knew both her sisters were happily married. “I am breathing,” she hissed out the words. “I’m worried is all.”
“Understandably so,” Regina quipped. “He seems to be doing all right though. Bradford won’t steer him wrong.”
“I know,” Peyton replied. She wouldn’t relax though. At least not until he put the car into park and stepped out of the vehicle. She wanted him to learn how to drive. It was essential for his acclamation into society, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t worry every second. The car went out of sight as they went on the road. She took several deep breaths. “What should we do until they return?”
“I am going to put little Cam down for a nap,” Regina said. “Then I think we should open one of Bradford’s expensive bottles of wine.”
“I concur,” Genevieve replied. She put her arm around Peyton. “Come with me. We’re going down to the wine cellar to choose a bottle or two to get us through this lesson.”
“Do you think we will actually need two bottles?” Peyton asked and then chewed on her bottom lip anxiously.
“Pssh,” Genevieve said and waived her hand dismissively. “We might need three. What’s your poison?”
They went inside the house and Peyton followed Genevieve down to the wine cellar. There were a lot of bottles of wine in there. They went to the far side of the room to a rack Bradford saved for special occasions. “Do you prefer red or white?” Genevieve asked.
“I don’t have a preference,” she answered. Peyton had never been fond of wine. She drank it occasionally though.
“Regina likes red,” she replied. “I’ve always liked a good Riesling.” She studied the wine bottles and grabbed two. “One red and one white it is.” She handed one to Genevieve. “You carry the red. Regina will want a glass immediately.”
They went back up the salon. Regina was already there with three wine glasses and a bottle opener. She snatched the bottle of red from Peyton and had the cork out before anyone had a chance to say a word. She poured wine into the three glasses and distributed them. She held hers up and said. “A toast…to the men we love and the stupid things they do. What would we do without them?”
Peyton laughed and relaxed for the first time since the men left. “Love them anyway,” she suggested.
“Of course,” Genevieve said. “They make life inherently more interesting.” They clanged
their glasses together and then took a sip. Celebrating their friendship, their family, and the love that made them all who they were…that was the best part of life.
They sat back and shared both bottles of wine. All of which was gone when the men returned. The three men stared at them and shook their head. None of them asked how the driving lesson went. They had returned and that was all that mattered to any of them. Peyton loved Nicholas and always would. The rest was just details they could work through as each day passed. There was nothing she wanted more than to spend the rest of her life with him. He was her everything.
Epilogue
Three years later…
Nicholas walked into the kitchen and frowned. He had hoped to find Peyton, but she seemed to be hiding. If she wanted to play a game he was more than willing to go along with it. They had been married for a couple of years now. Today she had gone in for her yearly checkup. He was worried that she had gotten bad news and her cancer had returned. He prayed it was nothing of the sort. He’d drawn her with their children. Nicholas refused to believe anything would happen to her. That was his proof she’d be around for many years to come. They still had not become parents. That had to mean something.
“Peyton,” he called out. Worry furrowed his brows and he couldn’t stop his heart from beating fast.
“In here,” she yelled.
They didn’t have a large house. It was a simple four bedroom ranch on the Weston estate. Bradford had it built for them so they could remain close. It was their wedding present from him and Regina. The construction had been completed a mere month ago. They had fun decorating it. Peyton had finished her degree at university and Nicholas had started to work for Bradford in his company’s art department. He had skills he hadn’t been aware of and had learned how to use a computer relatively fast. Sketching in the virtual paint program was amazing.
Nicholas wandered into the living room. She stood near the entryway with the door open. “Come outside I have a present for you…a couple actually.”
Outside in their driveway was the bright red Jaguar F-type that she had originally taken him to London in. He had fond memories of that car. Not that Bradford had ever allowed him to drive one of his precious cars. “Why is that here?”
“That’s your surprise.” She stepped on to her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. “Happy Birthday darling.”
He’d forgotten it was his birthday… “The only present I want to unwrap is you. Give Bradford his vehicle back.”
“No can do,” she said. “It’s in your name already. You own it.” She grinned from ear to ear and then tossed him the keys. “He upgraded to a newer model. Come on let’s take it for a spin.”
He really did want to drive the car… Nicholas sighed and got into the driver side of the Jaguar. Peyton stepped into the passenger side and put her safety belt on. He did too. “Do you need me to get a stuffy for you to cuddle?” he asked her jokingly, reminded of the first time he’d gotten inside the car. He turned the engine on and stepped on the pedal to hear the rev of the motor.
“I think I’m good. Put it in drive and step on it.”
Nicholas grinned and did as she told him to. There wasn’t much he didn’t listen to her about. They sped down the driveway and then on to the road. He rolled the windows to feel the wind on them as he put the car through its paces. In another lifetime he might have considered being a racecar driver. He loved cars. Nicholas couldn’t imagine a time he had been terrified of them. A lot had happened in a few short years.
He turned the car around and went back to their home. There was something else he wanted to do and he needed to be parked to do it. Once the car was parked and the engine off he leaned over and clicked Peyton’s safety belt free, then pulled her into his lap. “Feel like a different kind of ride Mrs. Kendall?”
She groaned. “You are so very, deliciously, wicked, Mr. Kendall.” Peyton leaned down close to his ear and whispered, “But don’t you want to know what your other gift is.”
“Is it you naked?” he asked.
“Not exactly…not at all actually,” she answered. She leaned back against the steering wheel and nibbled on her bottom lip. “I think you’ll like it either way though.”
He lifted a brow. “If it’s from you I promise I will. What is it?”
She lifted his hand in hers and pressed it to her belly. His heart skipped a beat. This was it. The first sign his drawing had been the truth. “Your…”
“We are expecting,” she said. “The baby will be here in six months. Are you ready to be a daddy?”
This was what she worried over? “Of course I am.” He pulled her against him and hugged her tight. “I have enough room in my heart for several children if you want them. I love you and I’ll love whatever life we bring into the world. You are my everything.” He couldn’t say that enough to her.
“I love you too,” she said softly. “I’m scared.”
“That’s normal so I hear, but luckily we have people we can depend on that have already gone through this. Your sister and Trenton just had a baby, and Auntie Regina is expecting again.” He grinned. “Wait… You’re due around the same time. Wouldn’t it be weird if the babies were born at the same time?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Regina is at least three weeks farther along. I doubt that will happen.”
“Still…” His lips tilted upward. “It would be…”
Peyton pressed her finger to his lips. “Keep those thoughts to yourself. The baby will come when it is supposed to. That is all that matters isn’t it?”
“It is,” he agreed. “Now about that naked time…”
His wife burst into laughter, then leaned down and pressed her lips to his. “I’m open to being naked anytime you want, but the car is a little cramped for what I have in mind. What do you say about joining me in the shower instead?”
With those words she climbed out of his lap and pushed her car door open, stepped out, then ran into the house. Nicholas grinned and sauntered in after her. It was going to be one of the best birthdays he’d ever had…
Also by Dawn Brower
Broken Pearl
Deadly Benevolence
A Wallflower’s Christmas Kiss
A Gypsy’s Christmas Kiss
Snowflake Kisses
* * *
Begin Again
There You’ll Be
Better as a Memory
Won’t Let Go
* * *
Enduring Legacy
The Legacy’s Origin
Charming Her Rogue
* * *
Scandal Meets Love
Love Only Me (Amanda Mariel)
Find Me Love (Dawn Brower)
If It’s Love (Amanda Mariel)
Odds of Love (Dawn Brower)
Coming Soon
Christmas at Fortuna’s Parlor (Amanda Mariel and Dawn Brower)
Believe In Love (Amanda Mariel)
Chance of Love (Dawn Brower)
* * *
Bluestockings Defying Rogues
When An Earl Turns Wicked
A Lady Hoyden’s Secret
One Wicked Kiss
Earl In Trouble
All the Ladies Love Coventry
One Less Scandalous Earl
Coming Soon
Confessions of a Hellion
The Vixen in Red
* * *
Marsden Descendants
Rebellious Angel
Tempting An American Princess
Coming Soon
Loving an America Spy
How to Kiss a Debutante
* * *
Marsden Romances
A Flawed Jewel
A Crystal Angel
A Treasured Lily
A Sanguine Gem
A Hidden Ruby
A Discarded Pearl
* * *
Novak Springs
Cowgirl Fever
Dirty Proof
Unbridled Pursuit
Sensual Games<
br />
Christmas Temptation
* * *
Linked Across Time
Saved by My Blackguard
Searching for My Rogue
Seduction of My Rake
Surrendering to My Spy
Spellbound by My Charmer
Stolen by My Knave
Separated from My Love
Scheming with My Duke
Secluded with My Hellion
* * *
Heart’s Intent
One Heart to Give
Unveiled Hearts
Heart of the Moment
Kiss My Heart Goodbye
Heart in Waiting
* * *
Broken Curses
The Enchanted Princess
The Bespelled Knight
The Magical Hunt
* * *
Ever Beloved
Forever My Earl
Always My Viscount
Infinitely My Marquess
EternallyMyDuke
* * *
Kismet Bay
Once Upon a Christmas
New Year Revelation
All Things Valentine
Luck At First Sight
Endless Summer Days
Coming Soon
A Witch’s Charm
All Out of Gratitude
Christmas Ever After
About The Author
USA TODAY Bestselling author, DAWN BROWER writes both historical and contemporary romance. There are always stories inside her head; she just never thought she could make them come to life. That creativity has finally found an outlet.
* * *
Growing up she was the only girl out of six children. She raised two boys into productive young men. There is never a dull moment in her life. Reading books is her favorite hobby and she loves all genres.