Secret Blend (Bourbon Springs Book 1)

by Jennifer Bramseth

  After she refilled the water jug and Brady had gone back outside, Rachel still found herself on edge. It was now in the early evening; she should be beat, and yet with Brady still nearby, she was anything but sleepy. Rachel remembered she hadn’t vacuumed yet, so off she went to fetch the sweeper.

  More cleaning.

  Chapter 12

  Brady made steady progress and saw the end was in sight. But then what? Go home? He’d spent most of the day with Rachel. A sweaty, greasy, steamy day filled with long, simmering looks, and the truth was that he didn't want his time with her to end. He’d noticed her glancing at him from time to time, and he was sure she’d seen him returning the compliment. He should’ve asked her to fill up that damn water jug with ice water and dump it right over him—but even that would’ve only temporarily dulled the edge of his arousal.

  He opened the carton containing the mailbox, wondering how to end the evening. Apologize again? Ask whether she’d still like to go on the date? Simply saying see ya didn’t seem right, either. But as he pulled out the mailbox, he realized there was a more immediate problem. Parts were missing from the mailbox, including the front flap, the flag, and bits of the necessary hardware that, according to the box, should have been included.

  Brady cursed, got his wallet out to make sure he still had the receipt, and put the mailbox back into the cardboard box. Then he trudged up the driveway once more to tell Rachel he had to go back to the hardware store to get a replacement. He opened the kitchen door without knocking, as she had instructed him, and heard the sound of her vacuuming. Why was she cleaning? Wasn’t the woman tired?

  He took a few steps into the kitchen as Rachel moved into the doorway between the kitchen and a sitting area. She had the vacuum in hand and rapidly moved it over the floor. He waved to her, but she did not turn off the vacuum, and he tried to speak over the noise.

  “Gotta return to the hardware store and get a replacement mailbox. Want to get this done tonight so I won’t bother you tomorrow.”

  Rachel nodded, waved, and kept vacuuming.

  Brady managed to get to the store and back to Rachel’s place in a very short time. There was still plenty of light in the sky and he figured he could get the mailbox up before it went completely dark. Upon returning, he saw that Rachel had closed the garage door and was a little sad that he had been denied the casual familiarity of being able to enter the house that way. Now he’d have to knock on the front door when he was done. It was still hot outside, so he stripped off his shirt again and started working.

  It did not take long to get the mailbox in place, and he was pleased with the job he had done. Brady gathered his tools and put them in his car, dropping his t-shirt in after them, then cleared the area of trash. He walked to the house, dumped the debris in a can at the corner of the garage, and toted the water jug to the front porch.

  Brady rang the doorbell and waited. Nothing. There were no side windows down the length of the door, so he couldn’t peer into the house to see if there was any movement. He waited a little more and knocked, but Rachel didn’t come to the door.

  Brady put the water jug on the porch and turned to go, but hesitated. Should he wait a little longer to say goodbye for the evening in case she was showering and hadn’t heard him at the door? He shuddered at the image of Rachel taking a shower, lathering her hair, her body…

  He took a deep breath, trying to still his thoughts, knowing that he was only going to drive himself crazy if he kept thinking about her.

  But he couldn’t.

  And that meant he was crazy about her.

  Brady groaned and ran a hand over his face and began to walk away from the house.

  Then, as he reached the driveway, he heard a splash.

  So that’s where she was. He should’ve figured she’d be in the pool that evening.

  Brady froze.

  Did he want to be tormented by the sight of Rachel in a bathing suit? He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. He could feel himself getting hard just at the thought of her, at hearing her splashing in the pool.

  Even though he knew he couldn’t have her, that he was torturing himself, and that he should just walk away, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. A little glimpse of her in that pool would have to be his consolation prize.

  Brady walked around to the side of the garage and found an unlit concrete path leading to the patio and backyard. Once he arrived at a gated portion of a wrought iron fence that enclosed the pool area, he stopped and stared.

  Rachel lingered at the edge of the pool with her head on her folded arms, her hair still up but now wet and shiny. Brady couldn’t get a good look at her face since she faced the opposite way, and he couldn’t tell what kind of bathing suit she wore. She looked like she could be asleep, which wouldn’t surprise him considering their taxing day.

  He became transfixed by the glistening water drops covering her arms and shoulders. The tiny beads caught the low light and made her skin sparkle and glow. From somewhere near the house, Brady heard some smooth jazz playing. Although he’d never particularly liked that music, the soft tones were perfect for the atmosphere of the warm evening. He wouldn’t have pegged Rachel as a fan, but he had to admit it was relaxing. And, under the voyeuristic circumstances in which he found himself, the music was downright arousing.

  He wasn’t sure how long he stood there before he snapped out of his trance, but Rachel hadn’t moved in that amount of time. Brady could’ve stayed there for hours, watching her rest, swim, and eventually emerge from the pool with all that water coursing off her body.

  But it was late and dark and he knew it was time to call it a day. His reward would be a little peek at Rachel in the water, and he’d be happy to have that, considering the state of their relationship. With a sigh, he opened the gate, causing it to creak, and stepped onto the patio.

  Rachel’s head snapped up at once. She shrieked and flattened her front as much as possible against the side of the pool. Brady jumped back several steps and threw up his hands in a surrender-like, I-mean-no-harm gesture.

  “Brady?! What are you doing here?” she demanded in a scream.

  “What do you mean?” he said, confused as to her surprise and apparent terror at his presence. “I told you I’d be back tonight to finish the job.”

  “I didn’t know—I—I thought you said you were done for the day and would come back tomorrow!”

  “Nope, the opposite of that,” Brady said, taking a step forward. Rachel tried to get closer to the wall of the pool, as though she wanted to walk right through it. “But sorry to startle you. Just wanted to say goodbye, and to tell you that I threw away all the trash and the water jug is on your front porch.”

  Rachel swallowed and nodded. “Thanks."

  Brady couldn’t figure out why she wouldn’t look at him. Had he made her mad again?

  It was time to get out of there, but he had one more thing to do.

  “Say, would you mind if I use your bathroom one more time tonight?” he asked, taking another step toward her. Each time he got closer, Rachel got more jittery.

  “Yes, I would—I mean…”

  “You won’t let me to use your bathroom?” he asked, confused, and a little hurt. She said nothing. “Wow, you sure can hold a grudge,” he said dejectedly. “But I guess I deserve it.”

  “That’s not it,” she cried.

  “Then what is it?” Brady asked, anger and hurt in his voice and drawing nearer to her. “Why do you want to make me leave—”

  Rachel squirmed against the pool wall, seemingly still shocked at his sudden appearance in the dimness. He looked down and saw the reason for her discomfiture.

  He turned around, nearly falling down as he spun away from her. “I’m so sorry, Rachel,” he said stutteringly.

  “I didn’t want to be mean, but…” she said softly.

  “I think you had the right, considering the circumstances,” Brady said over his shoulder.

  “Can you hand me that towel?�
�

  From the corner of his eye, Brady spied a towel draped on a chair. He moved sideways, not turning around, and grabbed it. Then he awkwardly moved back toward the pool and held it out for Rachel to take.

  “Careful, or you’ll fall in,” she warned.

  Brady stopped and dropped the towel.

  He heard Rachel pull herself out the pool and heard the crash of water as it fell off her body. Her naked body.

  He didn’t need to go to the bathroom anymore. Brady had a much more pressing need, a need he couldn’t satisfy in front of her, and he knew he had to leave or he was going to make a fool of himself.

  “I have to go,” he said as he started to hear the unmistakable sounds of Rachel rubbing the towel across her skin.

  “No, wait,” she said. “Just let me wrap this around myself and—”

  “You’re killing me, Rachel.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Knowing you’re right behind me and in a certain state of undress is—well—doing things to me,” he admitted. “I really need to go.”

  Suddenly, her near-nakedness didn’t feel like such a burden, and it didn’t bother her.

  Instead, Rachel was empowered by the impact Brady had admitted she had over him.

  And aroused.

  Rachel re-secured her hair and looked down at her towel. She thought she’d snagged the bigger one, but at least she’d grabbed one before heading outside, considering what had just happened. The towel covered her well enough, more so than if she’d been wearing a bathing suit, she realized.

  “OK, it’s safe for you to turn around,” she announced and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “I seriously doubt that,” Brady said.

  “Then let’s agree,” she said in a lilting, silly tone. “We’ll just look at each other’s faces. You turn around and agree not to check me out, and I’ll do the same. You’ll be a gentleman and I’ll be a lady.”

  “OK,” he agreed, turning slowly.

  Their eyes met for a few seconds, but the temptation proved too great for her. Rachel couldn’t stand it. But instead of raking her eyes over Brady’s shirtless body, she turned away.

  “No fair,” he said, calling her out. “I’m keeping my end of the bargain and you aren’t even looking at me to see if I’m telling the truth.”

  This made her laugh, and she gazed at him, smiling. A little strand of hair fell from the top of her head and into her face.

  “You really shouldn’t skinny dip, you know,” he chided her.

  “Why not?” she asked, indignant. “This is my house. I live in the middle of nowhere. Technically, you’re trespassing.”

  Instead of making Brady mad, he burst out laughing. And no sooner had he started than she joined him, reveling in the absurdity of the statement.

  “Look, I do need to go,” Brady insisted, still keeping his eyes on her face. “You can get on with relaxing or swimming or whatever,” he said in a mocking tone and cast his eyes on the ground.

  “I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t go around telling people what I like to do in the privacy of my own home,” she said, adjusting a small gold chain around her neck.

  “Oh, really?”

  She cocked her head, put her hands on her hips, and her mouth dropped open. “I guess you would tell, wouldn’t you?”

  “Oh, yeah,” he admitted. “Because it’s not like you actually were in the privacy of your own home, was it? You were outdoors, Rach.”

  “Yes, and on my own private property.”

  “And I was here by invitation,” he rejoined.

  “Don’t go all Property Law 101 on me, Brady Craft,” she snapped. “And don’t even think about blabbing. Remember the little conversation we had about reputations? You need to think this one out.”

  He smirked and took a step closer to her. “And why is that?”

  “Because right after you tell someone what you claim you saw me doing, the next question will be and just how do you know that, Judge Craft? You’ll be pegged as a liar or a—”

  She stopped short, realizing that the other option would be that he was telling the truth.

  That he was there with her permission.

  That he was there because she wanted him to be there.

  That he was there because they were—

  She swallowed.

  “Or what, Rachel?” Brady asked in a low voice.

  Trespasser didn’t sound like the cleverest retort to her.

  “Or that you’re not a gentleman,” she said, trying to project a calmness she didn’t feel.

  Brady still didn’t move his eyes from her face.

  “But I most certainly am a gentleman,” he insisted with a smirk. “I’m a respectable judge, after all. I wouldn’t dare drop my gaze from your face.”

  “You are such a liar,” she snapped back, and shook her head. “You’re no gentleman, Brady Craft.”

  Brady crossed his arms over his chest, and Rachel mirrored his movements.

  “And how can you prove that?” he demanded.

  “You want me to prove you’re a liar?” she asked, smiling. “That you really don’t want to be a gentleman tonight? That you can’t be one?”

  “Right,” he said. “That’s exactly what I want you to prove. But you can’t. Because I can be perfectly behaved.”

  “Says the man who just threatened to tell everyone that I like to skinny dip!”

  Brady waved a hand, dismissing her concern. “Your skinny-dipping secret is safe with me. So you don’t, and won’t, have a scrap of proof that I can’t be a gentleman. And although I admit I’ve stolen my fair share of looks today, I certainly have enough willpower right now to keep my eyes in their sockets and not check out your considerable assets. So, again—no proof I’m not a gentleman.”

  She laughed loudly, her head tilting back. “Is that what you think?”

  Rachel tugged once at the side of her towel and it fell at her feet in one swift motion, like a drape unveiling a statue.

  Chapter 13

  “Made you look,” she said, unable to suppress a laugh.

  “Rachel…”

  Brady’s eyes bulged, his mouth dropped open, and he stumbled backwards when presented with a perfectly nude Rachel. She greeted his shock with a smile.

  “Really, Brady, do you need more of an invitation than this?” she said in a low voice, gesturing to herself.

  Before she knew it, Brady was upon her.

  Taking her face in his hands and kissing her, Brady pressed himself to her. There was no mistaking his arousal, and Rachel put her arms around his back, flattening her palms against the taut muscles. She moved her hips against him, causing him to growl into her mouth with approval, and Brady matched her movements and edged forward, maneuvering a leg between both of hers.

  But Brady was a little too enthusiastic. As his hands slipped to her breasts and toward the other delicious places she longed for him to touch, Rachel lost her footing at the edge of the pool. She gripped Brady’s upper arms, fleetingly appreciating the hard biceps, but her attempt to steady herself failed. She fell sideways into the pool, pulling Brady in with her as she tumbled.

  Rachel surfaced quickly, followed by Brady, and they spluttered and coughed while they caught their breath. In the pool, they stood no more than a yard apart from each other.

  “Come here,” she whispered.

  Brady moved until he was inches from her. “I thought I’d never get to hear you say that again.”

  “I never thought I’d have to say it again,” she mocked.

  Rachel placed her palms on Brady’s chest while he cupped her face in his hands, his thumb gently stroking her left cheek. They had never held each other like this. When they’d been on the couch in the courthouse basement, it had been a first encounter, awkward, fast, and interrupted.

  This night was going to be very different. Something to savor. Something to remember. Something to cherish.

  “God, you’re beautiful, R
achel,” Brady said in a shuddering whisper, searching her face before bending to kiss her.

  She eagerly opened her mouth to him and his tongue brushed the top of her palette, causing her to gasp. Brady apparently took her reaction as approval and encouragement, and traced the interior contours of her mouth and then the outline of her lips. Breaking the kiss, Rachel slid her hands around his hard back and to the top of his ass. He felt so good in her arms, under her hands, against her body, just as he had in the evidence vault. He threw his head back and moaned as she moved her hands to his waist and slipped her fingers under the elastic of his boxers. She was dying to touch him and finally feel the length of him in her hands.

  Brady moved away from her briefly to remove his shoes and throw them onto the patio, but he didn’t take his shorts and boxers off. Rachel gave him a confused look before she realized that he wanted her to remove the last vestiges of his clothing.

  Rachel slid her hands along his waist and down his legs, dragging the shorts and boxers to his feet. Brady stepped out of the clothes, caught them as they floated under the surface, and threw them onto a nearby patio chair. As Rachel wrapped her arms around him, Brady gently touched her cheek and swept a strand of hair from her face. At last, she reached for that which she longed to touch.

  Damn did he feel good in her hand.

  Brady sighed as she stroked him, and brought his hands to her breasts and caressed her as she continued to pump him lightly. He soon put a hand on her wrist and squeezed a breast with the other.

  “You’d better stop,” he implored breathlessly. Rachel reluctantly released him, but not before giving him a devious smile.

  He brought both of his hands to her breasts, cupped them, and stared at them in awed reverence before he began stroking the nipples with his thumbs. Sighing, she pulled him closer to her, and rested her hands on his hips as she melted under his sweet touch. Rachel could feel his erection as it bobbed in the water, brushing against her legs, between her legs, teasing her, titillating her.