“Please.” Sophie writhed beneath him, grabbing his hand to touch her.
As soon as he brushed against her flesh, she moaned, ready and slick.
“God, Soph.” He groaned and gripped the pillow.
“Now, Wright.” With a surer touch and determination than she’d ever shown before, she shifted beneath him, stroking the length of his cock before hooking a leg around his hip.
Wright took her hips and sank into her, both of them shaking with the need.
They were wired and greedy, desperate kisses and loving touches, sweat trickling down his back within minutes.
She pushed at his shoulder and he got the hint, rolling over.
Sophie rose above him, hands planted on his chest, straddling his waist, and his cock deep inside her. She tossed her head, her hair falling over one shoulder, and he swore he could come from the sight alone.
Arching her lower back, she moved her hips, riding him. Wright thrust into her, committing every sensation to memory.
Even if he had this, for the rest of his life, he’d never have enough. He wanted to remember every detail, every noise of pleasure like he’d memorized Sophie’s freckles.
Sophie leaned forward, pressing her lips to his, and when she eased away, she was smiling, her happiness unmistakable.
Wright came, and she came with him, crying out his name.
It wasn’t until moments later, both of them lying in tumbled sheets, that Sophie spoke again. “In the spirit of trusting each other with the truth, there’s something else you should know about me.”
He rolled to face her, his hand on her hip.
“Sometimes, when I’m stressed out, I talk to my parents. My birth parents. It’s weird, they’re dead, I know, but it helps. I used to think I was a little nuts, but I don’t even care anymore. I just wanted you to know.”
He smiled, running his hand up her side. “Thank you. And that’s not weird. It helps you. That’s all that matters. Weird is talking to food, which I do sometimes. When I’m cooking. I get frustrated or stressed, and I cook and talk to the food. Or if a dish isn’t turning out the way I want. That’s mostly cursing.”
Sophie’s giggle was beautiful music.
“I raised hell at a soufflé one time. It’d already fallen, so I figured what could it hurt?” As soon as he mentioned the soufflé debacle, he remembered the other part of his apology for Sophie. “Oh shit.” Wright half fell out of bed as he hurried to the hotel room door.
“Where are you going?” Sophie sat up, tugging a sheet free to wrap around her.
“Hang on.”
He jerked a towel off the rod in the bathroom, wrapped it around his waist, and quickly checked the hall. Perfect. No people, only an insulated bag.
“Yes.” He hurried back into the room.
“What is that?”
“The other half of my apology.” He plopped the bag on the bed and crawled on as she unzipped it.
“Are you kidding me? Wright!” Sophie’s face lit up as she covered her mouth, dissolving into giggles.
That reaction was precisely why he’d taken the time to bake another bourbon cherry pie.
He tugged two forks from the side compartment. “I was hoping if my words weren’t enough, I could win you over with food.”
“A pie a day until I forgive you?”
“Something like that.” He passed her a fork. “Here. Dig in.”
Sophie stayed his hand before he could dip in. “Okay, but wait. I want you to fill me in on everything Dev said. Whatever I missed because I was a chicken and ran away.”
“Soph—”
“No. I did. I ran away. But I’m never running again. And . . . you have to decide on Charleston or Asheville?”
His stomach jumped. “Yeah.”
Tapping the fork against her lips, she was quiet a moment. “Well . . . I’m okay with either. We’ll make it work, no matter what. But Asheville is a really cute town.”
Losing his battle, he broke out into a grin.
“I’m just saying. Not as cute as Windamere, but close.”
He leaned over the pie and pressed his lips to her temple. “I know. And I would love to tell you all about the job offer and the restaurant there.”
“Over pie?”
“Over pie.” He nodded.
Sophie held her fork up. “Then an oath.”
“A pie oath?”
She rolled her eyes. “I guess so. We have beer apologies and pie oaths. I don’t know, put your fork up.”
Wright put his fork up.
“From now on, no more hiding and no more lies. We’ll trust each other with the truth.”
“And our hearts,” he added.
“Yes.” She bit at her lip in thought. “And when it’s only the two of us, we never use pie plates.”
He smiled and tapped his fork against hers. “Ever.”
Chapter 27
Her insides were knotted up like a pretzel, but she was doing this. Her grip on Wright’s hand tight enough to probably cut off his circulation, she reached the door of Roark’s office.
“All you have to do is listen,” he reminded her.
Last night, he’d told her she should hear her mother out, but whether or not she and her brothers chose to forgive, move on, hold on to their anger—that was up to them. But for Wright, would she at least listen? He wanted this for her, for the pain of the past to start to heal.
“I know.”
“Do you want me to go in with you?”
She did, but she needed to do this on her own. She was strong enough. “No. Thank you. Stay close, though. I’ll find you right after.”
With another reassuring squeeze, Wright kissed her, and she walked into the office.
Inside, Suzanne Bradley sat in one of the two guest chairs opposite Roark, and two other chairs were squeezed in around his desk, not quite making a circle.
She took the seat between Dev and Trevor, Trevor sitting closest to their mom.
“Thank you for talking with me.” Sue spoke first. “I know the timing was awful, and I should’ve called first.” Her gaze found Trevor. “But when I talked to Trev and he told me Devlin’s news and about the inn . . . I guess I got ahead of myself. And I’m sorry for that.” Sue dipped her chin, studying her hands in her lap. “It’s not all I’m sorry for.”
Everyone remained quiet. A stifling silence until she spoke again.
“That really is why I’m here. I can’t imagine the stuff running through your minds, but I’m only here to say I’m proud of what you all have done here and…I’m sorry. For everything.”
Trevor fidgeted, chewing on his lips until finally, he spoke up. “This didn’t come out of nowhere, guys. We . . . it took a while to come to this. We’ve spoken a lot over the last few months and maybe I should’ve said something, but I didn’t think y’all were ready. I wasn’t ready. But when mom said her doctor thought making amends and setting things straight with her kids was important . . .” He shrugged. “I know it’s the right thing to do.”
“But popping up here and saying you’re sorry doesn’t magically make everything right.” Dev didn’t look at anyone; resentment shrouding his face.
Sophie wanted to reach for him, somehow make everything better, but she couldn’t. This wasn’t her wrong to set right. Maybe it couldn’t be set right. Either way, now she knew she could be there for her brother, but the weight of peace wasn’t hers to bear.
“I know that.” Sue spoke to the floor. “And I know what’s done is done.”
“Damn right it is,” Dev muttered.
“But I couldn’t go the rest of my life not saying I’m sorry. I’m sorry I left. I shouldn’t have, but I was weak. I’m better now. Well enough to know how badly I messed up. I can’t go back and fix what I did wrong and I don’t expect forgiveness. I struggled and this place . . .” She glanced around. “This wasn’t for me. We did our best, but our best was nowhere near enough. I was sick, and not treating it. Your father drank and that didn�
��t help his temper.”
Dev cut his eyes over toward Roark.
“We thought about divorcing when all of you were younger. Then we thought about selling Honeywilde. Selling out, giving this up. But we didn’t want to quit. Not on this place or on you kids. Selling off Honeywilde would’ve meant—We didn’t want to rob you of what was rightfully yours. Roark loved this place. Your grandfather wanted it to be yours someday. Sophie, you loved it. We knew all of you could do so much more than we ever did, and this place . . .” she cleared her throat, quiet for a handful of seconds. “This place was all we had to give you. The inn kept you kids together. We couldn’t give away what was yours.”
Silence fell again, and Sophie realized she was trembling. No longer because of her nerves, but from shock. She had never imagined hearing an apology from her mother. She’d assumed they’d all go the rest of their lives with the weight of resentment dragging around behind them like a ball and chain.
Not that any of them were ready to forgive and forget, but to even have an apology to consider was more than she’d ever hoped for.
Their mother’s voice was shaky when she spoke again. “And you’ve done so well with it. All of you. You’re better than we were, always have been.”
“We’re not better than you.” Roark finally spoke, drawing Sophie’s attention. “Maybe we’re more committed because this is something we actually want, but we’re not better people. We’ve struggled too.”
“But we didn’t quit on each other.” Dev glared at Roark.
“I know. You’re exactly right.” Roark gave him a firm nod. “We didn’t quit, and we won’t. We have each other to lean on. Maybe you guys didn’t have anyone, but we do.”
Sophie thought about where she’d be without her brothers. How alone she’d be without them. How isolated she would have become. She only had them because the Bradleys had agreed to take her in.
“You did do one thing right though.” Sophie’s voice cracked as she shifted in her seat. Dev scowled at her, but she smiled softly, looking at him and her brothers as she spoke. “You gave me a family, even though you didn’t have to.”
Dev swallowed hard.
“You took me in, and yeah, it was hard. Our childhood was okay and then it wasn’t, but I wasn’t alone. And if... you know, if for no other reason than that, I feel like I should try. I can try to forgive you.”
Trevor shot her a hopeful glance.
“I can’t promise anything and I can’t forget the past. I don’t think any of us can. I don’t speak for my brothers, but I . . . I will try.”
Trevor took her hand. “Our childhood wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t all bad. We had one another. You gave us that at least.”
Dev’s face was still a blank mask. It would take more than one apology for him to forgive and move on. But maybe this was a start. “You gave us each other. I’m glad for that, but the rest . . .” He shook his head. “I can’t suddenly get over everything else and move past it. Even if I wanted to.”
Sue’s voice was wobbly, her eyes wet. “I don’t expect you to. I’m not asking for anything in return. I can’t. That’s part of what my doctor told me. All I wanted was a chance to talk to you.”
Dev jerked his chin down in a nod.
All of them sat in silence. What else was there to say right now? There was plenty they could say, but Sophie was wrung out. She imagined her brothers felt the same.
Still, they couldn’t sit there forever.
Roark was the one to finally speak up.
The act was so reassuring, it made Sophie smile.
“So…you’ve talked and we listened.” His face remained stoic, but she could see the storm of emotion in his eyes. “And that’s probably enough for now. Unless anyone has something else?”
No one spoke or made eye contact. Roark’s tone and open-ended “for now” left the opportunity for more. Nothing was miraculously fixed, but this family meeting was light-years better than the disaster she’d expected.
This wasn’t the end of the world, and her family hadn’t fallen apart in the face of their past.
Her life was still in one piece. And she was still happy.
As everyone began to shift and move, she had to say it. One last thing before they didn’t speak again until who knew when.
Something she needed to voice, for herself as much as anyone else. “I want to say, before you leave . . .” She turned to her mom. The woman who took her in, even though she could barely manage the children and life she already led. “I was shocked, the other night, and defensive, but I’m glad you came back to talk to us.”
The rest, she didn’t say directly to anyone. Maybe she spoke to her brothers or maybe to herself. A reminder for times she was sure to need it. “I don’t know how we make peace with the past, and we might not ever get there. We may never get over the hurt, and maybe we’ll always be a little frayed at the edges. But that’s okay. We’re doing okay exactly like we are. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect in order for me to be happy.”
Epilogue
A month later...
“You make the prettiest best man.” Wright twirled a lock of her Yhair around his finger.
She smoothed the collar of his shirt. “I don’t know, you’re looking mighty pretty yourself.”
“And I feel pretty.” He winked as he scooped her closer, his hand at the small of her back. “When Dev told me we got to forgo tuxes in favor of khakis and a nice shirt, I think I hollered. Then I hugged him.”
Though she would love to see Wright in a tux someday, the look Anna and Dev had chosen for their wedding was beautiful, and fitting. She and Madison and Anna’s cousin wore dresses they’d chosen for themselves in shades of off-white, while Wright and Dev both wore dress khakis and crisp white shirts.
Enough seating for about forty people, tops, lined a semicircle near the edge of the lake, and Brenda, their florist, had arranged a few pieces with cascades of white and rich green.
For a casual, early fall wedding at sunset, it was perfect.
Knowing the two people getting married would make each other happy for the rest of their days was even better.
And they would definitely be happy. If they were lucky, maybe they’d be as happy as Sophie.
The thought no longer scared her the way it once did.
Occasionally, she’d get a wave of panic. Everything would go a little too well for a while—Wright keeping his apartment so when he was off work he was close, or having a nice phone chat with her mom, or Dev sitting with her in the restaurant at night as they finished up their work for the day and telling her how much it meant to see her and Wright truly together, and how they fit each other so well—and she’d get scared. Convinced that somehow everything she had would be taken away.
But Wright was always there for her, and he’d remind her that though there would be bad days to balance out the good, letting herself be happy didn’t mean she would chase it away.
“Okay, stop pawing each other. You’re going to wrinkle, and Madison will chew our asses.” Dev shoved at Wright’s shoulder. “How do I look? Do I look okay? You guys look great.”
Wright let himself be peeled away and checked Dev over. “You look like you’re about to get hitched.”
Her brother was nervous, and it was adorable.
Off and on for weeks now, he’d get bouts of giddiness and nerves, a rarity for Devlin Bradley. But it was proof of his feelings for Anna.
“You leaving for Asheville this weekend?” Dev shifted on his feet, incapable of being still.
Wright shot her a look. “Nah, I’m hanging around all week to make sure Marco is up to speed. Then I start at the flagship restaurant next weekend. New South cuisine, all garden to table, very high end.”
“Hoity-toity.” Dev grinned. “Do you get one of those tall white hats? Set shit on fire, but on purpose this time?”
“Ha ha. No on the hat. Yes to the flambé.”
Dev glanced at Sophie with a small smile. “Ashevi
lle isn’t so bad, I guess. You guys can make it work.”
Yes, they could.
“We’re definitely making it work.” Wright gave words to how she felt.
Dev clapped him on the back a little harder than necessary in his enthusiasm. “I’m happy for you, man. I think someday . . . eventually, you’ll be back, but whatever. I’m happy for you.”
They shared a grin.
“Oh, I’ll be back?” Wright asked.
“Not right away. I know you’ve got to go sow your wild food oats or whatever it is you chefs do, but someday.” Dev shrugged. “Shit happens. You get married to my sister, have kids. You’ll be back at Honeywilde.”
Wright’s mouth dropped open a millisecond before Sophie’s.
“Dev.” She shoved his arm.
“Don’t give me those looks. You date my sister, your ass better marry her someday. Or if she doesn’t want to get married, do whatever it is she wants. You make her happy, that’s all I ask.”
Wright saluted him, earning a choice curse word, but Dev was still smiling.
The truth struck Sophie, powerful.
Wright needed to go off and be his own man, work for people he hadn’t known his entire life and learn more. Do more; be challenged and prove he was capable. But years from now . . .
Who knew what might happen?
And for the first time in her life, she wasn’t scared of the future or the possibilities.
“Okay, everyone look at me. Let me see you.” Madison appeared, snapping her fingers at them. “Good. Good. Wright, you have the rings?”
“Yes ma’am. In my pocket.” He patted them and gave Sophie a wink that made her toes curl.
“Great, let’s go ahead and take our places. Roark is with Anna. So beautiful, Dev, oh my god.” She put her hand over her heart.
With her father gone and her mother barely willing to attend, Anna had asked Roark to walk her down the aisle.
He had agreed, stone-faced but with a tremor in his voice.
Sophie wondered if it hit him then the way it’d hit her: Their family was growing. Hopefully it would only continue to grow, which meant more people to love, and have their love in return.
A Taste of Temptation Page 27