“Would you believe we watched a video?”
“Really?”
Wesley nodded. “I think my sister’s been taking lessons or something.”
“You both did a great job,” she said. “But then, I don’t think any of us would really know if you messed up.”
He laughed. “I looked for you, but I think you’d stepped outside with Maggie.”
“We went to the ladies’ room to freshen up,” Lydia explained.
He bent down and whispered, “I want you to know that it’s pure torture seeing you in this dress. I don’t know what it is, but I find you very sexy in this outfit.”
“I see,” she murmured. “So is this your way of telling me that it turns you on to play dress-up?”
Wesley laughed. “Hmm...”
“Don’t you go getting any ideas, Wes Broward,” she warned. “I’m not about to dress up like a schoolgirl or something kinky like that.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of a teacher. You’d look incredible in glasses and your hair pulled back into a bun.”
Laughing, she shook her head no. “I don’t think so, Wes. Not gonna happen.”
He kissed her. “Even if I say pretty please?”
“The answer would still be no.”
The look he saw reflected in her eyes mirrored his own.
“Let’s get out of here,” Wesley stated.
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere much more private.”
Chapter 12
Feeling like a giddy teenager, Lydia took Wesley’s hand as he led her through the house and down a dimly lit staircase. They were going into the basement, as far as Lydia could tell.
“I can’t believe that there’s a wine cellar in this house,” she said. “It’s not something I expected to see. Very nice.”
“You will find that we’re a pretty eclectic family,” Wes responded. “My father and grandfather are collectors of wine.”
Despite the cool temperature, Lydia felt flushed. In the darkness, she could still make out Wesley’s handsome features.
“So why did you bring me down here?” Lydia asked. “Neither one of us are big wine drinkers.”
“I wanted to show you the wine cellar,” he responded with a grin. “What are you thinking about?”
She placed a hand to his cheek. “Right now all I can think about is how much I want you to make love to me.”
Wesley covered her mouth with his, kissing her passionately.
Lydia matched him kiss for kiss.
“I really care about you,” Wesley whispered as he held her close. “You’re all I think about these days.”
She smiled. “I feel the same way.”
“Are you sure this is what you want?”
“Yes,” she murmured.
He kissed her again, his lips traveling to her neck.
Lydia’s skin tingled in response as heat radiated from the pit of her stomach. She could not think of anything else—her mind focused solely on what was about to take place.
She was ready to connect with Wesley in this special way. Lydia wanted to give herself completely to him.
* * *
Wesley was bursting with desire.
His hand traced a path on her thigh, bringing Lydia’s dress upward as he covered her mouth with his own.
She moaned with need, sending a shock wave through his entire body with a savage intensity.
He held her in his arms, making passionate love to her with his gaze. Wesley could hear her uneven breathing as he held her close.
Continuing his slow seduction, Wesley planted kisses on her shoulders, neck and face. As he roused her passion, his own need grew stronger.
He tore at the barrier beneath her dress and quickly removed his own clothing, desperate to feel her skin against his own. For a moment they were poised, locked together, just two people holding each other, heat sizzling between them with only one thing on their minds.
Wesley pulled out a tiny packet, which Lydia knew contained a condom.
He struggled to draw a breath, but Wesley could not do so without inhaling Lydia’s fragrance. He felt the fire spreading through every fiber of his being until fervent desire pounded in rhythm with his thundering heart.
Passion pounded the blood through his heart, chest and head, causing Wesley to breathe in deep, soul-drenching drafts. The ever-changing, ever-growing sensations consumed him, mind, body and soul.
They were now committed to one another, branded by their mutual feelings. There was nothing that could destroy their happiness.
* * *
“Wes, I can’t believe we just made love in your family’s wine cellar,” Lydia murmured as she quickly straightened out her clothes.
“Are you having any regrets?” he asked as he tucked in his shirt.
“No,” Lydia said as she pulled a compact out of her purse and combed through her hair with her fingers. “I don’t regret what happened between us.”
She put away the compact. “Wes, what we just shared was really beautiful. It’s just that I’ve never been so impulsive.”
He pulled her into his arms, holding her close. “You make me feel things no other woman has ever made me feel, sweetheart.”
“Don’t...” she said, pulling away from him. “Wes, you don’t have to say things that you don’t mean just because we...”
“I mean every word,” he quickly interjected. “Lydia, I’m crazy about you.”
She glanced around. “Maybe we should go back to the party, but first, I’d like to freshen up a bit.”
“If you walk around that corner there, you’ll find a bathroom.”
Lydia was relieved to have a moment alone to gather herself. She did not have any regrets about making love to Wesley. She just didn’t want him to make any declarations after sex. Her father used to do that whenever he visited. He and her mother would always end up in bed together. He would declare his love, and then the next morning would disappear, leaving Lydia to try to pick up the pieces of her mother’s broken heart all over again.
When she came out of the bathroom, it was Wesley’s turn.
“I’m going to go back upstairs,” she told him.
He kissed her. “Don’t disappear on me.”
“I won’t,” Lydia promised.
“Enjoy seeing the wine cellar?” Jameson asked when she walked into the great room.
Startled, Lydia turned around to face him. She hadn’t noticed him sitting in one of the wing chairs in the corner. “You nearly scared me to death. I thought I was alone.”
He chuckled softly. “’Fraid not.”
She wondered how long Jameson had been in the great room and if he had any idea of what had transpired between her and Wesley in the wine cellar. A wave of embarrassment snaked down Lydia’s spine at the thought.
“Did you get a chance to preview any of my father and Grandpa’s collection while you were down in the cellar?”
“Yes. Of course,” she responded. “That’s why we were down there. I have an uncle who is also a collector of wine.”
“Really? What’s his name?”
“I doubt you’ve heard of him, but it’s Eli Moore.” Lydia was telling the truth, but she prayed Jameson would keep his curiosity about her at bay. She really didn’t need him searching into her past.
“Are you a wine drinker, Miss...I’m sorry, what is your last name?”
She ignored his dig. “Please, just call me Lydia. I drink wine on occasion, but I am not what one could consider a connoisseur by any means. Jameson, what about you?”
He gave a slight smile. “I am not much of a drinker.”
They were joined by Wesley a few moments later.
“James
on, why aren’t you at the party?”
“I figured it was time to make my escape. I was actually sitting here trying to decide whether or not to raid the kitchen the way we used to when we were younger.”
Wesley laughed. “Jameson and I would always sneak into the kitchen after a party and eat leftovers. I don’t know why, but I guess finger sandwiches just aren’t our thing.”
His brother agreed. “They are certainly not filling.”
Wesley glanced over at Jameson and asked, “You in?”
“Yep,” he responded. After a moment, he added, “What about you, Lydia? You brave enough to incur the wrath of our cook?”
For the first time since their meeting, Jameson awarded her a warm smile. “Sure, if you two cowboys don’t mind having a girl around.”
“Make that two girls,” Laney interjected from the doorway. “I was never invited to the after-party.”
“That’s because you were always the one who ratted us out,” Jameson declared.
“Well, maybe if you’d invited me, then I never would have said anything, big brother.”
Lydia enjoyed the light bantering between Laney and Jameson.
“My brother didn’t give you a hard time, did he?” Wesley inquired in a low voice.
“No, it was actually a pleasant conversation,” she told him.
They moved into the kitchen.
Jameson walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out containers while Laney grabbed plates for everyone.
Wesley opened a drawer containing eating utensils.
Lydia’s body still tingled from his touch. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up, and she glanced over her shoulder. Both Laney and Jameson were watching her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“You have something on the back of your head,” Laney said. She walked over and removed it. “It looks like part of a wine label. How’d you get that in your hair?”
Lydia flushed in embarrassment.
Laney looked at Wesley.
“I showed her the wine collection,” he replied nonchalantly.
Laney broke into a grin but did not say anything.
Lydia heard Jameson snicker and refused to look in his direction. There was no doubt in her mind that he knew exactly what had transpired between her and Wesley. She refused to wilt away in embarrassment, so Lydia held her head up high and said, “That roast looks delicious. I think I’ll try that.”
Her gaze met Wesley’s, and he gave a slight nod of approval.
She sampled the roast and oyster dressing.
Laney pointed to a container sitting in front of her plate. “Lydia, you have to try some of Rusty’s chili. People have offered him lots of money for his recipe, but he won’t part with it.”
“It’s been in his family for years,” Jameson added. “He won’t even cook it when anyone’s around. He makes it at his house and brings it over to the main house or the bunkhouse for the cowhands.”
“So you don’t know what’s in it?” Lydia inquired.
“No more than the basics,” Wesley said.
She opened the container and spooned some onto her plate. Lydia took several bites and smiled.
“I told you it was delicious,” Laney murmured.
They heard a loud grunt and turned to find Rusty standing in the doorway, his arms folded across his chest, a frown on his face. “What you doing in my kitchen?” he demanded. “Making a mess, I see.”
“We’re going to clean it up,” Laney told him with a smile.
“Putting dishes in the dishwasher is not cleaning up.”
“Rusty, I love your chili,” Lydia told him. A smile trembled to her lips as she added, “It reminds me of my grandmother’s chili. She was also very secretive of the ingredients.”
He forgot his anger. “Come here, child.”
Lydia stood up and walked over to Rusty and whispered in his ear.
“You have the recipe?” Laney asked.
She glanced over at Rusty, who nodded.
“Before any of you ask, I am not going to tell. This is a very special recipe, and my grandmother told me that there were only a few people who had it. She made me promise to keep it close to my heart, and I’m going to honor that.”
Rusty chuckled at the look of disappointment on the Broward siblings’ faces. “I like this woman. She is a keeper, Wes.”
“I agree,” Wesley responded. “I haven’t met many women who could keep a secret.”
“Maybe that’s because I seem to attract them all,” Jameson contributed.
Lydia noticed that Laney had suddenly grown quiet and appeared to be deep in thought. She peered over at Wesley, who was also watching his sister.
A look of worry passed over his handsome features.
“I expect to see my kitchen spotless in the morning,” Rusty stated. His tone brooked no argument. “And no dishes in the dishwasher. Clean or no. Dishwasher better be empty.”
“We hear you,” Jameson assured him.
After they finished eating, Laney said, “I’ll wash the dishes.”
“I can help you,” Lydia told her.
“Wes, take your date back to the party,” Laney ordered gently. “We wouldn’t be good hosts if we put you to work.”
“I’ll stay and help,” Jameson offered.
“I’m not in the mood to go back to the party,” Wesley told her as they left the kitchen.
“What do you want to do?” Lydia asked.
“Let’s go to my house.” Wesley stopped walking and took her by the hand. “I need to tell you something.”
“What is it?”
“I love you, Lydia.”
Her eyes caught and held his. “You’re not just saying this to me because of what happened, are you? Do you mean it?”
“I’m saying it because it’s the way I really feel about you. Love is not a word I toss around casually.”
“How did I get to be so lucky?” she wondered aloud.
“The winning bid at the auction for starters,” he teased.
“I guess it wasn’t a bad way to wrangle you in.”
He laughed. “Even if you hadn’t bid a penny on me, darlin’, I believe we would have ended up in this same place. The moment I laid eyes on you, I was struck by your beauty and the way you carried yourself. I have always desired a woman who was just as beautiful on the inside as on the outside. In a way, we’re kindred spirits.”
“You really make me feel special, Wes.”
“That’s because you are,” he responded.
Lydia lifted her lips to his.
Wesley kissed her mouth in a tender brushing of his lips that made her smile.
Chapter 13
After saying their goodbyes to his family, Wesley drove Lydia the short distance to his place.
“Alone at last,” he murmured in her ear.
Lydia’s heart sang with delight. Burying her face against the corded muscles of his chest, she murmured, “What I’m feeling is so extraordinary, it defies description.”
Running his fingers through her hair, he asked, “Now, why is that?”
“Because I love you and knowing that you feel the same way... I can’t explain all of the emotions flowing through me right now.” She peered up at him, her eyes wet with unshed tears of joy. “I’ve never felt so strongly for anyone. It almost scares me, Wes.”
“You don’t have to be afraid, sweetheart. I will care for your heart in the same way that I care for my own.”
Leaning into his embrace, she said, “Mmm, I like the sound of that.”
With one hand, Wesley pulled her closer to him.
Lydia closed her eyes to the feel of his smooth, handsome face against hers. He kissed h
er, opening her mouth with his.
His kiss sent new spirals of ecstasy through her.
Moving gently down the length of her back, his hands caused Lydia to gasp in sweet agony. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. The feel of his firm, muscled flesh was intoxicating, and Lydia felt the golden wave of love that flowed between them.
Wesley pulled away from her briefly to turn on some music.
He and Lydia held each other tightly as they danced to romantic songs by KEM, Luther Vandross, Brian McKnight and Trey Songz. In the tightness of his embrace, she felt safe and secure.
As Wesley sang to her, an easy smile hovered about her lips.
He stared into her eyes. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too, Wes, with my entire being.”
He led her to his bedroom.
Together they savored the warmth of each other’s bodies and the kindling of heated excitement.
As far as Lydia was concerned, they were the only two lovers in the world. Her heart swelled with happiness as Wesley held her tightly and their mouths joined.
In loving him, she had found the peace she had been searching for.
Here in his arms, she would be content forever.
* * *
Lydia returned to the hotel shortly after eight the next morning.
Wesley had a busy day scheduled, and she did not want to be in the way. The truth was that she did not want his parents to know that she had spent the night with him. She was worried they might think badly of her.
As she relived the moments of their initial lovemaking in the wine cellar, Lydia questioned, How could I have been so brazen?
Lydia felt a renewed surge of embarrassment that Jameson and Laney guessed correctly that they had made love. She had never been one for making love in public places. Wes ignited her desires in such a way that she did things she never would’ve considered with anyone else.
By declaring their love for one another, their relationship had reached another plateau.
Her cell phone rang.
Without looking, Lydia knew that it was Samara.
Releasing a soft sigh, she decided to just let the call go to voice mail, because at the moment she wasn’t ready to deal with the real world. Instead, Lydia wanted to stay in this place of happiness, warmth and love. She wanted to relish the way it felt when Wesley held her in his arms. The spirals of ecstasy she experienced as she gave herself to him would be forever burned in her memory.
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