She stared at him for a long moment. He couldn’t make out the expression on her face, but she squeezed his hands. “I’d be honored.”
Her voice shook as if she were fighting tears. A lump formed in his throat. He swallowed past it. “Tomorrow, then?”
“Yes, tomorrow.”
“Great. It’s a date.” He regretted the words as soon as they came out. Too late, though. He held his breath and waited for her response.
“Yes, I’d like that.”
He sighed in relief. Her agreement in front of Jack and Levi lightened the weight on his shoulders. Hell, maybe relationships weren’t as hard as his brothers made them out to be. Two days and he’d won her over.
He grinned. “Me too. Let me take you home. I want you to get a good night’s sleep. You’ll need the energy. I have plans for us.”
For tomorrow, the following week, the next month. He didn’t see them ending anytime soon. They would, though. She was here for the wedding. Only.
Unless he could convince her otherwise.
Once they were several feet from his brothers, he whispered, “You ever make love in a barn, darling?”
She stopped walking and leveled cautious but curious eyes on him. “No.”
He tugged her close. “Okay. Tomorrow we’ll check it off the list.”
“The list?”
“Uh-huh.” He flicked his gaze to hers. “The list of all the places I want to fuck you over the next month.”
“How long is this list?”
“Long, baby. Very, very long.” He shook his head. “Shame, though. I don’t know if we’ll get to it all.”
A wicked grin spread, making her look like a naughty temptress. “We can try.”
“I like the sound of that but be warned—the list might grow.” And if he had anything to say about it, it’d keep her here longer. Maybe forever. Course, he didn’t know if he was cut out for the long-term thing, or relationships at all for that matter. He shoved the thought away before it could take hold. “One day at a time” was his motto in life. He wasn’t about to change it, not even for Miss Iona Volkov.
Chapter 10
Iona knelt next to the whelping box. Her heart raced and hands shook. She glanced over her shoulder. Wyn crouched near her, his gaze on her, not the adorable puppies they’d come to see. Lust simmered in his eyes but so did curiosity. She got the impression he was judging her. Why, she didn’t have a clue. She’d made it clear her contact with dogs had been hands-off. She’d petted a few. That was it.
“I’m nervous.” Both at the prospect of holding one of the pups and the reason behind his focused study.
“You’ll do fine.”
He laid a hand on her back. The simple touch calmed her. She peeked into the box. Lucy, the puppies’ mother, lay on her side. Her watchful gaze tracked Iona’s every movement. “Are you sure she won’t mind if I hold one?”
“Maybe, but she won’t bite you. Her pups are getting older. It’s time to start getting them used to other humans, you know? Not just our family.”
Iona nodded, even though she didn’t understand.
Wyn moved closer. His stomach pressed against her bottom. He leaned over her and held a hand out to Lucy. No desire accompanied the brush of his body to hers. Reassurance did. She relaxed. So did the dog. Lucy tilted her head for Wyn’s scratch, and the short nub of her tail wiggled.
Iona laughed. Wyn glanced at her, brows raised and a question in his eyes. She pointed to Lucy’s stump of a tail. “That’s cute.”
He flashed her a half smile. One dimple formed with his grin, and her heart did a little flip. Her lover was devastatingly handsome. Did he know what one of his grins did to her? That seeing his dimples aroused her yet made her want to snuggle closer at the same time?
“You’ll be in for a show once she’s not caring for her little ones all the time. Her whole body wiggles when she wags her tail. And since she doesn’t jump, she ends up dancing around your legs until you kneel so she can give you kisses.”
The prospect of dog slobber on her face sent a chill through her. She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not sure about that. I’ve never been licked by a dog.”
“Boy, you were sheltered, weren’t you?”
“No, I simply didn’t have animals.”
He frowned. “No friends with pets?”
Did she really not know anyone with one? She pursed her lips. She had to have known someone. “My boarding school had fish, and the cook there had a cat.”
“A boarding school, huh? I guess you’re pretty smart, then?”
She shrugged. “You might say that. I graduated with a nearly perfect grade-point average.”
Wyn cracked his jaw and shifted his gaze to the puppies. A few curious ones moved closer to them. He slowly lowered his hand for them to sniff. “Then intelligence is an important quality to you?”
His carefully articulated words stirred her anxiety. She studied him as to why he’d be bothered by her schooling. “I suppose.”
“Do you have a college degree?”
“Yes, in business with a minor in finance.”
He offered a noncommittal sound.
She bit the inside of her cheek and tried to come up with something to fill the silence. “Did you have to go to school to be a mechanic?”
“No.” He faced her. His closed-off expression added to the unease in her gut. “Kyle said you’re on the board of a bank?”
She nodded.
“And your ex is on the board too?”
“Yes, though Dmitry rarely goes to the meetings. He’s too busy with his real-estate business. He’s always on the lookout for property to acquire.” She snorted, thinking about all the times he’d talked nonstop about his investments. Some nights she’d never gotten a word in. He’d tell her about his prospects, get excited about some idea, then leave without a goodbye. “It’s his father’s company, but he’s in charge of researching new opportunities, mostly in other countries.”
Wyn grunted. “Must be successful. Rich.”
She shrugged. “Yes, but so am I.”
“So money’s not important to you, but having an intelligent boyfriend is?”
She sighed, finally understanding his mood. He was comparing himself to Dmitry. She lowered her hand to the puppies and tried to come up with a way to soothe his ego while not leading him on. None came to mind. All she had was the truth. She gave it to him. “I’m not looking for a boyfriend.”
“Not now, but—”
“Not ever.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I thought I’d made that clear.”
Instead of arguing or trying to change her mind like Dmitry would’ve, he motioned to where four of the puppies sniffed her hand. Another one, a brindle and the smallest of the litter, crawled around them, looking for a way to get closer. “That’s the runt of the litter. She’s not as strong as the others, but no matter how many times her bigger siblings knock her back, she keeps getting up and going after what she wants.”
Iona chuckled. “So she’s stubborn.”
He gave her a lopsided smile. “Focused on what she wants, not stubborn.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
“Could be, but a stubborn dog thinks it’s the leader of its pack. Owners need to be firm and teach it that humans are the alphas.”
“How? By beating it? Or yelling?”
He gave her an incredulous look. “Never. By speaking firmly and rewarding good behavior. It just takes consistency and love. They pick up on it. Then, instead of a stubborn dog, you have a great addition to your family.” He motioned toward the box. “Look.”
The runt had crawled on top of the two brown puppies currently sniffing her knuckles. The female pup wriggled between them until she bounced her bigger siblings to the side. Without another wasted moment, she licked Iona’s hand.
She shivered, and a giggle escaped. “That’s the first time a dog has ever licked me.”
He ran his hand down her spine to settle at her lower back.
“I think she chose you.”
She turned her head. Wyn’s face filled her vision. His gaze dropped to her lips, but he didn’t lean closer to take the kiss she sensed he wanted. “She’s going to have to pick someone else. I’m not sure I’m staying here.”
“Are you still thinking about going back to Russia?”
She nibbled on her lower lip, and he parted his lips on a long exhale. Desire darkened his eyes. An equal awareness sparked within her, but she ignored it for the moment. Although not the subject she wanted to discuss, she enjoyed talking to him. He listened to her, even if he didn’t like what she had to say.
“I don’t know. Ronnie being pregnant changes things for me. I never thought I’d get to be an aunt. I had one, and I absolutely adored her.” She closed her eyes. The memory of the rounded woman who’d always sneaked hard candies to Iona whenever she came to visit returned to her. “Aunt Bertha was the black sheep of the family, but she was sweet and a lot of fun.”
“I know Ronnie wishes you’d stay.”
She glanced at the female pup who’d maneuvered herself under Iona’s fingers. She stroked her fur. Peace settled over Iona. It was odd that such a simple thing could lighten her heart. She shrugged off the thought and glanced at Wyn. “Maybe I’ll move into Ronnie’s house in Virginia. It’s fairly close, and there’s lots to do there.”
He brushed his parted mouth over her neck. “There’s more for you in Sander’s Valley.”
She chuckled. “Other than helping out Ronnie, there’s not a whole lot here for me.”
He wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and urged her to look at him. His intense gaze mesmerized her. “There’s me.”
“I don’t want a relationship.” She repeated her earlier words, but they sounded hollow even to her. Desire gave her voice a low drawl.
“What do you want?”
She leaned into him, letting his solid weight support her, and told him the truth. “I don’t know.”
He grunted and bent over the whelping box, breaking their slight contact and leaving her cold. With gentle hands, he scooped up the female puppy and placed her in his lap. The little dog settled against him, completely at peace in his arms. He stroked her head. “This is the one I’d been hoping you’d pick.”
“I didn’t pick her.”
He shrugged. “Sometimes fate and tiny puppies pick for us.”
“You’re quite philosophical.” She glanced at him. Confidence shone in his expression. She liked seeing it there. She ran a finger over his strong jaw. “I never would’ve guessed it.”
“I’m glad I surprised you.” He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. “I plan on changing your mind too.”
His scent enveloped her. More of that feeling of peace settled over her. She rested her head against his shoulder. “About what?”
“The important stuff.”
The hinge on the barn door squeaked. She tried to pull away from Wyn. He tightened his hold.
Levi came into view, hands in his pockets. “Sorry, but Mom wants you to come up to the house for lunch. She threatened that if you two didn’t return soon, she’d come out here herself, and, well”—a big grin spread over his face—“I figured you’d rather be disturbed by me than her.”
“Thanks, but we were just picking out my puppy,” Wyn said.
“You’re keeping the runt?”
“Yep.” He returned the puppy to her mother, stood, and took Iona’s hand. “She’s got good taste.”
Gaze locked on her, Wyn grinned. She returned his smile but inwardly sighed. No matter what he said, she suspected he wanted a relationship. The honorable thing to do would be to firmly end things. She swept her gaze over his magnificent body. The first stirrings of desire gripped her, but it wasn’t the only thing. Something else made her lower belly quiver. Longing, maybe? She couldn’t be sure.
He bent close, pressing his mouth to her ear, and whispered, “Don’t worry, darling. We’ll still check ‘making love in a barn’ off the list today, except it’ll have to wait until after dessert.”
Her mouth watered just thinking about the cheesecake she’d eaten the night before. “Mmmm…and what’s for dessert?”
Wyn turned his head and stared at Levi. He grunted and walked out. Once alone, Wyn brushed his lips over hers. “You.”
She blinked once, then twice more. The desire his nearness sparked spread and threatened to consume her.
“Oh.” The single word was all she could manage.
He chuckled and tugged her hand. “Come on. If we don’t hurry, there won’t be any rolls left.”
She let him lead her, but with each step, the truth settled over her.
She was doing it again. Falling for the perfect boyfriend routine. Only…it didn’t feel the same. Wyn was different. She shook her head. No, it didn’t matter how different he was. She was not getting involved in another relationship.
And if she kept telling herself that, maybe she’d believe it.
Chapter 11
Wyn leaned over the open hood of Iona’s car. He’d gotten behind on his projects over the past two weeks. Every free moment he and Iona had, they’d spent together. He didn’t mind, though. Actually, he loved it.
The woman had so many layers—fun, sexy, mysterious, sophisticated. She kept him guessing. Every day showed him a different aspect of her personality. He hadn’t found a damn thing he didn’t like.
Kyle’s words from the other night repeated in Wyn’s head. They were true. He’d always suspected he’d fall in love one day. Nothing would’ve made him believe he’d be head over heels for a woman who called a country five thousand miles away home. Of course, that was his luck. A girl had finally captured his interest, and he might not get to keep her.
They had two weeks until the wedding. After that? He wasn’t sure. His mom and Ronnie had been doing their best to involve Iona in their family. She seemed to like Sander’s Valley. He’d almost brought up the subject of her staying longer again but hadn’t found an opportunity to broach the subject. She was skittish about people knowing about their involvement, but everyone did. Wyn had just made sure nobody mentioned it.
The problem remained—how did he get her to admit they were an item? She still refused to even spend the night with him. Getting her to call him “boyfriend”? Yeah, that seemed an impossible feat at the moment.
He slammed the car’s hood. The clunk reverberated in the garage. He hung his head and breathed through his frustration. He liked her. A lot. And he refused to lose her.
They did have another date tonight. A baseball game in Philadelphia. He grinned. Making sure they got home late would be a perfect way to get her in his bed. That, and arousing her until she hovered on the brink, ready for any chance to be with him.
Oh yeah, he could tease her all damn day without giving her relief. They’d gotten into the habit of stimulating each other, then sneaking off for a quick fuck. She wouldn’t suspect he was getting her wild so she’d go home with him. Once he got her in his bed, he’d make sure she never wanted to leave.
The doorbell chimed, dragging him out of his thoughts. Eric ambled in, a box of cookies in his hand. The sight tore a chuckle from Wyn’s throat. “You went to the new bakery again, didn’t you?”
Eric dropped the container on the workbench. He shrugged. “I like sweets.”
Wyn wiped his hands and took a gooey chocolate chip cookie from the box. “I’d say you like the scenery better.”
One corner of Eric’s mouth rose. “Yeah, Sugar and Spice’s atmosphere is good. Bright and airy. Staff is friendly.”
“Uh-huh.” Wyn ate another cookie. “Brenna working?”
Eric’s smile widened. “Yep. It was busy. She had a nice flush to her cheeks too.”
Brenna O’Riley had moved to the valley a couple of months ago and taken over her aunt’s bakery after she’d died. Eric had visited the shop every day since. Wyn remembered Brenna from school but honestly didn’t think he’d ever talked to h
er. Eric had, on the other hand. He’d wanted to go out with her. She’d started dating Neil, Kyle’s best friend, instead. Then she’d moved.
“Did she agree to go out with you yet?”
Eric snorted and leaned against Iona’s car. “No, but I did catch her checking out my ass. It’s only a matter of time before she gives in.”
“If you keep eating all her baked goods, she might lose interest in your fat ass.”
“That’s why I’m sharing the love.” Eric motioned toward the box. “You can keep those. Leave them out for your customers or whatever.”
“Thanks.” Wyn closed the lid. “Do you think you can cover for me for the rest of the morning? I’ve got a couple people coming to pick up their cars, and I want to cut out early. I’ve got a date.”
“With Iona?”
“Yep.”
Eric drummed his fingers on the hood. His brows pinched, but he didn’t say anything.
Wyn straightened. “You got a problem with her?”
“Hell, no. She’s pretty. Nice too.”
“Then what’s with the attitude?”
Eric slipped his thumbs into his pockets and cracked his jaw. “What attitude?”
“That one.” Wyn jerked his chin in Eric’s direction. “If you’ve got something to say about Iona, just do it.”
“How much do you know about her past relationships?”
The question caught Wyn off guard. He crossed his arms. “Truthfully, not much. She was set to marry some guy she’d dated for years but broke it off the day before the wedding.”
“She ever tell you why?”
“No. Never asked. I’m just glad she didn’t marry him, but she is a little hesitant about relationships now. I’ve got to be careful not to call her ‘my girlfriend’ or anything.”
Eric rubbed the back of his neck. “Maybe I shouldn’t say anything. I didn’t hear the whole conversation, but…”
“But what?” Wyn prompted.
“That night at Sullivan’s? I heard her talking to someone on the phone. Her ex, I’m guessing. She told him they were over, then mentioned she still remembered how it felt to have his hands around her throat.”
Fix Me: Men of Sander’s Valley, book 2 Page 9