The gala’s theme was Blast From the Past. The planning committee had decorated the walls with vintage photographs, and some men had even come wearing old military uniforms.
It was fun and interesting, but best of all, there were plenty of romantic slow dances. Brie’s toes tapped out a rhythm as Vaughn introduced her to one group of people after another...as his fiancée. Though she knew the ruse was for Miranda’s benefit, Brie’s heart jumped every time Vaughn said the words.
All of the people she met were cordial and respectful. After all, Vaughn was the current vice president of the club. Of course, there were more questions about the plane crash. Vaughn answered them all calmly, with good humor. But as she watched, she spotted the way Vaughn held himself just slightly aloof. A layer of reserve between him and everyone else.
Not arrogance in this situation. No desire to snub anyone. Just the slight postural discomfort that perhaps only Brie noticed.
At one point, Brie left him momentarily to make a call home. Sophie sounded happy and upbeat. Nika, about to go to bed, was cheerful, too, when Sophie held the phone so Nika could hear her mother. “I’ll be home tomorrow, sweetie,” Brie said. It was a useless reassurance. Kids that age had no sense of time. But it made Brie feel better as she returned to the party and found her date.
After talking to what seemed like hundreds of people, Vaughn led her to the buffet. They filled their plates with delicious appetizers and found a tiny table tucked away in a corner where they were able to eat without being disturbed.
For the first time that evening, Vaughn seemed to wilt visibly. She touched his hand. “Is your head bothering you?”
He scowled. “I’m fine.”
Men were such cranky patients. “You’re clearly not fine,” she said. “It’s been long enough since you took that last dose of medicine. Did you bring any with you?”
“No. I did not.” He cut into a bacon-wrapped scallop fiercely, as though the poor shellfish was to blame for what was likely a crushing headache.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake. Here,” she said, reaching into her small evening purse for the vial of ibuprofen she carried with her. “Your wound will only feel worse if you don’t stay ahead of the pain. To be honest, I’m sore, too, and I don’t have stitches in my skull.”
Vaughn’s head shot up. His expression turned to concern. “You don’t feel well?”
She grimaced. “A few twinges here and there. I think the seat belt is to blame for most of it. We hit the ground, Vaughn. There were bound to be consequences.”
Suddenly, that laser-like emerald gaze focused intently on her. “I see it,” he said, frowning. He touched her bare shoulder with a gentle fingertip. “I see the beginnings of a purple shadow. Why didn’t you tell me, Brie?”
“There’s nothing to tell. They checked me out after the accident. I’ll have a few bruises—nothing more. All I was trying to say is that you’re not any less of an alpha male if your head is bothering you. I know you’re probably tougher than most, but even you have limits. Here,” she said. “We’ll both take something. Is that less threatening to your masculinity?”
He downed the tablets with a swig of champagne. “Done,” he said. “Are you satisfied? Let’s hit the floor.”
What he probably needed was rest, but she knew she wouldn’t win that battle. “Sure,” she said. “I’d love to.”
For some reason, she didn’t expect Vaughn to be a good dancer. Maybe because he wasn’t a social animal. He proved her wrong in a big way. When he took her in his arms and slid into the music seamlessly, she was charmed and enchanted.
Vaughn held her like she was a princess. As he steered her around the room, he kept her tucked close to his chest. She could feel the thud of his heartbeat where her fingertips rested against the side of his neck. His warm breath brushed her ear.
Wearing her three-inch heels, she was only a few inches shorter than he was. They matched perfectly, every step in sync. It was magical and dangerous at the same time.
How could a woman not yearn to hang on to a man like this? Vaughn was her Prince Charming. Or she wanted him to be. She wasn’t sure what Vaughn wanted.
One song led into another. Occasionally, someone would try to speak to them. Vaughn kept right on dancing, pretending not to hear or notice. Brie rested her cheek on his shoulder and smiled. She knew tonight was a fairy tale. Knew it wouldn’t last.
Reality consisted of her job at the vet clinic and her small daughter, who had years of growing up to do with only her mother to raise her and care for her. Brie wouldn’t be free to pursue her own selfish interests for a very long time.
Now that Danika was to be a flower girl, Brie and Vaughn would be enmeshed in wedding festivities for the upcoming week. But when Sophie’s big day was over, there would be no more reason for Brielle to let herself be tempted by Vaughn Blackwood.
If Miranda was truly going to hand over money to Buckley’s offspring, surely that would happen soon. If there was anything for Danika, great. Brie would invest it for her daughter. If not, that was fine, too. They’d get by without it. That was the easy part.
Sadly, for Brie, the bigger picture was becoming more clear every day. Vaughn’s life and work were in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Though Vaughn had made an effort to come to Royal for his sister and was showing up for special events and supporting Sophie, he wouldn’t be staying in Royal. He was committed to his other life, the one that didn’t include Brie and Nika. That much was clear. Brie would only be courting more hurt and heartache if she let herself be persuaded otherwise.
Sometime later—time had ceased to matter—Vaughn nuzzled her cheek and whispered in her ear. “Are you ready to go back to the hotel, Brielle?”
She pulled back and looked up at him. Though he was not a hundred percent the old Vaughn, a naughty gleam in his eyes belied his bandaged head.
“I think that’s a fabulous idea.”
She had no idea how much Vaughn was paying his car service, but the driver seemed to appear instantly anytime they were ready to go somewhere. Almost like a pumpkin carriage with tiny animated footmen. Brie could get used to this level of pampering.
Back at the hotel, shyness momentarily overtook her. She knew why she was indulging in this romantic overnight adventure. Her daughter was elsewhere, safely cared for. Brie was seizing the opportunity to feel like a woman again.
In her heart, she realized that this interlude with Vaughn had to be the end of any physical relationship. It was painful to contemplate, but she had no doubts. She was at peace with her decision.
If she had been weaving any dreams about him going down on one knee and declaring his undying love for her, the words she’d overheard at this afternoon’s business meeting had put an end to that. Vaughn was a pragmatist. He was even willing to do business with a creep like Cal McCready if it meant a huge windfall for Blackwood Energy.
No doubt, Vaughn’s fake engagement ploy was more of the same dispassionate, expeditious behavior of a calculated businessman.
He ushered her into their room and locked the door. Then he loosened his bow tie and pulled it free of his collar. As he struggled with the button at his throat, Brie moved closer. “Let me,” she said huskily. He smelled amazing. She’d been enjoying the crisp scent of starched cotton and citrusy aftershave all evening.
He froze when she went toe-to-toe with him, invading his space. She saw his tanned throat flex as he swallowed. “I could have done it myself,” he muttered.
She freed the stubborn button and moved on to two more and then two more after that. Soon, she was ready to lift his shirttail from his pants. His taut abdomen was warm and hard beneath her curious fingertips. “I’m happy to help,” she said, kissing the center of his chest and drawing his shirt upward from his belt. “After all, you saved my life today.”
He chuckled hoarsely. “I was technically the one
who put you in jeopardy, so I’m not going to brag about the whole savior thing. For the record, though, the FAA thinks it was likely an engine malfunction.”
“Maybe I should be in charge tonight...you know...since you’ve been injured.”
His green eyes flashed with heat. “I’m listening.”
“Think about it,” she said. “In the old days, you always called the shots. I was naive about men when I met you. I suppose I could say you taught me everything I know.”
“You weren’t a virgin.”
“No. Did that bother you?”
“Of course not. I don’t believe in double standards.”
“Still, you were light-years ahead of me in experience.”
“Did that bother you?” He threw the question back at her, his expression hard to read.
“Sometimes,” she admitted. “I knew I was the flavor of the week. You had a reputation. Still have one, I guess. There were a lot of women giving me the death stare tonight. I couldn’t tell them you weren’t really off the market.”
“As long as we’re engaged, even if it’s a faux engagement, I won’t do anything to dishonor you, Brie. You have my word.”
“Thank you. Hopefully, this arrangement will be resolved before long. If Miranda is about to spring a few surprises about the estate, I think it will be soon. Her life is in New York now. She’s already spent far longer settling your father’s affairs than most people thought she would. I heard that Buckley made a huge donation to her charity.”
“Probably the only decent thing he ever did.”
The shadows in his eyes bothered her. “It’s okay to love people, Vaughn, even when they disappoint us. Your father had his faults, plenty of them, in fact. But you loved him. I know you must have been grieving in your own way.”
He rested his forehead against hers. “Mostly, I’ve been angry. At him. At Miranda. At myself.”
She cupped his cheek, feeling the late-day stubble, the warm skin. “Why yourself?”
Vaughn pulled free and crossed the room, pausing to stare out the window at the twinkling lights of Dallas. Their suite was on the top floor. Brie had requested a simple king room. The hotel had upgraded them after she’d given Vaughn’s name.
He leaned his forearm against the glass and sighed. “I was a punk-ass adolescent. Even if he had wanted to be a good father, I made sure he knew I didn’t need him or anybody. And once that distance between us was in place, it stuck.”
“You’re feeling guilty because he died alone.” She made it a statement. Vaughn didn’t deny her claim.
Instead, he searched out a bottle of wine and released the cork, pouring two glasses and handing Brie one. “Enough serious talk,” he said. “We came here to have fun.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I thought you came to make a deal with Cal McCready.”
“You don’t approve?”
“It’s not my place to approve or disapprove. But if you’re asking my opinion, the man gives me the creeps.”
“Fair enough. I probably shouldn’t have taken you to that meeting. I’m sorry, Brie.”
“It wasn’t bad. I was intrigued. It was my first opportunity to see you in your natural habitat.”
The corners of his mouth ticked up in a rueful grin. “My natural habitat? I think I’ve been insulted.”
She drained her wineglass and kicked off her shoes, groaning when her bare toes dug into the plush carpet. “Not at all. I thought you were very sexy. Everyone in the room hung on your every word. It must be a kick to have so much power.”
He set his glass aside, still half-full. “You should know, Brie. You’ve always had that kind of power over me. In the bedroom.”
She gaped at him. “That’s absurd.”
“Is it?” He stood there, cocky as hell with his bare chest and his ruffled hair, and gave her an emerald-eyed look that sent heat coursing through her lower abdomen.
“Why are you teasing me?” she stuttered.
He reached for her hand and dragged her close. “It’s called foreplay, my sweet Brie. I’m surprised you haven’t heard of it.”
Fourteen
Vaughn had always enjoyed sparring with Brielle Gunderson. But not as much as making love to her. If he hadn’t been hard as an iron pike, he might have been amused by her slack-jawed astonishment. Under the circumstances, he didn’t enjoy winning this round as much as he should have.
“Kiss me, Brie,” he said. “Like you mean it.”
Her lashes lowered, hiding her expression. But her lips met his without hesitation. There it was again. The jolt. The blow. The all-out shock to his system.
He lifted her off her feet and shoved his mouth on hers roughly. His plan had been to woo her, to coax her into giving him her trust, her hunger, her soft woman’s body.
Instead, he lost his mind. “How does this damn dress come off?” he groaned.
Brie leaned into him, arms encircling his neck. “Over my head. It’s stretchy. You know...”
He did not know. But he was about to find out.
Releasing her was an effort. He made himself set her on her feet. “Lift your arms,” he said as he grabbed the hem of her skirt.
She obeyed, but as he dragged the fabric to her hips and higher, he floundered. Her tiny panties revealed everything. And his lover wasn’t wearing a bra. Because the dress was two thin layers instead of one, he hadn’t noticed. He must be slipping.
Now Brie was naked from her toes to her neck, except for a tiny scrap of nylon at her hips. Her voice was muffled. “I’m suffocating,” she complained.
He had unwittingly stopped short of pulling the dress off completely, gobsmacked by the sight of Brie’s naked body. Most of the dress was swathed around her head. “Sorry,” he muttered. He kept at it, and moments later, tossed the dress aside.
“My hair’s a mess now,” she said.
Vaughn took her hands and lifted them one at a time to his lips. As he kissed each palm, he inhaled sharply, feeling his chest wobble in a weird way. “You’re perfect.”
Slowly, he removed all the hundred and one pins holding her artful hairstyle together. Then he winnowed his fingers through her silky blond tresses until they fell across her bare shoulders.
Brie put her hands over his. “Make love to me, Vaughn.”
“Yes.” The single syllable was guttural. It was hard to talk with a boulder in his throat.
He scooped her up and carried her to the bed. Brie looked at him so intently it made him nervous. “What?” he said, sprawling beside her. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
She shrugged with a small smile on her lips. “I like looking at you. But I notice you’re still wearing pants.”
He glanced down, surprised to see that she was right. “Maybe I do have a concussion,” he said ruefully. Or maybe he was distracted because he was suddenly coming to realize just how much Brie meant to him. He couldn’t tell her. Not yet. Not when he didn’t understand it himself.
“Five seconds,” he promised, stumbling to his feet and removing the rest of his clothing.
“And not to be picky,” she said, “but I’m really hoping for more than one condom.”
“Duly noted.” He’d taken care of that item back in Royal before he did anything else for this trip.
When he joined her a second time, he pulled her close, burying her face in his shoulder and inhaling the scent of her shampoo. He ran his hands down her back, stopping when he reached the tantalizing curves of her cute butt.
Brie stirred restlessly. “You’re smothering me again.”
He pulled back and chuckled. How could he be so aroused and yet feel such an enormous wave of emotion for this woman? “I think I’ve lost my mojo,” he said, not entirely kidding. Knowing that she could have died today affected him deeply.
“Because of the bump on your head?”
>
“That could be it.” Or more likely, he was navigating unknown territory. This thing with Brie was about more than sex. His gut tightened. He’d never admitted that, even if it was true three years ago. When she walked out on him—because he pushed her away—he’d been devastated.
But his attitude at the time had been to hell with women, this one in particular. He’d buried himself in his work and convinced his heart (if he had one) that he was better off without her.
For almost three years, he had believed the lie. Right up until the moment Brie showed up on Sophie’s doorstep.
And now he had a daughter.
The whole situation was a huge, tangled train wreck.
But now was not the moment to look for solutions. Now was the chance to play.
He took his time with her. There was no one knocking at the door, no urgent phone calls. Danika was safe and happy with Sophie. Vaughn was free to make Brie as insane with hunger and desire as she made him.
She was on her back now. He leaned over her, resting his weight on one elbow. Big aquamarine eyes scanned his face. The uncertainty he sensed in them shamed him. No wonder she was not entirely comfortable with this relationship. He had never given her any reason to think he was a guy who could be counted on to stand beside her and make a real commitment.
But a man could change. His sister believed it. Dixie, too. Slowly, Vaughn was coming to understand that perhaps he wasn’t as much of an independent loner as he had once thought.
He kissed her forehead, her nose, her delicate throat, each pert raspberry nipple. “Tonight was fun,” he said. “We should do it more often.”
“The club gala was great.” She paused. “I can’t do this kind of thing on a regular basis, though. I like spending time with you, Vaughn, but it’s complicated and messy. I’m at a point in my life where I need structure and stability. Let’s concentrate on the here and now.”
Her speech winded him, nicked his pride. Did she not even want to try anymore?
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