Entangled

by Melissa Brayden

  “Not anymore. You’re going on a date to The Jade. With me. Don’t argue.”

  “We’re already having our first fight? Feels fast.”

  Becca laughed. “Come over tonight, then, and we can make up.”

  “Still a no.”

  Becca turned to her in earnest. “For the record, I’m only kidding. You have nothing but my utmost respect, and I would never want you to do anything you weren’t one hundred percent sure of.”

  “I know.” Joey offered a soft smile. “I very much appreciate that.”

  That didn’t mean that on the drive home Joey didn’t think about what would have happened if she’d come to a different conclusion for their evening. She imagined how the sidewalk kissing might feel if they both knew they didn’t have to stop. She ruminated on how her fingertips would feel across Becca’s warm, smooth skin. She fantasized about removing Becca’s clothing one piece at a time, and swallowed back her desire.

  “You okay over there?” Becca asked as they drove. “You got quiet.”

  “Just a little bit tired.” Lies, all lies. Joey likely wouldn’t sleep, her body too keyed up.

  When they pulled into the vineyard, now quiet and sleepy with no one in sight, Joey was ready to hop out of the car and quickly take her leave. These swirling feelings left her vulnerable—to what, she wasn’t sure. But Becca opened her car door before Joey.

  “I’ll walk you up. It’s dark out.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” Joey said, hopping out of the car.

  “I’d like to.”

  The gesture was a simple one, but sweet, and it resonated with Joey. They walked in silence up the four stairs to the Big House as an owl hooted somewhere in the distance. Joey turned around to say good night, only to find herself compelled to do so much more. She went up on tiptoes, encircled her arms around Becca’s neck, and blinked up at her.

  “Good night, Joey,” Becca said, standing there looking into Joey’s eyes. She brushed her lips softly against Joey’s. Sweet. Romantic. Perfect.

  “Good night.”

  The early November moon that bathed them in enough light to see by hung steady and strong in the sky overhead as Joey excused herself into the house. As she closed the door and leaned back against it, her fingertips hovered over her lips, still holding on to the wonderful sensation.

  “This could be tricky,” she whispered to the quiet living room.

  Chapter Nine

  With Sky frolicking like a puppy in the corral with his old buddies, Becca sipped from the fresh apple cider Stephen had not only poured for her but apparently crafted himself from apples grown on the property. These guys were like two amazing Martha Stewarts dressed as pinup cowboys, and she was keeping them forever.

  “Of course we know Joey,” Monty said. “The whole town knows her. She’s like everyone’s second daughter around here. We used to be understandably jealous until we realized she was also likable.”

  “Joey?” Stephen joined them in the outdoor seating arrangement overlooking the Moon and Stars Ranch. “She’s a blue-eyed spark plug, that girl. I once saw her convince Missy Jean Tomlinson to come down twenty whole dollars on the oatmeal cookie and spirit gift basket she was selling at Waffle Fest just by batting her eyes and saying please.”

  Becca nodded. “I’d knock twenty off for those eyes, too. Have you ever seen her talk about wine?” She slid to the edge of her chair. “It’s my absolute favorite thing she does. Her entire face lights up and the knowledge she imparts and the words she uses tell me how intelligent she is.” She shook her head. “I’m way beyond a crush and have no time to do anything about it because of the resort’s demands, and it’s maddening.”

  “The opening sucking up your time?” Monty asked. He reached for the bottle of rosé they’d left to chill in a metal bucket and set to opening it for all of them. A good chaser to the cider. It was nippy out, but beautiful and sunny, making the rosé a perfect choice. She imagined Joey might think so, too.

  “Yes,” Becca told him. “The Jade itself is ready and waiting for the big day. The staff is in the final stages of training. Corporate sent some of our best managers to facilitate, but I’ve been running around making sure all the smaller details are in place for them. The vendor situation has been a nightmare because, let’s be honest, we’re a bit of a drive from Portland.” She shook her head as the details of her week came back to her. “So now we’re counting the hours until our first guest checks in, with events happening on the grounds all week to promote the big day. I don’t know when I’ll have time to sleep much less find a way to lay eyes on Joey until she’s scheduled to come by, but it’s all I really want to do.”

  Monty sipped and considered. “Might force you to go slower anyway.”

  Becca felt the sides of her mouth tug. “I suppose there’s nothing wrong with slow in the long run.” She watched Sky leap and run in the corral, charging one direction and then changing course and going the opposite way. “Is it crazy that I don’t seem to have the capacity to?” She turned back around and faced them. “I don’t think I’ve met anyone that I was this attracted to but at the same time liked so much as a person.”

  “It’s like looking in a mirror,” Monty said, and then grinned at Stephen, who blew him a kiss.

  Becca kept going. “I really appreciate how fired up she gets in protecting a vineyard that’s been in her family for years. I also like that being confrontational seems to take her wildly outside of her comfort zone, which tells me she’s kind-hearted. I think a lot about the way she expresses herself and how she uses her hands with such flourish to illustrate a point.”

  “Do you also think about her naked?” Stephen asked. Monty swatted him and passed him a look. “What?” Stephen looked back at him. “It’s not like I do, but it’s a strong litmus test for Becca’s plight, which is fraught.”

  Monty stared at him. “You’ve been using fraught in too many sentences lately.”

  “Because I, too, am fraught with delight about the word,” Stephen replied.

  Becca laughed. The more she got to know these two, the more they let their guard down around her and showed her their true selves, petty banter and all.

  “I’m not answering that,” Becca told Stephen diplomatically.

  “That means she totally imagines her naked like I used to do about you,” Stephen said, satisfied. “She might be doing so right now.”

  “You behave,” Monty said, and then refocused on Becca. “If you’re into Joey Wilder, I say pursue Joey Wilder. Just understand the girl has experienced a lot of loss.” He exchanged a glance with Stephen.

  “Yeah. What do you know about that? I don’t have specific details other than she lost her dad.”

  “Her mom, too, when she was a kid,” Stephen said. “But the real scandal hit much later.”

  Monty picked up from there. “It was weeks before we bought the ranch and moved to Whisper Wall, about three years back?” Stephen nodded his agreement and Monty continued, “But a group of older ladies at The Bacon and Biscuit told me that Joey was left at the altar in a scandal three times as big as the town. The sad thing was that they’d planned this massive wedding and invited hundreds, which also meant everyone was there to see Joey’s devastation.”

  “What?” Becca couldn’t believe what she was hearing and stood there for a moment in mystification. “Who would leave Joey at the altar? Are they insane?”

  “It was the florist, Simone,” Monty said, seeming to recall the details. “She’s beautiful, with this great skin, but I’ve never really gotten the impression that she’s very deep, you know? She seems kind, though, and now she’s madly in love with this veterinarian, Constance. She’s been great to our rescues, so I have nothing bad to say about her at all.”

  Stephen frowned. “She could work on her shoe choice. Hiking boots galore.”

  “You’re going to hell on a super slide,” Monty said. “You know that, right? Good thing you’re attractive.”

  Stephen
seemed pleased with the assessment. “I think Joey’s better off. Plus, now she has you to whisk her away to happiness and forever.”

  She laughed, but even she knew that forever was a lofty concept in this day and age. “I just know that I want to gobble up more time with her.”

  “Jaded. And that’s not even a pun.”

  She balked. “What? I am not. Listen, I’m an adult woman who is well versed on the contemporary dating scene. Some people fall in love and live life together. Others invest in a relationship that does or does not work out. Sometimes a hookup satisfies.” She shrugged. “I see the benefits of each of those options.”

  Monty looked over at Stephen. “Damn, you’re right. Jaded.”

  Becca rolled her eyes and took a healthy swallow of the rosé. “Who knew gay cowboys subscribed to a Hallmark ideology?”

  “We knew,” the men said in unison. Perfect.

  She scoffed. “I’m just saying Joey could be a lot of things in the end. I won’t presume. All I know is that she feels…significant.”

  “Oh, I’m feeling myself getting attached already,” Stephen said.

  Monty pretended to dab a tear, and then snapped out of it. “Now. Who wants to get these dogs some exercise?”

  “You do,” Stephen said. “I spent all morning on a tractor and need to sit here and stare at my kingdom.”

  Monty popped his cowboy hat on his head. “The tractor vision alone shall see me through.”

  Becca laughed, admiring their life together. Maybe settling down wasn’t as out of reach as she had once resigned herself to. Stephen and Monty had it all, and she found herself coveting that affection, even the daily teasing. They loved each other, and wouldn’t that be nice? To love someone and know without a doubt that they’d be there every morning. Her rock. Her anchor. She’d like to be that for someone, too. She tucked that wistful wondering away, understanding that everything happened in its proper time. Yet she had an inkling that something noteworthy was happening in her life. This chapter, in small-town Oregon of all places, felt different than all the others.

  * * *

  Joey stood in one of the prettiest hotel lobbies she’d ever seen and gaped. Yes, actually gaped. The Jade made a startlingly beautiful first impression. The opulent floors were slate, and the cream-colored brick walls led up to a ceiling multiple stories high and braced by white beams that seemed to be more for aesthetic appeal than structure. The lobby furniture was a mixture of white and gray, which completed the design perfectly. The vibe was rustic meets contemporary, and it had been executed expertly.

  “Wow,” Joey murmured, turning in a circle. She’d agreed to meet Becca just after lunch for a personal tour of the resort before its opening the following day. The main doors had been unlocked and she’d let herself in.

  “You’re here,” Becca said, appearing from a hallway behind the empty reception desk. “Hi.” She wore dark jeans, heels, and a starched navy dress shirt that was…everything. Becca Crawford could make a potato sack look good if she wore it. Joey rolled her lips in and reminded herself that the resort was supposed to be her focus today. But, damn. Becca was stealing the show.

  “Hey there.” She smiled and turned in a circle. “It’s breathtaking.”

  Becca placed her hands on her hips and grinned with pride. “I think so, too.” There were voices coming from a hallway to Joey’s right. Becca gestured. “Housekeeping training is under way. In fact, lots of training sessions are in progress all throughout the property.”

  “You sure you have time for me? You have your hands full.”

  “Always. That’s the thing about hospitality. It never sleeps, as you well know.”

  Joey dipped her head. “The grapes never sleep, but the people go away when we put out the Closed sign.”

  Becca tapped her cheek with one finger. “Gotta get one of those. Want to walk around a bit?”

  “Of course.” Joey slipped her hands into the pocket of her forest-green peacoat. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious about the infamous Jade.”

  “You two are going to be friends.” She inhaled deeply as if smelling freshly brewed coffee. “I can just feel it.”

  Oh, Joey was feeling things, too. Just not as appropriate.

  They moved through the hotel section by section with Becca acting as tour guide, pointing out little details along the way, like how all the art was selected to be modern but with a nod to local culture. Much of it did come with a wine motif, which was a nice touch. Joey enjoyed the tour quite a bit for a myriad of reasons. One was most certainly the way Becca used her elegant hands and wrists to gesture. Joey’s stomach flutters were at an all-time high.

  “Let’s head to the top,” Becca said and used her key card to access the elevator’s highest floor.

  “This place is enormous,” Joey mused, as they stepped out to the view from the large picture window in the hallway.

  “You’re not wrong,” Becca said, coming up behind her. “We have more than four hundred rooms spread out over fourteen floors, a restaurant, two bars, a full-service spa, and a luxury pool with a lazy river along with cabana service in the summer. But I think you’re going to like the view from the penthouse suite most of all.”

  “Oh yeah?” She followed Becca to the end of the hall. “I glimpsed the pool on the way in. It’s magnificent.”

  “You could always come stay for a night,” Becca said, letting them into the penthouse. “Take advantage of the pool. Order a cocktail.”

  “That sounds like a scandalous invitation.”

  “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about,” Becca said like the innocent she wasn’t.

  “Wow.” Joey stopped in her tracks, derailed from the flirtatious back-and-forth. She stood inside one of the most beautiful luxury suites she’d ever seen. Everything was decorated in shades of gray, light green, and cream. A modern fireplace stood in the corner of the room, which was made up almost entirely of windows. Joey walked to one and grinned because she found herself looking down on Tangle Valley in all its beauty. Her heart squeezed with pride. “Now, this view? Even better.”

  “I thought you’d like it. That’s why I brought you up here.” Becca stood alongside her, and Joey savored their proximity. In fact, now it was all she could concentrate on. “Can I ask a question?”

  Joey turned, prepared for the where-is-this-going talk that she was not at all prepared to have. “You can. I’ll answer as best I can.”

  “You always smell so wonderful, like fresh raspberries and vanilla. What is it?”

  Joey smothered the laugh that threatened. “Just…soap, I suppose.”

  “I like your soap company. I may invest.”

  The compliment left Joey feeling confident, bolstered. She’d missed Becca, but being in her presence now drove home just how much. “I could say the same for the people who make all of your suits and jackets.” Yes, her gaze moved across Becca’s entire body because she was an obvious rake now, and embracing that.

  Becca smiled and raised an eyebrow. “Well, well. I thought we’d be all business today, and now look at us.”

  Joey let her shoulders sag and the truth come tumbling out. “We’re the worst. I’ve wanted to touch you since the moment you walked into the lobby.” Her hands slid inside Becca’s jacket to her waist. Becca’s gorgeous lips parted, and that was everything.

  She held her composure and touched Joey’s cheek. “Every time I see you, I think you’re even more sexy than the last time. It’s insane.”

  “You’re good with words.”

  Becca leaned in. “But do we really need them right now?”

  Joey shook her head and accepted the kiss hungrily. What she wouldn’t give to be able to pop the buttons on that dress shirt of Becca’s and see the breasts beneath the starched fabric. She could already tell they were perfect just from the way they filled out the shirt. Becca’s warm and skilled mouth had her hazy and lost. The lustful thoughts of Becca’s breasts and allowing her thumbs to touch
their undersides left Joey wet. The longer they kissed, the more Joey craved, the more her fingers itched to touch, and the more she wanted to see. To taste. With her tongue in Becca’s mouth, she ordered herself to pull back before they were naked and well beyond the ability to stop.

  “Cease-fire,” she practically hollered as she wrenched her mouth away. Oh, good. There was the air. She’d thought it had gone.

  Becca grinned. “That’s the first time anyone’s yelled that in the midst of a kiss with me.”

  Joey placed an open hand on her chest. “I can’t be held responsible for what comes out of my mouth when we’re doing that,” she said, gesturing back and forth between them. “That just isn’t fair.”

  “You could yell, Peanut butter and jelly is my favorite, and I’d still want to kiss you again. I’d probably buy you a jar of each to say thank you.”

  “I guess I should have yelled, Diamond stud earrings, in that case.”

  Becca grinned. “There’s always next time.”

  “When is that going to be exactly?” Joey asked in all seriousness. “I keep a pretty up-to-date calendar.”

  “I have a feeling it will be soon.” Becca took her hand and kissed it, her eyes darkening. “You got a little handsy back there.” She shot a glance down at her own shirt and back to Joey.

  Joey narrowed her gaze. “Trust me, I know. I’m out of control.”

  “No, you’re not. You’re alluring.”

  She hadn’t been called that a lot, but the look on Becca’s face said she meant it. It gave Joey unexpected confidence to embrace her desires. Feeling wonderfully brazen, she stepped into Becca’s space and ran her fingertips lightly over Becca’s breasts through the shirt. She enjoyed the way Becca closed her eyes and exhaled at being touched so intimately. And then something happened Joey hadn’t planned on. Becca wordlessly unbuttoned the shirt and parted the sides, revealing a pale yellow satin bra and the tops of gorgeous breasts. Becca had beautiful skin, a shade more olive than Joey’s. She swallowed. The invitation was not in question, nor was Joey’s acceptance. They were at Becca’s workplace, Joey reminded herself, but the resort was closed and they were behind locked doors. But a minute was all she needed. She traced the outline of the bra with a fingertip, first one side, then the other. She kissed the soft tops of Becca’s breasts and lifted with her hands from below, touching Becca’s nipples with her thumbs through the satin. Becca moaned quietly, making the exchange feel incredibly intimate and raw. She pulled one cup down, freeing a breast, seeing it for the first time, and then capturing that nipple in her mouth. Becca hissed as Joey’s lips sucked and her teeth scraped. Joey freed the second breast and paid it the same attention. She bit down lightly and noticed Becca steadying herself with a hand against the window as Joey enjoyed herself, lost in a haze of wonderful sensations. With one arm wrapped around Becca’s waist, she used her free hand and mouth to touch, maneuver, trace, and massage.