The Engagement Arrangement Read online

  PRAISE FOR THE BEST MAN PLAN

  “An irresistible blend of sweetness and heat. . . . Erin is an appealing, resilient heroine (who’s also not above dressing a puppy in a tutu), and empathetic, attentive Jason will make romance readers swoon. This is a treat.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  PRAISE FOR JACI BURTON AND HER NOVELS

  “Jaci Burton’s stories are full of heat and heart.”

  —New York Times bestselling author Maya Banks

  “A wild ride.”

  —#1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh

  “Jaci Burton delivers.”

  —New York Times bestselling author Cherry Adair

  “One to pick up and savor.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Jaci Burton’s books are always sexy, romantic and charming! A hot hero, a lovable heroine and an adorable dog—prepare to fall in love with Jaci Burton’s amazing new small-town romance series.”

  —New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis

  “A heartwarming second-chance-at-love contemporary romance enhanced by engaging characters and Jaci Burton’s signature dry wit.”

  —USA Toda

  “Captures everything I love about a small-town romance.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “Delivered on everything I was hoping for and more.”

  —Under the Covers Book Blog

  “A sweet, hot, small-town romance.”

  —Dear Author

  “Fun and sexy.”

  —Fiction Vixen

  “The perfect combination of heat and romance.”

  —Heroes and Heartbreakers

  “Plenty of romance; sexy men; hot, steamy loving; and humor.”

  —Smexy Books

  “An extraordinary novel—a definite home run!”

  —Joyfully Reviewed

  “Lively and funny . . . intense and loving.”

  —The Road to Romance

  “An invitation to every woman’s wildest fantasies.”

  —Romance Junkies

  “Burton is a master at sexual tension!”

  —RT Book Reviews

  TITLES BY JACI BURTON

  BOOTS AND BOUQUETS SERIES

  The Matchmaker’s Mistletoe Mission

  (an eNovella)

  The Best Man Plan

  The Engagement Arrangement

  BROTHERHOOD BY FIRE SERIES

  Hot to the Touch

  Ignite on Contact

  All Consuming

  HOPE SERIES

  Hope Smolders

  (an eNovella)

  Hope Flames

  Hope Ignites

  Hope Burns

  Love After All

  Make Me Stay

  Don’t Let Go

  Love Me Again

  One Perfect Kiss

  PLAY-BY-PLAY SERIES

  The Perfect Play

  Changing the Game

  Taking a Shot

  Playing to Win

  Thrown by a Curve

  One Sweet Ride

  Holiday Games

  (an eNovella)

  Melting the Ice

  Straddling the Line

  Holiday on Ice

  (an eNovella)

  Quarterback Draw

  All Wound Up

  Hot Holiday Nights

  (an eNovella)

  Unexpected Rush

  Rules of Contact

  The Final Score

  Shot on Gold

  WILD RIDERS SERIES

  Riding Wild

  Riding Temptation

  Riding on Instinct

  Riding the Night

  Riding to Sunset

  (an eNovella)

  Riding the Edge

  (an eNovella)

  STAND-ALONE NOVELS

  Wild, Wicked, & Wanton

  Bound, Branded, & Brazen

  ANTHOLOGIES

  Unlaced

  (with Jasmine Haynes, Joey W. Hill, and Denise Rossetti)

  Exclusive

  (with Eden Bradley and Lisa Renee Jones)

  Laced with Desire

  (with Jasmine Haynes, Joey W. Hill, and Denise Rossetti)

  Nauti and Wild

  (with Lora Leigh)

  Nautier and Wilder

  (with Lora Leigh)

  Hot Summer Nights

  (with Carly Phillips, Erin McCarthy, and Jessica Clare)

  Mistletoe Games

  (Holiday Games, Holiday on Ice, and Hot Holiday Nights in one volume)

  ENOVELLAS

  The Ties That Bind

  No Strings Attached

  Wild Nights

  A JOVE BOOK

  Published by Berkley

  An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

  penguinrandomhouse.com

  Copyright © 2021 by Jaci Burton, Inc.

  Penguin Random House supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin Random House to continue to publish books for every reader.

  A JOVE BOOK, BERKLEY, and the BERKLEY & B colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

  Ebook ISBN: 9780451491312

  First Edition: June 2021

  Book design by Alison Cnockaert, adapted for ebook by Cora Wigen

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover design by Rita Frangie

  Cover photo by Claudio Marinesco

  pid_prh_5.7.1_c0_r0

  For A—I hadn’t expected to lose you. I still expect my phone to ring and for us to chat about all the things. You were always there for me, and my life has less light in it now that you’re gone. Thank you for being the best big sister I could have ever asked for. Love you always and I’ll see you again someday.

  CONTENTS

  Cover

  Praise for The Best Man Plan

  Titles by Jaci Burton

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

 
Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  About the Author

  CHAPTER

  • • • • • •

  one

  AN IRISHMAN NEVER left a glass of whiskey unfinished, and Finn Nolan was as Irish as the green hills of his former homeland. He propped his booted feet up on the Bellinis’ front porch railing to finish off the last of his whiskey before heading back to his own house for the night. He rolled the amber liquid around in his glass, then frowned as he saw headlights cutting into the darkness in front of him.

  It was late. His boss, Johnny Bellini, had gone inside for the night. As far as he knew, everyone in the house had already gone to bed. Normally Finn would have headed to his place on the Bellini property, but Johnny had wanted to chat and Finn enjoyed his company, so he’d hung out long past dark.

  The car pulled down the long gravel drive. He decided he’d wait and see if maybe someone had made a wrong turn. The lights were off on the front porch so they couldn’t see him as they stopped in front of the house.

  Recognition dawned as he saw Brenna Bellini open the passenger door of the Mercedes, followed by some tall, professionally dressed dude exiting the vehicle’s driver’s side.

  The guy walked around the car and Brenna held up her hand.

  “Don’t,” she said.

  “At least let me walk you to the door.”

  “Don’t bother. It’s clear this date is over.”

  “Why? Because I asked you to come home with me?”

  “No. Because you’re a class A, narcissistic asshole whose primary interest is in yourself. Go get in your car and take yourself home, Jerry. I’m sure you and your hand will have a lovely finish to the night together.”

  Jerry looked offended. “Hey. I can get a lot of women.”

  “Then go get them. A whole harem of them.” When he continued to stand there, she shooed him with both hands. “Go.”

  Jerry lifted his chin, muttered something Finn couldn’t hear and got in his car. Brenna waited, arms crossed, while he drove away.

  Finn smirked. The one thing he knew about Brenna Bellini was that she could take care of herself.

  “What a dick,” she muttered as she made her way up the stairs, stopping when she caught sight of him.

  “Bad date, huh?” Finn asked.

  “How long have you been out here?”

  “The whole time.” He pulled his feet from the porch railing and stood. “Why do you keep going out with such losers?”

  She shot him a glare. “What do you know about my dating history?”

  “I hear things.”

  “Where?”

  “Here and there.”

  “From my sisters?”

  He shrugged. “Here and there.”

  She rolled her eyes and started toward the front door.

  “You deserve better, Brenna.”

  She looked over at him. “Damn right, I do.”

  He walked over, stopping in front of her. Damn, she smelled good, like a vanilla cookie. He wanted to taste her. And kiss her. Her gorgeous red hair streamed out behind her in the breeze, and he itched to run his fingers through it, to see if it felt as soft as it looked. But he’d never once touched Brenna Bellini.

  Except in his fantasies.

  “Then why don’t you give a good guy a chance?”

  She looked him up and down. “What? You think you’re the right guy for me?”

  “Why not? I’m a better guy than those jackasses you keep going out with. Stop playing with those boys you’re not interested in and let a real man into your life.”

  She shook her head. “Not a chance in hell, Finn. First, you work for my family, and second . . .”

  His lips curved as she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

  “Go on . . .”

  “And second . . . you’re like family.”

  “Nah. I’m not your family and you know it. I’m the man you’ve always wanted, always needed, but never knew it. Until just now.”

  He saw her breath catch, her eyes widen, her lips part. He knew if he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, she wouldn’t object. But the one thing Brenna needed was a slow-burn romance, and he intended to give it to her. She deserved that.

  He tipped his cowboy hat toward her. “Good night, Brenna.”

  He turned and walked down the steps and around the side of the house, enjoying the quiet of late night, the glow of fireflies dancing around him. He’d lived on the Bellini property since he was eighteen years old, after his ma died and, since he had no other living relatives, Ma’s childhood best friend, Maureen Bellini, had flown him from Ireland to come live with them. After that, Johnny and Maureen Bellini had become family to him. Brenna’s sisters Erin and Honor had become like sisters.

  But Brenna? She’d never been family. She’d been something else entirely. The first time he’d laid eyes on Brenna, with her beautiful red hair and unusual hazel eyes and hellacious temper, she’d lit a fire in him that over a decade later had yet to be extinguished.

  Not that she’d ever known that. He’d never wanted her to know. Until now.

  At first, he’d been too young, too unsure of himself, too tongue-tied around the fierce beauty. And then they’d both grown up and he’d watched her fall in love with and marry that shithole Mitchell Walker. Mitch had never appreciated the fine woman he’d had. He’d taken her for granted, ignored her in favor of his business, and then he’d lost her.

  She’d needed time to grieve the end of her marriage, to get back on her feet, to regain her confidence. She’d gotten back out there and started dating again, but she found fault with every one of the guys she dated.

  As he turned the corner and headed down the path toward his place, he smiled. He knew why none of those guys had lit a spark under Brenna. Because none of those men knew her like he did, knew what she needed.

  He was the flame to her tinder, and it was time he lit the match.

  * * *

  • • • • • •

  BRENNA TOSSED HER purse onto her bed and stared at the full-length mirror leaning against the wall. Her face was flushed with a pink glow, her pulse still racing after that comment from Finn.

  What the hell had that been about? He was the one she always wanted but never realized, or some such nonsense? Where had that come from? After her useless date tonight, she’d felt empty and disappointed. But a few words from Finn on the front porch and she was lit up like a bonfire.

  She was not interested in Finn Nolan. Like, not at all.

  Liar, liar, because your panties are on fire.

  “Shut up,” she whispered to herself. She took off her dress and hung it up, went into the bathroom to wash off the remnants of her terrible date, then climbed into bed to read a book. But she couldn’t concentrate, Finn’s words still pinging around in her head.

  Was he the guy she’d always wanted, always needed, but had never realized it?

  Stop playing with those boys you’re not interested in and let a real man into your life.

  She pulled her legs in toward her chest and wrapped her arms around them, thinking about how he’d looked when she’d walked up the steps. His long, jean-clad legs stretched out, his cowboy hat tipped low across his brow, hiding his magnificent stormy gray eyes. And that Irish lilt to his voice—that alone could melt a woman’s clothes right off her. He needed a haircut, all that rich, silky black hair spilling out from underneath his hat, making her itch to run her fingers through it while his mouth crashed down on hers and his tongue—

  Whoa.

  Okay, maybe she had an attraction. And maybe she always had. She still remembered when he’d first arrived on the ranch. He’d been eighteen then, and she’d been seventeen. He’d been lanky and shy a
nd oh so heartbroken about his mother’s death that her heart had just about broken with him. But he had a smile that lit up the entire state of Oklahoma.

  Oh, she’d fought that attraction with everything in her. After all, Mom had trusted all of them to take care of Finn, to treat him like family. And when he’d loosened up and become part of the family, she’d held that attraction she’d felt to herself, while Finn had come out of his shell and laughed and made friends and had girlfriends and treated her just like he treated everyone else.

  Then Mitchell had come along, distracting her with his sweet talking and empty promises of happily-ever-after.

  What an eye opener that had been. Happily-ever-after was for fairy tales. That was why she worked the winery and left the wedding stuff to her sisters.

  She rolled her eyes, realizing that thoughts of Mitchell were like buckets of cold water all over her libido, dousing her hot fantasies of Finn.

  With a sigh of disgust, she turned out the light and climbed under the cool covers.

  She and Finn weren’t meant to be, anyway. He worked on the vineyard, they saw each other every day, and the two of them fooling around would be a recipe for disaster.

  There. Fantasy effectively ended.

  It was never going to happen.

  CHAPTER

  • • • • • •

  two

  FINN SLUNG HIS hammer into his tool belt and stepped away from the building he was putting an addition on, removing his hat to wipe the sweat from his brow. He unscrewed the lid from his jug and swallowed several gulps of water.

  August in Oklahoma sucked. It was hot as fuck this morning, the sun beat down on him and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. And it wasn’t even eight a.m. yet. He’d deliberately started early so he could beat the heat. Hell of a lot of good that had done him. Today was going to be brutal.

  It was days like this that made him miss the small town in Ireland where he’d grown up. He missed the clouds and the chill and the salty air of the sea. At times it felt like it was only yesterday that he’d walked along the coast, looking out every day at the amazing power of all that water crashing against the shore or taking a boat out to do some fishing with his da.