The Engagement Arrangement Page 16

“Nope.”

  Now it was Dave and Sabra’s turn. Finn drove the boat and Brenna stood at the stern to watch them so she could signal Finn if one of them fell off. Sue and Andi were on their boat as well, so they all chatted while watching.

  “You were a natural out there on the tube, Brenna,” Sue said.

  “My sisters and I went out on the boat with my mom and dad when we were kids. I learned to ski and tube as soon as I learned to swim.”

  “Same here,” Andi said. “I grew up in Florida, and we hit the beach as soon as we could stand. We were out on the water all the time.”

  Sabra did a flip off the tube, so Brenna signaled Finn, who slowed and brought the boat around to pick them up.

  Sabra was laughing as she climbed aboard. “I’ve got so much damn water in my ear I’ll be floating in my sleep.”

  Sue and Andi went next, and they hung on for the duration of their ride.

  Brenna could have done this all day, but they decided to meet up with the others and head to shore. They loaded up the boats and drove back to the house. Everyone rinsed off and Brenna took off her swimsuit and changed into her sundress, winding her hair into a knot on top of her head.

  “I’m madly in love with your hair,” Marie said as they stood side-by-side in the bathroom. “I’ve tried to get that color four times and it always ends up orange, so I gave up and went back to brown.”

  Marie was petite and absolutely stunning. “Your hair is lush and gorgeous. I don’t know why you’d want to change it. Mine is naturally curly and drives me crazy.”

  Marie laughed. “We always want what we don’t have.”

  “I guess that’s true.”

  They went into the kitchen and dove into fixing sides while the guys went into the backyard and helped Sue pull the meat out of the smoker to get it ready to put onto the grill.

  Brenna pulled out bottles of wine and they opened those, plus Andi made up a batch of sangria, so they had plenty to drink. Considering that Brenna typically worked weddings on a Saturday, it was a treat to kick back, relax and enjoy a rare day off.

  They sat and drank and talked about their lives and partners. It was nice to sit with a group of women who were at similar points in their lives, who also loved their careers. She loved learning about them. They all had varied careers, from financial analyst to child development coordinator to chef.

  Marie was a pastry chef, and she and Brenna had bonded right away. As they were talking she looked up Marie’s shop online and was so impressed with her work. “I can’t believe we haven’t used you for our weddings before.”

  “Same,” Marie said. “I’d love to create something for you.”

  “I’m going to pass your name on to Honor,” Brenna said. “She books all the vendors. I know she’ll want to give you a call and come by your shop.”

  Marie beamed a smile. “I’d be thrilled. Or I can bake a few things and bring them by.”

  “Even better. We love pastries.” Total bonus. Vendors came and went and you could never have enough on your list. Honor would be thrilled, especially if Marie’s pastries were awesome. Brenna just knew they would be.

  They ate a smorgasbord of food and side dishes, including the fish that had been caught earlier. Brenna filled up on grilled pineapple, multiple salads and the most amazing fall-off-the-bone ribs she’d ever tasted.

  “Sue, these are amazing,” she said as they all piled into the kitchen and crowded around the table.

  “Thanks. I’ve been working on the recipe for that sauce for years.”

  “A recipe she refuses to share with even me,” Andi said, shooting her girlfriend a look.

  Sue laughed. “Hey, some things need to remain a secret.”

  “Agreed,” Finn said, tossing another clean bone onto his discard pile. “It’s like whiskey. Once you perfect a method, and it tastes damn good, you can’t tell everyone how you got there.”

  Sue pointed at Finn. “Exactly. And that whiskey you brought is outstanding, by the way. Tell no one how you did it.”

  Brenna caught the look of pride on Finn’s face. It was the same look she had whenever someone complimented Bellini wines. Of course his whiskey making was a hobby, even though her dad had given him an entire section of the warehouse to make it.

  She wasn’t a whiskey kind of woman, preferring the more subtle flavors of wine. Oh, sure, she dabbled occasionally in liquor, but she always came back to the Bellini brand.

  Plus, whiskey was just so . . . complicated. Then again, she’d never shown any interest in what Finn was doing in that warehouse. Nor had she ever tasted what he was concocting, figuring he was only playing around. Which he’d been doing for over ten years, well before he was legally allowed to do so. But he’d been doing it under her father’s direction, and she was busy enough doing her own thing, so why should she care?

  But after dinner and cleanup, they sat outside where Dave had set up torches to keep the bugs away, and Finn poured whiskey for those wanting a taste.

  “I’ll have some,” she said as he walked around.

  He arched a brow. “You. Want some whiskey.”

  “Sure, why not?”

  “Because you don’t like it?”

  “Typically not, but I thought I might try it tonight.”

  He crouched down to pour some into a small glass for her. “Well. This will be a first.”

  He took a seat next to her and she thought he’d watch her, but he turned to talk to Will instead. She took a sip, instantly surprised by the smooth flavor with a hint of vanilla, making her go back for another taste, and then another.

  When he turned back to her, she smiled at him. “Finn. This is exceptional.”

  “Thanks. It’ll get better once it ages longer. This one has aged for five years. Ten to twelve is ideal.”

  “Do you have some that have been aging that long?”

  He nodded. “I have some nearly hitting ten, but I don’t know about the flavor profiles. I hadn’t yet perfected my formula and technique back then.”

  “But you have now.”

  “Yeah. A better brewing system as well, thanks to your dad.”

  She held out her cup and he poured more in. She took a couple more sips to make sure of the flavor. It held.

  “You want to be a whiskey maker.”

  He shrugged. “It’s a passion, for sure. So, maybe. Someday. When I get all the right tools.”

  She’d had no clue. But she liked that he had a hobby he enjoyed.

  They wrapped up about midnight and everyone packed up and said their good-byes.

  “This was so much fun,” Brenna said to Dave and Sabra. “Thank you for inviting us.”

  “Anytime,” Sabra said. “Thanks for bringing the wine. It was fabulous as always.”

  When they got back to the house, Brenna tucked her bags inside the door while Finn quietly called for Murphy, who bounded outside and ran off to sniff every blade of grass on the front lawn.

  “Want to come to my place?” he asked, moving in to sweep his fingers down her arm, making her tingle all over. “I feel like we didn’t get to spend much alone time together today.”

  “I’d love to come to your place. Be alone with you. Talk.”

  His brow rose. “Talk, huh? Got some things on your mind?”

  “Maybe.”

  “We can talk.” He opened the truck door, then whistled for Murphy, who came bounding out of the darkness and hopped right into the truck.

  Brenna laughed. “Ready to go, isn’t he?”

  “He’s a smart dog.”

  He started up the truck and they got in, Murphy sticking his head between them from the back seat. Brenna reached over to pet him.

  “Did you have a good day, Murphy?” she asked.

  “Knowing your dad and how much he loves dogs, he probably had a blast,” F
inn said.

  Brenna quirked her lips. “No doubt.”

  They headed down the road toward his place.

  “Tell me about your whiskey.”

  He looked over at her. “What about it?”

  “What do you like about making it?”

  He shrugged. “I dunno. I guess it relaxes me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s not work.”

  She leaned her head back against the truck’s headrest. “I feel the same way about making wine. It’s never felt like work to me. Watching the grapes grow, caring for them, knowing the exact right time to pick them and then nurturing them as they go through the process of fermentation, aging and bottling, realizing that I’m creating something that will taste amazing . . .”

  “It’s a kick, right?”

  She turned her head to look at him and smiled. “Yes, it really is. It’s the same for you?”

  “Yeah. It’s a science, really, and I always liked science. Finding the right grain, then heating it to release the sugar, adding in the right amount of yeast, almost as if you’re making beer, which you are, in essence, except then you distill it and age it.”

  “The waiting part can’t be fun.”

  “It’s not, but the longer you do this, the easier it gets because you’re doing batches, so you’ll have some that’s ready while you’re creating others. Like today, I had some five-year-old whiskey I could share.”

  “Which was very good.”

  “It was okay. It’ll get better the longer it ages. I have some ten-year-old that’s better. You’ll have to stop by the warehouse sometime and I’ll give you a taste. It’s smoother, more mellow.”

  She loved hearing him talk about whiskey, could feel the passion in his voice as he spoke about something he loved doing. It made her feel as if she had a kindred spirit in Finn—someone passionate about what he did, like she was about her winemaking.

  He parked his truck at the side of the house and they got out. Murphy bounded out and headed to the front door.

  “Think he’s ready for bed?” she asked as they met at the door.

  “I’m sure he’s a tired pup.”

  Finn unlocked the door and Murphy headed straight down the hall toward the bedroom and disappeared.

  “You want something to drink?” he asked.

  “Just a glass of ice water, please.” She’d had a full day of sunshine and more than enough alcohol. She was tired, too, and felt dehydrated.

  He fixed them both tall glasses of water. She took hers gratefully, taking a couple of decent swallows.

  She thought he’d lead her toward the bedroom, but he surprised her by taking her hand and sitting with her on the sofa in the living room. She set her glass on the coffee table and he pulled her against him. She kicked off her sandals and drew her feet up on the sofa.

  This was nice, being held by Finn, snuggling close to him.

  “You wanted to talk,” he said.

  “Oh, right.” She yawned and laid her head on his shoulder. “I did, didn’t I?”

  She rested her hand against his chest, feeling the rhythmic beat of his heart, realizing this all felt just so perfect. Maybe too perfect, but she was too tired to analyze that right now, because her eyelids suddenly felt way too heavy to stay open and Finn was rubbing her arm and everything in her world felt too right to worry about anything right now.

  So she closed her eyes and went with it.

  CHAPTER

  • • • • • •

  seventeen

  FINN SAT OUTSIDE and sipped his coffee and watched Murphy chase a bird that flew away easily. He rolled his eyes as his dog dashed into the woods at another bird. He understood that it was the dog’s nature to think he could catch it, and, hey, it was exercise if nothing else. Besides, Murph had a ton of energy and if he wanted to chase creatures he had no hope of catching, who was Finn to deny him?

  The first rays of dawn were just peeking through the trees. It was Finn’s favorite part of the day, when everything was quiet, the world hadn’t started up yet and it was just him and nature and an outstanding cup of coffee. And now, his dog, too. What could be better?

  The front door opened and Brenna came out, holding a steaming cup of coffee in her hand. She was barefoot and his gaze traveled up the length of her incredible legs, to where one of his shirts ended at her thighs. Her hair was a mass of wild curls around her shoulders. She walked over and took a seat on the porch swing with him.

  He really liked seeing her wearing his shirts. Even though they swallowed her up, there was something in that possessive part of his heart that liked seeing her wearing something he’d worn.

  “You steal another one of my shirts?” he asked.

  “I didn’t steal it. I’m borrowing it temporarily while I’m naked because I’m too lazy to get fully dressed.”

  “Naked, huh?” He slid his fingers under the hem of the shirt.

  She slapped his hand away. “I need this cup of coffee.”

  “You fell asleep last night. We were supposed to talk. And things.”

  She sipped the coffee and stared straight ahead. “Yes, I did. Sorry about that. Did you carry me to bed?”

  “I did.”

  “Undressed me, too, I guess.”

  “You wake up with your clothes on?”

  “No.”

  “There you go.” He finished off his coffee and set the mug on the table next to the porch swing. “Besides, I’ve seen you naked. And you’d have been uncomfortable sleeping in your dress.”

  “Then thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. I also texted Honor to let her know you were spending the night at my house so your family wouldn’t worry about where you were.”

  She arched a brow at him, looked mad for a few seconds, then shrugged. “Okay. Thanks for that, too.”

  “You trying to keep us a secret?”

  “Trust me, you and I are no secret where my sisters are concerned. They figured us out the first time we were together.”

  “Yeah?” That made him smile. Besides, he knew Erin and Honor. They could ferret out secrets in hours.

  “Yes. Keeping you and me a secret wouldn’t have worked for long. Not the way you look at me.”

  He choked out a laugh. “The way I—how about the way you look at me?”

  She shifted in the swing, bringing one knee onto the swing for balance. “And how exactly do I look at you?”

  “With lust. Like you want to throw me down in the vineyard and climb on top of me.”

  “I never look at you that way.”

  “Liar.” He took the cup from her hands and set it next to his, then grabbed hold of her and shifted her onto his lap. With her straddling him like this, it didn’t take his dick long to figure out he had a hot, mostly naked woman wriggling against him. He was hard and aching in no time.

  He cupped the back of her neck and drew her mouth to his, kissing her with a hungry passion that he couldn’t contain. She leaned into him, digging her nails into his shoulders, driving his desire higher.

  He reached for her breasts through the thin material of his worn shirt, teasing her erect nipples, taking in the sounds of her moans against his lips, sliding his tongue along hers until he felt like he was going mad with the need for her. He slid his hand under the shirt so he could feel the softness of her skin, wrap his hand around the plumpness of her breast, roll his thumb over her silky nipple until she let out a cry.

  “Make me come,” she murmured against his mouth.

  She didn’t need to ask him twice, and since his house was out in the middle of nowhere, far away from the main house, they were guaranteed privacy.

  He slipped his hand between her legs. She was wet, ready for him as he teased his fingers over her soft skin, priming her even though he knew she was ready. Then he slid
two fingers inside her and found her clit with his thumb.

  She rocketed against him and met his gaze as he moved his fingers in and out of her, watching her pant and grind against him.

  Seeing her face, the ecstasy spread across it, made his balls hurt in the worst way. He wanted his cock pumping inside her, but God, she felt so damn good, and watching her come apart like this as he fingered her had to be the best damn experience of his life.

  And when she came, she shuddered hard against him, holding on to him as if her damn life depended on it. He wrapped his arm around her and held her while she rocked through her orgasm and collapsed on him, breathing heavily.

  “Damn, Finn,” she murmured against his neck.

  He was breathing heavily, too, only he hadn’t had a release yet. He picked her up and carried her inside the house, laid her on the side of his bed and reached for a condom. He dropped his jeans down to his knees, put the condom on and spread her legs, then leaned over her, spreading his palms on either side of her hips as he slid inside of her.

  Her pussy was still quivering from her orgasm, and squeezed so tightly onto his cock that he thought he might lose it right there. He stilled, sweeping his hand up to lift her shirt so he could taste her nipples.

  “Mmm” was the only sound she made as he sucked and licked her while he began to move. “A lot more of that.”

  He gave more until she squirmed against him, lifting to give him a lot more of what he liked, which was her.

  Then there were no words between them, only moans and sighs and the groans he made because damn, this was good. And when her body began to quake, he was right there with her, groaning and trembling as they both came hard. He had to hold on to Brenna as he pumped with his release, feeling as if he had given her everything he had.

  And afterward, as he held her, he realized that Brenna made him feel things he’d never felt before. Like wanting to take care of her and make her happy.

  For the rest of his life. So he could feel this good forever.

  He kissed her neck, her jaw, her mouth.

  “Hungry?” he asked.

  She looked up at him with such clear eyes and a bright smile. “Starving, thanks to you.”