He was at her mercy. Addison could truly ruin him. Could turn him into a fool if she told him no.
She couldn’t tell him no.
She won’t.
He was praying and hoping and wishing that she believed him. He loved her. More than anything. He’d been too stubborn to see it sooner. The blinders he wore to protect himself had handicapped him in the end. Now all he could do was kneel before her and hope he wasn’t too late. That she didn’t instantly write him off. That there was some scrap of love for him still left inside her. That he hadn’t destroyed everything they’d built.
She was holding the ring—a good sign—but her face was unreadable. He could hear his own heartbeats, so close together he lost count at four. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally looked at him.
Bright blue eyes lifted her rosy cheeks into the barest hint of a smile. It was like the morning he’d watched the sun rise over the vineyards behind his parents’ house. The very moment he’d come to the conclusion that he loved her, and had been loving her the entire time they were together. The moment he’d felt at once free and devastated because he had no idea how to win her back.
His beautiful, brave girl clasped his face with both hands and kissed him solidly on the mouth. He kissed her back, feeling the competing warmth of her lips and the coolness of the metal band of the ring in her grip against his cheek—but mostly relief. So much relief.
He ended the kiss and, before she could rethink her answer, slipped the ring on her left finger. Clasping both her hands in his, he became aware of the low echo of applause around them and the blur in his eyes from an unshed tear or two of his own. Her next words released them.
“I love you, too.” Her grin was wide, her eyes misted over. Then she was kissing him again and damming the words he was going to say in his throat.
That was fine by him. Those four words were the only words he needed to hear until the day they said I do.
EPILOGUE
Addison stood in her wedding gown looking out at the vineyards and mountains beyond. The sun had set, but only just. The sky was a deep navy blue.
“Mrs. Knox,” her husband said from behind her, sliding his hands around her waist. Brannon kissed her ear and lower on her neck as she breathed in the clean scent of him.
The night he proposed in the restaurant, they went to his house after and made love in his bedroom. This time each kiss, each touch, each long slide of him inside her was paired with an “I love you.” They hadn’t spent a night apart since.
It’d been a whirlwind, from their trip to Tahoe until their wedding, with plenty of missteps—with each of them pulling in opposite directions. But somehow they’d ended here, in a beautiful place, after a beautiful ceremony, with another beautiful surprise she’d yet to share...
His parents’ vineyard mansion had been packed with family and friends, their “small backyard wedding” a crowd of one hundred and fifty people. Her parents, Joe’s parents, and friends new and old were the only guests from her list. Brannon Knox had come with an entourage, but she’d expected no less, she thought with a smile.
Now most of the guests were filtering out to the parking area behind Jack and Macy Knox’s vacation home, their cars forming a motorcade down the hill.
Reaching behind her, she stroked her husband’s stylishly disheveled hair. “Thank you.”
“For?” He placed another kiss on her shoulder and she shivered. She’d come outside, overheated from dancing, but in the night air she realized her off-the-shoulder dress wasn’t warm enough to thwart the November chill.
“For being you. For making my dreams come true. For giving me a whole new family in addition to the one I have.” She turned and encountered his handsome face, a sight she’d never grow tired of. “I love you.”
“I love you.” He leaned in to kiss her and she leaned in to accept when a sharp, panicked shriek cut into the air.
They jerked apart and turned toward the patio. Taylor was gripping her very pregnant stomach with one hand and her husband-to-be with the other.
“Here we go,” Bran said, gripping Addi’s hand and walking with her.
“Someone get those goddamn cars out of the way! Now!” Royce shouted, pointing at the parade moving slowly down the hill.
Jack Knox appeared from nowhere like a superhero. “I’ve got it! I’ll take the bike down.”
“Dad,” Royce warned, but Jack didn’t listen, only ran for the garage to extract his new Harley.
Royce sent Bran a look of worry-slash-irritation. “Now we’ll have to take him and Taylor to the hospital.”
“Ohhh, God!” Taylor cried, her face twisted in anguish, her fingers choking the material of Royce’s shirt.
Addi ran to support her other side while Royce held onto his fiancée with both arms.
“You two are ready for this,” Addi reminded them—but mostly Royce, since he looked like he needed to hear it more. “Bran, honey, why don’t you start the car?”
“Got it.”
“Oh, Ad. I didn’t mean for this to happen on your wedding day. I didn’t expect this baby to be a week early!” Taylor hissed another tight breath, sweat coating her brow. “Those doctors swore I’d be on time!”
“Taylor, I’m honored to share your baby’s birthday,” Addi assured her. “Soon we can finally find out whether I have a niece or a nephew!”
“Right now it feels like an elephant,” Taylor growled as Royce shoved a chair underneath her.
“How about an ice-cold washcloth for the ride to the hospital?” Addi offered, and Taylor nodded an enthusiastic yes.
“Make me a gin and tonic while you’re in there,” Royce said, his tone dry.
Addi laughed to herself—and only once she was in the house. She bypassed Bran’s mother, Macy, who was gathering her purse and running for the back door.
“A baby! Oh, Addi, I’m so excited!” Macy squeezed Addi’s arm before she darted outside. Addi might be as excited as her mother-in-law about meeting a new member of the family.
Family.
She paused in the hallway en route to the linen closet to appreciate that she had a family. Not only her parents, who had come and gone today already, but a family who chose her. The Knoxes had always been supportive and amazing, and now she could claim relation to them. Her dream had come true.
Addi grabbed a washcloth from the linen closet as a door opened at the back of the hall. A sharp whisper that sounded a lot like Gia’s said, “You go first! Go!”
Jayson stepped from the bedroom, Gia shoving him with both hands. They froze when they saw Addi and did their best impression of deer in headlights.
Gia’s lipstick, if she’d been wearing any, was gone, her lips plump like she’d been recently and thoroughly kissed.
“Addison! Hi! Is Taylor in labor?” Gia smoothed her hair away from her face and grinned, as if a grin would hide that she’d been making out with her ex-husband.
“We heard something.” Jayson straightened his shirt but then noticed his zipper was down. He swore and turned his back to close up shop.
Addi couldn’t repress her smile at the couple who used to be a couple caught nearly coupling. Especially since Gia had busted Addi and Bran not so long ago.
“That was Taylor,” Addi confirmed. “And yes, she’s in labor. She has amazing timing.”
“Yeah. Amazing,” Jayson mumbled, pushing a hand through his hair.
“I’m taking her a cold cloth.”
“I’ll do it. You two check on her.” Gia took the cloth from Addi, quickly ran it under the sink in the bathroom and then raced outside.
Jayson offered his arm and Addi hooked her hand around it, lifting the edge of her slim, satin wedding gown while she walked. When Gia was out of earshot, he said, “Macy’s ceiling fan wasn’t working.”
“Okay, sure.” Addi shot him a grin
and he returned it with a smile. She suspected there was more to his smile, and more to finding him and Gia together. Maybe because it was her wedding day and love was all around. Or maybe because she was perceptive. Or maybe, because she liked Gia and Jayson so much, she was hoping with everything she had that they’d end up together again.
“You make a beautiful bride, Addi. I’m happy for you and Bran.”
“Thank you, Coop.” She rested her hand over his arm. “And thank you for intervening when Bran needed it most.”
“He told you about that, huh? Sometimes the best men need a kick to the ’nads. We’re not all that bright.”
They exited the patio, both laughing as Bran came back to announce the car was ready. “Dad managed to make it down the hill safely and actually moved traffic quite a bit. Need help, Tay?”
Taylor was surrounded on all sides by her mother, Royce and his mother, and now Jayson. “I feel like a parade float with this many handlers. I think I’m good.”
“I’ll just collect my wife, then.” Bran came for Addi, which sent an arrow straight into her heart with Cupid’s signature on it. “Hello, gorgeous. Where’d you disappear to?”
“Wait! I’m coming!” Gia shouted as she chased after the group.
“I went in to wet a washcloth for Taylor and found your sister and Jayson, um...preoccupied. He claimed he was fixing a ceiling fan in a back bedroom.”
“A ceiling fan,” Bran repeated.
“Who knew ceiling fan repair required one to remove his pants?”
“Maybe I should have a look at it.” Her husband scooped her against him.
“We have to go to the hospital.” She pointed in the direction of Taylor being loaded into an SUV.
“We have time.” He kissed her and all reason flew out of her head.
“Lovebirds!” Mars interrupted next. Pestle & Pepper had catered the wedding—their availability the reason they’d chosen this date. “Go be with your brother. Looked like he needed you. I’ll lock up and clean up.”
“Actually we were going to—” Bran gestured to the house.
“Do just that,” she finished for him. She leaned forward and kissed Mars on the cheek. “Thank you for being here.”
“Are you kidding? I’m the reason you’re married!” He patted Bran’s back. “My wife had our first baby twenty minutes after arriving at the hospital. You may not have as much time as you think you do. You kids have fun!” he called as he went back inside.
Somewhat reluctantly, her husband walked her to the car. He opened her door for her as she scooped up the bottom of her white dress.
“It is exciting, a baby, isn’t it?” Bran asked.
“It’s very exciting.” She waited until he rounded the car and was buckled in to share her own news. “Especially since we’ll be doing this approximately nine months from now.”
The color washed from his face, his finger hovering over the ignition button in his shiny red sports car.
“I’m sorry to say you’re going to have to drive something that can hold a car seat. I know how you feel about Red, here.” She patted the dashboard. She was sentimental about the car, too, as it was the beginning of her and Bran.
“You’re... Are you serious?”
“Telling you about the positive pregnancy test was going to be my wedding present to you tonight. But since we don’t know where tonight will take us, I thought I should tell you now.”
Gripping the back of her neck, he towed her close and kissed her, taking his time which was so, so precious considering the circumstances.
“What was that for?” she whispered as Royce started down the hill, honking the horn.
“You’ve given me everything I’ve ever wanted,” Bran said, never taking his eyes off her.
She kissed him once more, knowing the clock was ticking but unable to resist. “You started it.”
* * *
Don’t miss Gia’s story in
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Temptation at His Door
by Joss Wood
One
Joa Jones ducked under the red-and-white portico covering the impressive doors to Murphy International, thankful to get out of the snow-tinged rain. She blew into her hands, thinking she was inadequately dressed for Boston in late January.
It had been summer when she left Auckland two days ago. Left what she knew would be her last au pair contract.
In New Zealand she’d been an integral part of the Wilson family, welcomed and loved. They’d suggested she move to London with them but she knew that it was one of those oh-God-what-if-she-says-yes? suggestions. No, moving to London with the Wilsons wasn’t an option; their kids were older now and no longer needed a nanny.
Sadly, Joa knew she needed to move on. She could’ve easily picked up another job in New Zealand but, for the last few months, she’d been unable to ignore the feeling that she was in the wrong country, and in the wrong career.
Returning to Boston was a scary but necessary option. The only option.
Joa pushed her fist into her sternum, trying to push her panic down.
Since Iz’s death she’d done a load of self-analysis and was now self-aware enough to know that by becoming an au pair, she’d been trying to find the family she’d never had growing up in the foster care system. She was twenty-nine years old and if she wanted a family, she’d have to make her own.
And she was done insinuating herself into other people’s lives only to have to say goodbye when the families moved on.
Returning to Boston was her new start, a reset.
She’d take the time to be with her foster sister, Keely, and with Keely’s help, Joa could figure out what came next.
Blowing into her hands, Joa looked up and down the street, not seeing Keely. On arriving at Logan International, Joa had received a text message asking her to come directly to Murphy International, the world-renowned auction house situated in central Boston. She and Keely had a meeting with the CEO to discuss the auction of Joa’s foster mother’s (and Keely’s great aunt’s) art collection. The collection was one of the best in the world and, on Isabel Mounton-Matthew’s death a little over a year ago, Joa and Keely inherited her art, along with a historic house in Boston’s moneyed Back Bay neighborhood, a stupendously healthy stock portfolio and various plump bank accounts.
Joa, a child of Boston’s foster care system and a teenage runaway, was now an heiress. The mind boggled.
Keely, adopted by Isabel after her parents’ deaths when she was little, could’ve just met with Carrick Murphy on her own; she knew the Murphy brothers from way back and Joa had given her power of attorney to act on her behalf a week after Iz died. She trusted Keely implicitly.
But Boston was where Joa needed to be, the place where she would—she hoped—figure out her future.
A taxi pulled up and then Joa found her arms full of her curvy, bubbly friend. Keely rained kisses on her face. “It’s so amazing to see you, Ju. FaceTime is just not the same.”
“It’s good to see you too, Keels,” Joa quietly told her. And it was.
This woman had welcomed Joa into her house, into her life, and treated her like a sister, a best friend. From the day she’d left the shelter and moved into Isabel’s mansion, Keely had shared her clothes, showed her how to apply makeup, coached her through her first date. It was Keely who’d helped
her fill in college applications and choose her prom dress.
Most importantly, it was Keely who held her hand as they buried Isabel.
Impulsively and uncharacteristically, Joa reached for Keely again and pulled her into another hug. She was family; the only one she had.
Keely, always happy to hug, rocked her from side to side before pulling back and placing her hands on Joa’s cheeks. “You’re an ice block! For goodness’ sake, let’s go in. And what are you wearing?”
Joa looked down at her thin coat, jeans and now-wet trainers. “Not enough, apparently.” She followed Keely into an impressive hallway dominated by a wide marble staircase and the familiar smell of beeswax polish.
To the right of the staircase, a sleek woman sat behind an equally smooth desk, waiting for them to approach. Keely pulled off her cashmere coat and draped it over her arm. A security guard stood by the door, another two by the entrances of the viewing rooms. Paintings hung on the walls and massive, tumbling arrangements of flowers spilled from two crystal vases on two plinths on either side of that impressive marble-and-wrought-iron staircase.
Joa, in off-the-rack clothes and shoes and wearing a battered vintage jacket, was in no doubt she’d stepped into another world. In spite of her new inheritance, this was Isabel’s world, Keely’s world, not hers. Intellectually she knew that she was a now stupendously wealthy woman, but emotionally, she was still that fourteen-year-old runaway, scared and cynical, always looking for the stick behind the carrot. A large part of her was still waiting for someone, anyone, to tell her that Isabel’s bequest was a mistake, that a girl from the wrong side of the tracks wasn’t allowed to inherit a half share of one of the biggest fortunes in the country.
Joa felt Keely’s hand on her back, grounding her.
“It’s so good to have you back, darling. How long are you staying?”
“Not sure.” Joa moved her rucksack to her other shoulder and shrugged. “My contract in Auckland ended. I think I need to switch directions, find a new career. So I’m staying until I can figure stuff out. Is that okay?”
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