Her speech winded him, nicked his pride. Did she not even want to try anymore?
“Carpe diem,” he whispered, bending his head to find the vulnerable indentation below her ear. When Brie whimpered and arched her back, he exulted. This he was good at. This he could do.
He spent the next half hour worshipping every inch of her creamy, smooth skin. No tiny spot went unnoticed.
Brie begged. She moaned. She pleaded.
He had wanted her for so long now, his unappeased erection might do him in. Crippled with lust and blinded by the need to make her admit how much she wanted and needed him, he drove her higher and higher, using every trick in his arsenal.
When he kissed her again, she bit his lip. Hard. Enough that he tasted the tang of blood on his tongue. He jerked back. “Hell, woman. What was that for?”
“Quit torturing me. I want you inside me. Now.”
Her urgency sent his arousal an impossible notch higher. He rolled off the bed so fast he nearly landed on his head. While Brie had the audacity to giggle, Vaughn located the protection and waved a strip over the bed. “Think this will do it?”
Brie pretended to consider the question seriously, trying not to grin. “Maybe for the first hour.”
After that, things blurred. Vaughn rolled on protection, not waiting for Brie to help. He didn’t even let her touch him. He was so wired that any little bit of stimulation from her was going to flip his switch.
Instead, he moved between her thighs, spread them farther and tried to catch his breath. He entered her slowly, bracing himself on his elbows to spare her his full weight. She seemed precious to him. Fragile. When he reached the head of her womb, they both sighed in unison, as if they had made it through dangerous waters to a final destination.
But Vaughn was just beginning. Brie’s body was tight and warm, wrapping him in incredible heat, caressing his sex with inner muscles. He withdrew once, intending to stroke slowly, again and again, until he made her come.
Instead, Brie locked her ankles behind his back and canted her hips. “Harder,” she pleaded. “More.”
That did it. He snapped. If she wanted harder, he could oblige. The bed shook as he thrust wildly. Brie cried out his name.
Dimly, he realized she was climaxing. He wanted to pause and appreciate her excitement, but his own orgasm slammed into him and yanked him into a dark place where pleasure was so overpowering that it bordered on pain. He groaned aloud, shuddering at the intense release.
Then exhaustion claimed him, and he let oblivion roll over him.
* * *
At 3:00 a.m., Brie shifted and looked at her phone. Her legs ached, her sex was tender and she had a goofy smile plastered all over her face. Thankfully, it was dark and there was no one around to see.
No one but Vaughn, and he was still dead asleep. Her inventive, flatteringly desperate lover had rocked her world and then collapsed. She was vaguely worried about his head, but surely no one that virile and accommodating could be seriously hurt.
Gingerly, she slid out of bed. After using the bathroom, she washed up—everywhere—and examined her reflection in the mirror. Some of her aches and pains were from the plane crash. The bruise on her shoulder was turning a darker shade of purple.
The idea of boarding a jet later today made her slightly queasy, but she knew waiting would only make the fear worse. Instead of thinking about what was to come, she returned to the bedroom and scooted back under the covers.
The air-conditioning had chilled her skin. Spooning Vaughn’s big, warm body was like huddling up to a campfire. Instant bliss.
He mumbled something. She stroked his hair. “Go back to sleep.”
* * *
Vaughn had set an alarm. It was a good thing, because he and Brie were sound asleep when the damned phone went off. He silenced the annoying chirp and groaned.
Sometime before dawn he had awakened and found a soft, sleeping woman beside him. It wasn’t long before he was making love to Brie. Again.
Then more blissful sleep. When was the last time he’d had such a restful night? Maybe never.
He was starting to get the idea that he might want to sleep like this forever.
He turned on his side and faced her. There was just enough ambient light to see her features outlined in shadow. Her lashes were dark crescents on her cheeks.
“Brie. Wake up, sweet thing.”
She mumbled and buried her head in the pillow. He grinned. Though Brie was accustomed to getting up early every morning with a busy toddler, she wasn’t in the habit of being disturbed during the night by a hungry male in her bed.
“I’ve got a meeting with my lawyer at nine thirty,” he said quietly. “It won’t take long. Just a few loose ends so he and I are on the same page. This deal with McCready may need to be tied up while I’m still in Royal.”
“Mm-hmm.” Still her eyes were closed.
“Checkout isn’t until noon. I’ll be back in plenty of time.”
One arm raised. She waved a hand. “Go. I’ll order room service. Don’t worry about me.”
He rolled out of bed. “If you order in a hurry, I’ll eat with you. But I have to be out of here in forty-five minutes.”
* * *
Vaughn had a hard time concentrating on business. The vision of a sleepy Brie wrapped in a hotel robe eating strawberries was a hard one to shake. He’d had twelve minutes to wolf down an omelet and a flaky croissant before he’d had to run. He’d taken his coffee in a to-go cup in the car.
His lawyer, Trent Matthews, was droning on now about something. The man was two decades older than Vaughn. They had different outlooks on life. Vaughn should probably have found other representation long ago, but his father had fired Trent way back when, and Vaughn had felt sorry for the man.
The guy wasn’t a bad lawyer. The women certainly seemed to like him. The charming, aging Brad Pitt type, still had influence in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, so he had more going for him than looks.
Vaughn focused on the task at hand. “Are we clear how to proceed with McCready?”
“Sure,” Trent said heartily. “Where do things stand on your father’s will? Have you thought about challenging Miranda Dupree in court?”
Matthews was definitely overstepping. Vaughn kept his cool. “There is a slight possibility that things aren’t final yet. And you should know that my fiancée and I have a daughter together. I plan to pursue any possible share of my father’s inheritance for my daughter’s sake. She’s currently Buckley’s only grandchild.”
Trent blanched. “I see. Well, then, I can amend these documents.”
Vaughn scowled, feeling his skin crawl in warning. “What documents, Matthews?”
The lawyer didn’t meet his gaze. Instead, he shuffled piles on his desk. “When I heard yesterday that you were engaged, I drew up some papers to protect you in this deal we’re working on. Not a prenup, per se. Simply an acknowledgment that Ms. Gunderson is not entitled to any of the proceeds from the McCready deal, because it was already in process before she became your fiancée. Pretty standard stuff. In case you were to marry and divorce. Look for yourself.”
Vaughn took the papers automatically, his brain spinning. He perused the sheaf of legalese with growing distaste. According to this, Brie would be cut out even when and if she and Vaughn were married.
He handed them back. “Why in the hell would you do this without asking me? My wife will be entitled to everything I own. No. A thousand times no.”
Trent’s gaze widened. “Because I didn’t put the kid in yet?”
Vaughn’s glare was furious. “The kid’s name is Danika. Whatever I have is hers. You can shred all of that, Matthews. I don’t need it.”
As Vaughn stormed out of the building, sick to his stomach and incredibly frustrated, he recognized this watershed moment for what it was. He’d spent his entire career
making decisions based on the financial bottom line...putting money before relationships.
Those days were gone. No matter what happened between Brielle and him, he was no longer capable of being an island. A man with a daughter had to change.
Whether he liked it or not...
Fifteen
Brie put Sophie’s call on speakerphone and continued loading the dishwasher. Danika played at her feet. “I don’t know why you’re so upset, Sophie. You went to England. Shrewsbury Hall, right? These people aren’t strangers.”
Sophie voice quavered. “You don’t understand. This is different. Nigel’s family has never been to Royal. He and I are going to walk into the Bellamy and watch British aristocracy go smack up against Texas cowboy culture. Tea cozies and mechanical bulls. Centuries of history and culture versus twenty-four-ounce steaks and silver-dollar bars.”
Brie laughed in spite of Sophie’s distress. “And to make matters worse, under the roof of that same five-star resort are four reality TV actresses.” Who, as everyone in Royal knew, were Miranda’s larger-than-life costars from Secret Lives of NYC Ex-Wives, all back for the wedding.
Brie dried her hands and picked up the phone. “Relax, Soph. Talk to Nigel if you’re freaking out. I’m sure there won’t be actual bloodshed.” When she hung up a few moments later, she was still chuckling.
Brie was really excited about Sophie’s wedding. What woman didn’t enjoy the spectacle of a huge ceremony with an enormous crowd of well-wishers? She had taken Danika to Natalie Valentine’s bridal shop and had her fitted in the adorable flower girl outfit Sophie had selected. Plenty of eyelet lace and grosgrain ribbon and ruffles.
Nika loved her new costume, even if she didn’t fully understand what was to come.
Vaughn had been curiously quiet and withdrawn on their return to Royal. Perhaps he was being careful to protect Brie’s reputation by not staying at her house overnight. Some folks in Royal were pretty conservative. While she appreciated his courtesy and circumspection, she missed him desperately.
His reticence was aligning with Brie’s plan to end their sexual relationship. She should be happy. But she hadn’t expected it to hurt quite so much.
Still, life was too busy to dwell on what might have been. Because Nika was in the wedding, Brie was now on the guest list for the rehearsal dinner. Which meant finding a dress for that occasion and the wedding. She had planned to wear something already in her closet, but while she’d been at the bridal shop, Natalie had pulled out all the stops and talked Brie into two entirely new outfits that were too beautiful to pass up.
Brie’s credit card took a hit, but with her childcare costs reduced, she could afford to splurge. Though it was humbling to admit, she wanted Vaughn to see her in her new dresses. She wanted him to know what he was missing.
Sophie and Nigel must have been living right. The weather forecast for the wedding weekend called for blue skies, warm temps and low humidity. The excitement in Royal was off the charts. It wasn’t often that an actual English dame showed up.
Not that Nigel’s grandmother was stuffy at all. Brie had met her briefly. The elderly lady was quite a character. And she certainly didn’t stand on ceremony.
Closer to home, Brie and Vaughn had argued over the schedule for Friday afternoon and evening. Brie thought Vaughn ought to be out at Blackwood Hollow ranch to help his sister and the rest of the family with any last-minute emergencies that might arise.
Vaughn stood in her living room and scowled. “You and Nika should come with me. No sense in having two vehicles. Parking is going to be a zoo.”
Brie held on to her patience by a thread. She was exhausted already, and Vaughn was still not acting like himself. “Believe me,” she said. “The important thing is to make sure that Danika is in good shape for the wedding. Two-year-olds have a narrow window of cooperative behavior in situations like a wedding rehearsal. My plan is to give her a late nap and then drive her out there just in time for the wedding director to start lining everyone up.”
Vaughn shook his head slowly. “It’s only throwing a few rose petals from a basket. How hard can it be?”
She went to him and touched his arm. “This will be a stressful day for everyone. Trust me on this, Vaughn. Please.”
He exhaled. “Okay. But I don’t like it. I wanted everyone to see us together.”
“And they will,” she said. “But we’re not going to be the focus. This weekend is all about your sister, the bride.”
His handsome mouth quirked in a smile. “As if she would let either Kellan or me forget it.” He paused. “Nigel is a good guy—right? I want Soph to be happy.”
“I think he’s wonderful. You’re gaining a brother-in-law who will be very good to her. I can already tell. He dotes on Sophie. Surely you’ve noticed.”
“I have,” he admitted. “It’s sickeningly cute.”
“Don’t be such a cynic. Love makes the world go round, haven’t you heard?”
“I’m not sure I know what love is. Do you?” He shocked her with a serious answer.
The room fell silent. Nika was only a few feet away happily playing with her building blocks.
Brie swallowed. Maybe now was the time to let Vaughn know that it was okay to live his life on his own terms. “I think love means letting the other person be who they are. Love isn’t love if you’re always trying to change someone. When two people are in love, they should care more about their partner’s happiness than their own.” She paused self-consciously. “I guess that’s more than you wanted to know.”
His gaze was guarded. Intense. “Not at all. I think it makes perfect sense. And I’ll bow to your wisdom about Danika. You’re her mother. You know her best.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
He glanced at his watch. “In that case, I suppose I should head on out to the ranch. I’ll take other clothes with me and shower at the bunkhouse. Kellan and I have volunteered for manual labor. I don’t know if Darius has arrived yet.”
Brie followed him to the door. “And it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye on Nigel’s family. They’re great, but a bit overwhelming with the lot of them all together. Sophie’s intimidated, I think. Let her know you’re in her corner.”
Vaughn curled an arm around her and tugged her in for a quick but thorough kiss. “You’re a good person, Brie.”
His unexpected affection caught her off guard. She would have been happy to linger over the kiss, but Vaughn was already on the way out the door.
“I’ll see you soon,” she said.
He turned, with the sunlight grazing his masculine profile. “Call me if you need me. I mean it, Brie. I want you to enjoy tonight. You deserve a pleasant evening, even if you are the mother of the flower girl. You work hard. It’s time for some play.”
* * *
Kace LeBlanc was suffering from wedding fever. He was as surprised as anyone to find out he was susceptible. It didn’t help that his office was near Natalie Valentine’s bridal shop. Every time he glanced out the window, he was treated to a view of women and girls parading in and out, excitedly choosing finery for the wedding of the season.
Considering the fact that only months ago the entire Blackwood family was in a deep funk, it was nothing short of miraculous that at least two of them had found happiness. First Kellan, now Sophie.
The weddings made Kace feel a little less guilty.
To be honest, he was tired of being considered the town scrooge just because he was one who’d delivered the bad news about a certain controversial will. He had a job to do, and he did it well. It wasn’t his fault that the dead sometimes left chaos in the wake of their passing.
Buckley Blackwood had certainly put his kids though the wringer. And left a mess for his personal lawyer and his ex-wife to negotiate. Kace sometimes wanted to get his forehead tattooed—Don’t shoot the messenger.
At the mom
ent, though, his professional life wasn’t the problem. Kace was horny. And confused. And about to do something utterly un-Kace-like.
Even worse, he had no idea at all how Lulu was going to respond. They had never talked about getting serious. Or even about being a couple, for that matter. The TV star had dazzled him from the moment he met her, early on when Secret Lives first began filming in Royal. But their relationship had not exactly gone smoothly.
He patted his pocket and pulled up the daily calendar on his phone. Timing was everything. Kace had been forced to bribe one of the Secret Lives cameramen in order to pull off this coup. The fact that the outcome was uncertain left his stomach in a knot.
When he checked his watch, he saw that it was eleven forty-five. In exactly fifteen minutes, Lulu Shepard and three of her costars were supposed to meet at the Royal Diner, have lunch and then head over to Natalie’s to pick up their gowns for the wedding tomorrow.
Kace was planning a rendezvous.
He stared down the street, remembering the day he and Lulu first met. It was last December. The entire town had been decked out in Christmas finery. Kace hadn’t been feeling any particular holiday spirit, but his office was being painted, so he had camped out in the diner with legal papers spread all over his table.
In swooped one of the most beautiful and appealing women he had ever seen. He’d noticed her warm brown skin and wild, glorious hair immediately. Her deliberately provocative personality had taken time to warm up to.
The infuriating woman had sassed him and made fun of him and generally driven him up the wall at their first meeting.
But she had made an impression. Lord help him, Lulu Shephard had burst into his life like a whirlwind, and he hadn’t been the same since. Half the time he wanted to smack her. The other half he was mad with lust for her curvaceous, sexy body.
Too Texan To Tame (Texas Cattleman's Club: Inheritance Book 5) Page 12
