Easy Charm

by Kristen Proby

  I grin, very pleased with myself, thank you very much, and kiss his scruff-covered chin, then his lips. “Turning you on.”

  “You’ve been doing that for almost two weeks, sweetheart.” He pushes me onto my back, covering me with his impressive body, and kisses me long and deep. One hand is braced above my head, and the other takes a journey down my torso, over my breasts, to my belly, and he starts to pull my tank up. And I freeze.

  “I’m not sure you want to do that.”

  He frowns down into my face. “I’m sure I do.”

  I bite my lip. “Maybe we can just leave my shirt on.”

  He frowns again, not in a mad way, but rather more confused, and then his face clears and he kisses me again. He braces himself on his elbows at either side of my head, his fingers plunge into my hair, and he rubs my scalp as he slowly, and thoroughly, kisses the ever-loving hell out of me.

  “Gabby,” he whispers against my lips. “You’re beautiful.”

  “I’ve had a baby.”

  His green eyes don’t leave mine as he pulls one hand down my side to my belly and simply rests it there. I’m a petite woman. Most of my body is slender, but my belly is full of stretch marks and flab that will never go away, no matter what I do.

  Unless I get a tummy-tuck. Which I’m not above, by the way.

  “You’re a mom. You’re a real woman. Your body is perfect, just the way it is.”

  I cringe.

  “Stop it.” He kisses me again and pushes his hand under my shirt. “Jesus, Gabby, you couldn’t turn me on more than you do. I’d die.”

  The sincerity is in his eyes. He’s not bullshitting me just so he can get in my pants. No one has ever looked at me the way he’s looking at me right now.

  “Trust me?” His face is sober as he asks, and when I nod, that slow, crooked smile tickles his lips. “Good girl.”

  I shiver.

  “Are you cold?”

  I shake my head no and he smiles wider.

  “You just like it when I say good girl.”

  I nod reluctantly and he kisses my lips, my chin, and down my torso, following the path his hand took moments ago, as he pulls my shirt up and over my head. He reaches behind me and deftly unhooks my bra with one hand, then flings it to the floor with my shirt and continues to plant his lips down to my belly.

  He nuzzles me there, his hands on my sides, just above my pelvis. He’s spread my legs wide, and is on his belly between them, his chest pressed to my core as he kisses my belly. “So beautiful,” he says, then kisses even lower. He shimmies further down the bed, glances up at me with a mischievous grin, then plants that mouth right over my panties, against the spot that turns my world upside down.

  Sweet baby Jesus.

  “God, you’re wet,” he says. “Your panties are soaked clean through.”

  His satisfied eyes find mine as he slips a finger in the elastic, pulls it aside, and returns his attention there, surging me up onto my elbows so I can watch. “Oh, my God.”

  “Like this?” he asks, lapping at me. “You taste amazing.”

  “Nobody’s ever… I haven’t…” I can’t finish as he simply tears the panties off me and tosses them over his shoulder, all humor suddenly gone from his face.

  “Are you saying I’m the first to do this?”

  I nod, eyes wide.

  “Lay back, baby.”

  “I wanna watch,” I reply softly, then bite my lip. He smirks and doesn’t argue as he lowers his lips to me, barely kissing me. His fingertips part my lips, then sink inside me.

  Holy shit. I can’t catch my breath. I lay back because I don’t have the strength to stay on my elbows. All of my attention is centered on the bundle of nerves at my core, where Rhys is paying all of his attention.

  And oh, my, is he good at paying attention.

  His fingers sweep around and press against my inner walls and push up. He presses his tongue on my clit, and my legs begin to shake uncontrollably. My toes curl.

  Even my hair follicles are standing on end.

  “Rhys!”

  “Mmm-hmmm,” he mutters, but doesn’t pull his mouth away. Everything seems to gather into a bright, tiny ball, and then that ball explodes, sending me into the most crazy orgasm I’ve ever had in my life.

  I’m not even sure that you could call what I’ve had in the past an orgasm compared to this.

  So this is what all the fuss is about!

  Rhys kisses me some more, just on the outside of my very sensitive lips, my inner thighs, the crease where my thigh and center meet, then up my belly again.

  And you know what? I don’t give even one fuck that he’s looking at my belly right now. Because clearly he doesn’t have any fucks to give about it either.

  Suddenly, he pulls me up into a sitting position and kisses my lips. I can taste myself, and damn if that isn’t a turn-on in itself.

  “Go have a shower, baby. Get ready for your day. I’m making breakfast.”

  And before I can argue, he jumps up, gracing me with an incredible view of his tight ass and sculpted back. His backside is almost as impressive as his front side. He grabs his clothes and leaves my bedroom, and me, sitting in my big, warm bed with the most ridiculous smile on my face.

  Damn, he could make a girl fall in love with him.

  Chapter Six

  ~Rhys~

  She’s gotten under my skin. That’s all there is to it.

  I check the bacon and pull it out of the oven just before it burns. I hope Gabby likes it crispy.

  Get your head in the game, O’Shaughnessy.

  I’m scrambling eggs and dishing up fruit as Gabby walks into the kitchen, looking fresh from her shower.

  And happy, with that knock-me-out smile on her face. Her eyes are bright and clear of any stress or worry.

  I’m going to keep her this way.

  “Hey,” she says. “It smells amazing in here.”

  “I hope you like crispy bacon.”

  She nods as she walks around the island, stands on her tip-toes¸ and tips her face up to kiss me. I still have to bend down to oblige. Without looking, I take the eggs off the burner and pull her in for a long, deep kiss. Her hands cling to my sides, and when I pull back, her cheeks are flushed.

  Matching mine, I’m sure.

  “Are you hungry?” I ask.

  “Mmm,” she purrs and licks her bottom lip.

  “For food, silly.” I kiss her nose and turn back to the task at hand, dishing up her plate, then mine.

  “You made coffee.” She pours us each a cup and sits next to me at the island. “You’re a savior.”

  “Coffee addict?”

  “Absolutely.” She dives into her food, eating most of a slice of bacon, then holds the last bite up to my lips. “It’s delicious.”

  I bite her fingertips on purpose, making her laugh. “Yes, it is.”

  She simply raises a brow and sticks a strawberry in her mouth, then clears our empty plates, a new little wiggle in her hips as she walks.

  I love the new-found confidence she’s discovered in the past twenty-four hours. I didn’t lie to her; she is perfect, just as she is, and seeing her believe it is just magnificent.

  “Music!” Gabby tethers her phone to a Bluetooth speaker system and grins as a Beyonce song comes on. “I like to dance as I clean up when guests aren’t here.”

  “I guess I’m not a guest anymore?”

  Her jaw drops and she blinks rapidly. “I’m sorry. Of course you are.”

  I catch her arm and pull her against me. “No, I’d say that crossing over into the intimate side of things means that I’m not a guest.”

  “I can’t charge you for your room,” she says fiercely. “But when Sam comes home, you can’t sleep with me.”

  “Gabby, I didn’t mean to start a panic attack.” I brush her hair over her shoulders and massage her neck. She’s biting that lower lip, worry creasing her brow. “I’ll pay for my room, and continue sleeping in it when Sam comes home. And in the me
an time, we’ll take it one day at a time.”

  She relaxes and nods, then smiles. “Okay.”

  “Okay.” She steps closer to me, pushing her hands up my chest to my shoulders. “You’re muscular.”

  “It’s part of the job.”

  Her eyes are happy as she watches her hands take a tour of my arms, and my own hands don’t want to stay still. They fall down her slender back and around her sides, then back up again, and her eyes find mine.

  I love the way her breathing changes when I touch her. The way her eyes glass over.

  I reach down to her ass and lift her effortlessly, then set her on the island countertop so she’s eye-level with me and I can easily touch her everywhere.

  My lips brush over hers lightly, and she fists her hands in my T-shirt at the shoulders, as though she’s holding on for dear life.

  And I’ve barely touched her.

  Jesus, I’ll never get tired of her.

  “Why are your hands on my sister?”

  Our faces jerk to the back door, where Beau has just walked in, and neither of us heard him.

  “Or, more importantly,” he says with narrowed eyes, “why are your lips on my sister?”

  “Beau, don’t be an ass.” Gabby rolls her eyes, looks up at me with an apologetic shrug, and jumps off the island. “It’s none of your business.”

  “Bullshit.”

  His eyes, so much like his sister’s, are pinned to mine, and he’s on high alert. He’s taller than me by maybe two inches, but I know that I match him in strength.

  If my shoulder was at 100 percent.

  Not that I’d ever fight Gabby’s brother, or anyone else for that matter.

  “I’m not a child, and I don’t need you to defend my virtue, Beau.” Gabby squares off with her brother, who towers more than a foot above her, with her hands on her hips and fire shooting from her eyes.

  Christ, she’s stunning.

  “You’re not in the habit of fucking the guests, Gabby.”

  I fist my hands and narrow my eyes. Maybe I’ll fight her brother anyway. “Don’t talk to her like that.”

  “Beau!” She’s outraged and hurt. “What is wrong with you?”

  “Tell me I’ve got it wrong. Because it sure didn’t look like it from here.”

  “You’re a bully,” Gabby replies, her voice shaking. “And you’re a pain in my ass. You don’t get to come into my home, my business, and call me a whore.”

  His face registers shock. “I didn’t—”

  “I don’t want to hear it. I can’t do this with you right now.” She holds her hands up in surrender and flees the room. Not crying. Not in a dramatic huff.

  She’s just simply done.

  Good girl.

  “So, are you in the habit of making Gabby feel like shit, or is this just a special occasion?”

  Beau’s eyes narrow on me again. “You don’t know dick about my sister.”

  “You’re wrong. I know plenty, and I’m learning more.”

  “You’ve been here five minutes.”

  “You’ve been here for twenty-seven years, and you just tore her heart out.” I lean my hips against the edge of the countertop and cross my arms over my chest. “And frankly, it pisses me off.”

  Beau sighs and rubs his hand over his face. “You don’t know what we’ve been through with her. She’s the baby, and she’s been hurt as much as the rest of us.”

  “She’s an adult, Beau. Hurt comes with the title.” But my stomach clenches at the thought of anyone ever hurting her. “She’s not a child.”

  “No, she has a child.”

  “I’ve met him,” I reply steadily. “He’s awesome.”

  “And he’ll get attached to you. Have you thought of that? He already hero-worships you. So, you make them both fall for you, and then you leave?”

  “Is this the what are your intentions with my daughter conversation?” I ask soberly, not moving. Beau is pacing the floor, agitation in every line of his body.

  “I’m the closest thing she has to a father!”

  “You’re her brother.” I shake my head. “And yes, you should protect her. But Jesus, man, you just spoke to her like she was sixteen. And you’re lucky I didn’t deck you for the ‘fucking the guest’ comment.”

  He frowns and paces away, then back again. “If you want to play games, she’s not the one to play them with.”

  “Who said anything about playing games? She’s amazing. And the fact that you’d think that a man would be with her simply because she’s hot is a shot against you, and no one else.” Now I am getting pissed.

  “Are you saying you love her?”

  I pause. “I’m learning her,” I begin thoughtfully. “She just…devastates me. I’m saying I am going to keep learning her, making her laugh, making her happy.”

  “And Sam?”

  “Sam’s part of the package, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” I reply evenly. “I’m assuming you know where his sperm donor is?” I refuse to call the man his father.

  “I do.” Beau’s eyes narrow again. “Why?”

  “Because I’d like to beat the shit out of him.”

  Beau grins now. “Eli and I did that a long time ago.”

  “Good, but I’d like my own crack at him.” I shift my head from side to side. “Just for fun.”

  “He’s far away, thank God.” Beau firms his lips and watches me for a long minute. “If you fuck with her, I’ll fuck with you, and it will hurt.”

  “Back at you.”

  Chapter Seven

  ~Gabby~

  I would typically sit on the porch and enjoy being mad, but I’m so worked up, I need to walk. So I set off for the gardens, wandering through them. The flowers are full and heavy with bees flitting from bloom to bloom. Birds are singing in the trees above.

  And I’m more pissed than I’ve been in a very, very long time.

  “Gabby.”

  I ignore my stupid, pig-headed brother and continue walking.

  “Gabby, I’m sorry.”

  “You should be!” I whirl on him and shove him in the chest, hard, but he doesn’t even flinch or move.

  Damn huge brothers.

  “I’m not a baby, Beau.”

  “You’re the baby, Gabs.” He crosses his arms over his chest, looking all tall and steady.

  “But I’m not a baby. I’m a grown woman, who runs a business and single parents her child. You don’t have to protect me from anything.”

  He frowns and looks ready to argue. “Look, I’m sorry I made you mad—”

  “You humiliated me,” I reply passionately. “You embarrassed me in front of a man that I happen to like. And do you have any idea how long it’s been since I liked anyone, Beau? Since Colby.”

  “No way,” he replies with shock.

  “Way. I’ve done nothing but what I’m supposed to. I am a damn good mom, and I’m damn good at running this inn, and damn it, if I want to kiss a man, I’ll damn well do it!” I’m pacing back and forth now, punctuating each damn with a finger in the air, pointed at my idiot brother.

  “Okay.”

  “I mean, it’s not like Rhys is a damn serial killer, for crying out loud! He’s practically Kate’s brother. He’s a good guy. And for some incredible reason, he likes me.”

  “I know.”

  “And I would never do anything to hurt Sam, so don’t stand there and look at me like I’m whoring around in front of my son.”

  “I would never think that, and I’m sorry if I implied it.”

  Finally, I come to a stop and stare at Beau. “You’re agreeing with me.”

  “I am.” He nods and offers me that smile that makes it so I can’t be mad at him for long.

  “Why?”

  He shrugs and pulls me into a hug. “I don’t like making you mad, or upsetting you. I never could stand to see you off-kilter, even as a baby.”

  “I’m not a damn baby.” My voice is calmer now, resigned. “Why are you agreeing with me?”
<
br />   “Rhys put me in my place.” He chuckles and backs away from me. “I think he might be good for you.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Just that.” He tugs on a strand of my hair, and I realize that he’s not in work attire.

  “Why are you home? It’s Monday.”

  “I took a personal day.”

  I blink and frown. “I’m not sure I understand.”

  “A personal day, Gabby. As in, a day off that isn’t a weekend.”

  More blinking and frowning. “I don’t even know who you are right now.”

  “I’m your idiot brother who should have turned around and backed away when he found some guy sucking my sister’s face into his mouth.” He shudders dramatically, making me laugh.

  “Oh, I know you, then.” I hug him to me once more. “What am I going to do with you?”

  “Feed me?”

  “Dude, you missed that train. But I’m sure I can find you some scraps. Rhys will be around.”

  “I’ll be nice.”

  “Yeah, and alligators might fly out of my ass.”

  “Ouch.”

  ***

  I think I’m going to die from sexual frustration. I wonder if anyone has actually died from being too horny? I should Google it.

  I smirk and pull a sheet of fresh cookies out of the oven.

  It’s been two days since Rhys gave me the best orgasm of my life.

  Like, of my freaking life.

  And I figured for sure that he’d be in my bed Monday night to seal the deal.

  And he was in my bed. But all he did was hold me all night. Oh, there was kissing and heavy petting, and it was very, very nice to be held and shown affection.

  But there was no sex.

  And then yesterday went to hell in a handbasket.

  If it could go wrong, it did. The newly repaired dishwasher leaked water all over my kitchen. Two sets of guests showed up on the same day, but one of them was supposed to come on Tuesday of next week. They messed up the dates, but that meant that I had to call around and find them a bed for the night because I’m booked solid.

  Because I’m stubborn and refuse to put anyone in Rhys’s room.

  And lost business for next week.