Caught Up In You

by Jules Bennett

  Braxton was never one to deny a woman, so he did exactly as he’d wanted to and cautiously backed her against the wall as he framed her face with his hands and cocked her head so he could claim everything she offered. He needed more. So much more. But this was all he could have and he was a selfish bastard for taking it.

  So much for getting her out of his system. He wasn’t even finished with this kiss and he was ready for an encore.

  Cora’s palms went to his shoulders and pushed slightly. Braxton pulled his mouth from hers, looked down into her striking eyes, and realized what he’d done.

  “Damn, Cora. I’m sorry.” With a shaky hand, he smoothed her hair from her face. “I didn’t mean . . . well, I meant to kiss you, but that . . .”

  Great, now he wasn’t even able to form a coherent sentence. Taking a step back, he tried to focus on his breathing, but he licked his lips, tasting her once again, and all other thoughts vanished.

  Cora closed her eyes and Braxton’s heart clenched. He’d gone too far. No, kissing her was going too far. Backing her against the wall like he’d lost all control was out of line and grounds for her to walk out of here and slap a lawsuit on his ass.

  Fists clenched at his sides, Braxton cursed himself for being like the man who instantly took what he wanted, not giving a damn about the repercussions. Braxton vowed to never be like his biological father, but his mental thoughts and the fact he’d lost control were exactly like the man he hated.

  “Cora—”

  She held up a hand and brought her eyes up to his. “No, don’t apologize. That kiss was bound to happen. But we can’t do that again.”

  She didn’t sound angry. If anything she sounded . . . turned on and frustrated. At least he wasn’t alone and maybe she didn’t hate him.

  “I need this job,” she stated. “I’m flattered you’re attracted to me, but I’m new in town. I don’t want to have a reputation and I certainly don’t want to start any type of relationship.”

  Braxton crossed his arms as he let his ego take a beating. Was she brushing him off? Not that he planned on getting involved, but what if...

  No. There were no “what-if” scenarios here. She was right. She would be working for his family and they needed to keep a professional mind-set about this.

  “We got that out of our systems,” she went on in that prim tone he’d come to appreciate from her, though it drove him mad. “Now we can move on like you’d said.”

  Before he laughed in her face at the absurdity of her speech, because there was no way in hell she was out of his system, he heard footsteps overhead.

  Cora’s head jerked at the heavy footfalls too. “Company?” she asked, lifting her brows.

  Was she really so unaffected by their kiss? She didn’t even look flustered, she wasn’t breathless, no pink cheeks . . . nothing.

  Clearly, he was out of her system. Too damn bad she’d just settled deeper into his.

  “My brother and Sophie, most likely. Let’s go back up so you can meet him.”

  Maybe that kiss was all she needed to move forward, but he didn’t think so. She was good at lying, he’d give her that, but she’d also admitted she couldn’t go further . . . not that she didn’t want to. She was battling the same war with herself as he was. Braxton couldn’t wait to see who won.

  Chapter Four

  By the time Cora made it back upstairs on her shaky legs, she’d almost gotten her breathing under control. She’d been able to fake control in the basement after Braxton had kissed her in a way she’d never been kissed before. She’d even managed to sound convincing when she’d told him it couldn’t happen again. But on the inside she’d been a quivering, trembling mess of emotions.

  Mercy, that man had a power over her she couldn’t quite process. Letting someone in at this point in her life wasn’t smart, she didn’t have the energy to focus on anything other than standing on her own two feet.

  And she certainly didn’t have time to dwell on the basement events. She needed to remain poised and professional, just the way her parents had drilled into her from birth. She was a Buchanan. No matter that she didn’t want the name or the company that came along with it. She’d left that life behind until she could fully focus on how to handle it and if she weren’t careful, she’d screw up this new start before she fully got settled.

  Heidi’s nails clicked across the hardwood floor. Relief settled into Cora now that she was getting back to her normal comfort zone.

  Just as she reached for the collar she knew would be on her left side, Cora’s phone went off in her pocket. She knew from the tone who was calling. Her mother. Again.

  “Do you need to get that?” Braxton asked.

  Cora shook her head. “They’ll leave a message. I’d like to meet your brother.”

  “We’re in the kitchen,” Sophie called out.

  “Follow me,” Braxton told her.

  Cora reached into her pocket, flipping her phone to vibrate because when her mother called once, the woman always called a second time, and most often a third. Barbara Buchanan did not like being dismissed, put on hold, or told no. Cora would call her mother later. She’d called when she’d settled, but didn’t tell them the town because she knew full well they’d send Eric to talk sense into her and try to convince her to come back.

  Of course they wouldn’t come themselves, because they were too busy, but they’d send the man who was more like their child than Cora was. The son they’d never had. Those words were said so often, Cora just wish they’d adopt him and stop screwing with the preposterous idea of marriage to form the “perfect union.”

  And if she were honest with herself, a little bit of that truth stung. She didn’t like being second to a man who could’ve been cut from the same cloth as her parents. He was everything Cora wasn’t, and Victor and Barbara Buchanan never let her forget it. Granted, they weren’t blatant, but their veiled put-downs and not-so-subtle hints that she was flawed always sliced her deeper than she’d ever admit aloud. There was only so much a woman could handle before she had to take charge of her life and stop letting everyone else control it.

  “Hey,” Braxton murmured, his fingertips lightly brushing her shoulder to get her attention. “Everything okay?”

  Pasting what she hoped was a convincing smile on her face, Cora nodded. “Sorry. My mind drifted. Go ahead. Heidi and I will follow.”

  She knew he hesitated since he didn’t move right at first, but finally his foot slid against the wood and he moved down the hall. She was getting the first-floor layout pretty well; now she needed to keep Heidi going over the floor plan so she’d remember how to get to certain places.

  “Are you getting the grand tour?” Sophie asked.

  Cora came to a stop when Heidi did. “I am. This place is amazing. I cannot believe how perfect it is for a resort and spa. Women will absolutely love it.”

  “That’s what we’re counting on,” Sophie stated with a smile in her tone. “I want you to meet my fiancé and one of Braxton’s brothers, Zach.”

  Cora didn’t know which way to angle her body until Braxton whispered, “Left.”

  Thankful for the tip and stunned at the fact he was already in tune with her, Cora extended her hand. “I’m so excited to meet you,” she told him as he gripped her hand and shook. “Braxton has shown me around and my room is more than sizable. I can’t wait until you guys open.”

  He released her hand and she heard someone shift in their place. Heidi remained diligent at Cora’s side and Cora tried not to fidget. She’d grown used to being in a room with near strangers, given her upbringing and her parents’ various parties. Cora had learned to smile, be polite, and keep her mouth shut at times. Something about this meeting put her a little more on edge than usual. She wanted to make the best impression and she wanted to fit in. Besides, all of those other meetings in her life had been when she’d been able to see who was looking at her. Now when people analyzed her, she had no idea . . . and she didn’t like that empty, uncomforta
ble feeling.

  Story of her life as of late. Trying to fit in.

  “Sophie told me you came from another spa in Atlanta,” Zach stated. “She also said you left behind quite a clientele.”

  Cora nodded in agreement. “I did. I loved the salon I was at, but I was ready to get out of the city. Haven is a great little town that I visited years ago and fell in love. When I wanted a change, I knew exactly where I wanted to be.”

  Silence settled into the room and Cora wasn’t sure what else she could say. Thankfully, Braxton chimed in before she had to revert to the dreaded small talk.

  “You’d be amazed at what all she can do with her other senses,” he told them. “She’s more in tune with everything around her than most people.”

  While she appreciated his chivalry in coming to her defense, she wanted to do this on her own. No, she needed to do this on her own.

  “You learn to work with what you have,” she explained. “Besides, I knew if I wanted to be independent, I needed to learn how to do everything all over again. I refuse to be defined by the fact I’m blind.”

  “And that’s why you’ll be such a great asset,” Sophie chimed in. “You’re determined. You fit right in with this bunch.”

  Cora breathed a sigh of relief. She wanted to fit in, damn it. She hated that she allowed herself to feel so left out, but she couldn’t ignore the truth. She hadn’t fit with her family before her accident and after . . . she might as well have been invisible. She’d been nothing but a burden to them for the past three years. Ignoring her and pretending everything was fine wasn’t going to make her sight reappear. They figured if they just found someone to “take care of her” that everything would be perfect in their flawless world. She hated to be a disappointment to them, but she refused to stick around any longer and live a sheltered life.

  “Brax, did you get a list of what all we needed to order for her room?” Zach asked.

  Those familiar nerves balled up in her stomach. Yeah, they were supposed to discuss that, but the whole boss/employee chat got put on hold when Braxton had kissed the hell out of her. Okay, fine. She’d kissed the hell out of him right back. Who could blame a girl? That man had more charm and sexiness in just his voice than Eric had had in the past several years she’d known him . . . and one year was a pseudo engagement. Though she knew in her heart that was a pity ploy cooked up by her parents, who insisted she needed a keeper and someone to help her run the company.

  Why did she let that hurt so much? Why did she give them the power to control how she felt?

  Oh, yeah. Because she wanted that sense of belonging and she’d assumed family was a good place to find that. She’d been wrong.

  Cora didn’t want to think of Eric or how perfect he was for her parents but not for her. Whatever mess she’d left behind she’d deal with later. Right now, she wanted to be Cora the masseuse, not Cora the millionaire daughter to the world’s largest chocolate importer.

  Besides, she and Eric didn’t have chemistry. They got along well enough in the boardroom, but to take it to the bedroom until death do them part was not a good decision. She didn’t want to be married to her job and that’s exactly what would’ve happened had she married Eric per her parents’ orders.

  There wasn’t an ounce of chemistry with Eric like she had with Braxton. Now, that man . . .

  “We got distracted by the tour,” Cora finally admitted, hoping her entire face wasn’t showing that she was lying. “This house is amazing and Braxton was showing me the tunnels and explaining the history.”

  “I’ll make sure we get a detailed list by tomorrow,” Braxton promised.

  Cora’s face heated. Part of the reason she was here was to go over what was needed for her room, not so she could kiss her potential boss. Kissing Braxton had been a mistake. A wonderfully delicious, toe-curling mistake. And she’d been right to tell him it couldn’t happen again. Besides, she didn’t need a replay; she’d been feeling the aftershocks of that encounter for a good while. Had she ever experienced an aftershock before? Nope. Not even an after-tingle. Braxton was a man who, once he entered your system, may very well never leave.

  Just when she thought she could run from trouble, she found a new set of issues to deal with. Though an issue like Braxton wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

  “How does your dog do while you’re working?” Zach asked.

  “Heidi is great at following commands.” Cora patted her head, rubbed her ears, and took hold of the collar again. “At the old salon, she would stay in a designated area while I worked, in case there were people with pet allergies. I’m extremely careful about sanitizing and most everything is new with each client. I clean the table and the massage chair, though. Nearly all of my clients loved Heidi. I actually only had one person with an allergy, but that was only if she touched the animal. I can be accommodating to whatever clientele you have in here. Just let me know in advance. Plus, her breed is selected for blind people with an allergy issue. I don’t have one, but she’s the dog I was paired with.”

  “Can you tell us what types of massages you will want to offer?” Sophie asked. “Strictly for selfish reasons,” she added with a laugh. “After dealing with these guys, I’m going to need some pampering.”

  Cora heard Zach mutter something, then Sophie laughed again. Okay, clearly these two were in love and if she had to guess, she’d say they were new into this relationship.

  Cora couldn’t help but smile. She admired people who were brave enough to venture into a romantic commitment. Now they were throwing in a business relationship as well. Cora couldn’t even imagine what type of bond those two must have.

  “I had a hot stone massage,” Braxton chimed in. “That was pretty cool.”

  Zach laughed. “Seriously? You know the terms? I can’t wait until Liam hears all about your day of relaxation. He’ll never let you live that down.”

  “Please,” Braxton grunted. Cora imagined Braxton rolling his eyes or shaking his head. “The day my brother makes fun of me over a massage, I’ll gladly throw back in his face how he pipes frosting all day.”

  Cora nearly choked when an unexpected laugh escaped her. “Excuse me?”

  “Ignore them,” Sophie stated, her tone softer as she drew closer. “They bicker at each other about everything. Liam is a very talented pastry chef in Atlanta. He’s an amazing cook, but he focuses on desserts now.”

  Interesting. She wondered what restaurant he worked at. Most likely she’d been there, but she didn’t want to seem too nosy.

  Cora hoped he didn’t think of her last name and start putting two and two together. Though Buchanan was a household name for anyone who loved chocolate or to bake with chocolate, it was also a common Southern name, so she should be fine. Besides, it’s not like she was in the limelight very much. When she’d been young, maybe, but since growing up and staying behind the scenes in the company, she wasn’t exposed like her parents were. They actually thrived on the press and the attention.

  Her accident had made news, but that had been a couple years ago and it wasn’t like she was actually a celebrity. Far from it, thankfully.

  “Back to those massages,” Sophie added. “I’d really like to hear about them.”

  Cora spent the next several minutes discussing the five main types she preferred to offer. Suddenly the nerves, the kiss, the new town and people didn’t matter. Okay, the kiss definitely mattered, but she’d have to think more about that later when she was alone and could give it the attention it deserved.

  Discussing what she loved doing was something Cora could get lost in. Working with people, talking to them, making them feel better about taking time for themselves. All things she felt would help her parents if they would’ve ever opted to put business second in their lives just once.

  But whatever. She couldn’t make them into different people any more than they could make her into the child they wanted. They were mismatched from the start and the accident had only put things into perspective. She’d
let other people control her life for too long; no way would she let this continue. She may make mistakes, she may even fail at her attempt, but Cora refused to go down without a fight.

  “Our open house is coming up in a couple weeks,” Zach informed her. “We plan on having everything in place. The entire staff will be here so the people of the town can see exactly what it is we’re doing. I’m sure people will have their own questions.”

  Sophie groaned. “You know Ms. Barkley will show up with her five-inch heels and her six-inch cleavage, right?”

  “If she spreads the word about the resort, I don’t care,” Zach retorted.

  Cora gripped Heidi’s collar. “I take it there’s a story there. Is this a woman I need to be warned about?”

  “Only if you have a man in your life,” Sophie answered quickly. “She’ll try to sleep with any man between the legal age and the grave. No lie. And the legal age may not even be an issue for her.”

  Braxton and Zach both laughed. Odd they were brothers, yet they sounded absolutely nothing alike. Even their laughs—Cora could definitely tell which one was Braxton. That low, throaty tone wasn’t something a woman could ignore. He literally demanded space in her mind without even trying. How did he have such power?

  But she had to ignore all the tingles and other feelings that accompanied Braxton and his sexy ways. She’d already scolded herself; now she just had to keep reminding herself that he might turn her inside out, but she had to remain in control or she’d find herself plastered against another wall and being kissed within an inch of her life. Not that the experience hadn’t been pleasurable, but still.

  “I’d like to take a walk around a few times a week over the next month so Heidi can get used to the place and learn to guide me properly.” She wanted them to know she was more than competent and would be nothing but professional. “Once she knows the layout well enough, we will be ready to go. She learns quickly and so do I.”