Caught Up In You

by Jules Bennett

  There went that snap on the last shred of self-control he’d been waiting on. It had only been a matter of time.

  Her damp hands gripped his biceps and the slight tremble that vibrated against him had him holding her tighter. Whether her body shuddered from the chilled water or his touch, he didn’t know, but he knew he wasn’t ready to let her go . . . not quite yet.

  Cora sighed against him, but just as quickly as she melted, she pulled back. Her hands no longer gripping him, but pushing him. He loosened his hold but didn’t let go because he didn’t want her to get hurt.

  “This isn’t right,” she muttered, shaking her head. “I want . . . too much.”

  Moving toward the shallow area, Braxton waited until their feet were touching land before he released her. “It’s okay to want things, Cora. It’s okay to take what you want, too.”

  “Not this time,” she whispered. “You make me rethink my plans.”

  He smiled. He was the epitome of planning when it came to his work and his personal life. But everything about Cora sweeping into his life had made him want to forget details and schedules and tomorrows. He wanted now, this moment. Not just intimacy, but into a deeper level than she was letting him. When would he walk away and believe her when she said she didn’t want more?

  Not until he believed it. A woman didn’t kiss like that, didn’t talk in such a raw, honest way when she wasn’t craving more. Cora was so alone, he could see it in her actions, in the way she kept holding herself back. What the hell kind of family did she come from?

  Everything about her made him want to take his time, dig deeper, and forget the fact she was going to be working for his family. Had anyone taken their time to put her first? Had anyone ever tried to get Cora to open up and just be herself?

  She jerked her head toward the house. “Someone’s coming.”

  Braxton saw lights swing into the drive. He moved to block Cora from the trespassers as he continued to inch backward. Haven was such a quiet little town with low crime, he figured it was just people out being nosy.

  “They’re leaving,” he told her as he watched the truck turn around. Once he got a good look at the vehicle, he knew exactly who it belonged to and if Zach spotted Cora here with Braxton, there would be a whole new level of attitude to his brother’s teasing next time they saw each other. The last thing he needed was to be scolded over his personal life.

  Braxton didn’t care, but he was pretty sure he’d blocked her enough. Besides, the pond was away from the house so unless Zach was looking right at the area, he wouldn’t have seen Cora. No doubt he’d seen Braxton’s vehicle, though.

  Yeah, there would be questions, but Braxton would handle it and leave Cora out of the discussion. She was his.

  Wait . . . what? His? No, he didn’t do territory and playing for keeps. All he wanted was to get her to relax, to feel comfortable and know she was welcome here and . . .

  Shit. He wanted more from her than he’d been letting himself believe. He proved that the second he canceled a date.

  “Who was it?” she asked, pulling him back from his wayward thoughts.

  “Just someone turning around.” No way was he going to tell her it was Zach. She’d be mortified and she was already doubting if she should be here.

  He helped her from the edge of the water and Heidi immediately came over and sat on the bank. Cora shivered against him and he cursed himself for his impromptu swim. He’d wanted to make progress with her. In a sense he had because she’d let him take her to a place she’d ignored for years. On the other hand, he’d worried he’d pushed her too hard from too many angles.

  “Stay here,” he told her. “I’ll go get that blanket and you can wrap up. Heidi is on your right.”

  “Thanks. I felt her.”

  Of course she did. But he wanted to tell her anyway. Braxton stomped off to his SUV, welcoming the coolness on his wet skin. Once he got her wrapped up and her teeth not chattering, he’d shed his boxers and put on his dry clothes. She could keep the blanket and be comfortable. Well, as comfortable as she could be considering the circumstances.

  By the time he got back to her, she had her hair over her shoulder, wringing out the wet ends. That dress clung to every dip and curve of her body and left absolutely nothing to the imagination—and he had a damn good imagination. She folded the wet material up to her knees. The moonlight hit right on the water droplets on her bare legs and nearly had Braxton moaning. He needed to get some sort of control over his . . . well, everything. He’d only known Cora a short time and already he was falling deeper and deeper into her world.

  When he wrapped the blanket around her, she jerked at his touch. “Sorry. I just thought you’d hand it to me.”

  “I’ve got it.”

  He didn’t even want her to do something as simple as placing a blanket on her shoulders. She’d done everything for too long. It was time someone did things for her, though he’d never tell her that. Actions definitely spoke louder than words and every action Cora put out there told him she was proud, independent, and stubborn.

  He’d definitely met his match. Then again, so had she.

  “Listen, I can’t apologize for kissing you again.” She clutched the blanket tighter around her body as he went on. “Ignoring what we both want is only depriving us of something amazing. And those kisses were damn amazing.”

  Cora remained silent and Braxton felt like a fool standing here in his wet underwear opening himself up to her. But he’d told her he’d never lie to her and he’d meant it. Besides, trying to pretend these emotions weren’t here would only cause more tension and he didn’t want that in his life.

  The pull here was beyond anything he could describe, beyond anything he’d ever felt before. Part of him wanted to blame his rush of emotions on the fact Cora was new, she was a challenge, but that wasn’t the case. He met new women all the time and he’d never wanted to uncover more than just the outer layer . . . literally.

  “Have you ever wanted to just break away from everything?” she asked softly. “Have you ever felt so crushed and molded into someone you weren’t, but when you had the chance to become yourself you couldn’t let anyone get in your way?”

  Braxton crossed his arms over his damp chest, the chill no longer a concern. Cora was talking to him, possibly giving him a glimpse inside what made her so intriguing and unique.

  “We both have pasts, Cora. I don’t know what you’re breaking free from, though I can guess. I understand your need. But, I refuse to let anyone take away everything I’ve worked for.”

  On a sigh, she slowly eased to the ground, wrapped in the blanket. With her back to him, she faced the pond. Heidi, loyal as ever, lay down against her master’s side.

  “No matter what is happening, I can’t let myself get involved.” Her torn words floated back to him. “I can’t lose focus of the reason why I came here, why I need to learn who I am.”

  Braxton took a seat beside her, careful not to get close enough to touch. Bringing his knees up, he rested his elbows on them as he looked out onto the calm water.

  “I’m not asking you to be anyone or to forget why you came,” he explained. “I’m just as confused and freaked out about this as you are.”

  Cora laughed. “I doubt that. You seem completely in charge and you have control over this situation. I don’t like feeling out of control and when I’m with you . . .”

  Braxton couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face. “That’s the best compliment I’ve ever received.”

  Cora shook her head and muttered, “You would take that as a compliment.”

  “I know you’re scared—”

  “I’m not scared,” she cut him off, her chin lifted up in defiance. “I’m determined and you make me want more than I should.”

  Damn, she was something. “It’s that drive you have that got my attention from the start. I know you want to keep things on a friend level, and that’s fine. But I won’t pretend not to want more and I won’t
be sorry for the fact.”

  “Are you always this blunt?”

  “I think you know the answer to that.”

  Silence enveloped them and Braxton didn’t want to leave this moment with her thinking he wasn’t sincere. It was important for him that she understood he was just as confused and scared as her . . . though she’d never admit her downfalls because in her mind she had to always be strong and always be on top of things, especially her emotions.

  “I’m going to scoot closer to you.”

  “Braxton . . .”

  Ignoring her protest, he edged over, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and leaned her against his side. “We’re just going to sit here, like friends, and talk. Nothing more. Unless you can’t control yourself and you try to kiss me, in which case I’ll remind you that you don’t want to do that again.”

  She smacked his chest as her damp head settled against his shoulder. “In your dreams.”

  “Every single one,” he muttered.

  “Think you could bring me back to swim once more before you open?” she asked. “If that’s okay. I can always see if Sophie can take me sometime. I hate to ask, but I always loved the water and it’s been so long—”

  Braxton placed a finger over her lips. “I’ll bring you. Don’t be afraid to ask for something just because you aren’t able to do it on your own.”

  “I don’t like to,” she murmured as he slid his hand away.

  “I know, but that doesn’t make you weak.”

  Her humorless laugh angered him. “Depends on who you ask.”

  The family of ducks circled by as the moonlight reflected off the water. Braxton would make a point to bring her back every night until they opened if that’s what she wanted. This was the only place she’d relaxed and the time for being here alone, like this, was closing in on them.

  “I don’t like your family,” he stated. “You don’t have to say anything, but I know that’s who you’re running from and I know they’re the reason you’re so defensive.”

  “I’m not defensive and I’m not running.”

  “No? I ran like hell from my feelings when my fiancée left me. I thought I recognized the look.”

  She stiffened against his side. “The look?”

  “The one where you don’t trust easily.”

  “And you do?” she retorted.

  Braxton squeezed her shoulder and ran his hand over the blanket up and down her slender frame. “No, I don’t trust easily, but I can admit it. We’re more alike than you want to realize. Neither one of us trust ourselves with what we’re feeling, let alone trusting someone else.”

  Cora remained silent, most likely digesting his bold statement. He prided himself on honesty, but more important, he wanted her to see that while he may be leery, he wasn’t afraid to take a chance when fate smacked him in the face with an opportunity.

  “Tell me about your fiancée.”

  Her request had him gritting his teeth, ready to refuse, but if the only way to get her to open up was to do so himself, he’d lay it out there. Hell, what did he have to lose at this point?

  “Anna and I dated for two years when we got engaged. She came from a family with money, but they were impressed with me because I’m a college professor. I didn’t give a shit what they thought, but it was important to her to have their approval. Looking back now I should’ve seen the red flag waving in my face.”

  When Cora remained quiet, but still rested her head on his shoulder, he continued. Once he’d started talking about this so openly, it wasn’t as hard as he’d thought.

  “At the time I was saving for a house. I figured we’d have Zach build it, that way we could have exactly what we wanted.”

  “And she was cheating on you the whole time?” Cora guessed.

  “Not the whole time.” Admitting he’d not been good enough was a tough pill to swallow. Male pride and all that. “I have no idea why she cheated, to be honest. I know what she said, but I just kept thinking it was my meager salary and my background.”

  “How old were you when you came to live with the Monroes?”

  Braxton swallowed. This was not a territory he was going to get into. Rehashing his broken engagement was enough emotional angst for one night . . . for one lifetime, actually. Discussing the time before he came to live with the Monroes was more than anyone wanted to hear. Oh, she’d asked about his past, but revealing the ugly truth wasn’t something she was ready for.

  “I was nine.” He shifted so he could fully wrap both arms around her. “What about you?”

  “What about me?”

  The breeze was drying her hair and every now and then a strand would lift in the air and tickle the side of his face. He smoothed down her wayward strands with one hand before holding her once again.

  “I shared a bit of my baggage.”

  Cora shrugged beneath the blanket. “Doesn’t mean I have to open mine.”

  No, it didn’t. But a piece of Braxton ached for her to and never before had he been so ready to discover what made up a woman. This woman.

  “What color are your eyes?” she asked.

  He smiled in the darkness. “Brown.”

  “And your hair?”

  “Also brown. Basic and boring. Nothing too exciting.”

  Without turning her head to face him, she brought up one hand and stroked over his stubbled jaw. “Nothing boring and basic about you, Braxton Monroe. I’m just envisioning what you look like. I needed to know.”

  He never wanted those fingertips to stop touching him. “You have an image now?” he asked, his voice low and rough.

  Her fingers slid over his mouth and Braxton stopped breathing. She. Was. Killing. Him.

  “I have a beautiful image,” she whispered as she tucked her hand back into the blanket. “Can we stay here? Just a little longer.”

  He’d stay here all night, holding her just like this, if that’s what she wanted. In response, he tucked her tighter against his side and kissed the top of her head.

  A part of him regretted taking this semester off from the college to help with the resort. He could use that extra out to take his mind away from all that was going on. He needed to focus on something besides his worry for the success of his late sister’s dream and the new whirlwind that blew into town and left him breathless.

  His lips were still tingling and he knew they wouldn’t stop anytime soon.

  Braxton held Cora tighter, not quite ready to let the moment go. But he didn’t pursue her past any longer. If she ever wanted to open up, he just hoped she’d come to him. He hoped she’d trust him enough to let him in, to let him protect her from whatever it was she was afraid of.

  And the fact he wanted to get in that deep with her was revealing. Clearly, he’d hit a stopping point in searching for something to fill that empty void in his life. Whatever the hell that meant was something he’d have to analyze later. Much later.

  Chapter Eight

  “You don’t like them?”

  The hurt in Sophie’s tone had Braxton staring at Zach, waiting for his moronic brother to reassure his fiancée that the pamphlets she’d had printed—all four thousand of them—were beautiful and perfect for the image the resort wanted to portray.

  “They’re just . . . so pink.”

  Sophie rolled her eyes and snatched the glossy ad from Zach’s hand. “They’re geared toward women. And they’re not just pink. They’re champagne with a tone-on-tone pattern.”

  Braxton reached across Zach’s kitchen table and grabbed one from the box. Indeed, they were, uh, champagne.

  “I think they’re just what would attract women here,” Braxton stated.

  Zach pushed away from the table, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his arms. “Stop sucking up. We already fed you dinner.”

  “If you’d think like a business owner trying to draw in women and not a grouch for once, you’d see that Sophie hit this dead-on.” Braxton turned the pamphlet toward Zach. “The picture of the house on the front i
n the center with the name above and hours and Web site below are simple, but it’s eye-catching the way the scrolling pattern frames it all.”

  “And we already have the holiday fliers out, but these will be on display at the open house so people can take it with them.”

  Zach glared across the table. “They’re fine. I’m just surprised. I wouldn’t have picked pink.”

  “Champagne,” Sophie and Braxton stated at the same time. Sophie shot him a wink and a grin.

  Throwing his arms in the air, Zach stood from the table. “You two win. I’m not arguing about shades of pink. If we have guests, then that’s all I care about.”

  Sophie’s smile widened. “Actually, I already booked our first group this morning.”

  Braxton sat up straighter in his chair. “You did?”

  With an enthusiastic nod, Sophie said, “I did. A group of ladies from Charleston are coming for a retreat at the first of the year. They quilt or something. Anyway, one of them said they’d been searching the Savannah area and spotted our site.”

  “Glad I got that site up and running last week,” Braxton stated.

  “They booked the two guest cottages.” Sophie clasped her hands together as tears pricked her eyes. “Chelsea would be so excited. I wish she was here to see all of this coming together.”

  Zach muttered a curse and crossed around the edge of the table to Sophie. Braxton had never seen his brother show any emotion toward anyone except Sophie and then Brock once they took him in. Braxton knew everyone had a weakness and Zach had finally found his.

  “Don’t cry.” Zach bent down and took Sophie’s hands in his scarred ones. “Chelsea would hate if you were upset, especially because of her.”

  With a sniff, Sophie nodded. “I know. It just hits me harder sometimes.”

  Yeah, Braxton knew that feeling. He’d trade off anything he had to have his sister back. She’d be giving him hell right now for being so tied up in knots over Cora, but once her teasing was over, she’d offer sound advice, hug him, and then she’d want to watch some ridiculous movie. That was their thing. The more insane and stupid the movie, the better. B-list all the way for their movie nights.