Making You Mine – the Bradens & Montgomerys (Pleasant Hill – Oak Falls)

by Melissa Foster

  “Oh my God. That must have been embarrassing.”

  “Nah. I was barely fifteen, and he was right. The girl was seventeen and staying at the inn. I’d only just met her, but she was flaunting everything and I was a kid with a raging hard-on every time the wind blew.”

  She gazed up at him, blinking away the snowflakes peppering her lashes. “So you’ve always had a thing for older women.”

  He just grinned, so cocky. So Knox.

  Snowflakes floated around them, giving the moment a magical feel. Aubrey had so many feelings and thoughts about all that he’d shared with her, but the overriding one was that she didn’t want to drive a wedge of space or time between them. She wanted to do something just for Knox, to give him something no one else had made an effort to do. She couldn’t change his childhood, but maybe she could make part of one of his childhood dreams come true.

  She took his hand and said, “How about you give me a tour of that wine cellar?”

  Chapter Six

  KNOX LED AUBREY down the stone steps from the yard and into the wine cellar beneath his childhood home. The familiar rich scent of cold stone brought memories of following his father down to get a bottle of wine and the lessons that came with each expedition. He and his father had shared rare moments of warmth, but for the most part his father had used their time together to prepare Knox for his life as a Bentley. Lectures on the value of a dual-zoned, temperature-controlled wine cellar and tamper-proof, biometric security systems were part and parcel to his education. But the lessons his father thrust upon him the most revolved around investment strategies and negotiation tactics. As far back as he could remember, his father had groomed him toward financial endeavors. He’d done a fine job, because Knox was an investment prodigy. He’d begun investing when he was in high school, and he’d made his first million before he’d graduated from MIT.

  “I’ve seen some impressive wine cellars, but this takes the cake,” Aubrey said, running her hand over the back of one of two leather couches.

  The walls and floor were stone, the ceiling a mosaic of Italian tiles. Built-in floor-to-ceiling wine racks showcased more bottles of expensive wine than one family could ever drink, and glass partitions protected large refrigerated areas. The cellar boasted a series of tasting and workrooms, crystal chandeliers, and the lounge where they now stood, which had two staircases—one that led outside and one that led into the house.

  Aubrey sauntered around the couch, pulling off her gloves as she went. “So this is where you thought you’d lose your virginity?”

  She dropped her gloves to the floor and shrugged off her coat, letting that fall to the floor, too. Her knit hat came next, tossed behind her as she closed the distance between them, looking sexy as fuck. Knox unzipped his coat and took off his gloves, his body sizzling with desire. She had a way of turning him on in seconds—one look, one touch, one scorching kiss…

  “How would that have gone?” she asked as she pushed her hands beneath his coat and over his shoulders, sending it to the floor.

  “At fifteen? I’d imagine I’d barely have gotten it in before I lost it.”

  She laughed and pulled off his hat. He loved her laugh and how she let her guard down so easily when they were alone.

  “You sure fixed that problem,” she said huskily, “didn’t you?”

  She pushed his chest, and he plunked down on the couch, catching her hand in his.

  She straddled his lap and began unbuttoning his shirt. “I hate that you were cockblocked and had your horny teenage dreams squashed.”

  He fucking loved that she cared enough to put herself out there for him. He framed her face with his hands and captured her mouth in a ravenous kiss, pouring all of the unearthed emotions into their connection. When he tried to shift her onto her back, she fought for dominance. Relenting was not a hardship. He eased his efforts, allowing her to take control. She deepened the kiss, taking as much as she gave as she ground against him. She tore away long enough to say, “I love kissing you,” and then her mouth found his again, forceful and hungry.

  He knew how much she loved kissing, how she lost herself in it every time they were together. He could kiss her for hours, and sometimes they did just that after making love. She moaned and mewled, fisting her hands in his hair and driving him out of his mind. He buried his hands in her hair as her mouth slipped away, and she kissed his cheeks, his jaw, and worked her way down his neck to his chest. She unbuttoned the rest of his shirt and roughly pushed it open. Heat and desire glimmered in her eyes as she kissed her way down his body. She slicked her tongue over his abs and moved off his lap, kneeling before him as she ripped open the button of his jeans. He made quick work of pushing them down to his ankles.

  “Commando,” she said hungrily. “My favorite playground.”

  She had no idea how much of her heart she revealed with her comments, but Knox didn’t miss a thing, and with Aubrey, he never had. She dragged her tongue from base to tip, lingering at the crown. His head fell back and he closed his eyes as her hand circled his cock, and she lowered her mouth over every inch of him. She worked him tight and sucked him hard, knowing exactly how to bring him to the edge of release.

  “Holy fuck,” he said through gritted teeth.

  His hips rocked in time to her efforts. Just when he was about to lose it, she drew back slowly and said, “Don’t come. I want to do it here with you to fulfill that fantasy.”

  She lowered her face between his legs, sucking one of his balls into her mouth, still working him with her hand. His eyes slammed shut as he fought to stave off his orgasm.

  “Christ, babe. If you want to fuck me, you’d better get to it, because you are way too good at this.”

  She lifted her gaze, full of wicked intent, and lowered her mouth to his inner thigh to place a feathery kiss. And then she sank her teeth into his flesh.

  “Jesus, fuck.” His hips bolted off the couch and she took him into her mouth again. She knew all his favorite things. “Baby, baby, baby,” he panted out, gripping the base of his cock, trying not to come. But her mouth was heaven, and her hands and teeth were magic.

  Fuck. This.

  He grabbed her and crashed his mouth to hers as he rose to his feet, bringing her up with him. He tore off her sweater and bra and stripped down her jeans and panties.

  “Boots!” she panted out.

  He chucked his shirt and boots and stepped from his jeans as she tore off her own. They were naked, save for their socks, but he wasn’t about to slow down for that. He lifted her into his arms and lowered her onto his shaft. They both moaned with the intensity of their connection. She dug her nails into his shoulders as they ground and thrust. But it wasn’t enough. He needed to be closer and ungracefully lowered them to the couch, earning a sweet and sexy giggle. Man, he loved that, too. He drove into her harder, faster, and she met every thrust of his with an angle of her hips, a sinful noise, or a plea for more. She clutched his ass when she got close to climaxing, and he knew just what to do, slowing his pace so he stroked over the secret spot that made her whole body flex.

  “Yes, yes, yes!” she cried out, bucking wildly as he followed her over the most exquisite edge, chanting her name like a prayer.

  They clung to each other, panting through the very last aftershock, their bodies slick with perspiration despite the cool temperature. Her head fell back and her eyes fluttered open. She was so unguarded, so beautifully open, he swore his heart skipped a beat.

  They lay together for a long while as their breathing calmed, and then they lay there longer, tangled up on the couch like one was not complete without the other.

  “That was so much better than teenage sex,” he said. Then he kissed her smiling lips. “Did I ever tell you about the time I was cockblocked in my parents’ car?”

  She laughed.

  “What? I figured we could live out all of my old fantasies.”

  “How about we live out mine instead?”

  “Now we’re talking. Spill it
, baby. I will make every juicy detail come true.”

  She bit her lower lip, trying to halt an unstoppable smile. He kissed her lip free and she touched his cheek, studying his face like a map. Her expression turned serious, and she said, “I’m sorry you had a stressful childhood.”

  “It’s all good, babe. Your dad’s advice was solid. The past is the past.” He pressed his lips to hers and said, “Now, about those fantasies…?”

  Her expression remained serious. “Right now I’m fantasizing about your fancy parents having a bathroom in the wine cellar.”

  He touched his forehead to her shoulder, breathing her in. “Why do you fight what’s between us? Joke it off?”

  “I’m lying naked with you inside me. That’s not exactly fighting,” she said softly.

  He gazed into her eyes. They were softer now, trusting and open once again. There were so many things he wanted to say—Let me all the way in. Don’t be afraid of us—but instead he said, “I love your body, but it’s your heart I want.”

  Her eyes narrowed a little, as if she were thinking. A small smile lifted her lips and she said, “Knoxy, you are my favorite pushy man.”

  “Knoxy? Goddamn Paige…” He climbed off her and pulled her to her feet, gathering her in his arms. “I’m your favorite playground, your favorite pushy guy. Are you trying to tell me there are others? Because there’s only been you since last year.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “It’s true, Aubrey. Is that so hard to believe?” When she didn’t respond, but continued looking at him like a deer caught in headlights, he ground out, “Shit. You’re seeing other guys and don’t want to stop.” He pointed to a hallway and reached for his shirt. “The bathroom’s down there.”

  She gathered her clothes, clutched them against her chest, and headed for the bathroom.

  Knox washed up after she was done, telling himself he was a fool for thinking she wasn’t seeing other guys. He’d disappeared for months. A woman like Aubrey was probably propositioned all the time. Why wouldn’t she accept? He looked in the bathroom mirror and said, “You stupid fuck. This is karma. Payback for all the shit you did as a kid.”

  He threw open the door and found Aubrey sitting on the floor, her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms circling them. She lifted her chin, her amber eyes full of worry, her golden hair framing her beautiful face.

  He dropped to one knee. “What’s wrong?”

  “You,” she said flatly.

  “Whoa. Okay. I get it, Aubrey. You don’t have to feel bad for having a personal life.”

  “I don’t.”

  He pushed to his feet, and she reached up and used the waist of his jeans to pull herself to her feet.

  “Let’s get out of here before the snow hits,” he suggested. He needed space between them so he could wrap his head around the reality he didn’t want to accept.

  She shook her head. “I meant I don’t have that type of personal life. I haven’t been with anyone else for a long time. I just didn’t want you to know that because it gives you more fuel for your date-me fire.”

  It took a few seconds for him to fully process what she’d said. “Holy shit, Aubrey. You’re a brat—you know that?” He backed her up against the wall.

  “That’s definitely not going to win me over,” she said teasingly, but he could tell she was still getting used to the idea of starting to accept her feelings for him.

  “Do you have any idea what type of torture you just put me through?”

  “Do you know what kind of torture it is feeling this way about you?” she snapped. “About a guy whose middle name is Drama? I’ve worked so hard, and this is scary stuff, admitting that to you. I can’t afford to be sidetracked from my career, especially now that I have a new channel to get off the ground.”

  The affection in her eyes belied the vehemence of her words. “Since when are you afraid of anything? Including a little drama?” He pressed closer. “You know what I think? I think you need to be punished for making me think I was so off base.”

  Her eyes darkened, and as he lowered his lips toward hers, she said, “We’ll never beat the storm if I let you near my body again.” She wiggled out of his arms and took off running for the stairs.

  KNOX GRABBED THEIR coats and took the steps two at a time, catching Aubrey around the waist before she reached the top. She squealed, crashing against his chest with an oomph. She tried to scowl, but his laughter only made her laugh even harder.

  “You cannot escape me, Aubrey Stewart.”

  She struggled against him as voices filtered in through the door at the top of the stairs. She froze, only then realizing she’d run up a different set of stairs than the ones they’d come down. “Who’s that?”

  He looked at the door as a muffled male voice sounded. “Sounds like Leon and my father.”

  “Your father?” she whispered harshly. “We had sex in his wine cellar and he was right upstairs?” She swatted his chest.

  “Hey! I didn’t know he was here,” he whispered. “I figured my parents were out since Landon didn’t mention them being home.”

  “Let’s go out the other way. This is embarrassing.”

  She started down the stairs just as the door opened at the top, and Knox grabbed her hand.

  Leon peered down at them from the top of the stairs. Snow dusted the shoulders of his coat and hat. Beside him stood an aristocratic-looking man dressed in an expensive suit and tie, with thick salt-and-pepper hair, black-framed glasses, and a broad shoulder line as rigid as the set of his jaw. His eyes were as sharp as Knox’s were playful—though at the moment there was nothing playful about Knox’s expression. But in his father’s wise eyes she saw a hint of his son, and when his lips lifted into a slight smile, she caught another glimpse of Knox in him.

  Leon winked at them, grinning like a coconspirator. “I was just telling your father that you were giving Aubrey a tour of the house.”

  Guess he hadn’t wanted to cockblock Knox this time…

  Knox pulled Aubrey up to the step beside him. “Thanks, Leon. Hi, Dad. Aubrey, this is my father, Griffin Bentley. Dad, this is Aubrey Stewart. Aubrey and I had a meeting with Landon and Paige earlier, and I thought I’d show her around.”

  In her head she heard him say, And fuck her brains out in your wine cellar. She forced those thoughts—and her embarrassment—aside and extended her hand to his father as Leon quietly slipped away. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bentley. Your properties are gorgeous.”

  “Thank you,” he said as they joined him and closed the cellar door.

  Griffin’s eyes warmed as he looked at Knox, both of them stepping into an awkward embrace. Before that moment, Aubrey could never have imagined Knox looking awkward doing anything.

  “You look good, son. Paige mentioned you had a project you wanted to discuss with her and Landon,” Griffin said. “I assume things went well?”

  “Yes,” Knox answered. “I didn’t realize you were here. I would have come through the house.”

  “Well, you know now,” he said evenly. “Perhaps you can stay for a visit? It’s been too long.”

  “Do I hear Knox?” A female voice traveled down the hall before a tall, slim brunette appeared through an arched entryway. Her hands flew up in surprise. “I’d know my boy’s voice anywhere.” She hurried toward them, her high heels clicking on the marble floor as she motioned for Knox to come toward her. She embraced him warmly, air-kissing each of his cheeks. Then she held on to his arms, her happy gaze rolling over his face. “You look good, sweetheart. I’ve missed you.”

  “Missed you too, Mom.” Knox reached for Aubrey’s hand and said, “Mom, this is—”

  “Aubrey Stewart,” his mother said warmly. “Oh, honey, Aubrey needs no introduction. She’s only one of the best role models for women today. Why, the ladies at the club and I were just talking about all that you and your partners have accomplished with the Ladies Who Write.” She took Aubrey’s hand and held it as she said, “It is an h
onor to meet you. My name is Elizabeth, and I hope you will consider joining us for a family dinner this evening.”

  “Thank you so much for the invitation,” Aubrey said. She was pretty sure his parents wouldn’t understand her need to attend a Super Bowl party, so she said, “But we’re driving back to Port Hudson today. I have a lot of work to catch up on tomorrow.”

  Elizabeth’s brow furrowed. “Oh, goodness. Haven’t you seen the weather? We’ve gotten six inches of snow. They’re calling for upward of six more before nightfall, and it’s supposed to continue snowing through tomorrow evening. The mountain roads will be treacherous. I’m afraid you’re stuck here. But we can make the best of it, have a nice dinner, get to know one another. I can have Joyce whip up something wonderful for us and invite Paige and Landon.”

  Aubrey must have looked as shocked as she felt, because Knox’s hand landed protectively on her lower back, and he said, “Sure, Mom. That would be nice, thank you. I want to introduce Aubrey to Joyce, and then I think we’ll head back to the inn so Aubrey can take care of the work she mentioned. Mind if I take the snowmobile?”

  “It hasn’t been used since you were here last winter,” his father said. “Leon has kept it tuned up. You know where the keys are.”

  Knox nodded.

  “Thank you for your hospitality,” Aubrey said, trying not to sound upset about missing her family’s party. “I look forward to seeing you at dinner.” As she and Knox walked down the hall, she whispered, “Dinner with your parents? What are we, going steady now?”

  He chuckled as he led her through an elegant sitting room with a beautiful view of the winter wonderland outside.

  “Holy cow,” she said. “Look at that snow. How long were we in the cellar?”

  “Long enough for us to enjoy each other.” He stood beside her and said, “I’m really sorry about missing your family’s Super Bowl party. We can still try to drive in it, if you’d like.”

  She didn’t like the idea of missing the party, but with snow falling outside and Knox’s warm hands wrapping around hers, she could think of worse things than spending time at a gorgeous romantic inn with him. She was a little shaken by the idea of having dinner with his parents, but she’d seen love in Knox’s eyes when he’d hugged them, even if the relationship between him and his father seemed somewhat strained. Knox was doing so much for her, she wanted to do this for him.