The Engagement Arrangement

by Jaci Burton

  “Better?” he whispered.

  “Mmm,” was all she said, her eyes closed as she melted against his questing fingers.

  Oh, yeah. Now he had her where he wanted her. Liquid, soft against the mattress, so when he teased his fingers along her legs and swept them above, she didn’t expect him to be hurried about it. She sailed on the journey with him, let him coax and explore her body the way she needed to be explored. He took his time making his way, raising her dress, parting her legs, sweeping his fingers along her silk underwear, patting her there, stroking, then gently drawing her panties down so he could touch her.

  He was hard as a rock, but she was soft, silky and damp as he rubbed her with easy, deliberate strokes.

  She was beautiful as she rose, then fell with a cry of release, her body shaking with it. He continued to touch her easily as she came down from it, and then he helped her undress, revealing the most beautiful body, which he’d wanted to see for so long.

  He knew she was anxious so he got up and shucked his clothes, too. She stared up at him, smiling.

  “Wow, Finn,” she said. “Aren’t you something?”

  “I’m gonna take that as a compliment.”

  “You definitely should.”

  She had one arm thrown above her head, making him wish he were an artist so he could paint her just like that.

  He crawled back onto the bed, between her legs, and kissed her inner thigh.

  “What? Again?” she asked.

  “You think you can only come once?”

  “I thought maybe it was your turn.”

  “We don’t do turns. And I want you relaxed.”

  “I don’t know, after that pretty intense orgasm, I’m pretty mellow.”

  He gave her a teasing smile. “Then let’s bring you up just a little.”

  He put his mouth on her, and she said, “Oh.” After that all he heard were a lot of moans and cries and a lot of “Yes.”

  She tasted sweet and tart, which fit her to a T, and all he wanted to do was make her come again, then sink inside her so he could feel her surrounding him. But after she came with a loud whimper, then settled back against the bed, he got up to get them both a drink of water, because he didn’t want to rush it. He wanted Brenna to savor every minute of tonight. And he needed to do the same.

  He handed her a glass and she took a sip, setting the glass on the table. He’d already finished half of his on his walk from the kitchen to the bedroom.

  “Finn.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I appreciate this beautiful slow seduction, but I’m here, I’ve come twice already and you have a boner the size of California. Don’t you think we should get to it?”

  His lips curved. “Still in a hurry, I see.”

  “No, not in a hurry. But the sooner we get to fucking, the more times we can do it. And if you’re as good at that as you are with your fingers and your mouth, I figure I can get a few more orgasms tonight.”

  He laughed, then set his glass on the nightstand. “Oh, I see. Now you’re using me for sex.”

  She held her arms out for him when he settled in next to her. His breath caught as she teased her fingers through the hair on his chest.

  “Using you? Hardly. You are my fake fiancé, aren’t you?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Then I’m putting sex into our nonbinding fake fiancé agreement.”

  “There’s an agreement?”

  “There is now. And it has sex in it.”

  He reached into his nightstand for a condom, put it on, then rolled her over onto her back and slid his hand between her breasts, sliding a fingertip around her nipple. “Where do I sign?”

  She smiled up at him. “Right there. With your tongue.”

  He laid his tongue flat against her nipple, then flicked it, rewarded with her soft moan. He took the bud in his mouth and sucked gently, feeling it tighten against the roof of his mouth.

  And when she lifted against him, he eased inside her, cupping her breast and taking her mouth in a kiss that felt like fire. She tasted like all he’d ever wanted, felt like everything he’d ever needed, and all he wanted was to stay like this, with her wrapped around him, until time stopped.

  He could only hear the sound of her breathing, the feel of her body moving under his, the taste of her mouth as she kissed him with such deep passion that he had to fight the urge to release right then. He held back, wanting this to last all night, even though he knew he couldn’t. But she tasted so damn sweet and the way she looked at him with such raw passion nearly did him in.

  He’d always known that being with Brenna would be good—damn good. But this was more than just awesome sex. He’d been half in love with her ever since he first saw her. And now that they were one like this, he couldn’t imagine ever letting her go.

  She pushed at his chest and he rolled over, letting her climb on top of him, her hair a fiery cascade over her breasts as she rode him, setting the pace for both of them, making him tighten until all he could do was hold on to her hips and roll her forward and back. She tilted her head back, her beautiful breasts gliding along with her movements. And when she convulsed against him, dipping forward to kiss him as she came, he finally let go, groaning her name against her lips as he released with a shudder.

  She lengthened herself along his body as they recovered, and Finn had to admit it felt pretty fine to feel her sprawled against him, her body aligned with his, her breathing soft and even. Her hair splayed across his chest and he picked up a strand, sifting it through his fingers.

  Yeah. Like silk. He’d never get tired of touching her—any part of her.

  “I need a drink,” she mumbled, her face buried in his shoulder.

  “Alcoholic or otherwise?”

  “Water. All that moaning and screaming has left me parched.”

  He smiled as he curved his hand over her hip. “Well, I did work you over.”

  She lifted her head. “Hardly. You were the one just lying there on your back.”

  “You have no appreciation for the efforts I put in.”

  “I’m drowning in sympathy over here.”

  “I can tell by your sarcastic look.”

  “Who? Me?” She climbed off and he got up, disposed of the condom and went into the kitchen to refill their glasses with fresh ice water. When he came back, she was propped up against the headboard. He was happy to see she wasn’t ready to bolt out of his room or his house.

  He handed her the glass and she took a few swallows, then set it on the nightstand.

  “Thanks.”

  He set his glass next to hers, then pressed a kiss to her raised knee. “So, about you insulting my manhood.”

  She frowned. “I did no such thing.”

  He raised her leg and massaged her calf, then her foot. “Oh, but you did. You said you did all the work, but I beg to differ.”

  “What? You’re keeping score?”

  “I’d never. But I don’t want to be accused of being a slacker.”

  He moved down the bed and dragged her off the pillow so she was flat on her back, then climbed up her body, kissing every inch of her along the way.

  She sighed. “Well, if you must, I guess you can try to even the score.”

  It was going to be a long and very fun night.

  CHAPTER

  • • • • • •

  fifteen

  BRENNA ROLLED OVER and stretched, realizing immediately that she was still at Finn’s place. She looked out the window. The sun wasn’t fully up yet, and she didn’t have anything pressing to do until later, so there was time.

  Except Finn wasn’t in the bed with her. And she smelled coffee. She got up and, deciding not to get dressed yet, fumbled around in his closet and put on one of his T-shirts. She halted at the dresser, realizing she’d never seen the old pi
cture that sat there. She studied it, touched by the sentimentality.

  She’d seen pictures of Finn’s parents before since her mom had often gone to Ireland to visit Finn’s mom, but she’d never seen this particular photo of Finn’s mom and dad at the water’s edge. Their arms were locked around each other, their hair blown by the ocean breeze. Finn looked a lot like his dad, though Finn was taller. And he had his mom’s smile, that genuine, make-you-feel-warm-and-welcome kind of smile. It must have really hurt to lose both of them. Brenna couldn’t imagine her life without her own parents. How hard it must have been for him to travel across an ocean, to know no one other than Brenna’s mom, to have to start over in a strange place while he was still grieving.

  She smoothed her fingertip across the pic.

  “You raised a great son, Mr. and Mrs. Nolan. You’d be proud of the man he is today.”

  She ducked into the bathroom to use the facilities and washed her hands, scrubbed her teeth with toothpaste and her finger, then looked in the mirror.

  Yikes. Her hair was a wreck but there was nothing she could do about that other than finger-comb it and call it good.

  She walked out into the kitchen. Finn sat at the table, Murphy sprawled at his feet.

  “Hey,” she said.

  He looked up and smiled at her, and her heart did a little dance.

  Yeah, that smile.

  “Hey. Coffee’s in the pot. Sugar on the counter. No cream, sorry. But there’s milk in the fridge.”

  “That’ll do.” She fixed a cup and pulled up a chair at the table, took a couple of sips of the coffee and, once the caffeine kicked in, all was right in her world again.

  “You hungry?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “Not right now. I’ll grab something at the house.”

  “We missed breakfast.” His lips tilted. “Slept in. You kept me up late.”

  “No, you kept me up late. And anyway, Louise will leave food for us.”

  “Good,” he said, curling his fingers around his cup. “I’m hungry. You made me work up an appetite.”

  She laughed. “You poor thing. I noticed how you suffered.”

  He leaned over and hauled her out of her chair and onto his lap. “Quit complaining.”

  “I was not complaining, asshole.”

  He laughed. “You’re gripey in the mornings.”

  “I haven’t had a full cup of coffee yet.”

  “Yeah? Too bad. I might want to take you back to bed.”

  “I have things to do.”

  “Me, too.” He swept his hand alongside her neck, then kissed her. He tasted warm and inviting and she sank into the kiss, eventually forgetting everything on her to-do list. The only list on her mind now included licking along Finn’s tongue and exploring every inch of his hot body with her hands. In return, he teased her breasts and nipples through the thin material of the T-shirt while continuing to kiss her until she felt dizzy. She needed him, wanted him, right now.

  He had his jeans on but she’d only dressed in his T-shirt, so she straddled him and began to rock against his erection, making him groan, which heightened her sense of urgency. She reached for his belt buckle and undid his zipper.

  He pulled back. “Wait. Damn, I need a condom.”

  With one movement he picked her up and set her on top of the table, pointing at her.

  “Don’t. Move.”

  Like she even could. Her mind felt hazy and her body was nothing but pent-up arousal. Finn was back in a second with a condom, his jeans partially undone.

  He pushed her down on her back on the table and lifted his T-shirt, staring down at her with something that looked like unbridled lust in his eyes. He shoved his jeans down, put the condom on and leaned over her, grasping her hips to pull her toward him.

  “I like you like this, spread out on my kitchen table like my morning feast.”

  She shuddered at his words, then raised one of her legs to slide her foot against his shoulder.

  He grabbed her foot, kissed it, then rested it against his shoulder as he slid into her.

  It was slow and easy at first, then faster, the table shaking as they rocked together. She gasped as he thrust and withdrew, then let out a moan of pleasure as he laid his fingers against her clit to take her right to the edge and over. She tilted her head back and cried out as she came. He was there with her, leaning forward to sweep her up in a demanding kiss as he shuddered with his orgasm.

  They panted together and she held tight to him. What a perfect way to wake up this had been.

  An amazingly built man right in her own backyard who had given her mind-blowing sex and multiple orgasms. Why had she waited all these years to jump him?

  His breath blew hot against her neck and she shivered.

  He raised up to look down at her. “Cold?”

  “To the contrary. Quite hot.”

  “Hell yes you are.” He lifted her off the table and set her on her feet, and then they both went into the bathroom to clean up.

  Once again, her hair was a wild bird’s nest. “I need a shower.”

  “I’ll be sweating all day, so I’ll pass,” he said. “And you’re beautiful.”

  He turned her to face him and pressed his lips softly against hers, then let her go so she could wind her hair up into a bun.

  He stared at her in the mirror.

  “What?” she asked.

  “You have the most incredible freckles across your cheeks and nose.”

  She wrinkled said nose. “I’ve never liked them.”

  He frowned. “The hell you say. They’re one of the sexiest things about you.”

  No one had ever said her freckles were sexy. Cute, adorable, juvenile, whatever. But sexy? Never.

  She turned and lifted up on her toes to take a nibble of his chin. “And your beard stubble is hot as hell.”

  He slanted a hot smile at her. “Good to know you like it. I’ll keep that in mind for the next time my face is between your legs.”

  Her entire body quivered. “Now that image will be on my mind the rest of the day while I’m working.”

  She got dressed and he walked with her to the door. He swept her into his arms and kissed her—a hot, long, hard kiss that heated her up and made her wish they could spend the entire day together. But she had work to do and Finn did as well, so when they broke the kiss, she sighed.

  “That was nice,” she said, unable to resist laying her palm against his chest, just to feel the hard muscle there. “Maybe I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Maybe I’ll be here.”

  She gave him a smile and walked toward the house, happy to see absolutely no one as she snuck her way up the stairs and into her room. She took a quick shower, wound her hair up and fastened it with a clip, then put on a sundress and sandals. She made her way down the stairs, stopping in the kitchen where she grabbed a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll that Louise had left on the counter—bless her. She went into her office, answered a few e-mails and did some paperwork before it was time for the meeting.

  Erin was already in the room, of course, her planners and her laptop perfectly organized.

  “Is Agatha with you?”

  “She was, but then she spotted Finn’s dog when we got here so now the two of them are running amok outside.”

  “Awesome. Murphy will enjoy having a friend today.”

  Honor dashed in, closing the door behind her. “Sorry I’m late. I had an upset bride to deal with and once she gets talking I can’t get her off the phone.”

  “What was she upset about?” Erin asked.

  “Flower arrangements. It was a minor thing, but you know how brides get.”

  “Do we ever,” Brenna said.

  Honor blew out a breath and laid her things on the table. “She has a lot of ideas. Like, a lot of ideas.”

&nb
sp; Brenna leaned back and sipped her coffee. “Doable ideas, hopefully?”

  “She wants a waterfall. In the middle of the vineyard.”

  Waterfalls in the middle of her vineyard were a no-go. “Oh. Not doable ideas, then.”

  “I assume you told her no,” Erin said, shuffling her papers as she sat.

  “I definitely told her we couldn’t accommodate a waterfall, but I told her we could rent a nice fountain that could be placed on the arbor or next to the arbor for atmospheric and audible purposes.”

  “That sounds lovely,” Brenna said. “What did she say?”

  “She said it wasn’t ideal, but she’d think about it.”

  Erin shrugged. “I think it’s a great compromise. You’re so smart, Honor.”

  “Agree,” Brenna said. “You really try to give the bridal couple everything they ask for. I couldn’t do it. I’d run screaming down the road every day if I had to do what you do.”

  Honor laughed. “Most couples are fabulous and super easy. It’s only the occasional difficult ones that try my patience.”

  “Okay, let’s get rolling on this meeting so we can all get to work.”

  Erin was always the one to call the meeting to order, mainly because she liked to be in charge, and neither Brenna nor Honor cared one way or the other.

  “Before we get started,” Honor said. “Brenna, you’re just glowy this morning. Do you have a new facial regimen that you need to share with us?”

  “Uh, no. I took a shower.”

  Erin studied her. “Honor’s right. And I showered, too, but I don’t glow like that. Did you use a new mask?”

  “No. I showered. Washed my face. Can we move on now?”

  “She wasn’t at breakfast this morning,” Honor said.

  “Oh, really,” Erin said.

  Brenna rolled her eyes. “That’s hardly earth-shattering news.”

  “No, it’s not,” Honor said. “But Finn wasn’t at breakfast this morning, either.”

  Erin gave her a smug smile. “Oh, now that is very interesting. Couple that with the morning glow . . .”