She could not believe she’d just agreed to go on a date with Finn.
What was she thinking? Wasn’t it bad enough she’d concocted this ridiculous fake fiancé scheme?
Where is your head, Brenna?
She sat up and sighed.
She wasn’t thinking with her head lately.
And that was the problem.
CHAPTER
• • • • • •
six
FINN’S PLAN FOR taking Brenna on a date had to be put on hold, because an unexpected repair project got dropped into his lap that kept him working double time. He never minded that because he liked staying busy, but it did put a crimp in his plans with Brenna.
Though it seemed as if she’d been avoiding him the past several days. He could swear that any time she saw him coming, she’d pivot and walk in the opposite direction.
They did have three weddings last weekend, so he knew they were busy as well, and her ex-husband and his wife would be showing up at the vineyard tomorrow, so she likely had other things on her mind besides a date with him.
Which didn’t mean that Finn intended to forget that she’d agreed to it. He’d bided his time—for years, actually. Now he had a chance to show Brenna he was the right guy for her. He didn’t intend to waste the opportunity.
He’d repaired the broken barn door and repainted both of them, and added new hinges as well so they looked brand new. He fixed some of the fence where the horses grazed, and despite the August heat, it had felt good to be outside.
Now all he wanted was some of Louise’s lemonade, so he trekked toward the house and walked up the back steps, inched his head inside the door.
Louise wasn’t in the kitchen so he wiped his boots on the mat and went in, washed his hands in the sink, grabbed a glass and some ice and opened the fridge, his mouth watering as he reached for the pitcher.
Thank the heavens for Louise, who always had a full pitcher of freshly made lemonade in the summer. He filled his glass and drank greedily, downing the first glass and going for a refill.
“Thirsty?”
He looked up and nodded at Brenna as he took another long swallow. “Yeah. It’s hot as hell outside.”
“I’ve been in the winery all day. A little warm in there, too.”
You could never tell by looking at her. She wore her hair wound up in a bun on top of her head, and she had on a sundress. Her skin glistened with a subtle glow, but hell, she wasn’t a sweaty mess like him.
He got out another glass and filled it with ice and lemonade and handed it to her.
“Thanks.” Unlike him, she took a sip of the lemonade. “Mmm, good. What would we do without Louise?”
“I’m grateful for her, for sure. How was your day?”
“Productive. I did some forecasts and put out the call for people for the harvest.”
“You usually bring in a big crowd for that.”
She nodded. “I think we’ll have enough. Even the customers want to come out for harvest.”
“Hey, it’s good times.” He grinned.
“Yes, it is.” She took another few swallows of her lemonade, her throat working as she did, making Finn tighten. He wanted to stroke the slender column of her throat, then lick the droplets of sweat from her collarbone. And kiss her. She pressed her lips together, then licked her bottom lip. God, he really wanted to kiss those full lips and suck her tongue. Suck her clit. Make her come. He’d bet she was a screamer when she came. He wanted to make her scream over and over again.
He cleared his throat and emptied his glass, hoping the cold liquid would squelch his lusty thoughts.
“Are you ready for tomorrow?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I’ll do what I’m told. Stand where you want me. Touch whatever parts of you that you ask me to.”
He caught the way her breasts rose when she inhaled deeply.
“There will be no touching. Of any of my parts.”
“Whatever you say, love.”
“Just be by my side. Pretend to . . . I don’t know, act like a fiancé.”
“Never been one of those before. How do they act?”
“My last one was an ass. Don’t act like him.”
“Noted. So I should be affectionate, but don’t touch you. And don’t act like an ass. Got it.”
She rolled her eyes and put her glass in the dishwasher. “It’ll be fine,” she mumbled. “It’ll all work out.”
He came up next to her and slid his glass next to hers. “It will be fine. As long as you relax around me.”
She tensed up. “I am totally relaxed.”
“Yeah, sure you are. Every time I come close you freeze up. How are they gonna believe I’m your guy if you do that?”
She blew out a breath and grasped the sides of the sink. “You make me nervous.”
He turned her to face him and swept his fingertips over her collarbone. “Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’ve known me a long time, Brenna. You can trust me.”
Her eyes were clear and filled with that trust as she tilted her head back to look at him. If they weren’t in the kitchen of her family’s house where anyone could walk in, he’d pull her into his arms and kiss her. But there was a right time for those kinds of things, and when Finn kissed Brenna, it was going to be the right time.
He stepped back. “Just think of this whole thing as a fun game, and a way for you to stick it to your nemesis.”
She nodded. “That is a good way to put it.”
“See? Already better, isn’t it?”
“Yes, thanks.”
“Happy to help. I gotta go. Just let me know what you need me to do tomorrow, and I’ll be on board.”
“Okay. I’ll see you at dinner tonight?”
He turned and offered up a grin. “Do I ever miss dinner?”
Now she smiled and his world turned upside down.
He walked out and realized if he wasn’t careful around Brenna, his heart could be in real trouble. He needed to remind himself that she wasn’t invested at all in him, just this whole game she was playing. She might have agreed to go on a date with him, but Brenna was skittish.
And that meant taking things slow.
For both of them.
Thoughts of Brenna stayed in his head the rest of the day, and as he made his way back to his place to clean up before dinner. He almost missed the flash in the woods beyond the house, but he had his eyes open and his ears aware, because he’d always thought of himself as guardian of the family’s property.