“Yeah. It’s a science, really, and I always liked science. Finding the right grain, then heating it to release the sugar, adding in the right amount of yeast, almost as if you’re making beer, which you are, in essence, except then you distill it and age it.”
“The waiting part can’t be fun.”
“It’s not, but the longer you do this, the easier it gets because you’re doing batches, so you’ll have some that’s ready while you’re creating others. Like today, I had some five-year-old whiskey I could share.”
“Which was very good.”
“It was okay. It’ll get better the longer it ages. I have some ten-year-old that’s better. You’ll have to stop by the warehouse sometime and I’ll give you a taste. It’s smoother, more mellow.”
She loved hearing him talk about whiskey, could feel the passion in his voice as he spoke about something he loved doing. It made her feel as if she had a kindred spirit in Finn—someone passionate about what he did, like she was about her winemaking.
He parked his truck at the side of the house and they got out. Murphy bounded out and headed to the front door.
“Think he’s ready for bed?” she asked as they met at the door.
“I’m sure he’s a tired pup.”
Finn unlocked the door and Murphy headed straight down the hall toward the bedroom and disappeared.
“You want something to drink?” he asked.
“Just a glass of ice water, please.” She’d had a full day of sunshine and more than enough alcohol. She was tired, too, and felt dehydrated.
He fixed them both tall glasses of water. She took hers gratefully, taking a couple of decent swallows.
She thought he’d lead her toward the bedroom, but he surprised her by taking her hand and sitting with her on the sofa in the living room. She set her glass on the coffee table and he pulled her against him. She kicked off her sandals and drew her feet up on the sofa.
This was nice, being held by Finn, snuggling close to him.
“You wanted to talk,” he said.
“Oh, right.” She yawned and laid her head on his shoulder. “I did, didn’t I?”
She rested her hand against his chest, feeling the rhythmic beat of his heart, realizing this all felt just so perfect. Maybe too perfect, but she was too tired to analyze that right now, because her eyelids suddenly felt way too heavy to stay open and Finn was rubbing her arm and everything in her world felt too right to worry about anything right now.
So she closed her eyes and went with it.
CHAPTER
• • • • • •
seventeen
FINN SAT OUTSIDE and sipped his coffee and watched Murphy chase a bird that flew away easily. He rolled his eyes as his dog dashed into the woods at another bird. He understood that it was the dog’s nature to think he could catch it, and, hey, it was exercise if nothing else. Besides, Murph had a ton of energy and if he wanted to chase creatures he had no hope of catching, who was Finn to deny him?
The first rays of dawn were just peeking through the trees. It was Finn’s favorite part of the day, when everything was quiet, the world hadn’t started up yet and it was just him and nature and an outstanding cup of coffee. And now, his dog, too. What could be better?
The front door opened and Brenna came out, holding a steaming cup of coffee in her hand. She was barefoot and his gaze traveled up the length of her incredible legs, to where one of his shirts ended at her thighs. Her hair was a mass of wild curls around her shoulders. She walked over and took a seat on the porch swing with him.
He really liked seeing her wearing his shirts. Even though they swallowed her up, there was something in that possessive part of his heart that liked seeing her wearing something he’d worn.
“You steal another one of my shirts?” he asked.
“I didn’t steal it. I’m borrowing it temporarily while I’m naked because I’m too lazy to get fully dressed.”
“Naked, huh?” He slid his fingers under the hem of the shirt.
She slapped his hand away. “I need this cup of coffee.”
“You fell asleep last night. We were supposed to talk. And things.”
She sipped the coffee and stared straight ahead. “Yes, I did. Sorry about that. Did you carry me to bed?”
“I did.”
“Undressed me, too, I guess.”
“You wake up with your clothes on?”
“No.”
“There you go.” He finished off his coffee and set the mug on the table next to the porch swing. “Besides, I’ve seen you naked. And you’d have been uncomfortable sleeping in your dress.”
“Then thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I also texted Honor to let her know you were spending the night at my house so your family wouldn’t worry about where you were.”
She arched a brow at him, looked mad for a few seconds, then shrugged. “Okay. Thanks for that, too.”
“You trying to keep us a secret?”
“Trust me, you and I are no secret where my sisters are concerned. They figured us out the first time we were together.”
“Yeah?” That made him smile. Besides, he knew Erin and Honor. They could ferret out secrets in hours.
“Yes. Keeping you and me a secret wouldn’t have worked for long. Not the way you look at me.”
He choked out a laugh. “The way I—how about the way you look at me?”
She shifted in the swing, bringing one knee onto the swing for balance. “And how exactly do I look at you?”
“With lust. Like you want to throw me down in the vineyard and climb on top of me.”
“I never look at you that way.”
“Liar.” He took the cup from her hands and set it next to his, then grabbed hold of her and shifted her onto his lap. With her straddling him like this, it didn’t take his dick long to figure out he had a hot, mostly naked woman wriggling against him. He was hard and aching in no time.
He cupped the back of her neck and drew her mouth to his, kissing her with a hungry passion that he couldn’t contain. She leaned into him, digging her nails into his shoulders, driving his desire higher.
He reached for her breasts through the thin material of his worn shirt, teasing her erect nipples, taking in the sounds of her moans against his lips, sliding his tongue along hers until he felt like he was going mad with the need for her. He slid his hand under the shirt so he could feel the softness of her skin, wrap his hand around the plumpness of her breast, roll his thumb over her silky nipple until she let out a cry.