Recipe For Seduction (A Madewood Brothers Novel) (Entangled Brazen) Page 3

  His rested his hand on her calf. She stilled, but only for a moment. She sucked in a breath when he trailed it up her leg. The higher his hand moved, the harder she swiveled on his lap. Her stocking felt like silk when he brushed over her knee and up her thigh. She let out a quiet moan.

  She was going to be doing more than that before he was through with her.

  He grabbed her thighs with both hands, his thumbs massaging the insides, circling higher and higher toward the sweet center of her arousal.

  “Finn…” she whispered, throwing her head back. The shiny length of her brown hair blew lightly in the warm autumn breeze. It wafted her citrus scent, engulfing him, catapulting his impulse to ravage her.

  He’d never seen her like this. So unabashed and willing. So—

  Her hands grabbed his and thrust them against her sex.

  —so incredibly sexy.

  The untimely message chirp of his cell phone sounded from his pocket. And just as quickly as the sexy scene had unfolded in front of him, it deflated.

  She slumped back, letting her head fall forward. The heartbeat thumping in his chest didn’t soften when he removed his hands from her body.

  The chirp had brought him back to reality. The chirp had prevented him from doing something he knew he shouldn’t. He knew better. She’s your best friend’s little sister.

  “Veronica, I—”

  Leaning in, she placed her finger over his lips. “One day soon, I’m going to seduce you, Finn O’Reilly. You’re not going to know when. You’re not going to know where. But I will.” She bit his earlobe. “And you’re going to love every single minute of it.”

  Letting her play this game was just asking for trouble. But his libido had a mind of its own. She was already walking away before his brain could register that he should be disagreeing.

  He eyed her sexy sway until she was no longer in sight. He struggled to remove his phone from his pants. They stretched way too tight across his front.

  Waking the device, he tapped the screen and opened a text message from his brother Jack.

  Finn. Sterling wants some kind of transportation to bring the wedding guests from the parking lot to the barn. Neil refuses to budge. Help!

  Hell. Could his brothers not solve anything without him? The upcoming wedding of his youngest foster brother, Jack Vaughn, to Sterling Andrews was all the family could talk about lately. And with good reason. A wedding was always a happy time. But it was also a stressful time. And his brothers took that stress to new heights, especially when combined with their overly hectic schedules.

  Jack was knee-deep in wedding plans and overseeing the foundation he’d formed in their mother’s name. Neil Harrison, his oldest foster brother and front man in charge of the family business—the Madewood Farm, a state-of-the-art facility which included a five-star restaurant, a barn venue to host private events, an exclusive family site with berry-picking in the summer, hay rides, and farm animals, as well as one of the Madewood gourmet food stores. And Cole Murphy—well, Cole was always busy with some new charitable cause.

  Finn’s brothers all had things going on apart from being famous chefs. Finn was the only one who hadn’t yet found his something special.

  Other than being voted by the others to be point man for—and mediate when necessary—Jack and Sterling’s wedding events. Even though he hadn’t been there to volunteer. Being the most calm and rational brother certainly had its drawbacks.

  He glanced down at the text again. This time, he probably agreed with Neil. Maybe there shouldn’t be transportation at the wedding.

  Then again, none of it mattered. His opinion didn’t really matter. His role in this haphazard family was to remain neutral and agreeable. It was the way it had always been. And no doubt always would be. Unless he found the balls to stand up for himself.

  Maybe it was time he did.

  The wind rushed through the alley, kicking up leaves into his face. But it also brought with it the lingering scent of the woman who had just given him a lap dance. And along with it, a shocking, seductive breath of change.

  Screw his brothers. They had just interrupted something that had the potential to change his life forever. Being with Veronica Whitfield was his ultimate fantasy. A fantasy he had kept hidden away for years, for fear of what his true feelings may stir up.

  And why the hell did he do that?

  Suddenly, he had a flash of insight.

  He’d spent so much time in foster care trying to please everyone else, he was forever setting aside his own wants and needs. From the very earliest age, helping people get what they wanted was how he had made himself useful.

  And now here he was again. Stuck in the same pattern of thinking. He’d been one touch away from making his sexual fantasies come true, but was he thinking about himself and his raging erection, or the sexy woman hell-bent on making them come true? Hell, no. He was thinking about her brother. And his own brothers…oh, they would definitely have something to say about this.

  But suddenly he didn’t give a shit. Not anymore.

  For once, he was going to do something that mattered to him. To put himself first.

  Hell of a situation to finally look out for number one, but he had to start somewhere. And with an offer as enticing as Veronica’s, how could he say no?

  She was going to fulfill his fantasies. Having sex with her had been his number one fantasy for a hell of a long time, and frankly, if that was the only one she fulfilled he would be more than satisfied. Especially if the kinky bread crumbs she’d left in her wake turned out to be for real. He had always imagined her molding and forming to his demands. He wanted to be the one to take control. And that’s exactly what he planned to do.

  Sure, Finn’d had his share of significant others. Out of all four brothers, he was the only one who could actually say he’d had girlfriends—of the long-term variety. But he’d never met anyone daring enough to consider role-playing, nor had he ever met anyone open-minded enough to appreciate the imaginative uses he envisioned for a silicone spatula besides cooking.

  Maybe Veronica was exactly the woman who could fulfill his desires…without having to worry about the future. A wife and children would come one day. That was the one thing he aspired to most in this world—a family of his own. A devoted wife to come home to, and a slew of precocious kids to brighten his day. He looked forward to it with all his heart. Someday.

  He knew Veronica wanted a family just as much as he did. It was something they’d discussed when they were teens. But forever was the last thing on her mind at the moment.

  So why not have a little fun? Hell, a lot of fun?

  Because she’s your best friend’s little sister.

  So what? He shook off the nagging voice in his head as he walked to his car, readjusting his pants along the way.

  Besides, what choice did he have? Veronica Whitfield had told him in no uncertain terms she was going to seduce him.

  And he couldn’t wait to find out what she had in store.

  Chapter Three

  “Good morning.”

  Veronica pranced into the kitchen of her home. She couldn’t help it. Last night had been one of the most liberating experiences of her life. Not just the burlesque, but with Finn. She had kicked their relationship up to a whole new level.

  She’d dug deep and found the courage she needed. And it had been fun. A hell of a lot more fun than she’d ever expected. But the look on Finn’s face had been eye-opening. Addictive. And she had every intention of eliciting it again.

  In the small kitchen of her suburban townhouse, her half-brother, Calum, mumbled a good morning between chews of his cereal. His dirty-blond hair was covered by a blue baseball cap, which he wore backward.

  Ali, her half-sister and one year younger than Cal, greeted her in her usual chipper voice, “You slept in a little late this morning.”

  Veronica’s older brother, Mark, glanced up at the clock above the sink. “Wild night?” He sat back in his seat and grinned, his finger tapping against his coffee mug.

  “Just out with some friends.” That was true, but she wasn’t going to mention she’d been with his friend laying the groundwork for getting him into her bed. Brothers just didn’t need to know those kinds of details.

  She grabbed a mug from the cupboard and poured a cup of coffee. She sipped on the hot liquid—black. There was nothing better than that strong, bitter taste. Well, maybe there was one thing…

  Keeping her brain on more pressing matters, she asked, “So, are we all ready for this weekend?”

  The big move. Just the thought of it made her stomach flutter like it was Christmas morning. Mark had returned for a few weeks to attend Jack and Sterling’s wedding, and to help move their younger siblings to university.

  “I am so ready,” Ali said with an exhilaration that seemed to radiate from her body over the last month. “I have all my lists prepared, and my suitcases are packed. I think I might need one more trip to the office supply store. I don’t think I have enough pens and sticky tabs.”

  “How are we related?” Cal blurted between chomps of his cereal. “You’re such a nerd.”

  “I’m organized. Not a nerd.” Ali flipped her blond hair over her shoulder and smiled. Even from the counter, Veronica noticed the tiny glint of happiness in her sister’s eyes. “Why don’t you tell Mark and V why you haven’t started packing, Cal?” Ali said.

  “Shut up.” He lunged across the kitchen table and punched her in the arm.

  She squealed and grabbed at it in pain.

  “No fighting at the table,” Veronica reprimanded. She’d had it with reminding them of their manners.

  In two weeks she wouldn’t have to anymore.

  She smiled wide, but guilt nagged at her a little for havin
g that uncharitable thought. Bad manners or no, she absolutely wouldn’t trade the last eight years with Cal and Ali for anything.

  She’d been attending college when the Children’s Aid Society had dropped the bomb on her. Two bombs. Ali and Cal had been placed in foster care, but thankfully their former caseworker had done her homework and found the family connection. It seemed as though their dear mother had been repeating her old tricks. Mark had spent months trying to track her down but she had been long gone. So Veronica had tried to be everything to them that their mother wasn’t. But she hadn’t realized how heavy the responsibility of being a good mother had weighed on her—not until the reality of them moving out had hit her square in the jaw

  She returned her attention to the present. The look on Cal’s face sent a warning tingle down her spine. Something wasn’t right. The fluttery feeling in her stomach grew heavy, like an anchor sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

  “About that.” Cal peered at Ali and she nodded, urging him on. “I don’t think I want to go away to school.”

  Veronica grabbed the edge of the counter to keep herself from falling over. “Say what?”

  “I sent in a deferral notice.” He straightened and his expression grew stern, as if he were trying to exert some kind of dominance. “I’m not going to school.”

  “Cal. You worked so hard to get in,” Mark said. He set down his mug and reached across the table, but Cal pulled away. The hurt in Mark’s eyes was evident at the teenager’s blatant rejection. Mark shrank back in his seat and didn’t push.

  Their relationship had been strained ever since Mark left to take a job out west. Not that they’d ever talked about it—and the strain between them had grown into an elephant in the room.

  In her mind she knew Mark’s move had been in everyone’s best interest. An opportunity he couldn’t pass up—not to mention the fact that the high salary was what was paying for their two younger siblings to go to the university of their choice. And while Veronica had sometimes been overwhelmed by raising her siblings all on her own, she knew in her heart the difficult decision not to go with him but to stay behind had been the right one. The thought of uprooting Cal and Ali from school, from their friends and sports teams, and from the normal life she and Mark had tried so hard to give them, just hadn’t been an option.

  But Mark was right. Cal had worked twice as hard as Ali. Failing a year had put him behind, but he’d made them proud when he finally graduated.

  Cal let his spoon fall into his bowl with a clang. “I just don’t feel right going. It’s not what I want.”

  Veronica’s hand tightened around her mug. Not what he wanted?

  “You’re going,” she ground out. There was no question. Yes, her immediate plans included being more than a mother—she wanted to start being more social, and increase her wedding planner business, too. But there was also the matter of Cal’s future. No way was she letting him ruin his whole future on a whim. Not after he’d worked so hard to get this far.

  “V,” Mark said. “We shouldn’t push.”

  “He’s going.” She zeroed in on Cal. “We had a plan. A good one.” For everyone. She pointed her finger at him. “We’re sticking to it.”

  Cal’s eyes widened. “But I changed my mind. I don’t want to go to university.”

  “What are you going to do instead?” Mark asked.

  She ground her jaw. Like he had a choice in the matter. He was not an adult. Not yet. She and Mark still had the final say in this.

  Cal crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  Ali gathered her plate and cup and headed to the sink. There. Right there. Ali was the perfect child. Veronica wanted to give her the biggest hug right now. Instead, she took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

  “So, you’re just planning to stay at home and do nothing?” She pulled out the carafe and poured herself more coffee. Shaking her head, she said firmly, “That’s unacceptable.”

  “Isn’t it better I don’t go off and waste all your money paying for something I won’t even finish?”

  He had a point. She shoved the carafe back into the unit. A rational, logical point. But what would that do to her dreams and plans? She needed to get a life, damn it.

  “University’s a waste of time. It’s stupid. It’s for nerds like Ali.”

  His sister whirled around from the sink. “Stop with the nerd comments, you lazy freak.”

  Ali might be an exceptionally smart girl with nerd-like tendencies, but she was confident and comfortable with herself. Veronica had made sure she’d instilled that from the first day they moved in. She wasn’t going to have another wallflower clone of herself walking around. Ali could hold her own when it came to her brother. A trait Veronica admired. Sometimes, she wished she could be more like her little sister. Then she could tell Mark how frustrated she felt with her life.

  “You knew about this?” She glared at Ali, who backed away toward the doorway.

  “It wasn’t my secret to tell.” She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt.

  “Damn.” They were good kids. Veronica and Mark had done a good job with them. They were independent. Could think for themselves. But lately, Cal had reverted back to his old ways. If he didn’t go to university, she was afraid all the great progress he had made would be lost forever.

  Really? Or was it just that Veronica wanted the house all to herself so she could screw Finn? It was going to happen. The promise had been made last night. Except… Oh, God, now the privacy she’d so looked forward to would be impossible.

  “Cal, university is not a waste of time,” Mark said. “Both of us went. Veronica has her own business now. I have a great job I love. It’s preparation for life and your future career.”

  Did Mark not know that anything he said would go in one ear and out the other? Cal’s look of disinterest every time Mark opened his mouth bordered on disrespectful.

  “It’s useless,” Cal retorted. “Do you know how many of my friends have older siblings that all say the same thing—if they could do it over, they wouldn’t go to university. They all ended up having to study something practical after they graduated just to get a job. So did Veronica.”

  Another valid argument on his end. “Okay.” She regrouped. “Maybe university isn’t the answer, but you have to do something. Don’t you dare think you’re going to waltz in and out of here as you please without contributing to this household. I’ve been lenient this summer, but I don’t like what I’m hearing. You need a definite, approved plan.”

  Cal gave the table a dirty look. She figured it was meant for her, but he knew better than to direct it her way.

  “Veronica?” Mark stood and joined her at the kitchen counter. “Won’t you be late for work? Maybe we can talk about this later when we’ve all had a chance to think about it.” He turned, blocking his face from their siblings, and mouthed, “I’ll talk to him.”

  She stared into her brother’s brown eyes for a few beats. How many times had she stared into those eyes and felt safe, protected, and supported? But over the last two years, those eyes had become those of a stranger. She missed him desperately.

  “All right.” She peered around Mark’s stocky body and pointed at Cal. “You have a reprieve until this evening.”

  Twenty minutes later, she banged on the back door of Carmel, Finn’s restaurant, with her fist. The gray steel rattled under her touch.

  After only a few seconds, a young man of no more than twenty opened the door and looked at her inquisitively.

  “I’m Veronica Whit—”

  He snapped his fingers. “Chef told me you were coming.” He inclined his head toward the restaurant behind him.

  She smiled and went past him. Walking through the back hallway, she passed the kitchen and bathrooms and tiptoed past Finn’s office. The door was ajar but she couldn’t see inside.

  After entering the lounge bar on the right, she dropped her things onto one of the low coffee tables farthest from the front door.

  Along the left was a cherrywood bar. Its high stools with black fabric cushions were pushed in and perfectly aligned along the length. The American bistro ambiance was pleasing to the eye. The lounge housed oversized brown leather furniture arranged in small groups with a dark wood coffee table in the middle. A few high, round tables sat along the back wall.