Second Chance at Love (The MacKenna Born & Bred Trilogy) (19 page)

“I'd be okay with you calling him that,” Seth offered.
Ashley smiled at him. Chase gave him the finger.

“It's meant as a compliment, not as an insult. But since you
mentioned it, you are
definitely
a woman,” he agreed, looking her up and
down. “A woman who happens to have a killer set of legs.” She was itching to
slap the lop-sided grin off of his face.

She gave up. Clearly there was no help for Chase MacKenna. 

He loved knowing that he could push her buttons. It was the best
entertainment he'd had in ages.  
 
He winked at her over his coffee mug.
She ain't seen nothin' yet.

“So, what was all of that business in your kitchen this
morning?” Brooke stared at Karissa, knowing that under her direct scrutiny her
sister didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell.

Karissa blushed. Then a huge grin appeared on her pretty
face. “Oh, nothing.”

“Are you kidding me? Seriously? It was
not
nothing.
In fact, it looked like a whole lot of something to me.”

Karissa couldn't keep it to herself even if she wanted to.
“Okay, okay.”

She started at the beginning, filling Brooke in on
everything that took place from the time she had come downstairs until the time
she and Logan had shown up.

“I don't know what all of it means, exactly. I've spent half
the day trying to sort it out in my head. Maybe I'm over-analyzing it. Maybe
for Seth it didn't mean anything. But Brooke, I've just gotta tell you this.
He. Is. So. Hot. I mean, really, Brooke, you should have seen his
body
.
It was like this incredible work of art or something. Amazing. And the way he
looked at me when he grabbed my wrist...” She let out a low whistle. “Like he
wanted to devour me.” She laughed. It was...so fucking sexy.”

Brooke nearly choked on her own tongue. Karissa never used profanities.
In fact, she doubted she'd said more than two or three curse words in her
entire life, and certainly never the f-bomb.

When Logan appeared in the living room doorway, all
conversation ceased. The way they looked at him, like they were hiding something,
had him curious. But he let it go.

Brooke stood up and wrapped her arms around him, taking his
lips in a sensuous kiss that he returned with equal enthusiasm, leaving her
weak-kneed.

“What was that for?” he asked, nuzzling her neck. He loved
it when she kissed him like that.

“Just because,” she said, sweetly. The smile on her face was
adorable. At that moment, all Logan wanted to do was carry her upstairs and
make love to her. Slow, torturous love.

But they had dinner guests. As much as it was killing him,
the loving would have to wait.

“I suppose we should begin getting things ready for dinner,”
Brooke said, taking Logan's hand and leading him back through the doorway.

The traditional MacKenna Sunday dinner had been canceled
that particular Sunday because Diana and Nicholas had gone out of town for the
day, but rather than forfeit a nice dinner, Logan decided to invite everyone to
his place and he would cook. He enjoyed spending time with his brothers, and
since Brooke had come back to town, with she and Karissa. They hadn't spent
time together like this in years, and he missed it, he realized.

“We've already started,” he said.

“Do you need any help?” Karissa couldn't help herself.

“Oh, no you don't.” Brooke was adamant. “You're always
cooking for everyone. Tonight you're going to enjoy a delicious meal without
having to lift a finger.”

“We'll see about that,” she said, smiling.

She'd seen Logan's kitchen. It was gorgeous. It boasted
solid knotty pine cabinetry, marble counter tops and state-of-the-art
appliances, which included the most beautiful stainless steel oven and range
combination Karissa had ever seen. And the room itself was so spacious. It must
be like cooking in Martha Stewart's kitchen. There was no way she was going to
miss out on that experience.

They walked into a kitchen that was in complete chaos.
Nickelback came through the overhead speakers of the stereo system, filling the
room with incredible sound, and together with the movement, infused life into
the room, as Seth, Chase and Ashley each performed their task at hand.

Chase was preparing a green bean casserole, while guiding
Ashley step-by-step through the process. She was genuinely interested,
committing each step to memory. She would have to try this recipe at home
sometime.

They worked in tandem, each of them enjoying the
light-heartedness of the moment. It was nice to know there was something they
could do together, and have fun doing it, without jumping down each other's
throats. Well, it was usually more like her jumping down Chase's throat. He was
the calm one, who never got agitated or bitchy, the way she did. She would have
to try not to be so sensitive and defensive to his comments. All in all, Chase
wasn't such a bad guy. She supposed she could at least make an effort to get
along with him.

Seth was in the midst of putting together the most amazing
looking garden salad. While he sliced vegetables, he danced back and forth,
from the counter to the sink to the fridge, and back again. Karissa watched him
in wonder. He made everything look so easy. He was so absolutely perfect.

Logan and Brooke joined in preparing the meal.

After incessant nagging on Karissa's part, they finally gave
in and let her work on the dessert. She thought about the day they'd spent
together. They'd had breakfast on her patio and then had showered and gone for
a scenic ride in Logan's spacious 7-seater Cadillac Escalade. They drove deeper
into the peaks of the Bitterroot Mountains, to one of the best lookouts. It was
breathtaking. They'd enjoyed it.

“I love your kitchen,” Ashley commented, as Logan popped the
chicken into the oven.

“Yeah, Ash has a thing for kitchens. She has a nice one at
her place,” Brooke put in.

“We built it,” Logan said, the pride evident in his voice.

“We...as in...”

“Me and Seth and Chase. Seth designed the entire house. The
crew did the framing and the drywall, and we subcontracted out the plumbing and
electrical, but we did the kitchen and the bathrooms. Mostly because Seth
custom made all of the cabinetry, by hand, and he wasn't about to let some
laborer get his hands on it. When he does something, it's done to perfection.
Especially when it comes to building,” he informed her, bragging affectionately
about his brother. “And then the three of us installed it.”

“You made all of these beautiful cabinets?” Karissa asked,
while running a hand lovingly across a pine door. She looked at Seth when she
said it, her gaze holding his and her eyes filled with amazement. “They're
beautiful, Seth.” She was so impressed by that knowledge. She knew he could
build and was great with his hands, but she'd never imagined this.

“Thanks.” His gaze still held hers as Logan continued.

“As a matter of fact, Seth designed all three houses ~ mine,
Chase's and his own.

“And let me guess, Seth custom built all of the cabinetry
and you guys installed it?” Ashley could picture the three of them working
together on the project. Three brothers, helping each other build their dream
homes. Well, dream home may not be an accurate term. Men didn't tend to think
along those lines, not the way a woman would.

“Yeah, and it was a pain in the ass,” Chase chimed in.

He'd loved every minute of it, actually. Working alongside
his brothers to create something that was so meaningful to each of them had
been the coolest thing. What he had enjoyed most about it was that it was
something they could do together after years of being separated. It was a
bonding thing. A guy thing. A brother thing.

The incessant ring of Ashley's cell phone had her scrambling
to dry her hands and check the screen to see who was calling. When she saw that
it was her agent, she picked up right away.

“Hey, Megan,” she answered, her smile fading as she listened
to the woman on the other end of the line. “On Friday? Yeah, that's fine.” She
nodded her head as she talked, trying to memorize the details her agent was
relaying to her. “Alright, I'll talk to you in a day or two. Ciao, my love.”

When she disconnected the call, Brooke, who had been making
a homemade vinaigrette for the salad, looked up. “What's up?”

Ashley sighed. “I have to go to London.”

“When?”

“I have to be there on Friday. A special author event,” she
explained, while scrolling through the call log in her phone until she found
the number she was looking for, and then pressed the telephone symbol. “Yes,
I'd like to make a reservation for a flight from Missoula, Montana to Los
Angeles.” She waited a beat. “Yes, I'll be departing tomorrow.”

While Chase listened to her make her travel arrangements,
his heart sank. He couldn't say why, but he was disappointed that she was
leaving. She could be a complete pain in his ass, but he didn't mind it. He'd
gotten used to having her around. He frowned into the casserole, wondering when
he would see her again.
If
he would see her again.

Dinner went off without a hitch. The meal was delicious.
Logan had done an excellent job with the chicken dish, which was juicy and
flavorful and cooked to perfection. He sat at the head of the table, with
Brooke to his right. They were talking quietly to one another, and when she
leaned over to kiss him, gently, he whispered against her lips, “I've been
waiting all night to get you alone. Can't we just tell them that dessert has
been canceled?” he asked, while slipping his hand beneath her skirt and slowly
making his way up her inner thigh.

Brooked laughed at the desperate look on his face. “No, we
most certainly can not,” she said, playfully pushing his exploring hands away.
“You do realize that I can't stay tonight, don't you?”

“Like hell you're not staying,” he said, nibbling on her
neck.

“It's Ashley's last night here. I really should spend it
with her,” Brooke said, apologetically.

She felt guilty that she hadn't made herself available one
hundred percent during Ashley's visit. She'd been so wrapped up in Logan and
wanting to spend every possible minute with him. Ashley had assured her that
she didn't mind, but she still felt badly about it.

“You are spending it with her, right now.” He wasn't going
to make this easy for her. “So, why doesn't Ash just spend the night here?” he
suggested. “That way, you can spend time with her, and then later, you can
spend the night being loved by me. It's a win-win situation.” A knowing grin
spread over his face.

She thought about what being loved by Logan meant. It meant
a night of hot sex with the most incredible orgasms. Lots of them.

“I'm sure Ashley would be agreeable to that,” she said,
feeling her body temperature sky-rocket.  When she reached over to rub Logan's
leg, the back of her hand accidentally brushed his crotch, and she realized her
body temperature wasn't the only thing that had sky-rocketed.
Where in the
hell is dessert?
she wondered, as her mind wandered ahead to the wonderful
things the night had in store.

It was a beautiful day for riding. The temperature held fast
at seventy degrees and there was a steady breeze coming in from the north.
Logan and Brooke rode together, sitting on top of Moondance, Brooke in front of
Logan in the saddle. She leaned back against him as he guided the gelding
through the woods, his arms partially encircling her as he held the reins. The
path narrowed in places, and Logan carefully maneuvered through.  He loved the
way she felt nestled against his chest as he rode. Her head fit perfectly
beneath his chin, and he could smell the scent of her hair, sweet and fresh
like summer. He breathed it in, breathed her in.

He was reminded of a time long ago, when they'd been
teenagers. They'd ridden these woods many times, too many to count. As a kid,
he'd played in them with his brothers, and also with Brooke and Karissa. Long
summer days spent being a kid, with no worries or cares beyond what they were
going to do tomorrow.

When they reached the clearing, Logan slowed the horse to a
stop. They sat just as they were for a few minutes, taking in the beauty and
the magic that surrounded them. To the north and west were the mountains,
beautiful and majestic, their peaks jutting up toward a blue Montana sky. To
the east were miles of forest, which they had explored endlessly. To the south
was West Wind Ranch, where Brooke had grown up.

The stream separated their families' land, and though it
did, it had never been a barrier. A Babylon weeping willow, its enormous pale
green arms draping gracefully downward toward the earth, stood near the south
bank of the stream. It was their special place, the place where Brooke had
given herself to Logan for the first time. It was Logan's first time, too, and
he'd been cautious but sure of himself. They'd been sixteen years old, young
and in love, eager to experience their first taste of sexual fulfillment.

When Brooke took a blanket out of the saddlebag and crouched
down on all fours, Logan was pleasantly surprised.
Premeditated,
he
thought. He liked it. She glanced at him over her shoulder, sending him a saucy
smile.

“Aren't you coming, cowboy?”

“With any luck,” he said, smacking her ass playfully as she
crawled in ahead of him. “Has anyone ever told you that you have a superior
ass?” he asked, watching the way it wiggled as she crawled underneath the long
arms of the willow.

“As a matter of fact, yes,” she responded, “but a girl never
gets tired of hearing it.”

He laughed, and the sound reminded Brooke of warm honey.

“Do you know, it's occurred to me that we have a lot of sex
outside of our bed,” he said, playfully.

She arched a brow. “Is that so?”

“It sure is. On a boat in the river, in the stables, under
the old willow tree.” He had a sexy smile on his lips as he pointed out each
one. “I'm sure I can think of a few more places we can do it.”

She laughed at that. “I'll bet you can, cowboy.”

Brooke spread out the blanket, smoothing the wrinkles.
Sitting in the center of it, she patted the spot next to her, smiling
seductively. Logan didn't need any more persuasion than that. He knelt down in
front of her, taking her face in his hands. His lips met hers, their breath
mingling. He traced her lips with his tongue, teasing, tantalizing, then let
his tongue slip inside to taste her. She was warm and moist, and he lost himself
in her her sweetness.

Brooke mated her tongue with his, her passion building
steadily with every thrust of his tongue, with every heady taste of him.

 Logan nudged her back onto the blanket, his body covering
hers. He placed a hand on either side of her head, the muscles in his forearms
rippling as they held his upper body weight. She brought her hands up, rubbing
them slowly up and down his arms, reveling in the feel of him. He continued to
kiss her thoroughly, leaving her breathless.

He pulled her shirt up and over her head, discarding it. He
unhooked her bra, one clip at a time, exposing her perfect breasts. He never
got enough of them ~ admiring them, caressing them, tasting them. He flicked
his tongue over her nipple and watched as it hardened. He teased the pretty
pink bud with his tongue, loving the softness of her. She was so completely
female. Logan loved her femininity.

He was rock hard already. They shed the rest of their
clothing quickly. He knew this time wasn't going to be long and drawn out. He'd
wanted her for too long, and she seemed to be as eager as he was. He reached
down between her thighs to rub his fingers across her clit and discovered that
she was hot and wet, just as he suspected.

 She gasped when he plunged inside her, and wrapped long,
slender legs around his waist as she began to move. He kept a slow rhythm,
enjoying the feel of her. She was tight and wet as she closed around his thick
shaft. His pace increased slowly, but steadily. Her own desire flooded her, and
she arched toward him, wanting more. Wanting him.

“God, you feel so good.” Logan whispered it against her ear,
his breath labored. She had a way of making him lose control. All he wanted to
do was bury himself deeper inside her. With every thrust he felt himself moving
closer toward the edge.

If this wasn't heaven, then Brooke didn't know what was.
Every nerve ending tingled, her body wrought with pleasure.

She couldn't stop the climax even if she wanted to. She felt
the smooth heat pump through her, and her body trembled violently. She said his
name, over and over, as she found release.

He followed her, burying his face in her hair when he came,
her silken tresses whisper-soft as they tickled his skin.

They lay together, naked, their bodies still connected.

“You're so incredibly beautiful,” he said, watching Brooke
intently. Her lips curved into a smile.

“So are you.” She meant it. He laughed, nuzzling her neck.

“I'm not sure if I should be flattered or offended,” he
said, his arms tightening around her. She loved the closeness, and snuggled
deeper into him.

“You should definitely be flattered,” she said, trailing a
hand slowly down his side, stopping at his hip to caress the skin there, and
then working her way back up again. Her hands were a contradiction, delicate yet
strong, and his skin came alive under her touch.

“You're my fantasy woman.” He said it because it was
precisely the way he felt. He didn't see the point in hiding his feelings, he
never had, especially where Brooke was concerned.

“Since we're being honest, there's something I want to share
with you, too.” She looked at him then, so intensely that his heart nearly
stopped beating. “Sometimes I feel like you can look inside me and see into the
depths of my soul,” Brooke whispered, her eyes darkening to a deep blue. They
were the color of the sea, and at that moment, as turbulent.

“Sometimes I think I can,” Logan said, quietly. Her gaze
continued to hold his, for what seemed to be an eternity. She wondered if he
could also see the deepest secrets she held within her heart, and if he knew
that he alone held the key to unlocking what was hidden there.

He rolled off of her and lay on his back, pulling her with
him so that she lay sprawled against his chest.

He looked up at the rays of sunlight that peeked through the
long, draping branches of the willow. It was so peaceful here, so quiet, the
only sounds were those of nature. The sound of the stream, and of the animals.
Logan loved the solitude. He thought about the times he and Brooke had come
here as kids, and then as teenagers.

They'd made love beneath this very tree for the first time.
It was their sixteenth summer, in August, he recalled. Brooke gave herself to
him, and it was the most precious gift he'd ever received. Brooke had been so
nervous, and so beautiful. He'd been nervous, too, as it was his first time,
but he hadn't let it show. He knew it would be etched into his memory for the
rest of his life.

He thought about all of the years they'd spent apart, and
how being without her had left a horrible void in his heart. He hadn't known
how he would go on after losing her. She was his everything. And when she left,
he was left with nothing, only an empty shell. He didn't think he could handle
her walking away from him a second time. He
knew
he couldn't.

She was smiling as she looked down at him, but he was sure
it was sadness he saw in her eyes. He felt it, too. Uncertain. Heavy.

He looked so serious.

“What are you thinking? At this very moment, what are you
thinking?” She wanted, no, she
needed
, to know.

He looked at her and saw everything he 'd ever wanted. “I'm
thinking about you.” He said it quietly. “About the way you feel and the way
you smell. The way you taste. About the way your eyes light up when you smile,
and how you're the most caring and giving person I've ever known. And I'm
thinking that I can't go another minute without telling you that I love you,
Brooke. I always have. Time and distance haven't changed that, because they
can't. Nothing can. Ever.”

The panicked look in her eyes cut him, deep.

“Logan---” she began.

He shook his head, cutting her off. “Don't say anything. Not
now. I don't expect you to say the words back; I just wanted you to hear what
is echoing in my heart.”