Wilde Forever (Wilde Women Book 1) (8 page)

A few seconds later, she stepped through a stand of trees into the clearing where the path crossed the side lawn leading to the old farmhouse. Brynn never failed to enjoy that wonderful moment when Nana’s distinctive Queen Anne style home first came into view. It was just about one of her most favorite highlights of the day and tonight was no different.

Moving aside as Jax came to stand next to her, she let the sight of the distinctive home that always made her feel as if time was standing still sink in. Watching his reaction from the corner of her eye, she felt a deep satisfaction at the delight that shone on his face. Clearly, Mr. Jax Merrill appreciated a gem when he saw one.

“What do you think?” she asked, anxious to hear his thoughts. “The first thing I did when I moved in was have the electricity upgraded. Gave it a smart-home system that can be controlled remotely. I love coming through the trees in the early evening and seeing it like this—with the porch lights on.” She sighed then chuckled, embarrassed by her obvious emotional connection to the building.

“I can see why you love the house, Brynn,” Jax murmured. “Turn of the century homes are quite unique and even from a distance I can see that this one is extraordinary.”

She couldn’t help the grin that appeared on her face. When warmth spread through her chest though, she coughed to keep the unexpected feelings at bay. It was just a house, and he was only expressing a professional appreciation.

“C’mon,” she gestured with her hands, “let me introduce you to Wilde House.”

As they trudged the last few meters across the yard, she heard Jax chortle behind her.

“I take back the jealous comment. This commute must be hell in the winter when snow is on the ground.”

She couldn’t help the giggle-snort that met his shrewd observation. He was right, of course.

“It’s called a snow blower,” she joked.

“Seriously?”

“Uh,
yeah
. Either that or snow-shoes!”

His bark of laughter re-ignited the warmth she was trying so hard to keep in check.

“Why not a dogsled too?” he teased.

“Hmmm,” she murmured, a sly smile quirking her lips. “You may be on to something.”

S
TOMPING UP THREE STAIRS THAT angled off the wraparound porch, Brynn reached into the back pocket of her jeans to grab the house keys and caught Jax admiring her derrière. She challenged him with a mocking sneer that only made him grin at her.

“Men,” she muttered under her breath as she unlocked the back door and stepped into a wide mudroom with painted beadboard along one wall, a low bench with wicker baskets underneath for stowing outdoor gear, and a multitude of nooks hung with old-fashioned coat hooks.

Taking the baker’s box from Jax’s hands, Brynn told him, “Through here is a butler’s pantry. My grandparents put on an addition in the sixties with an updated kitchen and family room so that’s one renovation headache I haven’t had to deal with. It’s hard to know where to start,” she told him bluntly as she led them into the cozy kitchen.

Dropping the box on a long counter, she watched him take in the clever addition that, while newer than the rest of the house by almost one hundred years, managed to recreate the charm of the original style. Everywhere the eye landed there was wood—from the magnificent reclaimed hardwood floors to the gorgeous cabinetry.

“I wanted to replace the windows right away with something more energy efficient but because I wasn’t sure if any structural changes were necessary, I put that project on the back burner for the time being.”

“Wise decision,” Jax answered. “No use in investing that much change into a space that may end up completely reconfigured.”

“Yeah,” she agreed with a quick head nod. “My thought exactly.”

“Whoever built the addition did great work.”

“That would be my granddad,” she told him proudly. “Obviously, the home has been in the family for quite some time. Each generation added something to the mix. Nana had a knack for making pottery so the garage has been converted into a studio with a loft. My younger sister lived there after she finished college. She’s an artist so it was perfect for her needs.” She made a wry face and added, “My workshop is this kitchen and the bakery of course so right now the studio is empty but I thought it would be helpful as a home base for the renovation work when it began.”

He nodded and she could see that his mind was working overtime. The next hour melted away as Brynn walked Jax through every room on the first floor from the amazing library with its magnificent built-ins to the front parlor with its beautiful French doors leading to a portion of the covered porch that had been turned into a sunroom. The parlor also had unique pocket doors that, when closed, gave the small room a cozy feel.

She rambled on like a tour guide, showing him the formal living room with its high ceilings marked with plaster castings and huge fireplace. Built-in window seating with multi-sided bay windows that curved with the unusual angles found in this style home was one of Brynn’s favorite spots in the house.

“Reading nook?” he asked.

“After a fashion,” she answered with a slow smile. “There’s an alcove in the master too, but I’m emotionally attached to this spot. I remember curling up here with my sisters as a child and we would pour over these old books Nana had from her parents that were filled with beautiful illustrations covered in delicate tissue paper.”

He smiled warmly at her. “Sounds a bit like you had some
Little Women
going on as you grew up.”

“Oh, indeed,” she chuckled.

After that she showed him the downstairs powder room that was in serious need of an upgrade before leading him up the wide, distinctive staircase to the second floor.

Jax was seriously impressed with Brynn’s charming Queen Anne house. It was everything he hoped it would be. There was a lot that needed to be done though to bring it into this century and keep it in good condition, something he was cataloging in his mind as she walked them room-to-room.

When she started up the staircase though, every professional thought vanished from his mind when he caught sight of her hips and the sexy way they rolled and undulated as she climbed the stairs. The sight had him gritting his teeth in seconds while he clenched his fists to keep from framing her outrageous ass with both hands.

From a purely physical standpoint and an appreciative male gaze, Brynn Baron-Wilde was a fucking masterpiece. The woman fired up a carnal longing inside him that he’d never encountered before. Her hands-off vibe was curious though. Plus, she was completely unaware of how mouthwatering and stunning she was. Those two things seemed at odds with each other making him wonder what the hell her story was.

As she led him through each of the upstairs bedrooms, he made some quick mental notes about rethinking the space to meet the needs of a modern family home. He noticed that she avoided the master bedroom when she stalked past the open door and ushered him to the room next door, which at one time had most likely been a nursery. It was empty except for some old window treatments and a tarp thrown on the floor on which sat some painting supplies.

“Do you think this room could be joined to the master and turned into an en suite?”

He shrugged. “Don’t see why not. Actually, that’s a great idea. Adds value to the home should you ever want to sell.”

She blanched at his reply and quickly lowered her eyes. What in the hell was that all about?
Curious.

“I’ll never sell,” she told him hastily. He didn’t miss the surge of emotion in her voice. “But unfortunately, that’s not my decision to make. My nana still holds the deed to the property.”

She looked stunned and worried at the same time and when she realized he’d caught the telltale expression on her face, she quickly whirled away and went back into tour guide mode. Unfortunately, as she spun around, the heel of her boot became entangled in the loose tarp, making her wobble and pitch forward in an awkward lurch.

He reacted instantly and reached out to steady her but it was too late. Caught off guard by the restriction of the tarp, she cried out with her arms arcing wildly trying to break the inevitable fall.

It was reflex that made him grab her waist and angle her body into his so when they tumbled, it would be he who took the brunt of the fall. And fall they did with a strong thud that forced a loud grunt rumbling up from his chest as his hip and butt connected with the hardwood floor.
Fuck—that hurt,
he thought.

Brynn collapsed on top of him in a disarray of arms and legs; one of her thighs pressed between his, and her hipbone was digging into his groin.

“Ergh,” she groaned when her elbow smacked against the floor. “Owww.”

Several things happened all at once. Jax was hyperaware of her sweet curves sprawled on top of him and the way her breasts pressed into his chest. This close she smelled like a combination of sugar and spice, no doubt a result of being in a kitchen all day, but what struck him straight in his libido was her natural scent. All woman. Soft and sharp at the same time. His dick immediately began throbbing.

To make matters worse, when he’d grabbed her waist to break the fall, one of his hands came to rest on her backside where the perfect curve of a plump cheek begged for a caress. With her hair in a wild tumble and her head just inches from his, the long blond locks shrouded their faces.

Their eyes locked and he felt her breathing get shallow as her chest heaved in short pants that read like a seductive Morse code on his senses. Just when he thought she’d try to scramble from their intimate slump, he saw her blue eyes flare and pupils quickly dilate. The next thing he knew, she was kissing him for all she was worth.

He didn’t hesitate to take control of the wild kiss, wrapping her in a firm embrace and bringing his leg up to hold hers where it pressed against his growing erection. She didn’t pull back at all, only threw herself deeper into the blazing inferno their bodies were creating, rubbing those luscious tits on his chest and wriggling her bottom as she pushed her sweet spot into his rock hard thigh.

She kissed him like her next breath depended on it. All tongue and husky whimpers, saliva made the joining of their mouths a fusion of wet heat that had him groaning with need. It wasn’t any hardship at all to surrender to the heady wildness that was driving them. Her tongue swirled around his, danced inside his mouth, and then retreated as his tongue explored the sweet delicious recesses of her sexy mouth.

Reaching for a handful of the ass he’d openly admired, he felt a shudder move through her so he ground his throbbing bulge against her as she writhed and moaned on top of him.

Jax was plunging into a thundering case of lust so fast he actually had the sensation of free falling. God. He wanted her. Under him. Naked. Wet. Panting. Desperate for his possession.

Before those thoughts were fully formed, he felt her stiffen and start to withdraw. Some part of him, although disappointed, was relieved she came to her senses first for if she hadn’t, he didn’t doubt for a second that he’d have been inside her, bareback and wild within minutes.

When she started to scramble off him, Jax groaned at the sudden loss of contact but didn’t make any attempt to stop her. He’d never experienced such a complete loss of control and it kind of shook him up.

“Shit,” she groaned as she rolled off and sat up.

Her cheeks were turning a deep red, and if he wasn’t mistaken, and he wasn’t, the outline of two pebbled nipples stood out in stark relief under the thin material of her t-shirt. Wanting to slip his hand inside her jeans to see if she was as wet as her response suggested, Jax slammed his hands onto the wood floor beneath him and held on for dear life.

Struggling to sit up, a feat made more difficult by the tremendous power of his throbbing sex, he rubbed a hand over the stubble on his face and worked at getting himself under control.

Brynn leapt from the floor and backed away from him so fast she almost left tire marks. Clearly, she wasn’t having any of it.
Fuck
.

Standing, he watched in dismay while she retreated as far away from him as she could get, eventually making for the door and out into the imagined safety of the hallway. Noticing she was moving with a slight limp, Jax squared his shoulders and hurried after her.