Recipe For Seduction (A Madewood Brothers Novel) (Entangled Brazen) (17 page)

Their hands roamed over each other’s bodies. Christ, she was luscious in all the right places.

“You’re so beautiful.” While his hands massaged the cheeks of her bottom she explored his chest, unbuttoning his chef’s coat and pushing it off his shoulders until it fell to the floor behind him.

“Employees?” she whispered.

“All gone.” And that was the last time the real world interfered.

Their mouths and hands explored each other for a few minutes, but he was too ready for more to wait.

“Take off those pants and take position. Legs spread, hands on the glass.”

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. It made him insanely hard knowing she was on board for a little kink tonight. But she wasn’t moving fast enough.

“You have twenty seconds before my cock is inside you.” He smacked her butt. “In position or not.”

She bolted to the big plate-glass window, stepping around two love seats sitting at the front of the restaurant. She bent, pulling down her track pants, letting them fall around her ankles, then put her hands flat against the glass.

Black lace ran across her hips and down between her ass cheeks. He wondered if she was already wet. She adjusted her hands on the glass and stuck out her bottom for him. He approached, releasing his belt and pulling down his zipper. He retrieved the condom he’d started carrying in his wallet just for times with her such as this. He was sheathed even before he positioned himself behind her. He ripped aside the lace and thrust inside from behind. She was wet, taking him in smoothly. They both moaned when his hips touched her ass. He dipped his fingers under her hoodie, found her breasts, and kneaded them. Her hands slipped down the glass, the sweat from her palms leaving a streak.

Headlights shone through the window as cars drove by. The street was quiet, given the hour, but it wasn’t unusual for some stragglers from the club district to make their way over on their drunken walk home.

He pulled out and crouched behind her, licking a long line up her folds. He craved a taste; he needed a taste. He pulled away from between her legs, her desire heavy on his lips, then entered her again.

“Make me forget,” she mumbled. “Make it all okay.” She threw her head back and her hair fell over her shoulders in a cascade of orange-scented mahogany.

She needed an escape. A means of letting go of the tension, from the troubles that plagued her every day. And he would give it to her. Wanted desperately to give it to her. But something inside him tightened when he realized there was a definite possibility she’d never let him behind the wall of emotions she kept hidden inside. And his only contribution to “making it all okay” was his dick.

He pumped harder, his hand snaking around her body, finding the hot button that would send her soaring over the edge of pleasure, to a place where it was only the two of them.

Her hands fisted against the window and she pulled them together to rest her forehead. He thrust so hard and so fast he thought they would break through the glass, but he’d take his chances. He continued his delicious assault on her body.

Within seconds, she moaned her release, her sex tightening around him, triggering his own burst of insane pleasure.

Turning her in his arms, he pulled her against his chest, smoothing a hand down her hair.

She touched the sides of his face with her fingers. Without a word, she captured his lips in a sweet kiss.

And confirmed his worst nightmare.

Somehow, the woman he was fucking had ended up being the perfect woman, exactly the right woman, for him. Except she was completely, utterly wrong for the life he wanted.

It was just another of the universe’s cruel jokes. And it seemed the only one not laughing was him.

Chapter Ten

“Ladies, welcome to Casa Madewood.”

Veronica gasped as Penn opened the double doors to the huge mansion. It was the biggest house she’d ever seen.

“Well, shit,” Madison said with an awed curse beside her. “I should take home jobs more often.”

It was the morning of the bachelorette party and boudoir photo shoot—just over a week since Finn had fucked her so hard and so thoroughly against a plate-glass window.

She entered the massive foyer of the mansion carrying Madison’s photo equipment with girlish anticipation fluttering in her stomach. It had been a good while since she’d spent any real girl-time with women she could call her friends. It felt great. And tonight, capturing her sexuality on film was another thing she was going to do all for herself. Which also felt great.

“Welcome, ladies.” Sterling entered the foyer from the kitchen, followed by two young girls.

“Sterling, this house is beautiful,” Veronica said as she looked up and admired the cathedral ceiling that was at least twenty feet high. But really, beautiful wasn’t a good enough word to describe to it. The foyer was as big as the whole first floor of her townhouse. But even more beautiful was a large bouquet of lilies sitting on a small table in the middle of the entryway.

“Not as good as the snacks and drinks I’ve lined up for us,” Penn said. “Nothing is too extravagant for the future Mrs. Vaughn. I expensed it all.”

“Oh, gee thanks, Penn,” Carson Kelly drawled down at them from the landing on the second floor. Veronica recognized her from the grand opening of the farm a few weeks earlier. Hair and makeup for the photo shoot had obviously been set up somewhere in the house—she appeared radiant with red lips and pink cheeks; her brown hair had been curled and hung past her shoulders. “I’m going to have to listen to Neil’s grousing.”

Being engaged to the man who handled all the Madewood company finances, Carson would be the first to hear the freak-out when Penn’s receipts came across Neil’s desk.

Penn winked. “Better you than me.”

Veronica made the introductions. “This is my friend Madison. Madison, this is Sterling, Penn, Carson, and—”

“Forgive me,” Sterling said. “These are my sisters, Surrey and Sydney.”

They were identical twins. If one hadn’t had her hair up in a ponytail, Veronica knew she wouldn’t be able to tell them apart all day.

“So, how exactly is this going to work?” she asked as they followed Sterling toward the staircase.

“I figured we could use one guest bedroom for the photos and one as the dressing room,” Sterling said. “And we’ve set up the library as our lounge.”

“That’s perfect.” Madison handed Veronica the camera bag from her shoulder. “I have a few more cases and equipment in the car.”

“We’ll help you,” one of the young girls said as they went with her back outside.

Veronica followed the other ladies up to the second floor, into the most elaborate home library she’d ever seen. Bookshelves lined two of the four walls, and a massive oak desk sat straight ahead in front of three large windows. On the desk, champagne and sodas were chilling in ice buckets, and a selection of hors d’oeuvres, cheese, and fruit filled the rest of the tabletop. She really wished Ali could have made the trip home from school to enjoy this afternoon.

Penn lifted a magnum out of the ice bucket. “Let’s get this party started, shall we?”

Thirty minutes later, Veronica had put the finishing touches on her makeup. Her hair had been styled to resemble Greta Garbo. Her lips were bright red with no shine. Wrapped in a fluffy towel over her selected skimpy lingerie, she was stage-ready—minus the sparkles. She kind of missed the sparkles.

“Oh, my God. I think I’m going to be a lingerie model! That was so fun.” Penn raced into the room and flashed a huge grin. “I need to go change into my second outfit.” She hurried past them, her ass and breasts bouncing along with her.

“V, you’re up,” Madison yelled from the bedroom.

Veronica gripped the towel at her breasts and took a deep breath. If she could stand on stage naked in front of a live audience, she could have her picture taken. Besides, why was she so nervous? Madison was the photographer.

She tiptoed into the room and closed the door. Madison smiled. “There’s my little guinea pig.”

And that’s exactly what Veronica was. In exchange for Madison offering unlimited hours as photographer for the other women in the next room, Veronica had agreed her own photos could be used in Madison’s portfolio.

“Whip off the towel and let’s get to work. I want you on your knees in the middle of the bed.”

Heat overwhelmed Veronica at the memory of Finn’s exact command.

She let the towel drop to the floor and followed Madison’s instructions.

“Don’t you think it’s funny that you’re wearing a thong and a bustier and I can actually say I’ve seen you even more naked?”

Veronica laughed. “It seems our friendship was born from nakedness.”

After five minutes, she had maneuvered into three different poses and Madison seemed to get more excited with every click of the camera.

They had migrated from the bed to the chaise longue in the corner of the room and she was spread out, her legs kicked up over the side.

“Stick out your boobs,” Madison directed. “You have to— Yes, like that.” She brought the camera to her eye and clicked. “Boudoir is all about exaggeration.”

Pulling the camera away from her face, Madison clicked through her last few shots, cocking her head to the side. Then she looked at Veronica again. “Try to find the light every time you move.” She waved her hand to the left. “Turn your face, yes.”

One thing Veronica seemed to be good at naked was following orders. She’d learned that the moment Finn had demanded she remove her clothes the first time.

“V, you are so photogenic it makes me sick.”

Madison continued to babble as she clicked away, and all Veronica could think about was how Finn was going to act when he showed up later on. Make that, worry about.

Madison kept up the conversation while clicking and directing her on the chaise. “So, are you really going to make me ask about what’s going on with you and Chef Hottie?” she suddenly asked.

Veronica sat up and swung her legs forward, putting her knees together but her feet far apart in what Madison called a broken doll pose.

“There’s really nothing to tell.” She had already told her about the first encounter after the show, but she’d conveniently forgotten to mention they had agreed to play out each other’s fantasies. And had actually started to do it.

“So then, you haven’t had sex with him?” Madison clicked and clicked again, moving closer, zooming in on her chest.

If Veronica said no, she’d be lying. If she said yes, then she’d have to disclose everything. Madison was the closest friend she’d ever had. A little pathetic after almost thirty years, but she’d never felt comfortable around girls. Always out of place, out of step. Never good enough. But with Madison she could be herself, and if she thought about the other three women out there, they were great, too. They had all gone out of their way to include her this afternoon, and she had no doubt that would continue for the rest of the night. It felt good having women friends. Too good to be true. She wondered what would happen to the friendships she was forming when her fun with Finn came to an end.

Madison straightened and dropped her camera. “I take it by your silence you’re trying to decide whether or not to lie.”

Veronica laughed. “How do you know me so well after so little time?”

Madison shrugged. “You’re not so hard to figure out. Although, I wish you’d understand that you don’t have to play everything so close to the vest with me. I won’t judge you. You could even tell me you once shit your pants. I don’t care.”

Veronica burst out a laugh and shook her head. “You have such a way with words.”

“So…?” Madison sat down beside her, their shoulders touching.

Veronica trusted her new friend, even though they’d only known each other for a few months. “So, we’re sort of…” She sighed. “I don’t even know what to call it.”

Madison nudged her. “You’re having fun. That’s what you call it.”

Veronica turned her head and grinned. “Yeah. It’s really fun.”

“And it’s just what you need.”

She nodded happily, then her shoulders slumped. “But I’m not sure it’s such a good idea that we continue our fun. It’s getting too complicated. Things with my brother are…” Things with Cal were getting worse. He still hadn’t apologized for making her worry sick over his whereabouts the other night, or for the out-of-control party. And it didn’t go unnoticed that his contrary behavior had escalated the moment she returned from her worry-free weekend with Finn. Which only solidified that it could never happen again. Finn was amazing, everything she’d always wanted, but she didn’t think she could deal with the consequences to her family if they continued their affair.

With the exception of her small moment of weakness against the restaurant window, she’d been avoiding him, trying to figure out where to go from here. “I’m afraid when it’s over, we’ll never be able to talk to each other again. I couldn’t bear that. We’re too good friends to ruin that part.”

Finn was one of the most important people in her life. She didn’t know what she would do without him in it.

The whole situation sucked.

Madison sat silent for a moment, then slid off the chaise, crouched, and grabbed Veronica’s hands. “I’m not going to pretend I know anything about love or relationships. But what I do know, and what I don’t want for you, is one year from now, or five years from now, you wake up and realize you’ve sleepwalked your way through the last ten years of your life because you were afraid of what
might
happen.”

Madison’s eyes grew distant. She was thinking about something. And Veronica realized she didn’t really know much about her friend, or her past.

“Do what makes you happy, honey. No matter what it is. Go after it with all your heart. Screw anybody who disagrees. Life is better alone when you’re happy than tied to someone who’d rather see you miserable.”

Clearly, Madison had been hurt. Badly. Veronica could see it in her friend’s eyes. But she wouldn’t pry. When Madison was ready, she’d tell her about her past, the things that made her the person she was today. A person Veronica admired greatly.

“Do you understand me, V?” Madison stared up at her with compassion.

Veronica nodded. “Yeah.”

Madison patted her hands and stood, flipping her red hair over her shoulder.

“Now, let’s get back to business. Spread those legs, baby girl. Elbows on your knees.”

An hour later, Veronica had posed for about a thousand pictures, the snacks had been picked over, several magnums were empty on the floor, and the girls had gotten a little rowdy. Someone had cranked up the music.

Madison sat at her laptop in the lounge area and fiddled with some of the pictures. She had promised to Photoshop a few on the spot.

“So Veronica, what’s going on in your life?” Penn slithered into the seat next to her with a mischievous grin.

She tensed, and scooched over on the couch. “Nothing much. Work, and trying to get Cal sorted out.”

“No gentlemen calling?” Carson asked. She sat on the wingback chair across from her. She had changed out of her lingerie right after her photos were complete. Unlike Penn, who traipsed around in a short, silky robe enjoying that it was acceptable, at least today, to walk around partially undressed. However, everyone had the essentials covered out of consideration for Sterling’s little sisters.

“No, I don’t have time for gentlemen,” Veronica said evenly.

“Bullshit!” Madison called from her computer.

“Excuse me?” she grumbled. Madison was a big traitor.

“I call bullshit, too,” Penn said. “And I think I know just what we can do to pass the time until the men get here.”

Penn stood and walked over to where Madison sat at her laptop. “May I?” She tapped on the keyboard after Madison handed it over, and made a few clicks. Without raising her head, she asked, “When is your birthday?”

“May 25, 1985,” Madison blabbed. They’d compared IDs when they were carded trying to get into the club before their burlesque graduation show—as ridiculous as that was.

“Why do you need my birth date?” Veronica went over to them, and that’s when she noticed she was feeling woozy. She’d had at least a bottle of champagne to herself.

But she sobered up quickly when she realized Penn was on an internet dating site, in the process of creating Veronica a profile.

She squealed in protest. “I do
not
like using sex toys on the beach!”

“Have you ever tried it?” Penn questioned with a raised brow. When Veronica didn’t answer, she giggled. “Then don’t knock it ’til you have.”

Penn clicked more and typed more, and with each click, Veronica grew more nauseous.

“Madison, can we crop one of your photos and use it as her profile?”

“Sure thing.” Madison leaned in and with another click, the picture had been uploaded to the site.

“Do not press publish, Penn!” Veronica’s stomached tightened, and not in a good way. “Do
not
press—”

But it was done. Her profile was out there for men to stumble upon.

“This is ridiculous. What type of man could I possibly find on the internet?”

“Internet dating is very popular,” Surrey piped in. “Just ask Lee and Anne Marie from that commercial. They seem to be really happy together.”

“Or Tanya and Joshua,” Sydney added. The two of them giggled at each other girlishly, in contrast to the sophisticated, haute couture hairdos and outfits they’d donned for their photo shoots.

Sterling laughed. “Veronica. It’s just a profile. It doesn’t mean you actually have to date anyone.”

“So, this is where the party is.”