Second Chance at Love (The MacKenna Born & Bred Trilogy) (14 page)

“Yeah, you boys sure knew how to shake things up around
here,” Brooke said, recalling several incidences that would probably be best
left unmentioned.

“We boys?” Logan quipped, raising an eyebrow.  “I seem to
recall you and Rissa right there in the middle of most of it,” he teased. She
had to laugh, because it was true.

“What can I say, we were a team.”

He looked at her then. “We were a great team,” he said
quietly. She remained quiet for a minute, reflecting.

“Childhood memories are the best memories of all,” she said,
wistfully. “Sometimes I wish we could go back and be kids again. No
responsibilities, no worries. Just having fun and looking at life through a
child's eyes, you know?” She glanced over at him, and found him watching her,
his eyes intent on hers.

“I do know,” he said. He wondered if she was happy with her
life, if she'd found everything she was looking for. Did anyone really? he
wondered.

It was nearly midnight by the time Brooke pulled off the
road onto Logan's drive. They'd talked and laughed, and Brooke had thoroughly
enjoyed herself. They'd kept it light, and hadn't dredged up the past. That was
exactly the way she wanted it. As she maneuvered her car down the long drive,
she wondered how much longer before they reached the house. It seemed endless.
Logan had purchased over two hundred acres, half of it mountainous, she
remembered him telling her. He'd bought the property two years earlier when he
moved back home to Angel Ridge. He'd had his house built, and the stables. He'd
always wanted to give horse ranching a try, and when the opportunity had
presented itself, he'd taken it. He still worked for Titan Aerospace
Corporation in a consultant capacity.

When Brooke pulled up in front of the massive two-story
house, she was in awe. It was absolutely beautiful. The combination of wood and
stone and glass was gorgeous. A long walkway led to the entryway at the front
of the house. A beautiful picture window faced the drive, and Brooke could see
the cathedral ceiling inside. Brooke assumed it was the living room. It was
totally illuminated. There were lamp posts strategically placed along the
walkway that led to the front porch. Pretty bushes sat underneath windows, and
pretty potted flowers sat on either side of the front door. Brooke absolutely
loved it.

It was difficult to see everything because it was night
time, but Brooke made a mental note to have Logan give her the grand tour
sometime. She couldn't see the stables, and she knew they were about a quarter
of a mile from the house. There was a nice two-car garage, not connected to the
house. Brooke spotted Logan's truck parked to the side of the garage. The
garage doors were open, and she could see two more vehicles parked inside ~ an
SUV and a Corvette. Then it dawned on her. The cars, the house lit up. Was
someone else there? Did he have roommates? A girlfriend?

She wasn't sure how to ask, exactly, so she just came out
with it. “Do you live alone?” She wasn't sure why she even cared. But she did.

“Mhmm.” He wasn't sure why she would have the impression
that he didn't live alone. “I really am glad you enjoyed your birthday,
Brooke.” She watched him as he got out of the car. He leaned down and stuck his
head back in. “Would you like to come in for a bit?” He wondered if inviting
here in was a smart move on his part. Either it could go very well, or very
badly. He decided he would take his chances because he wasn't ready to part
company with her just yet. He couldn't explain why, but he wanted her there. In
his home. In his life.

Brooke considered it. It only took her a second. “I'd love
to.”

Either she was feeling brazen or she was quickly losing
brain cells. The jury was still out on that one. She turned off the engine and
slid out of the car, walking around to the other side where Logan was waiting.
“Your home is beautiful,” she commented, as they made their way up the long
walkway. She'd already fallen in love with it. When they reached the front
door, Logan pulled out his keys from his pocket and unlocked it. The minute he
pushed the massive door open, Koty practically barreled out. The dog jumped and
Brooke thought his tremendous weight would knock Logan down, but he just stood
there, petting Koty.

“Okay, boy, get down now,” he said. Koty obeyed instantly.
“He gets overly excited,” Logan explained.

Koty looked up at her with his big puppy dog eyes and she
was a goner. She bent down to nuzzle him. He was so big and so soft. After a
minute of that, Koty walked off in the direction of what appeared to be the
kitchen.

“It's okay. He's just a big teddy bear.”

Logan smiled at her description of his dog.

“Can I get you a drink? Some wine, maybe?”

“No, thank you. I've had more than my fair share already
tonight,” she said, her eyes taking in everything at once.

Brooke was in love with Logan's house. It was beautiful,
from the design itself right down to the furnishings and décor.

Naturally, she asked for the grand tour.

They started in the basement, which was completely finished.
There was a family room/rec room, complete with a giant flat-screen television,
pool table, dart board, various other games and a full bar. Adjoining it was an
exercise room, which was loaded with every piece of equipment a serious fitness
buff would ever need. And a half bath off of the family room.

They moved on to the first floor, which boasted a gorgeous
kitchen, dining room, formal living room with a stone fireplace, and a full
bath. On the second floor was the master suite, which included the master
bedroom, master bath, a glass-enclosed room that overlooked the back of the
house and housed a hot tub, and Logan's office. There were also three more
spacious bedrooms and another full bath on the second floor.

Brooke couldn't get over the place.

“This place is incredible, Logan. I mean, I can't get over
how perfect it is,” she said, as he followed her down the grand staircase back
into the living room. She couldn't wait to have a tour of the stables and the
property sometime in the daylight.

“Yeah, it's great,” he answered.

He really did like his place. It was nice and comfortable.
But it was missing one very vital element. Love, and a family to fill it up. He
had built it with that in mind.

“Well, I guess I should get going,” she said, though she
barely made an attempt to move toward the door. They watched each other,
silently, both of them fully aware of the tension that sizzled between them.

He didn't know if he'd misread the signals. He didn't think
so.
Only one way to find out,
he thought.

Logan came up behind her, pressing his body firmly against
hers. She felt one hand cover her hip, while the other reached up to brush the
dark mass of hair away from her neck. His movements were slow, deliberate. The
pressure of his fingers on her hip intensified as he trailed soft, whisper-like
kisses across the nape of her neck, and down to her shoulder. He couldn't say
why exactly, but the sudden tremble he felt course through her gave him the
tiniest bit of satisfaction.

She turned, breaking contact between their bodies for only a
few brief seconds.
Oh yeah, this is exactly where I want her,
Logan thought.
Pressed against him, her breath catching softly in her throat and her body
humming, she was his to do with as he pleased.

He placed both hands on her hips and held her there. He
massaged gently, yet deeply, and Brooke could do nothing else but give in and
accept the wonderful sensation of his highly skilled hands on her body. Her own
hands came up to rest lightly against the broad expanse of his chest. The hard
muscle beneath her fingers thrilled her. She loved the feel of him. She always
had.

She slipped her hands beneath his shirt and let them explore
his abdomen, pleased to find even more delicious muscle. He was cut, and she
marveled at the hard divots and squares. She let her hands explore him
thoroughly, rubbing them sensuously over those magnificent abs.

His lips, warm and seductive, continued their assault down
the long, slender column of her throat. Her skin was so tender there. He
changed direction, working his way toward her ear. When he caught the sensitive
flesh of her lobe gently between his teeth, a low, husky moan escaped her lips.
God, that feels so good.
Brooke heard the words echo through her head,
over and over, until she could think of nothing else beyond that moment.

Her arms reached up to encircle his neck as she pressed
herself closer to him. His arms went around her slim waist, his palms slowly
rubbing the small of her back. He was pleased, and surprised, when her fingers
began to lightly stroke the back of his neck. His lips curved into a half smile
even as he lowered his head to explore her pretty mouth.

His kisses were slow, seductive. He could taste the
sweetness of her, and he was drawn to her like a bee to honey. His lips brushed
hers, first lightly, each stroke increasing in its intensity, until he left her
just a little bit breathless. She met his lips with equal fervor. She was
totally unprepared for the affect that Logan was having on her, and more, for
her response to him. It left her light-headed and weak-kneed. She wasn't some
giddy school girl, she was a grown woman, a strong woman, one who didn't lose
her mind over the opposite sex. Even if he was a damn fine specimen. She needed
to just slow things down for a minute. She needed to clear her head, and think.

Am I crazy?
she wondered. The last thing she wanted
to do was slow things down. Or think. She hadn't been kissed or touched like
this since...hmm, she couldn't even remember how long it had been. Since
jackass Jason, she thought, feeling just a little mean, and a lot childish. And
his lips and hands had
never
felt this good on her.

But this wasn't just some incredibly hot, random guy, this
was Logan. And even if he had been just some incredibly hot, random guy, Brooke
thought, she wasn't in the habit of having casual sex. She had been in a
relationship with every man she'd ever slept with. Not that there had been
many. And not that there had been any actual sleeping going on, she mused.
Oh
God!
Why am I letting my mind wander like this?
she wondered.
Because she was nervous, bordering on panicked. And she rambled when she was
nervous, or panicked. Not aloud, but in some corner pocket of her mind.

She'd promised herself that she wasn't going to let this
happen. Not again. Logan MacKenna had been her first lover. He had also been
the first boy, and then the first man, she had ever loved. And to this day,
despite all the years that had passed, he was the
only
man she had ever
loved. He had made it impossible for her to love, and to trust, another man.

She despised him for that.

She'd loved knowing that she never had to wonder if he loved
her; he always made sure she knew it. He'd been the man she dreamed of spending
her life with. The man who would become her husband, and who would father her
children. But instead, he'd been the man who'd left her heartbroken, destroyed,
alone. And pregnant.

She despised him for that, too.

He had another thing coming if he thought she'd give him the
chance to do it again. It had taken Brooke forever to put the pieces of her
life back together. There were times when she thought she would never laugh
again, never feel anything but numbness again. In time, she began to mend, at
least enough to allow her to get out of bed each morning and to believe that
she had a purpose. To get through a single day without falling apart. To
function normally. To feel alive. Time had been what finally healed her. Yes,
it had been the greatest healer of all.

Just as she pushed off of his chest, his arms tightened
around her like a vice, making her effort futile. His tongue slipped inside her
mouth, stifling her protest. It was warm, and she could taste just a hint of
spice. He tasted so damn good. Her tongue met his in a seductive dance that
assailed all of her senses. She was completely powerless to stop it. And she
was beginning to realize that she didn't want to.

What the hell?
she decided, going against every
rational argument she had made for
not
ending up in Logan's bed. She'd
been trying to fight this strong sexual pull she felt for him since the very
first time she saw him again. She was beginning to realize that it was a losing
battle. They were two unattached adults who shared a mutual attraction to each
other. If this was going to happen between them, and she was suddenly hoping to
God it was with each passing second, then it would be on her terms, and hers
alone. But she would worry about that later.

His hands reached up behind her neck to untie the knot of
her summer dress. It came loose, and Brooke reached up instinctively to pull it
down over her breasts.

Logan laid his hands on hers, preventing her from undressing
herself. He wanted that privilege.

“Let me,” he said, his eyes locked on hers.

 Slowly, he pulled the material down her torso, and let it
rest at her waist.

 Logan's gaze swept down. Her breasts, more magnificent than
any he had ever seen, were totally exposed. He remembered Brooke's body as if
not a single day had passed.  He'd memorized every valley, every dip, every
curve. She had been gorgeous then, as a young woman of almost twenty-two, but
she was even more breathtaking now. She had matured sexually, and her body was
at its prime.

Her breasts were high and round and full. Soft, yet firm.
Her nipples made him think of pink rosebuds, pale and perfect. When those
beautiful buds hardened, Logan felt his own arousal begin to build.

His mouth suddenly went dry, and he swallowed uncomfortably.

He continued to undress her, taking his time, savoring every
moment. Pushing her dress over the generous curve of her hips, it pooled around
her feet when he let go of the fabric. She wore lace panties, white ones, that
barely covered her. They were a nice contrast to her golden skin. They were
tied at each hip by a thin piece of string. Logan let his gaze roam over her body,
taking in every glorious inch of her. She stood before him, wearing nothing but
white lace panties and high-heels.  And a wanton smile.