The Expert’s Guide to Driving a Man Wild (Bluebonnet #3)(53)
Author: Jessica Clare

“Not too much mist,” Elise said in a soft voice. She leaned over her camera tripod, adjusted the settings, and then moved forward to where Beth Ann stood. She reached for Rome’s arm and positioned it carefully, just below his belt and on his hip. Then she adjusted his fingers, stepped back, regarded him, and then moved forward again.

“What’s the problem?” Miranda asked.

“He’s stiff.” Elise frowned, staring at his hands.

Miranda tittered.

Elise jerked up, turned bright red, and staggered backward. “That wasn’t what I meant. I . . . I . . . he’s fine.”

“I’ll say he is,” Brenna commented. “Rowwrrr again.”

Elise shot her another mortified look and retreated back to her camera. She said nothing, but her hair hung in front of her face, as if she could hide behind a wall of long, swinging tresses.

Brenna wasn’t deterred by Elise’s shyness. How could she not stare at Rome’s tatted-up hotness? Heck, Elise had even said aloud that she thought Rome was beautiful. That counted for something. He’d be good for her, provided she looked up from her shoes every now and then to notice what a gorgeous piece of man-meat was there for the taking. And Grant’s sister was nice, but she was so uptight that she looked like she could use a few rounds in the hay with a much wilder guy.

Rome brushed a hand across his brow, absently wiping sweat—or spritzed water—from his brow. Immediately, Elise’s camera began to whirr as she started snapping photos of the casual motion. “Remind me again,” he said, “why I’m the one stuck out here getting basted in mud and squirted with water?”

“Because Colt and Dane are busy,” Beth Ann said in an easy drawl, taking a step backward to proudly survey her handiwork as Elise continued to take photos.

“Busy hiding,” Rome muttered, but then flexed and winked in Elise’s direction, clearly not as miserable as he pretended. “What about Grant?”

Brenna was pretty sure that a choked little sound erupted from Elise, despite being shielded by the camera and her hair. “Yeah,” Brenna commented, sitting up. “What about Grant? I could stand to see him a little filthy.”

“I’m guessing you’re an expert at seeing him filthy already,” Miranda quipped.

“Maybe.” But Brenna grinned.

Elise looked over at Brenna curiously. “I thought you guys were fighting?”

“We kissed and made up. Lots, and lots of kissing.”

“Please don’t tell me any more,” Elise said, raising a hand in protest. “He’s my brother.”

Beth Ann came over, a wrinkle of surprise between her perfect blond brows. “You guys were fighting?”

“When are we not fighting?” Brenna said, taking another sip of her drink. “But I like to think of it as just a precursor to some really good makeup sex. It just means that the makeup sex is frequent, right?”

“I guess so, honey.” But Beth Ann didn’t look convinced. She shared a worried look with Miranda. “It’s tearing up the boys, you know.”

By “the boys,” Beth Ann clearly meant Dane and Colt. And that made Brenna curious. “Tearing them up? How so?”

Miranda chimed in. “When you guys aren’t speaking, they never know whose side to take. Grant’s their buddy, but they look at you like a little sister. It makes things difficult for them.”

Why was everyone suddenly interested in her sex life? Why had their casual sex started to affect others? Brenna began to feel that uncomfortable, smothering sensation of being trapped. They thought of her and Grant as a pair. That the health of their relationship suddenly affected theirs. And she felt the sudden, irresistible urge to escape. “I think I need a refill,” she announced, ignoring the fact that her glass was still half-full. “Be right back.”

Before anyone could volunteer to accompany her, she hurried away. She needed a few minutes to herself, to get her head straight. Get a breath of air. Something.

But as soon as she walked back into the main lodge, Grant was there. And she sucked in a breath. Speaking of wet and delicious . . . he looked as if he’d just recently come out of a shower. His skin was lightly flushed, and his hair had been combed into slick waves that were only half-dry. He wore a dark Polo and khaki pants and was watching a stock report scroll across the flat-screen TV, remote in hand.

And even though Rome, who was far more her type with the tattoos and roguish attitude, was just outside? He hadn’t done a thing for her. But seeing Grant in his straitlaced office wear? It made her instantly want him.

And a little sigh escaped her throat.

He glanced over at the sight of her, and a warm smile tugged his mouth. “Nice hat. You look ready for a day on the beach.”

“Why, are you planning on taking me to the beach in November?” She gave him a saucy wink, her tongue lightly running over the end of her straw. All that worry about not being able to breathe because she was smothered? Kinda forgotten in the presence of Grant’s dominating sexiness. He tended to make her forget all her resolutions when he smiled at her.

And she figured that wasn’t entirely such a bad thing.

“I could be convinced,” Grant chuckled, moving to her and looping an arm around her waist. “But you’d have to borrow a bikini from someone.”

She made a mock-pout. “You mean I’d have to wear a swimsuit?”

“As much as I like to see you totally naked, you might want to save that for when we’re alone.” The words were admonishing, but the tone—and the teasing look on his face—was so affectionate and easy that it made her heart melt—and her pulse throb.

Let the others think what they wanted. She and Grant knew what they had.

TWELVE

Thunder crashed overhead, and the lights flickered in the main lodge. From her desk, Brenna looked up and winced, glancing over at Grant. “It’s nasty weather today.”

“It is,” he agreed, seemingly unconcerned as he worked on a series of brochure proofs, his gaze intent on his computer monitor. “But our clients pay to get the full survival experience, remember? This is just part of the lessons—how to survive in the elements.”

“But this isn’t one or two elements,” Brenna protested, hugging her coffee close and frowning at the windows. She moved toward one, staring out at the dark blue skies, and shivered at the wall of clouds that crackled with electricity. One of the trees near the gravel parking lot was nearly bent sideways with the wind. “This is like, all of the elements. At once.”