him.
“Brandon,” she said. “I didn’t think I’d see you tonight.”
“I need to ask you something,” he said as he walked in, immediately filling the room with his masculine presence and his faint but intoxicating scent of leather and spice.
“Of course, anything,” she said. “Did you enjoy your dinner?”
“What? Oh, yeah. Dinner was fantastic. Jean Pierre outdid himself.”
“I’m so glad. It was nice to see Trish and Julia again. They both look so beautiful, and your brothers look so happy.”
“Yeah. Nice. Beautiful. Happy.”
“Is something wrong?”
He stared at her and frowned. “You’re beautiful, too.”
“Thank you, I think.”
“No, you are,” he assured her, studying her features. “You always were, but I guess I didn’t realize it before. But you are beautiful, Kelly.”
“Brandon, what’s wrong? What happened tonight?”
“Nothing.” He paced a few steps, then returned to stand directly in front of her. “Let me ask you something. Did my mother suggest that you get a makeover?”
“Your mother? Heavens, no.”
“She didn’t give you the idea?”
“No.” It was Kelly’s turn to frown. “Why?”
“Didn’t you go to the same place where she went a year or so ago?”
“Well, yes, I did.” She led him over to the kitchen area and grabbed her water glass. After taking a long sip, she said, “Your mother only recommended Orchids after I told her I was interested in finding a spa where I could…” She stopped and glanced up at Brandon’s expression. “Brandon, what’s this all about?”
He stared at her for a moment before looking away. He stalked slowly in one direction, then another, like a caged animal, then stopped and met her gaze again. “You’re sure my mother didn’t suggest that you needed to get a makeover?”
Kelly blinked. “My goodness, Brandon. Your mother is the sweetest woman in the world. She would never say anything like that to me.”
“You’re sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. She simply recommended a place after I asked her for suggestions.”
His eyes continued to focus on her, then he nodded briefly. “Okay, good.”
“I’m surprised you would think so poorly of your mother.”
“Whoa.” He held up his hand to stop her. “Believe me, I love my mother and don’t think poorly of her at all. It’s just that she’s been known to manipulate a situation or two, and I was just concerned that she might’ve given you some unsolicited advice.”
“Well, please don’t be concerned on my account. I simply mentioned my interest in, you know, making a few changes to my hair and…well, other things, and your mother gave me the name of the spa she’d visited. I took it from there.”
He seemed satisfied with her explanation. “Okay, I’m glad to hear it.”
She shook her head, realizing he was in a mood and she wouldn’t get much more of an explanation from him. “Would you like a glass of wine or something?”
“Yeah, something. Come here.” With that, he reached out to her with both hands, pulled her against him and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He stroked her back slowly, spreading tendrils of heat up and down her spine.
She rested her cheek against his shoulder. “But we weren’t going to do this anymore, remember?”
“Yeah, I thought so, too,” he muttered, glancing down at her. “But I changed my mind. Just this once. That okay with you?”
“Oh, yes, more than okay,” she murmured, feeling at home in his well-muscled, broad-shouldered embrace. “This is nice.”
“Yeah, it is,” he said. After a moment, he added, “I missed you at dinner.”
“Oh, Brandon,” she said, blinking rapidly so he wouldn’t notice the sudden sheen of tears in her eyes brought on by his sweet words. “I didn’t want to interfere in the time spent with your family.”
“You wouldn’t be interfering.” He touched her chin and angled her face so that he was gazing into her eyes. “My family’s great,
“Brandon,” she said. “I didn’t think I’d see you tonight.”
“I need to ask you something,” he said as he walked in, immediately filling the room with his masculine presence and his faint but intoxicating scent of leather and spice.
“Of course, anything,” she said. “Did you enjoy your dinner?”
“What? Oh, yeah. Dinner was fantastic. Jean Pierre outdid himself.”
“I’m so glad. It was nice to see Trish and Julia again. They both look so beautiful, and your brothers look so happy.”
“Yeah. Nice. Beautiful. Happy.”
“Is something wrong?”
He stared at her and frowned. “You’re beautiful, too.”
“Thank you, I think.”
“No, you are,” he assured her, studying her features. “You always were, but I guess I didn’t realize it before. But you are beautiful, Kelly.”
“Brandon, what’s wrong? What happened tonight?”
“Nothing.” He paced a few steps, then returned to stand directly in front of her. “Let me ask you something. Did my mother suggest that you get a makeover?”
“Your mother? Heavens, no.”
“She didn’t give you the idea?”
“No.” It was Kelly’s turn to frown. “Why?”
“Didn’t you go to the same place where she went a year or so ago?”
“Well, yes, I did.” She led him over to the kitchen area and grabbed her water glass. After taking a long sip, she said, “Your mother only recommended Orchids after I told her I was interested in finding a spa where I could…” She stopped and glanced up at Brandon’s expression. “Brandon, what’s this all about?”
He stared at her for a moment before looking away. He stalked slowly in one direction, then another, like a caged animal, then stopped and met her gaze again. “You’re sure my mother didn’t suggest that you needed to get a makeover?”
Kelly blinked. “My goodness, Brandon. Your mother is the sweetest woman in the world. She would never say anything like that to me.”
“You’re sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. She simply recommended a place after I asked her for suggestions.”
His eyes continued to focus on her, then he nodded briefly. “Okay, good.”
“I’m surprised you would think so poorly of your mother.”
“Whoa.” He held up his hand to stop her. “Believe me, I love my mother and don’t think poorly of her at all. It’s just that she’s been known to manipulate a situation or two, and I was just concerned that she might’ve given you some unsolicited advice.”
“Well, please don’t be concerned on my account. I simply mentioned my interest in, you know, making a few changes to my hair and…well, other things, and your mother gave me the name of the spa she’d visited. I took it from there.”
He seemed satisfied with her explanation. “Okay, I’m glad to hear it.”
She shook her head, realizing he was in a mood and she wouldn’t get much more of an explanation from him. “Would you like a glass of wine or something?”
“Yeah, something. Come here.” With that, he reached out to her with both hands, pulled her against him and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He stroked her back slowly, spreading tendrils of heat up and down her spine.
She rested her cheek against his shoulder. “But we weren’t going to do this anymore, remember?”
“Yeah, I thought so, too,” he muttered, glancing down at her. “But I changed my mind. Just this once. That okay with you?”
“Oh, yes, more than okay,” she murmured, feeling at home in his well-muscled, broad-shouldered embrace. “This is nice.”
“Yeah, it is,” he said. After a moment, he added, “I missed you at dinner.”
“Oh, Brandon,” she said, blinking rapidly so he wouldn’t notice the sudden sheen of tears in her eyes brought on by his sweet words. “I didn’t want to interfere in the time spent with your family.”
“You wouldn’t be interfering.” He touched her chin and angled her face so that he was gazing into her eyes. “My family’s great,
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