Love Brewing (Love Brothers #3) (16 page)

They stayed connected, her hanging onto him with arms and
legs up against the barn wall until they calmed. He kissed her softly and
withdrew, holding her up until she got her feet under her. A horse whinnied and
stomped its foot.

“Sorry, dude. Nature called.” He zipped up, but his
expression stayed flat, scaring her. Then he shook his head. “I can’t not love
you, you wanton witch.” He held out what remained of her shirt and bra. “Sorry.
Ruined this one.”

“It’s all right.” She tossed them onto a stack of hay bales
before tugging her jeans back up. “I’m not gonna need it.” She stood, naked
from the waist up, delighting in the way he drank her in from head to toe. Then
she went up on her tiptoes and put her palm against his rough jaw, feeling him
tense, then relax at her touch. “I
am
yours Leland Tolliver the Third.
Now take me inside and show me how bad you can be.”

His eyes twinkled. “Oh, I’m pretty bad when I wanna be, I
assure you.”

“I know, baby. My butt has barn-wall burn.”

He brushed the tops of her breasts before kissing each of
her exposed nipples. She shivered, wanting him all over again. “No more
Dominic, right, Diana?” He thumbed her chin so she met his gaze. “I’m not
putting up with that cocky son of a bitch sniffing around my woman anymore. Got
it?”

She nodded, and despite all her efforts to the contrary,
tears spilled down her cheeks. He kissed them away, moving his lips down her
neck to her shoulders, ending at her bare boobs.

“Mmm….No more Dominic. I swear it.”

He picked her up and carried her into the house. Laying her
down on his bed, he kissed every inch of her, sending her into orgasm-land in
his perfect, so very Lee-like way it made her wish she could stay here, in his
bed, forgetting all that awaited her outside these four walls forever.

He rolled over and she propped up on her elbow, running her
fingers across his slim, firm torso, loving every centimeter of him. “Get up
here,” he whispered. “I wanna come, but I… I want to be inside you.”

She straddled him, letting her hair curtain them, her lips
touching his as he angled up, bringing exhalations of pleasure from them both.
She moved slowly, arching so he could suck her nipples. Digging his fingers
into her ass, he let her take her pleasure again, then yanked her closer, his
lips hovering near hers.

Shifting her hips, giving him the movement he required until
he cried out and shivered all over, she loved him so much Diana honestly
believed she might explode from it. He caught his breath and blinked up at the
ceiling.

“Damn. I didn’t think I had a second one in me anymore, old
dude like myself.” He yanked her down and kissed her, latching his leg across
hers and rolling so he loomed over her, loving her with his lips and softly
muttered words.

“Oh, I’ve been known to have that affect on men.” She buried
her nose in his damp chest. “Don’t ever leave me, okay?”

“It’s gonna take a lot more than a punky, confused, old high
school flame to make me do that. However, I am now officially faint from
hunger. I hear my future wife is a hell of a chef. Wonder what she can rustle
up in my humble kitchen?”

She giggled and shifted out from under him, headed for the
bathroom to clean up, smiling at the concept of his humble, seventy-thousand
dollar kitchen with its miles of rare granite, giant stainless island,
six-burner cooktop and designer double ovens. “I may very well be marrying you
for your kitchen, just so you know it up front.”

After washing her face, she spotted him in the mirror over
her shoulder, standing in the doorway, his slim body still nude, his blue eyes
full of emotion. “I’d do anything for you, you know that right?”

She nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist, loving his
feel, his smell, the sound of him breathing above her. “How did such an
incredible guy such as yourself escape the clutches of some social-climbing
wanna-be suburbanite anyway?” She’d admit to wanting to know more about his
dating past. He’d not been forthcoming, but she’d been busy with the
renovation, and her Dominic-related bad choices.

He kissed her hair. “Many a small war has been fought and
won with less effort to drag Doc Tolliver to the altar, I assure you.” She shot
him a glance, surprised, but not really at the same time. “But I knew something
was missing. And I found it when a bossy, sweaty, flustered young woman drove
her horse up onto my property and demanded I tell her why it was misbehaving.”

She shivered at his words, wondering how fate had done this
to her, finally tossing her in the path of someone perfect. She leaned into his
chest again. “I have to go help him tomorrow, okay? His … friend is in town and
has his—Dom’s son with him.”

“His son?” Lee held onto her, stroking her hair.

“Yeah, some girl he met in Germany and brought home. She
took off when he pissed her off. He’s pretty good at that.”

“I can see how that might be the case. So, this friend….”

“It’s a man friend. They were lovers, I guess, for a while.
I’m pretty certain Dom loved him, but won’t admit it. His daddy isn’t exactly
the liberal-minded type when it comes to…that.”

Lee tilted her chin up, then kissed her softly. He broke it,
smiling and touched the tip of her nose. “Leave it to you to be still puppy-dog
obsessed with a high school boyfriend who’s gay.”

She gripped him tighter and decided against the
he’s not
gay, he’s bi, trust me
, angle of conversation. “Thank you,” she mumbled
into his skin.

“For what, other than the record-breaking sex I bestowed
upon you here in the bed—not the wham-bam, thank-you-ma’am in the barn.”

“Oh, I kinda liked them both. But thanks for understanding
and for still loving me.”

“Like I said, it might have taken me forty-six years to find
you, but I did and I won’t be letting go anytime soon.” They stood quietly in
each other’s arms. “I’m still pretty famished.”

“Gotcha.” She grinned. Nothing much brought her real
happiness more than feeding people something she’d created. He smacked her ass
as she wandered into the bedroom to find a few bits of clothing she’d left here
the last time she’d stayed over.

“Want me to come with you tomorrow? Moral support?” He
cranked on the shower. She froze, wondering how she could tell him no and not spoil
their reunion. The truth seemed like the best option so she went with it.

“No. I’m not going to stay long, but he asked me to be
there. We’re…old friends before we’re anything.” She willed him not to be
jealous.

He crossed his arms and glared at her. She tugged on a pair
of her shorts and his Cornell sweatshirt.

“All right.” He ducked under the spray. “I understand.”

She paused, biting her lip and counting every lucky star she
possessed.

The hours passed so slowly Dominic was half-convinced the
clock started running in reverse round about 3 a.m. He sat, gaze fixed out onto
the lawn in the glow of the single light between the barn and house,
contemplating the bizarre moment he managed to inhabit.

He felt Diana’s absence like a void, one that hurt, sort of
like a dry socket after a bad tooth extraction. He thought he’d numb it with
booze, then recalled what he’d be facing in a few hours.

Kent.

Kent with his son.

Jace.

He dropped his chin onto his arms and kept up his vigil,
alert to every sound, trying not to panic and give in to the urge to drink
every drop of alcohol in Diana’s house, or to drive out and drag her from the
horse whisperer’s bed. Because one thing he did know—the good doctor deserved
her, and she him.

Dom took a long, deep breath, wrapping his mind around the
fact that Kent would be back in his universe in a few short hours. And he had
absolutely no idea what he would do, or say. Kent Lowery had fallen into his
life and sent ripples spreading out in directions Dom never even knew existed.
He’d gone off his meds right before diving into that chat room scene the first
time, and had stayed off them once he’d connected with Kent, virtually. After
they’d met and had sex, Dominic honestly believed he’d found his way—he’d never
require medication ever again.

When the man had told him that he was going to marry Cara
Cooper, Dom must have been drunk and pissed off enough to mention the kid. And
Kent, in his usual fix-everything-for-everybody-else way had decided that
Dominic should have a reunion with the child, despite the fact that after that
gut-wrenching almost-wedding he had ruined, he hadn’t so much as spoken to Kent
in over two years.

But the fact that he had a son, and would be responsible for
him now freaked him out to the point of his current insomnia. And the kid had
been abused? He wished he could wring Gina’s skinny neck, the crazy cow. He
started pacing again, willing away the hours, willing away thoughts of Diana
reuniting with her Mister Perfect even as he stood here, flipping out,
sweating, and shivering, and wishing he could bolt.

But he’d promised Diana he wouldn’t. And he owed her at
least one time he kept his word on that. But the closer it got to sunrise, the
harder it got to keep that promise.

Dominic sat on his bike, gripping the handlebars in the
driveway of his parents’ house a full four hours ahead of schedule. His heart
pounded so hard he had to consciously take long, deep breaths in order not to
panic. When Kieran pulled up beside him at the foot of the drive, his chest
unclenched ever so slightly.

“Leave the bike here. I’ll drive us over to the diner,” his
brother called through the open car window.

Nodding, still speechless with nervousness, he walked it up
next to the pole barn, put down the kickstand and climbed into the car. “So I
hear congratulations are in order,” Dom said, sliding down in the seat on
reflex. He’d spent way too many hours of his life sneaking away from or into
this property. Old habits died hard.

“Yeah.” Kieran drove out into the pre-dawn street. “I wanted
to get married. She didn’t want that, but did want a baby. She won. It’s a boy,
God help us, another Love brother.”

“Yeah,” Dom grunted and stayed silent the rest of the way to
the diner where he’d claimed he wanted to get some breakfast. But the thought
of putting food in his roiling gut right then made him want to puke all over
the inside of Kieran’s new car.

They parked and headed for the front door. The place
overflowed with a pre-church crowd, much to Dominic’s dismay. He’d managed to
hide pretty well the past few months, focused on Diana’s project, not to
mention Diana’s body. All of which had resulted in two new barns, a lot of sex,
and a fond,
I’ll always love you, but I’m marrying some other dude, good
luck with your kid and your ex-lover-
blowing-off from her.

He slid into a cracked red plastic booth seat after smiling
and waving to half the joint. Hiding behind the laminated menu, he wished he’d
chosen a damn Starbucks or some other suburban hangout where he’d know no one.

“Solve your zone-defense problem, Coach?” He glared at
Kieran when the man finally took his seat after chatting with some old couple
about Lucasville High basketball.

“No. I’ll be a while solving that, I’m pretty sure.” Kieran
waved to the waitress who brought them two dark-brown ceramic cups of the
Lord’s nectar. Dominic clutched his coffee and sipped, keeping his shoulders
hunched and his collar flipped up.

“So, this new Love family spawn makes his blessed arrival
when?” He stared at the menu without seeing it and knowing he’d never be able
to choke down a bite.

“About a month from now. I’m terrified. But Cara is
super-calm about it. She’ll be a great mom.”

“Huh.” Dom wished he’d not brought up the topic. “Kept it quiet
long enough.”

“Well, as you might imagine, Mama and Daddy were not
thrilled with the concept of an out-of-wedlock baby. So we waited until it
became too obvious. Then laid it on ‘em.”

“Glad somebody else is making waves besides me.”

“Well, I hear that Aiden and Rosie are considering moving to
Louisville since shes got promoted. That won’t fly, so he’s stressing about
it.” Kieran put the menu down. “Did Angelique ever press charges?”

“No, the silly bitch.” Dominic stretched his legs out in
front of him. “She moved home though. I believe that Diana had a come-to-Jesus
meetin’ with Lindsay Love about it. Wish I coulda been a fly on the wall for
that. I hardly know a woman better matched, stubborn-wise for our lovely
mother.”

“Huh, yeah.” Kieran chuckled then sipped. The silence
gathered between them. “So, tell me something, are you and Kent….”

“Please don’t bring it up right now. I’m not in a chatty
mood. I just wanted company so I wouldn’t rip my hair out by its roots. Or get
on my bike and take off for the West Coast.”

Kieran shrugged, ordered a full stack of pancakes with a
side of bacon and they both got coffee refills. “Not eating?”

“Don’t think I can,” Dom said. “I don’t know what I’m gonna
do with a kid. I don’t even have a place of my own anymore.”

“I’m sure Daddy will let you have the apartment, if there’s
a grandkid needing a roof over its head.”

Dom put his forehead down on the cool table surface, willing
the clock to move forward so he could get past it. After a couple of hours of
more coffee and random family gossip peppered with long silences, Kieran
glanced at his watch.

“Cara’s gonna meet us. She wants to see Kent…you know, she
hasn’t since….”

“Yeah, fine.” Dom slid out of the booth, marveling at the
stupid, soap-opera entanglements between them all. When he reached the car, a
dizzying panic attack made him stumble and gasp.

Kieran touched his shoulder. “Breathe, my brother. It’s
gonna be fine.”

Dom nodded, irritated, yet grateful at the same time. After
a few seconds, he let go of the passenger-side door, palms sore from gripping
it so hard. “I’m okay. Thanks,” he whispered. “Can you run me out to
Brantley’s?”

Kieran shot him a look.

“Diana’s coming with us. We’re…okay. Not, uh, anyway. She’s
engaged to that rich horse vet.”

“That older guy?”

“Yeah, but he’s got quite an arm on him.” He rubbed his jaw,
remembering how final that moment had been.

“You probably deserved it,” Kieran stated mildly.

“I probably did.”

When they pulled up to the farmhouse, Kieran whistled at new
barn with its fresh paint and classy, wood-worked sign stating they’d just
entered
Brantley’s Farm, Classic Events With Homemade Flair
.

“Yeah, the girls have done a great job. They both worked
their asses off on this thing.”

Diana’s truck sat in the drive, much to Dominic’s relief.
They got out and headed toward the side-porch entry. Diana was at the sink,
dressed in her robe, hair turbaned up in a towel, sipping coffee. Dom froze,
realizing he’d been a second from leaping at her, scooping her up, and kissing
her. His heart sank at the languorous way she smiled and the obvious
satisfaction in her every movement.

“Hey, Loves. Come on in. Coffee’s there. I’ll go get
dressed.”

Kieran gave her a one-armed hug and quick kiss on the
forehead. Dom avoided all contact by taking down mugs and pouring more coffee
that his rattled nerves hardly required. They sat, passing Diana’s iPad between
them, sharing the sports news and bemoaning the horrible season their beloved
Wildcats had experienced.

“All right.” Diana breezed back into the kitchen, fastening
earrings. “Let’s go.”

Dominic froze, anxiety stabbing his brain like an ice pick.
Kieran got up and pulled his phone out of his pocket. His eyes—so green like
their mother’s—were full of shock when he looked back up at Dom. “Cara’s
already there. It’s….”

“Right.” Dom got to his feet. How hard could this be anyway?
“Oh, fuck,” he moaned, dropping back into the chair and gripping the table’s
edge. “No. I can’t.”

“Come on.” Diana pulled him up and shoved him toward the
door Kieran held open. “I’ll follow you. I have a date later.”

Dom bit the inside of his cheek to keep the smartass comment
at bay.

He followed Kieran to the car, got in, fastened his seatbelt
and gripped his knees. “Let’s get it over with.”