Mason snorted, Gage laughed out loud, and Valerie and Brea snickered. Lila just coughed.

  “Walker!” Jolene blushed to the roots of her hair.

  “So does that mean you say yes?”

  “Yes. Hell yes, I’ll marry you. Now, if you all don’t mind, I’d like to continue this conversation in private.” She stood, grabbed Walker’s hand and headed out the front door, grinning at the sounds of claps, laughs and hollers from her family.

  After shutting the door behind them, Walker pulled her into his arms and kissed her until any residual anger she might have felt melted. But she wasn’t angry anymore, not after knowing why he’d left. It was the sweetest surprise. Unnecessary, but she understood why he’d done it. And she liked the thought of having their own place, quiet and far removed from the craziness that was her family, yet still close enough if she needed them. When they pulled apart, she slid her palm against the rough beard of his jaw.

  “You did all that. For me.”

  “For us. To shut up the gossips.”

  “Oh, I don’t think there will be any gossiping.”

  At his questioning look, she filled him in on what had transpired with Woodman.

  He laughed. “I’ll have to thank Mason for that.”

  “We’re family. We take care of each other. And you’re part of this family now. Now, let’s take a ride and see our new land.”

  They climbed into the truck and took a ride to where the McMasters property ended and the Reynolds property began. It was just a fence line, but to Jolene, it represented something significant—a new beginning.

  “Our land,” she said as they climbed out of the truck and sat on the hood, looking out over the fields.

  “A new start.” Walker turned to her, bracketing her waist. “How about we toast that new start by climbing the fence and making love in the field on our new land?”

  She laughed. “Since the Reynolds’ house is about three miles from here, I’d say that’s a fine idea.”

  Once they were over the fence, it didn’t take long for clothes to go flying. They didn’t even get everything off. Jolene was in a hurry to wrap her fingers around Walker’s already hard cock. He pushed her up against the fence pole and lifted her onto his shaft.

  She was ready for him. Even being away from him for a day was too long. Wet and pulsing with need, she accepted him inside her, quivering with anticipation. His mouth found hers, and he kissed her with the same kind of desperate longing coursing through her.

  He slid his hand under her shirt, found her breasts and fondled her nipples, making her arch her back, craving more of the touch that set her on fire. She rocked against him, then reached down to rub her clit, needing that climax that would bond them together.

  It was fast, furious, a coupling borne of passion and a deep love Jolene hadn’t been looking for, but had found with Walker. He slipped his hands under her butt and lifted her, driving her onto his cock and pushing deeper inside her. She held on to his shoulders and rode him, grinding against him until she felt the pulses she couldn’t hold back.

  “I’m going to come,” she said, staring into his stormy eyes, wanting him to come with her.

  He did, pumping into her with hard thrusts that sent her sailing over the edge with a groan. She kissed him as they climaxed, both of them ending up trembling and shaky and laughing as they nearly fell over.

  Later, they got dressed and made their way back over the fence, then lay on the truck and watched the stars overhead.

  Jolene couldn’t remember ever feeling so contented. A few months ago she was fighting her uncle, fighting to get her sisters here, and chasing after a man who paid no attention to her—or so she thought.

  Now her family was here to stay, and so was Walker. Maybe going after what you really wanted wasn’t such a bad idea.

  She flipped over onto her belly and kissed Walker. “I love you. Stay with me forever.”

  He tapped her nose with his finger and kissed her back. “I love you, too. And I’m not goin’ anywhere. Not without you.”

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Engagement Arrangement, the latest novel in Jaci Burton’s Boots & Bouquets contemporary romance series!

  CHAPTER

  • • • • • •

  one

  AN IRISHMAN NEVER left a glass of whiskey unfinished, and Finn Nolan was as Irish as the green hills of his former homeland. He propped his booted feet up on the Bellinis’ front porch railing to finish off the last of his whiskey before heading back to his own house for the night. He rolled the amber liquid around in his glass, then frowned as he saw headlights cutting into the darkness in front of him.

  It was late. His boss, Johnny Bellini, had gone inside for the night. As far as he knew, everyone in the house had already gone to bed. Normally Finn would have headed to his place on the Bellini property, but Johnny had wanted to chat and Finn enjoyed his company, so he’d hung out long past dark.

  The car pulled down the long gravel drive. He decided he’d wait and see if maybe someone had made a wrong turn. The lights were off on the front porch so they couldn’t see him as they stopped in front of the house.

  Recognition dawned as he saw Brenna Bellini open the passenger door of the Mercedes, followed by some tall, professionally dressed dude exiting the vehicle’s driver’s side.

  The guy walked around the car and Brenna held up her hand.

  “Don’t,” she said.

  “At least let me walk you to the door.”

  “Don’t bother. It’s clear this date is over.”

  “Why? Because I asked you to come home with me?”

  “No. Because you’re a class A, narcissistic asshole whose primary interest is in yourself. Go get in your car and take yourself home, Jerry. I’m sure you and your hand will have a lovely finish to the night together.”

  Jerry looked offended. “Hey. I can get a lot of women.”

  “Then go get them. A whole harem of them.” When he continued to stand there, she shooed him with both hands. “Go.”

  Jerry lifted his chin, muttered something Finn couldn’t hear and got in his car. Brenna waited, arms crossed, while he drove away.

  Finn smirked. The one thing he knew about Brenna Bellini was that she could take care of herself.

  “What a dick,” she muttered as she made her way up the stairs, stopping when she caught sight of him.

  “Bad date, huh?” Finn asked.

  “How long have you been out here?”

  “The whole time.” He pulled his feet from the porch railing and stood. “Why do you keep going out with such losers?”

  She shot him a glare. “What do you know about my dating history?”

  “I hear things.”

  “Where?”

  “Here and there.”

  “From my sisters?”

  He shrugged. “Here and there.”

  She rolled her eyes and started toward the front door.

  “You deserve better, Brenna.”

  She looked over at him. “Damn right, I do.”

  He walked over, stopping in front of her. Damn, she smelled good, like a vanilla cookie. He wanted to taste her. And kiss her. Her gorgeous red hair streamed out behind her in the breeze, and he itched to run his fingers through it, to see if it felt as soft as it looked. But he’d never once touched Brenna Bellini.

  Except in his fantasies.

  “Then why don’t you give a good guy a chance?”

  She looked him up and down. “What? You think you’re the right guy for me?”

  “Why not? I’m a better guy than those jackasses you keep going out with. Stop playing with those boys you’re not interested in and let a real man into your life.”

  She shook her head. “Not a chance in hell, Finn. First, you work for my family, and second . . .”

  His lips curved as she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

  “Go on . . .”

  “And second . . . you’re like family.”

  “Nah. I’m not your family and you know it. I’m the man you’ve always wanted, always needed, but never knew it. Until just now.”

  He saw her breath catch, her eyes widen, her lips part. He knew if he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, she wouldn’t object. But the one thing Brenna needed was a slow-burn romance, and he intended to give it to her. She deserved that.

  He tipped his cowboy hat toward her. “Good night, Brenna.”

  He turned and walked down the steps and around the side of the house, enjoying the quiet of late night, the glow of fireflies dancing around him. He’d lived on the Bellini property since he was eighteen years old, after his ma died and, since he had no other living relatives, Ma’s childhood best friend, Maureen Bellini, had flown him from Ireland to come live with them. After that, Johnny and Maureen Bellini had become family to him. Brenna’s sisters Erin and Honor had become like sisters.

  But Brenna? She’d never been family. She’d been something else entirely. The first time he’d laid eyes on Brenna, with her beautiful red hair and unusual hazel eyes and hellacious temper, she’d lit a fire in him that over a decade later had yet to be extinguished.

  Not that she’d ever known that. He’d never wanted her to know. Until now.

  At first, he’d been too young, too unsure of himself, too tongue-tied around the fierce beauty. And then they’d both grown up and he’d watched her fall in love with and marry that shithole Mitchell Walker. Mitch had never appreciated the fine woman he’d had. He’d taken her for granted, ignored her in favor of his business, and then he’d lost her.

  She’d needed time to grieve the end of her marriage, to get back on her feet, to regain her confidence. She’d gotten back out there and started dating again, but she found fault with every one of the guys she dated.

  As he turned the corner and headed down the path toward his place, he smiled. He knew why none of those guys had lit a spark under Brenna. Because none of those men knew her like he did, knew what she needed.

  He was the flame to her tinder, and it was time he lit the match.

  * * *

  • • • • • •

  BRENNA TOSSED HER purse onto her bed and stared at the full-length mirror leaning against the wall. Her face was flushed with a pink glow, her pulse still racing after that comment from Finn.

  What the hell had that been about? He was the one she always wanted but never realized, or some such nonsense? Where had that come from? After her useless date tonight, she’d felt empty and disappointed. But a few words from Finn on the front porch and she was lit up like a bonfire.

  She was not interested in Finn Nolan. Like, not at all.

  Liar, liar, because your panties are on fire.

  “Shut up,” she whispered to herself. She took off her dress and hung it up, went into the bathroom to wash off the remnants of her terrible date, then climbed into bed to read a book. But she couldn’t concentrate, Finn’s words still pinging around in her head.

  Was he the guy she’d always wanted, always needed, but had never realized it?

  Stop playing with those boys you’re not interested in and let a real man into your life.

  She pulled her legs in toward her chest and wrapped her arms around them, thinking about how he’d looked when she’d walked up the steps. His long, jean-clad legs stretched out, his cowboy hat tipped low across his brow, hiding his magnificent stormy gray eyes. And that Irish lilt to his voice—that alone could melt a woman’s clothes right off her. He needed a haircut, all that rich, silky black hair spilling out from underneath his hat, making her itch to run her fingers through it while his mouth crashed down on hers and his tongue—

  Whoa.

  Okay, maybe she had an attraction. And maybe she always had. She still remembered when he’d first arrived on the ranch. He’d been eighteen then, and she’d been seventeen. He’d been lanky and shy and oh so heartbroken about his mother’s death that her heart had just about broken with him. But he had a smile that lit up the entire state of Oklahoma.

  Oh, she’d fought that attraction with everything in her. After all, Mom had trusted all of them to take care of Finn, to treat him like family. And when he’d loosened up and become part of the family, she’d held that attraction she’d felt to herself, while Finn had come out of his shell and laughed and made friends and had girlfriends and treated her just like he treated everyone else.

  Then Mitchell had come along, distracting her with his sweet talking and empty promises of happily-ever-after.

  What an eye opener that had been. Happily-ever-after was for fairy tales. That was why she worked the winery and left the wedding stuff to her sisters.

  She rolled her eyes, realizing that thoughts of Mitchell were like buckets of cold water all over her libido, dousing her hot fantasies of Finn.

  With a sigh of disgust, she turned out the light and climbed under the cool covers.

  She and Finn weren’t meant to be, anyway. He worked on the vineyard, they saw each other every day, and the two of them fooling around would be a recipe for disaster.

  There. Fantasy effectively ended.

  It was never going to happen.

  About the Author

  Jaci Burton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of over eighty books, including the Play-by-Play, Hope, and Brotherhood by Fire series. She has been a Romance Writers of America RITA finalist, and she was awarded the RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award. Jaci lives in Oklahoma with her husband and dogs.

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