CHAPTER 54
Emma
“But—”
“Nothing can be more important than what’s in store for you this morning. Have you ever made love under the sky?”
“I—”
“Have you ever felt the warm breeze on that sweet little pussy of yours, Emma? That’s what I have planned for you this morning, though I’m not sure how exposed you’ll be, since my mouth will be all over your swollen pussy lips and my dick will be sliding in and out of you.”
I gasp. This is cruel. This is so much fun.
“I’m going to make you mine. Oh, and that’s great that you’re volunteering at school. Did I tell you that? How amazing you are? How much our lives have changed for the better because of you?”
I don’t say a word. I can’t say a word. He’s got me locked up with desire and emotion.
“I can hear you breathing, Emma.” His voice is a deep baritone, husky and hungry. “Stay right there, beautiful Emma. I’m coming to get you. Be ready for me.”
He hangs up. I stare down at the phone in my hand, my mind blank. I’m disoriented. I’m consumed. I’m on fire for Finn.
I’ve never felt this way about a man in my life.
I peer out the glass front doors of the school, half expecting to see Finn’s Jeep pull up to the curb. He said he’s on his way. That could mean anything from he’s down the block to he’s somewhere in the miles and miles of the ranch.
Get here fast. I need you now.
A voice interrupts my thoughts. “You’re the maid over at Yosemite Ranch, right?”
I turn to see two of the mothers staring at me. More like studying me. I’ve seen them before, of course. They have several children at the school, and the other mothers look up to them. They’re the queens of Sweetbriar Elementary.
And like the principal, they’re also wearing cardigans. I correct myself—I think this style of a matching sleeveless tank and sweater is called a twinset. So they are the twinset twins.
I stifle a laugh.
“Hello,” I say, still forcing my brain out of its sex stupor.
“Right? The maid?” the woman repeats.
“I’m Emma. I’m the MacLaine’s housekeeper.” I don’t bother to add the details. Like how I’m also their cook. Their friend. And the boss’s lover.
“Riiiight. Housekeeper.” She smiles at me, but it isn’t a warm smile. “I’m Tammy, and this is Lana. Welcome to Sweetbriar. We’ve been dying to talk with you. You seem so interesting!”
I’ve been around these types before. They aren’t dying to talk to me and they don’t find me interesting—they’re just nosy. They’re the mean girls all grown up. But still mean.
I can see why Finn wants to keep our relationship quiet. News would spread fast around Sweetbriar.
And I bet these two would be responsible for a lot of the spreading.
But Tammy… I think I’ve seen that unkind face somewhere before. I can’t place it.
“We’re so happy that you’re taking care of that little family,” Lana says, her voice overly sweet. “You don’t know how many times I’ve wanted to go over there and clean the house or cook a decent meal for them, the widower and motherless child. See, we’ve known Finn a very long time.”
They both giggle and share a glance.
Oh. So this is small-town jealousy.
“I’ve wanted to take Jasmine home with me for years,” Tammy adds, her fake smile still plastered on her face. “You know, to give her a proper upbringing.”
“The MacLaines are a wonderful family. Jasmine is a lucky little girl.” I say this with a straight back and my nose held high. “Jasmine’s also a very happy little girl. But your interest in her is sweet. Thank you.”
Lana rolls her eyes so hard that I worry they’ll get stuck in her skull like that, and she’ll have to roam Sweetbriar like one of Finn’s online gaming zombies.
“You should see what that girl brings to lunch,” Tammy whispers to Lana, making sure I can hear every word.
“If she brings lunch,” Lana says. “Normally she’s forced to get the school lunch.”
“I made her lunch today,” I tell them.
They both turn to me, eyebrows raised.
“Today was brie and cranberry sandwiches on homemade sourdough, an arugula salad with vinaigrette, and a kiwi and strawberry fruit salad in honey-sweetened crème fraiche.”
I have no idea how I just came up with that, but I’m on a roll.
I think I’ve been watching too many cooking videos from my favorite chef, Pierre La Croix.
I’ve been obsessed with his French cuisine instruction for years.
And finally it’s paying off, because their eyes are as big as dinner plates now.
This is so much fun that I stifle a giggle and finish them off.
“And for dessert, Jasmine has a homemade chocolate chip scone. We’ve been doing a lot of baking from scratch together. And Jasmine is becoming quite the kitchen professional.”
I smile at them.
“But she does like to buy a carton of milk at the cafeteria. Is that what you mean?”
My work here is done.
Their mouths are wide open. I can see where their tonsils used to be, and I can count the fillings in their teeth. Seven for Tammy. A big fat eleven for Lana. I’m so fixated on their stupid faces that I don’t hear Finn drive up.
Like a miracle from heaven, he’s standing next to me, towering over us. He’s wearing work jeans and work boots, and a tight white T-shirt that outlines every muscle in his torso. His thick hair is windswept.
His violet eyes are almost neon in the sunlight, and he looks from the moms to me and back again. He throws me a questioning look, and I avert my gaze, embarrassed that these women had the nerve to disparage his parenting and his family.
“Hi, Tammy. Hi, Lana.” His baritone is back. The women freeze like two deer in the high beams.
Finn puts his hand firmly on the small of my back. I relax and forget about the obnoxious women. I’m safe, back on my feet. I know who I am and who’s by my side.
There is no better feeling in this whole, entire world.
“Have a great day,” he says, steering me out the front door to his car. He opens the passenger door for me, and I get in. He slides into the driver’s seat and starts the car, just as I click the seatbelt in place.
He waits until we come to a stop at the red light to ask his question. “Are you all right? If they were unkind to you in any way, I’ll set them straight.”
He’s gripping the steering the wheel so hard that his knuckles are white. I rest the back of my hand on his forearm and glide my fingers up from his wrist to his elbow. I’m pleased with myself when his grip loosens.
“Nothing like that,” I say, deciding to spare him their unkind words. “I was just telling them that I made Jasmine brie sandwiches for lunch.”
He frowns. “But it’s sloppy joes day at school. She would never miss a sloppy joes day.”
“I know.” I burst out into laughter. “But I made up an entire lunch menu in my head, full of the snootiest French things I could think of! You should have seen the looks on their faces.”
I’m laughing so hard now that it’s contagious. Finn starts to laugh, too. Just before he pulls me in for a sweet kiss.
He caresses his thumb over my bottom lip and slides his gaze over my face.
“Yeah, I’ve known those two all my life. They’re real pieces of work.” He places another gentle kiss on my mouth.
“It was standard mean-girl stuff, Finn. Women talk to one another like that sometimes. Believe me, I’m used to it.”
His mouth pulls tight.
“Hey, really, it was nothing.”
“Does Summer talk to you like that?”
“What? No! Of course she doesn’t.”
“And Aunt Phyllis?”
“No. Okay, so Yosemite Ranch is different than the real world.”
“It is?” He raises his eyebrows.
“Yes. It’s perfect. And anyway, those women think you’re hot.”
He winces. “I dated them both in high school. Maybe even at the same time.”
I laugh. “Well, there you go. That explains why they don’t like me.”
He tips his head in curiosity.
“No, of course I didn’t say anything. I just think—”
“You’re too beautiful. They’re jealous because you’re just too fucking beautiful. And you know fancy French words.” He strokes my hair. “Tell me one.”
“Um, crème fraiche?”
“Holy shit, that’s sexual.” I feel his hot hand slide up under my shirt and press into the flat of my belly. He pulls down the elastic neck of my peasant blouse and leaves a string of nibbles on my shoulder, my neck. I throw my head back and surrender to him.
“You better hurry and get me back to the ranch,” I tell him.
Somebody honks their horn at us. I have no idea how long the light’s been green.