by Alice Brown
Up in Smoke
Number II of Texas Vampire Rangers
Alice Brown
JK Publishing, Inc. (2014)
* * *
Tags: Erotic, Paranormal, Romance, Vampires
Eroticttt Paranormalttt Romancettt Vampiresttt
Warning: For Mature Adult Audiences. Contains language and actions some may deem offensive. Sexually explicit content. MF
In book two of the Texas Vampire Rangers: After her husband's murder and her kidnapping, Susan thought she was doing quite well putting her life back together. She had a job at the Texas Ranger headquarters. Who cared if her new friends were vampires. It was past time for her to be happy.
Nathaniel had been sheriff of a small town for ten years and when he started dodging questions as to why he wasn’t looking any older, he knew it was time to move on. So he called his brother and packed his bags, ready to accept his new assignment with the Texas Rangers. He had no idea that walking in the front door on his first day was going to change his life forever.
Nathaniel might claim Susan as his mate, but after being in one unhappy relationship, she isn’t too sure she is ready for another. When someone begins terrorizing her, Nathaniel doesn't take any chances with her safety. He just hopes when her past catches up with her, he can keep her safe.
Up in Smoke
Texas Vampire Rangers
Book Two
by Alice Brown
© Copyright November 2014 JK Publishing, Inc.
ISBN#
All cover art and logo © Copyright November 2014 by JK Publishing, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Artwork by Jess Buffett
Published by JK Publishing, Inc.
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Epilogue
Books by Alice Brown
Excerpt from Up in Flames
Excerpt from Sapphamire
JK Publishing, Inc.
Prologue
Susan Honeycutt sat behind the front desk of the Texas Ranger Headquarters. Her mind wandered as she looked through a small stack of handwritten notes her boss had left for her to type up. She couldn’t help but think through the many changes her life had taken in just a few short months. Three months ago, she was a housewife who did a bit of housecleaning and sewing on the side for a little spending money. Her husband, Joe, worked security for the Texas Rangers. That was before he decided to turn greedy and spy on the Rangers, handing over valuable information to a group of thugs.
The price of him getting involved with the wrong people had been high. He was murdered, but that was only the start of the list of her life altering events. The head of the Texas Rangers, Walter Andrews, had come to speak with her himself, and while he hadn’t been completely forthcoming in telling her everything, he did emphasize that she was not safe staying by herself and had insisted she go with him. She ended up at his house and quickly made friends with his wife, Sissy Andrews.
It turned out the same group of thugs who were responsible for her husband’s death were also after another young woman who had witnessed a murder. Before the Rangers could apprehend the group, they kidnapped her and three other women, including Sissy Andrews and her sister, Betty.
That’s when the nightmare had really begun. The kidnappers were actual vampires, as in honest-to-goodness drink-every-last-drop-of-your-blood and leave-you-for-dead vampires! But as Walter’s team of Rangers came blazing in to save the day, it became apparent that not only were the thugs vampires, but Walter, and from what she could tell, the entire team of Rangers were all vampires.
If it hadn’t been for Sissy and her sister, Betty, keeping her calm, she would have checked herself into the nearest loony bin and asked for the best padded room. Oh, and in the process of keeping her calm, they had also come clean with her and admitted they were both vampires. She wasn’t going crazy. The shit really did happen.
Sissy and Betty helped her see that just like humans, there were good vampires and there were bad vampires. And the Texas Rangers were all good, of that she was sure. It took a bit of time for her to become accustomed to the fact she now worked every day with a large group of vampires. But then again, most of the Rangers made it easy, treating her no different than they had in the past. And they were very good at hiding what they really were. They had to be. They worked with the public everyday of their lives.
The bell above the front door chimed and brought her back to reality. She looked up. The sight that appeared before her eyes made her gulp. She had no idea if the man standing in front of her was a vampire or a human, but the sheer size of him made her think of Goliath. No matter which, the man was large enough to break her in two. Oh crap, I hope he isn’t a vampire, she thought.
She forced herself to put her fears aside, knowing vampires had acute senses and could smell fear. Plastering a smile on her face, she greeted the giant, “Good morning, how can I help you?”
*****
Nathaniel Scott Andrews walked out of the scorching Texas sun and into cool air conditioning. Thank
God for modern day conveniences, he thought. He had just recently, as in yesterday, relocated from Wyoming, where he’d been the town sheriff for ten years. Unfortunately, he hadn’t aged a day in those ten years and people were starting to notice. Yep, time to move on. A quick call to his brother and he was on his way to the Lone Star state. How in the hell did Walter deal with this heat?
The first scent that reached him was of a human. What the hell? Since when did Walter employ humans to work with their kind on a daily basis? He took two steps inside and came to a complete stop. The scent of pure human was still there, but with it now came the scent of the sweetest mixture of honeysuckle and lilac. It was a tantalizing fragrance, and it managed to capture every ounce of his blood and send it straight south. He quickly brought his hands forward to try to hide the massive erection that was now trying to protrude through his pants. How in the hell had this happened? How in the hell did fate match him up with a mere slip of a human? The fickle bitch must surely be laughing her ass off right about now.
As he started walking toward the counter, he heard her state, “Good morning, how can I help you?”
He walked straight up and leaned over the counter, getting as close to her as he could. “Don’t go anywhere, darlin', I want you for lunch.”
The look on her face went from shock to outrage in less than two seconds. “What did you just say?” she inquired with her eyebrow cocked. She stood from her desk and leaned into him, coming so damn close he could have easily reached out and kissed her. She was a feisty little thing, he’d give her that much.
“Listen, buddy. I don’t know who the hell you are, and quite frankly I don’t care, but there is no way in hell you’ll get away with talking to me like that. I’m calling my boss, who just happens to be the head of the Rangers.”
“You do that, darlin'. Tell my brother, Walter, that I’m here.”
“Wwwhhhattt?”
He reached over and lightly chucked her under her chin. “Never mind, baby. I know where to find him. You just be ready for me when I come back out.”
Chapter One
Nathaniel quickly scooted around the counter and kept his front side turned away from the now narrowed eyes of his feisty, newfound mate. He knew exactly where his brother was, because he was late for the staff meeting that should have started five minutes ago. Running late on your first day on the job, Nate. Great way to leave a good first impression, he thought. He could hear his brother speaking as he approached the door.
“Good morning. I know we have been adding some new members over the last few months, but I am adding one more. My brother has decided to join us and is relocating from Wyoming.”
Nathaniel heard that and wondered if his mate was one of the "new staff members". How long had a human, let alone a female and HIS MATE, known about them? How long had she been working for his brother? How long had he been in Wyoming wondering if she even existed when in reality, she was sitting here at the front desk waiting for him to walk through the door!? Nathaniel growled as he walked into the room and narrowed his eyes at his brother who sure as hell had some explaining to do.
*****
Walter knew something was going on the second his brother walked in the door. The man looked like he was ready to kill. He had just arrived in town yesterday, what trouble could he have found in such a short time?
“I was just telling the team about you. Gang, I’d like you to meet my brother, Nathaniel.”
The reply that came from his brother’s mouth was the last thing he’d ever expected to hear from him.
“So, just how long has my mate been working for you? And since when do humans know our kind even exist?”
It took Walter a minute to comprehend what his brother was saying. Ahh, crap. Hoping that what his mind was telling him was dead wrong, he questioned Nathaniel. “What are you…oh shit, Susan is your mate?”
Nathaniel merely raised an eyebrow at his brother. “Is that the name of the little blonde, five foot nothing, sitting at the reception desk?”
He could hear a snicker or two coming from someone to his left. Unable to contain himself, the next thing he knew, he was booming out loudly, “She’s MINE!”
Everyone else in the room went dead silent, watching the brothers with rapt interest. Heads were swinging back and forth as if watching a Ping-Pong match.
Walter did the only thing he could do at the moment. He cleared his throat and then announced, “Meeting adjourned.”
He walked over to his brother who was still standing in front of the door. “Come with me to my office so we can discuss things, please, Nathaniel.” He would have liked to growl that out as an order, but he knew his brother’s temper was a tad bit hotter than his own. The last thing he wanted was for his entire staff witnessing a wrestling smackdown, vampire style, between him and his brother. Although, at the given moment, he was irritated enough at his brother that he wanted nothing more than to beat him to a bloody pulp.
Walter reached behind Nathaniel and opened the door, letting his brother go out before him. Nathaniel had come to visit him many times, so he knew exactly where his office was located. Walter noticed Nathaniel giving a longing look over at Susan as they headed for the office. He then watched his human receptionist narrow her eyes at his brother. She was so pissed he could have sworn he saw steam coming out of her ears. Her emotions, which most of the time were very calm and good-natured, now were black waves of pure anger rolling off her. What the hell had happened? Nathaniel shook his head and chuckled as he opened the door to Walter’s office. Walter watched Susan slam something down on her desk and growl out in frustration.
Regardless of what had happened, Walter would need to get a handle on his brother first, and then go calm down his receptionist.
As soon as the door to his office closed, Walter ordered his brother, “Sit!” It wasn’t a request by any means.
“Mind telling me what that was all about? And why you had to do it in the middle of my staff meeting?” Walter began as he walked around his desk and sat down behind it. It didn’t bother him that his brother was now part of the team. Hell, he welcomed his experience in law enforcement. But there was one thing that was going to be made perfectly clear before either of them left his office. He was the boss! It was entirely up to Nathaniel about whether the point would be made by open discussion or pounded into his thick skull.
Before his brother had a chance to answer him, Walter narrowed his eyes and continued, “Let’s start by you telling me exactly what the hell is going on between you and my receptionist!”
*****
Susan stayed at her desk as she tried to regain her composure. The nerve of that arrogant jerk! “Don’t go anywhere, I want you for lunch?” What the hell was that supposed to mean? Surely he wasn’t one of the bad guys that drained bodies of blood. Walter would have never let him in the building. But still, what the hell did he mean when he said, “I want you for lunch?” Ever since he had said it, her mind had been whispering to her that he had meant it in a sexual way. And she couldn’t, for the life of her, figure out why she wanted to throw his extra-large body down on the ground and ride him like a bull. Yee-hah! Her panties were soaked by this point, which only made her more frustrated.
Yeah, she would openly admit she hadn’t had sex since her husband died, and even before that, it had been few and far between. He just never seemed that interested in her. During their ten year marriage, she had never even experienced an orgasm. No, her deceased husband was more of the stick a finger in and hope you were wet kind of guy. Even if she wasn’t wet, he never did anything about it. He would then immediately plunge his dick into her. He’d ride her all of two minutes at most, get his rocks off, and be done. He’d pull out, leave her with his cum still oozing out of her hole, turn over, and go to sleep. She would usually go take a quick shower and then grab her crossword puzzle book until she was sleepy. That was the extent of their sex life.
But this guy, this guy had her thinking all kinds of wicked th
oughts, like sucking that big cock she knew he had. Yes, she had gotten a quick glimpse of it when she first looked up before he covered it with his gigantic hands. His hands had to be at least twice if not three times the size of hers. Oh, and the things she was thinking those big hands could do to her body…
A clearing of a throat brought her out of her thoughts and made her snap her head up in a hurry. Sissy, Walter’s wife, was standing at the counter with a grin on her face. “So, what’s got you in such deep thought, missy?”
Susan brought her head back down as she felt her cheeks heat up in mortification, because she had been caught. And she could well guess that since Sissy was a vampire, and since their senses were off the charts compared to humans, she could probably smell the sexual desire coming off her. Talk about a day from hell.
“I stopped by to see if you and Meredith wanted to go to lunch.”
Not knowing what to expect when Walter’s office door opened, she took the chicken route. “Only if we can leave immediately.”
Sissy shrugged her shoulders. “Sure, I need to be back at the library this afternoon anyways. Let me go track down Meredith and see if she wants to join us.”
“Okay. I need to visit the restroom. I’ll meet you back here in just a couple of minutes.”
Susan grabbed her purse and walked over to the restroom. She needed a minute or two to pull herself together before she was grilled by her two friends. And she just knew they would grill her. Oh, but what are friends for if she couldn’t share her humiliation with them?
