by Myla Jackson
Dani didn’t answer. She couldn’t have pushed a word through her tightening throat if a rattler had slithered over her boot. Watching both men, engaged in such a carnal act, caused unexpected emotions to rise inside her.
Sadness, because she’d never guessed Rowe wasn’t fully satisfied with her. Jealousy, because Rowe never made those hungry sounds when he went down on her. And shame, because she wished she were brave enough to approach them and sink to her knees beside Rowe.
How she wished Justin would command her to, take the choice away from her. The hard edge of his voice when he’d cut through Rowe’s objections had caused her own body to react with an instant, juicy response.
Justin braced his legs apart, and his face darkened as Rowe’s strokes, forward and back along his shaft, picked up the pace. The slippery suctioning sounds and choked excitement gurgling in Rowe’s throat caused Dani’s whole body to vibrate.
Forgotten for the moment by both men, she wet her lips with her tongue as she imagined how Justin might taste. Moisture flooded her channel as her inner muscles clenched hard.
When Justin flung back his long, black-brown hair, her breath hitched. Starkly masculine elation softened his expression for just a second before his head lowered and his hard gaze met hers, issuing a wordless challenge.
Only Dani wasn’t ready to accept. She lost her nerve, turned and fled through the door of the cabin, stumbling down the steps in her haste, before catching herself on the rail and bolting toward her horse.
Booted heels bit into the wood porch, but she didn’t look back. With the sun sliding below the horizon, she nudged her heels into her mare’s sides, kicking up dust behind her and leaving both men in her wake.
She surrendered the reins. Now he’s raising the stakes.
Raising Kane
© 2010 Lorelei James
Rough Riders, Book 9
When a patch of ice sends attorney Ginger Paulson head-over-high-heels down a flight of stairs, she has no one to care for her young son and her invalid father—until lethally sexy Kane McKay shows up at the hospital, determined to prove his cowboy chivalry. Past experience has inoculated her against take-charge men, but even Ginger isn’t immune to Kane’s invasive charm and Built Ford Tough body.
For two years rancher Kane McKay has followed the Little Buddies mentoring program’s cardinal rule—hands off his Little Buddy Hayden’s mama. But one look at Ginger’s bruised body and Kane is through watching the stubborn woman take care of everyone but herself. The feisty, curvy redhead needs his help, and he’ll give her the hands-on type whether she likes it or not.
After Kane throws out doctor’s orders and issues his own demands—her full sexual submission—Ginger realizes Kane’s caring nature extends beyond just fulfilling her physical needs.
Can the former hell-raiser convince the gun-shy single mom to look beyond his past…toward a shared future?
Warning: Contains one sweet and hot hunk of cowboy manflesh who uses every sexual trick in the book to render a sassy, fast-talking attorney speechless and put a new twist on the term “binding arbitration”.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Raising Kane:
“Mom!”
Ginger smiled at Hayden when he skidded to a stop in front of her. “It’s okay. You can hug me. Just don’t squeeze too hard.”
He buried his face in her neck and heaved a deep sigh.
She placed her forehead on the top of his damp head, breathing him in. The scent of her little boy, baby shampoo beneath the hint of sweat and the cold tang of the outdoors. “I missed you, baby.”
“I’m not a baby.”
“My mistake.” She smooched his crown before he squirmed back. He never used to try and escape her hugs, but from the day he’d turned eight, he’d gotten stingy with maternal affection. She looked over at Kane, lounging in the doorway.
Good thing she wasn’t hooked up to a heart rate monitor.
Holy buckets the man looked commanding, even leaning nonchalantly against the doorjamb. Commanding and an utterly striking example of masculine perfection. Scuffed black boots crossed at the ankle anchored the long line of his denim-clad legs. He wore a shaggy sheepskin coat and folded his arms over his broad chest. His ever-present black cowboy hat shadowed his face—a shame really, because Kane McKay had a beautiful face. Sharp angles defined his strong jawline. The neatly trimmed dark mustache and goatee framed those perfectly kissable lips. And his eyes. Lord have mercy on her soul. She could lose her train of thought in a heartbeat, gazing into those dark blue depths.
Don’t you mean you could lose your panties in a heartbeat?
The man epitomized rugged cowboy, down to the inscrutable way he looked at her, so she wasn’t quite sure what he was thinking.
Which was probably why she’d never made a move on him.
Well, that and it was against the rules of the Big Buddies/Little Buddies program for them to fraternize.
And man, she’d thought about fraternizing with him naked a whole lot. Ever since the night last year that she’d gone out and found trouble with his assorted McKay cousins’ wives at the Twin Pines. Not only had she ended up drinking too much, she’d found herself in the middle of a bar fight, and coming home in the backseat of a cop car, courtesy of Deputy Cam McKay. She’d panicked to see Kane’s truck parked in her driveway, fearing something had happened to Hayden, but Kane had calmed her down immediately… And then he revved her back up, with his sexy whispered, “How about if you let me take you to bed?”
“Mom?”
Feeling guilty about her impure thoughts, she said, “Aren’t you supposed to be in school?” to Hayden and then shot a questioning glance at Kane.
Kane shrugged. “I wanted to swing by and tell Libby you were goin’ home, so I just picked him up early.” His gaze moved over her at a snail’s pace and she shivered. “You ready?”
“I signed myself out. Got my cache of drugs. Just waiting on the wheelchair.” She scowled. Seemed an unnecessary rule in her opinion.
Hayden’s eyes grew big. “You have to be in a wheelchair?”
“No, sweetie. They’ll wheel me out in one, that’s all.”
“Too bad. I thought maybe you and Gramps could have wheelchair races.”
“He’d beat me for sure. He’s pretty speedy.”
Hayden crouched over the pink plaster. “Buck said you had a cast. Can I sign it?”
“First thing when we get home.”
The nurse wheeled in the chair and Kane left to pull his pickup around. Hayden didn’t say a word as the nurse helped Ginger into the chair. At least they’d removed the full bandage on her left hand so she wasn’t a total invalid.
Face it. You are completely helpless for the next few days.
Once they reached the patient pickup area, Ginger debated on how she’d climb into Kane’s monster truck. Hayden had no such qualms; he clambered into the back seat like a monkey. Good idea. Maybe she should just go for it. She attempted to stand and Kane was right there, gently shouldering aside the nurse.
“Thanks.” He smiled at the nurse. “I got it from here.” He put his mouth on Ginger’s ear. Tingles ran from neck to her midsection, tightening everything in its wake. “Trust me?”
“I guess.”
“On three I’m gonna lift you.”
“Kane—”
His arm slipped behind the bend of her knee. He gently cradled the right side of her body to the hard strength of his. “One. Two. Three.”
Then she was airborne, efficiently being stuffed in the front seat of Kane’s truck. “You’re lucky you didn’t wind up in the hospital yourself, McKay, with my weight straining your back.”
“Nah. I’m used to movin’ around heifers.”
She would’ve snapped at him if not for the twinkle in his eye and the smirk curling his lips. “You are a regular riot.”
“So you can take a joke,” he murmured. “I’d wondered. Besides, you smell way better than heifers and you didn’t try to knock me o
n my ass. That’s always a plus.”
“There’s always next time,” she said sweetly.
“Lookin’ forward to it.” He fiddled with the seatbelt. “I’m thinkin’ we’d better put this strap behind your head so it don’t strain your shoulder and only use the lap belt.” The intimate way Kane’s fingers straightened the belt across her abdomen sent her heart galloping and a small gasp escaped.
Mr. Twinkling Blue Eyes was right in her face. “Shit, sorry, I thought I was bein’ careful. Did I hurt you?”
“Umm. No.”
He squinted at her. “Then what’s wrong?”
I just discovered my whole body goes haywire from your slightest touch. “Ah. Nothing. I’m just anxious to get home.”
He smiled. His damn smile was as sexy as his teasing eyes. “Once we get there, don’t bail outta the truck on your own. I’m here to help you, and that includes carryin’ you into the house if I have to, understand?”
“And if I don’t?”
“Red, you might learn firsthand exactly how good I am with ropes.”
Gulp.
Kane grinned and spoke to Hayden. “All buckled in?”
“Yes sir.”
“Good. Let’s get your mama on home, hmm?”
Hayden filled the air with chatter, which Ginger mostly tuned out due to the reappearance of a vicious headache.
Once they’d reached her house, she couldn’t wait to crash in her own bed and sleep. She depressed the seatbelt locking mechanism and turned toward the door.
“Ah ah ah. My threats ain’t idle, sugar, so stay put.”
Dammit.
The man lifted her out and wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her tightly to his side.
“I can manage.”
“No, you can’t,” he argued with entirely too much cheer.
Glaring at him didn’t cause his sexy smile to slip.
“You’re gonna have to learn to lean on me.” They took three steps. “There you go. See? That ain’t so hard.”
“Yes, it is.” But Ginger wouldn’t admit the hardest part was being pressed against Kane’s muscular body and feeling the need to surrender to his raw magnetism.
Definitely loopy from the drugs.
Kane stopped on the top step. “You okay?
“Sleepy. Sore. Starving. And crabby about being all three to be real honest.”
“That’s totally understandable. Let’s get you inside.”
In the kitchen, she sagged into a kitchen chair. “Give me a minute.”
“No rush.”
Ginger heard the soft squeak of her dad’s wheels on the wood floor and looked up.
This aged version of her father caught her by surprise. During her childhood, this soft-spoken man had loomed larger than life. Tall, slender, with a shock of red hair. Now that red hair had turned white. His frame had shrunk, leaving his shoulders hunched, his arms and legs slightly shriveled. The arthritis confined him to a wheelchair, destroyed his body, but not his will, and his mind was as sharp as ever.
Ginger had always adored him. Even when her mother used lies and manipulation to keep them apart. He’d given up his position as a federal prosecutor in California and retreated to Wyoming after the demise of his marriage to Ginger’s mother. Although they both regretted the years they’d lost, she was grateful they’d worked to build a new relationship.
She attempted a smile. “Hey, Dad.”
“Dearest daughter.” His shrewd eyes took in every injury and assessed it before moving on to the next. “You all right?”
“I’ve been better.”
“We’ll talk about what happened after you’ve rested.” He tapped his fingers on the arms of his chair. “Maybe it’s none of my business, but who’s going to help you get undressed?”
Ginger hadn’t thought about that. She’d left the hospital wearing the camisole top she’d worn under her suit jacket and a borrowed pair of baggy scrubs-type pants. She’d only needed one shoe, so the nurse outfitted her with a pair of shower shoes, covering both her feet with socks and surgical booties to protect her from the cold.
“That young McKay has been quite a help, but I’m not comfortable with him…helping you get your clothes off, even though rumor around town is he’s helped plenty of women out of their clothes. Plenty of women,” he reiterated.
“Dad. That’s not fair.”
“I suppose you’re right. But I’d feel better if you had a female around to help you do those types of things.” He pinned her with a paternal look. “It’s what you insisted on for me, remember? The male nurse who comes every other day to help me?”
“Fine. I’ll call Libby. Or maybe Joely can swing by.”
“Good.” He rolled toward the living room.
“Your dad have that opinion of all McKays? Or just me?” Kane asked tersely from the hallway.
Ginger glanced up and saw a hard glint in Kane’s eyes. “Since your family has been my dad’s clients for thirty years, I’m betting it’s just you.”
“At least you didn’t sugarcoat it,” he drawled. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
“Careful, a man could take that the wrong way.”
She stood too quickly and swayed, but Kane was right there to catch her. He snarled and practically carried her to her bedroom, leaving her no time to protest.
You don’t want to protest. You like his take-charge nature and all that big, strong, blustering manly goodness.
Ginger didn’t dissect her reaction. She sighed when her back hit the mattress. How sweet was it that Kane set an extra folded fleece blanket next to her? Knowing she was always cold?
Hayden ducked around Kane and curled up beside her. “I could stay and keep you company.”
Her heart swelled with love at her son’s sweetness and concern.
But Kane shook his head. “Sorry. Maybe later. Your mama needs to rest.” When Hayden’s face fell, Kane amended, “Tell you what. I am gonna force her to eat so she can take her pain pills. You wanna make her a couple of slices of toast?”
“Sure.” He raced off.
She sank into her pillows, too tired to argue with Kane about his use of the word force, too tired to keep her eyes open. “I don’t need the pain meds right now.”
“You will in about an hour. I’d hate for the pain to wake you up.”
“True.” The bed shifted as Kane sat next to her. Ginger didn’t open her eyes.
“Look, I understand your dad’s concerns about me, but if you need help changin’ outta these clothes, I could probably keep it…umm, clinical.”
“Probably?” she asked lightly.
Pause. Then soft laughter. “Ah, hell, who am I kiddin’? If I get even the barest glimpse of your nekkidness, my thoughts would be impure enough to warrant your daddy getting out the shotgun. So scratch that goddamn temptation.”
Ginger’s eyes flew open.
Kane stroked his closely trimmed mustache and stared at her breasts, spilling out the sides of the lace camisole. His avid gaze didn’t return to her face for several long moments.
When Kane did look at her, the lust raging in his blue eyes caught her completely off guard. She blurted, “You’ve never—”
“Acted as if I’ve thought about takin’ you to my bed and keepin’ you there for a solid month?”
“Oh. Umm. No.”
“I have, sugar. Have I ever. It’s an impulse I’ve ignored because I’m supposed to provide ‘moral character’ for your son. So I feel guilty as hell when I see you and imagine all the immoral things I’d like to do to you.”
“What types of things?” she breathed.
Kane traced the length of her bare arm with the tip of his index finger. “Things that’ll make you stammer and blush.” He smiled when goose flesh broke out across her skin from his touch. “And shiver like this.”
Honor Bound
Myla Jackson
If it feels right, do it…even if it could get you k
illed.
Bound and Tied, Book 1
After months of isolation—and celibacy—claim partners Zach Braun and Jake Thompson finally discover gold. And, as their celebration spills over into forbidden lust, an unexpected sexual attraction to each other rises. Then they discover they’re not alone…and the spy is trying to make off with their clothes and their gold.
On the run from an Indian captor, parson’s widow Honor Whitaker is hungry, desperate, and determined to never let another man control her. Stumbling upon two men touching each other in an extraordinary way, she finds herself mesmerized by their tryst. And scandalously aroused by a totally different kind of hunger.
Catching the little thief is easy, but Zach can think of only one way to silence Honor’s panicked babbling. Kiss her senseless. One sample of her delightful lips leads to more…then to a night where Zach and Jake show her that a man’s control over her body isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Even as the three learn to let go of the notion that pleasure is the devil’s work, someone else is watching. Someone who’s out to reclaim what’s his.
Warning: This title contains hot ménage a trois scenes, man love, bondage, and two lonely, sexy cowboys/miners who find that catching a thief only takes a little bit of rope and a whole lot of lovin’!
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