Jackson's Sub [The Doms of Club Mystique 2] (Siren Publishing Allure)
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The Doms of Club Mystique 2
Jackson’s Sub
A year ago, Jackson Ramsey sent Jenna Parnelle away after she gave him one night of passionate submission. At the time, he believed he was saving her from his temper and jealous nature, but Jenna believes Jackson had been slumming with the chubby girl from the poor side of town.
A year later Jenna finds herself staying at the Ramsey ranch while she helps her friend Addison prepare for her wedding with Jackson's older brother, Cade. Already dreading being in the same house with Jackson, her problems multiply when Jackson begins to pursue her.
The last year has taught Jackson that he's not the kind of man who would hurt a woman, much less the only woman he's ever loved. Now he has to convince Jenna, but she's decided to protect herself from further heartbreak. Who will win when a determined Dom pursues a stubborn submissive?
Genre: BDSM, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
Length: 67,401 words
JACKSON’S SUB
The Doms of Club Mystique 2
Mardi Maxwell
EROTIC ROMANCE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance
JACKSON’S SUB
Copyright © 2014 by Mardi Maxwell
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-273-5
First E-book Publication: February 2014
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Epilogue
About the Author
JACKSON’S SUB
The Doms of Club Mystique 2
MARDI MAXWELL
Copyright © 2014
Chapter One
Jenna Angelique Parnelle glanced around, wished the Ramseys hadn’t invited so many people to her best friend Addison Matthew’s graduation party, then shrugged. It wasn’t every day a person earned an MBA, and it deserved to be celebrated, but she was hunting for Jackson Ramsey and all these damn people were getting in her way. After all it wasn’t as if she wanted to catch him. She didn’t even want to talk to him. She just wanted to get close enough to enjoy the delicious shivers of arousal that would race through her body whenever she saw him or heard his voice.
Noting the constantly turning heads and searching eyes of the women at the party, Jenna knew she wasn’t alone in her pursuit of one of the Ramseys. Young, old, married, single, it didn’t matter. The women of Rendezvous, Texas spent a lot of their time looking for and talking about their latest Ramsey brother sighting. Each woman had her favorite brother, but for Jenna only Jackson Ramsey would do.
Jackson was six feet four inches of mouthwatering masculine yumminess with short black hair, a square jaw, and lips that made her yearn to kiss him. He had the green eyes of the Ramsey family but Jackson’s eyes tended to be more gold than green, especially in the sunlight. Beneath his clothes she knew his body was sleek and strong with washboard abs from years of military training.
In her youth, she had spent hours at the Ramsey Ranch watching Jackson as he worked with his beloved horses. She couldn’t count the number of times he had caught her staring at his mouth while she wondered what it would be like to kiss him. As a teenager, getting caught staring at Jackson had embarrassed her, but as a woman, catching him staring back thrilled her. The Ramsey brothers were gorgeous, but the most dangerous thing they had in common was their ability to steal a woman’s heart.
Looking across the room, she caught a glimpse of a dark head towering above a sea of pastel summer hats. Heart racing, she moved closer and recognized Jackson’s youngest brother Zane. He had somehow slipped up and gotten himself trapped by Ellen Jones and her busybody friends. Watching him nod and smile and desperately edge away, Jenna knew he would never escape without help. Since Zane was the nicest of the five brothers, and he might be willing to tell her if the rumor about Jackson leaving the Marines was true, she decided to rescue him.
Weaving around several groups, she made her way across the crowded room, all the while protecting herself from sharp elbows and carelessly placed boots. She slipped up behind Zane, tapped him on the shoulder, then nearly laughed out loud when he turned around and the desperation in his eyes changed to relief. “There you are, Zane. I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Sorry to interrupt your fun, but Cade is looking for you.”
Reaching out, Zane squeezed her shoulder, gave her a naughty grin, then said, “Sorry, about this,” and took off, leaving her behind,
“No problem,” she said, realizing too late that he had just left her with several of her least favorite people in Texas.
Before she could follow him, Mrs. Jones grabbed her and gave her arm a little fat testing pinch, then tutted-tutted. Jenna hid her annoyance behind a false smile as she turned to face her.
“Jenna, goodness, dear, you’ll never catch a husband if you don’t stay away from the buffet.” Mrs. Jones opened her stylish clutch with bony fingers. “Since your mother has moved to Arizona, I’m sure she would want me to step in and take her place.”
“I’m sure my mother would be amazed at your generous offer, Mrs. Jones.” Jenna stepped back in an effort to put more distance between them.
“Well, I’m happy to help, dear. Now, this is the doctor I sent Valerie to for her little weight problem.” Mrs. Jones pulled a small white card from her purse and forced it into Jenna’s hand. “Of course, she wasn’t quite as rounded as you, but I’m sure if you’ll just follow Dr. Smith’s plan, he’ll be able to do wonders for you.”
Having no choice, Jenna took the card, pinching it between two fingers while wishing someone would rescue her. She glanced at it and recognized the name of a clinic that had made the newspaper headlines recently for malpractice lawsuits. “As a nurse, I don’t really believe in these kinds of diet programs, Mrs. Jones.” Jenna waved the card in the air. “They do more harm than good, and they can be very dangerous.”
“Yes, dear, we can all tell you don’t diet, but I feel obligated to advise you before you turn into a sad, lonely spinster with a dozen cats,” she said, smiling as her snooty friends laughed. “Also, dear, I believe you’ve misinterpreted the Ramsey brothers’ kindness toward you as a more intimate interest.” She leaned forward, invading Jenna’s space. “Men like the Ramseys prefer slender young ladies from their own social standing. Women like my daughter Valerie.”
Jenna smoothed her hands over her short, tight dress then deliberately drew Mrs. Jones’s eyes to her breasts by adjusting the strap. The sweetheart neckline of the dress left a lot of lightly tanned firm flesh on display. When Mrs. Jones’s lips flattened then began to open with what would most likely be another scathing comment, Jenna decided it was time to take off. Remembering her best friend Addison’s advice to say something nice then run, she put her own spin on it. “Well, then, thank you. I have to go find a friend now.” As she turned to take off, Mrs. Jones grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
“Valerie and her friends Delia and Jamie Sue share an apartment in Dallas. I suppose now that Addison has finally graduated from university, she’ll be moving to Dallas to share an apartment with you?”
“It hasn’t been decided yet.” Jenna saw the older woman’s face tighten with hatred.
“Of course. I should have realized Addison would never move away from Cade Ramsey. The poor man is just too kind to tell that shameless little Irish hussy to stop chasing him. As her best friend, you really should have a talk with her about that.”
Jenna let her smile falter as she decided she’d had enough. “Cade is Addison’s guardian, Mrs. Jones. He makes the decisions concerning where she lives,” she said as she pulled her arm away, “and he has absolutely no tolerance for anyone who talks about Addison.”
Looking around and seeing several people listening to them, Mrs. Jones hid her malice behind a tight-lipped smile. “Goodness, dear, I meant no offence. I’m just trying to protect Addison from unsavory gossip.”
Right, Jenna thought to herself. Unsavory gossip you and your friends start. Frowning, she mumbled something about needing to talk to someone then took off, crumpling the card in her hand as she ducked behind a large group of ranchers. She left the living room while trying to list the reasons it wouldn’t be polite to go back and kick Mrs. Jones’s bony ass. When she couldn’t think of one, she chuckled then followed a group of new arrivals to the large family room at the back of the house.
As soon as she stepped into the room, Jenna moved to the side and slid along the wall, pausing every now and then to check the area for a glimpse of Jackson. If he was in the room, he would be surrounded by people eager to talk to him and women who tended to giggle in his presence.
Several minutes later Jenna admitted defeat as she realized that none of the Ramseys were in the room. She snorted in annoyance. It was amazing how hard it was to find one of them, but she and Addison had finally figured out their method. Four of the brothers would hide out in Cade’s den, while the fifth brother would make a quick appearance. That brother would rapidly move from room to room while pausing only long enough for a quick hello here and a quicker good-bye there. Then he would quickly return to the den where most of the Ramseys’ closest friends were gathered. A few minutes later, a different brother would make an appearance somewhere in the house or yard. They would do this until it was time for their guests to leave, and then suddenly they would all be there shaking hands and slapping backs as they cleared the house. It was a clever and devious way to fulfill their social obligations.
At first she and Addison had thought they hid out so they wouldn’t have to be bothered with business proposals or the annoying attention of the female guests. But then they had discovered the real reason the brothers did it. They didn’t want to miss the big game. It didn’t matter who was playing, or even what sport it was, as they considered any game a priority. Which reminded her that the brothers usually made a group appearance at halftime, and that should be coming up soon.
Jenna glanced at her watch and mumbled a curse when she realized she had been unsuccessfully looking for Jackson for two hours. She hadn’t even come across Addison yet, but of course that was easily explained. If the Ramseys were hiding out from their guests, then Addison was hiding out from Cade.
Two years ago Jenna would have gone to the den to find Addison, but that was before her encounter with Jackson at the river. Since then Jackson had become an expert at avoiding her, and she had become an expert at pretending she wasn’t looking for him. Of course, being a Marine, he had spent most of the last two years away from home. She had heard he’d been home on leave twice, but she hadn’t caught so much as a glimpse of him either time. He’d come and gone so quickly that she had only found out about his visits after the fact.
Looking down, she saw a small trash can sitting beside a side table and tossed Mrs. Jones’s card into it then leaned against the wall and watched the people scattered around the room. As usual, the Ramseys were using this gathering to celebrate more than one occasion, and their guests were an odd mix. The first group was made up of Addison’s friends who were celebrating her graduation. The second group included people from Rendezvous who were celebrating the accomplishments of various community projects headed or funded by the Ramseys. It was the third group that was the most interesting and intriguing.
The men in that group were obviously friends of the Ramseys. They were tall, muscled, and seriously enticing. Self-assured and dressed casually in blue jeans, casual shirts, and custom-made boots, they commanded the room. Several women accompanied them, and they seemed to almost glow with satisfaction. The women were groomed to the max and dressed in fabulous dresses. Their shoes were some of the most amazing stilettos Jenna had ever seen outside of Addison’s closet. They were a puzzle, and Jenna loved solving puzzles almost as much as Addison loved gossiping.
Watching the men, she realized that comparing them to the men from Rendezvous was like comparing a puppy to a stalking wolf. These men carried themselves differently. Their eyes constantly scanned the room, keeping track of everyone, where they were and what they were doing. The men from Rendezvous looked at them with respect and the women were drawn to them, orbiting around them and gradually drawing closer one moment before nervously spinning away the next.
Even ninety-year-old Grace Johnson blushed with pleasure when the blond giant Jenna had dubbed the Viking helped her into a seat then fetched her a whiskey on the rocks. Jenna smiled as she watched Ms. Johnson tell one of her scandalous stories and the Viking and several of his friends threw their heads back and laughed. Watching them made her smile and remember how much she loved Ms. Johnson’s st
ories of her adventurous and scandalous life. The fact that Ms. Johnson had a soft spot for Jackson also drew Jenna to her.
Seeing the women waiting for the Viking and his friends to rejoin them, she couldn’t help but compare herself to them. They were slender beauties and she was what her mother called “healthy” and she called fat. Their breasts were softly rounded, while her large breasts had shown up and ruined her young life when she was twelve. Remembering the teasing and leering looks she had put up with, she almost fell back into the bad habit of slumping her shoulders to minimize her breasts but caught herself in time. She gave herself a stern reprimand, reminded herself to be proud, and then straightened her shoulders.
Jenna smoothed the stretchy material over her hips and smiled. The peachy color of the dress went well with her naturally platinum hair and jade-green eyes. The dress and dark-peach shoes on her feet had been a birthday gift from Addison and she loved them. The shoes were made of leather and lace and they were the sexiest, most feminine shoes she had ever worn. Smiling, she gave them another admiring look then shoved off from the wall, enjoying the tapping sound they made as she figured out where to look next.
The backyard was the only place she hadn’t searched so she told herself to avoid eye contact then crossed the room as quickly as she could in four-inch heels. As she squeezed by the Ramseys’ friends, the Viking stepped back into her path and the heel of his boot landed on her left foot as his elbow jabbed into the side of her breast. She screeched with pain and jerked her foot away as she hugged her left arm against the side of her throbbing breast. Eyes watering, she stepped back, waiting for him to move out of her way. Every curse word she had learned from Jackson flew through her mind as she bit her lip to keep from blurting them out. When large hands landed on her shoulders, she looked up, and up, into the glacier-blue eyes of the Viking.