by Kaliana Cole
Falling into the rhythm of the music, she became lost in the moment. The gratifying impact of the weighted canvas beneath her blows, the frenzied satisfaction at belting the living shit out of something, was all-consuming and life-affirming. Sweat trickled down her spine. She welcomed the burn of muscle fatigue as the endorphins kicked in.
Casey began to feel like she could fly.
* * * *
Brody pulled up beside the shed and glanced at the time on the dash. Luke wouldn’t arrive for another half an hour. He took a deep breath. Thirty minutes to watch what he said and not screw things up for Luke with the redheaded temptress. It would be a fucking miracle if he accomplished that.
Casey Buckley was so much more than he had expected. A real woman of substance, not a trivial plaything like he had first hoped when she’d moved in. It had been a royal clusterfuck all round.
He’d watched her come apart for his brother at the spring. The woman had a carnal streak a mile wide and a body strong enough to take whatever a man dished out. Just the thought of that toned body bending to his will had his cock poking its head up looking for action. Great, just great. Half an hour to not upset Luke’s new girl and he already had a hard-on.
He slipped out of the truck and adjusted himself, trying to hide the obvious erection. In the end he just thought fuck it and untucked his shirt. The deep throb of a heavy bass was coming from the closed bay at the other end, but he checked out the newly delivered spa first, hoping to give his errant flesh time to settle before he ran into Femzilla herself.
It was suspended perfectly in its mountings. There was not a scratch on the fiberglass base. There had been only an inch clearance all the way around and she had accomplished it without a guiding hand on the tub. The woman could sure operate a machine. He shook his head in admiration and went to find her.
The personal access door was ajar and the music spilling out of it nearly knocked him off his feet when he pulled it open wide. AC/DC reverberated in the enclosed space, the late Bon Scott belting out “Highway to Hell” wrapping around him. He didn’t hear the other noise immediately, but eventually the heavy, irregular thuds reached his ears. The room was gloomy after the bright summer afternoon outside, and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. He saw movement on the far side and picked his way past weight machines, benches, and an elliptical rower. The sight stole his breath.
Casey was laying into the heavy bag, concentration on her face and sweat shining on her long limbs. She wore the same crop top she’d worn swimming and a pair of high-cut running shorts. The muscles on her back and shoulders rippled palely with each powerful punch. He watched the way the one-hundred-pound bag danced with each blow and was eternally grateful she hadn’t put him on his ass in the supermarket. The public damage to his ego had been humiliating enough without the added stigma of being laid out by a girl.
He called out to get her attention as the song ended, but she didn’t hear him. Nickleback had started something with an addictive beat when he finally tapped her on the shoulder.
He was ready to block a high punch. He’d fully expected her to swing without looking, but he nearly missed the low, straight left that she followed through with. “Easy, Casey! Jesus, woman! You’ll do someone some damage doing that.”
He had hold of both her wrists, gripping firmly, and was waiting for her to come out of the exercise-induced haze and focus. Holding Casey was a challenge—she was as strong as a bull and fought like a mountain lion. He jerked her against him, blocking instinctively as her knee rose, and that was his biggest mistake.
Hotter than hell and twice as damning, her body fell full-length against him. She aligned with him like a key in a lock. Like all she had to do was move and everything would tumble into place. He’d never held a woman so tall. Her eyes were mere inches from his. With her long, long legs, the heat of her mound sat flush against the cock that was once more sniffing for action. Her breasts pressed against his chest and through two layers of fabric he felt them tighten and the nipples poke into him.
Her lips opened on a gasp and both of their eyes went to her breasts as he leaned back to look. The visual of those luscious breasts bare beneath his brother’s touch flared in his memory and Brody was lost. He swallowed her cry as he took her mouth, knowing she would curse him for it but too ridden with need to care.
She tasted like a dream. Like the essence of sweet femininity spiced with the salty tang of her exertions. His knees threatened collapse when she forgot about everything and kissed him back. Her hands dug into the muscle of his chest, fingers scrabbling for purchase. He released one wrist and slid his hand to her ass. The shorts were loose and skimpy and he nearly passed out when his hand slid beneath to encounter bare, resilient skin. She was wearing a thong. Like a man possessed, he grabbed her cheek firmly, kneading deeply as he sank further into her accommodating mouth.
Her lips were pure heaven as she dipped and slid into his kiss. She was far from passive. Casey took everything he offered and demanded more. Her eagerness cut the final threads of his control, and he gave in to the primal male within and kissed her with nothing in mind but forcing her submission. Hard, punishing kisses, the harsh scrape of teeth, brutally dominating.
Brody tried to master her, strived to make her soft and pliant in his arms, but Casey clearly had other ideas. She lapped up every move that was designed to intimidate her. His cock throbbed fit to burst when she hooked her thigh over his hip and began to ride his body. She writhed sensuously and insistently, driving herself toward orgasm. The scrape of her fiery, pointed nipples against his chest was sending him insane.
She tugged against his grip on her wrist, but her desire-ridden body assured him she didn’t have escape on her mind. He let her drag her wrist free and quickly put his hand to good use, threading his fingers beneath her sweat-damp braid and seizing control of her head.
Brody felt her arch her body away from him. Her fingers fumbled, too thick with lust to work, on his shirt buttons. She gave a sexy little growl and ripped it open, sending buttons flying everywhere. Her hands swept up his torso like wildfire, burning him to the core with every touch. The scrape of her half gloves was an added stimulus to his overwrought body. Masculine satisfaction ran through him when her hands stopped on the thick slabs of his chest and she paused in her kiss momentarily, kneading deep into the heavy muscle with a heartfelt groan before resuming with even greater hunger.
Her breath was coming in gasps and soft cries, escalating as she worked her swollen mound against the ridge of the thick erection that was sorely testing the tensile strength of his zipper. He pulled away from her mouth and nipped her jaw cruelly. “Do it, Casey. Come for me.” He jerked her head back, tugging on the roots of her fire-kissed hair forcefully. Her mouth opened and her whole body stiffened and shuddered. No sound came out, just a rush of strangled breath that was lost to the driving thump of the music that made the very air throb.
The thick haze of lust fogged all reason from Brody’s mind. All higher thought processes were lost to the ache and need pounding through his fevered body and converging in the ripe flesh throbbing in demand at his groin. He jerked her from him, spinning her around and pushing her toward an incline bench nearby. His cock spilled pre-cum down its crown as she put her hands out to catch herself, inadvertently presenting her ass to him. One hand freed his raging cock while the other gripped the crotch of her shorts and ripped. The wet material gave way beneath his hand with a heavy sound like flesh being torn. Harsh fingers pulled her thong aside and he stepped in close, lost to the raging desire flooding his veins like a lethal drug.
Hot wet flesh, slicker than any dream, bathed his shaft and jerked him up short. He froze, shaking his head, trying to see beyond the grip of lust. He looked down and his heart stuttered. Brody wrenched away, cursing soundly. He never took a woman without a condom. Never.
What the fuck had he been thinking? She was Luke’s woman. The one that his brother had asked, for the first time in his life, for Br
ody not to fuck up for him.
And he’d nearly fucked her.
“Go, Casey. Get out of here.” His voice sounded harsh to his own ears. He tucked his protesting cock away and braced his arm against the wall, breathing deeply. Daylight flashed through the door as she opened it, but the music drowned out all sounds of her escape.
He didn’t know how long he stood there, but the song came to an end and another didn’t come on to replace it. He turned around.
“Well, that was interesting.” Luke sat straddling a sit-up bench in the corner, running something over the knuckles of his right hand like a coin.
Brody ran his hand tiredly over his face. “How long have you been there?”
“I was sitting here when you came in. My truck broke down. Danny gave me a lift home from the garage and I walked across. Case didn’t hear me come in so I sat down to watch her belt that bag around. And then you came in, and it got reeeal interesting.” He tossed the small item toward Brody, who caught it one-handed. “That’s one of your buttons. Casey doesn’t muck around, does she? She damn near put me through the wall when she mauled me yesterday.”
“I can’t believe how calm you’re being about this. I nearly fucked your girl, Luke.”
“I saw that. It’s not like it’s the first time that’s happened.”
“Casey’s different. She’s not some throwaway quick thrill. I know you care for her.”
“I do.”
“So why haven’t you smacked me in the mouth?” Sometimes Luke’s laid-back attitude riled Brody to no end.
“You didn’t do anything she didn’t want. Except stop. I don’t think she saw that coming.” Luke shook his head. “Hell, neither did I. What happened? ”
“No rubber.”
“Cherry’s still got you by the balls, hasn’t she? She’s been gone a decade and you’re still gun-shy. She was an unfaithful little whore, and you did well to get rid of her when you did. You’d be raising some other man’s kid and she’d still be screwing everything with a cock and a heartbeat behind your back if you hadn’t caught her out with Zach and Colb. Not every woman’s the same, Brody.” Luke got to his feet. “Now are you going to come and help me get this hot tub done or do you want to kick yourself some more first?”
Brody felt a deep affection for his brother grow in his chest. Luke always knew how to make him wake up to himself. “You’re right.”
“That’s the way, cupcake, suck it up and get over it. No harm done.”
Brody followed Luke out into the bright afternoon. Unsurprisingly, Casey did not make another appearance but remained in the house. Brody was at a loss to see how Luke could assert that there was no harm done. How his brother was going to win her back after his loss of control was beyond him.
His conscience hoped he hadn’t screwed everything up completely for Luke.
His dick just wanted another taste of the wanton siren lurking beneath Casey’s ball-busting exterior.
Chapter 5
Bang!
The noise echoed like a shotgun blast. The problem was that it had come from beneath the shiny burgundy hood of the Kenworth. Casey cursed a blue streak as warning lights flashed on the dash and power was lost. That particular sound she had heard once before. Pulling to the shoulder and stepping out, she made quick work of the bonnet catches and lifted the hood. Yep, there it was. The turbo boot had blown clean off the turbo. Thankfully it was caught up inside the cowling. A quick inspection showed the large-diameter rubber hose was split and one clamp was missing entirely.
Casey took a deep breath and resigned herself to being late for her date with her new hot tub. At least she didn’t need any help to get the truck to town. A twitch of wire stolen from the roadside fence and half a roll of duct tape later the truck was functioning once more. She fired it back up and headed gingerly for town.
She pulled up in front of the garage on the outskirts of Liberty Springs, relieved to see a “specialist diesel mechanics” sign in the window along with badges of Cummins, Cat, and Detroit. Hopefully they would have the part in stock. She jumped down and headed in through the open workshop doors. Casey stopped dead when she saw Luke’s Chevy parked over a pit, but a quick glance proved he wasn’t there. The body clad in navy coveralls working on it was built more along the lines of Ty Whelan than either of the Marshalls.
It was one of the strangest garages she’d ever been in. Half of it was so neat and tidy it looked like it was never used, and the other where the hulk was working on Luke’s truck was a typical busy workshop mess. Everything around the shop was color coded with either blue or red, some were spray painted while other tools had strips of colored electrical tape around them. She shook her head. It was weird.
“Can I help you?”
Turning to the source, Casey encountered a man who didn’t match the quiet, well modulated voice. He was, quite frankly, scruffy-looking. He had straight, blond hair to his shoulders that looked like it hadn’t been touched by a brush in a couple of days and a darker beard that hadn’t seen a razor for a week graced his lean face. But the smile was friendly, reaching his oh-so-blue eyes and showing that he was more than a touch on the handsome side beneath all that hair.
“You probably can. I’m looking for a new turbo boot and clamps for a Cummins ISX 500.”
“That’s your rig outside?”
“Yeah.”
“Nice. I’m Jack Taylor, and you’re Casey Buckley, right?”
“That’s right. Nice to meet you.” Casey held out her hand. He hastily went to wipe his own on the rag hanging from his pocket but grinned and extended it when he saw Casey’s grease-stained hand was in no better state. “I guess it’s a small town.”
“It doesn’t take long for word to get around, that’s for sure. Have relations improved with your neighbors?”
Casey flushed, wondering how he could have known what had happened. Jack must have noticed her discomfort. “I was on the checkout behind you the other week when you put Brody in his place,” he explained. “Nice work there. Many would have paid a handsome price to watch that. I’ll just check if we’ve got the part you want in stock.” Jack ambled over to the counter against the wall and started tapping away at the computer on it.
Looking around the workshop, Casey noticed the other mechanic moving Luke’s truck off the pit. He stepped out and walked over. Casey didn’t feel dwarfed by many men, but this one made her feel positively delicate. He was as tall as Ty, a good six-four, but was built even heavier. He wouldn’t have given much change from 300 pounds. His lean waist yelled loud and clear that every pound was solid muscle. The black stubble on his face was longer than that on his head beneath the black bandanna tied around it. This was a bad boy if ever she’d seen one.
“Want me to wire it so it blows when he starts it?” He had a slow, teasing grin that would wet panties the world over.
“Nah, I’m more of a hands-on girl myself. I’d want him to know where it’s coming from.” That picked up his smile to absolutely devastating proportions.
“I’m Danny, and the whole town knows you’re Casey.” His handshake was firm and completely engulfed hers. If she wasn’t so overrun by male attentions at the moment she would have been more than willing to discover just how far down that huge, hard body the tattoos peeking from his collar went.
Jack’s voice jerked her from her man-molesting thoughts. “We haven’t got one in, Casey, but I can get it overnighted from Cheyenne and have it first thing in the morning.”
“Shit. I’m meant to be on a job site at seven-thirty.”
“That’s okay. Leave her here, and I’ll whack it on the moment it gets here. Pick it up at seven.”
“That will work. You don’t mind starting that early?”
“No. We only live next door anyway. It’s not much of a commute.”
“I’ll give you a lift home if you like,” Danny offered.
“It would be easier for me. I’m heading that way anyway.” Casey’s head spun around as she h
eard Luke’s lazy drawl.
“You sure, Marshall? I truly wouldn’t mind giving Casey a ride.” The wink Danny gave her assured her he was only baiting Luke.
“I bet you wouldn’t, Blake.” Luke’s grin never wavered. He caught the keys Danny tossed him easily. “Come on, Casey. I’ll get you away from these two. They’re more trouble than they’re worth.”
If that wasn’t the kettle calling the pot black!
“Okay, Luke.” She was going to have to talk to him sooner or later. “Thanks, guys. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Just let me know if you change your mind about that ride.” There was unveiled amusement in Danny’s voice.
Casey shook her head. Men! You gotta love ’em.
* * * *
Luke held the door open for Casey to climb in the Chevy. He could feel both Jack and Danny’s eyes boring into him as he closed it and couldn’t resist giving flipping them the bird over the cab before he climbed in himself. Childish, he knew, but just so satisfying.
Casey was sitting so stiffly beside him it was like she’d been dipped in starch. He waited until he pulled out on to the road to speak. “I missed you yesterday. I could have done with your help to fix the wall. You shouldn’t break things if you don’t plan on fixin’ them.”
He saw Casey look out the window, clearly working out what to say. He wondered what stance she’d take. Pretend it hadn’t happened? Cry foul about his brother? Make excuses?
“I fucked up, Luke. I still haven’t quite worked out how it all happened. I nearly fucked Brody. I’m not offering excuses, but it happened. It’s not Brody’s fault, it was just as much my doing as his.” Casey laughed bitterly. “Hell, he was the one who stopped. Thank him for that for me, by the way. I was mighty pissed off at the time, but I’m eternally grateful now.”
