Winter Fire: A Red Hot Winter Story

by Jess Dee

  “Jack—”

  “You’re right, Rach. About everything. I’ve been a fucking idiot. Blind to my actions. Without ever meaning to, I’ve made you into a potential threat. I’ve imbued you with all these evil powers you’d never use. God knows you’re incapable of ever hurting Jenna. I know it. Jenna knows. I just never realized that we all subconsciously thought it.”

  “I’m not a threat, Jackson. I never have been. But Jenna’s still my best friend, and you’re still her brother. The restrictions are still there. We can’t be together, even if we want to.” Tears shimmered in her eyes.

  “Yes, we can.”

  She shook her head. “Jenna—”

  “Jenna will have to come to terms with it. I’ve spent my entire adult life living alone because I didn’t want Jenna getting hurt again. In the process I’ve hurt you, the woman I love. The woman I want to spend my life with. By protecting her I’ve overlooked you. And me. It’s our turn, Rach. It’s time for us to be happy. Twelve years is long enough to pay for a crime I didn’t commit.” No, he hadn’t been able to protect Jenna when they were kids. Yes, he’d blamed himself. But when all was said and done, he hadn’t done anything wrong.

  Jenna had been caught in the revenge attack of a malicious teenager. She’d suffered for it. So had he. But it didn’t mean he had to continue suffering for the rest of his life. And it sure as hell didn’t mean Rachel had to suffer along with them.

  He’d done his penance. They all had.

  It was time to move on. It was time to be happy again. To live again, and the only way that could happen for him was to be with Rachel.

  “We need to be together, Rach.”

  Her mouth dropped open.

  “Enough secrets. Enough hiding. We love each other. Let’s tell the world. Let everyone know. Let’s give a relationship, a real relationship between us, a chance.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t. I couldn’t do that to Jenna.”

  “You and Jenna are close enough to be sisters. If I can see that you’ll never hurt her, she’ll be able to see that too.”

  She looked at him, incredulous, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. “I want to, Jackson. So much it scares me. But I’ve moved on, moved away from you. My life’s in Sydney. My business is in Sydney. I can’t just up and leave it.”

  She was worried about work? About geography? No fucking way. There’d been enough bullshit keeping them apart. Trivialities like cities and jobs would not come between them. “I’ll move to Sydney. I’ll apply for a job at one of the newspapers there.”

  She blinked. “You’d do that? For me?”

  “For us, Rach. I’d do anything for us. We’ve earned it. We deserve it. It’s our turn now.”

  A single tear slid down her cheek. “You’re not kidding, are you?”

  “I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life.”

  “Jenna—”

  “Jenna will give us her blessing. Once I’ve explained everything to her, once she knows how much we love each other, she’d never stand in our way. She’d never be able to see you as a threat to her peace of mind. You’ve proven to her too often that you’re her friend, not her enemy.” It wouldn’t be easy, and it wouldn’t happen quickly, but eventually Jenna would warm to the idea. She’d have to.

  “Wh-what about Garreth?”

  “I’ll thank him. For everything he’s done to help us reach this point. For helping me see what a fucking idiot I’ve been.” Christ, it stunned him how easy it was to see Garreth in that light now. Not ten minutes ago he was ready to tear the man’s head off. Now he understood Garreth’s only intention in sleeping with Rachel was to make Jackson good and jealous. Damn, the man had succeeded, in one big fucking way.

  “What about you,” she asked. “Are you sure?”

  “More sure than I’ve ever been about anything. I want to be with you, Rach. I can’t live apart from you anymore. I spent twelve years trying, and refuse to do it for one more day.”

  “I…” She frowned, as though searching for another reason to say no.

  “Listen to you. You’re so used to denying our love, you’re looking for ways to deny it now. Looking for reasons we shouldn’t be together. There aren’t any. Not anymore. We don’t need to pretend anymore. I don’t want to pretend. I just want to be with you. I just want to give us a chance.”

  “I…uh… Okay.”

  His heart lurched. “Okay what?”

  Her face broke into a smile. “Okay, let’s do this. Let’s give us a chance.” The smile widened, blinding him in its brilliance. “I’ve fantasized about you and I being together my entire adult life. I’m not about to give up on the possibility now that you’re dangling it in front of my eyes. Come and live with me in Sydney. Please.”

  It was all he needed to hear.

  Their lips met in a kiss as inevitable as their next breath. It continued forever, a kiss borne of love and desire. Borne of twelve years of wanting each other. A kiss that told him this was it. They’d finally accepted each other. They could finally be together.

  When at last they pulled apart, it was with a lightness he’d never felt before. A contentment that came with knowing he could kiss her whenever he wanted. Once Jenna knew about them, their love need never be a secret again.

  “Remind me to thank Gazza when I see him.” He nuzzled Rachel’s neck. Garreth was responsible for him and Rachel being together now. If not for his housemate, Jackson would never have climbed into her bed again. He’d have continued to live the shadow of a life he’d been leading for twelve years, terrified to love in case Jenna got hurt. “He brought us together.”

  Rachel laughed with delight. “That’s because your friend is an alchemist.”

  “Pardon?”

  “Garreth created gold here tonight. He created us.”

  Jackson shook his head. “No, baby, we created us. Garreth just made sure we found each other again.” And then he kissed Rachel again and pulled her onto the bed. It was way past time they created their own alchemy together. Just the two of them.

  About the Author

  To learn more about Jess Dee please visit her website at: www.jessdee.com. Or you can drop by her blog: http://jessdee.wordpress.com.

  Jess loves to hear from her readers. You can contact her any time at: jess@jessdee.com.

  Look for these titles by Jess Dee

  Now Available

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  Photo Opportunity

  A Question of Trust

  Only Tyler

  Steve’s Story

  Three’s Company

  A Question of Love

  Going All In

  Raising The Stakes

  Risking It All

  Coming Soon

  Full House

  Two men plus one woman equals three bodies on fire…

  True Heart

  © 2010 Delilah Devlin

  A Red Hot Winter Story

  True Wyatt’s hands are going to be full enough keeping the herd alive through the dead of winter. The last thing he needs to hear is that his brother Lonny has rented out their isolated hunting cabin to a reclusive writer—especially a sassy, disaster-prone brunette. Who has time to babysit a city girl until spring?

  With a deadline looming, erotica writer Honey Cahill is looking forward to six distraction-free weeks to finish her next book. However, between Lonny’s flirty sensuality and True’s hard-edged intensity, the Wyatt brothers set the stage of her imagination for a winter of wicked delights.

  The fire that destroys the cabin, though, is as real as it gets. Forced to seek a bed under True and Lonny’s roof, the temptation to experiment—all in the name of research, of course—is overpowering. One night in their arms doesn’t feel like enough; it feels like more. Particularly with one cowboy who fires all her cylinders…

  Warning: It’s a Devlin ménage—expect men with stamina and not an ounce of mercy to behave like sex gods, and the lucky woman to love every minute of it. A little dom
ination goes a long, long way…

  Enjoy the following excerpt for True Heart:

  Honey sat huddled under a blanket on the couch Lonny had moved nearer the fire. He’d found a pair of insulated leggings for her to wear that fit her well enough. Her ass kept them from falling off. The sweater was large, and fell off whichever shoulder she shrugged, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. Her own clothing was salvageable and was in the laundry, but she’d save them for her trip off the mountain once the snowplows cleared the road.

  Lonny had checked with the department of transportation and said it might be several days before she could leave. And she was determined to do just that—despite his assurances that she could stay and complete the work she’d come to do.

  However, that seemed pointless. She’d saved the thumb drive, but she didn’t have the heart to finish the new story. She was supposed to write something sexy and flirty, but all she had the urge to create was a tragedy.

  She knew she was feeling sorry for herself, and she should pull up her big-girl panties and get on with it. But she didn’t have any panties on.

  “I have soup.”

  She jumped at True’s quiet words. The man could creep up on a ghost. And was that all he had to say? Seriously?

  Honey bit back a retort, recognizing that what she really wanted was to start a fight—with him. She held out her hand and waited while he turned the mug to present her the handle.

  A small gesture, but one that fucked with her head. Why be gentle? Why pretend to care whether she burned her fingers? She’d burned down his entire cabin—his quaint little hunting cabin that his father had built years ago. Why wasn’t he furious?

  She gulped down a sip of chicken soup and blinked.

  “Couldn’t you tell it was hot?”

  She blinked away pain-filled tears and aimed a blistering glare his way.

  True’s jaw clenched. “I’ll leave you to finish.” He began to turn away.

  She bent to set the cup on the floor. “Why are you avoiding me?” If she could have bit her own tongue and swallowed it whole, she would have.

  True hesitated. “You’ve been through enough.”

  “Don’t give me that crock of—” She glanced away. She wasn’t going to cuss at the man. Wasn’t going to make herself look any more pathetic than she already was.

  “I’m guessing now’s not a good time to check on our girl.”

  Both Honey and True turned to glare at Lonny whose mouth moved like he was biting his lip. Was he laughing at them?

  “Don’t disappear,” True said. “I can’t seem to get anything right.”

  “No kidding,” Honey muttered.

  Lonny walked deeper into the room, glancing from Honey to True. “I take it you’re feeling more yourself, Honey?”

  “I’ve never been less myself,” she snarled.

  “I don’t know about that,” he said amiably. “The color’s back in your cheeks.”

  Honey hit her thigh with her fist. “I don’t shout at men. I don’t ever want to shout at men. But he—” She glared at True. “He manages to push every last one of my buttons.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?” Lonny asked softly. He took a seat beside her. “Quit hovering, True. Take a seat.”

  True looked reluctant but took up the space on her left side. Wedged between the two brothers, Honey blew out a deep breath. The temperature in the room had skyrocketed. She flipped back her blanket.

  True reached for the edge and shoved it over her shoulder.

  “I’m warm enough,” she muttered.

  “You’ll get sick.”

  “And that would be a huge inconvenience on top of the hundred other inconveniences I’ve caused, wouldn’t it?”

  True nodded, but her searing glance had him buttoning his lip and glancing away. “I should head out to check on the horses in the barn.”

  “They’ll wait,” Lonny said flatly.

  Honey flung up her hands. “I can assure both of you that I’m fine. No need for you to worry. If you’ll just show me where I can sleep…”

  Lonny laid a hand on her knee and leaned toward her. “That’s part of what we’re going to talk about, sweetheart.”

  She narrowed her eyes to give him a mean glare even though inside her heart was thumping loudly in her chest. “Oh, yeah?”

  “True mentioned what you’re writing.”

  True muttered a curse under his breath.

  Honey’s cheeks burned. “Anyone ever tell you that you two are big fat gossips?”

  “Not ever. Don’t change the subject. A ménage, right?”

  “I changed my mind,” she said, folding her arms over her chest. “I’ve decided to scrap the book. Now I’m going to write a post-apocalyptic story—lots of blood and guts. I’m feeling pretty violent at the moment.”

  “I think you need to do the right research.”

  “Oh, really?” She wouldn’t admit it even on her dying bed, but just the thought of doing a little research made her heart flutter madly.

  “You can count me out,” True said forcefully.

  “Not to your taste, I know,” Lonny said, so cheerfully he made Honey want to scream. “You mentioned that before.”

  Honey kept her gaze on Lonny because she was way too chicken to look at True. “You two talked about doing a ménage with me? Is anything sacred?”

  “Don’t get your panties in a twist.”

  “You know damn well I’m not wearing any.”

  “Dammit.”

  That did it. Honey swung toward True. “Do you know any other cuss words?”

  “His vocabulary’s limited,” Lonny quipped.

  She lifted her chin when True’s gaze narrowed. “So I noticed,” she said, keeping her tone even.

  “Be nice,” Lonny chided.

  She grunted and faced forward again. “Sorry.”

  “Back to the ménage…”

  True stirred beside her, and she felt his thighs tense like he was going to rise. Without looking at him, Honey laid her hand on his thigh and pressed down.

  “There ought to be a few rules,” Lonny continued. “Things each one of us won’t do.”

  “Like swords never crossing,” she quipped.

  “For fuck sake,” True ground out. “Did either of you hear what I said? Not interested.”

  “If I believed that for a minute, I’d lay off.” All humor was gone from Lonny’s voice.

  Honey held her breath, waiting…

  True stayed tense beneath her hand. His breaths deepened.

  “Personally, I’d just as soon not ‘cross swords’ as Honey suggested,” Lonny said slowly.

  Honey drew in a deep breath. “I’d just as soon not be tied down.”

  Both men pinned her with a glance.

  She shrugged. “I like to touch.”

  True jerked but didn’t try to rise.

  Two men, one woman, one momentous dare

  Triple Dare

  © 2010 Lexxie Couper

  Serious and determined, Joseph Hudson isn’t Australia’s businessman of the year for nothing. So now he’s asking himself, how did he get himself lost on the side of a mountain in the Colorado Rockies—in the middle of winter—with night fast approaching? Three simple words. I dare you.

  Fear isn't in Rob Thorton's vocabulary. Life is for the taking, and Rob uses both hands. Challenging his best mate to take an impromptu snowboarding trip to the U.S. is just the latest in a lifetime of dares. Besides, he has an ulterior motive for the trip. And a plan…

  Park Ranger Anna McCarthy knows what trouble looks like, and it’s written all over the two Aussies she first encounters in the ski lodge. Instinct has her following them onto the mountain, and sure enough, they end up needing her winter survival expertise. But not even her skills can stop her body from responding to the sexy muscles she finds beneath their ski suits.

  Stuck in a remote cabin until the storm passes, the temperatures rise until all bets are off. And a double dare turns into a tri
ple threat—to their hearts.

  Warning: Contains lots of scorching boy-on-girl-on-boy action, a heroine who knows what she wants and two sexy-arsed Australian heroes to really work up a sweat over. Oh, and a soul-deep love story with a revelation that may make you cry.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Triple Dare:

  “So, you’re the one with the money.”

  Her question, delivered in the form of a statement, sent a rush of warmth to his face. He hated talking about his money. True, he had a lot of it, a bloody lot of it, but it didn’t define him.

  “And Rob is the one without the sense,” she finished, the smile on her lips curling wider. She titled her head to the side, crossing her ankles in front of her. “Yeah, I can see that.”

  Despite himself, Joseph grinned. His cock lurched again in his trousers, enjoying their tête-à-tête almost as much as he was. He liked her dry wit. And her accent. A drawling caress of vowels and consonants that made him wish she’d say his name.

  “I guess I should ask your name,” he said, removing his own gloves and shoving them into his back pocket. “I should at least know who to address the thank you card to.”

  She laughed again, and Joseph decided there and then he could seriously become addicted to the soft, throaty sound. “Anna McCarthy. Your local saver of lost Australian lunatics, yeah, that’s me.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “All Australian lunatics? Do you get many here?”

  Her direct grey gaze leveled on his face, a small smile playing with her lips. Lips he wanted to kiss. Soon. Real soon. “No, you’re my first. But depending how it goes tonight, I might have to find some more to save.”

  A low growl rumbled in Joseph’s chest at the idea of Anna McCarthy saving any other Australians but himself. “Hmm,” he said, “I think you’ll find saving Aussies is an exhausting, sweaty business.”

  She cocked her own eyebrow, the finely arched line of dark blonde hair moving up her forehead with smooth ease. “Is it now? Then perhaps I should take it slow to start with? Saving too hard and too quickly at this altitude could be hazardous to my health, is that what you’re saying?”