Don't Fall for a Fugitive: Strong Family Romances

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Don't Fall for a Fugitive: Strong Family Romances Page 20

by Cami Checketts


  “I think the lady can decide for herself,” Rich Guy said.

  “Back off, Marcus. This one’s mine.” Trey’s eyes swept over her, and for a second, she really thought he meant it, really wanted her to be his. Then he acted like the annoying, possessive big brother, putting his hand on her lower back and escorting her toward the lodge without giving her a chance to choose for herself. She’d choose Trey every time, but she was an independent woman and he needed to know that.

  The Richie—Marcus, she supposed—grunted something annoyed and not very appropriate behind them, but Ella was having a hard time focusing with Trey’s warm palm on her back, seeping through her thin shirt, and his words. “‘This one’s mine’? What kind of bull crap is that?” she asked.

  Trey smiled down at her, but his blue eyes had something different in them than she’d ever seen. It was almost like he was finally seeing her, but that was probably just wishful thinking on her part. “It’ll get that loser to leave you alone. He’s with a corporate retreat out of Denver, and most of them are stand-up guys, but Marcus Traegger thinks he owns the world and every woman in it.”

  “Maybe I prefer guys like that.” She arched a challenging eyebrow. The truth was that no man had ever compared to Trey, but he didn’t know that. Hopefully, he would never know that. How humiliating would that be?

  He opened the lodge’s door and ushered her inside. “I’d say too bad for you, because Gavin and I are not letting it happen.” He glowered down at her. It was odd to see anything but a smile on Trey’s handsome face. He was just one of those contagiously happy people. Add to that his good-looking face with the slightly longer curly golden-brown hair and the bright blue eyes she couldn’t resist and she could understand why every woman flung herself at him. No matter how jealous it made her.

  Ella stopped just inside the door, taking in the huge open room welcoming her and a pretty blonde she didn’t know manning the front desk. They were far enough away that they still had a small measure of privacy. She whirled on Trey, ready to give him a piece of her mind. He had plenty of women after him, and she could choose if she wanted to go to dinner with some rich yahoo.

  A deep voice said, “What aren’t we letting happen?”

  Ella pushed away her frustration with the bossy, too-handsome Trey and turned. Her oldest brother, Gavin, was striding down the grand staircase as if he owned the world, or at least owned this corner of it. He pretty much did, though her mama still had her hand in everything. From what Ella had seen on her brief trips home, Gavin was taking over more and more. He was brilliant at it, though it had always baffled her that he’d never left the valley. He’d had a full-ride scholarship to Texas A&M, planning to play cornerback and get his undergrad before going on to law school. Ella had only been twelve at the time, so her memory was a little fuzzy, but she did remember her parents going from thrilled and proud to withdrawn and sad. Papa’s accident had happened around the same time, so Gavin never went away to college; he just got his degree online and worked night and day to make the resort even better than anyone could’ve dreamed. Stetson, their twenty-year-old brother, was fulfilling Gavin’s dream, playing defensive end for Purdue and making everybody proud.

  “Gavin!” Ella rushed to the stairs.

  He met her at the bottom and lifted her off her feet, swinging her around. “Hey, Cinderella,” he teased. “Come home to clean the chimney?”

  “Yes, sir. Put me to work, big brother.”

  He released her from the hug and looked her over. “You’re too pretty to be working.”

  “That’s what I thought,” Trey said from behind her.

  Ella caught a glimpse of a warning in Gavin’s eyes before she rounded on Trey. “Like you’d ever look at me as anything but a sister,” she hurled at him.

  Trey’s eyes widened, and she almost faltered. The color of his eyes could go from teal-blue to a more true blue depending on what he was wearing or his mood. His eyes had always mesmerized her.

  “He’d better not,” Gavin growled. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Protective and in charge of everybody, that was her big brother. She adored him, but she quite often balked at him telling her what to do. She was very unlike her twin, Cassandra, who was obedient and sweet. If Trey had any inclination to realize she was a woman, she didn’t want Gavin scaring him away.

  Trey said nothing, and that frustrated her even more. So he gave a secondhand compliment, but then when she called him out, gave him the chance to say he didn’t think of her as a little sister anymore, he clammed up. What did she expect? She’d been around Trey all of five minutes, and of course she’d imagined something different in his eyes; she’d been praying to see a glimmer of interest for years. The fact that he’d probably never see her as anything but a little sister made her want to punch him in the gut, but that was unfair. This was all on her.

  “What are you doing here, anyway?” she demanded of Trey. “Don’t you have Instagram videos to shoot for your admirers to gawk over?” Trey was an Instagram and YouTube hotshot. He made videos showing and instructing how to do insane, borderline idiotic tricks on mountain bikes and snow skis. Ella followed him. How could she help it? But she’d noticed that most of his followers seemed to be female and were enthralled with his perfect face and tough body more than learning how to do any of his tricks. She didn’t blame the women, but she could still admit it annoyed her.

  “I hired him,” Gavin said.

  “You can afford him?” Ella asked. It sounded more like something their brother Heath, would do. His four resorts were even more lavish than this one, and he was always doing some kind of interesting promotion.

  Trey chuckled. “I gave him a discount.”

  Gavin cracked half of a smile. “You’d better not have, you idiot.”

  Trey just gave them a self-satisfied smirk and stepped closer. “To answer your question, beautiful Cinderella, Gavin hired me to impress a bunch of corporate yuppies who have booked the resort this weekend to teach them tricks so they can impress their friends when they go home.”

  “So you’re only here for the weekend?”

  “Not long enough for you?” Trey arched an eyebrow.

  No, it would never be long enough for her. She’d be happy to spend the rest of eternity with Trey, but she clamped a lid on that fantasy. Trey was no Prince Charming, and she was better suited to clean the chimney than campaign for Trey’s affections. Judging by the way he appeared to flit from one gorgeous woman to the next, she should be glad he wasn’t interested. He’d reel her in, maybe finally kiss her like she’d always dreamed about, and then he’d dump her and move on. She’d be in a worse position than ever.

  Keep reading here.

  Her Hockey Superstar Fake Fiance

  “Oof!” She slammed into something hard and large. Bouncing back, she hit the pavement on her rear, pain radiating up her backside and her phone skittering away underneath a parked car. Glancing up, way up, she saw a man towering over her. The sun was bright reflecting off the snow so she couldn’t quite make out his face, but his body was tall, lean, and beautifully muscled under a fitted long-sleeved shirt.

  “Faith?” Her stomach did a funny flip-flop it hadn’t done in years. That voice saying her name was like going back into dreams she’d long since stored and tried to forget. Dreams that were beautiful and happy and nothing like her life now. A life without burying her husband Blaine a year ago, a life without the pain, and a life where there was hope. Her life now was far removed from that deep, husky, beautiful voice saying her name.

  The man bent down low, and swept her off the ground. Thankfully she had her thick coat on to dampen the impact, but still excitement and heat shot through her as she was lifted face to chest with the man who dominated her night dreams, no matter how many times she’d prayed to not dream about him any more. If she had any money, she’d hire a therapist or voo-doo witch doctor to exorcise him from her memory.

  “Faith,” he repeated, saying the name this time alm
ost reverently. Jag’s handsome face looked all lit up. He appeared for all the world like the boy she used to adore, grown into an irresistible man with hard lines and firm muscles and yet a softness in his eyes as he gazed at her.

  He lifted her off her feet, without her permission, and much to her body’s happiness, and swung her around like he used to do. Setting her back down, he was still grinning at her. “Faith.” How many times could he say her name in different ways? This time it was a husky groan and she knew exactly what was coming when he said her name in that way and she wanted him to capture her lips—like he used to do—more than she wanted her swim team to win state this year.

  He bent down close, his blue eyes taking her in as if she were his entire world. His muscular body surrounded her and for the first time in years she felt safe. Any moment now their lips would connect and all the pain and misery she’d been through this past ten years would disappear and Jag would make everything right in her world like he used to do.

  “And who is this?” a snarky voice asked from his side.

  Jag wrapped Faith tight and turned her, as if to shelter her from the woman standing next to them. Faith peeked over his muscular arm to see a gorgeous redhead in a tight business suit that pushed her well-endowed front out for the world to enjoy. Faith worried the woman would get frostbite on her beautiful front alignment. It was chilly out here.

  Keep reading here.

  About the Author

  Cami is a part-time author, part-time exercise consultant, part-time housekeeper, full-time wife, and overtime mother of four adorable boys. Sleep and relaxation are fond memories. She’s never been happier.

  Join Cami’s VIP list to find out about special deals, giveaways and new releases and receive a free copy of Rescued by Love: Park City Firefighter Romance by clicking here.

  [email protected]

  www.camichecketts.com

  Also by Cami Checketts

  Strong Family Romance

  Don’t Date Your Brother’s Best Friend

  Her Loyal Protector

  Don’t Fall for a Fugitive

  Her Hockey Superstar Fake Fiance

  Steele Family Romance

  Her Dream Date Boss

  The Stranded Patriot

  The Committed Warrior

  Extreme Devotion

  Quinn Family Romance

  The Devoted Groom

  The Conflicted Warrior

  The Gentle Patriot

  The Tough Warrior

  Her Too-Perfect Boss

  Her Forbidden Bodyguard

  Georgia Patriots Romance

  The Loyal Patriot

  The Gentle Patriot

  The Stranded Patriot

  The Pursued Patriot

  Jepson Brothers Romance

  How to Design Love

  How to Switch a Groom

  How to Lose a Fiance

  Billionaire Boss Romance

  Her Dream Date Boss

  Her Prince Charming Boss

  Hawk Brothers Romance

  The Determined Groom

  The Stealth Warrior

  Her Billionaire Boss Fake Fiance

  Risking it All

  Navy Seal Romance

  The Protective Warrior

  The Captivating Warrior

  The Stealth Warrior

  The Tough Warrior

  Texas Titan Romance

  The Fearless Groom

  The Trustworthy Groom

  The Beastly Groom

  The Irresistible Groom

  The Determined Groom

  The Devoted Groom

  Billionaire Beach Romance

  Caribbean Rescue

  Cozumel Escape

  Cancun Getaway

  Trusting the Billionaire

  How to Kiss a Billionaire

  Onboard for Love

  Shadows in the Curtain

  Billionaire Bride Pact Romance

  The Resilient One

  The Feisty One

  The Independent One

  The Protective One

  The Faithful One

  The Daring One

  Park City Firefighter Romance

  Rescued by Love

  Reluctant Rescue

  Stone Cold Sparks

  Snowed-In for Christmas

  Echo Ridge Romance

  Christmas Makeover

  Last of the Gentlemen

  My Best Man’s Wedding

  Change of Plans

  Counterfeit Date

  Snow Valley

  Full Court Devotion: Christmas in Snow Valley

  A Touch of Love: Summer in Snow Valley

  Running from the Cowboy: Spring in Snow Valley

  Light in Your Eyes: Winter in Snow Valley

  Romancing the Singer: Return to Snow Valley

  Fighting for Love: Return to Snow Valley

  Other Books by Cami

  Seeking Mr. Debonair: Jane Austen Pact

  Seeking Mr. Dependable: Jane Austen Pact

  Saving Sycamore Bay

  Oh, Come On, Be Faithful

  Protect This

  Blog This

  Redeem This

  The Broken Path

  Dead Running

  Dying to Run

  Fourth of July

  Love & Loss

  Love & Lies

  Cami’s Collections

  Steele Family Collection

  Hawk Brothers Collection

  Quinn Family Collection

  Cami’s Military Collection

  Billionaire Beach Romance Collection

  Billionaire Bride Pact Collection

  Billionaire Romance Sampler

  Echo Ridge Romance Collection

  Texas Titans Romance Collection

  Snow Valley Collection

  Christmas Romance Collection

  Holiday Romance Collection

 

 

 


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