Ranching partners Cole, Jace and Robert can handle any threat with cool, swift precision. But when it comes to the gloriously lovely Lady Victoria, who seems to have no discernible survival skills, they’re in the dark.
Underneath Victoria’s fragile exterior lies an inner resilience they all come to admire—and a deep well of sensuality that tempts them to offer her a permanent place in their home, their beds…and their hearts.
Warning: Strong sexual content, multiple partners, Western bad boys, Western bad language and some mild violence
Enjoy the following excerpt for Reckless Territory:
A thick haze of smoke lay over everything when she slowly opened her stinging eyes. Cole still held her, his clasp reassuring. “Easy,” he murmured, but there was soot on his face, she saw through the watery tears from the acrid aftermath of the raging fire. “We’re fine now. The worst is past.”
It was true. She could vaguely see Robert and Jace struggling to hold their panicked horses, their wet kerchiefs draped over the animals’ eyes. Bits of burning debris floated everywhere, and the pall of smoke was like a thick, choking mist, but that horrible roar was gone.
“She all right?” Robert called out, his voice ending in a cough.
“She’s fine.” Cole still held her close against him, and Victoria realized to her mortification he had one hand cupped around her bottom and her breasts were flattened against his hard chest. He lowered his head so his mouth brushed her ear. “I’ll be damned if you don’t even look beautiful covered in ash and soaking wet. No wonder we’re all going a little bit crazy.”
He looked beautiful too, his sleek dark hair clinging in silky wet strands to his strong neck, those high cheekbones and midnight eyes evidence of his heritage, and pressed up against him as she was, she could feel the honed strength of his very male body.
Then he kissed her.
The sensual journey of his mouth was slow and beguiling. It trailed from where his lips had been pressed against her ear across her cheek, following the line of her jaw until his mouth covered hers. His lips were warm and firm, and the probe of his tongue shocking but not unpleasant. Clinging to him, Victoria closed her eyes again, but for an entirely different reason, and gave a small gasp he swallowed as he teased and stroked. Their lips clung, and somehow the near-catastrophic primal force of the fire seemed to fuel the heat between them. She parted more. He accepted and slanted his mouth over hers more fiercely…
“Hey, damn you Cole, I can see you’re kind of enjoying yourself over there, but mind giving us a hand here?”
Her savior lifted his head, grinned in a flash of white teeth and obligingly waded to a shallower spot and set her down, letting her slowly slide down his body. Victoria felt a flush in her cheeks that wasn’t just the residual heat from the fire as he went to help Jace and Robert with the spooked horses.
We’re all going a little bit crazy…
For that matter, her own body tingled at the moment in some interesting places.
She’d noticed them watching her, of course. She was used to male attention; it was part of why she’d left England. Once the scandal of her father’s financial disaster broke, men who might have offered for her hand offered something else entirely. The idea of being mistress to some haughty aristocrat who no longer thought she was good enough to marry but certainly desirable enough to bed held no appeal whatsoever. What was more, she had come to despise the falseness of a society that held wealth and social status in such high regard that her friends had turned their backs on her simply because she was suddenly poor.
The three men who had just saved her life yet again owed her nothing. They could care less about her aristocratic bloodlines, her social status, her fortune or lack of it. They’d been kind, generous and respectful at all times, and truthfully, more gentlemanly than most of the bluebloods she knew back home. From some of their remarks she’d guessed that maybe all three of them were in trouble with the law in some way, but she’d stake her life—and had in an ironic sense, since she was so helpless—they were all three good men.
Her pampered background hadn’t given her one single skill to help her survive in the wilderness. She couldn’t cook, saddle a horse or shoot a gun. She couldn’t even recognize the signs of a giant fire bearing down on them. They gave her everything and she gave back nothing.
All three of them wanted her. She’d grown up sheltered, but the past year had taught her a few things about life and one of them was that hungry look in a man’s eyes. Beauty was about her only possession at the moment.
At any time, they could have easily taken what they wanted. Defenseless and alone, she was all too vulnerable. But they hadn’t. They wouldn’t.
No, but as shocking as the idea was, she could give it.
In tight quarters, anything can happen…
Feeling Hot
© 2011 Elle Kennedy
An Out of Uniform Story
It’s been a rough month for Navy SEAL Cash McCoy. Fresh off six months of celibacy during his deployment, he almost got into a hot blonde’s panties before they were interrupted. Since then, he still hasn’t gotten laid. The reason? He lost her number. And no other woman has replaced her face in his fantasies.
Then his CO asks him to keep an eye on his sister for a few weeks. Just until her psycho stalker ex is transferred. Cash’s new houseguest is none other than the same gorgeous, quirky blonde. And just his luck—his orders include an emphatic hands off.
Jen Scott is having none of it. Now that she has a second chance, she’s not letting Cash slip away. Orders be damned, he’s the one man capable of helping her explore her sexuality. She’s even willing to break her own rule—never date military men—to get the gorgeous SEAL into her bed.
Except Cash makes it clear he wants more than she bargained for. Much more. Not just her body, but the one thing she promised herself she’d never give to a man in uniform. Her heart.
Warning: Sexy SEAL? Check. Sassy heroine determined to seduce him? Check. Scorching hot sex bound to make you blush? Double check. A threesome and some man-on-man action? Triple check. You’ve been warned.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Feeling Hot:
A sharp rap on the window jarred her from her thoughts. She turned to see Carson’s exasperated face peering into the half-open window. “Out of the car, Jenny.”
She opened her mouth, nearly confessing that she already knew Cash. But she stopped herself at the last second. Shit. She couldn’t tell her brother about the night at the Tavern. Not only did it make her look like the slut of the century, but it suddenly occurred to her that if she did tell Carson she knew Cash, he might scrap this whole houseguest plan and act on his threat of involving their parents.
Another knock sounded on the window.
“I’m getting annoyed,” he announced.
Sighing, Jen got out of the car. “I doubt you’re as annoyed as I am.”
Her brother’s blue eyes softened. “I’m just trying to look out for you. Maybe I’m overreacting, seeing a threat where I shouldn’t, but I won’t take chances with your safety. Until Brendan is gone, I refuse to leave you unprotected.”
An arrow of guilt pierced her chest. Carson sounded so genuinely concerned that she felt like an ass for the way she’d bitched at him all morning. “I know. I’m sorry I’m being such a brat.”
“’S’all good. I’m used to your brattiness.”
He reached out and tugged on the end of her ponytail, the way he’d always done when they were kids, and Jen couldn’t help but smile. As infuriating as Carson could be, he was still her big brother and she loved him something fierce. Besides, as much as she didn’t want to admit it, he was right. She didn’t feel safe. She’d been on edge ever since Brendan started playing these sick games with her, and although she wasn’t convinced her ex would actually cross the line from creepy to violent, she’d definitely breathe easier once he left town.
“Come on, let’s go in,” Carson said, linking his arm through h
ers.
Jen’s anxiety returned once they entered the building. She wondered how Cash would react when he saw her. If he even remembered her. A guy as good looking as him probably hooked up with ten girls a night. What if she’d just been another one of his faceless conquests?
Lugging her bags, Carson crossed the small, clean lobby toward the stairwell door. “Cash and Matt are on the second floor,” he told her. “But Matt’ll be staying with his girlfriend while you’re here.”
When they reached the second floor landing, Carson led her to a door at the very end of the hall. “Oh, and Ryan and Annabelle live upstairs,” he went on. “So if you want to do any girlie things, just call Annabelle. You met her, right?”
Jen nodded. Although she’d yet to meet her brother’s newer teammates, she knew most of the older ones well, along with their wives and girlfriends. Out of all the women, Annabelle Holmes was her favorite. They’d gone out for dinner a few times, and she’d hung out with the sarcastic brunette at Carson’s thirty-fourth birthday party last month, so it was a relief knowing that Annabelle would be nearby.
“By the way, I told Mom and Dad that your apartment is being fumigated,” Carson added. “So if they call, tell them you were overrun with ants.”
“Ants? That’s what you came up with?”
He shrugged. “First thing that popped into my head.”
They reached the door, which Carson opened without bothering to knock first. “McCoy,” he called. “Come say hi to Jenny.”
She cringed. Of course, he just had to refer to her by the name she hadn’t used since grade school.
As Carson dropped her two huge suitcases on the hardwood floor with a thump, Jen examined her surroundings. The apartment looked like a typical bachelor pad—no surprise there. It featured an open-concept layout, with a spacious living room boasting a black leather couch, two big armchairs, a flat screen mounted on the wall, and an entertainment system that screamed man cave. A small kitchen with stainless-steel appliances and an eat-in counter took up the other side of the room, next to a dining area with a big glass table and a shelf lined with an assortment of beer glasses. Her gaze flicked to the corridor in the back, which she deduced led to the bedrooms.
When footsteps thudded from the vicinity of that corridor, her pulse kicked up a notch, then took off in a mad sprint at Cash’s appearance.
Oh boy. He was as gorgeous as she remembered. Actually, even more gorgeous, because instead of a leather jacket, today he wore a black T-shirt that clung to his massive chest and revealed his bulging biceps. Jeez, he had great arms. Tanned, sinewy, roped with muscle. The kind of arms you wanted pinning you down while those trim hips pumped into you.
The rest of him was equally appealing. Long legs encased in camo pants, strong jaw dusted with stubble, black-brown hair cut in a short military style. Her nipples tightened involuntarily, her core clenching at the sight of all that manly goodness. Lord, the man was sexy as hell.
And shocked as hell, judging by the way those piercing blue eyes widened when he spotted her. Recognition splashed across his face, and his voice came out in a startled rasp. “Oh. Hi.”
She met his gaze, her mouth drier than a desert. “Hi.”
Carson swung his head from her to Cash. “Do you two know each other?”
After a moment of hesitation, during which Jen transmitted a silent warning with her eyes, Cash visibly swallowed and turned to her brother. “No. I was just…I, ah…” He stuck out a hand in her direction. “It’s nice to meet you, Jenny.”
“Jen,” she corrected, moving forward to shake his hand.
The second their palms touched, heat seared into her like a bolt of lightning, spreading through her body and warming every inch of her skin. Their gazes locked again, and the fire inside her burned hotter. Desire pulsed in her veins, making her dizzy and breathless. Holy mother of God. She craved this man on a basic, carnal level she hadn’t known existed.
Sucking in a breath, she jerked her hand back. Touching him was too big a temptation. It only intensified the crazy urge to strip him naked.
“So we’re all cool with this, right?” Carson spoke, oblivious to the tension hanging in the room. “Jenny will stay here until Psycho McGee leaves town?”
Cash’s blue eyes rested on her before turning to Carson. “Yeah, it’s cool. Matt’s room is all ready.”
“Good.” Carson focused on her. “Jenny?”
She sighed. “It’s fine. But only until Brendan is gone.”
Carson nodded in agreement, then picked up her suitcases. “I’ll put these in Matt’s room.”
The second her brother disappeared, Jen cast a slightly embarrassed look in Cash’s direction. “I had no idea you were the one I was coming to stay with.”
“I figured,” he said wryly.
An awkward silence settled between them, bringing a jolt of annoyance. She hadn’t expected him to greet her with a passionate kiss or anything, but did he have to look so unhappy? As he fidgeted with his hands, his chiseled features creasing with discomfort, her self-esteem took a couple of hits. Couldn’t he at least pretend to be pleased to see her?
“Jen—” he started, only to be interrupted by Carson, who sauntered back into the living room as if he had no care in the world.
Well, of course he didn’t. He wasn’t the one who had to spend the next three weeks with someone who wanted nothing to do with him. Oh no. Carson just got to drop her off, leave her in the clutches of the man she’d almost fucked, and be on his merry way.
“You’re all set,” Carson said. “I guess I’ll head out now.”
Panic flitted through her. “Now?”
“Don’t worry. McCoy will take good care of you.” He frowned as he turned to his teammate. “Remember what I said—she doesn’t leave the house unless someone is with her. You, preferably, but any of the other guys are acceptable alternatives. Annabelle and Holly, too, since they’ve taken self-defense classes. But not Savannah—I don’t want her corrupting my little sister.”
Jen waved her hand around. “Hello? I’m right here, you know. Quit talking about me like I’m a five-year-old.”
As usual, Carson ignored her. “And make sure she stays away from her usual haunts. Psycho McGee might be lurking around, waiting for her to show up.”
“Got it,” Cash said with a nod.
“Good. Okay, I’m out.” Her brother didn’t rumple her hair again, probably because he could see the murder in her eyes, but he did lean in and plant a loud smack of a kiss on her cheek. “Don’t give Cash any trouble.”
He strode toward the door, then paused to shoot Cash a sharp look over his shoulder. “And remember what I said, McCoy. There’s a pool right downstairs.”
After Carson left, another silence fell over the room. Smothering a sigh, Jen studied Cash’s face, wishing she could make sense of that indescribable expression. He obviously wasn’t happy to see her, but she refused to spend the next three weeks tiptoeing around without clearing the air between them.
Her brows puckered into a deep frown as the silence dragged on. Finally, unable to stand it, she crossed her arms and said, “So why didn’t you call?”
Gone
Annabel Wolfe
He’s returned from the dead…and he wants her back.
Jack Templeton was dead. Or so everyone thought. Red-carpet welcome aside, he knows returning from a highly secret year-long mission won’t be easy. He’s even prepared for the possibility that his girlfriend, whose face carried him through the hellish months alone, has moved on. But he never expected she’d move into the arms of his best friend.
Nicole is beside herself with joy to learn that Jack is alive, but there’s a small complication. Actually a huge one, and his name is Eric Janssen. Now her tangled feelings are stretching her heart to the breaking point.
Eric has always been sure of what he wants, but now he’s off balance on shaky emotional ground. He’s relieved his best friend is home…but he loves Nicole. And he’s not a
bout to just hand her over.
There’s only one way to hash this out. And the battleground is about to move from the boardroom to the bedroom…
Warning: multiple sexy heroes, a heroine who seems demure but really isn’t, light bondage and mild violence.
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
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Gone
Copyright © 2014 by Annabel Wolfe
ISBN: 978-1-61921-922-9
Edited by Jennifer Miller
Cover by Angela Waters
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: January 2014
www.samhainpublishing.com
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