All Jacked Up (37 page)

“I love you, Jack. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

www.samhainpublishing.com

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About the Author

To learn more about
Lorelei James
, please vis
it www.loreleijames.com
for a taste of weekly Man Candy, a look at Western Wednesday, a Friday Funny, as well as excerpts, contests and other information.

Send an email to
[email protected]
or join her Yahoo! group to join in the fun with other wild, crazy and anything goes James Gang members (this group is not for the faint of heart, be warned!) and readers as well as Lorelei who pops in all the time
: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LoreleiJamesGang

Look for these titles from Lorelei James

Now Available:

Rough Riders Series

Shoulda Been A Cowboy

Branded As Trouble

Rough, Raw, and Ready

Tied Up, Tied Down

Cowgirl Up and Ride

Rode Hard, Put Up Wet

Long Hard Ride

Wild West Boys Series

Miss Firecracker

Mistress Christmas

Other titles

Strong, Silent Type: Wild Ride Anthology

Wicked Garden: Three’s Company Anthology

Running With the Devil

Dirty Deeds

Babe in the Woods: Beginnings Anthology

The bigger they are, the harder they fall—in love.

Shoulda Been A Cowboy

© 2009 Lorelei James

Rough Riders, Book 7

Soldier Cameron McKay has found his niche, and it ain’t ropin’ steers and wearin’ spurs. His deputy sheriff job, plus battle injuries that ended his military career, keep him right where he wants to be: Off the ranch and away from his family’s pity. His darkest war memories are on lockdown, leaving him skeptical he’ll ever find a woman who wants a man who’s less than whole.

Domini Katzinski has had to control every aspect of her life since age eleven, when she was orphaned in the Ukraine. Watching others’ relationships crumble has convinced her to focus on the short-term and find a take-charge man to whom she can relinquish total sexual control. Cam fits the bill: gorgeous, with a brooding vulnerability no one else seems to see. Plus, he has his own handcuffs.

Once Cam gets over his surprise that sweet, shy Domini wants to be dominated, he is back to issuing orders. Their passion is as hot as a rocket-propelled grenade—and if Domini has her way, it’s a one-shot deal. Cam wants more, and launches a full-out sensual assault…until tragedy strikes, forcing him to change tactics as he tries to keep past demons from blowing their future together all to hell…

Warning: this book contains down and dirty games of good cop/bad cop, salty language, sweet ‘n hot
lovin’, menage a trois, and hooah! a hero packin’ serious heat.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Shoulda Been A Cowboy: Normally silence didn’t bother him, in fact, Cam preferred it. But tonight, he wanted to talk, if only to hear her voice. “Did you have fun before the cops showed up?”

“Yes. We danced and drank and gossiped. I’ve never actually seen a bar fight.”

Cam snorted. “You must not hang out with Keely much. That girl is always finding trouble.”

“She seemed pretty pleased she’d popped my cherry tonight.”

He nearly wrecked the car. “What?”

Domini blushed. “It was my first Wyoming bar brawl. Keely came up with the cherry-popping phrase, not me.”

“It figures. I’m curious. What else did you ladies gossip about?”

“Family. Babies. Men. Sex.” Domini’s gaze pierced him. “You.”

“Me? What about me?”

“Your sister asked if something was going on between us.”

His stomach dropped at the thought of his family gossiping about him. “What did you say?” Cam eased the patrol car alongside her building.

“No. But I did say I wished something was going on between us.”

Cam didn’t know how to respond. Evidently saying nothing was the wrong response, because Domini attempted to bail out of the car.

“Forget it.”

“Ah-ah-ah.” Cam caught her wrist, holding her in place. “Wait just a damn minute. You don’t get to say something like that and then just leave.”

Domini just stared at him intently.

“Why would you want to start something with a gimped-up, scarred man like me?”

“That’s not what I see when I look at you.”

Fuck. This is what unnerved him about Domini. She saw too much. “Maybe you need glasses.”

“Maybe you’re the one who’s blind.”

He winced internally, but managed, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I see the fire in your eyes when you look at me, Cam. I feel it when you allow yourself to touch me.

Yet, you won’t take what you so badly want.” Domini cocked her head. “Why? Are you a martyr? Or a masochist?”

“Neither. I’m just a man.”
Not even a whole man
.

“If I begged you to prove your manhood to me you’d run again, wouldn’t you?”

Heat rose up his neck. “I didn’t run.”

“No. You apologized first and
then
you ran. Which was way worse.”

Shit. He had no idea how much she’d misunderstood his reaction to her months ago. “Domini, let me explain—”

“No. Stop right there.” She drew away from him until her back rested against the door. “No more excuses. You either want me, or you don’t. You will either come upstairs right now and we can explore this—” she gestured to the space between them, “—or you can drive away and we will never speak of it again.”

Cam’s anger surfaced. “And if I drive off, you’ll what? Find another man?”

Her shoulder hitched in a half-shrug. “Perhaps.”

“Who?”

“Harold Henderson is always flirting with me.”

“If I ever see that fucking pervert looking at any part of you, I’ll gouge his goddamn eyes out,” Cam snarled.

“Then you’d better add Deke Nealon to that list because he asked me to a movie last week.”

“I’ve arrested Deke before and got no problem doin’ it again if he messes with you.” His head spun.

No one touched Domini but him. No one.

Really? You haven’t been touching her either. She’s supposed to wait around for you to get your head
out of your ass?

India’s comment,
Either go for it, or let her go. But it’s selfish to try and have it both ways,
haunted him because he knew she was exactly right. The time had come for him to fish or cut bait, as Colt always said. “Who else?” he demanded.

“Last night Marshall Benson offered to take me to Ziggy’s.”

“Marshall Benson? He cheats at pool!”

“So do I. You going to arrest me too?”

“Hell yes, if it’ll keep you from going out with a loser like him.”
Stay calm
. “What are you trying to do, Domini? Piss me off by naming all the guys who want to do you?”

She jabbed her finger at him. “You asked, Deputy. And I’m tired of waiting for you to come to terms with what
you
want to do to me. I especially want you to get over your mistaken belief that I am somehow…too fragile to handle you. I told you I like that you take charge, Cam.”

“You really wanna see that side of me, princess? The rough man who expects his demands to be met without question or hesitation?”

She nodded.

Lightning fast, Cam curled his hand around her neck and hauled her close enough to kiss. “I don’t play at this. It’s not a phase, not bedroom games. This is who I am.”

“Then that is who I want,” she said softly.

His resistance shattered. “I’m giving you one last chance to change your mind.”

“My mind has been made up for a lot longer than yours has.”

He put his mouth on her ear and growled, “Get upstairs. Get naked. Wait for me.”

Domini slipped from the car with such grace and determination Cam wondered what he’d gotten himself into.

When country boys meet a city girl, everyone is in for a wild ride.

Unridden

© 2009 Cat Johnson

Studs in Spurs, Book 1

Slade Bower and Mustang Jackson are living the high life on the professional bull-riding circuit. The prize money is big, the bulls are rank and the women are willing. But something is missing.

For Slade, waking up in a different city with a different woman each morning is holding less and less appeal. Even Mustang’s creative attempts to shake things up don’t help. Then along comes a big-city author who’s like nothing they’ve ever encountered. Something about her makes Slade sit up and take notice—and Mustang is always up for anything.

Romance writer Jenna Block has a problem—her agent thinks a cowboy book will jump-start her career. A born New Yorker, Jenna doesn’t do cowboys, not on paper, and definitely not in real life. Luckily for her there are two cowboys ready, willing and able to take her out of her comfort zone in every way that counts…and some ways she hadn’t counted on.

Warning: This story contains two hot cowboys, one very lucky woman, hot ménage sex and lots of
bull.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Unridden:

Evaluating that night’s possibilities, Mustang’s gaze swept the females in the stands until it landed on one woman who made him stop dead in his perusal.

He jumped up onto the rail of the chute and hissed to Slade, “Second section, fourth row back, reddish-brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, black turtleneck.”

In the process of tugging the rope that stretched beneath the bull and winding it once around his gloved hand, Slade frowned up at Mustang from the animal’s back. “I’m in the middle of taking my wrap and you’re pointing out some woman to me? In a turtleneck, no less? Since when are you interested in women whose chest isn’t hanging out?”

“This woman’s different, Slade. I can tell.” The bull hopped once in the chute and Mustang quickly reached over and grabbed the back of Slade’s vest, steadying him on the animal’s back.

“Dammit, Mustang, quit distracting me.” Slade settled himself again and then gave a nod. The cowboy on the ground swung the gate open to release both bull and rider into the arena.

“Talk to you more when you get off,” Mustang called after him.

As Mustang watched his friend disappear into a cloud of dust, Chase Reese hopped up onto the rail next to him.

“Slade’s amazing. It’s like he’s glued onto that bull. I wish I could do that. I went two for ten last series.” The kid had been favored for Rookie of the Year until he’d hit a dry streak.

“That’s because you look at the ground.” Mustang followed Slade’s progress while the bull spun around to the left without deviation, from one end of the arena to the other.

The eight-second buzzer sounded and Slade released the rope wrapped around his hand. He jumped off the bull, hit the ground with his shoulder and then rolled to avoid a hoof to the ribcage before the bullfighters redirected the charging animal away from him.

“I do what?”

Seeing his friend was safe, Mustang took the time to answer Chase’s question. Damn, had he ever been this young? The kid probably didn’t even have to shave once a week.

“You’re looking down at the ground while you ride. If you look there, you’re gonna end up there. It’s a fact. Now, ’scuse me. I gotta talk to Slade.”

Leaving the kid with an amazed expression on his face, as if he’d just been handed all the secrets of the universe, Mustang jumped down to go meet Slade behind the chutes.

“Hey, man. Good ride. That bull was one hell of a spinner, huh?”

Slade laughed and pulled the tape from around his wrist where it held the glove on his riding hand firmly in place. “Hell yeah. They weren’t kidding when they said he came out of the spinner pen. Felt like I was on a ride at the county fair.”

“Now we’re both done riding for the night, we have to formulate a plan,” Mustang began.

“For what?”

“To reel in that woman I told you about.”

Slade dismissed that with a wave of his hand. “Just do whatever it is you usually do.”

Mustang shook his head. “The usual isn’t going to work on her.”

Slade sighed. “Where did you say she’s sitting?”

Ha!
Slade had given in and was actually showing some interest. Smiling, Mustang narrowed his eyes and easily found her again in the stands. She was writing feverishly while trying to watch the rider in the arena at the same time. He tilted his head toward the section directly behind them. “Far end of the fourth row.”

“What the hell is she doing?” Slade frowned as he watched her.

“Hell if I know, but I think she’s taking notes. See what I mean? This woman is special. She isn’t going to just fall into our bed.”

Her hair wasn’t huge, she wasn’t made up like a showgirl and her clothes showed curves but not an inch of skin. She was different, which was what had drawn Mustang’s attention to her in the first place.

Since Slade had been in his strange funk lately, Mustang figured he’d try something unusual. Hell, even the two eighteen-year-olds going at each other in front of them barely got a rise out of his friend.

Mustang was running out of ideas, but this woman… She was pretty much the opposite of their usual conquest and that might be exactly what they needed. It was worth a shot to cheer Slade up. Besides, never opposed to trying new things, he could use a bit of a change himself once in a while.

“Mustang, she’s probably a damned reporter. That’s all I need, to be featured in some exposé. I can see the headline now. ‘Slade Bower, third-ranking bull rider in the world, propositions reporter for a threesome with former Rookie of the Year, Mustang Jackson.’ That will go over real well with the fans in the Bible Belt.” Slade scowled at Mustang. “Pick someone else. How about the one bouncing up and down over there? She’s about to pop right out of that top. You might want to keep an eye on her.”

Mustang glanced her way. “Yeah, I saw her already. I’m set on the other one.”

Laughing, Slade shook his head. “Good luck ’cause I can just about see the stick up her ass from here.

That one is wound tight, but you go for it, man, and I’ll enjoy watching you get shot down.”

Mustang raised a brow. “Is that a challenge, my friend?”