Eternal Brand (27 page)

Three hurting hearts. Too many secrets. One chance to conquer their fears.

Rocky Mountain Freedom

© 2013 Vivian Arend

Six Pack Ranch, Book 6

Over the past year, Travis Coleman lost the two people he allowed closest to his heart. Both gave him ultimatums—then left. Hell if he needs that kind of pain again. Time to move forward without the friends he thought might save him from his dangerous cravings.

When Ashley Sims returns to Rocky Mountain House, her rambling lifestyle isn't all she's hoping to change. Travis snagged a piece of her, and while getting tangled in his issues again might be crazy, she hasn't given up on him.

Nine months ago, Cassidy Jones walked away to stop his best friend from making a huge mistake. Temptation lingers, though, and when Travis shows up on his turf accompanied by a sensually uninhibited woman, the combination tosses fuel on the banked fire.

Passion flares among the three of them, as hot as the summer days. But are they willing to push the limits, and fight for love?

Warning: Dirty fighting, dirty talk, dirtier sex—secrets are coming out. Get ready for ménage a trois and cowboy-on-cowboy action, with ropes and crops and the kind of relentless love strong enough to set a man free.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Rocky Mountain Freedom:

Time to face the music. Cassidy stepped from the shadows and made his way toward the lot. Travis turned toward him, his welcoming smile fading rapidly to dismay.

“Cassidy? What—?”

He snapped his mouth shut and glanced away. Lips tight, obviously fighting a rush of anger.

Shit. “That answers my first question. I wondered if you knew I was working the camp for the summer.”

Travis took a deep breath before stepping forward. “You bastard.”

Cassidy laughed. “Nice to see you again too, T.”

“Screw that noise.” Travis abandoned his bag to the ground at their side and got right in Cassidy's face. “What the fuck?”

“I'm head wrangler. Your cousin hired me.”

Travis shook his head. “I meant what the fuck were you thinking? You were there and then you were gone. Not a trace, not a note. I had no idea what had happened. You could have been dead in some ditch for all I knew.”

“I told you I was going.”

Hands slammed onto his shoulders, fingers closing into fists as Travis grabbed his jean jacket. He leaned in, their faces only inches from each other. “You said I couldn't have what I wanted. You didn't tell me you were going to fucking pack up your life and never come back. Asshole.”

Cassidy stiffened his spine and refused to give in to the urge to wrap his arms around his friend and hold on tight. Focused on the job—on what he'd have to do to make it through the summer in one piece without giving in to what Travis had demanded.

Focused on what he'd have to do to avoid falling for him hard.

There was one question to ask straight out. “You want me to quit working for Trailblazers?”

“Not my damn choice.” Travis released his grasp so quickly Cassidy rocked on his feet.

He probably deserved a little of this bullshit. “I'm sorry I didn't give you a warning. I only got the news you were coming in Karen's place two days ago.”

“It was a last-minute decision.”

“I figured.” Time to change tack. Maybe if they pretended they were meeting for the first time, they would survive at least a few days without blowing up. Cassidy pointed over his shoulder. “You've got a place of your own here to set up. I can show you around, introduce you to the crew tonight. Tomorrow we can ride to Second Camp.”

Travis picked up his bag and settled it on his shoulder again. “Fine. Only let's wait until Ashley arrives. She was only a few minutes behind me.”

Ashley?

“Oh, the photographer. Right—Karen sent word about her as well.” Good, Travis seemed to be game for changing the topic. “We won't have many guests for the first while, so I figured she could bunk in one of the guest tents.”

Travis flashed his grin, all cocky and bright again. Warning signals instantly went off in Cassidy's brain.

“Oh, you don't need to find her another space. She'll be bunking with me.”

A dart of jealousy slammed him in the gut. Cassidy beat the sensation down with a firm fist as quick as possible. He pasted on a smile. “Single cot in your cabin.”

Travis raised a brow. “We'll figure something out.”

Bastard.

Cassidy turned toward the parking lot, deliberately ignoring Travis's gloating expression. The sinking sensation in his stomach was stupid. This was great news. If Travis was fooling around with some woman, Cassidy had nothing to worry about. Simple.

So why do I feel as if I've been kicked?

He shoved his confusion aside and instead focused on the throwback-to-the-hippy-generation van rolling into the parking lot. The ancient vehicle with the artsy paint job was like something out of a sixties magazine. The blonde who stepped from the driver door twirled, her bright gypsy skirt flaring around her as she raised her arms to the sky and squealed happily.

She was wearing beaded sandals, and Cassidy laughed. “Damn, Travis, did you use a time machine to pick her up?”

Cassidy's taunts fell away as she continued to pivot, the sunlight shining through her thin garments. Fabric pressed against her soft curves highlighting her feminine form with its high breasts and smooth upper arms. She faced them and another jolt hit hard. The woman wasn't the most beautiful he'd ever seen, but she wore a smile full of mischief, her lively gaze darting around the area to take in everything. Full, sensual lips combined with high cheekbones. He could imagine digging his fingers into the thick mass of her blonde hair and fisting it tight, tugging to expose her long neck for kisses all along the smooth column down to the soft skin bared by the V neckline of her top.

He was staring, he knew he was, but Cassidy was too caught up in admiration to care.

Until Travis cleared his throat.

Fuck it. Cassidy tore his gaze off the woman's curved waistline, off the hips he was already imagining catching hold of and—

“Ash, come meet the head wrangler.” Travis's grin taunted Cassidy. “Cassidy, this is Ashley Sims.”

The wild gypsy woman lifted her eyes, and Cassidy was tossed into a cloudless Alberta sky. In her gaze the full heat of a summer day blazed down on him as she checked him over far more blatantly than his examination a moment earlier.

She hummed happily and held out a hand. “Well, well. You feel the urge to round anything up, give me a shout. I'd love to see you in action with a rope.”

Cassidy jerked to a stop, her fingers already in his, not quite sure how to respond to that comment as he accepted her firm handshake.

Travis rolled his eyes. “You want him to strip so you can look him over a little closer?”

Instead of blushing or getting embarrassed, Ashley's eyes lit brighter. “You're a genius, Travis.”

She stepped forward and closed the space between them, and Cassidy found his chin captured by a set of strong feminine fingers as she examined him up close and personal. “You've got an amazing jawline,” Ashley noted. “And the two-day stubble?
Rawr
. Totally perfect. I could easily snap a dozen shots of you.”

Cassidy stood like a statue as she traced fingers over his face, her gaze tightening in focus as a tickle moved over his skin.

He wasn't sure what the protocol was for being checked out by an artist. “Umm, well, I don't have a problem with photos. Karen told me you were going to give Trailblazers help with next year's brochures.”

Ashley touched the corner of his temple, brushing her fingers up and into his hair as she traced the scar she'd discovered. His hat fell to the ground behind him, but she had him trapped, unable to move away from her captivating touch. “I like that you're not perfect. You've got a few bumps and bruises to go with the pretty blond hair and those gorgeous green eyes.” She peered in closer, tugging on his neck to get him to bend. “You're not wearing coloured contacts, are you?”

Cassidy felt a smile breaking out in spite of the crazy situation. “Nope, ma'am, just me.”

Ashley patted his cheek then let him go. “You're nice. I like you.”

“He's an ass,” Travis cut in. “But you can still like him.”

Ashley blew a raspberry at Travis. Before Cassidy could bend to recover his hat, she'd swooped in and knelt at his feet, reaching up to pass it back. “Sorry. I get a little enthusiastic at times.”

Cassidy fought to stop from peering down the front of her blouse, the creamy scoop of her breasts right there and exposed. He cleared his throat and willed his body to stop reacting like some bloody teenage boy. “No problem. I like people who get into their work.”

Ashley glanced between the two men as she regained her feet. “Hmm. Travis, come here.”

She tugged him forward, and Cassidy found himself standing inches away from Travis as Ashley looked them over intently.

Travis sighed. “You want to get unpacked before you start making mischief, sweetheart?”

Ashley shook her head. “Mischief first, last and always. You know that.”

Being this close to Travis made Cassidy nervous, and he shifted his feet to ease away slightly. “If you're ready, I can show you where you'll be staying.”

She didn't seem to hear, she was too busy examining him and Travis. “I definitely need you two in shots together. God, you've got that angel/devil thing going on. Darkness and light, sinner and saint—”

“And we both know who the sinner is,” Travis drawled.

Her smile bloomed again, gaze darting between their faces. “I don't know. Maybe Cassidy is one of the fallen-angel types. Looks like heaven and knows exactly how to get you to paradise.”

Travis laughed, the sound breaking over them like a waterfall. Encompassing them, ready to sweep them away. He'd shifted position, and now stood close enough his body heat brushed Cassidy.

Between Ashley's provocative words and Travis being…Travis, Cassidy was walking a thin line of control. He took a couple of deliberate steps away and adjusted his hat. “I really need to get back to work.”

Travis's cocky expression screamed an accusation. “We don't want to keep you from anything important.”

Cassidy bit back the urge to call him an asshole.

A shadow crossed Ashley's face as she stepped closer to Travis's side, her intuitive gaze not missing anything. “Do you guys know each other?”

One three-alarm night ignites a firestorm of complications…

Erica's Choice

© 2012 Sami Lee

High school teacher Erica Shannon isn't a one-night stand kind of girl. Pair that with an aversion to relationships, and she's resigned to no love life at all. Then one horrifying discovery propels her off her take-no-risks path, and into the arms of the stars of her midnight fantasies.

When his friend and fellow firefighter threatens to make a move on Erica, Corey figures he'd better get over the notion that she's way out of his league—fast—before he has to stand in line.

Griff never thought he'd get the chance to introduce Corey to the combustible delights of multi-partner play, until he senses the sheer volume of sexual energy surging beneath Erica's repressed exterior.

A blazing night of passion has unexpected consequences. Corey is surprised to discover the woman of his dreams, and that he doesn't mind sharing her—or himself—with Griff. But Griff finds his heart pulled down a romantic path he vowed he'd never venture again.

Erica? She's got a problem on her hands. Hold two hardwired-to-rescue firemen at arm's length—and away from her heart—until she's fought and won a battle that may well destroy her.

Warning: One tortured woman and two hunky Aussie firemen indulging in three-way love. Scenes of the male/female, male/male, male/male/female and male/female/male variety (whew!). Also includes anal sex, mild spanking, cussing, phone sex, fire trucks and tearjerker moments.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Erica's Choice:

Erica gave Griff her address and he pulled the vehicle out of the car park, having to reach between Erica's legs for the gearstick. Corey noticed the way Erica stiffened, and winced inwardly. She must think him the classiest guy ever for cramming her in the front seat of a car like a slice of cheese in a club sandwich.

“Erica?” Corey asked after they'd gone a few blocks and the tension in Erica's body didn't ease. “Are you comfortable?”

She turned toward him and smiled. Corey recognized irony in the gesture. “Not really.”

“Would you rather sit on my lap?”

She made a tiny whimpering sound. Her face darkened in the dim light emanating from the dashboard instruments. “Do you make that offer to all the girls?”

“No.” He'd sent Madison away, hadn't he? And thank God he had, or he wouldn't be here with Erica. “I've been waiting for you.”

Erica quirked her brow in disbelief, apparently assuming, as most people did, that he never had to wait for any girl. Corey thought of telling her he hadn't been with as many women as she seemed to think, that he wasn't nearly as smooth as he wanted to be. A lot of the time his emotions ran away with him, so he wasn't good at no-strings, casual sex. That was Griff's department. Corey didn't see the point of screwing some random woman whose name he could barely remember. Experiences like that left him cold.

Afraid Erica wouldn't believe him, he simply tried to be as honest as he could without getting into all that. “Erica, I really like being with you. I've seen you come into the Sovereign before and I wanted to meet you every time. I wish I'd done it sooner.”

“You wanted to speak to me?” Her surprise was obvious. “Why didn't you?”

Corey shrugged. Across the car, Griff coughed into his hand meaningfully.

Erica glanced at Griff. “Pardon me?”

“You're not exactly the most approachable woman in the world,” Griff said baldly. “You have a ‘don't touch' look going on.”

“Jeez, Griff.” Corey groaned.

When Erica spoke her voice bordered on icy. “I see.”

“There it is.” Griff glanced toward her before returning his attention to the road. “The
look
.”

“Erica.” Corey tried for a soothing tone. “I think you're a stunner.”

“But you also think I'm frigid, is that it?”

Corey could have sworn there was a smirk in Griff's voice. “I never said that.”

“You're just a bit…daunting.” Her eyes narrowed, and Corey hurried to fix the damage. “I mean to me. A bit. Because you seem really smart, and probably date doctors or lawyers, blokes with degrees, instead of guys like me.”

Guys who barely finished high school and had to take the aptitude test twice before they'd let him become a fiery. Corey figured his verbal fumbling was only highlighting the notion he wasn't as intelligent as her or the men she was probably used to hanging out with. His heart felt heavy as he finished. “I thought you might tell me to take a walk.”

Her anger seethed in the silence for a few moments during which Corey was certain he'd blown it completely. Why did Griff have to open his big mouth?

Then abruptly, Erica spoke, her words coming out in a staccato rhythm. “The last man I dated was a history professor. His name was Doug. We dated for over two years. We had plenty to talk about, but he was hardly interested in touching me. I want someone who's interested in touching me.”

Corey was so stunned by the idea that Erica's ex-boyfriend hadn't been all over her every minute of every day that he didn't speak for a moment. Into the silence, Griff's laugh danced. His voice was warm and raspy. “I think you can stop looking, Red.”

Corey watched in astonishment as Griff reached up and smoothed a hand over Erica's hair. It was a gesture filled with surprising affection, with tacit apology for his frankness. It was also a liberty taken that Corey was amazed Erica allowed. But she didn't upbraid Griff or wrench away. Instead she closed her eyes on a sigh, as though his touch contented her, made her…

No way. No way is Griff turning her on.

Corey curled a hand around Erica's nape. Her skin was supple and soft, the dark discs of her eyes like pools of melted chocolate. Shallow breaths puffed out of her, as though she was excited.

Because of Griff or him?