Jared: Red, Hot, & Blue, Book 4 (9 page)

Yup, she was definitely a keeper. Somehow, someway, he’d find a way to keep her here in Pigeon Hollow with him. Jared snuggled his face against Mandy’s hair. He breathed in deeply, savoring the scent of her.

“We all right?” He felt her nod. Running his hand up and down her spine, he bent his head and kissed each closed eye-lid softly. “Can I show you how very much I’ve missed you now?’

She opened her still-tear-reddened eyes. She looked up at him and drew in a shaky breath. “Yeah, I think I’d like that.”

He smiled and kissed her lips. Then closed his eyes and groaned. “Shit. Bobby drove my truck here. He’s outside with no ride back to his car in town and he’s on duty.”

Snuggling closer against him, Mandy spoke into his chest. “He can take your truck back then. You’re not going to need it. Or even better, Christy can drive Bobby in the rental car. I want her to get to know him. She’s going to be on the crew assigned to him.”

Admiration that Mandy had gone from weeping woman to hard-ass boss in the blink of an eye aside, he couldn’t help but wonder who she was talking about that would be shadowing his best friend twenty-four-seven. “Who’s Christy?”

“My associate producer. The one who convinced me to let you in the door when I didn’t want to.”

“Well then, I owe her already for that. I might as well owe her for driving Bobby back to town too.” Bobby should thank him for it. Christy was cute. Just Bobby’s type. Then an unpleasant thought hit Jared. “You really weren’t going to let me in?”

Mandy pursed her lips. “I guess I would have given in eventually. Either that, or you would have broken down the door.”

He laughed. “You think you know me pretty well, don’t ya?”

“Mmm, hmm.” She nodded.

“Then tell me what I’m thinking right now.”

She smiled. “I’m sitting in your lap. I can feel exactly what you’re thinking about right now.”

Actually, he had been about to tell her he loved her, but he decided to save that for some romantic moonlit night in the near future. One where she wasn’t fresh from crying and Sue Ann was a long-distant memory.

Instead, Jared picked her up and carried her to the bed. “Can’t hide anything from you, can I?”

Her arms clasped around his neck. “No, you can’t. You better remember that.”

“I surely will, darlin’. I surely will.” He smiled.

He had the woman he loved in his arms and a nice big bed beneath them finally. Life, he decided, was good.

About the Author

As an award-winning author of contemporary erotic romance in genres including military, cowboy, ménage and paranormal, Cat Johnson uses her computer so much she wore the letters off the keyboard within a year. She is known for her creative marketing and research practices. Consequently, Cat owns an entire collection of camouflage shoes for book signings and a fair number of her consultants wear combat or cowboy boots for a living. In her real life, she’s been a marketing manager, professional harpist, bartender, tour guide, radio show host, Junior League president, sponsor of a bull riding rodeo cowboy, wife and avid animal lover.

To learn more about Cat, please visit www.catjohnson.net. Send an email to Cat at [email protected], friend her on Myspace at www.myspace.com/authorcatjohnson or follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cat_johnson.

Look for these titles by Cat Johnson

Now Available:

Red, Hot & Blue

Trey

Jack

Jimmy

Rough Stock

Studs in Spurs

Unridden

Bucked

Ride

Coming Soon:

Studs in Spurs

Hooked

Social butterfly and a soldier in the Special Forces—a match made in…bed.

Jimmy

© 2010 Cat Johnson

Red Hot & Blue, Book 3

Special Forces gave Jimmy Gordon the undercover skills of a chameleon, but nothing prepared him for Amelia Monroe-Carrington, the governor’s hot, redheaded daughter. She thought she was seducing a banquet waiter, and he let her.

His next assignment pulled him from her bed and into the worst six months of his life. Images of Lia were what kept him alive imprisoned in Kosovo, and even now he’s home and recovered, she’s still in his head.

For her father’s political career, Lia has always done the appropriate thing, right down to dating a senator’s son. Her one rebellious act, an incredible night with a totally
inappropriate
man, ended when he disappeared. And then never called.

When they unexpectedly meet again, the pull between them is stronger than ever, tempting Lia to stop sacrificing her own happiness for the family dynasty.

This book has been previously published and has been revised and expanded from its original release.

Warning: Contains incredible one-night-stand sex hot enough to withstand time, distance, and some really nasty terrorist torture.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Jimmy:

“Hello?” Her sexy voice sent a shiver right down from his ears to his toes and everywhere in between.

“Hey, darlin’. It’s Ji…uh, James.”

“Hello there, James. Where are you?”

“In my car outside the party. We just got off.” Oh yeah. Judging by the sexy purr of her voice, he had a feeling he was about to
get off
all right.

“Meet me at the Hilton in ten minutes. Ask for the private elevator that leads to the presidential suite. I’ll leave your name at the desk so they’ll let you up.” Jimmy heard a click and then she was gone.

Holy crap. He didn’t know what to be amazed at more. The fact he was going to get lucky with the hottest woman he’d ever laid eyes on, or the invitation to the presidential suite at the Hilton. Meanwhile, there was no way he could drive back to base, check in and then get to the hotel in ten minutes, and Jimmy had a feeling Lia was not the kind of woman who responded well to being kept waiting.

The mission had been uneventful. Maybe no one would notice if he didn’t check in tonight. His decision made, he drove directly to the Hilton so fast it was a miracle he didn’t get pulled over for speeding. He stopped only long enough to grab a box of condoms and breath mints at the twenty-four-hour convenience store across the street from the hotel.

Jimmy remembered to unstrap his leg holster and secure his weapon in the glove compartment. He even remembered to lock his parked car, but that was about the only time his mind strayed from thinking about what was about to happen up in that suite.

Inside the massive marble lobby, he gave his name to the man standing behind the front desk, thinking there was a good chance he’d be thrown out on his ass. Lo and behold, he wasn’t. Instead, he was ushered by another uniform-clad employee into a brass and mahogany-lined elevator car with only two buttons inside. They read
Lobby
and
Presidential Suite
.

As the valet, or whatever he was called, rode up the many floors to the top with him, Jimmy finally allowed himself to stop thinking this whole thing must be some kind of a joke. That was something he knew for sure when the elevator doors opened onto the eerily quiet, private hallway on the top floor of the building.

The hotel employee held the door open with one arm and dismissed him with a nod. “Have a good night, sir.”

“Thanks.” He stepped out onto a marble floor. With a swish, the doors swept shut behind him and he was alone facing a single, massive white door.

Jimmy ignored the erratic pounding of his heart and raised his hand to knock. When the door swung wide a moment later, Lia stood before him wearing nothing but a black strapless bra, lacy thong underwear and mile-high heels.

He didn’t question the state of her attire. Her intentions were clear enough, so he simply walked in and blindly slammed the door shut behind him. Never a man to beat around the bush, Jimmy grabbed her head with one hand and her waist with the other and sank his tongue deep into her warm, welcoming mouth. He explored down the silky warm flesh to land on her ass cheek and discovered she felt as good as she looked.

Lia let him enjoy both her mouth and body for long enough to make his hard-on start to throb as it pressed against the zipper of his pants. Then she pulled away. “You don’t waste any time, do you?”

A woman who answered the door half-naked shouldn’t talk about how fast he was moving.

“Darlin’, you ain’t seen nothing yet.” He ran his hands one more time over her firm curves with a groan.

Enough with the standing. Time to get horizontal. He glanced around the large space. It was decorated like a living room with a sofa and a huge flat-screen television that he might enjoy at another time when he didn’t have a raging hard-on and a willing woman beneath his hands. His gaze swept quickly over the kitchenette and dining area and landed on a partially closed door. Bingo.

She let out a small squeak as he scooped her up and headed for the adjoining room where he hoped to find a bed. A really large one if he was lucky. What he had in mind was going to take more than a little bit of time and a whole lot of space. When he pushed the door open wider with one foot and saw the king-sized mattress with the bedding already turned down for the night, it looked as if he was blessed enough to get what he wanted.

He dropped her on the bed and began tearing off what remained of his uniform. He’d long since ditched the jacket back in the car, so all he had left was the button-down shirt and pants.

She watched each piece of clothing fall to the floor, including his underwear, and then stared at his naked body. “Nice.”

Jimmy didn’t miss the gleam in Lia’s eye as she said that. Damn right, it was nice. He worked hard enough to get this body. About time he put it to use for something other than practice maneuvers and fighting bad guys.

“Glad you approve, darlin’.” He pulled her panties down with both hands and spread her legs. He ignored her surprised intake of breath and settled himself eyelevel with her creamy thighs and a whole lot more. She was totally bald down there except for a tiny neat triangle of red curls. The rest was smooth and hair-free. It was different and really hot.

He must have been staring for quite a while, because she finally reached down and grabbed his head in both hands, raising his face so he could see hers.

“What’s the matter, handsome? Don’t your waitress girlfriends believe in Brazilian bikini waxes?”

So that’s what it was called. He’d have to remember that. But hot as she was, and as incredible as her Brazilian bikini wax looked, he didn’t need any more of her smart-ass waiter comments. He was betting she was a talker, and he wanted quiet so he could fully enjoy himself.

There was one sure-fire way to make sure she stopped talking.

Accept no substitute…for love.

Take a Chance on Me

© 2010 Kate Davies

The Lady Doth Protest Too Much

Jessica Martin is determined to earn a permanent teaching position at Summit High School. That means hard work, dedication, and even volunteering extra time to direct the school’s Shakespeare play. Which leaves no room for romance—especially with a co-worker. She didn't factor in the school's sexy security officer and the delicious fantasies he inspires.

Too Much Of A Good Thing

Former cop Tom Cameron likes his job. Or he did, until the new substitute busted his orderly life right open. Now, he can’t seem to avoid her—deserted hallways, empty theaters, classrooms after dark—but he’s got too many skeletons in his closet to risk his heart again. Asking her out to distract her from the play’s, well,
drama
is a friendly gesture. Nothing more.

The Course Of True Love Never Did Run Smooth

Their chemistry could melt down the science lab, and before long they’re burning up the sheets off-campus. And uncovering raw emotions—a stark reminder that love isn’t in their curricula. When a troubled student goes over the edge, though, the need to stop a tragedy brings them right back where they started—face to face with fat

Warning: This book contains sexy encounters in classrooms, inappropriate use of school facilities, backstage shenanigans, and illicit activities on a ferryboat.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Take a Chance on Me:

Jessica was late.

Her first day, and she was actually going to walk in late. She grabbed her blue canvas bag and strode toward the front of the school, checking her watch for the umpteenth time.
Pull yourself together
, she scolded herself.
You need to make a good impression or—Oof!
She pitched forward onto her hands and knees, tripped by a tree root poking up through the old concrete sidewalk.

Papers flew out of her book bag, spilling into the gutter and fluttering across the street. She stomped after them, grabbing her papers out of random puddles and shoving them, damp and crumpled, back into the bag. Slinging it over her shoulder once again, she walked quickly to the front steps.

How many steps were there anyway? They hadn’t looked this steep when she’d arrived for her interview last week.

But then she was so excited to even
have
an interview, she’d practically flown up the stairs on her way to the appointment. After getting her certification in December, she’d assumed she would spend the remainder of the school year subbing. But here she was, two weeks into January, and actually starting a job teaching in her subject area. Of course, it was only through the end of the school year, but still…

Jessica shook her head and began the trek up the stairs.

If only her alarm hadn’t chosen today of all days to give up the ghost. If only every stoplight in town hadn’t conspired against her. If only. She sighed. No use worrying about it now.

At least she had prep for her first period, so her students wouldn’t be standing in the hallway knocking on her classroom door. But it would have been nice to actually have that prep time to, well, prepare.