Kat's Karma
A Total-E-Bound Publication
www.total-e-bound.com
Kat’s Karma
ISBN # 978-1-78184-467-0
©Copyright Cheryl Dragon 2013
Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright August 2013
Edited by Eleanor Boyall
Total-E-Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.
Published in 2013 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.
Warning:
This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a
heat rating
of
Total-e-burning
and a
sexometer
of
2.
This story contains 60 pages, additionally there is also a
free excerpt
at the end of the book containing 9 pages.
Fantasy Castle
KAT’S KARMA
Cheryl Dragon
Book one in the Fantasy Castle series
Physical therapist Kat doesn’t fall for patients, especially hot younger men. Brody and Sean aren’t giving up and the Fantasy Castle staff is on their side!
Best friends and brothers-in-arms Brody Huxley and Sean Morgan came back from serving overseas with serious injuries. Kat Calvino whipped them into shape again with physical therapy. Despite her attraction and attachment to the sexy younger men, she refused to become romantically involved with either of them.
Even if they can’t have her, the men want to do something nice and reconnect with the hot woman who stole both of their hearts. Done with their service, they’ve built lives but without her nothing feels complete. The Fantasy Castle is the perfect answer complete with luxury and privacy. Her arguments now seem pointless. They’re not her patients anymore and they’re happy to share her in every way.
Even with both men thrilling her sexually, there’s a problem with the arrangement that she can’t fix. Loving them is easy, trusting them to work out the unexpected bump in the road tests the friendship and their future.
Dedication
For all those with good karma!
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmark mentioned in this work of fiction:
Downton Abbey: Carnival Film & Television Ltd
Chapter One
Brody Huxley closed the file drawer and turned back to his desk. Midday sun streamed into the office through the big windows and highlighted the well-worn furniture in the old building. Customers rarely came to the location. The part-time help would be in after lunch, but Brody didn’t mind manning the place solo.
In the quiet moments alone he knew something was missing. The pinch in his knee reminded him of all the things he’d put in the past. He was haunted by the memory of the fighting overseas and an IED that had exploded close to him and his best friend, Sean Morgan. His knee had been replaced, but the muscle and tendon damage seized up occasionally, causing him pain. His fighting days were behind him, but at twenty-seven, his life wasn’t over yet.
As usual, Sean had been right. A desk job had been the safe bet considering Brody’s knee. Pride was something he’d had to let go of back in rehab when he’d fallen for a sexy physical therapist who could knock Brody over with a smile. Needing a little help hadn’t killed him, but when Sean had wanted her as well, things had become complicated.
Kat Calvino had made Brody and Sean work hard to regain their independence. She’d also solved their dilemma by laying down her law of never dating patients. Six months out of rehab and Brody was still hung up on the raven-haired woman nearly ten years older than him.
Behind the desk, Brody dispatched a couple of handymen to new jobs. Sean and his father owned a small construction company that operated a handyman service on the side. In the winter they added snow removal service since construction slowed way down around Chicago. The routine was good, but today something nagged at Brody until he opened the Internet and went to the site for the Fantasy Castle.
Sean walked in and plopped in the guest chair. “I’m done for the morning. Want to grab lunch?”
“Sure.” Brody glanced at Sean’s arm. He wore short sleeves and didn’t think twice about the ugly scars trailing up and down his arm. Multiple fractures had meant pins and surgeries for him too.
“What are you staring at? Found naughty pictures of Kat on a website?” Sean rounded the desk eagerly.
Sean wasn’t over Kat either but when neither of you won, did it matter? As much as they’d tempted her to break that rule about dating patients, she was a professional. At thirty-six, she wasn’t playing hard-to-get. She knew what worked for her. All the more reason he admired her.
“Fantasy Castle? What’s that? Some sort of kinky amusement park?” Sean asked.
“No. It’s a resort. You can nominate people who do charitable stuff and good things for others. They get a fantasy week in this castle, if selected.” Brody had stumbled on to it trying to find a way to repay Kat. He knew Sean would see right through the plan, but doing something for her felt right. Flowers or some other little trinket wouldn’t be nearly enough for what she did for the waves of injured soldiers coming home.
“If you want to get in touch with Kat, call her. We’ve got her cell number. We haven’t been her patients for months.” Sean downplayed his interest, but Brody knew better.
“This isn’t about trying to date her. She gave us that number if we needed a little refresher rehab. Physical therapist is her job, but she doesn’t have to work with the military. She didn’t have to help us through it all beyond the physical injuries.” Brody began filling in the form. Kat took care of most of the men like they were her brothers…but their spark was different. Brody could tell she felt something more for him and Sean. She’d had to fight it.
“Fine, so you want her to win a nice vacation. I’m in. What do we need to do?” Sean leaned over and read the requirements. “Four testimonials. I’ll call a couple of the guys. We can write up ours and send them in. Just don’t get your hopes up.”
Brody shrugged. “She deserves it. A thank-you card won’t cut it.”
“If she comes around, we share.” Sean held out his fist.
Brody bumped it. They’d never fall out or fight. That pact had been made when they were both pursuing her. Kat was special. They’d tried to get out and date since, but no one felt right. Women their age were either repulsed or turned on by their scars and military service. Most didn’t fully grasp how deep the damage went.
“She won’t come around. When we finished rehab, she still said we were too young. A hot woman like Kat probably has guys hitting on her all the time.” Brody wanted to thank her. If she really had no interest in them, then some sort of closure might help him to let her go.
“If she gets the trip then we can ask how it went. She’ll see we’re not like all the other guys,” Sean said.
“Kat knows that. We talked about her as much as ourselves. Not your normal rehab. Let’s get her a vacation.” Brody filled in her information by heart. Anyone else might think he was a stalker, but he knew he could give up on her if he had to. He’d given up some of the sports he loved, those toughest on his knees. Hell, he’d put to rest some buddies killed in action. His military career was over. Moving on came with life, but he had to be sure about Kat first.
“We’re survivors. War teaches you weird shit. You’re right though. If she spends all her days with guys like us and those who were injured worse, she deserves to be spoilt.” Sean nodded.
She definitely did. Brody and Sean had to be practical about it. They couldn’t afford to send her on a trip this luxurious. Even if they could, she’d feel pressured. The Fantasy Castle meant no strings or guilt. She’d earned this and he believed she’d be chosen. One thing Brody had learned from his tour of duty—hope never died.
* * * *
Kat Calvino had rarely been on an aeroplane. Her life revolved around her work. The odd trip to Vegas for a friend’s wedding or spring break in Florida had been nice back in college, but international travel marked a new experience.
The longest stretch had been over when they’d landed in London. Now she sat in a small private plane that oozed luxury. As the descent began, she gazed out the widow and spotted a huge castle in the middle of lush green lawns.
If this wasn’t a fairytale, she’d sure as hell never get this close to one again. Whoever had nominated her for the prize deserved a big thank you note when she got back. She had to find out who’d entered her for this.
As she exited the plane and slid into the limo, she glanced at the castle in the distance. Her wardrobe wasn’t fancy enough for this! Some minutes later, the limo stopped and someone opened the door. She would’ve rubbed her eyes but didn’t want to smudge her mascara.
It was true! The footman held out his hand and she stepped out. At the front door of a castle, she looked up and shook her head. A week here? It was a dream! The tall stone structure dwarfed her. Looking side to side, she loved the grand turrets on either end. While the exterior appeared simple, the grounds detailed the luxury and excess befitting a castle. Lawns so green they looked painted on rolled along either side of the flat land and as far as she could see. Large old trees dotted the landscape as well. Turning, she glanced back down the brick path the limo had followed. The simple elegance of it all impressed her more than if the road was made of gold.
“Welcome, Ms Calvino. I’m Lady Olive.” A tall slender woman stepped forward. Her hair was pulled up tight and the long skirt suit looked very proper and conservative. The accent was British, but Kat wasn’t entirely sure where they were.
“Thank you.” Kat surveyed a line of maids and footmen. “I feel like I’ve landed in
Downton Abbey
.”
A tall and expensively dressed man stepped through the front entrance. He took her hand and kissed it. “Not at all. This is a castle, not an abbey. I promise we have all the modern conveniences. Welcome.”
Kat pulled her hand back but felt the heat on her cheeks. She wasn’t one to fall for the childhood stories, but this was a vacation she couldn’t turn down. “Thank you. Is this
your
castle?”
He nodded. “I’m your host, Mr Foster. If there is anything you require, let our staff know. Everything is at your disposal. Lady Olive will get you settled. If you’ll excuse me.”
