Mackie's Men (25 page)

John left the room and came back a few minutes later to pull her from the bed and into the bathroom where a deep tub of hot water was filling for her to enjoy.

“Oh you know the way to a woman’s heart alright.” She took his cheeks between her palms and kissed him, before stepping into the swirling water.

The next morning over coffee and toast, Darryl told them about what happened when he took the kids home to their father.

“The old man had tears when the kids hugged him. I didn’t get it, until they all told me about the cousin Chrissy hooked up with after her and DE broke up. The guy has a gambling problem, and both of them are addicts. They bled DE dry, and his business is in big trouble. She held the kids hostage, and he paid her until there was nothing left to

pay. That’s why he kept calling me for money.”

Liam spoke, “How much do you need to buy into the business? I’m telling you right now, I don’t trust the man, I don’t give a damn what his story is. I’ll float the loan, and take fifty-one percent of the business if he defaults. The rest of it will be held for the kids when they reach maturity. It’ll be a personal loan, Klinger’s won’t be involved. That way he has to answer to someone else, not his own son. If I know you, you’d let him get away with fucking you over, I’m not as kind-hearted as you are. If it wasn’t for the kids, I’d say fuck him, let him rot in poverty, but I like the brats, and I love you.”

As they discussed the loan and the business side of such a loan, John came up behind her and rubbed her shoulders. She put her hand over one of his and leaned her head back onto his stomach. This place, these men, she could see them all together now. It wouldn’t always be this easy, but where there was love, there was a family.

When Darryl declared that she would be involved in the security business with him to, “Keep you occupied and out of trouble,” made her feel part of the team, and she grinned when Liam demanded that she be his bodyguard when he traveled overseas.

GreyC jumped onto her favorite man of the day’s lap, who happened to be Liam, and bit the hand that stopped petting her to get his attention. Everyone smiled as he resumed her massage.

How she got so lucky was beyond her comprehension, but looking at the three men who’d changed her life and given her a place to be herself, all she had to do was love them, the love part was easy, the rest would work itself out.

Published with JK Publishing, Inc.:

Tremble Island Lords and Ladies

Rane’s Giant – Book One

Hawk’s Nest – Book Two

Demon’s Den – Book Three

Book Four Coming Soon

The Guardians

I Waited For You – Book One

Book Two – Coming Soon

Hade’s Temple

A Place for Her

Single Titles

Edna’s Heart (in the Cowboys and Candy Anthology)

Regina’s Men

Jody’s Men

Mackie’s Men

Hotshots by Jana Leigh and Lynn Ray Lewis

Hotshots

Book Two – Coming Soon

I would love to hear from you!

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Wildfires Book One

By Jana Leigh and Lynn Ray Lewis

Shit
, Jez thought as she looked around the room,
it was real now
. The crew was being briefed on where they were going and she wanted to get out of the room and into the air as soon as possible. Yes, she had gotten the place she had always dreamed of, she just didn’t know who her team was. The benefits from making sure her training included high elevation mountainous areas, she wouldn’t have to be trained, she already had it, so it made sense when her godfather told her and the other pilots their sites prior to this meeting. Her team was going to be heading to a base outside of Steamboat Springs, CO. It was gorgeous up there and secluded. The perfect place for her to start her new life, she wanted to call her mother, she would be happy.

They had discussed this already. Jez knew if she got the job she would be moving here permanently, and her mother was ready to come with her. They needed a new start, losing her father had devastated them all. Their home held too many memories and her mother had no family other than her, so once she made the phone call, her mom would be looking.

Jez felt the butterflies in her stomach as she looked around the room. Not everyone would make it through training. She knew it, and she also knew she would not fail, but she wondered who in the room would be washed out.

Living conditions while on assignments could be primitive. Fresh meals, soft beds, and regular showers were not to be expected. Little miss fake tits blondie would never make it, field assignments away from home base can last several weeks with daily work shifts averaging sixteen hours, but sometimes extending up to 48–64 hours. She wanted to laugh aloud when she thought of fake tits actually looking like crap after that. Sleep deprivation is common, as is routine exposure to dust, smoke, poison oak, extreme weather—both heat and cold—and other environmental hazards, there was no way she would survive. There was no way a few of these people could handle that. The blonde chick with big hair at the side of the room being number one, but the guy next to her that stared at her chest like he had found the Holy Grail was the other. This was not a dating site.

Jez tuned back in and listened as her godfather kept explaining things. Hotshots' crew vehicles become their homes during the peak fire season, when Hotshots may rarely spend more than two consecutive days at their own station. Jez could only imagine what those two would get up to inside one of the vehicles. The vehicles, also known as Crew Hauls, Buggies, Crummies, or simply the Box, carry Hotshots along with personal gear, tools, and everything else necessary to make the crew self-sufficient for several days.

They were given a list of what they had to pack, which Jez barely glanced at since she already had her go bag and also her duffel packed and ready. Once she was done with this meeting, she was going to take off. She couldn’t wait to see her new home, plus she wanted to make sure her mother knew where she was going.

It was long until they were introducing the team leaders; she looked at the group of men standing in front of the large room and waited. One of the things her father told her over and over again, was if you didn’t trust your crew leader, you were fucked. She spotted some of the guys she had seen before and looked at them carefully, trying to remember what her father told her about them. As her eyes drifted to the end of the line, it was as if the breath was sucked out of her lungs. Two men stood there, they were larger than life, and drop dead gorgeous.
Holy shit
, she thought as the room faded away for her,
she had never had this reaction before to anyone
. Jez turned away quickly and looked down, fuck, this was something she completely did not need.

The crews were divided and she waited, only glancing up to see if the men were still there.
Damn it
, she thought, as her name still wasn’t called. Sweat began to trickle down the back of her neck as the tingling between her legs got more intense.

Jez closed her eyes when she heard her name being called and then opened them to see the two men she had been staring at looking at her with an intensity that was almost palpable. What the fuck?

When they made the announcement, and she saw who she was going to be assigned to, Jez had almost panicked. Why did she have to be with the sexy hot supervisor? Old Jim would have been fine, but no, she had been placed with hottie one and hottie two. Great.

Now she was finally in the air. Here she was at peace though, here she was in control. Taking a deep breath, she focused on the scenery. It was gorgeous, the mountains in front of her, and the forest below. She grinned, swung the joystick around, and skimmed the foothills as she flew north to Steamboat.

The Shack, as they called it, was just west of the town; it sat on a ridge and overlooked the ski village. In the winter it was probably one of the most sought after places to stay, but in the summer, not so much. Mostly because the humidity was non-existent, so the fire danger was high in the area. Campers weren’t allowed to make fires even in grates because the rangers were afraid of sparks.

Her mother had been excited when she called and Jez was relieved. For the first time in a long time, she heard something in her mother’s voice that had been missing for the last year—happiness. Her mother was already planning the move and Jez couldn’t be happier. Finally, they were going to find a way to move on.

She saw the small town, and grinned. Perfect. It was going to be the perfect place to start over. She circled the town, then looked at the coordinates, The Shack was due west. She turned the copter and rolled her eyes when she saw The Shack, the guys had a funny sense of humor to call the huge log mansion a shack. Damn, from the air it was impressive, she could see the training courses, and also the numerous vehicles and out buildings. It was like a little compound all to itself.

Jex saw the landing pad for the copter and she aimed right for it, landing smoothly and easily. She had arrived to her new home away from home. A grin broke out and she hopped from the cab.

Unconventional Love Book One

By Zana King

"Aaron, you can have her for all I care. We're done."

"No, Jen. I want you back."

"After what you did?" She practically screamed at him, "No. Fucking. Way!"

"Is there anything I can do to change your mind?"

"You just don't fucking get it do you? You. Fucked. My. Best. Friend…in my dad's bed," the last part was a whisper. It killed her inside the two closest people to her could disrespect her dad that badly. She felt the tears welling.

"I do get it. I was wrong, so wrong, and I'm more sorry than you know."

"I don't care, Aaron. There is no way I would ever want to see you again."

Aaron's voice dropped, "I heard you left town. Where did you go?"

Jase, Koen, and Ty barged into the room, Destiny right behind them. "Is everything okay? We heard you yelling." All three of them were in boxer briefs with no shirts and they looked like they just woke up. Jenika checked the clock on the nightstand. Six thirty-eight a.m. She sent a guilty look in their direction and mouthed 'sorry'.

She couldn't look away. Seeing the trio barely clothed made her suck in a breath. Not even a horrendous conversation with Aaron could detract from the effect they had on her. Oh, she had known they would be beautiful, but her imagination didn't do them justice. The statue of David had nothing on them. All golden skin, defined muscles from head to toe and that just-woke-up look, made her want to wake up with them every morning. They were each different in their own way, but she couldn't say which one was the most handsome or hot.

Jase must have noticed her tears. He crossed to the bed in two strides, sat next to her, and wrapped her up in his arms. "It'll be okay." Destiny jumped up on the bed and laid her head in Jenika's lap. She smiled tentatively and stroked Destiny's back. It was nice to feel cared about again.

She had forgotten Aaron was on the phone till he spoke. "Who the hell is that? Who are you with?"

"That's none of your damn business, Aaron."

"Where are you? I'm coming to get you."

"That's not your business either and I'm staying right where I am."

"Just tell me."

A devious smile split her face and she winked at the guys. "Since you really want to know, I'm shacked up with three guys." It was true. She was staying with them.

Aaron gave a half laugh. "Knock it off. Seriously, where are you?"

"Oh, I'm dead serious. Would you like to say hi to them?"

Aaron's laugh was nervous now. "You can't be serious."

"Hello, Aaron," Jase smiled.

"How are you?" Koen smirked.

"Good morning," Ty added.

"Are you serious, Jenika? It's only been four days since we broke up and you somehow found three guys to fulfill your fantasy with?" Jenika felt her face flush bright red and she wanted to snatch up the phone and turn it off speaker, but if she did, she would look guilty so she left it. Aaron knew she liked ménage books, but she had never told him that it was her fantasy. He was only guessing and she supposed putting pieces together.

She chanced at glance at the guys to get their reaction from Aaron's statement and they were all...smiling? Except for Ty. He looked thoughtful. As if he was contemplating something. She quickly dropped her eyes back down to her phone and tried to hide her blush behind the curtain of her hair. Jase released her sensing she was uncomfortable now, which was a good thing because she needed to deal with Aaron.