Tempted by Love: Jack Jock Steele (The Steeles at Silver Island Book 1)

by Melissa Foster

  “So does Daphne Steele.” He stole another kiss, took the zombie, and headed up the ladder.

  When he glanced down, Daphne was admiring their work, taking in the zombies, the gauzy webs, and the enormous spiders they’d hung on the front of the house, and said, “It’s really coming together. Jules called and said she and Archer will be here soon.”

  After Jock had finally finished reading Harvey’s manual, he’d shared it with Archer. Archer had balked at first, but when Jock had gone to see him last week, he’d seen notebook number four lying open in the cabin of Archer’s boat. Their relationship was a work in progress, but it was growing stronger every day.

  “Are you sure you can handle all of this scary stuff?” Jock teased as he stapled the zombie’s foot just below the windowsill. Daphne had tried to watch another horror movie with him, but she’d turned it off after seven minutes and said she’d try again in a few months. He didn’t care if she ever watched one, but she was determined to make it happen.

  “If my daughter can handle it, so can I,” she insisted. “I’m learning to deal with horror one page at a time, thanks to a very talented author.”

  She blew him a kiss and went to help Joey with a skeleton, and Jock went to work hanging the zombie.

  “Dude, did you get an offer on your new book yet?” Grant asked.

  “Not yet. It’s going up for auction next week.” His agent had loved his final manuscript. Thanks to Daphne’s influence, it had turned into a romantic suspense page-turner, and the heroine found what Daphne called forever love with the detective. Forever love was the perfect term for him and Daphne, too. They had both known happiness, and they’d known grief, but with each other, they found a love that was stronger and more beautiful than either of them ever imagined possible. They had already started brainstorming his next book. They usually ended up making out or laughing so hard they got tears in their eyes. He never thought he’d need a brainstorming partner, but now he couldn’t imagine starting a story without first tossing ideas around with her.

  Grant shielded his eyes from the sun and said, “What’re you going to do with your inheritance from Harvey when your book gets published?”

  Jock stapled the zombie’s arm beside the window and said, “We’re putting money away for Hadley’s college and buying into the winery. We’re also setting up a scholarship for the arts in Harvey’s name at my alma mater and donating the rest to cancer research.”

  “No shit? You’re giving up all that financial security?” Grant glanced at Daphne and said, “She doesn’t mind?”

  “No way. We’ve got each other and Hadley. That makes us the richest people around. Right, babe?” he called out to Daphne as he put the last staple in the zombie.

  “Absolutely,” Daphne said.

  They had talked for a long time about the two-million-dollar inheritance. Family was everything to them, and Daphne was putting her heart and soul into the winery. She wanted their family—the three of them—to be a real part of his family’s business for generations to come and to show his parents and Archer that they were not only here to stay, but that she was as committed to making the event side of the business work as they were to making a life there. Investing in the winery also took the burden of the new endeavor off his parents, which Jock felt good about since he’d caused them so much worry in the past. While the balance of the inheritance could offer them financial freedom, they both agreed that there were people who needed it far more than they did.

  Daphne’s cheeks pinked up as he climbed down the ladder, and she said, “I need help setting up my ladder in the backyard. Any tall, dark, and handsome volunteers?”

  “I’m all over that.” Jock hauled her in for a kiss and slapped her butt, earning a surprised squeak, another sound he’d never tire of hearing.

  They headed into the backyard, and he kissed her as he backed her up against the house beside the ladder, which was already in place. She tasted of sweet happiness and sinful intent. His hands roamed over her curves. He groped her breast, earning a needful moan.

  “You’re a sneaky one,” he panted out between kisses.

  “What do you expect?” she said heatedly, pushing her hands beneath the back of his shirt. “Hadley ran into our room when we were about to…” Her cheeks flamed.

  He pressed his hips forward and couldn’t resist taunting her. “When we were about to…?”

  “Make love,” she whispered sharply, like he’d made her say a dirty word.

  “Was that what we were going to do?” Kiss, kiss. “Because as I recall”—he grabbed her ass with both hands, lifting her higher, so his cock rubbed against her center—“I had your hands pinned to the mattress and had promised to fuck you six ways to heaven.”

  “Oh God, yesss.”

  Their mouths crashed together and they feasted on each other, pawing and groping, grinding and rocking.

  “Unca Awcher!”

  Hadley’s voice cut through his reverie, and he tore his mouth away, leaving them both breathless, and ground out, “Fuck.”

  “I think we have to wait for that,” she whispered, and stroked him through his jeans.

  He gritted his teeth. “Daphne…”

  She feigned surprise. “Oops. Sorry.”

  “No you’re not,” he said, taking her in another hungry kiss.

  “Where’s Daph?” Jules’s voice broke them apart again.

  He touched his forehead to hers and said, “Remind me why we thought it was a good idea to move near family.”

  She giggled. “Because you love them.” She gave him a chaste kiss and said, “Now, if you don’t mind, I have to go change my underwear.”

  He put his hand between her legs, rubbing as she squirmed. “Leave them on and I promise to find a way to sneak you off to someplace private and get those panties even wetter.”

  DAPHNE WAS GOING to lose her mind with her sinfully delicious husband-to-be, and suddenly insanity was looking mighty fine. “You’d better make good on that promise rather quickly, because paybacks are hell.”

  He touched her chin as he stepped back and said, “When have I ever left you hanging?” He pulled his shirt down to cover his erection and reached for her hand. As they walked toward the front yard, he whispered, “You might want to wipe that look off your face, or everyone’s going to know what we’ve been up to.”

  “I can’t,” she teased. “I think it’s permanent.” She knew she looked dreamy-eyed and she didn’t care who saw it. She’d seen that look of love in her eyes every morning since they’d been together. And now they were living in their own home—she still couldn’t get over the fact that they had a real home for Hadley with friends and a backyard to play in. In a few weeks, when the leaves fell from the trees, they’d even have a view of the water. Jock had a home office, where he disappeared into his fictional worlds, and they’d set up one of the bedrooms as an office for Daphne, where she could work from home when Hadley was off school. Jock still went for morning runs, but now he ran with Archer or one of his friends. She and her friends from Bayside video chatted over breakfast once a week, which she and Hadley loved. They’d made a pact to get together once a month, rain or shine, for a couples’ night, and they planned to alternate meeting on the island and meeting at Bayside. Between her new job, which she loved, her new friends on the island, and her incredible fiancé, she didn’t feel like she was missing out on a thing.

  Jules was flitting around the front yard in a cute minidress, going from decoration to decoration, touching each one and commenting on how great it looked. Hadley and Joey were holding Archer’s hands, telling him all about their graveyard, and Grant stood with his arms crossed, narrow eyes locked on Jules, as he talked with Levi.

  “Dude, you didn’t tell me Jules was coming,” Grant said as they approached.

  “Is that a problem?” Daphne asked.

  Grant shook his head. “Nah. I’ve got to take off soon anyway.”

  Daphne didn’t know what that was all about, but
she left Jock with him and Levi and went to say hi to Jules. “I love your dress.”

  “Thanks.” Jules twirled around and said, “This is the one I bought from Renee last week, remember?”

  “I forgot you went to see her when you were picking up supplies.” She loved how close her family had become with Jock’s. They’d all gone fishing together the weekend before they’d moved into their new house, and her parents were talking about spending their next vacation on the island.

  Archer joined the guys, and it was great to see Jock laughing with his brothers and Grant. Although Grant wasn’t smiling. He was staring at Jules like he was ready to bolt if she headed his way.

  “Is there something going on with you and Grant?” Daphne asked. “He seems like he’s trying to avoid you.”

  “He’s trying to avoid everyone, but I won’t let him,” she said proudly. “The big grumpy oaf. He used to be different. When he’d come home on leave, he was the life of the party, and it kills Bellamy that he’s changed so much.”

  “Just Bellamy, or you, too?” Daphne asked.

  “Belly’s one of my closest friends. I just don’t want her to lose as much time with him as I did with Jock.” Jules looked at Grant, watching her, and waved to him. He didn’t even crack a smile, but he didn’t look away, either. “Look at him, all gruff and miserable. He stares at me like a challenge, and I’m going to win. That man will be happy again. He just doesn’t realize it yet.”

  “Aunt Jules! Aunt Daphne!” Joey waved them over from the other side of the yard, and they both headed over.

  Jock intercepted Daphne, drawing her into his arms, and said, “I’m going back up on my ladder to hang another zombie. You okay doing your own thing?”

  “I can’t wait to do my thing, but I’m hoping I won’t have to do my own,” she teased. He might still make her blush, but that didn’t stop her from exploring all the dirty things they both wanted to explore. The only problem was, the more they explored, the more she wanted him.

  He gave her a chaste kiss, and as he walked away, he said, “Hey, you boys going to lollygag all day, or are you going to decorate the heck out of this house?”

  “You’re lucky I’m here to take these decorations to the next level,” Archer said arrogantly.

  As Jock and Archer tossed barbs, Daphne said, “I’m going around back to hang the lights.” She walked around to the backyard, and as she headed for the back door, she heard Jock say, “Archer, can you do me a favor and hold the ladder for Daph?”

  She bolted upstairs and opened the window, peeking out for Archer. As he came around the house, she dropped the mannequin they’d made to look like her off the ladder and screamed, hiding behind the curtains and peeking out.

  “Oh, fuck! Jock!” Archer’s face was a mask of terror as he ran to catch the mannequin. “I’ve got you!”

  Jock ran around the side of the house just as the mannequin landed in Archer’s arms and he stumbled backward and tripped, landing on his back with the mannequin splayed over him. He frantically touched the mannequin all over, as if he couldn’t make sense of what had just happened. “What the…?”

  Daphne popped her head out the window and said, “Gotcha!” as everyone else came around the side of the house.

  Jock, Levi, and Grant cracked up as Archer threw the mannequin and pushed to his feet, fuming.

  “Sorry, Archer!” Daphne called down to him.

  He glowered up at her. “Seriously? I saw you get hit by a car and you pretend to fall off a ladder?”

  She laughed and said, “It’s kind of a rite of passage into the new Steele family’s inner circle.”

  “Oh, man, you are cruel.” Archer’s last words tumbled out with a laugh. He pointed at Jock and said, “You are in for big trouble.”

  Jock held his hands up and said, “This was all my beautiful fiancée’s doing.”

  Hadley toddled up to Archer and said, “Like Mommy’s doll, Unca?” causing even more laughter.

  Jock’s laughing eyes found Daphne’s, and her heart beat faster.

  “Hey, handsome,” she called down to him. “Maybe they can watch Hadley for a few minutes while you help me with that thing we talked about.”

  Jock’s eyes flamed, and even from the second-story window, Daphne felt the air heating up between them. Jock said something to Jules, then headed inside. She heard him taking the steps two at a time, her heart thundering with each footfall. He flew through the bedroom door and swept her into his arms, taking her in a long, sensual kiss, full of love, laughter, and promises of their magical happily ever after.

  I hope you loved reading about Jock, Daphne, and all of their friends and family. Grab your next Steele family romance below, and then continue reading for more information about Daphne’s Bayside friends, each of whom already have their own love stories!

  Ready for more Steeles?

  Fall in love with Grant Silver and Jules Steele in My True Love

  Even war heroes need a little help sometimes…

  After spending years fighting for his country and too damn long learning to navigate life with a prosthetic leg, Grant Silver returns to Silver Island to figure out a future he couldn’t fathom without fatigues and a gun in his hand. He’d almost forgotten how a man could suffocate from the warmth and caring community in which he’d grown up, and if that weren’t bad enough, his buddies’ beautiful and far-too-chipper younger sister won’t stop flitting into his life, trying to sprinkle happy dust everywhere she goes.

  As a cancer survivor, Jules Steele knows better than to count on seeing tomorrow. She doesn’t take a single moment for granted, and she isn’t about to let a man who used to be charming and full of life waste the future he’s been blessed with. She’s determined to get through to him, even if it takes a few steamy kisses…

  Buy MY TRUE LOVE

  Have you met the Whiskeys?

  Get ready to fall hard for the family everyone wants to join.

  Quincy Gritt has fought his demons. He’s confessed to his crimes and conquered his addictions. But when his past comes back to haunt him, can he and the woman who has captured his heart learn to live with the gritty truth, or will he spiral back into the darkness? Come along for their sexy, emotional ride.

  Buy THE GRITTY TRUTH

  Curious about Daphne’s Bayside friends?

  Read each of their love stories in the Bayside Summers series, starting with Bayside Desires. Brock and Cree’s love story is told in Seaside Serenade, a Seaside Summers novelette.

  Desiree Cleary is tricked into spending the summer on the Cape with her badass half sister and a misbehaving dog. What could go wrong? Did I mention the sparks flying every time she sees her hunky, pushy neighbor, Rick Savage? Yeah, there’s that…

  Buy BAYSIDE DESIRES

  Have you met the Remingtons?

  In Jock and Daphne’s story you met a few of the Remingtons. Have you read the original Remington series? If not, download the first book in the series, GAME OF LOVE, *free!

  (*Free in digital format at the time of this publication. Price subject to change.)

  Ellie Parker is a master at building walls around her heart. In the twenty-five years she’s been alive, Dex Remington has been the only person who has always believed in her and been there for her. But four years earlier, she came to Dex seeking comfort and then disappeared like a thief in the night, leaving him a broken man.

  Dex Remington is one of the top PC game developers in the United States. He’s handsome, smart, and numb. So damn numb that he’s not sure he’ll ever find a reason to feel again.

  A chance encounter sparks intense desires in Ellie and Dex. Desires that make her want to run—and make him want to feel. A combination of lust and fear leads these young lovers down a dangerous path. Is it possible to cross a burned bridge, or are they destined to be apart forever?

  Buy GAME OF LOVE

  About the Love in Bloom World

  Love in Bloom is the overarching romance collection name for severa
l family series whose worlds interconnect. For example: Lovers at Heart, Reimagined is the title of the first book in The Bradens. The Bradens are set in the Love in Bloom world, and within The Bradens, you will see characters from other Love in Bloom series, such as the Snow Sisters and the Remingtons, so you never miss an engagement, wedding, or birth.

  Where to Start

  All Love in Bloom books can be enjoyed as stand-alone novels or as part of the larger series.

  If you are an avid reader and enjoy long series, I’d suggest starting with the very first Love in Bloom novel, Sisters in Love and then reading through all of the series in the collection in publication order. However, you can start with any book or series without feeling a step behind. I offer free downloadable series checklists, publication schedules, and family trees on my website. A paperback series guide for the first thirty-six books in the series is available at most retailers and provides pertinent details for each book as well as places for you to take notes about the characters and stories.

  See the Entire Love in Bloom Collection

  www.MelissaFoster.com/love-bloom-series

  Download Series Checklists, Family Trees, and Publication Schedules

  www.MelissaFoster.com/reader-goodies

  Download Free First-in-Series eBooks

  www.MelissaFoster.com/free-ebooks

  More Books By Melissa Foster

  Love in Bloom Romance Collection

  LOVE IN BLOOM SERIES order (FREE Ebook)

  Love in Bloom Series Guide (Detailed Ebook)

  Love in Bloom Series Guide (Black & White Print Book)

  Love in Bloom books may be read as stand alones. For more enjoyment, read them in series order. Characters from each series carry forward to the next.

  SNOW SISTERS