The Clarke Brothers (Complete Series)

by Lilian Monroe

  “I’m Zoe,” she says, reaching her hand over toward me.

  “Ethan,” I nod.

  I take her hand in mine and ignore the pulsing between my legs. Her skin is soft and warm, and her hand feels like it fits perfectly in my palm. She grabs my hand firmly and shakes it once. Her eyes gleam. A smile stretches her lips as she finally pulls her hand away.

  “Are you from here?” she asks, glancing around the bar.

  I shake my head. “Nah, I’m from a town a couple hours away,” I reply, not taking my eyes off her. “I just come up here to play.”

  She nods. “I was driving down from the airport and had to take a detour because of the rockslide on the freeway. So I guess you could say I was lucky, otherwise I never would have stopped here.”

  “You could say that,” I reply with a grin. You could say that I was the lucky one. I clear my throat, looking away from her to keep my head from spinning. “I drove up to the rock slide this morning,” I say, peeling the label off my beer. “It’ll take them days to clear the road.”

  She nods, sipping her drink. “You guys get a lot of rockslides around here?”

  I grunt. “Rockslides around here aren’t usually that big. The odd one takes a day or two to clear. The end of spring, beginning of the summer is the worst for them, when the snow is melting and the rain is pouring down. Makes the rock faces weak.” I glance up at her, seeing her eyes shoot up. “Don’t worry, you’re safe.”

  She laughs. “Good.” We stare at each other for a moment until she clears her throat and takes another sip of her drink. She looks at me curiously.

  “So why the Mad Hatters? Are you a big Lewis Carroll fan?” Her smile twitches.

  “No, I just really like hats,” I reply. She laughs, and my heart jumps. She shakes her head and throws me a look that makes my cock pulse again. “Nah,” I add. “My mom used to read Alice in Wonderland to me when I was a kid. I loved that book, especially the scene with the Mad Hatter. I guess it just fit.”

  “Makes sense,” she says.

  “If I had my own world, everything would be nonsense,” I say almost automatically.

  “Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t.” Zoe answers. My eyes widen and a laugh tumbles out of me.

  “And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be.”

  “And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?” She laughs as she says the last words and shakes her head.

  I stare at her, slack-jawed. “I’ve never met anyone who can quote the Mad Hatter. Not even my own bandmates.”

  She blushes and stares at her drink. “I played the Mad Hatter in a school play when I was thirteen. It took me ages to learn those lines,” she laughs. “I’ve never forgotten them. Didn’t understand them then and still don’t understand them now.”

  “I don’t think you’re supposed to understand them,” I answer with a laugh. “So what are you doing here, anyway? You don’t sound like you’re local.”

  She tilts her head to the side and hesitates. She licks her lips and I try not to stare at her, until finally she shrugs.

  “Just passing through,” she answers. I want to press her, but something in the way she says it makes me think she doesn’t want me to ask. “I’m leaving again in the morning, need to go to my new job.”

  “That’s a shame,” I reply in a low growl. “It would have been nice to have more than one night together.”

  Her eyes flash and her grin twitches. “Who said we were having a night together?”

  I open my mouth to answer when there’s a tap on my shoulder. My drummer, Billy, is glancing from me to Zoe with an unimpressed look on his face.

  “We’re on. Unless you’re too busy…?” He glances at Zoe, who blushes again. The color on her cheeks makes the desire coil in my stomach.

  “You’re a dickhead, Billy,” I answer as he grins. I nod to the stage and start heading toward it when I turn around. I see Zoe slinging her bag over her shoulder and I frown.

  “You’re leaving?”

  “I have an early morning tomorrow,” she explains. We look at each other for a few moments and she leans against the bar. Impulsively, I take a step toward her, putting my hand on her waist and brushing my lips over her cheek. She trembles, and my cock pulses again.

  “Don’t leave before I’m done,” I say softly into her ear. I pull away and watch as she wets her lips.

  “Is that another rule of yours?” Zoe asks with an eyebrow raised.

  “No.”

  “Okay… I’ll stay,” she says in a low voice. We stare at each other for a few moments and I finally tear myself away. I look for her when I get on stage and smile when I see her at the bar, sitting in my seat.

  3

  Zoe

  I know I should leave. Even though I’ll be working in Lang Creek, a hundred or so miles south of here, it still feels like I shouldn’t jump into bed with a strange man on my first night in the Adirondacks. It’s not professional, and it sets the wrong tone. The responsible thing to do, as a single mother and newcomer in this area, is to stay professional and leave.

  That’s the responsible thing to do, but I’m not feeling responsible tonight. How would anyone in Lang Creek even find out? It’s a two- or three-hour drive. It might as well be a different universe. How fast can news travel around here?

  I nod to the bartender and he pours me another drink as I settle onto my seat — Ethan’s seat. My cheeks are still flushed and my heart is still thumping from that conversation, with my cheek burning where his lips brushed it. All I can manage to do is to look at the stage and watch Ethan perform.

  I can enjoy the anonymity for a little while longer before I drive down to Lang Creek tomorrow. For now, I’m just a single woman in a bar, enjoying the attention of a very attractive lead singer.

  Sure, he’s the lead singer of a tiny three-piece band in a tiny little town in the mountains, but it still counts, right?

  He meets my eye as he sings and my heart does a backflip. The heat between my legs is still burning, and all I want is for him to press me up against the wall and take me right now. I wonder what it would feel like to have his huge, muscular body pressing against mine, to feel the heat of his breath on my neck and his hips grinding against mine.

  I watch his hands move up and down the guitar and I wonder what they would feel like on my body. His fingers might sink into my flesh and he would pull me close to him. I would feel his cock against me, even through our clothing.

  I close my eyes for a moment and try to imagine what it would feel like to run my hand up and down the length of his shaft. My center is pulsing, like there’s a ball of fire in the pit of my stomach. I haven’t been this turned on in far, far too long. I haven’t had sex with a man since Mark died. Six years suddenly feels like a long, long, long time.

  And now? Now I’m about to start a new job in a small town a couple hours’ drive from here. I don’t know anyone, and I feel more relaxed than I have in years. I’m out on my own, enjoying the attention of an incredibly sexy man. I watch his biceps bulge against his t-shirt as he grabs the microphone, his blue eyes burning into me. Is it possible to pass out from arousal?

  As my body continues to heat up, and Ethan continues to look me up and down, a small voice gets louder and louder inside my head.

  Why not?

  Why not have a night of fun? Why not spend the night with him, and feel the touch of a man again? Why not relax and enjoy myself?

  Almost as soon as the final note is played, Ethan turns to his bandmates and hands one of them his guitar. The drummer glances over at me and shrugs before grinning at Ethan. My cheeks burn, but then in a moment Ethan is beside me.

  “You want to get out of here?”

  “What about your gear? Don’t you have to pack up?” I ask as I watch the other men on stage. Ethan grins, sliding his hand to the small of my back.

  “They’ll manage without me tonight.” His eyes flash and my whole body trembles. The warmth of his
hand on my back is distracting and intoxicating. All I want to do is melt into his arms and inhale the musky smell of his body. I want to feel his hands all over me and taste his lips. I want to touch his cock and feel him inside me.

  I haven’t been attracted to a man in so long that I’ve forgotten what it feels like. I can hardly think straight. I nod to Ethan and he leads me out of the bar. The air is cold, and I lift the collar on my jacket up.

  “It’s freezing out here!” I exclaim.

  Ethan chuckles. “Where did you say you were from? This is pretty warm for this time of year.”

  I grin. “I’m from Seattle,” I answer. “But still, this isn’t warm.”

  “West coast, hey,” he says, almost under his breath. He slips his hand into mine and guides me down the street. “What are you doing over here? You said you took a job in this area?”

  For some reason, I don’t want him to know who I am. I don’t want to tell him about my life back home, or my daughter, or my job. I just want to be someone else for one night. I don’t want to have the problems and burdens of my regular life. I just want to feel the touch of his skin against mine and feel young again. I want to go back to his place and have mind-blowing sex, and then pack up my things and leave in the morning.

  If he knows who I am, he can find me again, and then things just get messy. I have to go into a new work environment and assert myself. I don’t want to be branded as anything but professional. How am I supposed to be Lang Creek’s new fire safety consultant if they know I jumped into bed as soon as the plane landed? It’s hard enough making it in this industry as a woman, let alone a single mother who’s coming in to teach veterans of the job how to implement new procedures.

  So, when Ethan asks me what I’m doing here, I hesitate. I let my lips curl upwards and shrug as my hand traces over his shoulder.

  “I don’t want to talk about work,” I reply. I look up at him through my lashes and bite my lip. “Like you said, we only have one night together. Why waste our breath on things that don’t matter?”

  Ethan’s eyes flash and I see pure, unadulterated desire in them. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me close. I fall against him as his hands slide down to my ass. His head dips down toward me and his chest rumbles against me.

  “Who are you,” he growls. Somehow it doesn’t seem like a question. “You just appeared here, out of nowhere.”

  I curl my fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck. My whole body is shaking and when his hand cups my ass, I feel like I might climax right there in the middle of the road. His body is warm, almost hot. The desire pulsing through my body is making me dizzy. When he stares at me with those icy blue eyes of his, I want him so badly that a whimper escapes my lips and I tremble in his arms.

  He growls again, and finally crushes his lips against mine. His hand squeezes my ass as his other hand tangles into my hair. He tilts my head back so that my mouth opens wider as he kisses me harder. I moan, wrapping my arms around him as my panties soak through.

  He’s strong, but his touch is soft. He kisses me hungrily and growls as his hands explore my body. His hand squeezes my ass again and then brushes up under my shirt to rest on the small of my back. The feeling of his skin on mine makes my head spin. I melt against him, feeling the smooth, hard muscles of his chest as my breasts press up against him.

  When he growls again, I pant and pull away. My hands are still on his shoulders, and I look up at him. I know my cheeks are flushed and my chest is heaving up and down. It takes a few seconds for me to speak, and when I do, my voice is scratchy and low.

  “Where’s your place?” I ask. Ethan smiles and dips his chin down to nod. He grabs my hand in his and points his chin down the road.

  “This way,” he says, and the two of us walk down the moonlit street as the heat of our desire carries us forward.

  4

  Ethan

  The second Saturday of the month is usually just ‘me’ time. I make some excuse to leave Lang Creek, if I happen to run into my brothers. I drive off with my gear in back of my truck and for a few hours, I’m not Ethan Clarke. I’m not Dominic and Aiden’s little brother. I’m not a Park Ranger.

  For a few hours, I’m the lead singer of the Mad Hatters.

  Usually, that’s where it ends. I play some music with my buddies, I drink a few beers, and I drive back to Lang Creek in the morning. I think my brothers understand that I want some time away from the town, so they let me leave in peace. A couple times a month we’ll play at Harold’s Pub in Lang Creek, but my time in this place is my own time.

  I just come to Long Lake and play, and then I go back to my regular life.

  But this time? This time is different. This time, I’ve got a gorgeous, sexy, sensual woman who wants me. I can see it in her eyes, and I can feel it in the touch of her hand. I can taste it in her kiss.

  She wants me.

  And fuck, I want her too. We’re almost jogging down the street toward my hotel. My hand drops to her back and I run my fingers over her ass. She glances up at me through her lashes and the pulsing between my legs intensifies.

  I guide Zoe down the street toward my hotel. I always stay in the same place — Mickey’s BnB. Mickey reserves the cabin at the far edge of the property for me, so that I still feel like I’m in the middle of the mountains even when I come to Long Lake.

  We stumble back toward my room, passing my truck along the way. Zoe points to the black pickup with her thumb. “Nice wheels. I’m starting to regret getting a car. Seems like everyone has a truck around here.”

  “Thanks,” I say with a grin. “When it gets to winter, you’ll understand why everyone has a truck.”

  “I won’t be here for winter,” she replies right away, and a pang of disappointment surprises me. I nod.

  “Right.”

  When I lead Zoe to the back of the property, she glances over at me.

  “Where are you taking me?” She raises an eyebrow and I grin.

  “My room. It’s just out back.”

  “Under different circumstances, I’d be nervous about all this.”

  I slow down and look at her. “You’re not nervous, are you?” Suddenly, I’m worried. What if she isn’t joking? I’m dragging her back to a tiny, secluded cabin. She doesn’t know me at all. “We don’t have to go here if you don’t want to. We can go to your place, or back to the bar.”

  I stop, letting my hand drift to her waist. Zoe chuckles and brushes her fingers over my cheek. She brushes my hair off my forehead and shakes her head. “Stop it,” she says. “Although I appreciate that you’re a gentleman.” Her hands hook around my neck as she presses her lithe body into me. I groan and kiss her again, sinking my fingers into her body as I feel my veins turn to fire.

  Panting, I pull away. “You’re driving me wild,” I say. I see her eyes darken with desire and a smile floats over her lips.

  “That makes two of us.”

  We get to my door and I look through my pockets for my keys. I look at her, shaking my head. The moonlight is making her look almost ethereal. Zoe puts her hands on my chest and pushes me up against the door. My heart is hammering against my ribcage, and she parts her lips as I lean down to taste them again.

  We kiss more slowly this time. I wrap my arms around her body and she tangles her fingers into my hair. She presses her body against mine and I can feel her pulse quickening. By the time we separate, she looks up at me and shakes her head.

  “I’m not nervous about anything,” she answers. “Now take me inside and fuck me, will you?”

  My hands are shaking when I try to get the key in the door. Why did I even lock it? It’s not like I have anything to steal in here. The key finally slides in the door and we tumble inside.

  In an instant, her hands are tearing at my clothes. She’s pushing me back toward the bed and ripping my shirt over my head. I fall back onto the bed and she falls on top of me, laughing. I roll her onto her back and straddle my legs over hers, lifting myself up on my fo
rearm and helping her take her shirt off. I run my hand up her stomach and watch her lips part as she lets out a sigh.

  I trail my hand over her breast and pull her bra down to thumb her nipple. It stands up, a little hard bud that I can’t resist tasting. She groans and bats her eyelashes at me, running her hands up my chest.

  “Do you work out?” she asks, tracing my shoulders with her fingers.

  “A little,” I grin. “I’ve got an active job.”

  “Oh yeah?” she says, running her hands over my shoulders some more. She closes her eyes as I twirl my thumb over her nipple again, pressing her nails ever so slightly into my flesh. I groan and press my hips against hers. I don’t want to talk about my job. I don’t want to talk about working out, or anything else. I just want to plunge the entire length of my shaft inside her and watch her body arch in response. I want those lips to part and I want to hear her gasp.

  I’m throbbing. She lifts her hips up toward me and grinds them in slow circles, biting her lip and looking at me.

  “You’re so fucking sexy,” I growl.

  Zoe digs her fingers into the back of my neck and I crush my lips against hers. I kiss her harder and harder, tasting her lush lips and gripping her body against mine. My pre-cum is soaking through my boxers and I feel like I’m going to explode.

  She’s panting, and grabbing, and groping. She tears her bra off and I dive down to run my tongue over her hard nipples. I pull at her jeans, dragging them down her legs and covering her stomach and thighs with more kisses. When I get to her underwear, Zoe’s chest is heaving and she’s running her hands over and back through my hair.

  I grin, and run a finger gently over her panties. The heat of her desire is making me crazy, and I kiss the little pink bow at the front of her underwear. I run my hand between her legs and feel her wetness soaking through the thin fabric. She sighs and pulls her underwear off, shaking her head.