Hell Yeah! Box Set With Bonus Cookbook

by Hunter, Sable

  He didn’t let her do all the work herself. As she came down, he pushed up - over and over again. “Oh, Jacob, yes, yes,“ she keened. “I love your mouth on my nipples.” Her appreciation just spurred him on, making him harder - longer - his thrusts becoming a pounding friction that culminated in a white-hot explosion of rapture. She collapsed on his chest, and he wanted to hold her - but he was still cuffed to the bed. Instead, he kissed the side of her head, the top of her head - crooning to her in low, dulcet tones that conveyed all the love and devotion that was overflowing from his very soul.

  *******

  Keith McCay was fast losing his patience. Didn’t she go anywhere by herself? He had taken out his rage on every living thing he could get his hands on. Just wait till they found his little present in the barn.

  Slinking past the stock tank, he promised himself that Jessie would pay for the trouble she had caused. His marriage had not been the best, but Rachel’s millions had made the situation bearable. It was Jessie’s sinful allure, that sneaky way she had of tempting him that had caused his downfall. That innocent, humble aura of servanthood had sent his mind reeling into places that it would not have gone had it not been for her lying eyes.

  She had made promises with her sweet smile and her accommodating ways. Having her under his roof with Rachel had only highlighted the differences between the cold, calculating bitch he had married and the sweet little virgin that he thought was pregnant with his child.

  But, it had all blown up in his face. The records and deposits at the sperm bank had been compromised. Even they weren’t sure what had happened. All he knew was that Jessie’s baby wasn’t his and Rachel had uncovered his den of iniquity. All of his tapes, photos, magazines - his whole stash of porn had been drug out and dumped on his bed. Rachel had railed at him, accusing him of infidelity after infidelity. If only she had known that he was as impotent with other women as he was with her. Her wealth had not increased her sexual allure, but Keith’s penis was as useless with a beautiful woman as it was with the hag he had married.

  But with Jessie . . . . it could be different. Sitting at the foot of her bed - watching her sleep - her chest rising and falling in slumber - he had felt the stirrings of desire. And soon, he would know for sure. Soon, it would find out if he could be a man for Jessie Montgomery.

  ******

  Acadia Renaud drove under the Tebow Ranch sign. As soon as she did, she felt it. Evil. Flashes of red obscured her vision. Something was very wrong at this place. A sense of foreboding enveloped her. Parking, she sat for a few moments; waiting to see if she could glean more information from the black cloud of ominous emotion that had crashed into her spirit. Crossing her arms over her breasts, as if to shield herself from attack, Cady waited for the uncomfortable feeling to pass. As if the source of the darkness was moving farther away, she felt the danger recede.

  Biting her lower lip, Cady shored up her strength and courage. This was not going to be easy. Every magical instinct she possessed told her the man who summoned her, asking for her help, was in great pain – but she had been told he possessed the ability to cause her great pain as well. Pulling down the rear view mirror, Cady looked at her reflection. She was not a beautiful woman. She was passably attractive, if the viewer was half-blind and intoxicated. With all the immense power her family possessed, it seemed plausible that they should have been able to come up with some potion or trick that could bestow beauty upon one of their own. With all her heart, she held onto what her grandmother had said. Her beauty was one of spirit and soul – and the man who would truly love her would be able to see past her limitations to the beauty within. And when he saw her for what she truly was – then his love would make her beautiful. Fine. She just wished he would hurry up. Mostly, she wished that man were Joseph.

  A rap on the window almost caused her to bite her tongue. Some psychic she was, she hadn’t even seen the young man approach the car with either of her visions – physical or psychic. Cady took the key out of the ignition and grabbed her purse, giving the handsome boy a nod of greeting. He opened her door, “Hey, I’m Nathan. What’s your name?”

  Cady took the hand that was offered to her. “I’m Acadia Renaud, but you can call me Cady.” She smiled at him. He was engaging and had the purest gold aura she had ever seen, a sign of a pure spirit – one that was under divine protection. This young man was destined to do great good in the world. That thought made her remember what Renee Adams had said about her own spiritual reality – a watcher – that ridiculous notion still made her laugh. “I’m here to meet Joseph McCoy.”

  “Oh, yeah!” Nathan nodded; remembering that Libby said Joseph’s physical therapist would be arriving today. “You’ve come to help Joseph.” He walked with her up the verandah steps. Cady stopped at the door, an overwhelming feeling of destiny swamping her senses. She didn’t know what the future would hold for her here at Tebow Ranch, but whatever was ahead was going to be a wild, wild ride.

  ******

  Jacob had got up before daylight to patrol the ranch, trying to catch whoever was killing their cattle. In one way, Jessie had been grateful that he left on his predawn excursion. She still couldn’t believe how brazen she had been! Oh, he had enjoyed it. After she had unlocked the handcuffs, he had wrapped himself around her, showering her with gentle kisses and words of love. Still, she was a little embarrassed - and would probably always be amazed that wonderful, gorgeous Jacob McCoy could really be in love with Plain Jane Jessie Montgomery.

  She was doing everything she could to fit in and make herself useful. The hayride and dance was upon them and she had worked tirelessly by Libby preparing food and decorating the pavilion. Even the barn was in on the act. Myriads of little white lights and lanterns had been hung and strung around the ranch. She was looking forward to the festivities. The men had met to discuss whether or not they should cancel the party in the light of the trouble they were having, but had all agreed that they wouldn’t give the idiot that much power. Aron had hired extra men to take their place and he was confident that the mystery would be solved soon. No cattle deaths had been reported in over twenty-four hours, so they were hoping whoever had targeted them had moved on.

  Right now, she was finishing up cleaning Joseph’s rehab room. Before that, she helped Libby straighten and organize her sewing room where she planned on making designer purses. This had fascinated Jessie. She had always wanted to try her hand at crafts. But, all she had ever had time to do, was earn a living. Cleaning was something that she could do in her sleep. The family hadn’t asked too many questions about her lackluster career, but she did know they were aware. Since Libby had come to Tebow as a temporary housekeeper, Jessie didn’t feel too out of place. Still, she wished that she had other talents and job opportunities.

  She hoped that the regular housekeeper who came in twice a week wouldn’t be offended by her need to help. Even though Jacob asked her to marry him, she still had this need to feel like she was paying her way. She never wanted to give the family an excuse to think that she had it out for their wealth. In fact, she intended to insist that their lawyers draw up a prenuptial agreement for her to sign. She wanted Jacob to know for sure and certain that she loved him, not what she could get out of him.

  Folding the last sheet, Jessie closed the linen closet. Joseph’s physical therapist was scheduled to arrive any minute, so she had hurried to make sure that everything was perfect for Joseph’s first day of rehab.

  ******

  Isaac had decided to shut down Hardbodies for the duration of the McCoy party and just move the whole shooting match to the ranch. That way, he could be on hand for the fun, as well as keeping an eye out for trouble. Isaac was working double time, trying to stay busy - not that he had that much more to do. He was doing his dead level best to forget the devastated look on Avery’s face when he told her she wasn’t woman enough to make him want her. What a huge crapping l
ie that had been!

  And the worst part was that she had up and left. Her parents had moved out of town over six months before. Her dad had been the Baptist preacher, and he had left his pastorate in Kerrville and accepted a church in the valley. Isaac always suspected that Avery had stayed in town to be near him. And now, she was gone because of him. He had driven by her little house three times over the past couple of days. It looked deserted. Even though he knew it was going to be a disaster, he had looked up the church’s phone number on the Internet and called her mother to see if she was visiting them. He just had to know if she was all right. At least he had got an answer from her mother before she had discovered who she was talking to. Avery wasn’t with her parents. And her mom hated his guts. But, that he had already known.

  As he loaded cases of tequila and rum into the back of his truck, he racked his brain trying to figure out where she could have gone. Avery Rose was something of a loner. As far as he knew she didn’t have out-of-town friends to visit. Slamming the tailgate, Isaac let loose a blue streak of remorse. If something had happened to that little girl, he’d never forgive himself.

  ******

  Lord, he was nervous! You’d think he was meeting the Queen of England instead of a woman that had been hired to crack the whip and see if his muscles would respond to whatever form of torture she could come up with. When he had heard Nathan come through the front talking to someone, he had a sinking feeling that Acadia Renaud had arrived. “Joseph! Cady’s here!” Nathan thought he was the concierge of the ranch, in charge of all comings and goings, responsible for ensuring that everyone felt welcome and at home. Nathan was a good boy.

  “I’m coming!” Damn! Might as well face the music. He was in his manual chair today, so he took the wheels in his hands and pushed himself to the living room.

  Cady saw him before he saw her. The movements of the strong muscles in his arms and shoulders almost took her breath away. Now, this was a man! What a crying shame that he was confined to that chair instead of striding in on those long, powerful looking legs. She knew that it would be up to her to make sure those legs stayed powerful and didn’t shrivel up into useless appendages.

  “Hey, my face is up here.” Joseph spoke before he thought. He hadn’t meant for his tone to be so rebuking. It was just that he didn’t like for anyone to stare at his legs. Before his accident, he had enjoyed women eating him up with their eyes. Now, he knew they weren’t lusting after his physique, they were pitying his condition.

  Cady jumped at his harsh words. A flash of red shame washed up her features. She had been caught appreciating his beautiful body. How unprofessional! “I apologize. Please forgive my lack of manners.” She stepped forward to offer her hand. If they were to have a good working relationship, she needed to get past any attraction she felt for him. After all, Cady knew what she looked like. Mud fence was a term she was familiar with.

  Joseph had to call Kane and thank him. He didn’t know how effective this woman would be at her job, but she sure did fulfill one of his requirements. Cady Renaud was not a pretty woman. Her dark hair was pulled back into a neat bun, with just a few stray tendrils that did little to soften her plain features. She wore wire frame glasses that made her brown eyes look as big as an owl’s and her body was covered from shoulder to toe in a shapeless denim jumper. There wasn’t a curve in sight! In spite of himself, his face broke into a grin. He didn’t care how many times this woman emptied his pee bag. If he had special ordered a homely woman feature by feature, he couldn’t have done better.

  Slowly, she stepped back. That was when Jacob realized that she had extended her hand and he had failed to accept the friendly gesture. Shit! He hadn’t intended to be rude. Damn! “Sorry.” This time he rolled forward a couple of inches and held out his hand.” Graciously, she took it and pressed her fingers to his in greeting. “Hell!” he exclaimed as an electrical shock sizzled through his system. “You shocked me!” he was startled. That hadn’t happened to him in years, and never had it been that strong. Many was the time he and Isaac had scrubbed their feet on the carpet, lying in wait for one of their brothers to come by so they could shock the shit out of them. Rubbing his arm, he marveled at the tiny smile she gave him. She had enjoyed his discomfort! Lord, that didn’t bode well for his physical therapy. That’s all he needed - a woman who would get off on causing him pain.

  “Forgive me again, Mr. McCoy. I didn’t realize I had such an electrifying personality.”

  This time she smiled, a real smile, and Joseph was amazed at the difference it made in her face. Not that it made her pretty, but at least it made her pleasant to look at.

  Voices from the kitchen made Joseph sigh in relief. Saved by the women! Libby and Jessie came skipping through the living room on their way outside with big bouquets of flowers from Libby’s garden. Now, that was how women were supposed to look! He couldn’t help comparing Cady’s drabness to the vivacious pair that had just entered the room like a breath of fresh air. “Libby, Jessie, stop for a minute and meet Cady Renaud. Cady these two beautiful women belong to my brothers Aron and Jacob. This is Libby Fontaine and Jessie Montgomery.” Libby, always the perfect hostess, put down her flowers and hugged their newest houseguest.

  “How wonderful to meet you, Cady!” She put her arm around her and began to lead her to the back.

  Joseph saw a problem in the making. “Libby, Honey - don’t you think you should show Ms. Renaud to her room? She might like to get freshened up before the hayride.”

  Libby looked at him like an innocent lamb, “Why, that’s what I’m doing, Sweetie. We’ve put Cady in the room next to yours. That way, she can be right there in case you need anything during the night.” Lord! Libby’s voice sounded like warm syrup flowing over hot flapjacks. She was up to something!

  At least Cady had the good grace to blush, Joseph noticed. She must realize that there was no way she could ever be his type. Why, Joseph McCoy had dated some of the most beautiful women in the great state of Texas. “I don’t think . . . .”

  One look from Libby quelled Joseph’s unruly tongue. If Cady picked up his reluctance to have her sleeping near him, she didn’t let on. Instead, she countered his argument. “It would be better if I were close by, Joseph. Some of the treatments that we will be trying require that I’m near you while you sleep.”

  As Cady and Libby disappeared into the new wing, Jessie pulled out a chair and sat close to him. “She seems nice, huh?”

  “I suppose,” Joseph grunted.

  “If she can help you, does it matter how she looks?” Jessie was smarter than the average bear.

  Jacob snorted. “You don’t understand, Jessie. Cady Renaud looks exactly like I want her to. When I started looking for a therapist, there was one qualification that I insisted upon.” Jessie tried to get him to hush. She kept cutting her eyes toward the door, but Joseph was on a tear. “In addition to her having the right certification, I insisted that she be homely. If I’m going to let a woman see me at my worst, I don’t want it to be a good-looking woman. And Cady Renaud suits me just fine. She’s coyote ugly.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Joseph was sorry he said them. The shock on Jessie’s face was painful. She hadn’t thought him capable of being so insensitive. But, when she cut her eyes over his head, he knew he was in deep shit.

  Hell! When he swung his chair around slowly, he knew exactly what he’d find. Cady and Libby stood there. Dead still. Libby looked as if she’d like to take a broom to him, but Cady looked . . . Joseph was dumbfounded and baffled. Cady didn’t look surprised. At all. She looked peaceful. Serene. The only difference between the woman that had just left, and the woman that returned was a certain light in her eyes. That light that spoke of anticipation and hope had been extinguished. Now, her eyes just looked - blank. “If you’ll excuse me, Joseph. I think I’ll unpack. Since, it’s getting late; why don’t we delay our first session until the first t
hing in the morning.” Backing up, she nodded at Jessie and Libby, and then she walked off.

  “Joseph McCoy!” Libby got right in his face. “I didn’t know you could be so mean! What’s got into you?”

  Joseph didn’t like for Libby to fuss at him. He loved Libby. And, frankly - he didn’t know what had got into him, either. Cady Renaud had come to Tebow in good faith. She was here to do a job - and in spite of wishing it were otherwise, Joseph needed her. He needed Cady Renaud and her unusual powers more than he needed to eat. “I don’t know, Libby. I guess I’m scared. What this woman could do for me might mean the difference between living and just existing for the rest of my life.”

  “Then why did you go out of your way to hurt her?” Libby wasn’t letting up, he’d never seen her so mad. Lord, Aron was gonna kill him for upsetting Libby.

  “I’ve been where Cady is right now, Joseph, and it hurts.” Jessie spoke softly. “I haven’t told Jacob, yet. But, I can’t read, Joseph.” Her voice got soft and pained. “And look at me! I’m about thirty pounds heavier than I should be for my height. Plus, I clean people’s houses for a living.” She didn’t know why she was telling him all of this. Jessie felt sorry for Cady Renaud and she wanted Joseph to know how much people’s comments could hurt. “All of my life, people have been snide to me. Jacob is the first man that has ever seen me as a beautiful woman.”

  “You are a beautiful woman, Jessie,” Joseph insisted. “Both of you are.” Closing his eyes, he knew what he had to do. He had to apologize to Cady.