Five Alarm Alphas

by Leah Braemel, Lexxie Couper, Delilah Devlin, Marie Harte, Desiree Holt, Lissa Matthews, Cari Quinn, Shelli Stevens

  Hannah continued to watch Josie. “You know him, deep down. He’s in your heart and blood, and you’ve history to burn and bury.”

  “Which is it? Do we burn history or bury it?”

  “Neither and both.” Hannah shook her head, blinked, then regarded them with curiosity. “What did I say?”

  Josie refrained from rolling her eyes, out of politeness, while Miranda believed the con in its entirety. She repeated Hannah’s words, still requesting a reading of her own.

  “Sure, I’ll do you. But not today. I’m fogging from doing Josie.”

  Josie gave Miranda a look that said, Really? You’re not believing this?

  But Miranda ignored her, stood, and walked Hannah to the door. They said goodbye before Miranda bounced back into the kitchen, abuzz with enthusiasm for her new personal psychic advisor.

  “Seriously?” Josie grimaced. “I get that you’re an artist, so you’re supposed to be flighty.”

  Miranda frowned. “Hey.”

  “But come on. All that nonsense was just that—nonsense. I could have made all that stuff up and not charged you… What did you pay for that, anyway?”

  “Twenty-five bucks. I got the friend deal.”

  “What? Highway robbery. And you, you poor sucker, fell for it.”

  “Happy birthday,” Miranda said, determined to be chipper, apparently.

  “Thanks.” Josie put on a happy face. Miranda had tried, after all. “That was really sweet of you.”

  “I know. I also got you a cherry cheesecake.”

  “Now that’s what I’m talking about!”

  They laughed and groused about the poor quality of the wine they’d over imbibed the night before when a meow interrupted them.

  “Oh crap. I totally forgot about the cat,” Josie muttered. “Here kitty, kitty.”

  She stood up and nearly tripped when the thing darted in front of her. “Gotcha.” She quickly handed the cat to Miranda, who stroked it as if she’d made a new best friend, and called Hannah.

  “Oh shoot. Mephisto. I can’t believe I forgot my cat.”

  “No problem. I have a few errands to run. I can swing him by.” The sooner the better. Josie was a dog person, and every cat in the county seemed to know it, because they constantly sought her attention over anyone else’s. Even now the cat kept trying to leave Miranda, pawing at Josie.

  “Well, I’m doing a favor for a friend, and I’m not at home. Could you bring him by this address instead? It’s actually closer to you than my place is.”

  “Sure.” Josie wrote down the address Hannah gave her and promised to be by in the next hour. The sooner the cat left, the better. Despite not wanting to do more than sleep off her bender, she did have things to do. A few odds and ends to purchase from the hardware store, some bushes to replace the ones that had died last year in the front garden, and she had to refill her stash of emergency chocolate from her favorite candy store, just because.

  “You go out. I’m going to do a few things here,” Miranda said. “I have a ton of laundry since I skipped last week. I’ll watch Mephisto while you shower. Aren’t you cute, you little furry thing? You’re so soft. Oh, Josie, he’s purring.”

  Josie hotfooted it to the bathroom. Forty minutes later, she drove away from the house with the cat snuggled up on her lap. “Figures you like me,” she muttered, and she’d swear the cat smiled up at her.

  After consulting her directions once more, she turned into an established part of town. It was an older stretch where the houses had been built in the sixties and seventies. People here maintained their lawns and kept their houses neat. Heck, hers would fit right in.

  She pulled into the driveway of a medium-size house that looked relatively kept up. It could use a paint job and some repairs around the outer porch, but it had a quaint charm to it. She kept the cat in her arms, not wanting it to escape before she could give it back to Hannah, and approached the front door.

  Before she could knock, Hannah opened it. She took the cat and pulled Josie inside before she could escape.

  “Come in, come in. I’d like you to meet a few friends. Well, not friends exactly. More like family.”

  Josie came to a standstill the minute she saw them, clutching her car keys in her hand.

  All four Talbot brothers, in the flesh. Ben with his deep blue eyes and charming grin. Jaden with dark gray eyes and an intensity lacking in his siblings. Harrison with that smugness she wanted to slap off his face. And there—Cooper. Muscular, sexy, and a little bit mean. She didn’t think she blinked while the others stared back at her. Mephisto struggled out of Hannah’s arms and darted deeper into the house.

  “Shoot. I’ll get him.” The blasted woman left Josie facing the Quad, two of whom had it in for her.

  But I’m not sixteen anymore. I can handle this. Can’t I?

  Ben whistled. “Holy shit. Is that Josie Young I’m looking at? Honey, you turned out to be one pretty little lady.”

  So condescending, though he probably didn’t mean to be. “My heart’s all aflutter,” she deadpanned.

  Harrison grinned, and she glared back at him.

  “Quit laying speed traps, copper.”

  “Oh, Harry. You still doing that to get girls?” Jaden asked. He winked at her. Of the four brothers, he’d been the easiest to get along with. He’d never teased her or flirted. He’d been kind, and so darned cute she wanted to sigh whenever she saw him. “How’ve you been, Josie?”

  “Fine. Thanks.” She cleared her throat, drew on her courage, and looked directly at Cooper. She’d seen him around town over the years and had always managed to steer clear of him. Seeing him now made all that time since high school fade, and she wanted him with that same girlish intensity she’d had back then. Now, coupled with a mature woman’s needs, she felt a wave of lust crash over her.

  He didn’t speak, but the clenching of his jaw was telling.

  Since he’d been such a tool about the whole mess back then, she decided to get everything out in the open before taking off and never facing him again. “So, Cooper, mooned any girls lately?”

  His brothers broke out into loud guffaws. He looked angry for a moment, before he too dissolved into laughter, surprising her.

  “You were such a pain in my ass,” he said when he could catch his breath. “I was this close—” he pinched his thumb and finger together “—to getting Linda Michaels to go out with me.”

  “You mean to sleep with you. Everyone knew what a date with her meant.” Josie wasn’t being cruel. Linda had delighted in using her body as a reward system for those she deemed worthy, and she’d loved to brag about her conquests. “You should be thanking me. I saved you from disease back then.”

  “Gee. Thanks, so much.”

  He sounded insincere, but he was still smiling.

  “Hey, if you want to blame someone, blame Harrison,” she said. “He was the one I wanted to embarrass.”

  Harrison frowned. “What?”

  “You were always teasing me. It was annoying.” Red, carrot, fire girl, but thankfully not fire crotch, a term she’d heard and loathed with equal measure. So she had red hair? Big deal. But you’d think she’d been born disfigured with four heads for all the attention it had garnered her.

  Cooper turned to Harrison with a frown. “I never knew that. So it was your fault.”

  Harrison held up his hands. “Hey, I was an immature lout. I admit it. I had a crush. Sue me.”

  “I so don’t need to hear this.” She felt her cheeks heat. “Anyway, Harrison was bad enough. But Cooper, you were a complete ass about it. Even after I apologized.”

  He looked embarrassed now, and the flush on his cheeks made him even more attractive. Good Lord, she wanted to fan herself. His smoke-gray eyes blazed as he stared at her, and even abashed he managed to appear sexy, confident, and eminently kissable.

  He took a step in her direction then stopped when he came within a few feet of her. “I’m sorry, okay? I swear, I—” He took another step, h
is feet tangled, and he tripped. The cat hissed and darted closer to her, which became a problem when she tried to move away from the two hundred plus pounds of man coming at her. Swearing and shouting ensued, and then she hit the floor hard with Cooper on top of her, and her car keys went flying.

  She wheezed, trying to catch her breath.

  “Oh God. I’m so sorry. Damn cat,” he growled and moved quickly off her.

  She tried to push up and cried out at the pain, then clutched her left wrist to her chest.

  Cooper gently helped her to sit up.

  “Man, that’s gotta hurt.” Ben and Jaden leaned closer, and Ben said, “That purplish color on your wrist? Not good, sweetheart.”

  She felt a little woozy as the guys eased her to her feet. Then Cooper sat her on the couch and left her to return with a large wrap. He fastened it around her neck and arm.

  “It’s a temporary sling until the hospital checks you out.”

  “I don’t need a hospital.” She automatically denied anything hospital-related. Not because she was afraid of the pain, just the cost.

  Hannah chose that moment to return, now holding Mephisto. She looked pleased with herself. Then she looked from the cat to Cooper and raised a brow.

  He glared at his sister. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “Cooper?” Josie asked, confused.

  “It’s not you, Josie,” he said as he finished adjusting the sling and sat next to her. “It’s…” he broke off as their gazes collided and held.

  She had the strange thought that she was looking into pure smoke, the gray there but untouchable, much like the man himself. An elusive catch for the many women who’d sought him, or so the rumor mill said. She’d never had him, for sure. And probably never would.

  Why that disturbed her when it had been a foregone conclusion for years, she wasn’t certain. But boy, her wrist had started throbbing…in time to her racing heart.

  Chapter Three

  When Cooper stared into her eyes, everything seemed to click. And that pissed him off. Hannah and her stupid prophecies. Just because the cat had caused a catastrophe didn’t mean anything. Mephisto usually wreaked havoc wherever he went.

  But seeing Josie again… Wow. She sure had gotten prettier. She’d been a cute girl back in high school, and he’d be the first to admit he hadn’t behaved too nicely after being so embarrassed in front of everyone. Not that his brothers had helped. They’d been some of the worst offenders. But he should have been kinder about the whole thing, not yelled at her and treated her like a leper after. She’d been a beautiful leper, which of course had made everything worse. Nothing like looking like a loser in front of not just the hot, easy girl, but the pretty, smart one too.

  Poor Josie seemed to be in pain, so he helped her to her feet. “Come on. I’ll take you to the emergency room.”

  “No, that’s okay.”

  “It isn’t.” He glared at Hannah again.

  “We should take you,” Harrison said. “Hey, let me make up for being such an ass back in high school.”

  “You were an ass,” Josie said, her voice waspish but not as strong as it should have been. “Just as much as Cooper was.”

  Coop noted her paleness and grew more determined. “Yeah, I was worse. I’ll take you.” He scowled at his brother, annoyed Harrison seemed to be so emphatic about sticking his stupid nose into Josie’s business. “Besides, I know people there. I can get you in and out in no time.”

  “Well…”

  “Look, none of this is your fault. I landed on you. Of course, that happened because of Hannah’s stupid cat.”

  Jaden agreed. “True. The cat has a way of tripping a guy up.”

  “He does,” Ben said.

  “Mephisto is not stupid.” Hannah glared at them, then softened her gaze on Josie. “But the boys should help you. I mean, at the least they’re liable since your fall happened here.”

  “Hannah,” Harrison growled.

  Coop noted Josie’s small grin and pounced. “Good. Let’s go.”

  He grabbed her keys and herded her out to her car. “Nice.” Helping her into the passenger seat, he then moved around to the driver’s side and had to readjust for leg space. She really was much smaller than him…but not where it counted.

  Man, had she blossomed into one fine looking woman or what? And what kind of heel focused on the breasts cushioning her poor wrist when she had to be in pain? With this kind of thinking he’d soon turn into Ben.

  “You don’t have to take me,” she muttered as he pulled out and drove them to the emergency room.

  “Sure I do. Or word will get around that the Death Quad is back in action.”

  She snickered. “Hey, you guys earned the name.”

  “Thank yourself for starting it. After that unfortunate incident in the lunch room, which will never again be mentioned,” he emphasized, saw her nod, and continued, “I got a rep at having a temper. Then Ben and Harrison got into a fight with a few guys from the soccer team, and when I tried to help out, somehow it became a free-for-all. Even Jaden, the good Talbot, got suspended.”

  “And Death by Quad was born.”

  “I thought it was Death Quad,” he said.

  “Same thing.” She shifted and grimaced. “I can move it, but it hurts.”

  “Hey, go easy. If it’s not a break, I’m betting you sprained it. That bruise hurts me just looking at it”

  She sighed. “This was supposed to be the perfect day.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s my birthday.”

  He felt terrible. “Damn. Sorry about that.” They drove in silence and had just reached the emergency room when he asked, “So is this ruining your plans? Will your boyfriend be coming after me for messing up his pretty girl?”

  She flushed, and he found her absolutely adorable. Sexy, gorgeous, hot. Being so close to her, even with her looking pitiful and injured, his entire body came alive in a way it hadn’t in years. Women flocked to him and his brothers in droves. Perhaps having an easy conquest had soured him on dating. But he didn’t think Josie was the type to be flashing “take me and make me yours” signs. If she hadn’t been injured, they’d probably never talk again.

  And that bothered him. He parked the car and led her into the ER.

  “Boyfriend?” She snorted. “No. My day was going to be spent running errands, then sharing a cheesecake later tonight with my roommate. Maybe ending with a good book.” She sighed again, and he wanted to pull her into his arms and hug her.

  “That is damn depressing.” And fortunate for him. He kept an eye on her while he sweet-talked his way back to see one of the nurses who had a thing for Ben. The ER wasn’t too busy, thankfully, and it took little effort to get Josie into a back room to fill out paperwork while the nurse checked her out.

  After she left, Josie sighed. “I’ll have to get an X-ray, won’t I?”

  “Just to be sure.”

  “This is going to cost an arm and a leg,” she groused and put her good arm up over her eyes while the other lay across her chest, no longer held by the sling.

  Such a soft place to support her injury. He took a nice long look at the rounded swells molded by cotton, and they were more than a handful. Oh man. Was it wrong to be grateful that Mephisto had tripped him into Josie?

  “So I’m curious,” she said. “Did you ever get lucky with Linda?’

  “You mean, after you showed everyone my Hulk boxers—which, for the record, I’d worn as a joke? The answer is no.” He had no trouble seeing her grin.

  “Sorry.”

  “No you aren’t.” He chuckled. “But it was funny. I mean, had it happened to Harrison, I’d have been laughing my ass off.”

  “You seem to be laughing now.” She took her arm down and rested it by her side. Her stare caught him off guard, because it seemed appraising, sensual, and turned him rock-hard in a heartbeat.

  He hurried to sit next to her and leaned over, balancing his elbows on his knees to hide his desire. H
ell, what was wrong with him? He had better control over his body than this. He cleared his throat. “Yeah, well, I’m not a teenager any longer. And I’m sorry I was a dick.”

  “A major dick. A dickhead, actually, which is worse.”

  “There’s a scale?” Hearing her say the word dick made his erection stronger. Not good.

  “There is according to my students. And no, I don’t teach them these things. I listen. You wouldn’t believe how rowdy middle schoolers can be.”

  He grinned. “As rowdy as their teacher?” She taught middle school? “So what do you teach?”

  “Sixth grade English. Some social studies. I love it.”

  “Sixth grade. How old is that?”

  “Eleven or twelve. It’s a fun age, actually. The kids are still innocent enough not to be too much to handle, but mature enough they don’t need hand-holding to go to the bathroom. I tried first grade when I started out. Not for me.”

  “I don’t have the patience to teach. The probies at work can get on my last nerve.”

  She watched him with curiosity. Man, her eyes were blue, like the deep blue of a great lake, hiding mysterious depths beneath. Oh hell, now he was getting all poetic and shit. Plus his arousal had yet to abate. Had to be karma kicking him in the tail for falling on her.

  “You’re a firefighter.”

  “Yep. All of us Talbot boys. Well, the ones that matter are.”

  She grinned. “Harrison’s a cop.”

  “Yeah. And you can say it, it’s okay. He’s still a dickhead.”

  She laughed, then groaned when she shifted her hand.

  “Easy, now.” He gently held onto her forearm to steady her, and his fingers brushed her belly.

  They both froze, staring at each other.

  Did she feel that crazy heat? That spark of attraction that had blazed to all-out need? Damn. It had been a while since he’d gotten laid, but this desire for Josie Young floored him. Her eyes darkened, and he was two seconds from leaning in for a kiss when the nurse barged in.

  She took in the scene and tried and failed to suppress a grin. “So, Ms. Young, how are you feeling now?”