KANSAS HEAT
Jenny Penn
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
KANSAS HEAT
Copyright © 2010 by Jenny Penn
E-book ISBN: 1-60601-831-0
First E-book Publication: May 2010
Cover design by Jenny Penn
All cover art and logo copyright © 2010 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
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DEDICATION
To Tom for all his help.
KANSAS HEAT
JENNY PENN
Copyright © 2010
Chapter 1
Friday, June 20th
Amanda Johnson glared at the bar. Well, in the direction of the bar. She really couldn’t see the damn thing with the bodies three feet deep around it. The mob of oversized cowboys shifted endlessly, allowing her momentary glimpses of where she needed to be.
Between the country music blaring out and the din of shouted conversations, there would be no hope that anybody would hear her if she tried to talk her way through the throng. Her only hope would be to circle the perimeter and try to squeeze in somewhere.
Squeeze in and not get flattened, which was just what happened on her first attempt. Darting for a hole that had opened up, she slammed into a damn mountain of a man. He smelled nice, an intoxicating mixture of man, soap and cologne. He felt even better with the soft cotton of his t-shirt stretched over a hard wall of muscle.
Amanda didn’t care about any of that. She didn’t want to be here in the first place. She was damn sick of men just pretending like she didn’t exist. Her nose hurt. He’d probably broken it. If he had, she’d break something of his, because enough was enough.
“You all right?”
Concern might have sounded in his voice, but it didn’t make her anymore charitable about being mowed down. Intending to unleash her frustrations at the entire night on his sorry ass, but the words froze on her lips as she looked up, way up. Amanda found herself speechless under Cody Reese’s gaze.
God had gifted each of the three Reese brothers with the most amazing set of eyes. Cody Reese's eyes were so pale blue they appeared to be almost crystalline, bright and piercing. A woman had to have a strong heart and nerves of steel to overcome Cody’s devastating gaze.
Amanda had neither, and as she watched Cody’s lip curl into a lopsided grin, her ability to form words became impaired. She settled for a humiliatingly weak head nod and a prayer he’d release her back into the wild before she did anything even more embarrassing, like faint at his feet.
“Are you sure? You look a little dazed.”
Ah, don’t touch my cheek. The feel of his warm, rough fingertips sliding over her cheek in a gentle caress did not help her condition. Amanda could feel her bones melting. If he didn’t stop, she’d be nothing more than a puddle of molten lust soaking into the bar floor.
“Your nose looks a little red.”
Probably because it matched the blush racing up from her feet to her hair line. She had to get a grip and get it fast. Closing her eyes, taking a deep breath, and stepping away from Cody helped a little.
“I’m…fine.”
“Hey, Cody!”
For Cody, the mob had melted away. A clear path to the bar and the undivided attention of the bartender, that’s the kind of power the Reese brothers had. That’s the kind of power that had always irked Amanda.
“Another round?”
“Thanks, Tucker.” Cody nodded toward the bartender with the cockiness of a man who knew he didn’t have to ask for anything. Everything always got offered to him. Peons like her could be so lucky to even ride his coat tails. “Oh, hey, were you waiting to get a drink?”
Well, duh. “Yes.”
Cool enough to know when to play at being a normal person, Cody actually acted like he’d done wrong. “Damn, I didn’t mean to cut you out.”
“That’s all right.” For all the snotty comments circling in her head, Amanda wimped out. She gave him a proper, polite smile. “I’ll get a hole here soon enough.”
He laughed. A deep, husky sound, it sent another round of shivers down her spine. The fact that he could so easily turn her on just irritated her even more. She didn’t get a chance to express that to him as he turned to grab his pitcher from the bartender.
Thinking to take advantage of the gap he’d made, Amanda started to sidestep around Cody. He brought her up short again, this time with his pitcher. Handing it over to her, he actually almost smacked it into her chest as she fumbled belatedly to grab it.
“Hey, Tucker, I need to add to the order.”
Floored at his arrogance, Amanda stared at Cody as the bartender turned his attention to her. “What can I get you?”
“Nothing.” The answer snapped out of her without rational thought. Reason didn’t count for much when she was so damn annoyed. “And I don’t need you to order my drinks for me.”
Not the least offended by her ungracious attitude, Cody just gave her a patient kind of look. “Going to go with gopher mode?”
“Excuse me?”
Glancing pointedly around the bar, he ignored her question. “It could take a while to burrow a hole through all these men.”
“I can manage to g
et my own drinks, thank you.”
“I’m still waiting to tell Tucker what you want to drink.” And of all the outrageous things, the bartender waited right along with him. Given how many people were shouting for the bartender’s attention, it made her feel guilty, almost bratty. “Or would you rather wait another half hour until you can reach the bar on your own, Amanda?”
“How do you know my name?” Amanda scowled. “And how do you know I’ve been circling this bar?”
“Been watching you.”
“Why?”
“Tell me what you want to drink.”
“Tell me how you knew my name.”
“Tell me what you want to drink, and I’ll tell you how I know your name.”
She couldn’t win. He wouldn’t let her. As usual, the man had all the power. Amanda caved, giving him her order with a snarl. She really hated the way his lips kicked up in the corners. He’d been smiling before, but as she gave into his demands, the very corners of his lips quivered.
A gloater, she hated men who gloated. Nothing more unattractive, and she didn’t care if Cody Reese was six feet of sky-scraping muscles and angles. He might be considered the catch of the town, but right now she wished she could throw him back.
“You’re Amanda Johnson.” Cody turned toward her after relaying her desires to the bartender. “I don’t think we’ve ever been formally introduced. I’m Cody Reese.”
He tried to make it into a conversation, but she just wanted an answer. “How do you know my name?”
“You work with Carly Winters.” Cody shrugged. “I escorted her to the county’s employee picnic in April. You two were on the girls’ softball team together. I remember watching you play. You humiliated the other team. Who were they again?”
Cody might be smooth, but he’d fouled that pitch. “I remember the picnic. I remember the day after, the day you broke up with Carly.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s true.” Cody’s smile hadn’t dipped, but it did lose some of its glow. He might be grinning, but he wasn’t amused anymore.
“And I guess it’s true that after three weeks with one woman, it only takes twenty-four hours for a man to rebound with another.” Amanda made a show of considering that before she leaned in slightly. “Because, correct me if I’m wrong, you were already onto Sandra Miller a day later.”
“Here you go, Cody.”
The bartender’s sudden interruption saved Cody from having to answer her. Perhaps it saved her, Amanda corrected. Cody didn’t turn right off to the bartender but let her see the weight of his lips flattening out. She’d pissed him off.
Good.
“Thanks, Tucker.”
Cody collected her drinks instead of taking his beer back. She probably should have just shoved it at him, but she reached for her wallet instead. By the time she got a hold of it, Tucker had disappeared.
“Ah, damn.” Amanda held his beer out for him. “I have money here in my pocket.”
“Don’t sweat it,” Cody assured her with a quick grin, making her want to growl. “Tucker’ll put it on my tab.” He didn’t take the beer, his own hands full with her drinks.
“Then I’ll pay you.”
“It wouldn’t be very gentlemanly of me to take your money after I mowed you down.”
“I think I survived the collision well enough to afford my own drinks.” No way would she end up owing him over this.
“It ain’t proper.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m the man. I should pay.”
Amanda gaped at his totally flawed logic and attacked it in the only way she knew he’d understand. “This isn’t a date.”
His smile dipped. “I won’t take your money.” The hard cut of his words conveyed his annoyance.
“Then I’ll pay Tucker.”
Cody narrowed his eyes on her and his tone dipped even lower. “You can’t get close enough to the bar to give him money.”
She couldn’t argue that one. “Why are you being so difficult about this?”
“Why are you making such a big deal out of it?”
“I don’t like being in anybody’s debt.”
Cody pursed his lips, pretending to consider the problem. It didn’t take him long to find an answer, and a grin. “How about a dance?”
“A dance?”
“In payment.”
She should have seen it coming. “No.”
Cody didn’t wait for her refusal. He turned and walked off without a word, leaving Amanda standing there, holding his beers and with little choice but to follow him. The sheer arrogance of his dismissal made her ears burn.
Oh, she was so going to stomp his feet when they got to the dance floor. Amanda didn’t fool herself into thinking she could avoid her fate. Once Cody showed up at their table, her three friends would be like bugs to a zapper.
Cindy, Rosy, and Kathy had convened this emergency party session with the firmly stated agenda of finding Amanda a rebound man. Somehow, for some insane reason, her friends decided Amanda didn’t do well with picking her own men. Amanda didn’t have to wonder what their unanimous opinions of Cody Reese’s prospects would be.
“Ah, here she is.” Cindy gave a smug grin that matched her cheery tone.
Sidling up to the table, Amanda glowered at her best friend before turning on Cody. “Your beer.”
Amanda shoved the pitcher toward Cody with little hope he’d take it and leave. It threw him for a moment, and he hesitated before sliding the plastic jug onto the table.
“Aren’t your brothers waiting?” Amanda asked pointedly.
“Let them wait.” Cody shrugged.
Amanda had a good response, but Cindy beat her to the punch. “Mandy loves to dance, don’t you?”
There was no missing the implied threat in Cindy’s tone. Cindy was the only person in the whole world Amanda would defer to. “Love it.”
“Great, come on.”
Cody’s oversized hand engulfed her smaller one as he pulled her toward the dance floor. Amanda didn’t fight him, sending one last spiteful glare back at Cindy before the crowd swallowed them up. Friday night and Studs & Spurs was packed to the seams, mostly with men.
Studs & Spurs attracted men like shit did flies. If a woman’s taste ran toward large, rugged, egoistical men who worked long hours polishing their social skills on each other and their cattle, then she would find what she was looking for inside the bar.
Amanda didn’t have any interest in hooking up with some stud fresh off the range. For all his looks and money, that’s just what Cody was. Ranch owner, ranch hand, they all worked the same life. It showed both in his body and his social skill.
The feel of his big hand and thick fingers wrapping around her smaller one sent a wicked thrill through her. After five years of abstinence, Amanda had come to resent her skinny fingers. Not much fun to play with. Cody’s hands, now they’d be worth playing with.
Amanda cut the wayward thought off before it could develop. She wouldn’t let her hormones get the better of her. This was not a happy occasion, and Cody was not an appropriate candidate to break her long-term fast with. He already proved to be arrogant, controlling, stubborn, and way too egotistical, just the type of man she hated.
Ah, damn he does feel so good. Amanda couldn’t fight the thought when Cody pulled her deep into his embrace. A slow song blared out of the speakers setting the bar for all the voices raised in conversation. With the floor packed with couples, there was no room to do anything other than sway. Sway and melt all over the front of his shirt.
Oh, but he smells good too. The man probably sucked in bed, but he smelled like a lover. Leather, soap, and a musky, distinctively masculine odor created to intoxicate a woman’s senses, it invaded Amanda’s body. Breath by breath, her inhibitions dropped and her arousal began to simmer. If Cody Reese’s scent could be bottled and marketed, it would become the female equivalence of Viagra.
Amanda breathed deep and sighed, involuntarily leaning into him. He felt good. Strong
, hard muscles heated the soft fabric of his black t-shirt. This time she had no ability to control the urge to rub against him. Something thick and hard rose to salute her tiny motions.
Amanda blinked her eyes open in shock. Cody Reese had a hard-on. He got it from dancing with her. Well, damn.
“So, I know you like softball. Do you like rodeos too?”
It annoyed her when he spoke. The fantasy winding its way around her dissolved before her eyes, and she was left with reality. It wasn’t half bad, being held close by Cody Reese while he murmured in her ear, but it wasn’t near what her body was interested in doing with the big cowboy.
“I’ve lived in Humble, Kansas all my life. What do you think?” Her response portrayed her annoyance.
“Boy, you got a lot of sass in you, honey.”
“If my words annoy you, maybe we shouldn’t bother with the dialogue and just stick to the dancing.”
“Hmm. So you like rodeos.”
Damnit, he hadn’t taken the clue. She didn’t even attempt to be subtle, so he was either truly dense or beyond hardheaded. Leaning back to answer him, she became aware something else was growing bigger.
Well, shit. She’d been rude to him, and he got hotter?
“Yes, I like rodeos, but I love quiet men.”
“Which event is your favorite?”
Favorite event? Instantly the image of a man riding a bucking bull popped into her mind. Powerful thighs clamped around a wild beast. The smooth line of a man’s body flexed with muscles as he moved in rhythm with the wild, thrashing beast. It didn’t matter how god-awful ugly he was, how many teeth he had missing or lumps in his nose, for those few seconds, he was the perfect symbol of raw masculinity mastering an animal capable of crushing him in a blink.
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