HOT MEN: A Contemporary Romance Box Set

by Ashlee Price

  As she writhed under the magic of his tongue, Tanner moved his mouth back up to hers as she felt his feet spread her legs apart. Then his hand moved to where she was begging to be touched. Staring her straight in the eyes, he did what her body was yearning for him to do.

  Jenna felt the softness of her walls clench around the stiffness of his fingers as he moved in and out of her. They never broke eye contact. He simply watched her face as she panted, whimpered, and orgasmed all over his hand. Sucking air through her teeth, she closed her eyes but suddenly felt the warmth of his breath on her earlobe. “Look at me.”

  Opening her eyes, she met Tanner’s seductive glare, and unable to control herself, she climaxed again. She wanted so much more, but the sound of movement in the main bar area forced them to stop. Tanner took his fingers and licked them with a childish grin across his face.

  Jenna fixed her clothes and pressed her hands against her cheeks. She didn’t think it would work to ease the deep red hue she was sure was there, but she had to at least make an attempt to look normal. Just before she stepped out of the room, she turned around to Tanner.

  “What?” he asked.

  Slap!

  “Christ! What was that for?” he yelped, rubbing his face.

  Jerking the door open, Jenna wriggled her shoulders to straighten her posture before eyeing him with a seriousness he’d never seen from her. “You know what that was for! You asked for it!”

  She walked out before he could do anything else. Her father was standing there. As he watched her and Tanner leave the back room with Tanner holding his face, his confused expression changed into anger. “What do you two think you’re doing back there?”

  “Yeah, what’s going on in here?” Hannah chimed in as she popped up from behind the bar with a huge grin on her face.

  “Nothing. We were just settling an old debate,” Jenna said, eyeing Tanner as he made his way out of the bar.

  “Will we see you tonight, Tanner?” Hannah called out to him.

  “Maybe. I don’t know. It’s up to her, honestly,” he said, motioning toward Jenna.

  “It’s a free country,” she told him, licking her lips. He shook his head, rubbed his jaw, and walked out.

  “I don’t like him,” Paul said under his breath.

  “You never liked him, Daddy.”

  “Yeah, but I’m talking about now. I don’t like him. What’d he do? Why’d you slap him?”

  “Yeah, what’s that all about?” Hannah scrunched up her face as she sat her chin in her hands and propped her elbows on the counter.

  “Nothing I want to talk about sober,” she joked.

  “But you don’t drink!” Hannah and Paul stated at the same time.

  Later that night, as Jenna got herself ready for the party, she couldn’t help but gaze at her reflection in the mirror. Her long brown hair was pulled up into a high bun with a bright orange flower wrapped around it. Her white crop-top shirt had a deep V-neck collar showing ample cleavage, and her shorts were just high enough to be a cross between clothes and a bikini bottom. When her dad walked by, he was, needless to say, less than pleased.

  “I don’t like this,” he grumbled.

  Turning around, Jenna saw him in his regular blue jeans and regular polo shirt.

  “You’re not going to put on the shirt I laid out for you? Get it, Daddy?” she giggled.

  He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Leave the dad jokes to me. You’re bad at them, and no. I’m not going to come in until about 10:30. I just want to check things out to make sure everything’s going according to plan. You got security, right?”

  “Yup! Hired four guys. Two to work the door and two to work inside. I also have a few girls I know waiting tables and two guys coming in to cook for the night.”

  “Where did you get the money to do all this?”

  “That envelope Mr. Hannity gave you that you gave to me,” she shrugged.

  “Now that was to repay the money you spent on the light bill, plus a little extra. I told you I don’t want you spending your money on something that’s my responsibility!”

  “Dad, I don’t want to argue right now. Besides, just think of me as a silent investment partner. I’m going to make my money back off the bar. I know I am. Just wait until the end of the night. You’ll see.”

  “I don’t think so.” He began second-guessing his decision to let her throw this themed circus. “Maybe we should just call the whole thing off.”

  “Relax, Daddy. I have it all under control. You don’t have anything to worry about. And look at me! With these shorts and this shirt, I’ll make my money back in tips alone. I need you to keep in mind that I don’t drink, and that I can throw a punch. I learned from the best.” She kissed him gently on the cheek. “Don’t be such a worry wart. I’ll see you at 10:30, Dad!”

  She skipped down the stairs and out the door. To say Jenna was excited would have been an understatement. She couldn’t wait to see the look on her father’s face at the end of the night when she emptied out the drawer and tallied it all up.

  By the time she got to The Wheel it was almost seven and there was actually a line of people waiting to get in. As she walked by, she had to restrain herself so she wouldn’t jump for joy in front of everyone. There were a few familiar faces—and a few whistles—as she strutted past the waiting coeds.

  Hannah was already inside the bar, giving the girls she had hired the rundown. Jenna simply sat back and watched as Hannah whipped the young women into shape. “Of course at the end of the night we’ll pool our tips so everyone gets a fair share. And believe me, with the number of guys I saw out there, there will be plenty to go around. Speaking of which, if any of the guys gets too frisky for you, call Joey there in the back.”

  They all turned around to see an enormous bearded man dressed all in black. His red beard was braided into a single braid draped down his chest. His face was mean, but when Hannah pointed him out, he smiled and gave a slight bow to the ladies.

  “Joey is working with Derek, who’s right over there.” She pointed to a husky guy standing in the corner and looking out a window at the line waiting outside. His skin was a beautiful shade of milk chocolate, but they couldn’t see his face; he simply waved to them without taking his eyes off of whatever he was looking at.

  Hannah continued, “Jenna is working behind the bar. Tracy, you have the most bartending experience, so you’re back there with her. Millie and Brittney, you’re on the floor with me. Let’s have a good time tonight, and let’s make some money!”

  They all cheered as Jenna caught the eye of the bouncer at the door and gave him the thumbs-up. The man standing there, Brock, was just as tall as Joey, but his physique was far more athletic. He grabbed hold of one end of the velvet rope that was holding people back while the other bouncer stood next to him with his arms folded tightly in front of him.

  Brock addressed the crowd in a no-nonsense tone. “Okay, listen up! Do not, I repeat, do not rush this door! You will get hurt! Not me, not Smitty, you! We will get you all in at some point during the night. Do not try to sweet-talk me. Do not try to work my system. I already have my list of guest entries memorized, so if you are not on that list, do not pretend to be! That will make me upset and will waste both of our time. Listen to me or you will be sent home! I am not playing. Assault me or any of my colleagues, drunk or not, you will spend the night in jail! Now, those are my rules. If you have a problem with my rules, get out of the line. Otherwise, let’s have a good time!”

  Hannah was amazed. “Where did you find these guys at?”

  “RJ, actually. Some of the guys at the electric company do this on the side, and when I told him I was throwing a party he recommended them.”

  “Well, whenever RJ and his crew get here, tell them they can have drinks on us,” Hannah practically cheered.

  “Listen, these guys ain’t working for free,” Jenna laughed.

  “Okay, fine, one free drink for RJ.”

  Chapter 8

&nbs
p; With Hannah’s iPod streaming to wireless speakers, music blared around the room while girls and guys swayed, drank, laughed, and talked. As the minutes ticked away, more and more people piled in. Jenna switched between working the bar and working the floor, ensuring that everyone was having a good time. She chatted with people here and there, swatted away the groping hands of drunk guys, and kept a smile plastered on her face the whole time.

  “Great party, Jenna,” RJ shouted to her as she walked by. The electric company worker and his very pregnant wife were dressed in matching toga outfits.

  Jenna eyed her nervously before speaking. “Thanks. I’m glad you were able to make it, and thanks again for recommending the guys. They’re doing a great job. Did you get your free round for the table?”

  His wife, a short brunette with hazel eyes and rosy red cheeks, jumped at the chance to speak. “Yes, we did! Cranberry juice and seltzer all around. Thank you for that!”

  “Good, I’m glad you guys are having a good time. Love the togas!” she laughed awkwardly.

  “Yeah, we knew it was tiki, but this is the only thing that would fit me,” RJ laughed, rubbing his belly. The togas weren’t the only thing the couple had in common.

  “And he didn’t want me belly-out in a hula skirt. Even though I would look fabulous!” she said excitedly.

  Jenna tried to match her enthusiasm. “I have no doubt that you would kill. Hey, I’m going to keep making my rounds. Have a good time guys, and please be safe. Flag me down if you need anything.”

  “Will do.” RJ half-saluted her as he picked up his cranberry seltzer to chug it down.

  Jenna had barely made it back behind the bar when she felt a light tap on her arm. Turning around, she was surprised to see RJ standing there with an awkward grin across his face.

  “Hey, RJ. What’s up?” she asked with a giggle.

  “I need a drink!” he panted. “I wanted to come out to party with the fellas, but she hasn’t been out since, ya know, the pregnant thing, and I couldn’t tell her to stay home. But I promised her that I wouldn’t drink because she couldn’t drink. But I need a drink. Can ya give me a shot of something real quick?”

  Getting in between a man and his wife—or a man and his drink—wasn’t on Jenna’s list of things to do that night, so she brushed him off. “I, um, actually have to run to the bathroom. You can grab a drink at the bar. Just tell Tracy you’re RJ.”

  “Rick,” he corrected her.

  “Right, Rick,” she nodded before darting off to the bathroom.

  There was a short line, but she didn’t mind; she didn’t actually need to go that badly, and there was a certain peace about standing there not thinking about what else needed to be done for the night. So Jenna stood there with her head down, taking a moment to herself, until the door to one of the bathrooms opened. When she finally got inside, the chatter of the party was drowned out by the sound of the running faucet as she splashed some water on her face. When she turned it off, a different noise wafted in through the closed door.

  Leaning against it, she heard a high-pitched tone that she would have recognized anywhere. It was the same high-pitched voice that had yelled at Tanner in the diner. When Brock had asked her about the list of people to let in right away, she’d never thought to mention who she’d like to keep out. But then, as much as she disliked Brandy, she hadn’t any real reason not to let her stay and enjoy the party.

  Until, that is, she overheard the conversation she was having just outside the door.

  “Can you believe how bad Tanner wants me back?” she boasted.

  “Yeah, he’s following you around like a lovesick puppy. But what about the girl you saw him with at the diner?”

  “Oh please, she’s just an old friend from school. You know how nostalgic everybody gets over the summer. These adult wannabes come back with crazy ideas about how much adulting they’re going to do and who they’re going to fall in love with. But if anyone falls in love with Tanner Devlin, they’d better be prepared to get their heart broken. He always comes back to me.”

  Jenna refused to listen anymore. She pulled the door open and stood there with her hands on her hips. She wanted to scream over the music, but before she could say anything, Brandy smirked to her, “Oh, oops. I didn’t know you were in there, Jennifer.”

  “Jenna,” she mumbled, suddenly realizing how Rick felt every time she called him RJ.

  “Jenna, Jennifer,” Brandy shrugged. “Same difference, right? But either way, nice party. We’re having a great time.”

  “Good to know.” Jenna took one look at Brandy and sighed. Her body rivaled that of a Sports Illustrated model in her coconut bra and tiny white denim shorts. If it weren’t for the lining of the back pockets hanging down below the denim, everybody would be getting an eyeful of what she had to offer. Jenna walked away before she said or did anything she’d regret, but the more Brandy’s words replayed in her mind, the queasier she got.

  It was one thing for Jenna to yell at Tanner about getting back together with Brandy, but it was another thing to hear it off her lips. He’d told her earlier that their relationship was done, and the passion between them had almost made Jenna believe him, but perhaps he wasn’t as done with Brandy as he said he was.

  When she made it back to the bar, RJ was still standing there waiting to be served.

  “Hey, you didn’t get your drink yet?” Jenna asked as she ducked under the hatch, ready to tend to the customers.

  “Not yet,” he huffed. “I had to get the missus another cranberry and seltzer.”

  “I’ll take care of ya. What’ll ya have?”

  “I’ll take a shot of Jim Beam,” he said with a nod.

  “Okay, one shot of Jim Beam, coming right up,” Jenna smiled.

  “Make it two!” he yelled to her as she whipped around the bar, sliding two shot glasses in front of him. The amber colored liquid stunk, forcing Jenna to close one eye as she poured it.

  “Alright, Rick, there ya go. Enjoy!”

  “Great, and this one’s for you!” he said, sliding the other glass toward her and placing a few dollar bills on the bar.

  “Don’t turn the drink down,” Tracy whispered as she passed by. “Chase it with a beer and spit it into the beer bottle. You’ll mess up tips if you don’t drink the shot.”

  Jenna didn’t want to be responsible for the girls getting shorted, so she tried to do as Tracy told her. The only problem was that the beer bottle was full and Jenna was simply bad at drinking. She swallowed involuntarily and felt the alcohol burn as it slid down her throat and into her stomach. Her insides felt like they were completely engulfed in flames as she scrunched her face in disgust, waiting for the aftertaste to subside.

  “Now that’s a face only a daddy could love,” Brandy cackled as she walked by. “I should call Tanner and see what time he’s coming to pick me up.”

  Jenna rolled her eyes and looked at RJ. “You wanna go again?”

  “Sure,” he shrugged his shoulders with a boyish grin. So she poured two more shots. This time she and RJ clinked glasses and downed them with one swallow. The burning sensation was still there, and her stomach churned, but then something else began to happen. Brandy didn’t bother her as much. The temperature of the room increased tenfold. And the music seemed to hit her out of nowhere. Her hips swayed and her smile grew wider. Her worries faded into the beat and joy washed over her.

  Two drinks was all it took for Jenna to loosen up and let her hair down. However, as she let go of her inhibitions, she also lost control of the party. Hannah had her hands full settling disagreements. Paul showed up and was forced to break up a fight right away because the bouncers were busy escorting some of the rowdier guys out of the bar before they broke any of the tables or chairs. Most of the girls retreated to the back room as some of the drunker guys got way too handsy.

  Jenna tried to get a hold of herself and stop the party from spiraling out of control, but it was too late. Looking around, she wasn’t even sure where to st
art. Everything seemed to be turning chaotic. She couldn’t believe how fast the mood had changed. Then a table got flipped over and people started screaming and fighting. Jenna was stunned as she watched her successful party fizzle out into a disappointing mess.

  It didn’t take long before the authorities showed up. The police and fire department arrived. A girl who’d passed out was carried out by EMTs. The Doveport police surrounded the brawlers as the Fire Marshal shouted through a bullhorn that The Wheel was getting shut down for the night. It was total chaos.

  Jenna caught one girl puking under a table and bent over to help hold her hair back, but as she did that she felt someone’s hand palming her backside. She wanted it to be Tanner, but when she turned around she didn’t have any idea who the goofily grinning drunk was.

  “Stop touching me! It’s time for you to go home!”

  “Only if you’re coming with me!” he laughed.

  “Goodness, leave! Can’t you see that I’m trying to help this girl? Get out of here! Brock!” she called out, but Brock had his hands full shuffling a group of drunk coeds out to a waiting cab.

  The girl, now sitting on the floor, began heaving again. Jenna returned to her aid, and the guy promptly resumed groping her ass. Just as she was about to knee him in the groin, she heard a familiar voice.

  “Listen, buddy, she said to stop touching her.”

  Turning around, Jenna saw Tanner shoving the guy away from her. He was in his firefighting gear, surrounded by a few of his colleagues, and the drunk quickly took the hint and skulked off.

  Jenna stood up to see that most of the partiers had left. Hannah was behind the bar, divvying up the tip jar and paying off the bouncers. When she glanced back at the puking girl, she was already on her feet and being helped out of the bar by another pair of paramedics.

  Eyeing Tanner from head to toe, Jenna narrowed her gaze and yelled at him, “You let her do what she wants!”

  “What?” he said, looking around. “Are you okay?”

  “You let her do what she wants, say what she wants, and get away with doing whatever she wants. And she wants you, and all I’m going to get is a broken heart!” Jenna stammered before storming off out of the bar.