HOT MEN: A Contemporary Romance Box Set

by Ashlee Price

  Tanner kissed her on the cheek and walked her downstairs to where Hannah was chatting up her friend. Her moment came to an abrupt halt when she saw Tanner and Jenna coming their way. Gary winked and took off up the stairs, shoving Tanner in the process.

  “See you next week, guys,” he told them as they walked out.

  “Right, next week,” Jenna smiled with relief.

  After the two left the station, they found themselves walking down the main strip looking for any place to go shopping for the party. They hadn’t any idea where they could get any of the dresses or accessories they wanted.

  They finally picked a dress boutique, hoping that they’d at least find something they could transform with a little creativity, glue and sequins. It didn’t take them long to pile up a few different looks and haul them off toward the back of the store to try them on.

  Hannah waited outside the dressing room as Jenna tried on dress after dress. When she finally decided on one to show Hannah, it was gorgeous. Jenna stepped out in a royal blue satin gown. It was gathered and pleated with a ruche effect at the hip. It fit her petite frame well, giving her the illusion of a full hourglass figure. Hannah simply marveled at her friend, mouth agape.

  “You look gorgeous in that!” she stated with wide eyes.

  “Thanks, Hannah.” She smoothed down the wrinkles and midsection area. “I think it’s a beautiful dress, and I wouldn’t have to add much to it. Maybe one of those fake furs? I can get a feathered headband or something, right? One of those fake lit cigarettes to put at the end of one of those long holders. I have so many ideas and so little time to make it work!”

  “I don’t know about all that other stuff, but I’m absolutely in love with this dress on you,” Hannah gushed.

  “I like it too.” The voice, with its soft Irish accent, was awfully close to Hannah. Jenna’s eyes narrowed onto Sean Hannity.

  “What are you doing in a dress shop?” Jenna practically growled.

  “Checking in on my investment, and I see it was a great day to come. I must tell Paul how well you’re growing up,” he leered.

  It sent chills down her spine. “Just leave my father alone.”

  “I told you how much that was going to cost, and I’ve yet to receive my payment. So no,” he laughed, “but I’ll tell ya something, dear. I will throw in some money for whatever you like here, because me and your dad are so close, you know?”

  It was as if he was rubbing it in her face, and she couldn’t stand it. Hannah kept widening her eyes and subtly pushing her hands down toward the ground, warning Jenna to calm down. So she did. She took a deep breath and stood there waiting for Mr. Hannity to leave.

  “I don’t want your money,” Jenna told him flatly.

  “I bet your school would say otherwise,” he laughed.

  “School is paid for. None of it will come from my father or from you. Just leave me alone.” Jenna grabbed a dress and pretended to examine it.

  Hannity didn’t let it go. “How can I do that when you’re in one of my shops?”

  “Okay, so tell me which one of these dress stores you don’t have a stake in and we’ll go there!”

  “Honey, you’d have to leave Doveport to find a business that doesn’t do business with me. How do you think this town stays afloat? Billboards by the expressway? Get over it and get over yourself. Take the damn gift. I’m trying to be nice because I like ya. I like how hard ya fight for yer family. That’s a trait that’s very hard to come by these days.”

  “No, thank you,” Jenna stated firmly.

  “Stubborn as a mule. My mother was right about you. Ha! She’s always right about people. I gotta listen to her more often. Sounds like something you should do, too. But let me get out of your way and let you finish shopping. I hope you find what you’re looking for.” He winked to them both. “Oh, and the dress looks nice, but I don’t think your father would approve. But hey, who am I?”

  They watched him walk away toward the register. The woman behind the counter kissed him on the cheek as she handed him a familiar-looking thick envelope. Hannity motioned toward them and left the store. As soon as he was out of the door, the proprietor rushed over to them with a huge smile on her face.

  “Mr. Hannity said that you girls can get whatever you want in the store for free, so pick whatever you like. I’ll make sure it’s fitted and tailored to you perfectly.”

  “Ma’am, you really don’t have to,” Jenna said, shaking her head.

  “Believe me, it’s much easier to do what he tells you than to fight it. Or you can drive to Pittsburgh and find a dress store he doesn’t work with.”

  “Pittsburgh!” Jenna and Hannah shouted simultaneously.

  “That’s like two hours away!” Hannah stammered. “We’re not driving to Pittsburgh. Jenna, if this bothers you so much, we’ll take the money and just give it to your dad to give back to him. He doesn’t have to know it was from us.”

  “Fine, I’ll make it a little easier on all of us. Let’s just finish shopping.”

  The girls did just that, resolving to put money into the bar until they paid off their purchases. But once Hannity left the store, they had to admit that it was fun having access to just about everything they could get their hands on.

  Jenna wanted to believe that Hannity was being nice. He was certainly a man of his word, but ‘generous’ had never come up next to his name before. She had to wonder if this was a tactic. The more she thought about the reasons why he’d be so nice, the more she wanted to forget about the entire event. If the invitations hadn’t gone out already, she’d cancel it and start her grad school trip early. She didn’t want anything to do with Sean Hannity or his businesses. But if she was going to take that approach, that meant she wanted nothing to do with The Wheel either.

  Her mood sank deeper and deeper as the day rolled on. There wasn’t much that Hannah could do to perk her up. She was crashing again, and Sean Hannity was the reason why.

  She refused to tell her father, fearing that he’d think she had initiated the contact. Instead, she went right to her room to search for places she might want to live around the colleges she’d picked. Grad school was a distraction, a much-needed one, from the heavy letters of her mother and the heavy debts of her father. Jenna was suddenly looking forward to her birthday more than ever. Not just the celebration, but the day after. She’d made up her mind. Sunday, August 1st, she was leaving. She’d leave Doveport for good, and she hoped she’d never come back.

  Chapter 19

  The air was cool as Jenna stepped out of her car for the night of her birthday party. The bar’s repairs had been finished on time, and they’d all checked out. Nothing was amiss; The Wheel had passed its inspection and Jenna felt good having everyone inside.

  She’d never imagined that her Roaring Twenties theme would turn out so spectacularly. Strings of rhinestones hung from the rafters, twinkling as the lights bounced off of them. Music blared from speakers, while white, gold and black decorations hung around the room. Balloons and flowers were bundled together as centerpieces on the tables. People were already there, talking and having a good time.

  Hannah was the first person to greet her at the door. She was wearing a stunning emerald green dress, green feather boa, and long black satin gloves on her hands. She’d pressed her curly red hair into waves that traveled down the side of her face and wrapped around her neck into a bundled ponytail.

  “You look amazing!” Jenna exclaimed, pulling her into a tight hug.

  Hannah stepped back, eyeing her from head to toe. She twirled her finger around and Jenna did a spin. She got a whistle from Brock, who was sitting on a stool by the door. Even he was in a suit with a cummerbund.

  Jenna wore a royal blue dress with a sequin pattern that stopped just above her knees and a shiny blue hairpiece that wrapped around her tightly wound bun. She smiled brightly, without a care or worry in the world. It was her birthday. She was ready to have fun and then get the hell out of Doveport.

&nb
sp; The most surprising part of her night was seeing her dad in full costume as we worked behind the bar. He wore a pinstriped vest with a monocle dangling from it. People were laughing, and he was smiling. There wasn’t a sad face to be seen.

  “Ahem, ahem, ahem,” Tanner obnoxiously cleared his throat as he walked up behind them.

  Jenna turned around and couldn’t help but swoon. He wore a brown suit with a matching vest. A white flower hung from his pocket, and his blond strands were slicked back. He reminded her of a young Brad Pitt.

  “Close your mouth,” Hannah whispered to her before greeting Tanner. “You look great, Tanner! You’re going to look amazing next to the birthday girl.”

  “I feel great! You guys are looking at the newest firefighter to pass the Doveport Fire Lieutenant’s Exam!” he shouted wide-eyed.

  A cheer erupted from a bunch of firefighters sitting around the bar. Jenna threw her arms around him. “Congratulations! I’m so proud of you! That’s awesome, Tanner!”

  “Not as awesome as you,” he told her. She tried to pull away from their hug, but Tanner kept her close. “Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”

  “No, but you’re free to do so whenever the feeling comes over you,” she smirked.

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered into her ear. It sent chills down her spine that landed right between her thighs.

  She turned to face him. “Does this mean you forgive me for being an ass?”

  “Of course. Actually, can we go talk for a second? In the back?”

  Jenna had a feeling that she’d be late to her own party if she walked into that room, but she didn’t care. It was going to be her last night in Doveport and it was her birthday. So she did a little damage control, asking Hannah to be her buffer and tell people she was on her way.

  Once she and Tanner were in the back room, he leaned back on the table, letting his jacket fall open. Jenna tossed her clutch behind him and stood there with her hands on her hips. “So I guess we have a lot to talk about, huh?”

  “Yeah. So… I haven’t been completely mad at you this entire time. Honestly, with Brandy out of my hair and you thinking I was upset, which I was, it gave me time to focus on studying. Sorry if I was being a jerk, I just really needed the time to pass this test.”

  “I get it,” she nodded with a smile. “I’m going on a little road trip to some of the grad schools I got accepted to. I’ve washed my hands of my dad’s issues with the people he lets in this bar. I’m tired of crying every time I walk down the street. I don’t want to get so lost in what I feel when I’m with you that it makes me forget what I’ve always planned to do. I don’t want to be the crazy ex-girlfriend turned new summer fling. So all is forgiven. I’m leaving on my trip tomorrow.”

  “When are you coming back?”

  “I don’t think I am,” she said solemnly.

  “What do you mean? You have to come back. You gotta say goodbye to your dad, and Hannah, and… me.” His eyes avoided hers. It was the first time he’d ever done that to her. His vulnerability was showing, and somehow it made him even sexier than when he was pounding her to multiple orgasms.

  “I’m actually planning to decide on a school while I’m on the road and set up shop before the fall semester starts. My dad and Hannah are going to drive my stuff out, so I’ll get to see them again then. I just have too many Mom memories, you memories, bad memories, heck, even good ones, in Doveport to stay here another day. From now on I gotta do this place in weekly, school vacation doses that don’t cripple my emotional threshold.”

  “So tonight’s really going to be my last night seeing you.” He licked his lips. “Well, how about a going away kiss?”

  “I’d be okay with that, Tanner,” she smiled.

  Before she could say anything else he was off the table with his hand cradling her neck and his tongue in her mouth. The softness of his lips sent chills all over her body. Moaning with every twist and turn of their faces, Jenna let herself get enveloped in their embrace. She pushed his jacket off, catching it and tossing it onto a chair. He began to fumble around with her dress, but she stopped him.

  Jenna turned around and planted her palms against the wall, telling him, “Unzip me.”

  “This is more than a goodbye kiss, huh?”

  “It doesn’t have to be,” she told him.

  The sound of her dress coming off was his only reply. He tossed it over his jacket and stood back drinking in every ounce of her beauty, the bulge in his pants growing with every passing second. Jenna was wearing a black lace strapless bra with a matching thong and even a garter belt.

  “Roaring twenties all the way.” Tanner smiled wide.

  “All the way,” she said, licking her lips.

  Tanner went to her, pushing her against the wall, just as he had before. He spread her legs with his foot and she flinched as his finger grazed her center. It was then that his dominating side took over. All of his vulnerability about losing her disappeared into his lust and the need to fulfill their passionate urges.

  “Turn around,” he commanded.

  Jenna did as she was told.

  “Hands up,” he whispered while nibbling on her earlobe. Holding them in place, he rubbed her from her neck down over the curvature of her backside until he landed in that tender spot they both loved for him to touch. Once there, he moved in and out of her swiftly. They needed to hurry so she wouldn’t miss the party.

  He waited for her to orgasm over his fingertips before he pulled himself out of his boxers and slid inside her. Jenna’s back arched as he pushed himself back and forth into her. The steady rocking of her body against his moved in unison with every breath they took together. Tanner wrapped an arm around her back, grasping her shoulder with one hand while the other flicked at her center. He moved in and out of her swiftly, with vigor, with fire, with passion like never before.

  Pulling away from the wall, he spun her around, picked her up and sat her on the table. Tanner leaned into her, slid back in and continued to thrust inside her pleasure center with every fiber of his being. Jenna could have sworn he was working twice as hard to make this a moment she’d never forget.

  As Tanner continued thrusting in and out of her, he moved back to look her in the eyes. “I’m going to miss you.”

  Jenna giggled between pants. “Wrong time for goodbyes.”

  “It’s never a right time to say goodbye to you,” he said, kissing her tenderly. And as their tongues collided for what they thought would be their last time, it felt like the Earth moved when they climaxed together.

  Tanner and Jenna took their time getting dressed and making sure they looked the same as when they’d gone in. They finished just in the nick of time as her dad burst through the door. “Alright, enough with the making out. Let’s get out there! You have a bunch of people looking for you, Jenna. This is your birthday. Let’s go celebrate it.”

  Jenna looked to Tanner, who had a huge grin across his face. It complemented his blushing red cheeks. As they joined the rest of the partygoers, she couldn’t help but whisper to him, “It could have been worse. He could have walked in while you had me pinned to the wall.”

  “What was that, now?” Paul asked.

  “Nothing, Daddy,” Jenna giggled, and Tanner made a face for her to stop.

  “I got through this entire summer without your dad actually shooting me,” he murmured. “I want to leave it like that. I still got a physical to pass for my exam.”

  Jenna shook her head and enjoyed the rest of the night. They all danced, laughed, and reminisced a bit as the night went on. People didn’t get too drunk—Paul was watering down the drinks—and the police didn’t come to shut them down. Her birthday party was a success.

  Towards the end of the night Paul brought out a cake and everyone sang her “Happy Birthday”. She smiled as she blew out her candles—and suddenly that was it for Jenna. Her stomach began to churn and her appetite vanished. Hannah looked at her with worry in her eyes. “You’re not dru
nk again, are you?”

  “Absolutely not! Just a little queasy, you know?”

  “Queasy? Just like that? Think it was something you ate?” she asked, cutting into the cake.

  “Um,” Jenna began breathing hard, “I’m not too sure.”

  “Hey, sweetie, you alright? You’re looking a little pale there,” her dad asked, scrunching his face to match her own expression.

  “Here, maybe you should just have a piece of cake to settle your stomach,” Hannah offered, but it was too much for Jenna. One soft bite of the decadent dessert from Mr. Donner’s bakery and she went flying to the bathroom.

  When she returned, people were starting to file out. Nauseously wishing everyone a good night, Jenna plopped down at the bar until The Wheel was empty. Her stomach kept churning and there seemed to be nothing she could do about it.

  “You going to be okay to drive?” Paul asked her.

  “I don’t know, Dad. Maybe it’s just going-away jitters or something. I probably just need some sleep and a healthy breakfast. Can I get pancakes in the morning?”

  “Whatever you want, Jenna. Whatever you want.”

  Chapter 20

  The sound of Jenna hurling up everything she’d eaten in an attempt to settle her stomach echoed around the house. Paul stood outside of her bathroom door with his hand on it as if he could touch her, soothe her, make her feel better.

  “I don’t think you should go on this trip, Jenna,” he told her through the door.

  She yanked the door open, her face even paler than the night before. “Dad, I have to go. You were right, I’ve been making a mess out of things since I’ve been back home. I just need to go back to school so I can feel like a normal student again. It’s too much crying and worrying when I’m home.”

  “I was just saying that you shouldn’t leave today. You should wait until whatever bug this is passes. You don’t want to be on the road and sick as a dog. You’ll be miserable, and you’ll make a bad impression on the schools if you show up like that. You can’t let them see you sick until you’re already enrolled. Then it’s too late,” he smiled.