by Rylon, Jayne
“Wait. You have your new business concepts formalized somewhere? Like in a proposal or something? I thought you just had them up here.” Eli tapped his temple with his index finger.
“Nope. They’re on my laptop. Been honing them for a while.” Kaige turned serious for a moment. When he dropped his thug routine, she had to swallow hard. Beneath his resentment, there lingered a whole lot of hurt. The flex of his throat, the shuffling of his boots and the wringing of his damaged knuckles said it all.
Nola imagined him pouring himself into the improvements he wanted to pitch to Eli. For endless hours, fiddling with them at night, after Cobra retired to the rooms he shared with Alanso and Sally.
Suddenly, she could understand maybe a tiny bit of Nova’s frustration. She’d fume too if the chance to show off her work had been stolen. Even if they partnered now, the guys would think she had influenced him, generating the new goals he hoped to pursue.
For once second, she pitied him.
And then he ruined it by opening his big, dumb mouth. “As long as Hot Rods thrives, I don’t give a damn who gets credit for being the brainiac behind it. I’m no glory hound, and I don’t need some bullet point on a fancy resume like Ms. Brown here. Besides, it’s what your dad would ask of me.”
Eli scrubbed his hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. The way the trio had spoken of Tom London during their consultation with her sister made his importance to the group clear. A low blow, bringing the man into this discussion. Or maybe genuine concern. Would Kaige put aside his differences to make the guy proud?
Nola bet the answer was yes.
Why couldn’t this damn assignment have been easy? Emotional landmines scattered across their playing field.
“You’re right. Dad would want us to collaborate. So why haven’t I seen these roadmaps for the shop?” Scratching his head, Eli narrowed his eyes a bit.
Nola held her breath as something heavy seemed to pass between the two friends, who seemed a hell of a lot more like brothers than pals. At least they shared the same capacity for communicating a whole lot with a few words, just like she and her sister did.
“You’ve been busy. I didn’t want to bug you. Plus there are a few kinks I was still working out.” A shrug loosened some of the knots in Kaige’s shoulders for the first time. “Your girl Nola here can help me brainstorm how to get around the roadblocks. I guess that would be okay.”
The first sign of thawing had Nola perking up. Maybe it wasn’t hopeless.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to step on your toes.” A wince slashed Eli’s face. “I screwed this up. But in the end I think we’re going to get where we need to go. I’m sorry, Kaige.”
“It’s okay, Eli.” And it seemed as if it was. The air between the guys cleared and Nola could breathe again. Definitely similar to her and her sister. Sure, they’d fought plenty. Still, it was easy to forgive someone you loved even when they made a bonehead move. Because deep down you knew there had been no malice behind it. “We’re okay.”
Nola stared at her hands, clutched tightly in her lap. She felt as if she’d intruded on their bonding. And damn if it didn’t make her like both men just a little more.
Eli stood, abandoning the red leather seat behind his desk to lay his hand on Kaige’s shoulder. It surprised the hell out of her when the bitter man flashed a sense of humor.
“Now get your ass in gear. You’ve got guests to invite to a par-tay.” Kaige grinned as he slapped the other guy on the ass. The dazzling display of his crooked grin, not to mention the blatant affection her temporary teammate demonstrated for his boss, had her drawing a sharp breath.
Ah, hell. She’d better get used to it if she planned to stick around. After all, Cobra was unconventional—in love with both a woman and man. If she was to stay, she’d have to broaden her horizons a bit.
Somehow she thought that might not be such a terrible thing.
“Is there anything else to discuss, then?” Eli leaned forward, eager to shake on their arrangement.
“One thing.” She stood so they were as close to eye-level as possible. It might sound funny, but she wasn’t joking around.
“Uh-oh.” He grinned. “Let’s hear it.”
“If this dirtbag gives me any trouble, I get to kick him in the nuts.” Nola jerked her head toward Kaige.
Super Nova laughed. For one glorious moment, the pure bliss transformed him into something entirely too tempting—a mechanical God who’d be sure to tune her engine just right. When he caught her wide-eyed stare, he stifled the ringing mid-chuckle as if pissed he’d gotten busted finding her amusing.
Nola couldn’t help the barest of smiles she flashed in his direction.
“Deal.” Eli extended his hand and she took it. “Use the rest of the day to get prepared, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow.”
“Will do.”
It surprised her when Kaige Davis held the office door for her as she left. On impulse, she reached into her purse and snagged one of her business cards then tucked it in the breast pocket of his grease-spotted Hot Rods uniform as she squeezed past.
When he simply stared at her, she thought maybe he hadn’t been attempting politeness. No, maybe he was eager to see her taillights. Oh well.
The melting point is where it all comes together…or makes a big mess.
With Strings Attached
© 2013 Kelly Jamieson
San Amaro Singles, Book 1
Corey Fenwick keeps her bitter past as hidden as the sweet centers inside the handmade chocolates she sells to a growing list of upscale customers. Experience has taught her the only person she can rely on is herself, so her best-friends-with-benefits relationship with Matt is perfect—no strings attached.
After his last girlfriend deemed him “boring”, Matt Ferber watched her ride off on the back of a Harley with a rock musician. Figuring he’s doomed to “let’s just be friends” with the women he cares about, the arrangement with Corey suits him fine too. Until his old friend Dylan Schell rolls into town to hang out while recovering from a surfing injury.
The sexy bad boy makes Corey’s mouth water, and she figures a harmless fling won’t hurt, especially when Dylan suggests she come between him and Matt—in bed.
It’s a win-win-win situation…until somehow there are strings attached. And too late they realize they’re getting all tangled up.
Warning: This book contains an independent woman, two hot guys, some trash talking, a little jealousy, a few beers, chocolate body paint and scary stuff like falling in love.
Enjoy the following excerpt for With Strings Attached:
Corey lay on her back beside Matt in his bed and smiled up at the ceiling, her body still pulsing from an excellent orgasm. “You really should have asked that girl out, you know,” she said.
Matt turned onto his side to face her. “What girl?”
“That waitress who was coming on to you in the bar.”
He snorted. “She was not coming on to me.”
“Yes, she was.” Corey smiled at him, lifted a lazy hand to touch her fingertips to his scruffy cheek. Matt was a good-looking guy. Why wouldn’t a girl come on to him? She pushed her fingers through his thick brown hair, all wildly tousled. She’d probably done that to him, in the throes of the hot sex they’d just had.
“Whatever,” he said. “You know I’m not into dating.”
“Yeah. I know. Me either.” She stroked his hair, the strands silky against her fingers, then dragged her index finger down the slope of his nose. “You have such a nice nose. It’s perfect.”
He grinned, grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers. “Thank you. I’m very proud of my nose. I work hard to keep it in such fine shape.”
She giggled.
Matt’s phone beeped from the table beside the bed. He reached for it and read the screen. “Dylan,” he reported. “He’s in San Diego. He’s got his baggage and his rental car, and he’s just leaving the airport. Says he’ll be here in an hour.”
“I guess I should go.”
“No. Stay. I want you to meet him.”
She smiled at him. He was all excited about seeing his best friend—his other best friend, besides her. Though it was too bad Dylan was coming to visit because he’d been injured. She’d never met Matt’s old high school buddy because Dylan Schell was too busy traveling around the world surfing. Dylan had been on his way to winning the Billabong Pro competition in Australia until he’d taken a bad fall and smashed his foot up. Corey’s insides did a little roll thinking about someone in pain. The accident had ended that competition and now he was on his way home to San Amaro to visit his old friend while he recuperated.
“Okay,” she agreed. She lifted her arms above her head and did a whole-body stretch, feeling so relaxed and mellow after great sex. Mmmm. She could use a tiny little nap. She pulled the soft covers around her naked body, snuggled into Matt’s pillow, breathed in the so-familiar scent of him, his clean, spicy-herbal scent mingled with the laundry detergent he used.
“Hey, you going to sleep?” He nudged her with his bare knee.
She opened one eye and peered at him. “Maybe.”
“But I’m hungry.”
“So go eat something.”
He groaned. “I guess that means you’re not going to make me something.”
She closed her eyes and snuggled back into the bed without remorse. “Nope.”
He laughed softly, and she felt the quick brush of his lips over her cheek before he climbed out the other side of his bed.
She awoke to the sounds of deep male laughter coming from down the hall of Matt’s house. She blinked into the darkness and her stomach gave a growl of hunger. How long had she slept?
Gah! Three hours! What the…? She threw back the covers and sat on the side of the bed, pressing her hands to her cheeks. Yeah, she’d been exhausted. She’d been working like crazy lately so it was no wonder she’d crashed like that. But geez, she was at Matt’s place and holy crap, his friend Dylan was coming…no, she’d slept so long he was already there, and he and Matt were having a great time, from the sounds of their talking and laughing.
Clothes. She needed her clothes. She flicked on the lamp beside the bed, stood and stretched again, torn between wanting to climb back into bed and sleep for a week, and meeting Matt’s friend. She sighed. No choice, really. She had to get up early in the morning to make chocolate, which meant she had to sleep at her place, and besides, it would be kind of rude to ignore the guys.
She found her clothes on the chair, pulled on her panties and jeans, slipped on her bra and T-shirt. Still a little dozy, she ran her hands through her hair and shook it down her back, then wandered down the hall toward the voices she heard. She stepped into the living room, blinking a little at the bright light.
The two men sat on Matt’s couch, one at either end, each with a beer in hand, laughing again. Matt had Coldplay playing from his iPod, now docked into the speakers he’d paid a fortune for, and he looked up at her and smiled. “Hey there, sleepyhead.”
“Sorry I crashed so long,” she said, rubbing her eyes. “I guess I was tired.”
The two guys stood, which was so polite it made her smile. She looked at Matt’s friend. “Hi,” she said, moving toward him with her hand extended. “You must be Dylan. I’m Corey.”
Dylan took her hand in his, a big, strong hand with a firm grip. “Yup, I’m Dylan.”
Dylan Schell was tall, about the same height as Matt, and very muscular. Not that Matt wasn’t, he definitely had muscles, but Dylan was really muscular. He smiled, a broad charming smile that revealed white teeth, a contrast to his tanned face. His straight dark hair hung around his face and over his forehead. Although he stood, he hadn’t put weight on one leg, and her gaze dropped briefly to the plastic boot on his left foot.
“Nice to meet you, Corey,” he said. His light gray eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. He shot a glance at Matt as if he’d been unaware she was there, down the hall, in Matt’s bed.
She knew what he was thinking but as usual, wasn’t sure what to say to tell him it wasn’t what he thought. Her relationship with Matt was a little unusual, maybe, or maybe not so much, but it worked for them. People called it “friends with benefits”, which is what they’d both agreed it would be after that night they’d ended up in bed together a couple of months ago.
“Matt mentioned you, but he didn’t tell me you were gorgeous,” Dylan said.
“He didn’t?” She expressed mock outrage and sent a glare at Matt. “I can’t believe that. He’s always going on about how gorgeous I am, sometimes I can’t shut him up.”
Both guys laughed and Matt rolled his eyes.
Dylan still held her hand in his and still smiled down at her, and the admiring way he looked her over made her tingle inside. She couldn’t help but smile back at him. Holy hotness, this was one sexy hunk of man.
Rebel on the Run
Jayne Rylon
Love is waiting on the wrong side of the tracks.
Hot Rods, Book 4
Bryce Ellington has been keeping a really big bomb of a secret. And the platinum-blonde detonator is wearing five-inch heels, standing next to a broken-down Maserati.
His fellow Hot Rods have never pried into the past that forced him from the only life he’d ever known, from the girl he loved. But as recognition dawns in Kaelyn DuChamp’s eyes—just before those eyes roll back in a dead faint—he realizes he’s going to have a lot of explaining to do. And a ton of damage to control.
When Kaelyn’s great escape from her controlling family fizzles—complete with a face-plant in the dirt—she’s relieved to see the flash of tow truck lights. Then shocked to recognize the man behind the wheel. The best friend she’s been missing for too many years.
Once Kaelyn collapses in Bryce’s arms, he never wants to let her go. But if she spills his secret, the resulting scandal could destroy everything he and the Hot Rods have worked for, built, and loved.
Warning: Contains abuse of designer heels, bubble baths gone wild, an inexperienced heroine who can kick some serious ass, smokin’ hot sex as many ways as you can imagine it…and some you haven’t.
eBooks are not transferable.
They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B
Cincinnati OH 45249
Rebel on the Run
Copyright © 2014 by Jayne Rylon
ISBN: 978-1-61921-604-4
Edited by Amy Sherwood
Cover by Angela Waters
Cover Photography by Sophia Renee
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: April 2014
www.samhainpublishing.com
Table of Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Epilogue
About the Author
Look for these titles by Jayne Rylon
Also Available from Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Back Cover Copy
Copyright Page
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