by Cat Johnson
Maybe Sue Ann was telling the truth. She may well be pregnant, but it sure as hell wasn’t by him. She blanched and he was sure he’d hit on the truth, but she still denied it.
He stopped listening to her claims and excuses. “Fine. Say whatever you want. We’ll go to the doc for a paternity test today. Right fucking now, Sue Ann.” He grabbed her arm roughly, and Bobby was beside him again. “Back off, Bobby. Leave me and the supposed mother of my child alone until I can get the doc to prove she’s a liar.”
Sue Ann dug her heels into the sidewalk. “No, we can’t go to the doc. I mean I’m sure those tests can hurt the baby. I refuse to have one.”
Just then, Misty piped in. “Sue Ann, hadn’t you better take the pregnancy test you bought at the drugstore first? You’re only like a day late.”
“What?” Jared’s eyes opened wide and he squeezed her arm harder.
Bobby’s hand covered his. “Jared. Enough.”
He released her and watched his handprint on her arm turn from white to red.
“You don’t even know if you’re pregnant and you’re telling my girlfriend about it.” He shook his head with disgust. “I’m embarrassed I even let you get me angry, Sue Ann, because you are nothing but pitiful. God help the man that ends up with you.”
He spun on his heel and strode to his truck, fumbling in his jeans pocket for the keys.
Once again, Bobby was beside him. “Where you going, Jared?”
“To the Hideaway. I hope to hell she went there and not the airport.”
“I’ll drive. Give me your keys.”
“The hell you will.”
“Jared, give me the damn keys. You’re so angry you’re shaking. Neither you nor Mandy should be driving right now. Since I can’t do anything about her, I’m doing something about you.”
Jared huffed out a breath and slapped the keys in Bobby’s outstretched hands. “Fine. But hurry up.”
Bobby scowled. “I’m a deputy sheriff. I can’t go speeding down Main Street, even if I am in your truck.”
“I knew I should have drove.” Jared shook his head.
The trip to the motel seemed to take forever, although Jared knew it was only a few miles. When they finally arrived, he saw the place was packed with vans and people unloading them. The crew for the show. Jared took their presence as a good sign. No matter how hurt she was, Mandy was in charge of the production of this show. She wouldn’t leave town, if only because of that.
His anger at Sue Ann blossomed all over again as he knocked on the door of the unit where Mandy’s car was parked.
Some young thing that he’d never seen before opened the door a crack. “Yes?”
For the first time, he wondered if he had the wrong door. “Is Mandy Morris in this room?”
“Who are you?”
Jared’s instincts told him Mandy was hiding inside. He pushed his palm against the door, only to find the chain was engaged.
He leaned into the crack. “Mandy. Please, darlin’. Talk to me.”
With Bobby standing directly behind him, he knew he couldn’t break the door in to get to Mandy, as tempting as it was.
The girl guarding the door looked away from him and into the room then turned back to him. “Excuse me for a minute.”
The door slammed in his face and Jared ran his hand over his mouth and chin with frustration. He felt Bobby’s hand on his shoulder.
Jared set his jaw. “Bobby, if you say I told you so about Sue Ann one more time, I’ll clock you. Deputy or not.”
Bobby stepped around him. “Well, I’d like to see you try, but what I was going to say was this. She’ll listen. It just might take a bit of time. In the meantime don’t you go doing any thing crazy.”
Jared listened, and although he didn’t like what he heard, Bobby was right. He had to keep his cool here. Mandy was strung so tightly, Jared always knew that if she ever snapped it would be really bad. He’d assumed her work would be the thing to throw her over the edge eventually, but it seemed Sue Ann had gotten to her first.
The door opened fully and the girl walked out, eyeing him the entire time. Jared didn’t wait for an invitation and shot inside. One look at Mandy confirmed his suspicion. She’d cracked and it was bad.
She sat in the room’s only chair. Head buried in her arms while she hugged her knees. He couldn’t see her face, but he heard her sniffle as she rocked herself.
His heart broke. He bent and scooped her up in his arms, sitting in the chair with her in his lap. He kissed her hair and gently rocked her. “Shh. Don’t cry.”
Her soft sniffles turned into all-out heaving, gasping sobs. She always did tend to be contrary, and now was no different. He shook his head, held her tighter and let her cry until she was all cried out. Since she was never one to do anything halfway, that took a while.
He knew she was finished when she raised her head and one tiny fist smashed into his arm. “You bastard.”
That nearly made him smile. He’d take anger over tears any day. Luckily, he’d stopped himself from actually smiling at her, because that would have probably earned him more than just a punch in the arm.
“I’m going to tell you the God’s honest truth, and if you don’t want to believe me, Bobby is right outside. He’ll back me up. I admit to being a stupid idiot who used to sleep with Sue Ann, but I ended it before you ever came to this town and turned my life upside down.” At her frown, he added, “I meant that last part in a good way.”
“But she said she’s—”
“She lied. If she’s even pregnant, which is up for debate, there is no way in hell it’s mine because I used protection every single time. I’ll do anything you want. DNA tests. Lie detector. Whatever. I won’t let her or anything else take you away from me.”
Her face crumpled, but she threw her arms around his neck and held on tight. He figured it was a good thing, until she pulled back and looked fiercely at him.
“But, Jared, really. Her? Her roots are so far past a touch up, her hair is practically two-tone. She’s wearing sparkly blue eye shadow and a tube top. How in the world could the same man be attracted to both her and me? We might as well be from different planets.”
“You’re telling me.” He snorted.
She held her hands out in an I’m-waiting-for-an-answer gesture.
He finally gave in. She wanted an explanation, then he’d give her one. “All right. I’m gonna tell you something about how men see women. There are women we’re attracted to for a night or two because they’re easy. Then there are those we’re interested in for the long haul, because those are the keepers.”
She considered that for a moment. “Which one am I?”
Jared laughed out loud. He knew there was only one answer she wanted to hear. Luckily, it happened to be the truth. “Darlin’, there ain’t nothing easy about you. You’re the hardest damn woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.”
Yup, she was definitely a keeper. Somehow, someway, he’d find a way to keep her here in Pigeon Hollow with him. Jared snuggled his face against Mandy’s hair. He breathed in deeply, savoring the scent of her.
“We all right?” He felt her nod. Running his hand up and down her spine, he bent his head and kissed each closed eye-lid softly. “Can I show you how very much I’ve missed you now?’
She opened her still-tear-reddened eyes. She looked up at him and drew in a shaky breath. “Yeah, I think I’d like that.”
He smiled and kissed her lips. Then closed his eyes and groaned. “Shit. Bobby drove my truck here. He’s outside with no ride back to his car in town and he’s on duty.”
Snuggling closer against him, Mandy spoke into his chest. “He can take your truck back then. You’re not going to need it. Or even better, Christy can drive Bobby in the rental car. I want her to get to know him. She’s going to be on the crew assigned to him.”
Admiration that Mandy had gone from weeping woman to hard-ass boss in the blink of an eye aside, he couldn’t help but wonder who she was t
alking about that would be shadowing his best friend twenty-four-seven. “Who’s Christy?”
“My associate producer. The one who convinced me to let you in the door when I didn’t want to.”
“Well then, I owe her already for that. I might as well owe her for driving Bobby back to town too.” Bobby should thank him for it. Christy was cute. Just Bobby’s type. Then an unpleasant thought hit Jared. “You really weren’t going to let me in?”
Mandy pursed her lips. “I guess I would have given in eventually. Either that, or you would have broken down the door.”
He laughed. “You think you know me pretty well, don’t ya?”
“Mmm, hmm.” She nodded.
“Then tell me what I’m thinking right now.”
She smiled. “I’m sitting in your lap. I can feel exactly what you’re thinking about right now.”
Actually, he had been about to tell her he loved her, but he decided to save that for some romantic moonlit night in the near future. One where she wasn’t fresh from crying and Sue Ann was a long-distant memory.
Instead, Jared picked her up and carried her to the bed. “Can’t hide anything from you, can I?”
Her arms clasped around his neck. “No, you can’t. You better remember that.”
“I surely will, darlin’. I surely will.” He smiled.
He had the woman he loved in his arms and a nice big bed beneath them finally. Life, he decided, was good.
About the Author
As an award-winning author of contemporary erotic romance in genres including military, cowboy, ménage and paranormal, Cat Johnson uses her computer so much she wore the letters off the keyboard within a year. She is known for her creative marketing and research practices. Consequently, Cat owns an entire collection of camouflage shoes for book signings and a fair number of her consultants wear combat or cowboy boots for a living. In her real life, she’s been a marketing manager, professional harpist, bartender, tour guide, radio show host, Junior League president, sponsor of a bull riding rodeo cowboy, wife and avid animal lover.
To learn more about Cat, please visit www.catjohnson.net. Send an email to Cat at [email protected], friend her on Myspace at www.myspace.com/authorcatjohnson or follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cat_johnson.
Look for these titles by Cat Johnson
Now Available:
Red, Hot & Blue
Trey
Jack
Jimmy
Rough Stock
Studs in Spurs
Unridden
Bucked
Ride
Coming Soon:
Studs in Spurs
Hooked
Social butterfly and a soldier in the Special Forces—a match made in…bed.
Jimmy
© 2010 Cat Johnson
Red Hot & Blue, Book 3
Special Forces gave Jimmy Gordon the undercover skills of a chameleon, but nothing prepared him for Amelia Monroe-Carrington, the governor’s hot, redheaded daughter. She thought she was seducing a banquet waiter, and he let her.
His next assignment pulled him from her bed and into the worst six months of his life. Images of Lia were what kept him alive imprisoned in Kosovo, and even now he’s home and recovered, she’s still in his head.
For her father’s political career, Lia has always done the appropriate thing, right down to dating a senator’s son. Her one rebellious act, an incredible night with a totally inappropriate man, ended when he disappeared. And then never called.
When they unexpectedly meet again, the pull between them is stronger than ever, tempting Lia to stop sacrificing her own happiness for the family dynasty.
This book has been previously published and has been revised and expanded from its original release.
Warning: Contains incredible one-night-stand sex hot enough to withstand time, distance, and some really nasty terrorist torture.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Jimmy:
“Hello?” Her sexy voice sent a shiver right down from his ears to his toes and everywhere in between.
“Hey, darlin’. It’s Ji…uh, James.”
“Hello there, James. Where are you?”
“In my car outside the party. We just got off.” Oh yeah. Judging by the sexy purr of her voice, he had a feeling he was about to get off all right.
“Meet me at the Hilton in ten minutes. Ask for the private elevator that leads to the presidential suite. I’ll leave your name at the desk so they’ll let you up.” Jimmy heard a click and then she was gone.
Holy crap. He didn’t know what to be amazed at more. The fact he was going to get lucky with the hottest woman he’d ever laid eyes on, or the invitation to the presidential suite at the Hilton. Meanwhile, there was no way he could drive back to base, check in and then get to the hotel in ten minutes, and Jimmy had a feeling Lia was not the kind of woman who responded well to being kept waiting.
The mission had been uneventful. Maybe no one would notice if he didn’t check in tonight. His decision made, he drove directly to the Hilton so fast it was a miracle he didn’t get pulled over for speeding. He stopped only long enough to grab a box of condoms and breath mints at the twenty-four-hour convenience store across the street from the hotel.
Jimmy remembered to unstrap his leg holster and secure his weapon in the glove compartment. He even remembered to lock his parked car, but that was about the only time his mind strayed from thinking about what was about to happen up in that suite.
Inside the massive marble lobby, he gave his name to the man standing behind the front desk, thinking there was a good chance he’d be thrown out on his ass. Lo and behold, he wasn’t. Instead, he was ushered by another uniform-clad employee into a brass and mahogany-lined elevator car with only two buttons inside. They read Lobby and Presidential Suite.
As the valet, or whatever he was called, rode up the many floors to the top with him, Jimmy finally allowed himself to stop thinking this whole thing must be some kind of a joke. That was something he knew for sure when the elevator doors opened onto the eerily quiet, private hallway on the top floor of the building.
The hotel employee held the door open with one arm and dismissed him with a nod. “Have a good night, sir.”
“Thanks.” He stepped out onto a marble floor. With a swish, the doors swept shut behind him and he was alone facing a single, massive white door.
Jimmy ignored the erratic pounding of his heart and raised his hand to knock. When the door swung wide a moment later, Lia stood before him wearing nothing but a black strapless bra, lacy thong underwear and mile-high heels.
He didn’t question the state of her attire. Her intentions were clear enough, so he simply walked in and blindly slammed the door shut behind him. Never a man to beat around the bush, Jimmy grabbed her head with one hand and her waist with the other and sank his tongue deep into her warm, welcoming mouth. He explored down the silky warm flesh to land on her ass cheek and discovered she felt as good as she looked.
Lia let him enjoy both her mouth and body for long enough to make his hard-on start to throb as it pressed against the zipper of his pants. Then she pulled away. “You don’t waste any time, do you?”
A woman who answered the door half-naked shouldn’t talk about how fast he was moving.
“Darlin’, you ain’t seen nothing yet.” He ran his hands one more time over her firm curves with a groan.
Enough with the standing. Time to get horizontal. He glanced around the large space. It was decorated like a living room with a sofa and a huge flat-screen television that he might enjoy at another time when he didn’t have a raging hard-on and a willing woman beneath his hands. His gaze swept quickly over the kitchenette and dining area and landed on a partially closed door. Bingo.
She let out a small squeak as he scooped her up and headed for the adjoining room where he hoped to find a bed. A really large one if he was lucky. What he had in mind was going to take more than a little bit of time and a whole lot of space. When he pushed t
he door open wider with one foot and saw the king-sized mattress with the bedding already turned down for the night, it looked as if he was blessed enough to get what he wanted.
He dropped her on the bed and began tearing off what remained of his uniform. He’d long since ditched the jacket back in the car, so all he had left was the button-down shirt and pants.
She watched each piece of clothing fall to the floor, including his underwear, and then stared at his naked body. “Nice.”
Jimmy didn’t miss the gleam in Lia’s eye as she said that. Damn right, it was nice. He worked hard enough to get this body. About time he put it to use for something other than practice maneuvers and fighting bad guys.
“Glad you approve, darlin’.” He pulled her panties down with both hands and spread her legs. He ignored her surprised intake of breath and settled himself eyelevel with her creamy thighs and a whole lot more. She was totally bald down there except for a tiny neat triangle of red curls. The rest was smooth and hair-free. It was different and really hot.
He must have been staring for quite a while, because she finally reached down and grabbed his head in both hands, raising his face so he could see hers.
“What’s the matter, handsome? Don’t your waitress girlfriends believe in Brazilian bikini waxes?”
So that’s what it was called. He’d have to remember that. But hot as she was, and as incredible as her Brazilian bikini wax looked, he didn’t need any more of her smart-ass waiter comments. He was betting she was a talker, and he wanted quiet so he could fully enjoy himself.
There was one sure-fire way to make sure she stopped talking.
Accept no substitute…for love.
Take a Chance on Me
© 2010 Kate Davies
The Lady Doth Protest Too Much