by Kaliana Cole
Liberty Springs, Wyoming 3
Tag and Release
Brody and Luke Marshall are used to getting everything their own way when it comes to women, playing a carnal game of tag and release as they rock from conquest to conquest, but a new neighbor sits their perfect world on its head. Casey Buckley, tall, strong, and flame-haired, is everything they’ve never had in a woman—brazen, bold, and nobody’s doormat.
Casey thinks she can indulge in a little carnal gratification and walk away, but her heart is in danger of being snared by their seductive charms.
Luke knows she is something special, the one to end all others, but his domineering brother has been burned too badly to trust anything with two X chromosomes. Before Brody can accept they’ve caught the one too special to release, tempers flare and passions boil as they scorch the sheets in an effort to win Casey over before time runs out.
Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Western
Length: 81,809 words
TAG AND RELEASE
Liberty Springs, Wyoming 3
Kaliana Cole
MENAGE AMOUR
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Amour
TAG AND RELEASE
Copyright © 2011 by Kaliana Cole
E-book ISBN: 1-61926-040-9
First E-book Publication: November 2011
Cover design by Kaliana Cole
All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 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
Dear Readers,
If you have purchased this copy of Tag and Release by Kaliana Cole from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.
Regarding E-book Piracy
This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.
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This is Kaliana Cole’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Cole’s right to earn a living from her work.
Amanda Hilton, Publisher
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DEDICATION
This one’s for B. You’re still my everything.
And for the good people at Siren. Thank you for helping me bring Liberty Springs to life.
TAG AND RELEASE
Liberty Springs, Wyoming 3
KALIANA COLE
Copyright © 2011
Chapter 1
“My lord, Em. This view is just spectacular.” Casey’s voice was filled with awe.
“The mountains are really something, aren’t they?”
“What mountains?”
Emma turned from where she had been unpacking boxes to see what the hell her little sister was on about. She followed her blue gaze southward and over the boundary fence to where Brody and Luke Marshall were putting up trusses on the framework of their new barn. Shirtless. Yep, that was a fine view all right, but she had her own men waiting for her at home. All three of which could hold their own against the Marshalls in the eye-candy stakes. “Ty’s got a better chest,” she sniffed.
Casey put her hands over her ears and winced. “Some things I don’t need to hear. That’s my brother-in-law-to-be that you’re talking about. Looking at any of them would be like incest.” She turned her attention back to the sweaty, bare-chested men. “What’s the story with these two? Are they sold separately or do they come strictly as a two pack?”
“From what I have heard, when they’re not at the club, they go solo until they’re onto a sure thing and then invite the other in. They’re players, Case. They only chase the quick thrill and they’re gone by the morning. It’s strictly tag and release for them.”
“I bet it would be a hell of a night, though. It’s been a while since I’ve let myself have a little fun. I’d say I’m about due.”
Emma shook her head. Casey was right—there were some things you didn’t need to hear. “Happy hunting then.” She glanced down at her watch, “I’ve got to get going. Are you going to be all right by yourself?”
“I’m a big girl now, Em. I’ve lived in the big city for a few years all by myself. I think I can handle middle-of-nowhere, Wyoming. I want to head in to town this afternoon and pick up a few things anyway.”
“Pick up some condoms while you’re there if you want to play with those two, maybe some disinfectant as well. You’d never know where they’ve been.”
The sexual speculation on Casey’s face said that she thought it might be kind of fun to find out. Emma left her to her neighbor watching and headed home to her men. She didn’t have to worry about where they had been. She’d seen the doctor’s certificates that proved it.
* * * *
French vanilla or mountain mist? Casey hesitated over the air fresheners in the cleaning aisle at the supermarket.
“Go with the mountain mist. Anything vanilla is bound to be boring, even if it is French.” The voice was deep and a little raspy with a playful, conspiratorial edge promising nefarious diversions and wicked delights.
Casey turned to find her eyes level with a sinful pair of lips wearing a smile that matched the pledge in that voice. Milk chocolate eyes crinkled roguishly in a tanned face and sparkled with mischief. His dark blond curls with sun-bleached highlights appeared from under a Wyoming Cowboys cap and kissed the wide, bronzed neck below. She instantly recognized the darker curls peeking from the neck of his T-shirt. She had spent more time studying them than anything above his shoulders.
Casey took a deep breath and held out her hand. “Hi. I’m Casey Buckley, your new neighbor.”
Her hand wa
s engulfed by his large, firm grip. His palm had sandpaper-textured calluses on it. She damn near creamed at the thought of that roughness against skin more sensitive than her hand. “Luke Marshall, and I’ve got to say, Casey, you’re a hell of a lot more attractive than our last neighbors.”
“My sister would disagree.”
“You’re Emma’s sister?” The incredulity was to be expected. They didn’t look a thing alike.
“Half sister,” she clarified for him. “I noticed you two building today, is it a hobby or a profession?”
“Building is our trade, but we seem to be doing more repair jobs than construction lately.”
“That’s good to know. I’ve got a few projects in mind for my new place. Ty gave me carte blanche to make improvements.”
“How are you settling in?”
God, he was smooth! His eyes gave her good contact, giving her his whole attention and not wandering lower. He even sounded like he was actually interested in the answer.
“Really well. It has only been a few days, but I am getting everything sorted.” She held up the cans of air-freshener. “There’s just a smell in one of the rooms that I can’t get rid of. I think a small animal died under the floorboards or something.”
Luke laughed. “I bet it is the second room on the right heading up the hall.”
“How did you know?”
“That was Colby’s room. He’s not particularly well housebroken. You’re smelling a few years’ worth of accumulated odors from sweaty socks, abandoned pizza boxes, and God knows what else. I’d advise shutting the door and leaving the window open for a year or two, and possibly pulling up the carpet. It might be safe to breathe in there then.” His gaze was intimate as he effortlessly built a rapport. He was a damn smooth operator. Casey wondered just how many had fallen for his easy charm.
“I’ll take that under consideration.” She tossed both cans of spray into her cart.
“I noticed the earthmoving equipment. They must be some major works you’re planning over there. When you’re finished with the contractor, send him our way. We could do with a decent operator for our projects. Who have you got? None of the contractors around here have got equipment of that caliber.”
Casey gritted her teeth as he dug himself deeper and deeper with his chauvinist surmising. Why did men always assume you had to be a man to operate heavy machinery? You didn’t need a dick to pull levers or change gears.
“They’re mine, actually.”
His eyes sparkled with appreciation. “A savvy businesswoman, huh? Who’s your operator?”
She guessed you had to be aware you were actually in a hole before you woke up and stopped digging. “I am. The Bobcat, the excavator, the truck? I’m the only one who sets foot in them.”
Watching him squirm when he realized his faux pas was as utterly satisfying as eating the chocolate his eyes matched in color. And it wasn’t even fattening. Casey bet that not too many people had seen this man wear a blush like the one that was now creeping up his cheeks.
“I’m sorry, Casey. It was rude and arrogant of me to make that assumption.”
At least he had the good grace to apologize. “That’s okay, Luke. I find foot-in-mouth disease runs rampant in men when it comes to me. My sister has grabbed the only three men who didn’t even blink an eyelid over my chosen business.”
“Like they would be game to with her about.”
“There you go again,” she laughed. “It’s going to take forever for you to get that foot out of your mouth. I’m going to keep on with my shopping and leave you to sort yourself out. It’s been real interesting meeting you, Luke.”
It had, too. He was gorgeous in that bumbling puppy kind of way. There had been no malice behind his assumptions and he had apologized and stood his ground. Most men hightailed it when they made a fool of themselves, even charmers like him. No, Luke Marshall definitely had potential for a little down and dirty fun. You just didn’t take a man like him seriously.
She was picking through the canned goods section when a familiar voice on the other side of the stand pricked her ears. “…you should see her, Brode. She’s even better up close. All those machines? They’re hers, man. She drives them. Could you imagine that tall, redheaded drink of water climbing down outta that truck? My dick’s getting hard just thinking about it. I put my foot right in it and pissed her off a bit, but before that she was looking at me like she wanted to try me on for size.”
Casey grinned a little over Luke’s admission of getting hard. Men would be men.
“Casey’s not your type, though. She’s even taller up close. She’s gotta be five-ten and she’s built strong. Not heavy, but she looks like she works out at more than aerobics.”
“What are her tits like?” The second voice didn’t have the lighthearted inflections of Luke’s. It was drier, darker. She guessed that was Brody.
“Real nice, but I didn’t get a chance to do much appreciating. It’s damn hard to cover up which way you’re lookin’ when a woman’s that tall.”
“What do you think? Is she worth throwing a loop over?”
“Hell, yeah.”
“It wouldn’t be bad to have options a bit closer to home. I’m sick of heading down to the Kat every time I feel like getting laid. She doesn’t sound anywhere near biddable enough for anything long-term, but from what I’ve seen of her over the fence, I wouldn’t mind saddling her up once or twice.”
Is that right? An easy ride next door? Casey’s ire went through the roof.
“Anyway, Luke, you charm her and I’ll just come in for the grand finale before we cut her loose. I haven’t got the patience for all that shit. Just make sure you leave enough buck in her for me.”
Casey felt anger heat her face enough to match her hair. What arrogant, conceited assholes! And she had thought they might be likely candidates for a bit of fun? A rattlesnake had more chance of being welcomed into her bed than either of those two did now.
She violently jerked the cart around and headed for the checkout. She could live without whatever she hadn’t picked up yet. The girl at the checkout was cheerful and efficient. Casey felt like a dragon for only giving her abrupt, yes-no answers, but she wasn’t capable of any polite small talk at the moment. She ground her teeth as she handed over some cash and the Marshalls pulled into the checkout behind her.
“Hi, again, Casey. This is my brother, Brody.”
She turned to see a dark-haired man standing beside Luke. He was slightly heavier in build—downright bulky through the shoulders, and an inch shorter, probably around six-one, and just as handsome with a dimple on his chin and near black eyes. Why did assholes have to come in such eye-catching packaging?
“Hi, Brody.” She kept her voice level and even. They were her neighbors after all.
“It’s a real pleasure to meet you, Casey.” He put a barely noticeable emphasis on “pleasure,” and his dark, flashing eyes swept from her head to her booted toe and returned. Not in his favor, but better than starting from the bottom up. Any man that did that was instantly doomed to failure.
“Luke tells me you might have some work for us coming up. You should come over for dinner one night, Casey. We would love to go over some plans with you. When would suit you?” His eyes heated and left no doubt that he had more in mind than dinner and work.
Casey fought the urge to sit him on his conceited ass. She took her change and docket from the checkout girl who was openly drooling over the Marshalls before turning back to the idiot standing there with such self-assured confidence. She stepped in close, running a fingertip provocatively over the rise of his well-developed chest, watching it swell further and giving him a sultry look. “How about never, Brody? Is never good for you?” She flicked his chin with her finger. “It’s such a shame. I was looking forward to a little fun, but I would line up for a voluntary root-canal before I’ll be a convenient fuck next door for the likes of you.”
She gave them an overly saccharine smile and carried her bag
s out of the door, leaving them blinking in stunned amazement.
Chapter 2
Casey felt like there was a two-year-old playing in a pots-and-pans drawer cutting loose inside her skull. The fruit punch Emma had made for her welcome party had been downright lethal. She was sure there had been more vodka than juice in the volatile brew, and she was paying the price now. The insistent light fracturing her skull behind closed eyelids spoke of some rude time closer to dawn than noon. It was bright, damn bright.
Noises coming from outside promised company, but welcome company if the opening and closing of the trash can was any indication. If she feigned sleep, would the cleanup continue without her? She hated to think of the mess outside. Emma and Marley had stuck it out until near dawn. Ty had escorted them to his truck and poured the pair of them in with remarkable patience. He had even ensured she would be fine on her own before he had taxied the drunks away. Why couldn’t she find someone like him instead of being a magnet for assorted jerks and assholes?
She lay in a semicomatose state until she heard a soft knock at the front door. “As long as you can make coffee, you can come in. Black and strong.” She heard a masculine chuckle and laid her head back in the pillow. Emma must have taken pity on her and sent Colby or Zach over to clean up. She knew Ty wouldn’t leave Em’s side if she was suffering as much as her. The pottering around the kitchen continued until the aroma of freshly brewed coffee reached her makeshift bed on the sofa. “The Tylenol is in the cupboard above the fridge. Don’t be stingy now.”