Forbidden Attraction [The Callens 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Melody Snow Monroe

  “Wow.”

  “If you want to meet him, he’ll be working the monster truck rally this Saturday at the arena. He says every time he gets to see the trucks in action, he figures out how to make them bounce higher, go faster and have better control. I bet he could get us passes to check out the monsters. What do you say?”

  If Jackson would be with her, she’d absolutely go. “That sounds wonderful.”

  “Then it’s a date.”

  Chapter Two

  The fact she was meeting Jackson at the bar kind of diminished the excitement over this being an actual date. Her ego hadn’t been stroked either when he said they were only going so that she could meet Taylor. She wondered why Jackson didn’t think she was someone he could date. She’d often come in early to the saloon to help set up. They’d talk about everything from how much money he was saving by having installed solar panels on the roof to the cost of liquor. She listened to his theories on aliens, and he’d listen to her go on and on about stem-cell research.

  Sure, they were good friends and felt comfortable around each other, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be lovers. There had to be a reason why he never asked her out.

  In truth, he seemed to be the perfect man. He was gregarious, always polite with the customers, seemed determined to make a go of the bar, and was hot. The last characteristic sometimes overshadowed the first ones, but she refused to measure him by her parents’ over-the-top criteria. They wouldn’t consider a bar owner as a fit mate for a Callen.

  What did she know? Maybe good friends didn’t make good mates. She’d dated all of three men in college and none of them had panned out. Jackson wasn’t interested in her. She should just move on.

  As for meeting Taylor, she didn’t want to go into the monster truck rally blind. She’d actually taken the time to look at a few YouTube videos to see what they’d be like. She had to admit, the vehicles were impressive, but too often the expensive looking machines lost a tire, or worse, flipped over. There might be a roll cage inside to protect the driver, but whoever drove those vehicles was asking for a serious injury.

  According to the monster truck website, there’d be some truck called The Grave Digger and another called Blue Thunder at the Saturday night event. Since racehorse owners named their steeds, maybe it made sense that truck owners named their vehicles, too. Other trucks appearing were Maximum Destruction and Bounty Hunter. At least the owners had a good sense of humor.

  Good thing she didn’t work on weekends, so she could go. Jackson didn’t usually work then either. He said he liked weekdays, when there were fewer people. That gave him the chance to have a conversation with his clients, which was something he enjoyed.

  The fact that the week went by way too slowly for her implied her excitement was growing. Whether it was because she got to spend time with Jackson or because she’d get to meet another hunk, she didn’t know. Regardless, this was going to be a fun night.

  When Jenny arrived at 6:30 p.m., the Raging Bull was already packed. This crowd was about the same size as the one a few Wednesdays ago, when they brought in two professionals to teach line dancing.

  Jackson came out from behind the bar and smiled when he spotted her. He was dressed in his usual jeans and boots, but this time he had on a form-fitting, blue and green plaid shirt that matched his hazel eyes and showed off his magnificent body instead of the black-and-white Raging Bull Saloon uniform.

  “You ready to experience the seedier side of Intrigue?” His grin dimpled his cheeks.

  She hadn’t considered what the clientele would be like. “Is it really that bad?”

  He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry, little one, I’ll protect you.” With his free hand he beat his chest.

  Jackson had a way of always making her laugh. “Thanks.”

  They took his truck, which was quite new and had comfortable seats. Once she buckled up, he pulled out of the establishment. She was surprised so many people wanted to drink tonight given the monster truck rally was in town. Maybe it wasn’t the type of affair one needed to see more than once.

  The road to get to the arena was quite clogged, and the parking at the stadium was packed. It was almost 7:00 p.m. by the time they got their tickets and went in. She wanted to pay her way, but Jackson insisted it was his treat. Did that mean he thought of this as a date? Wouldn’t that be nice?

  He’d told her it was general seating. “Where’s a good spot to get a good view?” she asked.

  The infield was filled with dirt mounds, ramps, and a lot of beat-up cars lined up next to each other.

  “All the seats are good, but let’s try to get fairly close.” He took her hand, and they wove their way through the hordes of people.

  Two kids were standing in the aisle chitchatting, and Jackson politely asked if they could move. Once he picked their row, they had to climb over a couple of folks to get to the center. Finally they settled in their stadium seats. The evening air had a hint of a breeze, which made it the perfect temperature to watch an outdoor event.

  He looked around. “We got a good crowd probably because The Grave Digger is here.”

  “What’s so special about him?” She’d seen the picture of the truck. Even she had to admit it was quite handsome with its green flames painted on the hood.

  “Dennis Anderson, the driver, is the world champion of freestyle. But he might not be the driver tonight. I think there are about nine Grave Diggers, so I don’t know which one we’ll get.”

  She chuckled. “Monster truck drivers compete? Is that like ice-skating where they have judges?”

  “Sure is.”

  Oh, my. People must take this sport seriously. Before she could ask any more questions, the announcer came on and asked the crowd to rise for the singing of the national anthem. A hush fell over the crowd as they all stood. Despite the sound reverberating across the stands, the young girl had a beautiful voice.

  When they returned to their seats, two large and colorfully painted trucks shot out from one end of the arena. Watching part of the show on YouTube was one thing, but seeing it in person was something else.

  “They’re huge.”

  He smiled. “Which makes them unstable.”

  Fascinated, she tried to take in everything, but it was hard to concentrate on both trucks at the same time. One truck just rode over six cars. “Yikes.”

  When the truck landed, it bounced on two wheels a few times then rolled twenty feet on the two left side wheels. She almost lifted off her seat for fear the man would crash. When all four wheels landed, the crowd clapped. Her pulse slowed.

  “Cool, huh?”

  She looked over at him. His gaze was on her and not on the show. “That was incredible.”

  “Watch. They’re lining up to race. They have to go around an obstacle course. First one around wins.”

  The skill of the drivers was quite remarkable. Each driver drove two wheels over a mound, which then made the car tilt. One of the vehicles went so fast that it when it landed, the wheel bent. The momentum made the car flip. There was no way the driver could keep control. The truck flipped, and the crowd gasped. The roof of the truck flew off and her heart nearly stopped. He skidded to a stop. The accident looked horrific. No one could survive such a crash.

  Maybe it was her medical instincts, but she wanted to rush to help the poor man. She clasped her hand on Jackson’s knee.

  He immediately pulled her close. “Don’t worry. He’s not hurt.”

  She didn’t believe him and kept her gaze on the truck as about five men rushed toward him. “How can you be sure?”

  “The truck is huge. He’s deep inside with a strong roll bar and a lot of safety equipment.”

  Her pulse slowed. “Is that something Taylor might have worked on?”

  “That’s one of the items. He has to figure out how much torque an axle can take, the size of the tires to go on each truck, and the power of the engine. Each engine runs about fifteen hundred horsepower for quick
starts and good maneuverability.”

  “I bet it’s a gas-guzzler.”

  “You got that right.”

  She took her eye off the driver once she saw him wave. “Your roommate must be one smart man.” She’d done okay in physics, but she certainly could never have figured out all of that.

  “He is.”

  Once they removed that truck, the show continued. Each time the car completed its tricks, her own back hurt. “I bet their chiropractor bills are high.”

  Jackson chuckled. “I bet they are. The drivers are required to wear a head and neck collar, but according to Taylor, these men are masochists. They’ve had surgery after surgery to repair the damage to their bodies.”

  “I wonder why they do it.”

  “It’s the thrill, darlin’.”

  “They should take up skydiving. It’s probably easier on their spines.”

  He laughed, and the sound went straight to her heart. Even though Jackson wasn’t much more than thirty, he had this all-knowing attitude. He’d told her that the study of human motivations intrigued him. Whenever she’d ask him why someone would do something or act in a certain way, he seemed to have a good explanation.

  By the time the two-hour show ended, she believed that with enough ingenuity, a vehicle could learn to fly. She’d seen things she never thought possible.

  “Ready to meet the genius behind these flying machines?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Taylor was probably five foot six, scrawny, and an antisocial. Jackson most likely had painted him to be this godlike creature just to get her there. He probably thought that once she met the brilliant man, she’d overlook his lack of physical prowess. He might be right, but she wasn’t holding her breath. There needed to be chemistry between two people to make it work.

  They waited a bit until the crowd thinned before making their way down to the field. Security stopped them until Jackson pulled out two passes. The man nodded and directed them to the back.

  “I’m excited to see these big trucks up close and personal.”

  He smiled. “The first time I got a look, I couldn’t believe how tall they were. The tires alone are over five feet high and the trucks themselves about twelve feet high.”

  “Wow.”

  Once they got to the back, separate crews were working on the different trucks.

  “Come on. Let’s find Taylor.”

  The pounding of metal, the shrill of drills, and the shouts from workers made hearing difficult.

  “There he is.” Jackson found his roommate near the east side of the cordoned-off area.

  Two men were standing next to each other. One was rather short with slim shoulders and wore blue overalls with a scruffy-looking hard hat. The other man had similar overalls but was tall, broad shouldered, and was a god in the looks department. There was no other way to describe him. He took her breath away. His close-cropped, dark brown hair framed a face with a slightly heavy brow ridge and was complemented by a five-o’clock shadow. To say he looked edgy would be an understatement.

  “Jenny?” Jackson squeezed her hand.

  “Huh?”

  “You left us.”

  Shit. How uncool was that? Spacing out over the man’s beauty wasn’t good. She prayed the taller man was Taylor. When they reached the duo, Jackson introduced them. No way. The godlike man was Jackson’s roommate. She bit her cheek to keep from smiling and held out her hand. “I’m Jenny.” Even to her ears, she sounded breathy, as if being in his mere presence inspired awe.

  Taylor held up rather greasy hands. “Sorry.” He stepped back and picked up two hard hats. “You need to wear these.”

  She wondered why he wasn’t wearing one, but she decided to keep her opinion to herself.

  Jackson put his on, turned, then helped adjust hers to fit her head. When his fingers brushed her skin, her whole body tingled. Between the two men, she couldn’t decide who was more alluring. She felt more comfortable with Jackson, but Taylor possessed a more powerful aura.

  “Why don’t you show Jenny what you do?”

  Taylor hesitated, acting as if he didn’t want to be bothered. “Sure. Come on over here. I’ll show you my drawings.”

  He typed something into his computer and up popped a line drawing of an engine. She couldn’t make heads or tails out of it. “So you design engines?”

  “Among other things.”

  He looked a lot like someone she’d seen at her school, but she doubted it was the same man. “Did you happen to go the University of Denver? You look familiar.”

  Taylor glanced first to Jackson then back at her. “No. I never went to college. What has my roommate been telling you?”

  “Nothing.” Her voice trailed off. Here she’d thought this hottie who made her heart race would be such a good match.

  His brows furrowed. “From the look on your pretty little face, you’re disappointed.”

  I am. “No. I’m just surprised.” No way would she tell him the truth. That would make her look like a total snob.

  Someone called his name. He turned to Jackson. “Take a look around, but don’t let her get in the way.”

  Ouch. Did he think she didn’t know how to keep her hands to herself? Once he walked away, Jackson clasped her shoulders.

  “He’s in his focusing mode right now. He doesn’t mean to be standoffish.”

  “Sure.” Then why did he look so happy to let her know he’d never gone to college? Was he lying? She found it hard to believe someone so talented would be self taught, but what did she know?

  Jackson wrapped an arm around her waist and her blood pressure immediately dropped. “How about we grab some dessert and a cup of coffee?”

  The tension in her shoulders relaxed. “I’d like that.”

  He unsnapped her headgear as well as his own and placed them back where Taylor had gotten them. The loud noise was giving her a headache anyway. His roommate might be a brilliant man and an exquisite specimen, but he wasn’t right for her. She couldn’t believe she’d just been played.

  Too bad her pussy didn’t care how the man had acted. Damn.

  Chapter Three

  “What the fuck were you doing with a Callen?”

  Jackson hadn’t expected the harsh comment the moment he walked in the door. He’d had a wonderful time with Jenny and didn’t need Taylor’s grief. “I told you she works for me.” Maybe he should have warned him about her. The Callens were the royalty of Intrigue, but damn, that didn’t mean they were untouchable.

  “That’s no excuse to bring her on a date.”

  “It wasn’t a date exactly.”

  Taylor’s lips pressed together. “What was it?”

  “A chance for her to meet you.”

  His roommate laughed. “Oh, that’s rich.”

  “I don’t know why you’re upset. You meet the Callen rich requirement.”

  Taylor ducked into the kitchen, brought back two beers, and handed him one. “If I recall, you said she’s looking for a degreed man. When I told her I hadn’t gone to school, did you see her expression?”

  She’d been disappointed. It tore his heart out. “Yeah.”

  “There you go.”

  “I saw the way she looked at you, though.”

  “Before she learned about me.” Taylor sipped on his beer. “Hell, I saw the way she looked at you!”

  That was a problem. “When I arrive at the saloon, I’m often wearing a UW T-shirt. I think she figured I went there.”

  “You did.”

  “Two years only. That won’t count in her mind.”

  Taylor walked over to the sofa and dropped down. “You’ll get hurt if you pursue her. Hell, so would I. She’s hot.”

  He didn’t like the gleam in his eye. “She’s not some piece of ass.”

  “Never said she was, but if she were offering, I’d sink my cock in her ass.” He held up a finger. “For release purposes only.”

  Jackson swigged his beer and sat on the chair opposite him. “Some
times I don’t know why I put up with you. You’re a pig.”

  “Hey. It’s my defense mechanism. You know how hard it is to find someone I can relate to.”

  That was true. Taylor’s intellectual interests bordered on the esoteric. “Did I tell you she’s applying to med school?”

  Taylor put his bottle on the coffee table. “No shit?”

  “We talk about everything together, and she not only keeps up with my way out there topics, but she’s caused me to have a few paradigm shifts in my own thinking.”

  Taylor picked up his beer, finished the contents, and waved the bottle. “She’s not worth it.”

  Jackson didn’t like the way the conversation was headed. “Is too. We just need to change her mind about us. What do we have to lose?”

  “Our hearts?”

  “That’s a given, but think of the reward.”

  Taylor dragged a palm down his unshaven chin. “I don’t like the odds.”

  “Are you in or out?”

  Taylor leaned back and closed his eyes. “She does have a sweet ass. I would like to pork her.”

  “Don’t be crass. This is Jenny Callen we’re talking about. She’s driven, sweet, and would be the perfect woman for us.”

  Taylor blew out a breath. “Maybe you’re right. I’m not sure how we convince her that her college piece of paper ain’t worth shit. She needs to realize that it’s the man that counts, not the degree.”

  “If we think about the end result, we’ll come up with a way to convince her.”

  “As long as there’s an escape clause, I’m in.”

  * * * *

  Jenny had a hard time getting Saturday night out of her mind. She never expected to enjoy the monster truck rally so much. Jackson had been so calming when he explained everything to her, especially when it appeared the driver had been seriously injured. When he’d brought her back to visit his roommate, she had to say, she’d been highly impressed with his accomplishments.

  Given his passion for his work, she might not care what his background entailed. Too bad her parents wouldn’t see it that way. It didn’t really matter. Taylor showed no interest in her, so it was a moot point. It was probably best to focus on studying for her MCAT and worry about finding a date in a few years.