Branded as Trouble (33 page)

“That’s a little extreme, but apology accepted.”

“Second, it was a cheap shot, questioning your commitment to sobriety after our fight. I should be your safe harbor, not the crashing waves dragging you down.” India fiddled with the button on his shirt. “I’m the one who had doubts about whether I could hold it together after you left. I, ah, had to call Bert.”

“Ah Indy.” He rested his forehead to hers. “You okay?”

“Now? Yeah. Then? No. I was a mess. I needed help. I wasn’t too proud to ask for it. That…feeling had been building for a while and I ignored it. So the near relapse reminded me I’d gotten cocky. I thought I had addiction whupped, but I don’t. I never will.”

Colt knew no matter what his dad thought about Colt being strong enough to fight his addictions on his own, he never would’ve made it this far if it hadn’t been for India. And he was good with that.

“Lastly, the reason I asked for space was because it freaked me out when I realized we had unprotected sex more than once at my most fertile time. Making that chart gave me a plan of attack so I was fully prepared for if we dodged the baby bullet.”

“What about the marks for the following month?”

“The Xs for the next month were so I’d know when I went on the pill, which days we’d have to use condoms until the pill was at full effect.”

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Branded As Trouble

Now that Colt thought about it…the charts shouldn’t have surprised him. That was exactly what India always did, planned for every contingency. “You want to go on the pill? Why?”

“I like sex without a condom. Which is the whole big ‘oops’

issue we have to deal with now, because we didn’t use a condom, like three times, so I might already be pregnant.” She searched his eyes. “You know I didn’t do it on purpose, right? I’d never take that choice away from you.”

“I know. And it wasn’t just you, Indy, it was both of us throwing caution into the wind. If you’re pregnant, you’re pregnant.

It wouldn’t be a big oops in my mind anyway.”

“What?”

“Your sister has little kids; my brothers have little kids. It’d be a great opportunity for them to grow up around family.”

“That’s your reasoning? We should have a baby so our kid will have cousins?”

“No. That ain’t the reason.” Colt cupped her face in his hands.

“The reason is…I love you, India. I’ve loved you almost from the first moment I met you.”

“You have?”

“Yes. I didn’t fall for you because you were my sponsor and my lifeline to sobriety. I fell for you because you’re
you
. You’re everything to me. You have been for years.”

“Omigod. Colt. Why didn’t you tell me? We wasted so much time—”

“No. The last thing our time together was, was wasted. Don’t you think there was a reason we didn’t date other people after we www.samhainpublishing.com 337

Lorelei James

met? Because we were already a couple. Platonic? Yes. But that don’t make the years we spent together any less real or any less meaningful. In fact, I think it makes them
more
real because we know each other. Straight down to the bone.”

She didn’t attempt to hide her tears.

“Indy, you’re my best friend. I love you. I’m
in
love with you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. This is the real deal, sugar. I’m asking you to be my wife.”

“Yes. God yes. A million times yes. Colton West McKay, I love you so much.” India kissed him. So sweetly. So perfectly. With so much love and unbridled emotion he felt tears springing to his eyes for the second time in a day.

“Let’s go inside.” He set her on her feet and stood. Inside the house he spun her around.

She placed her hand on his chest. “What’s wrong? You’re so serious.”

“You’ve shown you trust me in everything you do, and everything you are to me. It’s time for me to do the same.”

“You’re scaring me a little.” India reached up and cupped his face in her hands. “Talk to me. What’s going on in that head of yours?”

Breathe. You can do this
.

“Know that trust exercise you’ve been after me to do?”

“Yes.”

“I’m ready.”

She never looked away from him. “You’re sure?”

“Positive.”

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Branded As Trouble

Without another word, India led him into an open area in the living room and she stood behind him.

“Now what?”

“Cross your arms over your chest. Close your eyes. When you’re ready, fall back. Straight back.”

“That’s it?”

“No, you have to trust me. I’ll catch you. I promise. Even if you fall, I’ll pick you up.”

For the first time in his life, Colt didn’t have a moment’s hesitation about who to trust.

He closed his eyes and let go.

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About the Author

To learn more about Lorelei James, please visit

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Look for these titles by Lorelei James

Now Available:

Rough Riders Series:

Rough, Raw, and Ready

Tied Up, Tied Down

Cowgirl Up and Ride

Rode Hard, Put Up Wet

Long Hard Ride

Wild West Boys Series:

Mistress Christmas

Wicked Garden: Three’s Company Anthology Babe in the Woods: Beginnings Anthology

Running With the Devil

Dirty Deeds

Coming Soon:

Strong, Silent Type

Wild West Boys Series:

Miss Firecracker

There’s nothing casual about this caper…

Private Property

© 2009 Leah Braemel

Jodi Tyler has loved and lost too many times to believe in happily ever after. That’s what makes her no-strings affair with her boss so perfect—his power in bed matches his respect for her independence. Still, when he surprises her with a ménage for her birthday, her secret thrill wars with a nagging thought: Why would he so casually share her with another man?

Even though Mark Rodriguez holds Jodi at arm’s length from his heart, her self-confidence is a turn-on he can’t resist. Inviting old college buddy and future business partner Sam into their bed for one night was supposed to set free her wildest fantasy. Instead he finds the tables turned, forced to watch while Sam brings her to the height of ecstasy.

Now, Mark’s not so sure he wants to share his treasure…

Warning: This book contains a woman fulfilling her sexual
fantasies—including two men who are happy to tie her up, and be
tied up, while using graphic language and floggers.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Private Property: He grabbed her hand and held it flat against his groin. Against the enormous hard-on straining the buttoned fly. “Do you feel what capturing a trespasser does for me?”

His gaze flicked down her body as his grin widened. “You’re a little skinny for my tastes but I’ll bet you’re a real wildcat in bed.

We’re gonna have a lot of fun tonight, we are. I can’t wait to bury my cock in your sweet pussy.” He dipped his head until his mouth was beside her ear and whispered, “I’ll bet you’re already dripping wet, aren’t you?”

She snatched her hand away and dragged in a breath, forcing air into her too-tight lungs as she memorized his features. “It’ll be a cold day in hell before that happens, asshole. Now back off before I shove your dick down your throat.”

His lips twitching as if he wanted to laugh, he took a half step back, but not enough for her to sidle past him. “I’d rather shove it down yours.”

“Just read the letter. It’ll prove I’m who I say I am, and am doing what we were hired to do. Or if you don’t believe the letter is legit, call Mr. Rodriguez yourself.”

She rattled off Mark’s cell phone number while wondering why he still hadn’t responded over the headset.

When he unfolded the paper and started reading it, his eyebrows arched and his lips compressed into a controlled smirk.

“
My Sexual Fantasies.
” His eyes flickered up and he grinned while Jodi narrowed her eyes, trying to figure his game. “Sounds like an interesting letter your boss wrote, sweet pea.”

Just what she needed—a smart-ass.

“Just read the damned thing,” she ground out.

“I
am
reading.” He unfolded the paper again. “My Sexual Fantasies. One, to try anal sex. Two, I want to be fucked by Mark while tied up and blindfol—”

What the hell? Jodi snatched the paper from him with a gasp and stared in horror at the list she had jokingly made for Mark.

“This is a mistake,” she stammered. “It was supposed to be the letter Mark—I mean Mr. Rodriguez had written explaining exactly how we’d breached security and his recommendations to make the estate safer.”

He chuckled and looked over his shoulder to the French doors.

“Is that what it was supposed to say,
Mr. Rodriguez
?”

Jodi followed his gaze. The knapsack at his feet, Mark leaned against the doorframe, thumbs tucked into the belt of his jeans that rode low over his hips.

Tension drained like a plug had been pulled, Jodi sagged against the wall. Until she realized Mark was not out of breath, nor was he treating the other man with caution. In fact, he was downright relaxed and smiling
.
She straightened, vowing vengeance for his screwup with the list. And for not letting her know he was all right.
And
for not warning her someone was about to walk in on her.

Not to mention the vibrator still buzzing away deep inside, driving her insane.

“Will you please explain that I work for you,
Mr. Rodriguez?
”

she gritted out, her hands curled into fists. “And will you please turn
it
off?”

“Sam?” Mark arched an eyebrow at her captor.

“I’d rather leave it on,” Sam grumbled, but he reached into his pocket and the vibrator immediately ceased.

“
You
had the…?” Jodi spluttered when he held the remote up for her to see. “But Mark had… Mark, what the hell is going on here?”

“Jodi Tyler, I’d like you to meet Sam Watson.”

Sam
Watson?
As in the owner of Hauberk Security and Mark’s
college buddy
? Jodi closed her mouth when she realized her jaw was hanging open. Was this some sort of joke?

“So is this really your place, or are you checking me out to make sure I meet your company’s qualifications?”

“Yup, place is all mine.” He smiled as he picked up the cigar, his gaze flicking over her again. “As for checking you out, there ain’t a man alive who could fail to admire your…assets.”

Annoyed at being held captive by the man who would soon be her new boss, she placed her hands flat on Sam’s chest and pushed.

And failed to budge him at all.

“Since you own one of the biggest security firms on the east coast, you obviously don’t need Mark to upgrade your security—so why have me break in? Oh, and in case you haven’t heard, there’s a law about sexual harassment of employees. So you’d better have one damned good lawyer.”

Sam’s eyes widened; he quickly stepped back, letting Mark take his place.

“Relax, babe.” Mark rubbed her shoulders in a move meant to pacify her but she batted them away.

Jodi shoved the paper in Mark’s face. It was either that or kick him in the groin. “This list was supposed to be just between us. How could you humiliate me like this?”

Mark cleared his throat and cursed softly in Spanish. “I’m sorry, babe, I wanted to surprise you for your birthday—you know, so we can cross the rest of those items off your list. I thought it would be funny. Sort of an icebreaker. “

“Funny?” She thumped her fist into his shoulder. “You have a twisted sense of humor. Besides, what could possibly be on there that you’d need to show to a perfect stranger?”

Sam waved his cigar toward the paper that was now a crumpled ball in her fist. “You might wanna refresh your memory and read number six there, sweet pea. Ol’ Mark here’s asked me to help fulfill that particular fantasy.”

With a growing dread, she scanned the list, her eyes widening.

6. I’d like to have a ménage with Mark and another man that
we could trust.

Marking one’s territory was never so naughty…

Take Me Again

© 2009 Mackenzie McKade

Wild Oats, Book 2

Dolan Crane would love to hate the beautiful new veterinarian who’s horning in on his territory. It’s tough when the flame-haired fantasy come true makes his body burn with just a smile. The smart thing to do is forget about her, so perhaps a threesome arranged by his old college buddy is just what he needs to get her out of his head.

Divorcee Tracy Marx has followed her restless feet to Santa Ysabel to start a new practice—and maybe find someone to take her outside the boundaries of vanilla sex. Instead she finds trouble in the form of a cowboy whose dark, sexy gaze lights her up—and could also destroy any chance of success. The best thing to do is stay far, far away from him.

When Dolan shows up for the promised night of fantasy, he’s shocked to find Tracy has traded her medical bag for a leather bustier and bondage gear. Tracy would like nothing better than to slap that smirk right off Dolan’s face, but the prospect of being sandwiched between two men is impossible to resist—even if one of them is her adversary.

Besides…no one calls her chicken.

Warning, this title contains the following: Ride-me-cowboy sex,
hot, explicit ménage scenes, light bondage, graphic language, and a
heated romp in the hay.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Take Me Again: As the music ended, Tracy Marx stepped out of the cowboy’s arms. Damn. What was his name? Was it John? Paul? George?

Ringo? A silent chuckle tickled her throat.

With a sultry expression, he smiled down at her, sliding his palms up her bare arms. “How about another dance?”