Jack (8 page)
Look for these titles by Cat Johnson
Now Available:
Red, Hot & Blue
Trey
Rough Stock
Studs in Spurs
Unridden
Bucked
Coming Soon:
Red, Hot, & Blue
Jimmy
Studs in Spurs
Ride
They can’t deny the heat—it’s the only thing keeping them alive.
Trey
© 2010 Cat Johnson
Red Hot & Blue, Book 1
A distracted soldier is a dead solder. That’s special operative Trey Williams’ motto. The last thing he needs in his life is a girlfriend. Problem is, the woman who’s been recruited to pose as his wife on a special assignment is proving to be exactly the kind of distraction he can’t afford.
Years ago, Carly McAfee turned her back not only on her military career, but the men who come with it. So why did she say yes to a mission that puts her in intimate contact with Trey, under 24/7 surveillance by both bad guys and good? One slip, and they’re both dead. It’s not long, though, before her body betrays her, followed closely by her heart.
With a terrorist arms deal going down and missing teammate’s life on the line, Carly and Trey must throw caution to the wind in the scorching-hot performance of their lives—and try not to lose their hearts and minds in the process.
Warning: Contains bad men with big guns and video cameras, and an unmarried couple who need to get naked and get busy acting very married to save both their country and their lives.
Enjoy the following excerpt for
Trey
Trey had to give Carly credit. Even though she looked pissed as hell, she silently followed him into the office and closed the door. Then she stood there with her arms crossed, waiting.
He watched the commander appraise her from head to toe. “Not bad.”
At that comment, Carly’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline. She opened her mouth to speak and Trey jumped in before she could.
“Sir, Ms. McAfee hasn’t been apprised of the situation as yet and is a bit confused.”
She didn’t look any happier he had spoken for her, but at least he stopped her from laying into the commander.
“Of course. Ms. McAfee, we’re requesting your help in a matter of national security. If you decide to help us, you’ll be told as little as possible, your life will be in danger and you can never tell anyone about what you’ve done, ever. In addition, you’ll have to make your decision within the next fifteen minutes and leave for your assignment immediately.”
She surprised Trey by laughing. “Well, since you make it sound so tempting and all…” She rolled her eyes and looked at Trey. Then she questioned him directly. “Am I necessary for the success of whatever this ‘assignment’ is?”
Trey considered his answer carefully. “Your presence will increase the chances of the success of this assignment. Yes.”
“Increase it by how much? From like ninety percent without me to one hundred percent with me?”
Trey glanced at the commander who answered for him. “More like sixty percent without you and seventy-five percent with you.”
They both watched her carefully as she took a deep breath. Trey knew, or at least hoped, the commander was giving her the worse-case scenario to make sure she was aware of what she was getting herself into and exactly how dangerous it would be because those odds pretty much sucked.
“Why me, specifically?” She directed her question at the commander.
“Honestly? Mostly because you look like her and we don’t have time to find anyone else.” The commander slid a print copy of the photo of the woman across his desk.
Carly walked closer, picked it up and studied it. After a moment she glanced up at Trey then back to the commander. “All right.”
The commander raised a brow. “That’s it? No more questions?”
Her short laugh sounded bitter. “Would you answer them if I asked?”
The commander smiled. “Probably not.”
“Then it would be a waste of time, now wouldn’t it?”
The commander nodded. “You’ll do well I think, McAfee. Williams will brief you on the flight over, but here’s a quick overview. You’re playing a newlywed American wife. Williams is your husband and as his wife you are devoted, loving and obedient and will do whatever he says.”
Carly screwed up her face, mumbling, “Good thing I took acting in college.”
The commander pretended he didn’t hear her, but continued a bit more loudly. “More importantly, he’s your field leader on this assignment and as such you’ll do whatever he commands, no questions asked. This is imperative. Hesitation could cost lives. He’ll be in constant contact with myself and any others who may be working with us. You have to trust him implicitly and without discussion, because you must assume every minute, everywhere, you will be monitored by those who can do you harm. I mean not even a whisper, McAfee. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
Trey noted she was already standing a little straighter and calling the commander “sir”. Military training was just like riding a bike. You never really forgot it.
“Good. You’re quick and you’re tough, McAfee. I can see that. You must be to deal with these guys drunk every night. I wouldn’t be sending you on this assignment if I didn’t think you would succeed. One last thing—” the commander turned to Trey, “—Williams, go kiss your new bride.”
It was a test. Trey knew that. A test both for himself and for Carly. Keeping his role in mind, he became the newlywed husband who was supplying arms to terrorist bastards.
Without hesitation, Trey strode to where she stood. More petite up close than she appeared when she was wielding her larger-than-life attitude while slinging beer behind her bar, in reality she came up only to about his chest.
He tangled one hand in her hair so she couldn’t pull her head away, not that she tried. He slipped the other beneath the hem of the shirt where it just met the jeans riding low below her waist. Her skin felt warm and smooth to the touch. He slid his hand higher and let his thumb rest just below the lush curve of her breast.
Trey had to duck his head down to reach her. She stared up at him, her eyes liquid pools of green clearly showing her surprise as he bent and captured her mouth.
Kissing her hard and deep, he parted her lips and drove his tongue between them before he or she had too much time to think about it. In this particular situation thinking would be bad.
She didn’t squirm or pull away. In fact, she actually tilted her head and allowed him greater access to the warm, wet recesses of her mouth. As his tongue met and stroked hers, he felt a stirring in his pants. There was no way to kiss a woman this attractive this deeply and not have it affect him. He was a healthy male after all, but he didn’t need a raging hard-on in front of both Carly and the commander.
When he thought how he and Carly would be sharing a bed as they portrayed a married couple for the duration of this mission his mind went to bad places, and his erection followed. Trey quickly broke the kiss.
Trying to ignore both his pounding heart and his rapidly expanding lower appendage, he dropped his hands from her too-tempting body and turned to the commander. “Sir?”
The commander nodded and smiled. “Let’s get you two on that plane.”
When country boys meet a city girl, everyone is in for a wild ride.
Unridden
© 2009 Cat Johnson
Studs in Spurs, Book 1
Slade Bower and Mustang Jackson are living the high life on the professional bull-riding circuit. The prize money is big, the bulls are rank and the women are willing. But something is missing.
For Slade, waking up in a different city with a different woman each morning is holding less and less appeal. Even Mustang’s creative attempts to shake things up don’t help. Then along comes a big-city author who’s like nothing they’ve ever encountered. Something about her makes Slade sit up and take notice—and Mustang is always up for anything.
Romance writer Jenna Block has a problem—her agent thinks a cowboy book will jump-start her career. A born New Yorker, Jenna doesn’t do cowboys, not on paper, and definitely not in real life. Luckily for her there are two cowboys ready, willing and able to take her out of her comfort zone in every way that counts…and some ways she hadn’t counted on.
Warning: This story contains two hot cowboys, one very lucky woman, hot ménage sex and lots of bull.
Enjoy the following excerpt for
Unridden:
“Wow. This is nice.” Jenna had trouble diverting her eyes away from the large bed.
Her pulse raced. She was nervous, very nervous, and making conversation seemed the best way to postpone the inevitable—that being her and two cowboys she barely knew together in that big bed. But the moment she’d suggested they come back to the trailer, her decision had been made. After seeing the looks on both of their faces, she was pretty sure they knew it too.
There was no turning back now. Not that she wanted to. The internal do-I-or-don’t-I debate was done—she only hoped her bravado lasted long enough for her to actually go through with it without passing out from nerves.
“I like to try to stay at hotels during the competitions, but they were all booked,” Mustang explained apologetically. “On top of the bull-riding finals there’s some huge romance convention in town, or so I was told.”
As Mustang grinned pointedly at her, Jenna bit her lip and cringed. “Yeah, that would be the one I’m at. Sorry about that.”
Mustang laughed. “Don’t be. It’s not your fault. Besides, Slade actually likes the trailer better anyway.”
Jenna glanced at Slade, who was watching her and Mustang closely while not saying much. Actually, he wasn’t saying anything, as usual. “I don’t blame him for liking it. It’s a nice trailer.”
“Exactly how many trailers have you been in, darlin’?” Mustang raised a brow in challenge.
“Counting this one? Um, one.” Jenna felt her cheeks heat.
Mustang grinned. “That’s what I thought. Make yourself comfortable. I’m gonna hit the head, then get us those drinks.”
After Mustang closed himself into the tiny toilet room, Slade finally spoke.
“What’s all this about, Jenna? Guzzling your drink at the bar. Asking to come back here to the trailer when last night you wanted nothing to do with it. You’ve done a total one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turnaround since yesterday. What’s up?”
She considered his question and her answer very carefully. “Today’s my birthday, Slade.”
His head dipped once in a nod. “Happy birthday.”
“It’s my thirty-fifth.” She tried not to wince.
Slade shrugged. “So what?”
“
So what
?” Jenna laughed. “Easy for you to say. What are you? Like twenty-five?”
“I’m turning twenty-seven next month actually. Mustang’s twenty-five, though.”
She rolled her eyes. “Great, that’s just great. Well, at least I’m not old enough to have birthed you both.”
Slade shook his head. “What does it matter? You’re only as old as you feel.”
“Maybe that’s my problem, Slade. I
feel
old. I’m thirty-five, have no boyfriend, and I’m starting to seriously doubt my career choice. I’m not where I thought I’d be at this point in my life.”
“First of all, you don’t look thirty-five.”
Jenna snorted. “Thanks.”
“As for the rest, I don’t know shit about writing or books or what plans you had for your life, but as far as the no boyfriend part… I can’t say I’m unhappy about that.”
She raised her gaze to meet his. “Really?”
That had been quite a revelation from the man of few words. For the first time since meeting him, Jenna really looked at Slade, without looking away this time. She stared deep into his dark eyes and saw the man beneath the stone-hard exterior.
He nodded. “Yeah. Really.”
Maybe it had been the vodka and her deepening gloom over her crappy cowboy book on top of being yet another year older that had prompted Jenna to suggest going back to the trailer in the first place. But right now, it was Slade and his sincerity that made Jenna not doubt her decision one bit. She wanted this. Hell, she was pretty sure she needed this.
Jenna stepped forward and leaned toward him. There wasn’t much distance between them to begin with given the size of the trailer, and now Slade was right in front of her, their bodies almost touching.
Slade was still too tall for her to reach what she wanted, until, eyes never leaving hers, he lowered his head a few inches, meeting her halfway. Tipping her head up to close that last temptingly tiny space, she touched her lips to his. She heard the sharp breath he dragged in through his nose at the contact.