Reilly's Wildcard (15 page)

© 2012 Anne Rainey

Blackwater, Book 3

Looking at Vance Jennings now, no one would guess that the tough-as-nails building contractor once suffered a broken heart. Twelve years has blunted the pain of the breakup with his high school sweetheart, but not the memory. Until she shows up on his doorstep asking for a second chance.

One look at the sexy redhead, and Vance adds a foot or two to his rock-solid emotional barriers. No way is he letting her back into his life. But he’ll be happy to let her close enough to sample her delectable body.

Shayla Riggs is no longer the vulnerable teenager who was forced to give up her first and only love. She’s older, wiser, and determined to make things right. Except the changes in Vance throw her for a loop. He’s definitely not the sweet boy she remembers. In fact, the grown-up version lights her up hotter than a firecracker.

It takes only a kiss, a caress, to bring back the explosive passion they once shared. But if Shayla can’t find a way to break through the bitter walls around his heart, it just might destroy them both. Again.

Warning: Expect an annoying ex-husband, a slightly pushy reporter, a fiercely protective hero, and some meddling family members. Of course there’s also a whole lot of naughty sex, and in numerous positions too. Possible overheating of various electronic devices could occur.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Breaking Brodix:

Brodix arrived at Sarah’s apartment at seven sharp. Of course, he was on time. After all, he wasn’t about to be late for this. When she opened the door to her apartment, he nearly swallowed his friggin’ tongue. For their dinner date, she’d chosen a silky black dress that molded to her curves like a soft glove. The scoop neck showed off a delicate amount of cleavage. Just enough to lend to the beauty of her supple curves. Christ, she was perfect. Every man’s fantasy.
His
fantasy. Sarah Greer fit his definition of temptation to a T.

The hell of it was, he couldn’t remember another woman who’d ever made him feel so edgy. As if he were on the very verge of flying out of control at any moment. He’d been with women of all types—brunettes, redheads, blondes—but none compared to Sarah. She was turning out to be in a class all her own.

“You’re gorgeous,” he told her, giving her the raw truth. Brodix noticed she didn’t invite him, though. Instead, she kept him in the doorway, her body partially blocking his view of the room beyond. He had a contrary urge to nudge his way around her so he could get a better look at Sarah’s private sanctum.

“Thank you.” Sarah looked down and smoothed a hand over the waistline of the dress. “I bought this little number for a convention one year. It was pricey, but I figured it’d be worth it at the time. Unfortunately, I never even had the chance to wear it, until now.”

“So you saved it for me,” he said, knowing he sounded cocky as hell but hoping to get a rise out of her because of it.

She chuckled. “Don’t let it go to your head,” she said as she reached behind the door. When she brought out a black leather purse and a set of keys, Brodix stepped back so she could move into the hallway.

“You didn’t invite me in,” he said, smiling down at her. “What’s the matter, don’t you trust me?”

As Sarah stepped into the hall with him and pulled the door shut, she locked it behind her. “It isn’t that,” she said, “although you are a virtual stranger. I just haven’t been out on very many dates since my divorce. I’m somewhat cautious these days, I suppose.”

He nodded. “That’s smart, but why haven’t you been out on many dates?” he asked, genuinely curious about her.

She shrugged. “Too busy with work. You know how it goes.”

Yeah, he knew exactly how Sarah felt. Holding down his day job and working at the restaurant on nights and weekends over the past several months had pretty much screwed his personal life all to hell. He was past due for a night out.

As they headed toward the elevator, Brodix caught himself staring at her breasts. God, how he wanted to dip his head and taste her there. Just a sample to tide him over. He forced himself to look away. He didn’t think getting a hard-on in the middle of her apartment building before their date even began would make a real great impression. He needed to cool off. Take his mind off the woman striding down the hall with enough confidence to rev his engine. “When was the divorce?”

They reached the elevator, and Brodix hit the Down button. “We’ve been divorced two years now,” she answered. “Every so often, he gets it in his head that he wants me back. The truth is that Jack just wants sex. He’s so transparent, and yet he thinks he’s all charm and sophistication.” She rolled her eyes. “Sadly, I bought into that load of crap at one time. Stupid.”

“Falling in love isn’t stupid,” he said as the doors slid open. He waited for her to precede him. “You might have been a little blind, but who isn’t when it comes to love?” After the doors closed them in and he hit the button for the lobby, Brodix allowed his gaze to travel the length of her. When he reached her long, lean legs, he had to stifle a groan. “He, on the other hand, must be an imbecile.”

She pulled her purse onto her forearm and looked up at him. “You haven’t even met him. Maybe I was the imbecile.”

“Don’t forget the conversation I had with him on your cell.”

Sarah winced. “Yeah, he didn’t really start off on the right foot with you, did he?”

When the doors opened, Brodix placed his hand at the small of her back. The light contact sent fire licking through his veins. “Whatever,” he replied. “All I know is that he let you go. That’s enough proof right there that he’s not firing on all cylinders.” When she walked through the lobby, Brodix stole a glance at her legs once more. Damn, Reilly had been right. Sarah’s legs did go on for miles. And he had a feeling they’d wrap around his hips nicely. Right now they were beautifully displayed in a pair of black pumps.

As they reached the parking lot, Sarah turned her head. Their gazes caught, held. “Thank you,” she said in a voice so soft he had to strain to hear.

He quirked a brow. “For what?”

“For giving me a chance. And for taking me out tonight. It’s been too long since I’ve let myself have any fun.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, at a loss for words. Sarah’s little confession fueled his need to have more than a meal with her. To strip her out of her sexy black dress and discover all her naughty secrets. What would it be like to make love to her, slowly? The kind of loving that lasted clear into the night. He’d want to do it all over again when morning came. Only rougher. Brodix ached for no-holds-barred sex with Sarah. He had to have her soon. Simple as that.

His steps never faltered as he brought her to his black BMW. When he placed her in the passenger seat, he took a moment to look at her. With her oval face and honey-blonde hair, she looked like an angel. The shiny strands drifted down past her shoulders in loose, sexy curls. When he caught on to the fact he was staring, he smiled. “Let the fun begin.”

She grinned up at him, and Brodix’s heart nearly stopped.

Christ, he was toast.

His tool, his rules…

Vance’s Rules

© 2012 Anne Rainey

Blackwater, Book 2

Looking at Vance Jennings now, no one would guess that the tough-as-nails building contractor once suffered a broken heart. Twelve years has blunted the pain of the breakup with his high school sweetheart, but not the memory. Until she shows up on his doorstep asking for a second chance.

One look at the sexy redhead, and Vance adds a foot or two to his rock-solid emotional barriers. No way is he letting her back into his life. But he’ll be happy to let her close enough to sample her delectable body.

Shayla Riggs is no longer the vulnerable teenager who was forced to give up her first and only love. She’s older, wiser, and determined to make things right. Except the changes in Vance throw her for a loop. He’s definitely not the sweet boy she remembers. In fact, the grown-up version lights her up hotter than a firecracker.

It takes only a kiss, a caress, to bring back the explosive passion they once shared. But if Shayla can’t find a way to break through the bitter walls around his heart, it just might destroy them both. Again.

Warning: This story contains a stubborn woman intent on seduction and an alpha male with some naughty ideas of payback. Let the fireworks begin!

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Vance’s Rules:

Watching the emotions flit across Shayla’s expressive face brought Vance back to the first moment he’d seen her. It was in Biology II, and Shayla had been wearing a demure white blouse and a pair of loose jeans. Her hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, little strands hanging around her face. At first, he’d thought her mousy and sort of forgettable. It hadn’t taken him long to start imagining what her slight curves would feel like pressed up against his body.

He’d flirted with her, and she’d blushed. It’d turned him on. He’d spent too many classroom hours staring at her ass. She’d caused a riot within his hormones, then and now. More than once, he’d imagined taking hold of the little elastic band holding her hair back and yanking it free so he could watch as all her rich, red hair cascaded down her back.

When they’d started dating, Shayla had spoiled him with her sweet, giving nature, Vance admitted to himself. He hadn’t been forced to do much chasing because she’d been so enamored of him. The first time they’d made love, in the front seat of his pickup truck, no less, Vance had been thrown for a loop by the fact she’d been a virgin. Guilt had assailed him. Hell, she’d been innocent until he’d gotten hold of her. The next morning in class, she’d looked at him and smiled. The combination of sweet innocence and naughty vixen had done him in. He’d been toast after that. Vance hadn’t been able to keep his hands off Shayla. If he remembered correctly, she’d been every bit as greedy for him.

Vance knew now what they’d had was puppy love. Shayla was more confident now. He had a feeling she wasn’t going to be quite so malleable this time around. She’d all but tossed a wrench into his well-ordered world with her sudden appearance as it was. He grinned in spite of himself. If she had any clue how intent he could be when he wanted something, she never would’ve stepped foot into his house.

When she sat on the couch in front of the fire and smiled up at him, Vance wasn’t sure whether he wanted to lick her from head to toe or push her out the door.

With resignation, Vance went to the kitchen cupboard and took out a bottle of wine. “Merlot, okay?” he called out.

“Perfect, thank you. So,” she said, “have you always lived here alone?”

It didn’t surprise him she would fish around to see if he’d ever had a woman living with him. Shayla was curious by nature. As he headed back into the living room, Vance hid a grin and decided to tease her a little.

“Actually, Elizabeth lives here with me.”

Shayla squinted. “Elizabeth? But you said you weren’t seeing anyone.”

“Elizabeth isn’t just anyone. She’s upstairs,” he said as he poured them each a glass of wine, “sprawled out on my bed.”

The look she shot him was downright lethal. “I see. Well, I hope I didn’t interrupt…anything.”

Yep, the woman was definitely jealous. Vance sat down next to her and took a sip of his wine. “Eh, Elizabeth doesn’t mind, but don’t expect her to come down and visit. She’s shy.”

Shayla tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, then started drumming her fingers on her thigh. Vance knew Shayla well. The twelve years she’d been gone hadn’t changed the fact that she only performed that little ritual whenever she was agitated—and without a doubt, right now she was agitated. “How long have you two been together?”

He swirled the wine around in his glass. “Ten years, give or take.” When her eyes grew wide, Vance added, “Shayla, Elizabeth is a cat.”

Her gaze narrowed. “A cat?”

Vance winked. “Yep. A pretty, slightly obese, gray-and-black-striped cat that I found at the animal shelter.”

She placed her glass on the coffee table and crossed her arms over her chest. “You were putting me on.”

Vance’s gaze zeroed in on Shayla’s breasts. She wore a high-necked, peach-colored blouse, and he could just barely make out the outline of her bra. God, how he wanted to see her strip. He imagined licking her nipples, and his cock stiffened. When an image of her naked and beneath him sprang to mind, he quickly pushed it away. “Yeah,” he said as he cleared his throat, “I was. Sorry.”

She chuckled. “You really don’t sound sorry.”

Vance had to tamp down the need to reach over and simply take what he so badly wanted. He needed to do something and quick, or Shayla was going to find herself sprawled out on the couch. To hell with crazy things like logic and good sense. “I’m really not.”

Vance put his wine next to hers on the coffee table in front of them, then scooted closer. When he took her in his arms, he noticed the shock registering in her eyes. “W-What are you doing?”

“When you came here, did you want more than a clear conscience, Shay?”

She closed her eyes tight and nodded. “Yes.”

Vance’s blood heated. “Do you still have feelings for me?” he asked, all but holding his breath.