Two Times as Hot (3 page)

Imagine if he ever got his hands on her . . .

An older woman and man exited the front doors of the sedan and joined the blonde.
They had to be Tuck’s new in-laws. Their presence should have diminished Logan’s amorous
fantasies about Emma. It didn’t.

It seemed Emma had captured his attention and she wasn’t letting go. He managed to
block her parents right out as he wondered what her hair would feel like against his
cheek while he ran his tongue down her throat.

“Hey, Tuck. It looks like Emma’s here.” Jace came to stand next to Logan at the window.
He blew a slow whistle. “Boy oh boy, is she looking good.”

The tone of Jace’s voice made Logan turn to get a good look at him. The man had a
knowing expression on his face that didn’t sit well with him at all. “You know her?”

“Oh, yeah.” Jace dragged the two short words out to be suggestively long.

What the hell was that about? Logan’s brows rose. He turned to glance at Tuck.

“Emma was here with Becca the first time she came to Oklahoma for the job interview
at OSU. You know, the night Becca and I met at the rodeo.”

Tuck had answered without Logan’s having to ask, but that sure as hell didn’t explain
the rest. Such as why Jace was acting as if he and Emma had done more than just meet
that night.

Those were details Logan was more than interested in having.

“Yeah, I remember you telling me about the rodeo.” But not that Jace and Becca’s hot
sister from New York had had a little one-night rodeo of their own.

Of course, Jace liked to exaggerate. It didn’t matter if it was about conquering a
bull or a woman. Logan had known the man for years through Tuck. Ever since the two
had ridden on the rodeo circuit together before Tuck had enlisted in the army. If
nothing else, he knew Jace could throw the shit with the best of them. It was very
possible nothing at all had happened between Jace and Emma, except in Jace’s own overactive
imagination.

Logan decided to run with that theory and see how things progressed. It was far better
than the alternative—assuming Jace had a prior claim on this woman and having to back
off. A lot could happen over a short period of time. Look at how one night between
Tuck and Becca had changed both of their lives. Logan had an entire weekend and a
wedding reception to work with. There’d be sentimental speeches and tears, music,
and a fully stocked bar. Everything to put the partygoers—and Emma—in the mood for
romance.

Not to mention Logan had Tuck on his side, pulling for him, putting in a good word.
At least Tuck had better be on his side. Jace was Tuck’s friend, yes, but Logan was
like a brother. Not to mention his boss and commanding officer. If it came right down
to it, Logan would pull rank. Hell, he could order Tuck to put in a good word for
him with Emma or else.

When leggy blondes with curves like Emma’s were involved, a man had to bend the rules.

How the hell long was it going to take Becca’s family to get inside so he could meet
Emma officially? Logan glanced out the window again and noticed Tyler’s truck was
now parked in the drive, as well. If people continued to arrive at this rate, it was
about to get very crowded in the Jenkins’ house, but there was only one guest Logan
was interested in now.

“We’re here. Now this party can get started.” A familiar voice brought Logan around
as Tuck’s younger brother came through the door. “Sorry I’m late, bro.
Somebody
wasn’t ready when I got there.”

Tyler’s sister, Tara, followed him in. She delivered a backhanded smack to Tyler’s
gut after shooting him a look over his comment. “Hey. I had to pack a lot of stuff
for this weekend.”

“You sure as hell did. My truck was riding kind of low. Of course, that could be from
you putting on some weight last semester.” Tyler grinned.

“I did not.” A punch this time rather than a slap had Tyler frowning and rubbing his
shoulder where she’d hit him.

“It’s good to see you. Both of you. I’m glad you’re here.” Tuck stepped up to hug
Tara. “Now quit the arguing. Becca’s parents and sister just got here. Don’t show
them what heathens we are before the wedding. Okay?”

“Afraid she’ll want to call it off? Don’t worry, Tuck. I’ll be sweet as pie. I promise.”
Tara’s attempt to appear sweet made her look more devil than angel.

She ignored Tuck’s burst of laughter at her declaration as she glanced at the others
in the room. When her eyes reached Jace, standing and drinking his beer while wearing
his usual amused grin, she scowled.

“Jace.”

“Tara.” Jace’s tone was as low and flat as hers had been.

Those two were like oil and water, and always had been. Most likely, they always would
be. The only thing they had in common was their love of Tuck, and their inexplicable
dislike of each other. Logan figured they were all lucky they’d left their greeting
at a single word and that it hadn’t been accompanied by the usual string of insults.

Logan smiled. Some things never changed. Jace and Tara still fought like cats and
dogs. The two younger Jenkins siblings still bickered, even at the age of—how old
were they? Tuck had already said Tyler was twenty-four. Tara was two grades behind
Tyler in school so she should be about twenty-one, or maybe twenty-two by now.

God, that made Logan feel old. He’d changed Tara’s diaper once or twice when she was
a baby. He’d been seventeen years old and babysitting on a Saturday night instead
of being out with his friends—at that time, changing a diaper full of baby shit was
the dead last thing he wanted to do.

“Logan.” Tara moved across the room. She wrapped her arms around him and aimed a kiss
at Logan’s mouth. He turned his head a fraction of an inch at the last minute. If
he hadn’t, it would have been a full-on lip-lock.

What the hell was that? Her greeting to him was a far cry from the pouting, juvenile
one she’d given Jace.

Logan still thought of Tara as a child, but pressed up against him as she was, from
tits to thighs, it was obvious she was all grown up now, and she wanted him to know
it. He cringed at his own thoughts—he didn’t even want to think of the word
tits
in relation to the girl he’d spent most of his life thinking of as a sister.

“Hi, Tara.” He pulled back, though her arms stayed around his neck.

“I’ve missed you. It’s so good to see you again.” Her face remained a little too close
for his liking.

“Good to see you, too.” He took a step back until she was forced to drop her hold.
“How have you been? How’s school going?”

“Great, but I can’t wait to graduate. You know, get on with my life. Get a job and
my own place. I’m thinking about moving to Stillwater once I’ve gotten my degree.
You like living there, right?”

“Sure. It’s a nice enough place.” He shrugged. Far better than a few places he’d endured
while deployed, so he certainly couldn’t complain.

A wide smile bowed her lips. “Maybe I could come visit and you could show me around.
You know, so I could get a feel for what it would be like to live there.”

As a single man going on forty years old, Logan knew damn well when a woman was flirting.
The problem was this was not just any woman. This was Tara, the closest thing to a
little sister he’d ever have. Not only was he almost old enough to be her father,
but when he looked at her he still saw the sweet little toddler who used to hold his
hand while they walked. She used to run to him crying when Tuck or Tyler or even Layne
had been mean to her, or she’d fallen and scraped her knee.

He needed to nip this little crush in the bud and right quick. “I’m sure if you came
to Stillwater, Becca would love to show her new sister-in-law around. She knows where
all the good places are. I pretty much only go to the shooting range and the fast
food joints right off campus.”

“I like to shoot. You taught me.” She kept her gaze leveled on his. “Remember how
we’d line up empty pop cans on the fence as targets and see how many we could each
knock off with the BB gun? I always beat Tyler.”

He’d obviously done too good a job as surrogate big brother. He’d created a tomboy
with the determination of a pit bull. Though Tara sure didn’t dress like a tomboy
any more. Gone was the old holey denim. In its place were fancy jeans with rhinestones
on the back pockets.

Come to think of it, it wasn’t only Tara’s attire that had altered. She’d also been
showing him a lot more attention the past few times they’d seen each other. In his
blissful bubble of denial, he hadn’t noticed how much it had changed from sister-like
devotion to that of a female on the prowl. He sure as hell noticed now. She was obviously
fueled by a good dose of adult female hormones.

Logan glanced around for help and found it in the group walking through the door.
“Oh, look. Becca’s family is here. I haven’t met them yet. As one of the groomsmen,
I guess I should ask Tuck to introduce me. Don’t want to be rude.”

He didn’t wait for a response from Tara to make his escape. He downed the last slug
of lukewarm beer en route to Tuck and hoped the introductions would keep him busy
until Tara had moved on to something or someone else.

While he’d been fending off Tara, Logan had fallen behind in his number one pursuit
of the evening—Emma. Just moments after she’d walked through the living room doorway,
Jace had already zeroed in on her.

One thing was for sure—at least it wouldn’t be a boring evening. Not with the unwanted
attention from a girl he thought of as a sister, and another man after the woman Logan
had his eye on—who could have ever imagined this weekend would turn out to be so damn
complicated?

B
ecca squeezed Emma’s hand as they followed their parents through the doorway of the
Jenkins living room. “I’m so happy you’re here.���

“Finally.” Emma sighed. “The one dress I’d put on didn’t look right, so I tried a
few others I’d packed. I thought Dad’s head was going to pop off when I wasn’t ready
the moment he wanted to leave.”

Her father knocking on the hotel room door every five minutes, tapping his foot and
complaining they were going to be late, hadn’t made getting ready any easier or faster
for Emma. Being a man, he couldn’t understand that, but Becca would, which was why
Emma looked to her sister for commiseration over the trying ordeal.

“It doesn’t matter, because you’re here now and you look great.” Becca smiled.

“Thank you.” At least one member of their family appreciated all the effort Emma had
put into getting ready for tonight’s party. She reached out and fixed a twisted strap
on Becca’s dress, and then glanced at the people already gathered in the living room.
“Small group. Are more coming?”

“Oh, yeah. Like two dozen more. Everyone’s not due for another hour or so.”

“Another hour?” Eyes open wide, Emma turned to stare at Becca. “Dad said—”

“I know.” Becca shook her head. “Believe me. I told Dad what time Tucker’s parents
expected them, but you know Dad. If he’s not at least fifteen minutes early, he considers
himself late. It doesn’t matter. Tuck’s friends are here early, too. It’s no big deal.”

It was a big deal because their father had stressed Emma to the point she was ready
to rip her hair out. She should be used to him and his idiosyncrasies after thirty-plus
years, but Emma still couldn’t help the sigh that came escaped her. “Is there wine?”

“Yes.” Becca laughed. “Did you have any doubt of that?”

“Uh, yeah. I did.” Emma wouldn’t say it and insult their hosts, but how could she
know if Tucker’s parents were teetotalers or not? This was Oklahoma. What did a New
Yorker know about Midwest traditions? Life in the heartland could be very different
from the coasts.

“Relax, there’s plenty. I went to the liquor store myself. We set up a bar in the
corner of the room. There’s champagne, white wine, and soda chilling in a cooler under
the table. The red wine is out and open. Oh, and there’s Tucker’s favorite beer for
him and the guys.”

The mention of alcohol and men brought a smile to Emma’s lips. “Then lead the way
to the bar.” And to the cowboys.

“Gladly. As soon as we can slip past Mom and Dad.” Becca tilted a head toward the
two sets of parents in front of them, blocking their path to the wine.

It seemed they were all stalled in the doorway as Tucker’s mother and father were
in a deep discussion with the bride’s parents.

“How old did you say the building was?” Emma’s father asked Mr. Jenkins.

“Parts are from the 1800s. You can still see the original beams.” Tuck’s father gestured
toward the ceiling and every member of the group glanced upward in unison.

Emma looked up as well, but she would have been much more appreciative of the structure
if she had a glass of wine in her hand. She peered around the group of ceiling-gazers,
who were apparently fascinated with the history of the architectural details. Over
by the bar, she spied something far more interesting than two-hundred-year-old beams.
“Becs, who’s that guy talking to Tucker?”

Her sister bobbed a bit to get a look. “That’s Logan, Tuck’s boss. Or commander or
whatever.” Becca waved one hand in the air. “I still don’t have all that army lingo
straight yet. I doubt I ever will.”

“
That’s
Logan?” Emma strained to get a better view of him past her father’s broad back.

“Yes. I told you about him. He grew up next door. Logan’s younger brother and Tucker
were in the same class in school. Logan’s parents still live there. They should be
here any minute, but his brother couldn’t make it.”

“Yeah, you told me about Logan, but you didn’t tell me he was so cute.” Emma had envisioned
some stodgy old military man as Tucker’s commanding officer, like a kind of General
Patton-type of character. Not this tall, dark, and handsome hottie.

“Sorry. I didn’t realize any time I mentioned a male to you I had to include a cuteness
rating.”

Emma didn’t bother to look at her sister. She didn’t need to. The tone of that comment
told her Becca was being a smart ass. Instead, Emma kept her eyes on the newest object
of her interest. “Well, now you know.”

“What should we go by, do you think? A scale of one to ten perhaps?” Becca asked.

“Is he single?” Ignoring the sarcasm in Becca’s voice, Emma shifted a bit farther
to better peer around her dad, but not so far that Logan, or anyone else, would notice
her staring.

“Yes, he’s single.”

“Never been married?” Emma took note that Logan had maybe an inch or two on Tucker,
who was no slouch himself in the height department. That probably put Logan at just
over six foot. Nice. Emma liked a man tall enough she didn’t have to be afraid to
wear heels. A man big and strong so a woman could feel safe and really held while
in his arms.

“Not that I know of.”

“Hmm. At his age, that could mean he has commitment issues.” Or that he was gay, but
Emma didn’t get that vibe from him. Maybe he was just a player, sailing around the
world with the military. A different woman in every port. Though he was in the army,
not the navy.

“Jeez, Emma. Do you have to judge every man you meet on his marriage potential?”

Emma drew back at that insulting statement from her sister. “Forgive me, Miss About-to-Get-Married.
I’m sorry it bothers you that I want a social life of my own.”

“Forgive
you
? Are you serious? Ha! I could say the same thing.” Becca’s bitching interrupted Emma’s
fantasies about Logan.

Emma frowned. Since she hadn’t been paying all that much attention to her sister while
she’d been drooling over the hot military man in the room and wondering what was wrong
with him that he was still available, Emma was confused. “What are you talking about?
You could say the same thing about what?”

“I could say forgive
me
for assuming that if you were going to be interested in any man here this weekend,
it would be Jace.” Becca threw out the name of the one man Emma had refused to discuss
since that fateful night at the rodeo last July.

At least Becca had kept her voice down to a low whisper so the whole room wouldn’t
hear. Particularly the man in question, whom Emma could see was already there. The
parent blockage worked both ways, and Jace hadn’t been able to get to her from his
position across the room. That didn’t stop him from continuing to glance and smile
in her direction as she ignored him and pretended she didn’t notice.

“Humph. We’ll have to see about Jace.” Emma wouldn’t admit it to Becca, but she couldn’t
deny it to herself—one big reason she’d taken so much time getting ready today was
because she knew she’d be seeing Jace again. Not that she was still interested in
him. Her concern over her appearance was strictly to let him know what he’d missed
out on last year.

“Emma, what happened between you and Jace?” Becca obviously wasn’t letting this topic
drop.

She decided to play it off light. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Yes, actually. I would.” Becca nodded, eyes wide.

“Then you’d better wish for something else when blowing out the candles on your next
birthday cake, because you’re not going to find out.” There was no way in hell Emma
was going to tell her sister that literally on the way to her bed, the man had up
and left. To go change his ex-girlfriend’s flat tire, no less. And that on top of
that, he’d asked for her number, promised to call, and never did. All while Becca
and Tucker were off having a wild night of passion and falling in love.

It was humiliating. She couldn’t be happier that Becca had found the love of her life,
but still, as the older sister, it would have been nice if she’d gotten to her happy
ending first. Or at least at the same time.

But it was almost a full year later. Things might have changed. Perhaps Jace was finally
untethered from his ex and ready for a relationship. It didn’t matter at this point.

For this weekend, Emma didn’t need or want Prince Charming, a perfect man she’d hope
would drop down on one knee while holding an engagement ring.

Looking for happily ever after was exhausting. She’d be happy with some good, old-fashioned,
sweaty sex. If she went into a fling with no expectations other than a good time,
afterward she could fly back to New York happy and satisfied. And most importantly,
unencumbered by worries about some guy who would never call even after he asked for
her number and promised he would.

No more dreams of white dresses. No more hoping for promises of tomorrow. Well, perhaps
a man for just one tomorrow—she was here for the entire weekend—but definitely not
past then.

Logan was a possibility for that man. It would be nice to get to know him better.
A whole lot better. If only she could get over to him to say hello, or at least get
a closer look.

There was a jostling of positions within the wall of bodies in front of them. Emma
found herself free of the blockage obstructing her view of the hot military guy still
speaking with Tucker.

Shame Logan was in normal clothes—khaki pants and a blue button down shirt. Emma would
have loved to see him in his uniform.

What was even more of a shame was that there was now some cute young thing hanging
on him. Literally. She was holding onto his arm with a two-handed death-grip as if
her life depended on it.

What the hell? Emma scowled at the sudden change of events. “Becca, who’s that girl
next to Logan?”

Becca followed her gaze. “Oh, I’ll have to introduce you two. That’s Tucker’s sister,
Tara.”

“Ah. Of course.” That figured. It seemed there was always a girl from the past getting
in Emma’s way. First, Jace’s ex-girlfriend. Now, Logan’s girl-next-door.

Becca turned to frown at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Look at her, Becs. She’s all over him. It’s the classic little sister with a crush
on big brother’s friend scenario.”

“No. I don’t think so.” Becca shook her head. “I’ve never gotten that impression from
Logan. Besides, she hasn’t even been around him. He lives in Stillwater now, and she’s
been away at college for the past three years. Tyler just drove her home from school
today.”

College. God, that made Emma feel old. It was hard not to feel old next to a perky,
fresh-faced coed.

“Yup.” Emma nodded. “That sounds about right.”

Classic romance trope. Emma had probably read the story in some form or another a
hundred times in paperback novels. There was an older neighbor boy, and his best friend’s
younger sister who had an unrequited crush on him since puberty. He falls for her
after she returns home from college, a woman now instead of the girl he remembers.
With her pigtails, braces, and knobby knees gone, they fall madly in love and live
happily every after.

Emma watched as Tara took every opportunity to touch Logan. The girl made skin-on-skin
contact each chance she got. Even after he moved away to get another beer, she followed
and put a hand on his arm while she spoke to him.

“Hey there, darlin’.”

The voice from the past interrupted Emma’s observations of Tara’s obvious pursuit
of Logan. Emma might not have heard the voice for nearly a year, but she would know
that
darlin’
anywhere.

“Jace. Nice to see you again.” The words were pleasant enough, but her tone didn’t
exactly say she welcomed him with open arms.

Next to her, Becca watched the situation unfold, her eyes shifting from Jace to Emma.
“Um, I’m going to go get us some wine.”

“That’s an excellent idea.” With Becca off getting them drinks, Emma didn’t have to
pull any punches should she decide to put Jace in his place.

Apparently unperturbed by her tone, he grinned as he took her in from head to toe
with one thorough perusal. “You look real nice.”

“Thank you.” She didn’t mind an honest compliment, even if she was still pissed over
that night.

He dragged his focus back up to her eyes. “I’m glad you could make it in from New
York.”

“Of course I could make it. My only sister’s getting married.”

He nodded and took a swig out of his beer bottle. The wrap dress had definitely been
the right choice. Emma took great satisfaction in how his gaze kept settling on her
cleavage.

She decided to throw him a bone and make some small talk . . . and remind him about
that night. Let him stew over what could have been his. “It’s funny, isn’t it? Almost
a year ago, when we all met, did you ever imagine we’d be here now for Tucker and
Becca’s wedding?”

“Oh, hell no.” Jace laughed. “No offense to Becca, but I never thought Tuck was getting
married again. I figured he’d be single ’til the day he died.”

“I guess love changes a man.” Emma hoped that little tidbit sank in to Jace’s cowboy
brain.

He snorted out a laugh. “If you say so.”

Same old cocky cowboy. Some things never changed. She wondered if the situation with
his ex-girlfriend had. Emma glanced around the party. Aside from Tuck’s sister, who
was still staring at Logan like a puppy looking for attention, there were no other
extraneous females. She had thought that maybe by now Jace’s ex-girlfriend might no
longer be an ex, but she wasn’t here yet, if she were coming at all.

“So, you here alone?” Emma asked.

“Yup. All alone. Totally solo. For the wedding, too. What about you?”