Getting Hotter (38 page)

Pissed off beyond belief, she marched into the living room, where she found both her kids sitting on the couch, wearing identical sheepish expressions on their faces.

She addressed her daughter first. “You used my cell phone to call Seth?”

Sophie at least had the courtesy to look guilty. “Yes.”

She turned to Jason. “And you were in on this?”

That got her another guilty yes.

“Ah, don’t be mad at them.”

She spun around to see Seth leaning against the doorframe. After a second, he stumbled into the room and collapsed on the armchair as if he could no longer support his own weight.

Lord, how much had he had to drink?

“They were just trying to get us back together.” Seth glanced at the twins. “Weren’t you?”

Sophie nodded.

Miranda released a sigh and joined them on the couch. “It doesn’t matter what your intentions were. You can’t do things like this, guys. You can’t take Mommy’s phone and call someone and tell them there’s been an emergency. Remember that story I told you about the boy who cried wolf? Remember what happened to the boy?” She shook her head. “I’m very disappointed in you two.”

Jason looked stricken. “I’m sorry, Mom. But we did it ’cause you were wrong.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“You were wrong,” Sophie piped up.

“Because it’s four,” Jason explained.

Now she was utterly lost. “What are you talking about?”

“The magic number isn’t three. It’s
four
.” Jason’s expression conveyed impatience. “You and me and Sophie and Sef.”

He pointed at Seth, as if Miranda needed the visual reference.

Her heart jammed in her throat. She drew in a breath, battling the rising wave of sorrow. “Guys, I already told you, Seth is—”

“An idiot,” Seth finished.

Her head swiveled in his direction.

“An idiot,” he repeated. “I should have never walked out on you. I was just so shaken up after what happened at the carnival and—”

Sophie jumped off the couch and threw herself into his lap. “It was my fault! I shouldna run away and now you don’t wanna be with us anymore.”

Seth’s muscular arms wrapped around the distraught girl, and Miranda’s heart cracked in two as she watched him stroke her daughter’s hair.

“You shouldn’t have run away,” he agreed. His gray eyes met Miranda’s over Sophie’s head. “But I shouldn’t have run away either.”

She forced herself to ignore that little pang of hope. It didn’t matter what he said. He’d left. He’d ended it. He’d proven that she couldn’t count on him.

“Guys, would you mind if I spoke to your mother alone?” Seth asked gruffly.

Sophie slid off his lap and hurried over to her brother, practically dragging him away from the couch. “C’mon, Jase.”

Miranda had to smile as she watched them scurry off, but the smile faded when Seth rose from the armchair and advanced on her.

“I screwed up,” he said in a voice thick with remorse. “I let my fears drive me away. But I’m not afraid anymore.”

She refused to meet his eyes. “Really.”

“I spoke to my mom today.”

“Yeah, about what?” She kept her voice casual.

“About Adam.” He shrugged. “And we both realized something.”

Curiosity had her turning her head. She needed to see his expression, and what she found surprised her. He looked…peaceful.

“What did you realize?” she asked softly.

“That we’d suffered enough. Adam’s gone. Mistakes were made, by me, by my mom, but there’s really only one person to blame in the end—and that’s the person who took Adam’s life.” Seth swallowed. “But all that isn’t important right now.
You’re
what’s important. I love you, Miranda, and I’m sorry for freaking out last night.”

“You left, Seth.” She bit the inside of her cheek. “The only thing I’ve ever wanted is someone who will be there for me. Someone I could count on. And you left.”

“I screwed up,” he said again. “But I promise you, I will never leave again. You can count on me to be there for you.”

“Why should I believe you?” she whispered.

“Because you love me. Because you have faith in me. Because you can look in my eyes and see that I mean every word that I’m saying.”

There was no mistaking the sincerity glimmering in those silver-gray depths. She felt her resolve crumbling with his every word, and when he leaned in to brush his lips over hers, she was a goner. Seth’s lips were warm and firm. He tasted like alcohol, but when she pulled back to search his face, he looked stone-cold sober.

“I love you, Miranda.” His husky voice tickled her senses. “Please give us another chance.”

“Okay,” she murmured.

His eyes lit up. “Okay?”

She nodded.

In the blink of an eye, he was kissing her again, so passionately that her lungs screamed for oxygen and her brain became foggier than a mirror in a steam-filled bathroom. By the time his tongue retreated and his lips left hers, she’d forgotten her own name.

“So…” she gulped, “…what now?”

“Now…” he tilted his head thoughtfully, “…now we hang out with the rugrats for a bit, and then we put them to bed.”

“And then what?”

“And then I take you to your bedroom, help you out of those pesky clothes, and…” Seth trailed off suggestively.

“And make sweet, sweet love to me all night long?” she filled in.

“Definitely.” He brought his lips to her ear, his mocking voice sending a shiver through her. “But first I’m going to fuck you.”

Miranda couldn’t have suppressed her laughter even if she’d tried. And here he was, that bad boy she’d tried so desperately not to fall in love with. Rough and crude and dangerous, with a smart tongue and a chip on his shoulder and a whole lot of swagger that he didn’t bother apologizing for.

And what do you know—he was exactly what she’d needed.

About the Author

A RITA-award-nominated author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

Elle loves to hear from her readers. Visit her website
www.ellekennedy.com
or send her a note at
[email protected]
. You can also find her on
Facebook
or follow her on
Twitter
(@ElleKennedy).

Look for these titles by Elle Kennedy

Now Available:

Bad Moon Rising

Dance of Seduction

Midnight Encounters

Going for It

Red Hot Summer

Hot Summer Nights

Hidden Desires

Out of Uniform

Heat of the Moment

Heat of Passion

Heat of the Storm

Heat It Up

Heat of the Night

The Heat Is On

Hot and Bothered (print anthology)

Feeling Hot

Welcome to Paradise

Welcome to Paradise

Take Me Home Tonight

Born to be Wild

Coming Soon:

Hot and Heavy (print anthology)

Since You’ve Been Gone (
Welcome to Paradise
#4)

Hotter Than Ever (
Out of Uniform
#9)

In tight quarters, anything can happen…

Feeling Hot

© 2012 Elle Kennedy

An
Out of Uniform
Story

It’s been a rough month for Navy SEAL Cash McCoy. Fresh off six months of celibacy during his deployment, he almost got into a hot blonde’s panties before they were interrupted. Since then, he still hasn’t gotten laid. The reason? He lost her number. And no other woman has replaced her face in his fantasies.

Then his CO asks him to keep an eye on his sister for a few weeks. Just until her psycho stalker ex is transferred. Cash’s new houseguest is none other than the same gorgeous, quirky blonde. And just his luck—his orders include an emphatic
hands off
.

Jen Scott is having none of it. Now that she has a second chance, she’s not letting Cash slip away. Orders be damned, he’s the one man capable of helping her explore her sexuality. She’s even willing to break her own rule—never date military men—to get the gorgeous SEAL into her bed.

Except Cash makes it clear he wants more than she bargained for. Much more. Not just her body, but the one thing she promised herself she’d never give to a man in uniform. Her heart.

Warning: Sexy SEAL? Check. Sassy heroine determined to seduce him? Check.
 
Scorching hot sex bound to make you blush? Double check. A threesome and some man-on-man action?
 
Triple check. You’ve been warned.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Feeling Hot:

A sharp rap on the window jarred her from her thoughts. She turned to see Carson’s exasperated face peering into the half-open window. “Out of the car, Jenny.”

She opened her mouth, nearly confessing that she already knew Cash. But she stopped herself at the last second. Shit. She couldn’t tell her brother about the night at the Tavern. Not only did it make her look like the slut of the century, but it suddenly occurred to her that if she
did
tell Carson she knew Cash, he might scrap this whole houseguest plan and act on his threat of involving their parents.

Another knock sounded on the window.

“I’m getting annoyed,” he announced.

Sighing, Jen got out of the car. “I doubt you’re as annoyed as I am.”

Her brother’s blue eyes softened. “I’m just trying to look out for you. Maybe I’m overreacting, seeing a threat where I shouldn’t, but I won’t take chances with your safety. Until Brendan is gone, I refuse to leave you unprotected.”

An arrow of guilt pierced her chest. Carson sounded so genuinely concerned that she felt like an ass for the way she’d bitched at him all morning. “I know. I’m sorry I’m being such a brat.”

“’S’all good. I’m used to your brattiness.”

He reached out and tugged on the end of her ponytail, the way he’d always done when they were kids, and Jen couldn’t help but smile. As infuriating as Carson could be, he was still her big brother and she loved him something fierce. Besides, as much as she didn’t want to admit it, he was right. She
didn’t
feel safe. She’d been on edge ever since Brendan started playing these sick games with her, and although she wasn’t convinced her ex would actually cross the line from creepy to violent, she’d definitely breathe easier once he left town.

“Come on, let’s go in,” Carson said, linking his arm through hers.

Jen’s anxiety returned once they entered the building. She wondered how Cash would react when he saw her. If he even remembered her. A guy as good looking as him probably hooked up with ten girls a night. What if she’d just been another one of his faceless conquests?

Lugging her bags, Carson crossed the small, clean lobby toward the stairwell door. “Cash and Matt are on the second floor,” he told her. “But Matt’ll be staying with his girlfriend while you’re here.”

When they reached the second floor landing, Carson led her to a door at the very end of the hall. “Oh, and Ryan and Annabelle live upstairs,” he went on. “So if you want to do any girlie things, just call Annabelle. You met her, right?”

Jen nodded. Although she’d yet to meet her brother’s newer teammates, she knew most of the older ones well, along with their wives and girlfriends. Out of all the women, Annabelle Holmes was her favorite. They’d gone out for dinner a few times, and she’d hung out with the sarcastic brunette at Carson’s thirty-fourth birthday party last month, so it was a relief knowing that Annabelle would be nearby.

“By the way, I told Mom and Dad that your apartment is being fumigated,” Carson added. “So if they call, tell them you were overrun with ants.”

“Ants?
That’s
what you came up with?”

He shrugged. “First thing that popped into my head.”

They reached the door, which Carson opened without bothering to knock first. “McCoy,” he called. “Come say hi to Jenny.”

She cringed. Of course, he just
had
to refer to her by the name she hadn’t used since grade school.

As Carson dropped her two huge suitcases on the hardwood floor with a thump, Jen examined her surroundings. The apartment looked like a typical bachelor pad—no surprise there. It featured an open-concept layout, with a spacious living room boasting a black leather couch, two big armchairs, a flat screen mounted on the wall, and an entertainment system that screamed
man cave
. A small kitchen with stainless-steel appliances and an eat-in counter took up the other side of the room, next to a dining area with a big glass table and a shelf lined with an assortment of beer glasses. Her gaze flicked to the corridor in the back, which she deduced led to the bedrooms.