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  Hot Shots

  Destiny Blaine T Lee Garland

  Rider Jacobs Tavish Lee Shannon West

  Hot Shots

  Copyright © 2014

  Published by Dark Hollows Press

  About the eBook You Have Purchased

  All rights reserved. Without reserving the rights under copyright, reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or any other means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, is forbidden. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law.

  Hot Shots

  Copyright © 2014 Destiny Blaine, Tavish Lee, T Lee Garland, Rider Jacobs, Shannon West

  ISBN 10: 1940756421

  ISBN 13: 978-1-940756-42-4

  Original Publication Date: May 2014

  Rough Riders by Shannon West originally published May 2013 in Men of Honor

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2014 by Dark Hollows Press

  Cover Design by 3 Rusted Spoons

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  SEALed with a Commitment

  Destiny Blaine

  Chapter One

  “Hey, man. Nice to see ya.” Danny Boyd slapped Mic between the shoulder blades and lifted his beer bottle to his lips. “Did you just get back in town?”

  “Yesterday,” Mic replied, scanning the crowd. “On leave for a couple of weeks.”

  “I see.” Danny clucked. “So what brought you over, neighbor? The barbeque or cold beer?”

  Mic snorted at that. Danny had been advising him to stay away from his little sister since they were in high school but Danny had to have known the day would come when Mic would no longer heed his warning.

  When Mic had spotted the birthday banners in Annie’s front yard and the huge billboard towering over their small town burger joint with the announcement of Annie Boyd’s ‘surprising accomplishment’ of reaching the big 2-0, Mic marked the date as a good day for a claiming.

  “Where is she?”

  Danny smirked. “You still have it bad for my little sister, huh?”

  “You and I both know I’ve never laid a hand on her.” For some reason, he felt the need to make that fact clear and understood. He’d waited on Annie to grow up and with ‘teen’ no longer attached to her age, enough time had passed. It was time to make his intentions known.

  “If I have my way you won’t,” Danny said, keeping up fronts and plastering a grin on his face. “Annie deserves more than what some hotshot Navy SEAL might offer her. Don’tcha think?”

  Mic flinched. He’d often thought that very thing, but the fact was, he had waited for one woman and the waiting had only intensified his hunger, his need. He’d tried to substitute other one-night stands for the only woman he’d ever wanted and the effort was a lost cause.

  Annie owned his heart.

  “You know you could’ve called first. If memory serves me correctly, your name wasn’t on the guest list.”

  “It is now,” Mic said tightly.

  “You weren’t invited, Mic.”

  “I’m guessing she didn’t know I was in town. Otherwise, my name would’ve topped that list.”

  “Hmm, still right cocky, ain’t cha?”

  Mic shrugged, thankful when the band started playing in the background. He searched the crowd again looking for the stunning blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty. At five-foot-four, Annie wasn’t easy to find, but thanks to a little common sense, he knew where she’d likely be—smack dab in the center of the gathering crowd of young men, potential suitors.

  That was a joke and a half. Annie’s suitors were few and far between, thanks to some of his proactive measures to ensure other men didn’t ask her out. Sure, a few guys slipped through the cracks, but by and large he’d kept possible competition to a minimum.

  Mic zoomed in on the jock-types circling her, hoping to steal a peek of Annie and nearly hard thinking about what sort of dress she might have worn to impress her guests. Annie loved curve-hugging fashions, particularly low-cut styles, the kind of designs that made a man stand up and pay attention where it mattered—right below the belt.

  “Well, if it isn’t Mic Armstrong!” Her flirty voice filled his head and made him crazy. He glanced at the six or seven fellows up ahead. Apparently, he was wrong about where he might find the little vixen. Maybe another gal had some of the guests’ attention. She could keep it, for all Mic cared. He came there with one agenda and for only one woman.

  Slowly he turned, determined to play hard to get, if for no other reason than to watch Annie in motion. He’d always loved how she played with him, toyed with the man when she was still a girl, a young woman who had clearly defined what she would do with him if he’d spare her the time.

  “How are you, Annie?” His heart skipped a few beats when he leaned over and kissed her cheek. He took his time with the maneuver, eyeing those voluptuous breasts barely cradled in a v-style halter top dress.

  “How do you think I am, Mic?” She shot him a stern look, leading him to believe she hadn’t quite forgotten how he’d effectively worked damage control on his last visit home. He had assumed she might give him a piece of her mind, but to his great surprise, she flashed a sexy grin before she said to Danny, “Someone mentioned something about tapping a keg.” She fluttered her eyelashes and gave innocence a decent attempt. “I don’t know what they mean, but I’m sure you do. Kegs are under the awning next to the porch.”

  “Come on, Mic. You can hel—”

  “Mic, would you like to dance?” Annie cut her brother off midsentence.

  “I get the first dance with the birthday girl?”

  “You do dance. Don’t you, Mic?”

  With Annie as a partner, he’d learn to waltz if necessary. He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward the massive front porch where the band was playing.

  “You would’ve had that first dance a long time ago if you hadn’t been such a stubborn man,” Annie said, walking ahead of him when they reached the stairs leading to the porch.

  Mic couldn’t help but focus on Annie’s tight ass, too-short dress, and toned and tanned legs. He released a guttural growl, one she likely heard given her pause on the last step.

  He couldn’t help but wonder then. Had he waited too long? Had another man—or worse, some punk teenager—taken what he’d once told her was only his to have?

  He twitched his nose, warding off the thought. He must’ve been an arrogant prick all those years ago. A teenager himself at the time, he clearly recalled seeing Annie out with her friends on her sixteenth birthday. He’d snapped at her after he’d pulled some guy out of her car at the drive-in, promising her that if she’d hang on to what belonged to him, one day he’d be back and one day he’d make it worth her wait. Twelve hours later, he left for boot camp and it was another six months before he saw her again.

  Surely to God, she hadn’t waited. He clasped her wrist and turned her to face him. Those sparkling blue eyes held mystery as much as mischief. And in that second, he wanted to ask her. Had she allowed another man to touch her? Had she given up her innocence because she didn’t think he’d come back for her? He couldn’t really blame her. He’d visited his parents often and seldom gave her the time
of day, but she wasn’t old enough to handle him. More importantly, she wasn’t mature enough to deal with grief if he lost his life in the line of duty.

  “I’m glad you’ll dance with me now, Mic,” she said softly, lifting her arms to his shoulders and crossing her wrists behind his neck.

  “Yeah?” He stared down the bridge of his nose, attempting to keep his cock from brushing against her and demanding notice, weighing in on the matter.

  “Yeah,” she whispered, resting her cheek on his chest.

  Every bone in his body was aware of her presence. Every muscle tightened and tingled. She swayed to the music, pressing her breasts against him as one song faded out and another one soon began.

  Biting back the need to dip his head and take a first kiss, Mic reasoned there would be plenty of time for a more explicit connection, but as soon as he placed his hands on her small waist, he knew he’d achieve his goals sooner rather than later. This was the night he would lay down a woman as a man instead of a playboy, as a lover rather than a player.

  This was indeed the night Mic Armstrong would make love to the woman he planned to keep.

  Chapter Two

  “Let me guess, Mic already took off with some leggy brunette who gives new meaning to ‘a little on the trashy side’ and you’re drinking away your sorrows?”

  Lost in her thoughts, Annie nervously straightened out the refreshment table and desperately tried to rein in her temper by thinking about the party. Her brother had a way of bringing up the past, a past that still made her cringe at times.

  Instead of letting Danny win, she stirred the fruit dip, wishing her brother would find someone else to harass. At times like these, she really missed her mom. Prior to her death the year before, her mom had been such a wonderful hostess. She loved entertaining. Annie enjoyed parties, too, but welcoming outsiders into their home had presented its share of problems.

  She didn’t date often because of those obstacles. All the available young men had been warned early in life—she was Mic Armstrong’s property.

  She smiled at the memory, recalling how Mic had once pulled her out of the backseat of a sedan. He’d told Jake Smith to pass around the word—she belonged to Mic and no one, especially thugs, could touch what was his.

  The few men who had asked her out after ‘the Mic episode’ typically didn’t call her back for a second date. Once they found out Mic’s house was right next door, they ran like hell.

  “I asked you a question, little sister.” Danny gave her a thump on the back of the head.

  “Ouch!” She glared at him. “I may be your sister, but I’m not a kid anymore. I’d appreciate it very much if you would remember that.”

  “Okay, okay,” Danny said, backing away with his hands in the air. “I was just teasin’ ya. You look stressed out. It’s your birthday. You’re supposed to have a great time tonight. Want me to find Mic and tell him to get lost?”

  “No I do not.” She stopped rearranging the snacks. “Danny, what do you have against Mic? You’ve always told me I could do better, but I don’t understand. Mic is successful. He’s a really good guy. He was always respectful of me, you, our parents, his parents, and—”

  “Mic plays badass toy soldier.”

  “He’s on one of the most successful Navy SEALs teams in the country.”

  “Let me guess, he told you that?”

  “It’s true,” she said, remembering how Mic’s father had once spent hours telling her mission impossible tales, grand stories about how his son was out saving the world so wars were fought overseas instead of here at home. “I don’t know why you have such a hard time believing positive things about him. He works hard, rarely takes leave, and does a lot for our community. Plus, you know him. We’ve been next-door neighbors for most of our lives. Folks here in Fall Branch love the Armstrongs, Mic included. You’re the exception and I want to know why.”

  “I don’t have anything against Mic.” Danny grabbed a red cup and filled it with beer.

  “So you wouldn’t object if he asked me out?”

  “You mean like on a date?” Danny quickly sealed his lips and nodded, indicating someone behind her.

  “I hope the ‘he’ is me.” Mic’s deep voice resonated in her ears.

  Goosebumps scattered over her arms. Feeling the heat in her cheeks, she tried to regain some semblance of control over her trembling hands. She’d always kept Mic interested, but she hadn’t been able to close the deal. Tonight, she wanted to be a closer. She longed for him to ask her out on a real date or at least stick around after the party so they could finally talk.

  “Danny, do you mind running inside and grabbing some more chips and pretzels?”

  “Yeah, sis. I do.” He crossed his arms, glared at Mic, and didn’t budge.

  “Have it your way,” she said, refusing to be outdone. “Mic, can I borrow you for a minute?”

  “Just borrow?” There was too much play in his voice, too much awareness.

  “Yes,” she said quietly, walking ahead of him. She should’ve told him it was a trick question. She was never in any particular hurry to return anything out on loan.

  She cocked her head to the side as she opened the door to the kitchen. She wasn’t even sure he’d followed her until she heard that throaty carnal noise she’d heard earlier when they’d danced.

  Once inside the kitchen, she wheeled around and said, “I’m sorry my brother has been so rude to you—”

  “I’m not here for Danny. I’m here for this…” Mic’s palms went to her cheeks. His lips brushed her lips. “I’m here for you.”

  Those dark eyes held hers hostage. That hard masculine edge in his voice was as telling as his moist lips. He wanted her. She had sensed the difference in him from the moment she’d called out to him and his big, boulder-like shoulders had visibly relaxed.

  Before she could think like a vixen and give him a provocative reply, he thrust his tongue between her lips and quickly took their kiss to a new level, one that left his mouth leading as much as following, searching as much as claiming.

  Claiming?

  “Oh God.” She released a breathless whisper when he backed out of their kiss. She dragged the pads of her fingertips over the swell of her bottom lip. “You were always serious?” He’d waited for her to grow up, waited until he thought she was ready to handle him.

  “Serious about what?”

  “Me, you, us,” she said, seeking clarification.

  His full lips curved in an easy smile and his dark brown eyes melted like fine chocolates, seemingly softer. “It’s a multi-layered question, Annie. Are you sure you want to talk about this now? ”

  She noticed movement right outside the door and quickly shook her head. “No. Not right now.”

  Adorable dimples formed in his lower cheeks. He grabbed a tray of cheese straws and butted his hips against the screen door, using his ass to open it. “Good choice. For what I have in mind, we’ll need more than a moment. In fact, Annie, we’ll need all night.”

  Chapter Three

  Somehow Annie made it through the party. She tried to be a gracious and attentive hostess, but when her best friend Kathleen told her to get some sleep because she looked exhausted, Annie had a feeling her guests had known what, or rather who, had earned her undivided attention and depleted her energy stores.

  After she collected the last of the trash and locked up the back of the house, she grabbed her cell phone from the credenza and started upstairs. A million miles away from the here and now, she walked in the bathroom and started the shower. Her phone rang with a standard ring tone and she immediately answered, perhaps silly enough to believe it might have been Mic on the other end.

  Instead, Danny said, “I’m at the bar with Kevin and Beth. I’ll be in late. How’d the party end?”

  “Fine,” she replied, reaching around the shower curtain to check the water temperature. She should’ve told him she hadn’t even noticed he’d left, but som
etimes things were better left unsaid.

  “Swell. Glad you enjoyed yourself.” Known for hitting the bottle and drinking it dry, Danny had slurred speech. He’d probably spend the night out and she wouldn’t complain.

  She’d had the most memorable kiss of her life from the sexiest man alive and she wanted to think about that. She didn’t want to listen to Danny’s top one hundred and one reasons why she should stay away from Mic.

  At one time, Danny’s approval meant everything, but when he stopped behaving like a big brother and became the town drunk, she quit worrying about his likes and dislikes.

  “Listen, sis, I gotta go. Kev entered us in a dart tournament. I’ll be out late. Happy birthday.”

  “Thanks,” she said, her reply met with dead silence on the other end. Then again, why would Danny waste any unnecessary time with small talk? He was in a bar with his drinking buddy and a cold beer was probably on ice.

  Abandoning thoughts about Danny, she quickly replayed the evening’s events. After Mic had kissed her, she’d been blindsided by all those returning emotions. She could recite first Mic-moments like a family prayer. And now she could add one more—their first kiss.

  She grabbed a washcloth and entered the shower. Soon, she was lathering soap in her hands and running them up and down her body, wondering what it might feel like to have Mic’s hands roaming over her, Mic’s body towering over her own.

  “I’ve got to stop this,” she muttered, wondering if he’d thought about her at all since their special moment. Had he really left the party early because his mother needed him or had he used Mrs. Armstrong as an excuse? Had he attended her birthday party to see if she still looked at him like a lovesick pup or had he really come there for something more?

  She closed her eyes and pictured Mic standing in her kitchen. The white T-shirt he’d worn had stretched across a tight chest and abs, clinging to his pecs and making a show out of the Navy’s finest—a SEAL, a man who had looked at her dead-on with lust in his eyes and asked if she was sure she wanted him to answer her question. Then, to make matters even more delightful, he’d said, “For what I have in mind, we’ll need more than a moment. We’ll need all night.”