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  Hot Spot

  Tory Richards

  Published 2012

  ISBN: 978-1-59578-966-2

  Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana 46235. Copyright © 2012, Tory Richards. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  Liquid Silver Books

  http://LSbooks.com

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  Blurb

  There’d been something brewing between John and Sammy twenty years ago when they were teenagers. Only good-girl Sammy had been too afraid of John’s bad boy image. Besides, in those days all he'd wanted was sex. She opted for his safer and more predictable brother, Pat. And when they got married, John disappeared.

  They’re reunited during a family reunion, and the years disappear in the blink of an eye. Seeing him now, as the successful, sexy man he's become, reminds Sammy that they're both free to pursue the attraction for each other that had never been fully extinguished. Only giving in to a weekend of hot, anything-goes sex isn't the only thing Sammy faces. She has to come to terms with loving him.

  Chapter 1

  “Give me your hands!”

  “You can’t pull me up.”

  “Just give me your hands and let me try, damn it! Do you want to be swept away?”

  Sitting on her butt and bracing her feet against the ground in front of her, she stretched her arms between her legs. Sammy grabbed John’s hands and began to pull with all her might, but the ground just crumbled beneath her shoes and she felt her legs start to slide over the edge of the embankment. Her eyes grew round when she realized that by trying to pull John out, she was actually pulling herself in. She felt cold water fill her shoes and slide up her pant legs.

  “John! I’m sorry, John!” She exclaimed helplessly with every inch she slipped over the side. She didn’t think to let go of his hands to save herself. She tried to lean back as she continued into the churning water in slow motion, too afraid of falling on top of him and making matters worse.

  John still didn’t budge, and the only thing Sammy could do was slide down against the front of his hard body. Embarrassingly aware of the intimate fit, she sucked in her breath. But it did no good. Before she knew it she was almost breast-deep in water, snugly wedged between his unyielding body and the soft bank behind her.

  She raised her gaze to his, almost immediately becoming aware that he was now standing and was in no danger of being swept away by the current. “I thought you needed rescuing.” She pushed against his chest, but it was like trying to move a mountain.

  There was a look of amusement swimming in his brown eyes and a low chuckle escaped him. “I do need rescuing, from you.” His gaze moved lazily down her body and back up again. “You’ve changed.”

  Heat enveloped her. She knew exactly what he meant. She’d lost weight since seeing him last.

  His gaze dropped back down to her breasts. Sammy glanced down to see her tank top had slipped a little, exposing the tops of her full breasts. And she might as well have been naked because the wet material did nothing to conceal her brown, pointed nipples. Maybe he wouldn’t notice. But when her gaze returned to his, she knew he had. He couldn’t hide the reaction in his darkening eyes. Suddenly his smile disappeared and was replaced with something serious and intense.

  She decided the best thing to do was ignore everything by getting out of there. “We need to get out of here.” She hardly recognized the soft huskiness of her voice. Why am I nervous all of a sudden?

  “That’s the last thing I’m thinking of.”

  The next thing she knew, his hand moved up, cupping one breast as if he’d done it hundreds of times. She caught her breath as he ran his thumb over her nipple. What does he think he’s doing?

  “John…” Her voice came out in a croak. And something else was happening to Sammy. A flutter inside her belly told her she liked the liberties he was taking.

  His hand stilled but remained on her breast. Their gazes clung for a moment. Sammy recognized the raw expression on John’s face, the burning hunger in his eyes. She’d seen that look before. He wanted her. His cock moved against her, backing up that realization. Desire unfolded inside her, surprising her with its intensity. The intimate moment seemed surreal. Like something in a dream. Their attraction for each other had always been simmering just beneath the surface, never acted on because of the circumstances, and wrong timing.

  “Nooooo.”

  In spite of her drawn out protest, he cupped her other breast and did the same thing, caressing the full globe with growing ardor, and tweaking the nipple. Sighing, Sammy closed her eyes to savor the moment. The pleasant tingling in her nipples traveled downward to her clit, which was being caressed by the hard bulge behind John’s zipper. She arched into it during a moment of weakness, shamelessly wishing there were no clothes between them.

  Her movements made John lose control and he began to squeeze and caress her breasts with more vigor. Growling, he lowered his head and kissed the side of her neck before moving to her open mouth. He kissed her roughly, forcing her head back. Sammy responded without restraint, opening her mouth to his exploring tongue while moving her lower body against his throbbing cock.

  They turned wild, their sounds of pleasure mingling. John’s hand tugged her tank top down until he could place his hands on her naked flesh, causing a river of heat to blast through Sammy’s straining body. He broke off their kiss and lifted her until he could take a nipple inside his hot mouth. The intensity of his desire frightened Sammy, even as it fueled her own.

  What are we doing?

  “No, John!”

  Sammy opened her eyes and sat straight up in bed, gasping for breath and hotter than Hades. What the hell? She ran her hands through her tousled hair and tried to calm her racing heart. Her exploring hand found her nipples taut and tingling. Farther down, she discovered the hair between her legs was wet, her clit swollen and sensitive. She moaned and sank back down.

  This was the third night in a row she’d had a steamy dream about her ex-brother-in-law. And each one was hotter than the night before. Why? She hadn’t seen him in years, not even after her divorce. They’d known each other since they were teenagers, but John had lived up to his bad-boy persona and good-girl Sammy had tried to stay away from him.

  Her ex, Pat, had been the oldest of eight siblings—five girls and three boys—and John was two years older than Sammy. Being close in age, they’d all practically grown up together. She’d gotten close to the girls, and eventually fell in love with the good son, or so she’d thought at the time. Shortly after she and Pat were married, John had run off and no one had known where he was for years.

  Realizing she’d run away from the man she really wanted had come too late.

  She released a deep breath, and then she fluffed the sheets against her overly warm body. I’m horny beyond belief. The dildo between her mattresses wasn’t cutting it anymore. Sammy wanted the real deal. She wanted a man’s hands on her. She wanted John. It had been three years since her divorce and she hadn’t had a man since, focusing instead on her career and getting her children through high school. Well, Olivia and Cassie were in college now and had their own lives.

  Now it’s my turn.

  Sammy punched her pillow and tried to get comfortable, her thoughts drifting back to her dream, and
John. He was the handsome one in the family, tall, lean, and exuding a danger that made ignoring him impossible. There’d always been something different about him. Almost like he was an outsider. As a teenager, he’d certainly rebelled against his strict, military father. Smoking, drinking, hanging out with the wrong crowd. Always in some kind of trouble. Always after her.

  That had been another reason Sammy had avoided him. There was nothing adventurous about her, and John had actually frightened her on more than one occasion. Once, when he’d been drunk or high, or both, he’d given her a look no woman could misread. He was horny and he wanted her. He’d pressed her against the wall and kissed her long and hard, until Sammy had come to her senses and pushed him away. After that, she’d made sure never to be alone with him.

  Because for a frightening moment, she’d wanted him in return.

  Maybe he was on her mind because of the family reunion coming up. That was it. Now it all made sense. Sammy closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, thinking about the upcoming weekend. It would be nice to see everyone again.

  * * * *

  Wow! Sammy was surprised at the number of vehicles in the parking lot at Moss Park. Surely they weren’t all there for the reunion. But then again, this had been a year in the making. Cassie and Olivia’s aunts had told them they wanted to make sure all siblings—including their spouses, their children, and their children’s families—had enough time to plan to attend the weekend-long event. As far as Sammy knew, everyone was going to be here.

  Sammy laughed softly to herself, wondering if she was the only ex that had been invited. She found a spot beneath a tree, ignoring the NO PARKING sign. Spending the day wasn’t in her plans. She just wanted to say hi, see a few people she hadn’t seen in a while, and then leave. John’s face flashed before her eyes but she shook it away. Out of everyone, he would be the one not to show up. He’d never been much into family stuff.

  Sammy followed a small trail that led to the lake and picnic area where the family was to meet. When she came to the end of the path, it opened up to reveal several cabins scattered around the lake, which Sammy knew had been booked for the reunion. They were small, rustic buildings tucked into clusters of trees that offered a sort of privacy barrier for each cabin.

  As she strolled toward the first picnic table, her gaze landed on a huge motorcycle parked in front of one of the cabins. She vaguely wondered who it belonged to. Laughter and screaming pulled her attention to the lake, where children and adults were swimming and playing. There was a tire on a rope hanging from a tree and they were taking turns swinging out over the water.

  Sammy opened a bright red cooler, grabbed a bottle of water, and continued toward the edge of the lake. She scanned the area, seeing some familiar faces, some not so familiar. Pat and his new wife were relaxing on inner tubes, holding hands to keep from drifting apart no doubt. At least one of them was getting some. She was actually glad her ex was happy. Taking a drink of water, she turned and froze.

  John O’Malley was standing in the open doorway of his cabin, his tall body braced by one arm against the jamb, while he took a sip from a brown bottle. As he lowered the bottle their eyes met, and the crooked smile Sammy remembered slowly spread across his rugged features. The years had been good to him. There didn’t seem to be an ounce of spare flesh anywhere on his forty-four-year-old frame, but there was gray in his black hair, which was shorter than she remembered.

  She smiled at that. It was hard to believe it had been almost twenty years since she’d seen him last. He was far removed from the lanky, cocky teenage boy with long hair and a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. And he was probably thinking something similar about her. Back then, Sammy had been short and a tad heavier than she would have liked. And she’d lacked the self-confidence to accept that a boy like him could really be interested in her.

  She realized she was staring at him. God, I hope I’m not drooling! He looked simply delicious, and a heat began spreading over Sammy at this awareness. What was he thinking? He had yet to take his brown eyes off her.

  He finally acknowledged her with a slight nod of his head, and Sammy was undecided on whether to ignore him or approach him. After all, he was family. But, in spite of the changes in his appearance over the years, he still reeked of a dangerous attraction that spelled trouble. On the other hand, they were adults now and she was suddenly curious beyond belief to know what he had been up to since the last time they saw one another. Had he remarried? Did he have children? What did he do for a living? Before she knew what she was going to say, she found herself walking in his direction.

  “Well, well, well. If it isn’t good-little-girl Samantha O’Malley.”

  John called her Samantha because he knew she didn’t like her name.

  “Well, well, well. If it isn’t bad-boy Johnny O’Malley. And you know I don’t like Samantha.”

  “Sam.” He took another sip of his beer.

  He knew she didn’t like that any better, but she decided to ignore it. “Come home for the reunion?” She stopped at the bottom of the steps and smiled up at him. She caught a whiff of something mild and pleasant, manly. “I’m surprised.”

  He shrugged. “Figured it was time.”

  His gaze slid over Sammy like warm chocolate, making her squirm inside.

  “You’ve changed.”

  Oh my God! The same exact thing he’d said in her dream the night before. “I’ve lost a pound or two.” More like forty.

  “You look damn good.” He took a swig of his beer. “Guess the single life agrees with you.”

  Is that his way of finding out if I’m still single? “Doesn’t it with everyone?”

  Without warning, the dream came back to her. Damn! A furnace ignited within her and she was sure fire replaced the blood in her veins. Her nipples tingled, which wasn’t a good sign because it usually meant they were turning hard. It was all she could do not to cross her legs to squash the sudden tingling there, too.

  “It sure does with me.” He finished his beer and tossed the bottle into a trash can next to the cabin.

  Sammy knew John had been married for a few years to some girl he’d met at a biker bar. As far as she knew there hadn’t been any children. She finished her water and did the same thing he’d done, but missed the trash can.

  John chuckled. “Want a beer?” He turned without waiting for her reply.

  Sammy picked up the bottle and put it in the trash. Against her better judgment, she went up the steps and through the doorway, closing the door behind her. She followed John to the back where the kitchen was located. He was opening the fridge door and reaching inside when she caught up to him. When he turned back to her, he had two bottles in one hand. She reached for one.

  “So, what have you been doing all these years?” Sammy watched him twist the top off his bottle and tried to do the same with hers. “No one in the family has really been able to keep tabs on you.”

  “Maybe I haven’t wanted them to.”

  He pulled the bottle out of her hand, twisted off the top, and handed it back to her.

  “What, did you miss me?”

  “Like a dog misses fleas.” God, I don’t even know what I’m saying. Why am I so nervous? She knew why. It was apparent the years separating them hadn’t done anything to erase her attraction to him, to his bad-boy image and the raw power of sexuality he exuded. The three erotic dreams she’d had of him had primed her for sex. She only hoped she wasn’t transparent.

  His response was a crooked grin that was too sexy and made Sammy uncomfortable. Whatever was happening was happening too fast. Suddenly, finding out what he’d been doing all these years paled in comparison to the thought of getting away from him as fast as she could. Before she made a fool of herself.

  Sammy turned, deciding it was time to leave. “Well, it was nice seeing you again, John. Thanks for the beer, but I think I’d better go.” She set her bottle of beer down on the counter while a brief thought crossed her mind that she was ru
nning away. “Maybe we’ll see each other again before I leave.” She tried to sound nonchalant but was painfully aware her tone was a little too rushed, a little too shaky.

  She heard John put his bottle down on the countertop behind her and instinctively picked up speed, sensing he might try to stop her. But that was silly, wasn’t it? She wanted him, not the other way around. He couldn’t possibly know the turmoil going on inside her. Damn those dreams! She realized coming here was a mistake. She was horny beyond belief and not thinking straight.

  She reached for the doorknob and barely got the door open when he slammed it shut in her face. Sammy spun around, trapped between the door and his body. Her heart skipped a beat as she raised her eyes to his. His expression looked almost fierce, and matched the fire burning in his eyes.

  “What are you doing?” Her senses went into overdrive as the warmth of his body enveloped her, threatening to suck her in.

  “Where are you going so fast? You just got here.”

  He was too close. His warm breath sent a shiver down her spine. “I’m not in a hurry. I only came long enough to visit with the girls again.”

  John’s gruff chuckle revealed he didn’t believe her. “You can see my sisters anytime. You expect me to believe that?”

  Sammy’s eyes grew round. “If you think I came here to see you then you’re crazy. I’ve spent the last twenty years—” When it dawned on her what she’d been about to say, she cut herself off.

  John finished her comment for her, hitting the nail right on the head. “Trying to forget me?” His tone was low and sexier than Sammy remembered. The cockiness of youth was gone, replaced with the firm, deep tone of experience.

  Keep it light, Sammy. She tried to laugh off the notion. “You wish!” She put her hands on him to push him away. “Please move.”

  “Why? Do I bother you?”

  There was no way she was going to show him what he was doing to her. She’d worked too hard pretending she didn’t like him during their brief acquaintance to ruin it now by swooning at his feet.