This Thanksgiving comes with all the fixings…and something extra hot.
Blackwater, Book 1
Sam Jennings promised his father he’d always take care of the woman who yanked him and his four brothers out of foster care. When his adoptive mom has a near-fatal heart attack, Sam knows it’s past time to live up to his word.
As he sets out to put the Blackwater Diner back on its feet, he runs into his first snag. Waitress Julie Rose’s sweet curves and long legs are driving Sam to distraction. Even his brothers aren’t immune to her kind heart. But Sam is determined to be the only man in her bed.
Julie doesn’t regret the years she lost caring for her grandmom, but now, between business classes and her job, she’s left with very little time and energy for dating. Then there’s her policy about never getting mixed up with the boss’s son. But Sam’s hard body and wicked ideas have Julie forgetting all about annoying things like rules, and she accepts his invitation to show her all she’s been missing.
Sam is more than willing to take things slow as he teaches her all about the pleasures of the flesh. Luckily for him, Julie is a darned good student…
Product Warnings
Contains explicit language, a sexy carpenter, and extra helpings of naughty fun under the stars. Heat and increased heart rate may help burn off extra holiday calories. Copyright © 2011 Anne Rainey
All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication
Sam unzipped his black Carhartt and tossed it over a chair. “Happy Thanksgiving, Mom,” he said when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Her rounded figure and the scent of honeysuckle always gave him a feeling of peace. Of home.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Sammy.”
“Brodix is on his way.” Sam answered the unspoken question in his mother’s blue eyes as he stepped back to let Reilly and River have their turn. “Should be here any minute.”
“I’m here.”
Sam turned. Brodix stood in the doorway, wearing a dark gray wool coat and carrying a glass pie pan.
“If that’s your pumpkin pie, I just might kiss you, Brodix,” River said as he crossed the room to take the dish.
Brodix unbuttoned his coat. “It makes absolutely no logical sense how you stay so lean, River.”
“Leave your brother alone and give your mom a hug.”
Brodix chuckled and opened his arms. “Yes, ma’am.” Sam watched on as their mom stepped into his brother’s embrace. The only thing missing was their dad. It would be their second Thanksgiving without him. Pain hit Sam square in the chest when he thought of how much he missed the man who’d raised him. By example, Chet Jennings had shown them how to be men worthy of respect. Sam still missed hearing his booming voice and feeling his rib-crushing bear hugs. He looked over at his brothers and saw the same unhappy expressions.
“I know what you’re all thinking, and you might as well stop it right now,” their mom chastised. “We always had laughter and love filling this house when your father was alive. Do you think he’d want that to change just because the good Lord chose to bring him home?” As one they all shook their heads, and she smiled. “Good, then. Let’s get this dinner on the table so you boys can fill me in on what you’ve been up to.”
Vance laughed. “You just want to know if any of us have found our one true love yet.”
She tsked. “Well, I’m not getting any younger, and I’d like to have grandkids while I’m still able to feed myself.”
“Speaking of age,” Sam said as he noticed his mother perspiring. “It might be time to think about slowing down a little, Mom.”
Her brows drew together. “You mean retiring, don’t you?”
Sam started to answer, but the doorbell rang. He frowned. “Are you expecting anyone else, Mom?” Their Thanksgiving dinners had always been for immediate family only. It’d been that way since Sam could remember, and he wasn’t real fond of change.
His mom’s eyes lit up, and she turned and headed for the door. “I nearly forgot Julie!”
“Julie?” River asked as he looked over at Reilly. “Is that the waitress you were telling me about the other day? The one from the restaurant?”
Julie? Sam mouthed as he looked over at his brothers. They all shrugged and stared at the door as if equally curious. Sam watched and waited. Considering they’d never asked an outsider to Thanksgiving dinner before, he figured Julie must be pretty special or his mom never would’ve extended an invitation to their private gathering.
As she pulled the door open, Sam got his first look at the mysterious woman. Long, dark hair was about all he could make out. There was a hell of a lot of it. The big blue tote she carried blocked part of his view, and the heavy black parka covered everything else. “Julie, dear, I’m so glad you could make it.”
“I’m sorry I’m late, Wanda” she said, a little breathless. “I would’ve been here sooner, but I had to make a second batch of sweet potatoes. The first batch burned. I’m afraid I got a bit distracted studying.”
“No, no, you’re right on time,” his mom said as she took the bag out of the woman’s hands. “The boys just arrived, and the turkey is just about ready to come out of the oven.”
Vance stepped forward and took the bag from his mom, while Brodix helped the woman with her oversized coat. Sam was too busy staring to be of any real use. Curves. He could see them now that her coat wasn’t hindering his view. She had sweet, luscious curves and a smile that kicked his heart into a sprint. She wore a tight red sweater that stretched over breasts he desperately wanted to touch. More than a mouthful, he thought. A hell of a lot more. The long black skirt wouldn’t be anything overly sexy on the average woman, but on her it looked hot as hell. She had wide hips and some damn long legs. His mind went straight into the gutter as he imagined them wrapped tight around him while she rode him into oblivion.
“Julie Rose, I’d like you to meet my sons. The tallest there is Sam. He’s the oldest and is sort of a jack of all trades.”
Sam stayed where he was, safely several feet across the room. “Pleased to meet you, Julie.”
She smiled but didn’t speak as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. He had the crazy notion to untuck it. “And the one grinning from ear to ear there is Vance,” his mom went on.
Julie’s gaze went to his brother. “You’re the one with the construction business?”
Vance grinned. “Yep,” he said as he stepped forward and shook her hand. “Nice meeting you, Julie.”
“And Brodix there,” his mom pointed out, “is the executive of the bunch.”
Brodix didn’t smile. He simply nudged Vance out of the way and took possession of Julie’s hand. “Happy Thanksgiving, Julie,” he murmured in that annoyingly charming way he had.
Julie blushed. “Thank you. Same to you.” For some unknown reason, Sam had the urge to toss Brodix on his ass.
“You’re quite welcome,” Brodix said. “Such a pretty face is a refreshing change around here.”
Sam noticed Brodix still hadn’t bothered to let go of Julie’s hand.
“Brodix, behave,” his mother admonished as she slapped his forearm. Brodix let go and moved to the side of Julie, then glanced over at him. Sam glared at his younger sibling, willing him to back off. Brodix, the letch, only wagged his eyebrows.
“You’ve met Reilly, but I don’t think you’ve met his twin River yet.”
Reilly winked. “Nice to see you again, Julie.”
“Hi, Reilly.” She looked over at River. “Reilly’s told me quite a bit about you.”
River squinted at his twin before glaring at Julie. “In case he wasn’t clear, I’m the sexy, smart twin.”
Julie laughed, and Sam went rigid. Damn, she was gorgeous when she did that. And unless he missed his guess, his brothers thought the same thing. None of them seemed capable of speech all of a sudden.
“Modest too, I see,” Julie responded, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
His normally brooding brother actually cracked a smile. “At last, a woman who gets me.”
Sam noticed the way Julie bit her lip and looked down at the floor. “Okay,” his mother intervened. “Now that we have the introductions out of the way, how about we get dinner on the table?”
“Thank God,” River said. “I’m starved.”
Everyone laughed and filed into the kitchen. Sam held back, waiting for Julie to go through the doorway first. She smiled shyly as she stepped in front of him. As he took up position behind her, his gaze inexorably went to her ass. Ah hell, he never should’ve looked. Sam had a thing for that particular body part on a woman, and Julie had nicely rounded globes that he eagerly wanted to reach out and squeeze. He felt a hair guilty for mentally undressing the woman, but as he glanced up and caught Brodix’s gaze, he knew he wasn’t the only one thinking dirty thoughts.
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[5 of 5 Stars!]