Blake took the off-ramp and got onto the secondary highway leading to the town of Rocky Mountain House. The small town near their homes lay nestled in the rolling foothills up against the towering Alberta Rockies. At this time of day the roads were empty—everyone headed to the city already long gone. His was the only vehicle around, and behind him dust rose to the bright blue sky like a trail of gunpowder toward the barrel.

He was in so much trouble when it came to this sweet girl, and from what he knew she still was sweet, in spite of his asshole of a brother’s attempts to change the situation.

He’d overheard them a few weeks ago…


He paused two steps inside the barn doors to give his eyes a chance to adjust from the blinding June sunshine. Moans and other suspicious noises led him back to the tack room. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who it was and what was happening on the other side of the closed door. From the sound of it, things were getting hot and heavy. Blake didn’t deliberately step closer to eavesdrop.

Hell, yes, he did. He didn’t trust Travis as far as he could throw him.

The kissing and the rustling built his curiosity to a peak before Jaxi muttered, “Uh-uh, cool it,” and someone knocked something over.

“Oh, damn, Jaxi, you’re killing me here. I need you. I really need you, baby.”

Blake’s lips twisted into a grin at her unladylike response—a loud snort.

“I’m not stupid, Travis. You won’t die if we don’t have sex. Get over it already. I’m not willing—”

“You don’t love me.”

“Damn right, I don’t. You don’t love me either. We’re friends, that’s all.”

You tell him, girl. Blake snuck to the far end of the hall where he would remain safely hidden even if one of them decided to bust out of the room without warning. He didn’t feel a lick of guilt for listening in. The only self-reproach was over the way his gut tensed, imagining having Jaxi in his own arms to kiss and caress.

He beat down the impulse and listened harder.

“Jaxi, you know you like it when I touch you. I get your motor running. It’s just another thing I can do to make you feel good. Make us both feel real good. Come on, sweetheart, it’ll be special.”

“In a barn? Travis Coleman, you may be considered the hottest thing around by the rest of the girls in town, but you need a little work on your romancing.”

The sound of creaking floorboards warned Blake to fade into the corner more.

“Don’t leave me hurting here, sweetheart. Come on back and help me out. You know I like it when you touch me.”

The door squeaked as she shoved it open. “Travis, I was enjoying myself, but when you push the boundaries every time we fool around, it kills the mood. I’ve told you I’m not having sex. Not with you or anyone until I’m older, no matter what kinky games you like to play. It’s something special and I want to save it.”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“Then why do you keep trying to convince me to go further than I want?”

“Because I… Oh hell, are you going to help me here or what?”

The door slammed and Jaxi’s strong voice rang out. “Talk to the hand, Travis, talk to the hand.”


Blake had waited in the shadows until Travis, cussing a fair bit, hauled his ass back to the house. While he’d been proud of Jaxi for sticking to her guns, that episode had probably been another step in the beginning of the end for the two of them.

He looked at her again, lying in his lap so innocently. He was such a bastard. Even while he wanted to break his brother’s head for trying to seduce her, he had to stop himself from stroking her cheek to see if her skin was as soft as it looked.

She moaned, and her limbs jerked, arms flailing. She struck the dash with one hand, the wheel with the other.

“Whoa, take it easy.” He laid a restraining touch on her shoulder.

“Travis?”

“No, Slick, it’s Blake. Remember?”

Jaxi rolled over to stare at him. Her eyes were glazed, and she seemed to focus on something beyond him. Only a second later her face flushed and flared to anger.

“Damn it, Travis, I told you I wouldn’t give you head while you drive. Pull over right now.”

Holy shit! What the hell had his brother been doing with this girl? “I’m not Travis… You’ve got to listen, hon—”

“Pull the truck over now, you son of a bitch.” She forced herself to a sitting position, body weaving from side to side. “I swear you’re going to be the death of me. Stop this truck now or I’ll tell him.”

Tell who? Tell what?

She yelled louder, smacking her fists against his arm. The blows weren’t hard enough to cause much pain but with her off-kilter balance and the rough road, she kept knocking herself around. Blake grabbed her with one hand, pinning her arms in place as he steered the truck and trailer off to the side as quickly as possible.

“You’ve got to relax. I’m not Travis, I’m Blake. Ah, damn it, Slick, you are one sick little girl.”

“Yeah, well, you’re pretty sick yourself. You want to break up with me but you want one final farewell, is that it? Fine by me.”

A jolt of panic struck. She must have heard Travis back at the fairgrounds. Now what should he do? Try to calm her or let Travis drown in the hole he’d dug for himself?

She threw her leg across him as if she were jumping a calf in the roping contest.

“This is it. You hear me? As of tomorrow we’re not a couple anymore and you can go fuck whoever you want without me around as a decoy. I’ve had enough of the pretending.” While she spoke, she slipped loose the buckle on his belt in one smooth motion.

Blake jerked. He scrambled for her hands, trying to catch her, trying to stop her as she dragged at his zipper.

It only took a moment before he held her wrists immobile, her strong body protesting his control as she cussed and writhed in his lap. Her hot breath fell across his cheek as she leaned against him. Suddenly, all her tension slipped away and she melted in his arms. One breast nudged his chest as she tilted her body to the side. Their hands remained trapped between their torsos, and yet she attempted to snuggle closer. Her violent shouts gave way to little moans. Her tongue slipped along his sweating neck, a satisfied noise escaping.

She may have lost her stiffness, but he’d found every single bit of it. His shoulders tensed, his abdomen muscles went taut, but it was his damn cock that betrayed him the most. Against his will, his erection rose to meet her. Harder than granite in less than five seconds—from the moment her hands brushed the front of his groin.

He wasn’t getting excited because it was Jaxi. Simply because there was a female touching him. That’s what he tried to tell himself. No, it was strictly an automatic male reaction. It wasn’t because this was Jaxi and Blake had dreamed of this for longer than he wanted to admit.

He wasn’t the kind of asshole to sit and let his brother’s feverish, soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend fondle him at the side of the road. He wasn’t such a jerk he’d actually try to justify keeping her nestled tight to him for a couple more seconds because it was the best thing he’d ever felt in his life, her hands pressed innocently against the ridge of his now fully engorged cock.

About then he realized he didn’t quite know how to deal with the situation once he did stop her. What if he spoke? Having her suddenly clue in he wasn’t Travis like she imagined—what kind of shock would that be? She’d be so damn embarrassed.

“So cold.” Another shiver rocked her and he instinctively cradled her. “Warm me up.”

He didn’t need to be any warmer. He was going to burn in hell forever for this. Her lips touched his neck again, and he attempted to twist out of reach. Impossible. They were trapped between the back of the bench and the steering wheel. With a little more room to manoeuvre, he could open the door and get them both out. Hopefully the cooler air outside the cab would bring her back to her senses. He reached around her to disengage the wheel lock. Jaxi wiggled, moving over him with a killing touch, slipping her palms against his chest as her hips settled tight over his groin and the erection he shouldn’t have.

He was a bastard. The split second he paused, savouring the sensations rippling through his body, turned his self-loathing to high. He forced himself to continue to swing the wheel away. Finally with enough room, Blake leaned forward and reached for the door release.

He was yanked to a stop as Jaxi buried her hands in his hair and bit his neck, slowly undulating her heated crotch over his aching cock. Blake wrapped his right arm around her and pinned her in place, ignoring the way his balls throbbed with need.

How this innocent trip home had digressed from uncomfortable to totally fucked up he had no idea. Forget going to hell, he was already there, being tormented by Satan himself as the old boy directed the little fever-induced drama happening on the side of the Secondary Highway.

A quick glance to be sure no cars were in the immediate area was all he spared before shoving his foot hard at the door as he yanked the release handle. The frame swung open in a rush, recoiling to hang in the line of traffic.

A cooling breeze struck his sweated brow the same moment Jaxi sucked his skin. Blake bit back a groan and twisted them both, his legs absorbing the impact as he cradled her close and escaped the confining quarters of the cab.

She tucked her heated forehead into the crook of his neck, right where she’d been sucking on him only a second before. Another shiver took her, and he turned his back to the wind to provide protection.