UPDATE: Winner will be chosen Monday evening! So there’s still time to enter!

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So, I couldn’t think of a better title. I have two little-ish announcements and then I want to share another excerpt from next Tuesday’s new release. Hang in there!

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First, did you see the latest review in a string of GREAT reviews for Cowboy Heat? Night Owl Reviews gave the collection 5 stars and Top Pick, and says this: “Each story contained in this anthology is a reflection of high standards and terrific writing… You can’t get any better than these 15 fantastic western romances.” It doesn’t get any better than that, huh? Congrats to all the authors!

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This week, SEALs of Summer hit the USA Today Bestsellers list at #22! And we have advance notice that the anthology hit the New York Times list that releases this coming week at #6 on the ebook list and #11 on the combined, print and ebook, list! Hitting both is a dream come true for any author!

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On Tuesday, May 6th, Her Only Desire will be released by Grand Central in both print and ebook! I don’t write full-length novels very often, so if you’ve been waiting for something longer, this is the one!

For fans of Sylvia Day and E. L. James, comes awarding-winning author Delilah Devilin’s first book in her sensual eroitic romance Sultry Summer Nights series.

A Sultry Summer Nights Novel

The moment Tilly Floret sees the sleek Bentley driving down Main Street, she knows trouble has arrived in her sleepy little town. A mysterious job posting keeps appearing at the diner where she works, and she can’t resist applying. No matter that the entire town of Bayou Vert is whispering about the wealthy, powerful man behind it all and his scandalous return home. The moment his ice-blue eyes meet hers, he ignites an all-consuming desire she never imagined possible, one she can’t deny.

Ex-navy SEAL Boone Benoit never thought he’d set foot in Louisiana again. As soon as Tilly starts her new job in his pleasure club, he senses a kindred soul. One who has carefully guarded secrets of her own-and a simmering hunger for the taboo rites of mastery and submission. The only difference is she doesn’t yet know it. Now as Boone tutors Tilly in the tantalizing world of leather and lace, she will shed her every inhibition and surrender to him, body and soul.

An excerpt from the book follows, but before we get to that, I did promise a contest!

Leave a comment on this post, and you’ll be entered to win a signed
copy of one of my Cleis Press collections—reader’s choice!

Excerpt from Her Only Desire…

Tilly awoke to the smell of burning wood and the sound of hushed voices outside her window. Her eyes smarted from the smoke. Fear clogged her throat.

She didn’t dare turn on her lights until she knew what was happening. So she felt around for her thin bathrobe, knotted it around her waist, and then made her way through the cottage to the front windows. Holding open two slats of the blinds, she stared in horror at one of the cabins across the square ablaze, sparks flying high into the air like fireflies.

Men surrounded it, holding hoses they used to wet the nearby ground and the surrounding cabins, but they pointed no water toward the burning cabin.

Everything seemed under control until her gaze found Boone, standing frozen in front of the gaping cabin door, watching the flames consume the structure.

Then she understood. Celeste had been found lying in one of the cabins on a dingy, blood-soaked mattress. That was all the detail the newspapers had given. Enough to fill her mind with images of a vivacious young woman who’d laughed while Tilly jumped on her bed, forever stilled. Although they were cousins, too many years lay between them for them to be close, but Celeste’s loss had changed everything.

Goose bumps raised on her skin. She wanted to sneak back to her bedroom and pretend she hadn’t seen a thing. But the sight of Boone, standing so still, his body rigid, hands fisted at his sides, made her stomach knot.

Her guilty secret made her feel slightly ill. She could ease his pain—shift the shame from his shoulders. All she had to do was come forward with her brother’s treasure box and the bracelet that hadn’t been found at the crime scene.

Watching him, standing so silently, with his grim-faced men giving him worried glances as they worked, her eyes burned more. She hurried back to her bedroom. Not wanting to think about what she was doing, she dressed in shorts and a tee, slid her feet into flip-flops, and hurried back to let herself out of the door. Flapping sounds echoed in the air as she passed Serge, whose lips tightened. She ignored the shake of his head, which told her to mind her own business. She passed Mr. Jones, who didn’t give away his opinion by so much as a movement or change in his harsh face. Ignoring everyone but the man whose rigid body stood like a silent sentinel, she sidled up beside Boone and cupped his balled fist in her hand.

His hand tightened more, but didn’t shake hers away. Desperate to keep hidden the tears forming in the corners of her eyes, she kept her gaze down and stood beside him as the roof groaned, then collapsed, sending sparks raining out the gaping door.

Only then did he act, his arm coming around her to urge her backward. Then he pulled her against his chest and cupped her head, his hand smoothing over her back.

Maybe he was only making sure none of the firefly-like embers hadn’t landed on her, but he held her close, his heart thudding against her cheek.

Slowly, so that he wouldn’t jerk away from her, she raised her arms, encircling his muscled torso. Providing comfort and finding some for herself. Her hands roamed his back as she snuggled closer to his chest and let her tears fall, wetting her cheeks and the front of his shirt.

At last, he inhaled deeply, the tension in his body draining away. A kiss landed on her hair, and she leaned back, wiping her tears away with her fingers then checking his expression and finding it haggard, ravaged. “I think your men can handle the rest,” she said softly.

Boone shook his head. “I don’t want them turning on the hoses until it’s ashes.”

The harshness of his voice nearly broke her heart. “I’m certain they understand.”

Boone dropped his gaze to hers. “Why are you here, Tilly?”

The hollowness of his gaze made her mouth tremble. For all his strength and accomplishment, he was still a man haunted by his past. “I’m here because I know what this place is…” She took a deep breath. “And I know you didn’t do it.”

His lips twisted. “There’s believing, and then there’s knowing. Which is it, Tilly?” he asked, his gaze sharpening as he studied her face.

Tilly quivered beneath his hard gaze but tilted up her chin. “I know,” she whispered, “but don’t ask me how.” Her gaze pleaded with his to leave her admission alone. She wouldn’t tell him any more.

His jaw firmed, but he nodded, pulling away. “You should go back inside.”

“There’s too much smoke.”

A dark brow rose. “Then you haven’t any choice. You’ll come with me to the Big House.”

Pressed close to his body, she didn’t miss the stirring of his sex against her belly. She dropped her head, staring at his throat, but gave him a nod.

He swallowed. “Serge…”

“Yes, boss,” Serge said from a few feet away.

“See it to the end?”

“Of course. We don’t need you here.”

Boone slipped an arm around Tilly’s waist, and turned, leading her away.

They followed the path, lit by moonlight.

Tilly had known this moment would come. From the first touch of his hand on her foot. She’d been drawn to him from the start. So tall and strong, so smart and accomplished, but inside, he was tormented, something she understood only too well. Pity and guilt didn’t have a thing to do with her surrender. She needed Boone every bit as much as she sensed he needed her.

Her heart tripped inside her chest, knowing she’d accepted an invitation for more than a place to rest while the fire continued to burn. She was ready to explore this tantalizing attraction they shared. Already, her skin felt on fire. Her breasts tightened. Her hips swayed, bumping against his, because she couldn’t contain the excitement curling in her belly.

She was going to his bed. She knew it. He knew it. What he’d do once he had her there… well, that was the mystery. Read the rest of this entry »

UPDATE: The winner (chosen by a random number generator) is…Carle Lee Detweiler!

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Yes, there’s a contest, but you keep reading!

Just to get this out of the way up front, Her Only Desire releases in 10 days. It’s a full-length novel. Not something you see from me all that often. And it’s the first in a series. Genre? Erotic romance, suspense, mystery? There’s action and then there’s more action, baby. 🙂 And it’s releasing in both ebook and print.

Here are the buy links: Amazon | B&N | BAM

This is what my publisher says about the book: “For fans of Sylvia Day and E. L. James, comes awarding-winning author Delilah Devilin’s first book in her sensual eroitic romance Sultry Summer Nights series.”

What do I think? My book’s very, very sexy. Yes, you have a young, not very experienced woman who enters the world of a very wealthy man, but that’s where the comparison with any other book ends. My guy’s disgraced, suspected of murder, an ex-SEAL who built a Black Ops company. My girl holds the key to freeing him from the past. Blah, blah, blah. It’s all in the execution, and you know me by now, there’s sex, more sex, kinkier sex, plenty of humor, and some kick ass action. It’s also set deep in the Louisiana bayou with a brief jaunt to Mexico for the hero to conduct some biz-ness.

The cover’s pretty, yes?

Does the blurb write-up intrigue you?

The moment Tilly Floret sees the sleek Bentley driving down Main Street, she knows trouble has arrived in her sleepy little town. A mysterious job posting keeps appearing at the diner where she works, and she can’t resist applying. No matter that the entire town of Bayou Vert is whispering about the wealthy, powerful man behind it all and his scandalous return home. The moment his ice-blue eyes meet hers, he ignites an all-consuming desire she never imagined possible, one she can’t deny. Ex-navy SEAL Boone Benoit never thought he’d set foot in Louisiana again. As soon as Tilly starts her new job in his pleasure club, he senses a kindred soul. One who has carefully guarded secrets of her own-and a simmering hunger for the taboo rites of mastery and submission. The only difference is she doesn’t yet know it. Now as Boone tutors Tilly in the tantalizing world of leather and lace, she will shed her every inhibition and surrender to him, body and soul.

Tell you what. Read the excerpt below, post a comment, and you’ll be entered to win a signed copy of my latest collection, Cowboy Heat.

Excerpt from Her Only Desire…

“Tell me, Tilly. What do you think BDSM is all about?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think,” she said faintly. No way would she describe the images in her mind.

“Blunt talk. You were ready for that from me. Give me the same courtesy.”

Her fingers were clasped tightly in her lap. She drew a breath and let her gaze fall away. “I think it’s for people who haven’t learned to connect with others in a healthy way. Or who have something missing inside themselves.”

He stayed silent for a moment, his expression shuttered. “Are you open to the possibility that entering that world can help a person find what’s missing in their lives?”

She raised her gaze and gave him a frown. “Maybe that’s what you choose to believe about me, but twisting my words doesn’t make it true.”

“What do you think might be missing inside me?”

Read the rest of this entry »

SEALs Of Summer: Military Romance Superbundle – Navy SEAL Style

Military Super-bundle of ten novellas and novels by New York Times, USA Today and award-winning bestselling authors: Delilah Devlin, Sharon Hamilton, Anne Marsh, Cora Seton, Zoe York, Roxie Riviera, S.M. Butler, Kimberley Troutte, Jennifer Lowery, Elle James.

This is my first time to be involved with a boxed set of any kind.  To be included in this spectacular line-up of authors is better than a dream come true. Heck, I don’t think I could have dreamed this up if I tried. I am beyond excited for April 21^st when the set goes on sale because these books totally rock.

You can preorder your copy now by clicking on the cover:

You can also join the SEALS of Summer Ladies for our party by clicking here: 24 Hour FB Launch Party, April 26. There will be fun and prizes.

Before I go, here is a little taste of the books in the boxed set:

IT TAKES A SEAL, An Adventure Girls, Inc. story by USA Today Bestselling author Delilah Devlin: A travel agent visiting friends in the Bahamas is stranded on a desert island with a sexy ex-SEAL after their private pleasure cruise is interrupted by men who mistake her lover for a reclusive billionaire.

SEAL MY HEART by New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Sharon Hamilton: Kate Livingstone’s engagement is at risk the instant she sets eyes on the handsome elite warrior sitting next to her on a plane trip to visit her sister. Navy SEAL Tyler Gray had thought he knew what he wanted in life, until he meets Kate and their obvious attraction for each other sparks something deep in his soul. What starts out as innocent letters between friends turns out to be much more. Can someone fall in love deeply just with words and letters exchanged, or is this just a pleasant fantasy that will ruin their lives forever?

SMOKING HOT by National Bestselling Author Anne Marsh: When an ambush kills his teammate, Navy SEAL Tye Callahan vows to spend the summer in Strong, California, fighting fires with the smoke jumper team and looking out for Katie Lawson, his teammate’s fiancée. Now, as the summer heats up, they must decide if the chemistry burning between them might just be their second chance at living their own lives… together.

THE NAVY SEAL’s E-MAIL ORDER BRIDE by National Bestselling author Cora Seton:  If Mason Hall, Navy SEAL, can’t find a wife and get her pregnant—and convince his three brothers to marry, too—before the year is up, he’ll have to forfeit the ranch his family has prized for over a hundred years.  Who knew one city girl and three wayward brothers could put up such a fight?

FALL OUT by Zoe York: Drew Castle is a Navy SEAL with a bad case of indifference. Until Annie Martin shows up on his doorstep, scared out of her mind, and all of a sudden, keeping her safe becomes the most important mission of his life. And this time, he’s on his own.

CLOSE QUARTERS by Bestselling author Roxie Rivera: Nationally Bestselling author Roxie Rivera brings you Close Quarters. Getting tangled up in Jamie Pearson’s latest hot mess—or her sheets—is the very last thing Navy SEAL Leland Gates needs, but in close quarters like these, there’s no denying the white-hot passion blazing between them.

KILLING HONOR by International Bestselling author S.M. Butler: Returning home after a disastrous extended deployment, Navy SEAL Brody Battles struggles with nightmares and government secrets building a wall between him and his wife, Devyn, especially when a security breach compromises his identity. While they’re adjusting to being a family again, an old enemy waits in the shadows, salivating for the sweet taste of revenge.

COMING IN HOT by Award-winning author Kimberley Troutte:  For Navy SEAL Mack Riley, rescuing a family in Colombian jungles isn’t as hard as seeing the admiral’s daughter again, but since Jenna is joining the hostage rescue team, his orders are to protect her. In the heat of battle, love breaches their defenses just as missiles lock onto their coordinates …can they save the family and get out alive?

A SEAL’s SONG by Golden Heart Finalist author Jennifer Lowery: Navy SEAL Jack Taggart’s plans to catch some much-needed downtime between deployments are demolished when he risks everything to rescue beautiful wedding singer, Darci O’Shea, from a band of thieves. Will the battle between their inner demons be the hardest one to fight, or will they find rescue in each other’s arms?

SEALS’s EMBRACE by USA Today Bestselling author Elle James: Injured Navy SEAL and the critical care nurse he’s attempting to woo join forces to stop a terrorist attack at a military hospital.

Happy reading!

Kimberley Troutte
Website
Facebook SEALS of Summer

I’ll ask the question first for those of you who don’t have a lot of time to peruse blogs. If you’re so inclined, you can read on for a glimpse of It Takes a SEAL, which releases in less than a week!

So, the question…

I adore Sci-Fi B Movies. Have since I was a kid. I must have watched The Blob with Steve McQueen a hundred times. My faves include: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Dracula 3000, Sharknado, and Mega Python and Gataroid (OMG—Debbie Gibson and Tiffany, together on screen?!). I added Bermuda Tentacles to the list of instant B-movie classics this weekend—Linda (The Terminator) Hamilton was in it!

Does anyone else out there love, love, love Science Fiction and Paranormal B-movies?
Give me some recommendations for my list of movies To Be Watched!

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As promised, here’s a snippet from It Takes a Seal… And if you need a picture in your mind of my hero, he is a cross between Marty Deeks from NCIS: Los Angeles (definitely his sense of humor!) and Ragnar from Vikings…

A travel agent visiting friends in the Bahamas is stranded on a desert island with a sexy ex-SEAL after their private pleasure cruise is interrupted by armed men who have mistaken her lover for a reclusive billionaire.

Susan Evers steeled herself against the sudden rush of lust that hit her the moment the blond god in the Hawaiian-themed swimming trunks turned toward her. Her cheeks felt hard, her smile stiff. Keeping her gaze on his face and not tracking wildly down his very nicely proportioned torso proved even more difficult. But she managed a small smile. Too bad she forgot to breathe. A salty, sea breeze ruffled her hair while she continued to stare. Read the rest of this entry »

On May 6th, I have a full-length novel releasing with Grand Central’s Forever Yours line in both paperback and ebook. It’s just the sort of tale all those 50 Shades of Grey fans should love. It’s available for pre-order now!

The moment Tilly Floret sees the sleek Bentley driving down Main Street, she knows trouble has arrived in her sleepy little town. A mysterious job posting keeps appearing at the diner where she works and she can’t resist applying. No matter that the entire town of Bayou Vert is whispering about the wealthy, powerful man behind it all and his scandalous return home.  The moment his ice-blue eyes meet hers, he ignites an all-consuming desire she never imagined possible, one she can’t deny.

Ex-Navy Seal Boone Benoit never thought he’d set foot in Louisiana again.  As soon as Tilly starts her new job in his pleasure club, he senses a kindred soul. One who has carefully guarded secrets of her own—and a simmering hunger for the taboo rites of mastery and submission. The only difference is she doesn’t yet know it . . . Now as Boone tutors Tilly in the tantalizing world of leather and restraint, she will shed her every inhibition and surrender to him, body and soul.

Buy at Amazon |  Buy at Barnes & Noble 

The sound was faint and haunting, entering his dreams like a distant echo. A metallic tinkling drifting closer, coming and going, like tiny golden bells worn on a waving arm.

Boone Benoit awoke in a sweat. He lay still for a moment, searching the darkness around him, remembering the layout of the furniture in his bedroom, but finding no new shadows to cause alarm.

But he heard the tinkling in the distance and slipped out of bed. Opening the French doors that led onto the balcony, he stepped out into the humid night air and listened.

Nothing. He must have imagined the sound. Or maybe the gardeners had installed wind chimes, and they’d stirred in a breeze. Although, right this moment, the thick bayou air was perfectly still.

Another door opened farther down the balcony. From the corner of his eye, Boone saw his right-hand man, Sergei Gun, step outside.

“You okay, boss?”

“I’m fine, Serge. Just thought I heard something.”

“Want me to have the guards take a look around the grounds?”

He began to shake his head. His unease at being back was clearly playing with his head, and he wasn’t happy about it. He’d only been back a day, but in Bayou Vert, news traveled faster than CNN across backyard fences. For all he knew, someone might be there in the dark, staring down the barrel of a rifle. “Yeah, have them make a round. And find out if someone put up wind chimes.”

Serge’s head canted.

He probably wanted to ask why, but knew Boone well enough to refrain. Boone and those closest to him had secrets they all kept close to the chest. For good reason.

“What do you want them to do if they find chimes?”

“Shoot ’em,” Boone said with a grim smile.

Serge’s teeth gleamed in the shadows. “Get some sleep, boss.”

“You too.”

Boone stepped back inside and lay down on the bed, closing his eyes and trying to relax, but he strained to hear the telltale sound—golden bells on a bracelet, tinkling at the end of a pale arm.

Dragging in a deep breath, he wondered if he was ready for this. Ready to return to his childhood home. Ready to face his past and the terrible thing that had happened here.

Likely, the sound had been only a dream, dredged up by his own feelings of guilt. A blood-soaked memory. Boone acknowledged the guilt. Accepted it. But now was the time to face the part he’d played. Dead calm settled around him and he drifted off into an uneasy sleep. Read the rest of this entry »

Since I had no guest scheduled for the day, and I haven’t updated my Coming Soon page in a month or so, I thought I’d share what’s coming, to let you know and hopefully make some pre-orders so you don’t miss out on special deals!

04/14 – MUTINY’S BOUNTY (Adventure Girls, Inc.) — This one came out in the Sealed with a Kiss collection, but that sale’s ending soon, and I wanted to share the pretty cover!

Interested only in experiencing an adrenaline-packed adventure first-hand to give her credo when she books her clients’ adventure vacations, Lace McElhannon finds more excitement than she can handle when she meets and falls into bed with ex-SEAL Dex Haygood. Fresh from protecting transport ships from Somali pirates, Dex figures his latest job will be a cakewalk, until he finds himself in deep water, swimming with sharks and trying to protect Lace when the yacht they’re sailing on is taken.

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04/21/14 – IT TAKES A SEAL, Summer of SEALs anthology

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04/??/14 – BIG BRASS BUCKLE, an erotic short story

Caught in a sudden thunderstorm on a lonely stretch of Texas highway, I pull into a dingy little diner to wait out the rain, never dreaming the cowboy of my dreams would follow me inside. Now I have a couple of choices, play it coy and safe? Or go for the big brass buckle…

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05/06/14 – HER ONLY DESIRE — Book 1 in the Sultry Summer Nights series

The moment Tilly Floret sees the limo driving down Main Street and the mysterious job posting at the local diner, she can’t resist applying.  No matter that the entire town of Bayou Vert is whispering about the wealthy, powerful man behind it all and his scandalous return home.  The moment his ice-blue eyes meet hers, he ignites an all-consuming desire she never imagined possible, one she can’t deny.

Ex-Navy Seal Boone Benoit never thought he’d set foot in Louisiana again.  As soon as Tilly starts her new job in his pleasure club, he senses a kindred soul. One who has carefully guarded secrets of her own—and a simmering hunger for the taboo rites of mastery and submission. The only difference is she doesn’t yet know it . . . Now as Boone tutors Tilly in the tantalizing world of leather and lace, she will shed her every inhibition and surrender to him, body and soul.

Pre-order Now!

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05/20/14 – ONCE IS NEVER ENOUGH — Book 5, in the Delta Heat series — Mondo’s story, nuff said?

Pre-order now!

UPDATE: The winner of the free download is…Mandy!

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A couple of reminders, first.

1) Don’t forget to vote for your choice of theme for upcoming collections. I’m playing with the ideas I posted and trying to come up with proposals that will appeal as much as Cowboy Heat! All you have to do is show up and vote! Take the Poll!

2) Also, remember that I am running a contest all month on my blog. I’ll choose a commenter at random to receive an Amazon gift card, so don’t be shy about leaving little love notes for the authors you see here! 🙂

Thanks so much for everyone who supported me by buying Reined In! I love my Lone Star Lovers series! Here’s a nibble from one of those stories…

If you post a comment today, you’ll be entered to win a free copy of this story!

“Ms. Devlin’s writing is so well done that the experience was seamless. I will definitely be looking for more of Ms. Devlin’s books for my ‘keeper shelf’…  TWO WILD FOR TEACHER is highly recommended reading for a quick escape.”
5 Stars and Book of the Month, Long and Short Reviews

It’s double the trouble when two ornery cowboys come courtin’, Texas-style…

Sam Logan’s hell-raising twin sons have a bad rep in Two Mule, Texas. All of it earned. When it becomes clear those two troublemakers won’t settle down without another nudge—make that a boot to their butts—Sam reissues his challenge. Find a wife.

There’s only one woman who’s ever held Mace and Jason Logan’s attention for more than one night. Molly Pritchet, their former teacher. She’s been too worried about a pesky morals clause to let them close, but they’re older now and ready to prove to her that some rules are meant to be broken.

Molly thought her path was clear: always a teacher, never a mother or a wife. Until she finds those two Logan “boys” in her backyard, all grown up and digging around in her business. More accurately, starting her koi pond for her without asking. Well, it’s about time someone taught the Logan twins some manners.

A little mud, a lot of yearnings she thought she’d suppressed, and Molly realizes she’s the one being schooled in the art of indulging in forbidden desires.

Warnings: Two hot-as-sin twins romance their former high school teacher. Things are bound to get down and dirty quick as two bad boys tag team to sweep one curvy, sexy woman off her feet.

Molly felt more herself as she took a long, cool shower. She stood under the showerhead and let the water beat her head, long enough her toes were wrinkled and her mind was blank.

However, her traitorous body was slow to let go of the arousal both men had stoked. As she slicked rose-scented soap over her skin, she massaged her heavy breasts, pinching the tips now and then to keep them throbbing. She slid a hand between her parted legs and glided fingers between her folds, felt the ripened nub at the top and swirled around and around it until her breath caught and held.

She rubbed a moment longer, but fingers weren’t enough. Hers were too soft, too slender. She craved something substantial pushing up inside her. Damn them.

Breathing hard, she turned the tap to add a distinct chill to the water, then pressed both hands against the tiled wall. At last her heart slowed to its usual, unnoticeably steady beat. She switched off the cool water and reached for the fluffy towel hanging from a peg beside the door. She held it to her face, drying her eyes and cheeks, and inhaling the reassuring fragrance of the springlike conditioner she used in her wash.

Nothing teased her senses. Not a whiff of male cologne or musk.

Now, she was ready to start her summer. And she had plans. This year, she’d put in more flowers, maybe dig a bit in the backyard and put in the koi pond, something she’d dreamed about doing and had already begun to assemble the things she’d need to complete the project. On her salary, it was a splurge, but it wasn’t like she didn’t have the money in the bank to handle it.

Fact was, she was a frugal woman with modest needs. She didn’t spend a lot on clothes, did her own nails, and other than a trim a couple of times a year, didn’t spend it at the beauty shop. Her house was finished to her liking. However, her yard, especially the backyard, was in need of a little TLC to make it a perfect haven from the world.

She opened the towel and swung it behind her, rubbing her back and bottom then brought it forward to dry her breasts. The terrycloth abraded her nipples, just enough she was aware but not enough to excite. She’d had enough excitement for one day.

The twins had had their fun. Her mind almost got away from her when she thought about how they’d looked, standing in her bedroom doorway to peek inside.

Something no man had ever done. Not since she’d had her satellite dish and receivers installed had a man even traipsed up her stairs, and that had been shortly after she’d bought the house her second year in Two Mule. Not that she was a prude, but, at first, she’d been busy trying to be the best teacher she could, spending evenings over lesson plans, tutoring after school, lending her supervision to several school-related clubs.

When she’d finally grown comfortable in her job and her role, she’d felt awkward stepping outside it. Sure, she attended functions at church, but there again, parents sought her out to talk about their children. She’d begun to feel as though her life was predetermined, that maybe, this was all she was supposed to be. A child’s teacher. Never his or her mother. And the thought of the actual baby-making… She no longer felt comfortable in her own skin. When she looked into a mirror, she saw a pale moon of a face, a figure more suited to plain shirts and dowdy skirts than one that might entice a healthy, horny male.

The sexual side of her was dormant, unawakened, except for brief moments like today, whenever she spied the twins in town or at the diner. Always, the two of them reminded her of her first days here, about her unexpected and unwanted attraction to them both.

Molly rubbed the soft terry over her nipples again. The tips were fully engorged, so sensitive each back and forth pass shot darts of hunger straight toward her womb.

Not that she was ashamed about how easily they affected her. Intellectually, she understood her reactions were natural. They were beautiful specimens of manhood who exuded sexual confidence. Something she, as a relative novice, responded to on a very primal level…

Primal. A word she loved. One that made her think of sweaty, naked bodies. A word she could roll around her tongue…

And good Lord, she was thinking about them again! Her skin felt warmer, her breasts heavier, her nipples tingly and tight.

In the moment she stood inventorying her physical reactions, she was right back at square one—intensely aroused and overheated. Her brain short-circuiting, letting her hunger grow.

She wondered where she’d stashed the vibrator she’d bought the last time she’d visited her family in Houston. She’d been shopping with her sister Sarah who had nagged her about all the elusive details regarding her private life until she’d discovered Molly didn’t have a sex life to gossip about. Sarah had made it her mission to find her a vibrator sure to awaken her dormant hormones.

The unopened box was probably somewhere deep in her closet. Top shelf, behind her Snuggie. And if that wasn’t the definition of a spinster, she didn’t know what was. Short of the prerequisite dozen cats, she was well on her way.

She finished with the towel, hung it over the rail to dry, slipped her glasses on and reached for her robe for the walk to her bedroom, but then decided she could walk naked through her own damn house. Feeling daring, and knowing it was daylight so her silhouette passing any windows wouldn’t be seen from the road, she strode into her bedroom, picked up the stool in front of her vanity and carried it to the closet.

When she was on her tiptoes atop the cushioned seat, reaching to the farthest corner, she heard a sound coming from her backyard. A metallic chink, then a soft masculine curse.

Curious, she leaned back and tugged her lace curtains to open them just a couple inches and peered down through the branches of the mimosa tree, into her yard. The sight that greeted her caused her breath to hitch.

The twins stood in her backyard, in the center of the area she’d neatly staked and tied with twine to define the place she intended to put her koi pond. And they’d made a mess. Clumps of turf lay beside the big hole they’d dug. Water ran freely from a hose into the middle of a muddy pit. The black pool liner she’d bought and left leaning against the garage had been dragged beside the hole.

Anger flushed another kind of heat through her veins, and she climbed off the stool, hurried to the bathroom for her robe, and then she was stomping down her stairs to the sliding glass door, which she slammed open with all her righteous anger.

Two begrimed faces turned her way. Before she let herself think better of her plan, she was standing in front of them with her sheer bathrobe flapping in a breeze and staring at two broad, naked muddy chests. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asked, trying to temper her voice, because she didn’t want neighbors hearing her screeching like a banshee.

Mace’s gaze raked over her body. “Wishin’ I had x-ray vision,” he drawled.

Molly scowled and clutched the lapels of her robe in one hand. “I’m talking about this!” she said, waving her other hand at the rapidly filling hole.

Mace shrugged. “Dirt was too hard. And since we couldn’t find a pick or a backhoe in your garage—”

“You think I’d have a backhoe?”

“Or a pick…”

“You were rummaging through my garage?” she said, her voice raising.

“It wasn’t locked.”

She rolled her eyes. “Why are you digging up my yard?”

“We saw the stakes, found the pool that fits the space you marked off…” He shrugged again, a little smile tilting up the corners of his mouth as he gave her body another sly once-over.

She hoped like hell the bright sunshine wasn’t giving him that x-ray vision. “I don’t need your help. And now I have a huge mess—”

Jason cleared his throat, pulling her attention to a sharp, crystal gaze alight with amusement. “It only looks like a mess ’cause of the mud. But actually, we have more dug here than you can see.”

Molly gaped at both men, covered in sweat and dirt, but somehow still looking more attractive than she could stand. She felt moisture pool beneath her feet and glanced down at the hose still gurgling water into the pit they’d dug. Before she could suppress the urge, she bent and picked it up, pressed her thumb over the end to increase the pressure and aimed it at Jason, spraying him with water.

His eyes closed and he stood in the stream, water running off his face to his chest and soaking his jeans.

Mace erupted in laughter, but quickly shut up the moment she turned the hose on him. When he lifted a foot to climb out of the hole, he slipped and landed on his butt in the middle of the muddy pool.

Elation filled her and she laughed, still spraying. But Jason climbed on his hands and knees, over the edge, toward her. She dropped the hose and turned to make a run for it, but he caught the hem of her bathrobe, and jerked it toward him.

Her feet slipped beneath her and she began to fall backward…into a pair of strong arms which wrapped around her and carried her down to one side of the muddy pit, to soft, gooey ground—with those same arms buffeting the fall.

When she caught her breath, she was covered head to toe by one very wet, very amused man. Mud oozed between her toes and beneath the back of her robe, and both lapels had pulled apart. Although his body shielded her from view, nothing stood between their naked chests.

Jason leaned to one side and lifted one finger.

Her eyes nearly crossed watching it descend toward her face.

He pushed up her glasses. “Seems we got ourselves a situation here,” he drawled, settling on his elbows to take a little of his weight off her.

She opened her mouth to demand he move, but then Mace sauntered into view to take up a position leaning against her back porch to watch the couple in the muddy hole. If Jason did move, both men would have an unencumbered view of her torso.

Molly became aware of every sensation: the heavy chest pressing against her stiff nipples, the jut of his jeans-enclosed sex against her mound. She swallowed hard. “Seems we do. I…apologize for acting like a crazy woman.”

Jason grunted and his chest jerked against hers. “You’re not sorry.”

Knowing she was at a distinct disadvantage, she nevertheless lifted her chin. “It’s just plain rude to disagree with me. I’m trying to handle this delicately.”

“Only handlin’ to be done will be done by me—and Mace here, if you ask real pretty.”