Tags stomach dropped at Cassies wicked smile
Oh yeah, he thought. No doubt about it, she had a smile capable of rendering a grown man stupid. The outfit didnt hurt, either.
Or lack of outfit.
Did she have any idea how she looked standing there in the glow of the lamp wearing a sheer black creation with wispy little straps? His tongue tingled to nudge those straps off her shoulders.
This was bad, very bad. It wasnt often he found himself speechless, but when she stepped closer words escaped him. Unable to stop himself, he reached out to slip a finger beneath her strap, urging it down. He felt her warm, soft skin, felt her breath catch.
Almost unaware, he dipped his head to hers. He didnt have far to bend. She was tall, which hed just discovered was an incredible turn-on. Lying down, theyd be chest to chest, thigh to thigh, and everything in between would line up so damn perfectly.
She tilted her head so that now they were mouth to mouth, breathing each others air, which was the most erotic thing hed ever experienced.
She licked her lips and they were so close he felt the brush of her tongue against his lips.
Mmm, she whispered. Its a night for this, dont you think? A night for a hot, wet kiss.
Dear Reader,
My first Blaze novel has finally arrived! I have to admit, I wasnt sure I could pull it off, writing an extra, extra sensuous love story. But from the very first word of Naughty But Nice, this story wrote itself. It flowed so fast and hot I singed my fingers on a daily basis writingahem, shall we say certain scenes?
For that alone, I will forever have a soft spot in my heart for the bad girl Cassie Tremaine and the even badder Sheriff Sean Tag Taggart.
I hope you enjoy reading their story as much as I enjoyed writing it. And dont forget to pick up my good friend Leslie Kellys BARE ESSENTIALS book, Naturally Naughty, also available this month.
Happy reading!
Jill Shalvis
Naughty, But Nice
Jill Shalvis
www.millsandboon.co.uk
MILLS & BOON
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To Wanda,
You held my hand on this one, and Ill never forget it.
And to Birgit Davis-Todd,
For always being there when I needed you.
Thanks, ladies, and heres to many more.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
Copyright
Prologue
Ten Years Ago
THE LINE OF CARS heading out of the Daisy Inn was long but giddy. After all, it was prom night. The night of hopes and dreams. The night of spiked punch and lost virginity. The culmination of high school, where one was to have the time of ones life.
Unless you were a Tremaine, of course.
In the town of Pleasantville, Ohio, the only thing worse than being a member of that family was being a female member.
Cassie Tremaine Montgomery, an extremely female Tremaine, looked over at her date. Biff Walters. Hard to imagine any mother disliking her newborn son enough to name him Biff. But his name had nothing to do with the reason why Cassie had agreed to go to the prom with the tall, blond, gorgeousbut stupidfootball star.
No, the reason had everything to do with his graduation present from his daddya cherry-red Corvette.
Since Cassie had a love affair with all things expensive and out of her reach, the convertible had been irresistible.
Hey, baby, Biff said, catching her eye and putting his big, beefy, sweaty paw of a hand on her thigh. You look hot tonight.
How original. Not. So she was blond and five foot ten, with the stacked body of a Playboy modelshed been that way since the age of thirteen. Which meant men had been drooling over her for four years now. Added to that was the fact that while the men in her family were bastardssome quite literallythe women were all tramps. No exceptions. There was a rumor it even said so in the law books.
She could live with the stigma, or get the hell out of Pleasantville. The town didnt care much either way.
Unfortunately as a kid, the second option had never been viable. She and her cousin Kate had grown up learning that lesson all too well. Cassies mother, Flo, otherwise known as the town vixen, had long ago guaranteed her daughters fate by cheerfully seducing as many of the husbands in town as possible.
By default, Cassie was as unpopularor popular if you asked the menas her mother.
Which burned her; it always had. So Flo had a weakness. Men. So what? Everyone had a weakness. At least her mothers was basically harmless.
Wanna go to the lake? Biff asked hopefully.
Ugh. The lake was the typical make-out spot just outside of town. Tonight itd be crowded with overeager guys toting their dressed-to-the-hilt dates, if they were lucky enough to have coaxed them out there.
Not for her, thank you very much. Cassie didnt share her mothers weakness for men, and never would.
Of course you want to go, youre a Tremaine. Biff laughed uproariously at that. His fingers squeezed her thigh and moved upward, leaving a damp streak on the designer silk dress shed secretly purchased at a thrift store.
All the Tremaine women love sex. He was confident on this. The wilder the better. Its why I asked you to the prom. Come on, show me what youve got, baby. Leaning over, he planted his mouth on the side of her neck, smearing beer breath over her skin.
Smiling when she wanted to puke, Cassie backed away and combed her fingers through the hairstyle shed spent hours copying from an ad in Cosmo. Fine price she was going to pay for wanting a cruise through town in a hot car. Now she had to figure a way out of the rest of the night. Whats the rush?
This. Biff, panting now, put his hand on his erection to adjust himself.
Oh, good God, men were ridiculous. The smell of beer and sweat permeated the cars close quarters. Biff, they didnt let us buy beer before the prom, remember? We got carded.
I know. He looked extremely proud of himself.
So why do I smell it on you?
His grin was wide, wicked and stupid. Jeff had a twelve-pack in the bathroom. He gave me half.
Six beers. Cassie wasnt afraid of much, and God knows the town thought her a brainless drunk in the making simply because of the misfortune of her genes but, contrary to popular belief, she was very fond of living. You drank them all?
Yeah. They pulled out of the inn in a show-off peel of tires. The car swerved, making Cassie grab the dashboard with a gasp.
Dont worry, baby. He sent her another ridiculously dumb grin. I drive better under the influence.
Right. Damn it, graduation was only a week away. Freedom loomed like a rainbow over her future. Seven days and she was outta this one-horse town and she wasnt going to ever look back. She was going to show the world she could be someone. Someone special.
But she had to be alive to do it. Biff, pull over.
Now, baby
Stop the car, she said through her teeth. If he called her baby one more time she was going to scream. And then she was going to make him scream.
Watch this. He stomped on the gas and whipped into the oncoming traffics lane to pass a slower car. Woo-hoo! He craned his neck to look backward, flipping his middle finger at the driver as he came back into the right-hand lane with one second to spare before causing a head-on collision. Bitchin!
Biff. Cassies fingernails, the ones shed so carefully painted candy-apple red, dug into his dash. I
Ah, shit, he said at the same time Cassie heard the whoop of a siren. Flashing lights lit up Biffs face as he swore the air blue.
They pulled over. When Cassie saw Sheriff Richard Taggart coming toward them, all she could think was Thank God. Hed just saved her from a car accident. Or at the very least, a wrestling match with an idiot.
Biff was still swearing, and Cassie couldnt blame him. The sheriff wasnt exactly a warm, fuzzy sort, though she did trust him despite his being a tough hard-ass. She trusted him because he was the only man she knew who hadnt slept with her mother, and therefore the only man she knew worthy of her respect.
He came to the drivers window. Tipped his hat back. Switched his gum from one side to the other. Calmly and quietly assessed the situation with his sharp, sharp eyes. You kids heading anywhere special?
Are you kidding? Look at my date. Biff leaned back so the sheriff could see Cassie. I got me a Tremaine for the night.
The sheriff looked at Cassie. Something in his eyes shifted. The lake, huh? he asked.
Biff just shot his idiotic grin.
The sheriff shook his head. Get out of the car, Biff.
But Uncle Rich
Out of the car, the sheriff repeated. You wont be driving again any time soon. I can smell you from here.
Ah, man Biff started to whine, but sucked it up when the sheriff glared at him.
Start walking home, little nephew. Before I arrest you for Driving Under the Influence.
Biff slammed out of the car like a petulant child and without so much as a backward glance at Cassie, whose panties hed wanted to get into only five minutes before, started walking.
Fine. Cassie tossed her hair out of her face and did her best impression of someone who didnt care what happened. But her heart was pounding, because though she was grateful hed pulled them over, suddenly she feltnervous.
That was ridiculous. He was rough and edgy, ruled the town with an iron fist, but he was also fair. A pillar of the community.
No reason for her to feel anxious. After all, what would he do now? Hed probably just make her walk home, too. Yeah, that worked for her. The entire evening had been a bust anyway. She had no idea why shed thought dressing up and going out with the most popular jerker, jockwould be fun.
Cassie.
Sheriff.
Dont you dress up nice.
He was staring ather breasts? That didnt seem right. Cassie managed to keep her shock to herself. Iyes.
You think the dress changes what you are? he asked softly. Or who you are? His gaze ran over the black silk, which had been designed to make men beg for mercy. Shed loved it when shed found it, shed loved it all the way until this very second, but now she felt like hugging herself.
Get out of the car.
She didnt move, and he leaned in. I can make you, he said silkily. In fact, Id like that.
There was no one around. Not that anyone would have stood up for her if there had been. No doubt the people in the cars driving by figured shed done something to warrant the sheriff pulling her over. Chin high, Cassie got out of the car. Casually leaned back against it. Tossed her head. Played cool as a cucumber. What can I do for you, Sheriff?
What can you do for me? He stepped close. So close she could see the lights from his squad car dancing in his eyes. Smell his breath. Feel his hips brush hers. She wanted to cringe back, wanted to panic, but no way in hell was anyone in this goddamned town ever going to see her panic.
What you can do for me, Cassie, is rather complicated, though being Flos daughter
Youknow Flo?
Intimately.
He was aroused. And he had been with her mother. Odd how that felt like such a betrayal. But she was very careful not to react because it was one thing to mess with a stupid eighteen-year-old punk driving his brand-new car. It was another thing entirely to mess with a fully grown, aroused man with a badge. Fear threatened to paralyze her but she tossed her hair back again. You must have mistaken me for my mother then.
I dont make mistakes. He lifted a hand.
It hovered in the air between them for a long moment, while Cassie held her breath. When she released it, his fingers danced along the very tops of her breasts, which were pushed up and out by her dress. His breathing changed then, quickened, and she realized he was no different from his nephew at all. The knowledge that any man, even this one, could be turned into a slave by his own penis was disturbing.
Skin crawling, she slapped his hand away. Unless youre going to arrest me for having the poor judgment to go out with your idiot nephew, our business here is over, she said with remarkable calm. Get out of my way. Im walking home.
I can give you a ride. Maybe Flo is home. Maybe the two of you would be interested
She shivered at the obvious innuendo. He wanted the both of them together. And why not, right? After all, a Tremaine was a Tremaine.
How did her mother stand this? Seducing men at the drop of a hat because she could? Cassie understood Flo enjoyed the power of bringing a man to his knees with lust, but Cassie would rather bring a man to his knees with pain. A direct kick to the family jewels would do it.
But this wasnt the man to do that to. Keeping her smile in place, she pushed past him. Sorry, Sheriff. Not in the mood tonight.
Her heels clicked on the asphalt as she started walking. Dont follow me, dont follow me. She felt him watching her every step of the way, until she turned the corner.
Only then, when she knew she was truly alone and out of his sight, did she break stride and start running. No one stopped her. No one cared enough to.