Her Lusty Lions [Lions of Lonesome, Texas 6] Read online

  

  Lions of Lonesome, Texas 6

  Her Lusty Lions

  Mira Ashby thought she’d found her man until her love interest chose another woman and opened her eyes to the fact that she had only been in love with the idea of love. She came to Lonesome for that man, but now she’s wondering if she should move on.

  Michael Fairland is quick to tell his brothers, Davis, Henry, and Rick about the pretty new nurse in town. He’s not interested in her, but he knows his brothers will be. And he’s right. Once they see her, they know she’s the one. But is she over her first love?

  Mira’s put love on the back burner. Yet when the Fairland brothers begin to pursue her, she can’t help but feel the sexual heat. Strangely, though, she isn’t attracted to Michael. Can she love only three of the four brothers without tearing their family apart?

  Genres: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Shape-shifters

  Length: 36,125

  Her Lusty Lions

  Lions of Lonesome, Texas 6

  Jane Jamison

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  Her Lusty Lions

  Copyright © 2018 by Jane Jamison

  ISBN: 978-1-64243-243-5

  First Publication: May 2018

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2018 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

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  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  DEDICATION

  Dear Reader,

  Welcome back to Lonesome, Texas. Grab your favorite brew and take a load off your feet. You’re going to have some fun.

  May I offer a suggestion? Although the books in the Lions of Lonesome, Texas series can be read in any order, reading the series starting with the first book will give you more insight to the characters. Remember that Lonesome is a small town and the characters from one book will pop up from time to time in the other books.

  Enjoy!

  Jane Jamison

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  From an early age, Jane Jamison was fascinated with stories about werewolves, vampires, aliens, and whatever else might be hiding in her bedroom closet. To this day, she still swears she can hear growls and moans whenever the lights are out.

  Born under the sign of Scorpio meant Jane was destined to be very sensual. Some would say she’s downright sexual. Then one day she put her two favorite things together and found her life’s true ambition: to be a romance author.

  Jane spends each day locked in her office surrounded by her two furry bundles of joy and the heroes and heroines she loves. Her plans include taking care of her loving husband, traveling, and writing until her fingers fall off.

  Jane also writes as Beverly Rae.

  For titles by Jane Jamison writing as

  Beverly Rae, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/beverly-rae

  For all titles by Jane Jamison, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/jane-jamison

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Her Lusty Lions

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Epilogue

  Her Lusty Lions

  Lions of Lonesome, Texas 6

  JANE JAMISON

  Copyright © 2018

  Chapter One

  “Mira, I’m going to head over to the diner and grab a bite to eat. Think you can hold down the fort while I’m gone?”

  Doc Williams put on his weathered cowboy hat, pushing down on his thick black hair. Although the forty-year-old physician sported a small pot belly, he was still a handsome man with dark piercing eyes. If the doctor was ten years younger, she might take him for a romp in the sack.

  “Sure thing, Doc.” Not that it was difficult to “hold down the fort,” as Doc liked to call it. She’d hired on with him over a month earlier and they’d barely seen one client per week. In fact, she was beginning to feel guilty about taking a salary for doing not much of anything. How did the practice stay in business?

  “Damn, I’m glad I hired you.” He plastered on a sincere grin. “Best decision I ever made. Other than catching my sweetie-pie honey and making her mine.”

  She loved how he referred to his forty-five-year-old wife, Gladys, as his “sweetie-pie honey.” After twenty years of being together, they were still going strong, holding hands and going on date nights. Which, according to Doc, was an amazing feat considering they were one of the few traditional unions in the small town of Lonesome, Texas.

  “Thanks.” She was grateful for the job even if most of her time was spent reading dusty old medical journals.

  Mira Ashby had come to Lonesome with a man. A man she’d believed she loved. A man she’d believed loved her back. Yet soon after joining Carl Hartley and his brothers, Will and Mason, on their ranch, things changed. He’d grown distant, and as much as she’d hated to believe it, she’d noticed his attraction to another woman, Liz Avery.

  At least, she and Carl had never had sex.

  At the time, it had bothered her, making her briefly doubt her feelings. But she’d quickly pushed the uneasy feeling away, making excuse after excuse for their lack of physical affection. He was old-fashioned and wanted to get to know her better. Like her, he was coming home from active duty and needed time to decompress. He had other demons, past relationships, he was dealing with. No matter how unrealistic, she found a way to explain their strange relationship.

  But she couldn’t explain it away when he’d finally told her that he cared for only as a friend. That he’d imagined he cared for her because he was grateful she’d saved his life. No wonder he’d never used the word love. Even stranger was that she’d never told him that she loved him. Perhaps she’d known all along, at least, instinctively, that he wasn’t the man for her. The realization that he didn’t want her had hurt like crazy at first, but now she was the one who was grateful. A lifetime based on gratitude without any real love would have devastated her.

  She gazed out the window of the small house Doc called both home and medical office. For such a small town, Lonesome was a busy place. People strolled down the sidewalk, stopping to chat while ranchers and farmers loaded up their pickups with supplies. If she were smart, she’d head for a big city where work as a nurse would be easy to find. Yet something kept her in Lonesome.

  Her attention jumped to the steps leading up to the front door as a handsome man with thick brown hair, long legs, and a hard torso held something in a blanket closely to his chest. Was it a child he carried? She rushed to the front door, opening it before he could turn the knob.

  “Come in,” she said then motioned for him to follo
w her into the examination room. “Put the child on the table.”

  He laid the bundle on top of the table covered with white paper. Blood spots sprinkled the blue blanket. “Where’s Doc?”

  “At lunch. But don’t worry. I can handle this.” She took hold of one end of the blanket and began to open it. “Still, if you want, you can run to the diner to fetch him.” Being a nurse was one thing and people seemed to readily accept her expertise. Being new to Lonesome, however, was an altogether different thing. It would take time for them to fully accept her, and she understood that.

  His green eyes, eyes the color of an emerald, met hers. His face was strong, with a jawline that could cut glass. His smile was easy and warm. She immediately liked him. “It’s not what you’re thinking.”

  She frowned then continued to pull the blanket apart. What she saw bundled in the covers made her step back. “What the hell?”

  He didn’t laugh. Instead, his eyes took on a beseeching gleam. “Take it easy. He won’t bite.”

  The rabbit was pure white with black ears. Blood darkened its left rear leg, but it was the angle of the leg that was more disturbing.

  “This isn’t a veterinary office.” Nonetheless, she cooed at the frightened creature as the man held it, keeping it from trying to bolt. “And I’m not a vet tech.”

  “Yeah. I know. But a broken leg is the same as any other broken leg, right? The blood’s from him trying to pull out of the trap, but I don’t think the scrapes are all that serious.”

  “But this is a medical office. For people. Not animals.”

  “We’re all animals. Some more than others.”

  He was using every tactic he could think of to convince her, but she couldn’t blame him. She hated traps that ensnared animals, leaving them to die a painful death. What would she have done if she’d found the rabbit?

  “You’ve got to at least try, right?” His eyes beseeched her, making her feel as though she had no choice.

  What kind of monster had set the trap? Worse, what kind of monster would she be if she didn’t help? She’d do her best, and that was all anyone could expect from her.

  “You can do this.” His voice was low, soothing, encouraging.

  “I know.” She hated to see the labored breathing of the poor animal and knew it was not only from pain, but from fear. “Shh, little bunny. No one’s going to hurt you. We’re going to make you all better, Mr. Hops.”

  “Mr. Hops?”

  She’d let the pet name slip. “I used to have a pet bunny when I was a little girl. His name was Mr. Hops.”

  “Cute. So you’re going to help him?”

  What did he expect her to do? Say no? Still, she wasn’t positive she was the right one to help. “Isn’t there a vet in town?” Surely, there was a vet that took care of all the livestock.

  “Yeah, but he’s out at the Richardsons’ helping in a tricky delivery of a foal.” He stroked the rabbit’s ear. “That makes you this little guy’s only hope. So what do you say? Can you help him or not?”

  She couldn’t say no. Even if the poor thing wasn’t human, it still needed her help. “Fine. I’ll do my best, but you’re going to have to help me.”

  “No problem. You just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

  And she did.

  * * * *

  Thirty minutes later, the rabbit was lying on a clean blanket in a carrier that had once belonged to Doc’s tabby cat. The cat had passed on several years earlier, but thankfully, Doc hadn’t had the heart to get rid of the carrier.

  “You did a great job, Doc.”

  She smiled, feeling proud of herself despite it only being a rabbit. “Thanks. But the name’s not Doc. Doc Williams is the only one in this town to earn that nickname.” She washed her hands then offered the sink to him. “The name’s Mira Ashby.”

  He cleaned his hands thoroughly then took her hand and gave it a firm handshake. “Yeah. I know.”

  “You do?” Had she met him before in passing? She doubted it. She would’ve remembered those eyes.

  He kept her hand in his. “Lonesome’s a small town. Everyone hears about newcomers five minutes before they enter town.”

  “Before they enter town?” She smiled, liking his sense of humor.

  “It’s a joke, but apparently not much of one.”

  “No, it is. It’s funny. I get it.”

  “Good. For a minute there, I thought I was losing my touch.” He finally withdrew his hand. “It’s good to finally meet you, Mira. I’m Michael Fairland.”

  “Likewise. And thanks for your help, Mr. Fairland, but I can take it from here. We’ll watch the rabbit—”

  “Mr. Hops.”

  She smiled, liking how his almost-there dimples appeared just enough to tease her. If she hadn’t decided to take a break from men following the whole Carl Hartley debacle, she would’ve thought twice about flirting with Michael. “Right, because he’s not just any other rabbit now, is he?”

  “No, he’s not. We both have a vested interest in his well-being. Me, as his pseudo-father, and now you as his—”

  She whipped up a finger, stopping him cold. “Do not go calling me this animal’s mother. I love animals, but that’s taking it a little too far.” She chuckled, letting him know she was joking.

  He laughed, a nice, friendly, warm kind of laugh that she could listen to for years. “Okay. But still, you’ve become a part of his life just like me.”

  She glanced at Mr. Hops. “I guess you’re right. Maybe it’s a good thing I’m not a vet tech.”

  He slipped up next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. At first, she was going to protest the familiarity of the move, but it felt good. Really good.

  “Do you get caught up in your human clients’ lives, too?”

  She eased out of his hold. If she stayed in it much longer, she might want to stay far too long. “A little, I guess. Although I don’t name them,” she teased. “Doc knows everything about everyone, so their life stories come out naturally. It’s hard not to care when you get to know the person.”

  “Does that mean you know a bunch of stuff about everyone? Like all their secrets?” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Sounds like a great way to be in with all the gossip in town.”

  She cringed, not liking the idea. “No, no. I don’t like to gossip.”

  “It’s okay. It was just another one of my not-so-funny jokes.” He stuck a finger into Mr. Hops’ crate and scratched the rabbit’s ear.

  “I’m surprised he hasn’t taken a nip out of you. Being wild and all.”

  He shrugged. “He’s a smart one. He knows who’s out to hurt him and who’s not.” He pivoted around to face her. “How about I pay you back by showing you around town? Have you been to the Whiskers and Whiskey Saloon yet?”

  “I have. A couple of times, anyway.” She didn’t add that she’d felt out of place. So many of the women were with two or more men.

  “Then you really should get out more. What do you say? You’re staying at Miss Kitty’s, right?”

  She laughed. “Wow, news really does get around town.”

  “You’ve been there awhile after you left the Hartley ranch. Didn’t you think everyone would know by now?”

  She’d hoped her time at the Hartley men’s ranch would’ve been less well-known. But that was Lonesome. “I should have realized, I guess. Anyway, I’m moving out as soon as I find a rental. Unless, of course, I decide to move on before that happens.”

  His eyes widened. “Move on? You’re thinking of leaving?”

  “I haven’t decided yet.” There really wasn’t anything to keep her in Lonesome. After all, helping Doc wasn’t giving her much of a chance to use her nursing skills. She’d be better off in a large city where work was plentiful.

  “You can’t leave.”

  Surprised, she asked, “I can’t?”

  He took her hands. Warmth spread through her, and she waited for the sensation to become something more. She was disappointed when it didn’t.
<
br />   “Hell, no. We need a nurse in Lonesome.”

  She blew out a derisive breath. “No you don’t. You barely need Doc.”

  He squeezed her hands. “Yes, we do. We need you.”

  Maybe it was the hard squeeze he’d given her, or maybe it was the intensity of his tone, but she believed him. But why was he pushing so hard?

  “So do you want me to pick you up at Miss Kitty’s, or would you rather meet me at the bar?”

  She tugged her hands free. “Thank you, Michael. Really. But I’m going to have to pass.”

  His expression went south. “Was it something I said? Maybe my bad jokes?”

  “No. Of course not. And your jokes are funny. It’s just that, if I’m going to leave, I don’t want to get any more involved in the town.”

  “Then don’t leave.”

  He was as charming as he was handsome. “Are you always this persistent?”

  His smile was disarming. “Only when I need to be. So? Meet you there at ten?”

  Saying no to him wasn’t easy, so she took the coward’s way out. “Maybe. And that’s the best I’m going to do.”

  “I’ll take it. See you then.”

  Surprising her, he grabbed her shoulders then pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. “That’s a date.”

  Before she could respond, he’d already spun around and was halfway out the door.

  Michael Fairland was handsome, charming, and funny with a big heart. He was the kind of man she’d like to get to know. But could she trust her heart to get it right this time?

  She watched as he sauntered across the street and headed for three men standing outside the local hardware store. He greeted them warmly, clapping one of them on the back. As he spoke, they shifted their attention toward the doctor’s office, causing her to duck to the side.