Unavoidable Heat [Men of Iron Horse 6] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  Men of Iron Horse 6

  Unavoidable Heat

  With the death of her parents, Janie Tatum’s life was forever changed. Now the sole guardian of her two brothers, she’s determined to give them the future she can no longer have. Putting aside all hope for love and career, she focuses on earning a living any way she can.

  Lawyer Victor Cadwell has never had problems with female company, but when he meets Janie while she's tending bar at Iron Horse, he irresistibly intrigued. She’s feisty and he finds her lack of interest in him appealing. He wants nothing but to satisfy his lust-driven curiosity, and when she accepts his proposition for a one-night stand, he takes full advantage.

  When Janie comes face to face with Victor at his legal firm all bets are off. Desperate, they try to put aside their differences and work together. Trouble is, the more time they spend together, the more they want the one thing both are trying hard to avoid—falling in love.

  Genre: Contemporary

  Length: 37,261 words

  UNAVOIDABLE HEAT

  Men of Iron Horse 6

  Morgan Fox

  EROTIC ROMANCE

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer.

  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.

  If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at

  [email protected]

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

  UNAVOIDABLE HEAT

  Copyright © 2016 by Morgan Fox

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-68295-003-6

  First E-book Publication: January 2016

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2016 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.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of Unavoidable Heat by Morgan Fox from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Morgan Fox’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Morgan Fox’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  www.BookStrand.com

  DEDICATION

  For Lydia and Louise. Thank goodness your phones work. I’d be lost without you.

  To my husband, who makes believing in love so very easy. Thank you for your love and support.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  About the Author

  UNAVOIDABLE HEAT

  Men of Iron Horse 6

  MORGAN FOX

  Copyright © 2016

  Chapter One

  Janie Tatum finally had a reason to celebrate. Her recruiter had called and said that she’d been offered a temporary gig working as a personal assistant downtown. The timing couldn’t be better. Her brother’s college tuition was due and working at Iron Horse Bar and Grill hadn’t brought in enough money to pay her monthly bills and everything else.

  She was swimming in a mountain of credit card debit, and sadly, she was getting used to living with the heavy burden of financial stress. It had been her lifestyle since her father had been diagnosed with cancer when she was a teenager. Not to mention, the passing of her mother only a year later.

  Janie had been forced to grow up fast. To help her mother pay for her father’s medical expenses, she’d gotten a job and worked practically full time while finishing high school. With so much responsibility riding on her shoulders, there was no way for her to attend college. That had been a daydream. Now, she was determined to see that that wasn’t the case for her younger brother Josh—the only one of her siblings to show interest in higher learning.

  Joey, on the other hand, never liked school and couldn’t wait to live on his own. Janie knew the real reason he was adamant about getting a job. He needed an escape from losing their parents and he jumped on the first oilrig that would hire him. Joey spent most of his time away from home, and when he was back, he spent as little time home as possible.

  Thankfully, Josh had been young enough to not feel the emotional strain of losing their parents so early. Janie had stepped up and became his surrogate mother. The need had been instinctual and she was grateful that he wanted to go to school and nothing would stop her from helping him fulfill his dreams.

  At least one of us will.

  For so long, Janie had wanted to attended college to get a degree that she could be proud of—one her parents would’ve loved to see her achieve. But as the oldest, she was the one responsible for helping her family. She didn’t want the same struggles for her brother’s that she’d been forced to endure.

  She reached into the cooler at the counter of the bar and pulled out a bottle of beer, raised it high above her head, and said, “Here’s to paying college tuition.”

  “I didn’t know you were going to school.” Janie swallowed her tongue as she turned to see her boss, Sam Whitmore staring at her from the doorway.

  “Oh, um, I’m not.” She clung to the bottle of beer, a nervous jitter rocking through her. She was about to start her shift and drinking a beer beforehand could get her fired. What the hell was I thinking? “My younger brother, Josh, is attending the local university.”

  “And you’re paying for it?”

  She nodded, immediately realizing that i
t might look as if she were stealing the beer. “I paid for this. I gave the money to Jace already.”

  Sam shot her a knowing smile, her round, green eyes sympathetic. “Good to know, but I was really asking about the tuition.”

  Janie released a breath and smiled shyly. “Yes. I’m helping him.”

  “That’s pretty cool of you.”

  It’s my responsibility. “Our parents died a few years ago,” she admitted, her heart clenching at the memory of the loss. “There’s really no one else to help him out.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  Janie didn’t know why she’d shared that with Sam. It had just rolled out of her mouth. Sam had always been easy to talk with. She was tough, but fair. Maybe that had been the reason.

  “I should probably wait until after my shift to drink this,” Janie said.

  “Might be a good idea. Wouldn’t want you slurring on the customers.” Sam grinned. “And Janie, if you ever need extra hours, let me know. I can always check to see if we have a spot that needs covering.”

  Janie appreciated the offer. She’d grown to love working at Iron Horse. “Thanks,” she replied, returning the bottle to the cooler.

  She spotted Jace Burnette at the far end of the bar. His shiny bald head and inquisitive hazel eyes were just the distraction she needed to jump back into work.

  He was already snickering as she closed the distance between them. “Did you get busted for chugging down that beer?”

  “No,” she said in an exaggerated manner. “Thanks for the heads up that Sam was here, by the way. I’ll be sure to repay you soon.”

  Jace chuckled. “Remember that hot piece of heaven that was sitting at the bar last night. You know, the one that I was interested in and you refused to be my wingman.” He winked as if to tell her it was payback and she rolled her eyes at him. “And here’s a little known fact to remember—Sam’s always here.”

  Janie frowned.

  Jace smiled.

  “You’re a douche.”

  With a serious redneck impression, Jace teased, “That’s Officer Douche to you Ma’am.”

  Janie laughed softly, but quickly wiped away her amusement. The last thing she needed to do was egg Jace on. She bumped into him playfully as she slid up to take the order of the new customer at the counter.

  “What can I get you?” Janie eyed the blond-haired man in the very expensive suit.

  “Can we sit anywhere in the bar or do we have to wait to be seated?”

  His curt tone caught her off guard and she was thankful he didn’t want to sit at the bar where she’d be forced to wait on him. That was the kind of man that turned her stomach sour. Pompous, arrogant, and smelled of money—the kind of person who never knew real heartache or struggle.

  The lucky silver spoon jackass.

  “Sit wherever you’d like. I’ll send someone over to take your order.”

  Janie moved up alongside Jace and groaned. “What a jerk.” She gritted her teeth. “He even smells snobby.”

  “Want me to take the table?”

  Janie sighed with relief. She’d loved every second of working with Jace. Maybe it was because she had two brothers or that she just got along better with men. Whatever it was, she and Jace clicked from the moment they started working together.

  “That would be awesome.”

  “But that means you get to cover the bar. Don’t make me look bad.”

  She laughed. “I’ll keep up with the drink orders, don’t you worry.”

  He grabbed a few menus before heading over to the table that now had four other suit clad men sitting around it. All of them looking the self-centered and conceited way a successful businessman did when he bathed in money. She feigned a shiver, grateful she didn’t have to stand too close to them. One thing she couldn’t stand was people who assumed money made them better than everyone else. That false sense of entitlement annoyed her. What she wouldn’t give to bring a man like that to his knees.

  A person’s character was what Janie thought more of than what they could afford. Growing up dirt poor had taught her that. Watching someone’s eyes avert because they were afraid she was going to ask them for money as she crossed the street had shown her a lot about the degrees of human compassion.

  Or lack of.

  An awareness clung to the back of her head as she felt his presences before she turned to face him. “Rusty Nail.”

  His masculine voice was sharp and direct, and for a second, his piercing blue eyes distracted her, emphasized by his midnight black hair. His gaze had been so intense she thought he was looking straight through her, but she resisted the urge to glance back. Instead, she reached for the bottle of whisky and began making his drink. Once she finished she slid it over to him. Before she could tell him the cost, he shoved a twenty across the counter, leaving before she could give him his change. She wasn’t surprised when he moved to join the table filled with stiffs in suits.

  He raised his glass to her as if to tell her he appreciated the drink. When she smiled back at him, the table erupted in snickers and mumbling voices. She didn’t like the way it felt, as if she were the punchline in a crude joke.

  “What they hell are they laughing about?” Jace asked as he returned to the bar.

  She aggressively whipped down that bar, irritated with herself for letting them get her. “My guess, they each just discovered that they have small penises.”

  “I doubt they’d be laughing then,” Jace pointed out. “But I bet you’re right.”

  The night progressed with them all staring at her. She felt like she was naked, especially when Rusty Nail looked at her. His gaze was heat seeking—the blue in his eyes so vivid even from across the room. No one had ever looked at her like that before—like there was desire mixed with genuine interest. But it was a look that sent chills up her spine and an unsettling flutter to her belly. The way he and his friends looked in her direction and then muttered, as if sharing a secret, didn’t sit right with her. She couldn’t wait for them to leave.

  “What are they talking about?” she mumbled.

  “I would imagine everything that’s inappropriate. The drunken idiots,” Jace replied, clearly hearing her question. “Let’s keep an eye on how many drinks these guys are having. They’ve been here a short time and they’re already pretty loud.”

  Janie glanced back over at the table and again Rusty Nail was staring at her. Then he stood and started heading toward the bar. A shiver rocked her as both apprehension and unexpected lust surged from deep within her.

  What the hell is that about?

  * * * *

  Victor Cadwell sipped his Rusty Nail and listened to his teasing coworkers. Glancing at his watch, he had no intention of staying long. He didn’t enjoy hanging out at bars. It wasn’t his scene. Not anymore. But Martin was celebrating his 30th birthday and Victor had promised to attend.

  Not that I had a choice.

  “Do you see that bartender,” Martin asked, leaning forward, lowering his voice. “Who thinks they have the best shot at getting into her pants.”

  Victor groaned. Childish games were part of the reason he never liked to mix with his coworkers. They were damn fine attorneys, but they lacked self-control and maturity when it came to the opposite sex. “You’re drunk,” he said, elbowing the youngest one at the table. He slid his glass to him. “Here, have another one since it will clearly not be you.”

  They all laughed. “That’s a good point though,” Roger added. “Which one of us would have the best shot at scoring with a chic like her? Would a hard-edged girl like her go for the young one? Or perhaps the one with the secret tattoo that his parent’s would disown him for if they found out.” He looked to Arthur.

  “And no one at this table will divulge, right?” The blood seemed to drain from Arthur’s face and they all laughed.

  “Or would she go for the silent brooding type?” All eyes turned to Victor.

  Victor tapped his finger on the table, glancing at his watc
h again. He’d truly spent too much time with them and he was ready to go home. He’d told himself he’d stay an hour and it had only been thirty minutes.

  Annoyed, Victor said, “She’ll go for the one with the largest wallet, dumbasses. She works at a bar. What do you think she wants?”

  Roger chuckled. “Then Mr. Successful, why don’t you go on up there and show us how it’s done?”

  He couldn’t fight the chance to glance back up at the bar. To his surprise, he caught her staring at him. He then looked at his glass that was now in Martin’s hand. A sudden thirst crept up into his throat.

  “I need a drink anyway.”

  With cheers and inappropriate grunts from his coworkers, he headed up to the bar. “Rusty Nail.”

  “Sure,” she muttered, making him the drink.

  He laid another twenty on the bar and slid it toward her as she passed him his drink.

  “Those drinks don’t cost twenty bucks, you know?” she told him, her gray eyes darkening, before releasing his glass.

  “I know.”

  She laid his change from both drinks on the counter for him. “Here’s your change.”

  “Keep it.”

  She frowned, her eyes narrowing on him. He found her obvious annoyance toward him refreshing. Usually woman were falling all over him, digging into his pants for a quick ride on his cock, before they reached for his wallet.

  “Are you always such a good tipper? Or does this have something to do with the ongoing joke taking place at your table?”

  He arched a brow, enjoying her confrontational tone. “What joke is that?”