Maisey Yates - Animal Attraction

Animal Attraction

Lori Foster

Maisey Yates

Heidi Betts

Jules Bennett

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Four of today’s most popular romance authors introduce four sizzling new tales of finding love unexpectedly—with a little help from man’s best friend. Includes an all-new Buckhorn Brothers story from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster!

The authors are donating all of their proceeds from Animal Attraction to the Animal Adoption Foundation of Hamilton, OH, a charitable organization.

Anthology includes:

Buckhorn Ever After by New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster

Imagine Me and You by USA TODAY bestselling author Maisey Yates

Gimme Shelter by USA TODAY bestselling author Heidi Betts

Partner in Crime by Jules Bennett

Table of Contents

Buckhorn Ever After BUCKHORN EVER AFTER Lori Foster By Lori Foster

Imagine Me and You By Maisey Yates

Gimme Shelter By Heidi Betts

Partner in Crime By Jules Bennett

BUCKHORN

EVER AFTER

Lori Foster

To Shawn Heighton,

I greatly appreciate your insight into the duties of Park Rangers. The details you shared were invaluable, but I also very much enjoyed your own personal take on moral duty. I have a feeling that many park rangers feel the same, on duty or off.

Thank you for what you do!

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

About Lori Foster

Chapter One

Even at 7:00 p.m., the summer sun hung in the sky, a giant red ball of heat scorching the earth, ramping up his frustration and stealing the remainder of his energy. Sweat glued the back of Shohn Hudson’s uniform shirt to his spine and plastered his hair to his head. After the long day of chaos, he wanted to grab a cool dip in the lake, bum dinner off his folks and then head home to sleep in blessed air-conditioning.

The day had been so hellish, he didn’t even want female company, had in fact turned down a few sexy campers. The ladies hadn’t been shy when asking him to stick around and “share their campfire” with them.

But with other obligations still waiting, not to mention the restrictions of being a ranger, he’d declined, and then lectured them on fire safety.

And now, instead of heading to the lake, he drove to the Animal House Pet Hotel to pick up Amber’s dog for her. His cousin had lousy timing for a favor, not that she’d realize it was lousy timing. And he did owe her. Amber had saved his ass many times by running interference for him, helping him to shake off the women who refused to take a hint.

Pulling into the gravel lot, Shohn admired yet again the setup that housed upward of thirty dogs at a time. He and his family were all animal lovers, and they appreciated the upscale, friendly, caring atmosphere of the place. Anyone in Buckhorn County who needed to board a pet came to the Animal House for top-of-the-line care. From tall shade trees to a grassy field, an obstacle course to a big doggy pool, an exercise track to a play area, Nadine Moest gave dogs the best of everything.

Unfortunately, as far as the females in Buckhorn County went, Nadine was the least interesting on his “maybe someday” list. Never mind that she had a banging body, or that she’d factored into his hottest adolescent fantasies; he and Nadine were friends, nothing more, so most of the time, she didn’t even make that list.

Most of the time.

Speak of the devil...

As Shohn put the Jeep in Park, Nadine came around to the front of the building walking three big dogs, two leashes in one hand, one in the other. She had her long brown hair in a sloppy top-of-her-head bun that threatened to topple at any second. Snug shorts showed off her plump thighs and a spectacularly rounded ass as she directed the dogs. Nadine Moest was not a skin-and-bones kind of girl.

Her loose T-shirt couldn’t hide her generous rack, especially with the words I Heart Wet Kisses drawing his attention. Her shirt was as sweaty as his, a little dusty and had a picture of a dog to go along with the text.

When they spotted him, the dogs began to bark in glee, straining against their leashes. Dark glasses hid Nadine’s eyes, but Shohn could tell that she frowned as she approached his car.

As she reached him, she shoved the oversize sunglasses to the top of her head. “Hey, Shohn. What are you doing here?”

No smile, no happiness at seeing him. That was one of the things about Nadine that he liked least of all—her complete and utter indifference to him.

He rested one arm over the open window frame, the other over the steering wheel. “Picking up Amber’s dog for her.”

The dogs pulled Nadine this way and that, making her boobs jiggle, and since she was right there outside his driver’s side window, well, how was he not supposed to make note of it?

“Amber didn’t say anything to me about you picking up Rookie.”

“Must’ve slipped her mind.” No way was she wearing a bra. Things were moving too easily under there to have any type of restraint.

“Sorry,” she said in a voice gone high. “You can’t have him unless Amber specifically tells me to give him to you.”

“The hell you say.” Hearing the conviction in her tone, Shohn put his ranger hat on the seat, rolled down the remaining windows to let in any scarce breeze that might decide to stir up and opened the door of his Jeep, forcing Nadine to back up. The dogs went berserk with happiness, barking and jumping and nearly taking her off her feet.

He relieved her of a leash—clearly against her wishes.

“Shohn!”

“Nadine.” He smiled, but it had no discernible effect on her. Difficult girl. “Relax,” he told her. “Dogs like me.”

She eyed his utility belt with the Glock, the mace, the spare ammo. “Only trained staff is supposed to handle the dogs.”

“I know what I’m doing.” He knelt down to talk to the husky. “You giving her a hard time, boy?”

“Girl,” Nadine corrected. And then, under her breath, “And here they call you an expert.”

“Hadn’t gotten the back view yet, Nadine.” He rubbed the dog’s head and straightened again. “An expert what?”

She went still, her face flushing, and she frowned some more. “Nothing. Never mind.” She turned and started in. “I’ll call Amber to see if she gives permission.”

Shohn watched the jiggling of her rounded rump in the snug shorts until the husky gave an impatient jerk of the leash. Following behind her, he asked, “You think I’d lie about it?”

“I think I have liability to consider.” She held the door open for him.

Two steps up the porch and he heard the din of a dozen dogs playing. “You’ve known my family forever, Nadine.” Deliberately he sidled in close to her, his chest brushing her...chin. At five-four, she was so much shorter than his six-one that he’d have to bend down to rub against her breasts.

“Your family is terrific,” she said in that slightly shrill voice again. “Lovely, even.” She let the door drop on him and hurried along.

Meaning his family was lovely, but he wasn’t? Not that he wanted to be lovely, for crying out loud. “I don’t lie. If I tell you that Amber sent me, then she—”