Summer Love: A Steamy Small Town Romance Anthology Read online

  Hockey Hotties

  My Lucky #13

  The Trouble with #9

  Faking it with #41

  Missing Linc

  Copyright © 2021 by Marika Ray

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  First Edition: June 2, 2021

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  About Missing Linc

  I think I just slept with Mr. Perfect. Too bad he turned out to be my brother’s best friend.

  The tattooed stranger rode a motorcycle while helping me collect stray cats. My boots gave me blisters and he carried me on his back. I needed help and he didn’t ask questions before assisting me. Could there be a more perfect man? It just made sense to lick him and claim him as mine right then and there.

  But I probably should have asked him more questions before we slept together. Like, what’s your last name? Where’ve you been living before moving here to Auburn Hill? Is my older brother your best friend?

  You know. Those kind of questions.

  Chapter One

  Keva

  “Oh my goodness, Miss Lucy is going to kill me!”

  I didn’t have much time to make things right. Despite the tough-as-nails narrative men had been screaming from the cave-top since the dawn of mankind, their damn swimmers were fragile little fuckers. One degree north or south for a minute too long and they went belly up.

  I held the little plastic cup as far from my person as I could manage while hustling down the road in my brand-new boots. They’d looked as cute as an Instagram influencer when I tried them on, but unbroken leather, plus a bit more than a kitten heel, and I was liable to pitch face-first into a ditch before I got to Main Street and found someone to hitch a ride with.

  “Damn car. I swear that piece of shit is going to be the death of me.” The scrub oak tree off to the left didn’t answer, but I could have sworn she nodded those branches at me. She’d been witness to no less than four breakdowns on this road either coming or going from work at Coastal Fertility Clinic.

  I’d been trying to do something nice by insisting Lucy go home early to her precious kiddos and hot-ass husband. Transferring this sperm sample to the larger bank in San Jose for further testing that we didn’t have the equipment for was on my way to the fancy restaurant my friends and I wanted to try out tonight. Friday night in the city, baby. The perfect way to find a man. A man not from Auburn Freaking Hill, aka Hell. I may live here now, but my heart still felt at home in the big city.

  The echo of a door slamming had me jumping, the newly formed blisters on my heels groaning in protest. The door to Yedda’s National Cat Protection Society gaped wide open, a sight that would terrify anyone from around here. Cats of all sizes and colors streamed out the doorway, their noses in the air, smelling the natural odor of freedom.

  And then the odor of freedom hit my own nose. “Oh dear God!” My lip snarled up so violently, my eye started twitching. Holy rotten eggs. That had to be a stink bomb. Nothing else could make that nasty of a smell.

  “Get back here, my darlings!” Yedda exited the building and waved her spindly arms in the air, spinning left and right, probably uncertain of which direction to go. The cats had scattered far and wide, all one hundred of them choosing a different path to freedom.

  “Need some help?” I called out across the street, forgetting about my own situation. I could tell, even from a distance, her thoughts were frantic with worry over her cats. I didn’t go around bragging about it, but I had a highly accurate telepathy. Came in handy with tricky relationship situations when I could read the other person’s mind. Not so great when I got the real scoop on what someone thought of my new pants. Guess they did make my butt look fat.

  Yedda’s head whipped over and she smiled that famous smile of hers. Even in the midst of chaos, she could spare a smile for someone else. “Oh, hi there, Keva. I seem to be having some problems here.”

  I walked across the street after looking both ways. Kinda silly since there wasn’t much traffic along Brinestone Way late on a Friday afternoon. Yedda squinted her eyes and watched the last of her precious cats run all the way down the street to the famous roundabout. Hopefully they could navigate it better than Peggy Sue, the old lady who frequently found herself going round and round until her steering fluid ran dry.

  “I see that. What happened?” It was fairly common for a cat or two to escape, but all of them at once? That was a new one. I fluttered my hand in front of my face. The stench was stronger on this side of the road.

  Yedda’s brightly colored lips opened and closed a few times before she started talking. “Well, I thought Poppy was delivering the mail. The little flipper-flapper thing on the front door flapped and in popped a little package. I went over to investigate, but then tripped over Frankie and ended up stepping on the package. The damn thing popped and out came a stench that seared off my eyelashes. I stumbled and grabbed the doorknob to keep from going down, but I guess the door opened too and my poor kitties shot right out while my eyes were stinging. They didn’t care for the stench either.”

  My head bobbed in sympathy. Her thoughts were scattered, but she kept coming back to one thought fragment that left me puzzled. But hey, “no judgies” was my motto when it came to mind reading. “Well, don’t you worry, Yedda. I’ll help you collect the cats and get you back to that porno you intended to watch this evening.”

  Yedda’s head swiveled so quickly, I thought it might just twist right off. “Well now, I hadn’t thought about that, but maybe that could spice up my Friday night plans after poker night with the girls.” She patted my cheek. “Such a thoughtful young lady.”

  I smiled warmly at her, feeling better now that I’d laid her worries to rest. I gave her a confident thumbs-up and hightailed it out of there. I had cats to wrangle and sperm to deliver. Several yards away from the Society, the air cleared and I could take a full breath again. Okay, new plan. I’d put the sperm back in the temperature-controlled chamber at the fertility clinic and collect cats. Then I’d go back and get the sperm and get it over to San Jose. If I hurried and the cats somehow came willingly, I could still make it before closing time.

  I put the sample back and texted Lucy to let her know what had happened with the cats. I’d just locked up the fertility clinic again when a guy with a black helmet peeked around the corner of the building, looking in the direction of the Society.

  “Can I help you?” I demanded, hands on hips to look intimidating.

  Probably would have been more effective if I’d been taller than five foot two.

  The man startled and nearly tipped over. His denim-clad legs straddled a tiny banana-yellow scooter, the windshield of which did not come up high enough to protect his face. His bright blue eyes went wide underneath the black helmet.

  “Uh. Yeah. I’m new in town. I was looking for Main Street?”

  Oh, heavens. That voice flowed over me like warm butterscotch. Based on the thoughts running through his head, he most definitely didn’t find my ass too big in these jeans. His thoughts were practically indecent, but maybe that was just me thinking a little too hard about the tattoos covering his forearms or the way his T-shirt spread across his thick chest. I wanted to be straddled like that miniature scooter.

  “Ma’am?”

  I blinked hard and tried to corral my thoughts. “Oh, yes. Well, this is Brinestone Way. Classic mistake, really. That roundabout sucks people in and spits them out in all kinds of directions. Main Street is that way.” I pointed to the right, trying to be helpful. I pushed out my chest, shamelessly trying to get a ride. “Any chance you can give me a lift to Main Street? I need to rally the troops to collect those cats and then hitch a ride to San Jose.”

  He gave me the once-over, and if
I wasn’t completely insane, his eyes heated a few degrees. He nodded once and I walked over, my boots no longer even touching the ground. As I came up along the scooter, I realized the ride-along idea might not be suited for this vehicle.

  “Um, is there room?”

  The man looked down, like he’d forgotten his own stead. “Oh, shit. Yeah. Sorry. My Harley is in the shop. This was their only loner.”

  He swiveled and joined me in eying the tiny patch of black vinyl behind his own seat. That little cushion was definitely telling me my ass was too fat. “Uh, maybe I’ll just call a friend instead.”

  “Nah. We can fit. It’s only a couple miles, right?” He patted the cushion and smiled.

  It was the smile that did it.

  I was a sucker for a good smile, and boy did this stranger have a smile that could melt panties right off. If I was wearing any. Shh. That was my little secret. They said wearing sexy underwear made you feel more confident, but I found going commando was the real way to feel like you could kick some ass. At least I saved time and embarrassment from having to dig the cute thongs out from between my cheeks.

  I lifted one heavy leather-booted foot and straddled the baby beast. The tilt of the seat meant I slid right into the man, my crotch now glued to his impressive backside, sending off a fireworks display of tingles in my nether regions.

  “Oh!” I exclaimed on impact, wrapping my arms around his waist before I could talk myself out of it. Oh no. The man had abs. Hard ridges of muscles that lay just below my hands.

  He chuckled, more of a vibration than a sound. But Lordie, did it do wonders between my legs. How the hell did I end up on the back of a scooter, smacked up against some tatted-up biker dude who hadn’t even given me his name? My brain scrambled and I said the only thing I could think of.

  “Does this mean I’m your ol’ lady now?” In my defense, it was the only biker slang I knew.

  He chuckled again, harder this time. I rode out the vibration by squeezing my eyes shut and trying to focus on the cats that needed rescuing. He revved the engine to life and off we went. The poor little scooter couldn’t go very fast, and I could have sworn the added weight of my person was causing the back end to ride a bit low. We nearly bottomed out when we went around the roundabout and hit a pothole.

  “Oof!” I hollered in his ear by accident. Damn. My butt would be sore for days when I got off this thing. “Over there!” I pointed to the right, where Main Street branched off from the roundabout.

  Our scooter cut across the other lane, earning us a honk from Clyde, who’d just entered the roundabout and was in no danger of hitting us. Damn guy just liked to honk at people. I risked a glance around the broad shoulders of my stranger and saw a cluster of people forming in the middle of the street.

  “Stop!” I shouted, seeing that the cavalry had already arrived.

  The stranger pulled over and shut off the scooter. He got off, standing impressively tall, extending his hand to help me off. His hand held calluses on top of calluses. Clearly, he worked with his hands. I only tripped once getting off, those strong, tatted arms supporting me and giving me butterflies at the same time.

  “I see my boss, Lucy, over there with her husband, the prison warden. They’ll get the crew together and we’ll round up the cats. Thanks so much for your help.” I smiled up at him, my lashes doing a bit of a dance. What could I say? My lashes liked to flirt a little.

  “I’ll come with you. I know Bain.”

  Again, with that voice. Did he practice talking like he drank whiskey all day long? Maybe he did commercial voiceovers in his spare time? He could sell me anything, anytime with that voice. If I’d had panties, they would have been wet with longing.

  I stuck my hand out, nearly jabbing him in his washboard abs. “I’m Keva, by the way.”

  He paused, his eyes crinkling at the corners before he took my hand in his. “Linc.”

  “Oh!” Even his name was sexy. All that lash flirting and all I could come up with was a lame response.

  “Keva?” Lucy called my name, interrupting the deep staring going on between me and my new obsession, Linc.

  I spun and walked over to the group, seeing that Lucy had gathered up her whole crew of friends. Lenora held baby Star, who fussed for her favorite blankie, zero interest in the cats running around down below. Jayden juggled Red in his arms, a full-grown toddler so big he only needed one well-placed kick and he’d be set down to run amok with the cats. Bain stood there glowering with Roxy on his right and Heston on his left, both clinging to his hands and trying to tug him in the direction of a darting cat. A very pregnant Amelia was already running across the street, chasing a cat who’d dared rub against her black leggings and left a swath of hair behind. Titus had three cats in his arms, running after Amelia, telling her to be careful. Charlie sat cross-legged in the middle of Main Street with his arms wide open, charming the cats to come sit with him. Crazy enough, it was working. At least twenty cats sat on their haunches, mesmerized by their new guru.

  “Thanks for letting us know about the cat dilemma. We should have them wrangled shortly. Finnie has a whole load already in the back of her truck. She’s heading over to the Society now to drop them off with Yedda. I’ve got some catnip in the back of Bain’s truck.” She paused and her gaze went over my left shoulder. “Hey, Lincoln. Welcome to Auburn Hill and all our craziness!”

  Linc and Lucy hugged. I’d never been so jealous of a hug.

  “Hey, man, did you do it?” Bain’s voice rose over the cacophony of toddlers whining.

  Linc brushed a hand over his chin, obscuring the smile I’d come to obsess over. There was dirt under his short nails, and normally that would turn me off, but something about Linc getting messy with his hands made my insides ignite and melt.

  “Maybe,” he hedged.

  Bain tossed his head back and roared with laughter, clearly in on a joke the rest of us weren’t. “That’s awesome. Mission accomplished, bro. Now let’s clean up this mess.”

  Lucy and I looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Sounded like Bain was up to one of his stupid dares. Lucy finally shrugged and tossed the keys to Bain’s truck at me. Linc snatched them out of the air.

  “I’ve got this. Hop in, Keva.”

  Didn’t have to tell me twice. I sprang into action so fast my boots creaked at the sudden change in direction. I hopped into the passenger side of the truck and directed Linc around town as we found cats and put them in the back of the truck. We were at max capacity and heading back to the Society to drop the critters off when I saw one last kitty roaming the side of the road, just barely out of the flow of traffic in the roundabout.

  “Over there!” I shouted, pointing.

  Linc yanked the wheel and cut off Poppy in her mail truck in the inside lane. She stuck her hand out the window and gave me a rude gesture I won’t describe. Linc hit the brakes and Poppy veered around us, barely missing clipping our back bumper. She pulled to a stop while I hopped down from the truck, gaze laser focused on the poor kitty shaking on the curb. Although on further inspection, the cat looked surprisingly pink and not very catlike.

  “What in Sam Hill is going on around here?” Poppy demanded from behind me.

  I ignored her and crouched down to croon to the cat that probably wasn’t a cat. “Hey, pretty little thing. Are you lost?”

  The lump of pink with black spots shivered and then let out a mighty snort. She lifted her head and I saw a snout. “Oh my God! It’s a baby pig!”

  Poppy leaned over my shoulder and almost made me squish the pig. “First there are cats all over the place, and now this. This town is going to hell, I tell you!”

  I reached out and let the pig sniff my hand. She didn’t shy away, so I attempted to pick her up. She came willingly and even quit shaking as I held her to my chest. Poppy’s hands went to her hips, her eyebrows drawn together like she hated pigs. How could anyone hate an adorable mini pig?

  “I shall name you Spunky,” I declared. Spunky let out
a pig squeal and her thoughts smoothed over me like liquid love.

  “Is that thing from the Cat Society too?” Linc asked, arms crossed over his chest, the sun sinking into the background behind him, lighting him up like a dark angel sent to earth to lure women with his good looks and charm. Good Lord, that man was a fine specimen.

  “Well, hello there, Mr. Handsome. I’m Poppy Strauss. Mail carrier by day…Well, I can’t tell you what I get up to at night.” Poppy winked lasciviously at Linc.

  Holy shit. Poppy was flirting.

  The mini pig gently snorted, and I couldn’t have agreed more. The sight was highly disturbing. Linc smirked. I had to hand it to him for not cringing or outright laughing. I mean, Poppy wasn’t a day younger than sixty and poor Linc here was probably only mid-twenties. She was barking up the wrong tree, though I kind of understood. That kind of prime man candy made a woman go a little batty.

  Linc unfolded his arms in slow motion and reached out, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. He gave me a yank and suddenly the mini pig was pressed between our two chests, bleating out a warning signal at the change in cabin pressure. Linc’s head tilted down and blotted out the sunset. His lips hit mine and I forgot to breathe. There was nothing shy about the way he plunged his tongue into my mouth, eating me up before I even realized what was going on. My head spun up to the skies and I began to shake at the sensations pinging through my extremities. He was warm and tasted like that peanut butter whiskey I’d recently discovered.

  “Got room for a third?” Poppy’s loud voice interrupted my best kiss ever.

  Damn, that woman was bold. And also, ew.

  I swallowed hard as Linc reluctantly looked up from my face, his lips wet. “We got the pig and three’s all we can handle. Sorry.”