my shotgun and we’d be having deer meat for dinner,” he said dryly.
“Hashed down with onions and peppers with that brown gravy spread over white rice,” Kade added with a lick of his lips.
“The ten point I killed last season was the best-tasting deer meat I had in a while,” Jade added as she grabbed her water jug and unscrewed the top, tilting her head back to take a deep sip.
“You hunt?” the men all asked in unison.
Jade knew she was no ordinary woman, and she liked that about herself. “I’ve won shooting matches at the county fair,” she told them with just a bit of swagger in her tone. “Sorry, men, but I don’t do stereotypes.”
“With my wife’s temper, I don’t need her learning to shoot a gun,” Kade joked as he raked his fingers through his moist silver curls.
“Sure she doesn’t already know how?” Kael Strong drawled.
The men laughed in agreement as they continued setting up camp.
Jade quickly erected and staked her own bright pink pop-up tent a few feet back from the fire ring. She sprayed a fresh layer of bug repellent on her legs and arms since she was wearing khaki capris and an orange T-shirt. “Ready, fellas?” she asked, looking up just in time to see Kaeden take a small toke from his inhaler.
Jade frowned before she walked over to him. “Are you having a hard time breathing?” she asked him, lightly touching his back. “Is the hike too much? Do I need to keep a close eye on you?”
Kaeden jumped like she’d surprised him. He turned and looked down at her. “You need to keep a close eye on me?” he asked, his baritone tone sounding amused.
Jade crossed her arms over her ample chest and tilted her head to the side as she looked into his eyes through the glasses. “Yes,” she stressed.
Kaeden laughed a little before he bent his tall frame suddenly and swung her up into his arms easily.
“Hey,” Jade yelped in surprise as her hands shot out. She was afraid he would drop her.
“Don’t let these glasses fool you,” Kaeden told her low in his throat, the cool breath from his mouth breezing lightly against her chin.
Jade’s breath caught in her throat.
Her heart slammed against her chest.
A shiver raced from her head to the tip of pink-painted toes in the hiking boots she wore.
In that one instant her body acted like Kaeden Strong was Denzel Washington.
Whoa.
“The pump helps me breathe when my allergies act up,” he explained, his eyes still locked on hers.
Jade’s face was just inches from his. One of her hands rested lightly against his chest. Beneath her hand his heart was beating just as hard as hers.
“What you doing over there, little brother?” Kahron called over.
“She is hard as hell to resist,” Kaleb added.
Jade scrambled and jumped down from his arms. “You guys ready to fish?” she asked, sounding normal even though her heart was still racing.
“Let’s go catch some fish, because it looks like two of my boys want to catch you,” Kael teased as he closed his tackle box.
Jade arched an eyebrow as she turned away from Kaeden. “Only thing is, Papa Strong, I am not throwing out any bait,” she said, firmly hoping to get her point across.
Hours later Kaeden could hardly believe that he’d even gathered up the courage to swing Jade up in his arms. In that instant the idea flew into his head and he just reacted. No question. No thoughts.
And it felt good having every inch of her soft curves in his arms.
He wished he could explain what about Jade Prince drew him in until he was breathless. They were as different as night and day. She longed to be surrounded by the outdoors while Kaeden found being around nature troublesome. She was sexy as hell and knew it while still being comfortable enough to take on tasks better than most men. He had barely a drop of the swagger his brothers possessed.
Even though he knew he wasn’t her type—he knew they had nothing in common—the more he found out about her, the more he wanted her.
She was funny and bright. Adventurous and courageous. Friendly but quick to put anyone in their place.
Jade was an enigma.
Taking his bespectacled eyes off his rod and the line floating across the water, he leaned back a bit to look past Kaleb sitting beside him down the long stretch of bank for Jade, but he didn’t see her.
Bzzzz.
He used one hand to reach for his BlackBerry, looking down at the wide screen.
INCOMING CALL:
Felecia
(843) 555-0001
He answered. “Hey, Felecia.”
“Well, hello, stranger. How’s your trip?”
“It’s going great,” he lied, even forcing a smile as he dropped his reel to swat a mosquito that had just landed on the back of his hand and then used the back of his hand to wipe his running nose.
“Make sure you wear your insect repellent. Do you have your inhaler? Are you eating well? When are you getting back?”
Kaeden held the BlackBerry from his face and frowned as he looked down at it. “I’m good. I know it’s Friday, but did anything major come up at the office today?” he asked, clearly steering the conversation back to business and away from Felecia sounding way too much like his girlfriend or wife.
“I’m holding down things for you. We’re a team, remember?”
Kaeden frowned again. “That’s good to know,” he said vaguely, his focus on a large wasp flying around Kaleb’s silver-flecked head. “Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I’ll see you at the office Monday.”
Kaeden ended the call. “If that miniairplane bites me, you gone have to give me my epi shot,” he warned Kaleb.
“Man, stop worrying ’bout stuff like that and just enjoy the experience,” Kaleb told him as he rose from his camp chair and strained the muscles in his arms reeling in the line—and hopefully a fish.
Kaeden cast his brother a stare. “That’s easy for you to say.”
“I think I need the net, big brother,” Kaleb boasted as he leaned back and kept on reeling.
“You ain’t got nothing down there, son,” Kael called down the bank teasingly.
Kaeden grabbed the net and rose from his seat. “That’s a big one,” he admitted as Kaleb held the line with the squirming bass on the large hook.
“Tonight
