JORDEN, Book 3 in USA Today best-selling author Taylor Lee’s
provocative new series, The Justice Brothers. JORDEN, the oldest
Justice Brother, is unquestionably the most distinguished. But
underneath that sophisticated persona is a sexy, challenging lover.
·
An Assistant US Attorney fights the legal battle of his life.
This time Jorden’s on the defense and his children are at stake.
·
An accomplished psychologist and coach revered by all, Mac
discovers she can’t outrun her past. She can only hope her righteous
lover will forgive her.
· An evil woman isn’t about to let her children and former husband go without a fight. And this woman fights dirty!
·
A family drama that calls for the best and the worst of the two
passionate lovers. Unfortunately, Jorden and McKenna discover that
Justice—like Love-- isn’t always fair or easy.
WARNING: Romance so HOT it singes the pages. HOT, tough, explicit. Not for the faint at heart. Definitely bring a fan!
Excerpt:
Striding to the table where the two women were waiting, Jude hollered out to the waiter
who was standing attentively to the side.
“Denny, my man, bring us another glass and be ready with an additional bottle of that
first rate Scotch Ms. Hughes has turned us all onto. My aloof brother has deigned to join us pub
crawlers for the night instead of drinking alone the way he always does. You never know how
much those solo drinkers can put away.”
“Sure thing, Detective Justice,” the gangly waiter with the Dead Head tatts decorating the
back of his neck and both forearms, said with a grin. Nodding to Jorden, he added, “Good
evening, Mr. Justice. Would you like a menu or do want what all of these guys ordered?”
“Uh, thanks, Denny. I think I’ll add to my outrageous brother’s portrayal of me as a
raging alcoholic and stick to the Scotch. In addition to being a private lush, I’m also a wuss. It
would take me a week to digest Ms. Hughes’ chosen finger food, a double bacon burger with
extra cheese. Although, I will tempt the Jude’s derision and Skylar’s chagrin and have a side of
your deep fried vegetables to go along with my bottle of Scotch.”
“Right on, man. I mean, Mr. District Attorney. If you change your mind about the
burger and French fries, just let me know.”
Intercepting what was sure to be an over the top introduction to the woman sitting next to
Skylar, Jorden strode past his brother and bussed Skylar on the cheek then extended his hand to
the redheaded woman he’d been admiring earlier in the gym.
“Good evening, Ms. Durant. In addition to being this outrageous guy’s older and
definitely stuffier brother, I’m the father of one of the most beautiful almost sixteen year olds
inhabiting the earth.”
Ms. Durant’s voice was as melodic as the tempting laugh he’d heard earlier. The sound
that he admitted had been powerful enough to draw him into the pub rather than escape to his
empty house.
The confident woman shook his hand firmly. “Good evening, Mr. Justice. And may I
say that your descriptions of the people who surround you are on target.” She grinned at Jude.
“Detective Justice tops the outrageousness Richter scale, and you definitely have a lovely and
talented daughter.” She turned to Skylar with a smile. “As for this one hundred and ten pound
pixie that could eat all of us under the table, let me just say that I am green with envy. If I ate
half of what Skylar does, you would have to roll me out of this pub strapped to a gurney.”
Jorden joined in the laughter and sank into the chair between the two women across from
his brother. Ignoring Jude’s ‘I told you so expression’, Jorden responded to the woman to his
left, deciding for the moment that he’d try to ignore her enticing fragrance.
“We’re in agreement on all counts with one clarification. My name is Jorden. It’s bad
enough when two of my brothers, Jude and Jared, are routinely referred to as outrageous, while
Jake and I’m known as the uptight ones. So please, hold the “Mr.’s” and any other titles and call
me Jorden.”
As he spoke he allowed himself to see that in addition to her thick red hair streaked with
gold and tied in a casual pony tail, the gorgeous woman had stunning dark brown almost black
eyes shadowed by dark brows and lush lashes. Her pale, smooth skin was heated by a soft rosy
glow that spoke to her healthy lifestyle. In addition she had one of those full pouty mouths that
demanded to be kissed, slowly and well. Startled by his untoward reaction to her, Jorden forced
himself to concentrate on her response to his request that she call him by his first name.
Meeting his focused gaze, she responded pleasantly, “I’m pleased to do so, Mr….I mean
Jorden. If you will call me ‘Mac’ like everyone else does.”
At his questioning expression, she explained. “My irrepressible Irish father dealt with his
disappointment that I was born sans what he considered necessary equipment, by naming me
McKenna and shortening it to Mac when I was two days old. In a sop to my outraged mother, he
agreed to change what he’d decreed to be my middle name from Liam to Leanne as long as I
would always be called ‘Mac’ Durant.”
Jorden frowned. “Wait a minute. Don’t tell me that Lucky Liam Durant is your father?”
Mac laughed again and said with an expressive sigh, “One and the same. And yes, my
love of basketball was bred into me before I was born. Thanks goodness, he overruled my five
foot two inch diminutive mother by contributing the lion’s share of my height genes. Which gave
me a fighting chance to become a decent basketball player. Not in the NBA, as he was, you
understand…”
Jude interrupted. “Don’t sell yourself short, Mac. No pun intended…. Playing in the
2008 Olympic games in Beijing should have been enough for any overbearing father, even an
Irish NBA superstar.”
Jorden shook his head in agreement. “Wow that’s impressive. You father must have been
ecstatic.”
“Yes, he was. And he was gracious enough to give my mother the lion’s share of credit
for helping me keep basketball in perspective by insisting that I pay as much attention to getting
my PH.D as I did playing ball. My mom insisted that my brain was as important as my body.
Although I agree with my dad that basketball is one of the most intellectual sports there is.”
Jorden studied her wondering when he’d seen a more impressive woman who was
beautiful to boot. He tried not to gush, rather to speak from his perspective as a parent.
“You’re luck Mac that your patents balanced each other out. Now that I am a father, I can
understand the desire to give your offspring every possible advantage even if those advantages
are more about your own sense of legacy than theirs. One can only hope that you’re humble
enough to acknowledge that your children may choose an equally honorable path even if is not
the one you chose for them.”
He glanced at Skylar and nodded acknowledging her overbearing genius father who had
done his best to ruin her life and continued. “For example when my parents were murdered, my
grandfather, the Judge, resigned from the bench and decreed that none of the four of us brothers
would follow in the legal footprints of my dead father and himself. The Judge wanted to ensure
that we would live peaceful lives as far from dangerous pursuits as he could engineer for us. He
was determined that we would be educators or inventors or financiers. Anything but lawyers or
cops or special agents. Need I say that was all the incentive we each needed to enter the law
enforcement arena after serving as special operatives in the most dangerous infernos we could
find.”
At the surprised silence greeting his offhand reference to his parents’ brutal deaths and
casual acknowledgement of the dangerous lives he and his brothers had chosen, Jorden was
saved by Denny’s arrival. Aided by another lanky server, their attentive waiter unloaded the
groaning trays of food placing all but his vegetables in front of the three heartier eaters. Jorden
sucked in a breath and didn’t bother to glance at his brother. He didn’t have to. He already knew
the expression he would see on Jude’s face. He thought with a silent snort that would teach his
interfering brother to try to break him out of his self-imposed loner shell by inviting him to share
a casual meal.
As usual, Skylar intervened with an astute and gracious response.
“You have an advantage over the rest of us, Jorden. It’s easy to criticize our parents’
goals for us, even when we agree with them. It has to be challenging to step back and let your
children who you deeply love and want to protect choose their own futures, their own ways to
fly.”
Jorden gave a short laugh devoid of mirth as he took the bottle of Scotch from the table
and without asking refilled all of their glasses.
“Thanks, Skylar, for stepping in to cover for my lack of witty repartee.” He nodded to
Mac who was studying him with a thoughtful frown. “Please, eat. Ignore my untoward
references to murder and mayhem and enjoy your food.”
At the silence from his companions, he held up his plate and said with a strained grin.
“Vegetables anyone?”
Jude laughed and speared a cornmeal encrusted piece of broccoli and put it on Skylar’s
plate then grinned at his brother.
“Hey, bro, don’t apologize for introducing roughage to the table. I’ve even convinced the
sprite to occasionally add something green to her diet, like a vegetable.”
Munching on a cheese laden French fry, Sky shot him a dismissive shrug. “So, potatoes
aren’t considered vegetables, Detective Justice?”
“No, Ms. Hughes. As you well know I’m referring to the green varieties. You know, the
ones that have leaves and stems. And that are not smothered in grease and four pounds of
cheese.” When Skylar tilted her chin and gave a saucy smirk, Jude’s lip quirked up in a
salacious grin.
“Careful there, Squirt. Raise that sassy chin of yours another inch and I may have to
make good on one of my threats. That is to sit you on my lap and feed you…”
Skylar blushed when Jude shot her a wicked wink letting the rest of his threat go
unspoken. From the soft smile quirking Mac’s lips, Jorden saw that the dark eyed, redheaded
Irish woman appreciated Jude’s intended sexy overtone to his threat. Deciding that the sudden
tightness in his trousers confirmed that it had been too long since a woman had piqued his
interest, Jorden allowed himself to imagine holding Ms. Durant, make that Mac, on his lap and
feeding her tidbits of food. That image coupled with the surreptitious assessments he’d made of
her ass as she’d strode up and down the sidelines of the basketball court almost made him forget
his clumsy oration that had brought their lively conversation to a halt. That moment was cut
short by Mac’s attempt to change the conversation.
“Speaking of your beautiful daughter, Jorden, Chloe told me about the sixteenth birthday
bash that you’ve planned for her.”
Jorden demurred with a smile. “I can’t claim the credit or the blame. The bash, as it is
rightly being called, is the brainchild of my doting grandfather. The Judge, who loves
entertaining, insists that a party to end all parties is the only way to celebrate his adored great
granddaughter’s coming of age. If I had my way, we’d be going to the park to play on the swings
and have a Princess cake like we did when she was eight.”
Mac laughed. “Well, whoever is planning it, Chloe is giddy with anticipation. Of course
the fact that she and her mother are planning a shopping spree to buy what Chloe described as a
‘killer dress to end all dresses’ has something to do with her excitement.”
Jorden stared at her then dropped his fork and rose to his feet knocking his chair to the
floor with a loud crash. Mac reared back in her chair her eyes widening with surprise. Seeing her
consternation, Jorden tried to explain but his desert dry mouth was incapable of forming and
spitting out words.
Mac stared at him in dismay.
“I…I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong, betray a confidence? If so, I apologize…I
…didn’t…”
Jorden held up his hand stopping her. He knew he was glaring at her but the rage flooding
him made it impossible for him to soften his expression or speak in a normal tone. Instead his
harsh words and equally hard tone made his anger clear.
“Don’t apologize. This has nothing to do with you. You did nothing wrong.”
He sucked in an audible breath and made a clumsy attempt to explain.
“The problem is that Chloe and Emma have not seen or talked to their mother for over six
years.”
Shooting Mac a grim stare, he didn’t mask his cold anger and added,
“Oh and I have a restraining order in place preventing their mother from being within
fifty yards of the girls without supervision and my express permission.”
He closed his eyes for a moment fighting to calm the outrage that was threatening to
choke him. Reaching for his wallet, he threw a hundred dollar bill on the table and nodded to his
brother.
Assuming the dispassionate tone he relied on when he addressed the court, Jorden said,
“Thank you for a nice evening. I enjoyed ….”
The words stuck in his throat unable to get by the baseball sized lump in his throat. He
met Jude’s acknowledging frown and emitted a heavy sigh. Turning back to Mac who was pale,
her expression strained, he said flatly, “Look, I’m glad you are in Chloe’s life. She needs a
positive female role model.”
He turned and strode to the door without a backward glance at the three silent people
staring at him.
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