JARED: The Justice Brothers Series by Taylor Lee Read Free Book Online

dally. You hear me, Agent Justice?”
    Jared laughed a hearty laugh. “Hey, Lieutenant, I’m nothing if not a quick worker. You of all people should know that, Jake.”
    Jake’s disgruntled sigh sounded heartfelt. “Yeah, little brother, I agree. Along with all of your other skills, you’ve always been able to get to the heart of the matter quicker than anyone I know.”
    Jared was still chuckling as he walked out into the hallway and over to the staircase, holding Hailey snugly in his arms.

Chapter 5
    K nowing that Jared wouldn’t put her down even if she insisted, Hailey burrowed against his muscular chest. She clung to him realizing that for the last five hours, one big man after another had carried her in his strong arms. While Sgt. Solberg was one of the men, and she’d appreciated his caring solicitousness, the strong arms that had her gasping for air were the ones holding her now. As he mounted the stairs, Hailey didn’t dare to think what would happen when Agent Justice got her up to his bedroom, much less into his bed , as he’d cavalierly informed his brother he intended to do. God, he had to feel her heart pounding against her chest. Hailey wasn’t sure if it was from fear or excitement, or, she admitted, more likely from both.
    Reaching the top of the stairs, Jared entered the room at the end of the hallway.
    “Okay, little rookie, we’re here. Just so you know, I spent my teenage years in this room, but I’m confident my Gramps had it fumigated at least twice after I left for college. I promise you it is now safe—at least from unhealthy transmittable diseases.”
    With a soft laugh, Jared firmly kicked the door closed behind him. Trying not to be alarmed that they were alone, in his bedroom, no less, Hailey peeked up and surveyed the room. It was huge, more like a suite than a bedroom. Hailey sniffed dismissively. If anything epitomized a man-cave, or at least a spoiled rich kid’s idea of a man-cave, this was it. The apartment-sized haven had a lounging area, a study den, and every kind of video and audio equipment that a privileged kid could desire. From the bank of computer equipment to a ten foot wide television screen to the wall of cd’s, dvd’s and video game paraphernalia, it was clear that the boy who’d lived in this jam-packed room had wanted for nothing in the way of adolescent diversions.
    Unfortunately, the expected boy toys didn’t hold her interest for more than a minute. What had Hailey’s heart beating impossibly faster was the bed—if you could call the three foot high platform replete with banked cushions and multiple pillows a bed. To call it king-sized didn’t do it justice. No, giant-sized, or maybe, party-sized, would better describe the mattress topped playground that stretched yawningly along one wall.
    Jared must have felt her startle because he chuckled.
    “Yeah, Valley Girl, I gotta confess, that bed was my declaration that if my family refused to let me be a bad-ass gangbanger, they couldn’t stop me from being a hound dog.” He added with a self-deprecating laugh, “It took me a lot of years to admit that what makes a bed exciting was less about the furniture, and more about the man and the woman in it.”
    When Hailey stiffened at his obvious reference to his sexual escapades, Jared relented.
    “Relax, rookie. I’m too old to be a hound dog and you’re too exhausted for me to tease you anymore. How about you make use of the john, and then I’ll tuck you into bed like the gentleman I occasionally am?”
    The adjoining bathroom had an enormous shower with shower heads on all four walls. The hot tub next to it could’ve hosted a party of eight. Hailey didn’t want to imagine the group extravaganzas that had made use of this bathroom. Thinking back on her sheltered teenage years, Hailey huffed a hard sigh. California girls and guys were supposed to be the party animals, not small-town, Northern Minnesota hicks. Although Duluth was more like a small