The Chosen by Theresa Meyers Read Free Book Online Page A

the front of her faded blue button-down chambray shirt that stretched tight across her chest. Colt Jackson was the kind of man who could have a woman in a lather just with one look.
    Behind him a fiery redhead stared China down, her emerald eyes narrow and her lips pinched tight. As close as she stood to Colt, she seemed mighty possessive. A single sniff pegged her as Darkin. Succubus if China had to guess based on the girl’s assets. Well, well, perhaps Colt wasn’t as opposed to Darkin lovers as he’d led her to believe.
    China gave a slow, heated gaze in Colt’s direction before she spoke just to tick the prissy woman standing next to him off. “Hello, Colt. It’s been a while.” Her drawl was lazy with a heavy dose of sensuality.
    Colt grunted with a curt nod, but his eyes instantly darted to the open doorway behind the desk. She heard the sliding scrape of shoe leather against the floorboards in Remington’s office a second before he appeared in the doorway behind her.
    Perhaps Remington had been right about being nothing like his brothers. They certainly looked nothing alike now, except for the dark sweep of hair, and those piercing blue eyes. Both were extremely attractive, but Colt was more ragged and rough, his overgrown, shaggy hair curling against his collar and his clothes dusty, while Remington looked every inch the well-heeled gentleman. With his shorter haircut and spotless, tailored clothing, he looked wealthy, powerful, and alluring to China.
    “Did I just hear you say—” Remington’s blue eyes widened along with his mouth into a giant, heart-stopping smile. “Hey, little brother!” He rushed forward and swung his arms around Colt in a bear hug that knocked a huff out of Colt. “Good to see you. Especially all in one piece.”
    The fancy miss next to Colt grinned, and China tamped down the prickle skating over her skin.
    Colt pulled out of his brother’s arms. “Good to see you too, Remy.” His glance connected with hers, and that familiar heat rose to the surface. “See you’ve got China working with you.”
    Well damn, at least he’d noticed her, she thought smugly. China stared at him, willing him to remember what her body against his felt like, how she’d bested him, leaving him tied buck naked to the bed in Silver City. Her blatant attention made the woman next to him antsy. Good. The no good sonofabitch deserved it after abandoning her at the bank to climb her way out of the rubble. But the presence of two Jackson brothers in one room was almost more than any normal female could take. Good thing she was far more than a mere mortal—or an average Darkin.
    But perhaps this could be entertaining. A cat-like smile curled her lips as she glanced from one muscular Jackson to the other. For a second China wondered just how closely the two brothers resembled one another without their clothes on.
    “Yep. Got her out of the Bisbee camp jail, no thanks to you.” Remington nudged his brother with his elbow, but his face went soft and his blue eyes out of focus as his attention settled on the redhead. Every hair on China’s head rose up sharp and stiff as the air filled with the scent of male attraction. “And who is this charming young lady?”
    China didn’t give a damn who the bitch was. She didn’t like her. Just a whiff of her cheap perfume and the look of her confirmed her suspicions that she was a succubus.
    “Certainly you’ll introduce us,” Remington persisted.
    Colt glanced back over his shoulder, his brows knitting together slightly and his jaw flexing as if he’d rather do anything but that. Damn, China knew that look. Colt did like her. Far more than he wanted to. “This is Miss Lilly Arliss. Lilly, my brother Remington and Miss China McGee. Lilly’s helping me find Pa’s part of the Book.”
    She bet. Based on the subtle way Miss Arliss touched Colt practically every damn chance she got, they’d shared more than just a trip from Bodie together.
    An inexplicable