{"product_id":"five-brothers-isbn-9780593816578","title":"Five Brothers","description":"\u003cb\u003eOne woman learns the secrets of the five Jaeger brothers in the new romance from \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Penelope Douglas.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eOn the other side of town, in the dark glades, under the rain…\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMacon is the oldest. Thirty-one. Ex-Marine. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eArmy is twenty-eight. A single dad with the most beautiful green eyes. He has no idea who he is, if not a Jaeger brother.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIron will be in prison soon. You’d never think it to meet him. He’s a nice guy, actually. But he can’t stop reacting to everything.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDallas is the one I hate. Twenty-one, cruel, and selfish. He takes and then throws away whatever’s left.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd Trace is mine. Or he was for about two seconds. No one can tame him for long.   \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNot that I ever wanted to. It was fun, but now I need to go home. Back to my side of the tracks. Away from the swamps and these men. To my parents’ big house. On my clean street. Where I’m never dirty or messy or hot. And I will. I’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning. I just want to crash on the couch tonight.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTheir house is dark and quiet, everyone else is asleep. Except for one. He sees me crying and comes at me from behind. I let him wrap his arms around my body and hold me tightly. His breath is on my neck, his fingers are in my hair, and he doesn’t stop there.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI don’t think it was Trace.\u003cb\u003ePenelope Douglas\u003c\/b\u003e is a \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e USA Today\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author. Their books have been translated into twenty languages and include the Fall Away series, the Hellbent series, the Devil’s Night series, and the stand-alones, \u003ci\u003eMisconduct\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e Punk 57\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e Birthday Girl\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e Credence\u003c\/i\u003e, and\u003ci\u003e Tryst Six Venom\u003c\/i\u003e. They live in New England with their husband and daughter.1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKrisjen\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDon't walk alone at night.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI grip the hem of my plaid skirt and glance behind me. The dark empty road disappears into the black void, like a tunnel under the canopy of trees. The midnight moon reflects only enough light to make the leaves look blue, while the mid-October breeze blows my hair across my cheek.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI face forward, continuing to walk. My heart pumps hard in my chest.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDon't walk alone at night.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI don't think my parents ever told me that, but I learned it well enough. The world is full of things that want to hurt us because they can. Because we make it easy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWomen shouldn't have too much muscle on our bodies. We shouldn't be too smart or learn how to manage money. We don't need to know how to navigate a crowd, lead the way through a city or an airport, or choose the car we want to buy. Let the man drive if there's one in the vehicle with you, and the dinner reservation should always be in his name.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThose are things my parents did tell me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEverything in life is about power, and it wasn't that I was taught that I didn't have any. I learned that men would like me better if I didn't show it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe forest closes in on both sides of the road, and I feel figures that aren't there. Hidden in the trees. Watching me. As if danger can tell when we're unprotected and show up at that exact time and place. Summer camp serial killers always know when a girl has traipsed off away from her group, don't they? No matter where the summer camp is. Even if he's in a different one.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut instead, I look up, the semi-clear night offering a spray of stars so bright that I'm glad I'm out alone, after all. Deep on this dark road, away from the lights of town.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI clench my school skirt in my fists as the soft fabric of my shirt sticks to my damp skin. My breasts chafe against the cloth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVenus and Jupiter will be visible in a few months. I forget what's visible this time of year, but it's nice to see anything. Coastal Florida towns in hurricane season aren't a joke. The clouds always roll in.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI don't hear the engine behind me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Need a ride?\" someone calls out.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI jerk my head, my heart skipping a beat. I look over, meeting green eyes that peer at me from the driver's side of his truck. I move off the road, to the gravel, as his vehicle crawls up next to me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis arm drapes over the door, and he's not wearing a shirt, every inch of skin that's bared on his chest, neck, and muscles tan.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe works outside. And often shirtless from the looks of it, because there are no lines.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA boy from across the tracks.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis black hair is pushed back under a backward baseball cap, and his eyes gleam in that way that I know by now. Men have been looking at me like that since long before they should have.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI swallow. \"No, thank you.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI continue walking, waiting for him to press the gas and keep going, but he doesn't. The muscles in my thighs tense, ready to run. I move farther and farther away, feeling his eyes on my back.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"You know what you need?\" he says, and I see his truck come up again out of the corner of my eye. \"A girl like you should have a boyfriend.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA lock of my chestnut hair floats on the wind and then falls back against my face. I squeeze my skirt again, the tails of my white shirt hanging almost as low as my hem.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Someone to take care of you and drive you,\" he says. \"Would you like a man?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis words climb my skin. I look ahead of me, down the road. More dark. More empty. No one knows I'm out here.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Come here,\" he says, almost a whisper.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy mouth goes dry.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe's not asking.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI hear his door creak open, and I stop, slowly turning and watching him jump out of the cab.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRun.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLeaving his door open, he drops his chin, slowly approaching me as if I were a dog he needs to leash before I get away.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRun, I tell myself.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI take a step back, but he reaches out and catches the lock of hair hanging down my cheek.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe doesn't look at it, though. He looks in my eyes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe's young. Not much older than me, but definitely taller. Broader.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eToo close.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI spin around, but before I can take the first step away, he's grabbing me and hauling me back against his chest. I gasp, feeling one of his hands cover my breast and the other one slide down between my legs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe exhales in my ear, stroking the slit beneath my underwear. \"Oh God, you got something good, don't you?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe moans.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI squirm, whimpering, \"No . . .\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe reaches inside my panties, stroking me as he sucks in air between his teeth. \"Get in the truck.\" He spins me around and releases me, but he pushes me toward his car before I can run. \"I'm your man now, honey,\" he growls.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI look side to side as he shoves me, his open door blocking my escape to my left and him blocking me on my right. I scramble into the truck, flipping over and crawling backward as far as possible to the other side until my back hits the door.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI grab the handle behind me, but the locks click just before I yank. I pull up and down, trying to get out, but his eyes are on me as he climbs in and slams the door. I can't move. I clench my thighs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis gaze travels down my body to my legs and everything he can see with my skirt hiked up. I pull it down.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Goddamn,\" he murmurs, his tongue moving inside his mouth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe kicks the truck into Drive and hits the gas.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Where are you taking me?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Somewhere I can pay my new girlfriend a little attention,\" he replies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis eyes dance as he watches the road, a trickle of sweat streaming down his chest. I watch it glide over every ripple in his abs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis dark hair is blacker near his ear where the sweat has matted it, and I watch him bite his bottom lip as he stares ahead. Smooth, young neck. Every muscle flexed as he holds his arm out straight and fists the steering wheel. No tattoos. Just a scar on his eyebrow-a small slit where the hair no longer grows.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI dig my nails into the seat behind me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI should try harder to get away. Hit him. Kick him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe pulls off the road, down a gravel path, and then takes a sharp left into a small lot surrounded by woods. It's where people come to play with their ATVs. The woods are filled with trails.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut the lot is abandoned at night.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt's just us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe parks and shuts off the engine, the cab turning nearly pitch black.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI feel hands grip my ankles, and I'm yanked down the seat as he kneels between my legs and hovers over me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I want to go home,\" I say.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe doesn't reply.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReaching under my skirt, he peels my panties down my legs and over my shoes, staring at my naked skin. \"Oh God, you are a pretty little bitch.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePushing up my shirt, he comes down, sucking one of my nipples into his mouth as he strokes me between the legs with one of his hands.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Mmm,\" he groans.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI grip his wrist under my skirt with both hands, trying to take his hand out from between my legs, but his muscles flex underneath my fingers, holding tight. Flicking my nipple with his tongue, he moves to the other breast, and I shove at his chest, whimpering, but he pays me no mind as he takes his pleasure.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLike he doesn't see me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLike I'm just here for fun.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe pinches my nipple between his teeth, and a shock shoots through my stomach to down between my thighs. I release him and drag my fingers up my stomach to the waist of my skirt.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Yeah, your wet little cunt is ready for me, isn't it?\" he coos.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYeah, baby.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI clutch the hilt of the knife hidden in my skirt and raise my arm, pressing the blade to his neck.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe stops.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI feel my smile in my fucking throat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis hot breath hits faster against my skin as he hovers over my breast, and I lift my head, feeling like I'm floating as I get into his face.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Get off me.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGod, how he just stopped. That was awesome.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI could do whatever I wanted to him right now.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSlowly, he sits back in his seat, and I follow, keeping the blade at his neck as I slide my leg over his thighs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStraddling him, I settle in his lap. \"Put your hands on the roof,\" I order.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe raises his arms, still barely breathing as he places his palms above his head.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe steering wheel presses into my back, and I lean into him, the hard flesh of my nipples pressing through my shirt, against his warm chest.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe holds his breath as I slip my free hand down, digging in his pocket. I pull out a few folded bills and hold them up, smiling a little before dropping them inside my shirt pocket.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI press the blade harder. \"Hands behind your head.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe pierces me with his stare but does what he's told.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI could probably escape right now. He might not grab for me. Or try to take away my weapon. A guy like him-good-looking and used to having whoever he wants-probably thinks I'm not worth any more trouble.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI could leave.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut I don't.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI shift, rolling so slowly over the bulge in his jeans and sliding my hand up his chest.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"On second thought,\" I taunt, rising to my knees so the breast poking through my shirt is level with his mouth. \"You are built for fun, aren't you?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI press myself into his mouth, and he seizes the invitation, nuzzling my collared shirt off my shoulder, baring a breast. He sucks it into his mouth. His hot tongue nibbles and teases so soft, and I grip the back of his neck, holding him to me to make sure he doesn't stop.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI come down, kissing his mouth and whispering against his lips, \"Open your jeans and take it out.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI roll my hips into him, panting and groaning as he rips at his belt and unfastens his fly.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe tries to take my hips, but I dig the blade into his neck. \"Don't touch me.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe pulls away, and I attack his mouth, feeling the hard, hot flesh of his cock brush against my clit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI stare down into his eyes. \"You still want me?\" I whisper.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe nods, his mouth hanging open as he breathes hard. \"God, yes.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI linger, rolling my hips and taunting him, but he's ready to go. He dives behind me, reaching for the glove box, and I kiss his neck and trail up his jaw and to his temple.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut then he goes still, and eventually, I stop kissing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLooking behind me, I see his hand clutching a condom box upside down. As if it's empty.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe throws it down onto the floor and shuffles through the contents of the glove box, looking for a condom that must've spilled out. Papers and napkins and tools I don't recognize slide onto the floor, but when he stops, he's still empty-handed. Nothing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe has nothing. No protection.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI tense. \"There were two left,\" I tell him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe glances up at me, a pained look in his eyes. He swipes his hand through the compartment again in vain.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI drop my arms from his body. \"Trace . . .\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe shoots up, letting his head fall back and locking his hands on top. \"Shit,\" he murmurs to the roof.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy stomach drops a little. We were together three days ago. He had two condoms left in that box. His brothers don't use this truck.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI try to catch his eyes, but he won't look at me. \"Are you serious?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWithout waiting for him to answer, I climb off, plopping back into my seat and setting the knife down.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Come on,\" Trace says in a gentle voice. \"Please don't be mad, Krisjen.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe reaches for my hand, but I take it away, buttoning my shirt the couple of notches I undid earlier to look like sexy serial killer bait on the dark road in the middle of nowhere.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe hesitates, but the mood is gone. He zips up his fly and fastens his belt, our little role-play switching back to reality. I'm eighteen again, graduated and no longer in Catholic school, and he's twenty, trying not to make an enemy out of one of his sister's best friends, because he knows he'll be running into me a lot in life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Please don't make me feel bad,\" he says softly. \"I didn't think you were exclusive to me, either. You're not in love with me, are you? I'm an idiot.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI close my eyes but almost laugh, because he is an idiot.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd I'm not in love with him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut now I can't lie to myself anymore. I am absolutely not special to him. I'm probably just the only one who texted back tonight.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI did like him, though. He goes along with my role-playing fantasies where I overpower someone trying to overpower me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI bow my head, rubbing my tired eyes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Krisjen, seriously.\" He takes my hand. \"I'm sorry. I didn't think we were like that.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Don't apologize,\" I tell him, pulling my hand back. It just makes me feel more pathetic. \"You're right. We're not getting married.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI meet his eyes, saying his name in my head. Trace Jaeger.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd Milo Price. My ex-boyfriend. The two men I've slept with.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI always thought it would be only one. When I was twelve, I imagined my true-love experience would be passionate kisses on seaside cliffs as my dress blew in the wind. He would be a poet. And secretly a duke. With a castle. Like, I literally thought that's what would happen, because I had lofty ideas and never figured in my desperation for attention.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut that's not what happened. I was a sophomore, invited with some friends to junior prom, which ended at a party where I gave it up to my boyfriend on a stranger's bed, and it was all over in eleven minutes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI've slept with two men.","brand":"Berkley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46301539893477,"sku":"NP9780593816578","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593816578.jpg?v=1767727413","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/five-brothers-isbn-9780593816578","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}