Start Me Up: Brighton Cove, #3

By Jamie Salisbury

Jagger Cooper never wanted to live in Brighton Cove. Having given up a prestigious job with a U.S. senator, he merely intended to use it as a place to lick his wounds and recharge his batteries as he decided what came next in his life.  The choices were many.

Tyler Channing, war widow and mother to a teenage son  never thought of allowing a man in her life again. Not until her son was grown. She owed her late husband that much.

That is until that fateful day when he swaggered into her life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jamie Salisbury
• Release date: Feb 14, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386849292

Jamie Salisbury

Writing romance stories with passion and sass, Jamie Salisbury has seen several of her books soar to #1 on Amazon. Her novella, Tudor Rubato was a finalist in the 2012 RONE (Reward of Novel Excellence) awards. The cover won for Best Contemporary Cover. In 2014, her novel, Life and Lies was nominated for a RONE in the Erotica category. Her books are self published . Music, traveling and history are among her passions when not writing. Her previous career in public relations in and around the entertainment field has afforded her with a treasure trove of endless story ideas.

Book preview

Start Me Up

Brighton Cove series - Book 3

by

Jamie Salisbury

Start Me Up

Brighton Cove series

By: Jamie Salisbury

Copyright © 2019 Jamie Salisbury

All Rights Reserved

Cover Design: Anya Kelleye Designs

Editing/Proofreading: Lauralynn Elliott

Formatting: Anya Kelleye Designs

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it, and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at [e-mail]

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All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER

Jamie Salisbury

http://www.jamiesalisbury.com/

Other Books in the Brighton Cove Series

Everything About You

P.S.: I Love You

Table of Contents

Start Me Up

About the Author

More Titles by Jamie Salisbury

Chapter One

Promises. Promises are meant to be broken, especially when you make them to yourself. Easy enough to do.

When my dream job blew apart in Washington, I made a promise to myself I'd never follow my siblings back to that quiet, idyllic town in Maine where we'd spent our summers.

Liar. Liar, liar, pants on fire!

I spent a week in an alcohol induced fog feeling sorry for myself. The next week, I pulled myself together. I climbed on my Indian motorcycle and headed north. North to Brighton Cove.

What I was after I had not a clue. All I knew was my so-called girlfriend had dumped me when she found out I was no longer the senator's golden boy. I wanted a place where I could lick my wounds and decide what the hell I was going to do with the rest of my life...okay the next phase of my life.

Jagger! Turn it down! I’ve got customers!

Jamming to The Heretic’s Anthem on a Slipknot CD, I looked up over the lid of my laptop and into the very pissed-off blue eyes of my sister, Meg. Right then, though, if I didn’t do as she requested, I’d find myself on the floor with her foot on my chest. Meg had never taken any crap from any of her brothers.

Sorry. My bad. I reached over and grabbed the remote sitting on the table and turned the music off. Better? I grinned to lighten her mood.

She pulled her blonde hair back out of a ponytail as she stood in the apartment I now lived in above her shop. Thank you. I thought you were helping with moving into the new foundation offices.

I am as soon as the painters finish, which should be tomorrow.

Okay. Look, I know you love your music; just try to keep it down when my shop’s open. Okay?

I promise. I’m almost done. Then I’m off to Audrey and Linc’s. He has some old analog recording equipment I’m going to help him set up in his studio.

She rolled her eyes. Fascinating. Tell them I said hello.

I will. I stuck my tongue out at the brat. Hey, did you know that Victorian up the road from you and Basil has gone on the market?

Really? I didn’t know you were looking to buy.

I closed the lid on my laptop. Meg could become really talkative when it came to houses. She and her husband, Basil, were in the middle of a huge renovation themselves of a manor house she envisioned turning into some sort of boutique B and B. No harm in looking.

She twirled a lock of hair with her fingers. It’s rather huge for one person.

I’m just looking, Meg. After all the years I’ve ridden by it or wiped out my bike into the fence, I thought I should look at it. Could be a good investment.

She sighed dramatically and giggled. If you say so.

I bit back a smile. Since Meg had settled in with Basil, a lot of her old spunk had returned, which made me glad. She’d been through hell with her former abusive boyfriend, and she deserved better. She’d always had a good heart, as evidenced by her letting me move into the apartment above her shop. As soon as I finish up here, I’ll be out of your hair.

You’re not in my way, Jag. Just keep the music down during my business hours. Please?

I gave her a mock salute. Aye aye, captain.

Smart-ass. I’m glad you took the job with Melissa’s foundation. It’s good having you closer.

Why’s that?

Because I love you. You’ve got entirely too much time on your hands right now. She pivoted on her heel and headed toward the door.

I watched her disappear. Opening the laptop again, I studied the transaction I’d been in the middle of making before I’d been so rudely interrupted. Yeah, looking for a house might not be a bad idea. That or buying some headphones.

Making my own financial investments had been something I’d done since college. It all began with an investment class. We were supposed to write a paper on what three investments we would choose in the stock market and then report on their results after tracking them for three months. I got an A on that paper. I also began making my own investments in real time and never looked back. If my siblings knew how much I was worth, they’d lose their shit. To them, I was just the brother who had yet to decide what he wanted to do when he grew up. In part, that scenario was true.

I finished my work and closed everything down. I walked into the kitchen and looked outside at the gorgeous day. Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t ride my motorcycle. Having blown a tire, I had to wait on a replacement I had on order. Such was the price of living in a small town.

I grabbed my phone and keys off the table and headed to the back door. When I came down the stairs, I decided to pop into Meg’s shop for a second.

And then I saw her. Meg and a gorgeous woman I’d never seen before were deep in discussion over some jewelry sitting on a table.

Her hair was the most amazing shade of dark russet over laughing green eyes. Her cheekbones were amazing and sharply etched with a luscious wide mouth. She wore tight jeans that hugged her sleek legs and a T-shirt that showed off her tiny waist and nice rack. In less than thirty seconds, I had my first boner for her. I wasn’t used to having to adjust my cock around women. That crap used to happen when I was a teenager. Whoever she was, she dripped sex.

I entered the room where they were standing and discussing something.

Jag, I didn’t hear you come in, Meg said, looking up from the jewelry display.

Control. Maintain control. Sorry if I startled you. I’m off to Linc and Audrey’s. I also wanted to ask you if you ever heard of the real estate agent who’s got that Victorian listed. Wanted to know if you knew anything about her.

Come on, Meg. Introduce me to the goddess standing next to you.

What’s the name?

Debbie Peterson, I believe?

Meg and the beauty exchanged looks. She’s a hustler, Meg said. Not in a bad way. She’s just very aggressive. Which I guess you have to be in her business.

The stranger, whoever she was, locked eyes with me. By the way her brows twitched and her breathing seemed to stop, I knew she could feel the instant attraction. It was like some sort of electrical arc between us. You’re looking for a house? she asked.

I nodded. I couldn’t take my eyes off her lips. They were full and would do wonders wrapped around my cock. Yeah, she says inventory’s not that great around here.

Depends on what you’re looking for, I suppose, she said, seeming to recover her composure. She held out her hand. I’m Tyler Channing, by the way.

I shook her small, cool hand and smiled. Nice to meet you, Tyler. I’m Meg’s brother, Jagger.

Pleased to meet you, Jagger. That’s an unusual name.

Our parents were huge Rolling Stones fans, so our dad convinced our mom to let him name one of the twins, Meg said, grinning. My sister had clearly picked up on whatever was going on here.

Do you like the Stones, Jagger? I’m a huge fan, Tyler said.

Yeah, I do.

Is that the only property Debbie’s going to show you? Meg asked.

She's not. Not yet. Her name's on the sign, and I was curious. I just want to take a look at the Victorian. Like I said, it might make a good investment.

The big old house near Winchester Manor? I did see a For Sale sign on it today. I know that place, Tyler said, her breathy voice putting a spell over me.

I nodded. Yeah, I do, too. I used to ride past there during the summers as a teenager.

Me too! she squealed.

You grew up here? I was sure if she’d grown up in town, I would have noticed her before now.

Pretty much, though after I married, we got stationed all over the place.

I felt the air leave my lungs like a deflated basketball. Great. She was married. Interesting, I said, trying to keep the disappointment out of my tone. I needed out of here. It would do me no good being around someone out of my reach.

She must have sensed my hesitation. Craig died five years ago. Killed by a sniper in the Middle East.

Now I felt like a complete moron. Sorry for your loss.

Thanks, she replied.

I guess I need to get out of your ladies’ way. I should be cautious of this Debbie Peterson, correct? So today, I'll just look at it on my own.

Yes, Tyler said, and Meg nodded.

Buyer beware.

I walked out the back door of the shop to the parking lot and climbed into my new Range Rover. I cranked up the sat radio to the station I liked and headed toward Audrey and Linc’s farm.

Throughout the drive, I couldn’t get my mind off Tyler. Naughty things I should probably not be thinking drifted through my imagination. I envisioned her naked, legs in the air, those full tits mine to pleasure. Her pussy would be bare like I prefer—at least I could imagine, right? Shutting the sex part out, I envisioned her living quietly in Brighton Cove. I wondered where she lived and what she did for a living.

That was a conversation for another time. I’d see if I could get Meg to give me her phone number. If not, some old-fashioned detective work might be in order. Right now, the needs of my brother-in-law far outweighed the needs of my dick. But getting to know Ms. Tyler Channing was next on my list.

Before I knew it, I was pulling up Audrey and Linc's gravel drive. Their home, this farm, used to belong to our grandparents. It'd been in the family forever. Audrey gutted the farmhouse and renovated the entire thing. Me? I would have taken a bulldozer and razed the old structure, but Audrey saw something others didn't. Her intuition was right. The house had been well worth saving.

Rather than park in front of the house, I opted for the small structure that served as Linc's studio and offices. I got out of the SUV and stretched my legs. The day was one of those you'd love to capture and keep forever. Especially in Maine. Deep blue skies with big puffy white clouds.

I walked into the building and found Linc at the far end. He stood in front of an old analog reel to reel tape recorder. While Linc loved all the modern technology, he personally preferred the old-time analog equipment. Personally, so did I. There's nothing quite like it.

Modern day equipment cleaned everything so well it was sanitary sounding. Too clean. The old equipment allowed you to clean a recording up, but you still got stuff like the musicians chatting or perhaps laughing at the end of a track.

I was just wondering if I needed to call out the army, Linc joked as he picked up a roll of heavy duty speaker wire off the floor.

Sorry. I made the mistake of stopping by Meg's shop before I left.

That'll do it.

All I went in there for was to ask her if she knew about an agent listing a house I'm going to look at.

Linc shook his salt and pepper head of hair. That was your first mistake.

Maybe not. I told him about running into Tyler Channing.

I know her, more by reputation, though.

How's that? She mentioned her husband was killed in Afghanistan.

Yeah. She's had a rough time, I imagine, raising their son all alone.

She has a son? I blurted out, hoping I might learn more from my brother-in-law.

He nodded. He's in high school. She does some jewelry design work, which is pretty popular during the tourist season. She and I've discussed building her a web site.

Can't be much money in jewelry for tourists, I added.

No, I'm sure. At least not at her stage. Before Craig died, she worked in marketing. Can't remember for who, but it was a firm in East Bridge. After he was killed, she quit and started her jewelry line. Audrey said it was so she could spend more time with her son.

A million thoughts were spinning through my head. Audrey knew her as well as Meg? Why didn't I remember her? Doesn't matter; I intended to get to know her better now. Her time with a marketing firm intrigued me. I knew I was going to need someone to assist me at the foundation. Melissa had a full schedule herself. What I needed was someone who could work alongside of me. Sort of an assistant, but with their own job description and tasks.

You ready to start running the speaker wiring? Linc said, bringing me out of my little daydream.

As long as you're satisfied where everything is, I'll get started.

I am, and I appreciate you helping me with this, Jag. I can't exactly ask Audrey.

No, I suppose you can't. I can't imagine her being able to get down on the floor and run wiring, I laughed.

My oldest sister was pregnant for the first time. It wasn't something either of them planned, but the pair were ecstatic at the prospect of a baby.

I wouldn't let her even if she wanted to help, he replied.

I grunted. No, he wouldn't. Linc was quite protective of his pregnant spouse. Almost caveman like. Where is she, by the way?

In the house. She was sitting in front of her laptop working last I saw her.

Has she started working on her memoirs? I asked. Audrey had been a foreign journalist, captured and held for several months. She'd lost a couple of her team. Executed. One right before her eyes.

I don't ask. She had a couple other projects that needed her attention right now.

Wasn't she helping Basil and Meg research some stuff? I asked as I pulled a wire from behind the wall.

Yes, history of Basil's mansion.

She'll nail it for them.

I began telling Linc about going later in the afternoon to look at an old Victorian house near Meg and Basil's.

I've seen that house. From the road, of course. It's huge. Thinking of an investment?

Yeah, depending on what it looks like inside. Not sure I want a total renovation like what Basil and Meg are going through.

I hear you. I've heard the view from the widow's walk is amazing, he replied.

I imagine so given the house's location. I pulled