by Ronica Black
“Then why did you refuse to stop?”
Chan ran a hand through her hair and lied, “I don’t know.” Because I thought you were Sarah. Because I’m so damned angry and jealous and confused, and I wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of pulling me over again.
“Well, I suggest you figure it out. The way both of you are behaving—”
“Wait.” She stopped him. “What do you mean?”
Dave worked his jaw. The lights from the traffic reflected off the sweat on his brow. “Never mind.” He looked away, clearly upset.
“Is something wrong with Sarah?” Her heart pounded, but not out of anger.
“Let’s just say I wish the two of you would work it out.”
What? “Work what out?”
Dave sounded like a man at the end of his patience. “Whatever the hell’s wrong. Sarah’s avoiding my calls, acting out.” He stopped abruptly as if he had said too much. “And you…you’re trying to kill yourself out here.”
“Sarah and I aren’t involved. There’s nothing going on.” She knew as she spoke that the words weren’t true. There definitely was something going on, whether they were seeing each other or not. There was something tangible there, the same something that was driving her mad. But she didn’t know what else to say. And what was wrong with Sarah? Was she going just as crazy as Chan?
“Is she…okay?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I’ve said more than I should have.”
He held up a hand and Chan began to think that maybe she had been wrong about him in regard to Sarah. Maybe he really did care. Maybe they really were close friends.
He seemed to calm as well and softened his tone. “If you want to know more, then I suggest you call her.”
He placed his hat back on his head in a practiced fashion that let her know he had done it countless times before. “Lay off the speed on that bike,” he commanded. “You’re lucky I know you.” His eyes held hers firmly. “And if I ever see you ride like that again, I’ll make sure you never ride again, period.”
Having said all he wanted, or all that he could, he walked away toward his cruiser.
“I’ve tried,” she called out after him, causing him to pause and turn. “I’ve tried to talk to her, but I can’t reach her.” If he really was Sarah’s friend, she wanted him to know that. In her way, in her mind, it was her way of letting Dave know she cared about Sarah too.
He gave her a long, hard look. “If you care about her, then I hope you’ll try again.”
He climbed back into his cruiser, offering her no more pieces to the puzzle that was Sarah Monroe. As he pulled back on the highway, she slung her leg over her motorcycle and cranked the engine. For a moment, she sat revving it up, letting its power vibrate through her. She could still make out the faint red of his fading taillights. She wished her thoughts and feelings about Sarah would ride off with him and dim into the blackness of the night.
Chapter Nineteen
As Chandler gunned her bike and streaked back onto the freeway, she knew the mysterious woman who had rocked her world wasn’t about to leave her thoughts. And it seemed that speed wasn’t going to be an option any longer. Not if she wanted to remain out of jail. With her insides tight and tensing, she took the next exit and rode with determination to the only place she could think of that might actually help to ease her plagued mind.
She killed her engine and sauntered up to the door of the small brick building. She could hear the jukebox, smell the cigarettes. Not bothering to run her hands through her hair, she pulled open the door and walked inside. The place was a little more crowded than it had been the last visit—the night she had run into Sarah.
Trying to clear her head, she rested her hand on the bar and ordered a shot of tequila. A young woman sitting and smoking glanced her way and gave a tilted grin, letting Chan know she was interested. Chan thanked the bartender and downed her shot quickly, not bothering with the lime and salt. She turned the shot glass upside down on the counter walked over to the stranger who continued to eye her.
“Hi,” Chan greeted her, with a slow grin of her own.
The woman appeared to be in her mid-twenties with wild, blond-tipped hair. Chan ignored the lingering smoke and concentrated on her tanned, toned arms.
“Hi.”
“Did that hurt?” Chan reached out and lightly touched her eyebrow piercing.
“Not really.” She stubbed out her cigarette and turned on her stool, resting her arm on the bar as she faced Chan.
Chan took in her long board shorts and tight T-shirt with interest and excitement. She lowered her hand from the woman’s brow to finger the elaborate sun tattoo on her inner wrist. Maybe she would be able to forget Sarah after all. Even if only for a night.
“What’s your name?” Chan leaned into her, wondering how good the young woman was in bed. She was young and fit, and hopefully very energetic.
“Leah.”
Chan stroked her arm. “Tell me, Leah, are you pierced anywhere else?”
The young woman smiled again. “You interested in finding out?”
Chan sat down on the stool next to her and extended her hand for Leah’s pack of cigarettes. Plucking one out, she waited as Leah struck a match and leaned in to cup Chan’s mouth, lighting the cigarette. Chan sucked on it with force, wanting it to top off her new attitude. Her shell had hardened and she was determined to conquer, to leave everything else behind. She blew the smoke out of the side of her mouth while focusing on Leah’s bee-stung lips.
Leaning in, she said. “My name’s—”
“Chandler.” A deep, strong voice came from behind, immediately sending shock waves up Chan’s spine. Turning, she sucked in a quick breath and choked on the smoke she had accidentally inhaled.
Sarah stood staring at her with her piercing blue eyes and strong, tall body. “Please tell me that’s not your bike outside.”
Chan tensed and then got over the shock of seeing her in an instant as anger rose up through her. “It just so happens it is,” she countered, daring her to do something about it.
“Speeding, riding like a maniac.” Sarah’s eyes lowered to look around, searching. “No helmet either?” She returned her fierce gaze to Chan’s face, deadly serious.
“Who’s this?” Leah queried from behind Chan, obviously picking up on the tension.
Chan forced a smile. “Leah, this is Sarah.” Chan set down her cigarette with an unsteady hand. She trained her eyes back on Leah, unwilling to let Sarah’s presence affect her. Her temper flared, dying to be unleashed at Sarah’s accusing words. Words that assumed how Chan would be riding. Words that were dead-on in accuracy.
“Chandler, will you come with me, please?”
Chan felt a strong grip on her arm. She jerked it away, angry.
Sarah continued, grabbing her again. “I need to talk to you.” She pulled Chan up with force, and Leah quickly stood as well.
With anger heating her skin, Chan jerked away again. How dare she! What gives her the right?
“Let go of her,” Leah said.
Chan glared up at Sarah, unnerved by the seriousness in her face. Suddenly, Dave’s words entered her mind. Maybe Sarah needed to talk. Maybe that’s what this was about. Sarah was reaching out to her the only way she knew how. She relaxed and immediately felt Sarah release her grip.
“It’s okay,” she told Leah, appreciating the fact that the young woman was clueless but ready to fight regardless of Sarah’s size. “Later, okay?”
Leah gave a hesitant nod and returned to her seat at the bar, gazing after them as Sarah led the way to the back of the small club. Following close behind, Chan tried desperately not to notice how sexy the cop looked in her tight brown shirt and blue jeans with matching heavy boots. Sarah reached the wall behind the tables and chairs, and turned to cross her arms as she waited for Chan to approach.
Chan did so with a light attitude, careful not to show how much she was affected. “Okay, I’m here, so what’s going on?” She too crossed her a
rms and waited. She did her best not to focus on the eyes that were fixed on her face. They were too moving, too knowing.
“You rode here tonight?” The question startled her, even though similar words had just been spoken at the bar.
Chan took a step back, confused and then offended. “What?” That’s what this is about? The fucking bike?
“I got a call from Dave.” Sarah touched the cell phone on her belt and Chan suddenly realized everything.
She couldn’t believe it. And here she had actually thought Sarah was going to confide in her. She had actually allowed herself to believe that Sarah was finally going to trust her enough to be real, to open up. The mere thought had brought a rush of longing so strong she was embarrassed by her own gullibility. She held up her hand and tried to walk away, angry, hurt.
“Wait, Chandler!” Sarah’s hand found her arm again, stopping her. “Wait!”
Chan spun around in anger. “Fuck off!” She tried to jerk away but Sarah was too strong.
“God damn it, Chandler!” Her other hand came down, clamping Chan’s free arm, ensuring that she couldn’t get away. Sarah’s eyes were wide and her voice strained. “Come here!”
Chan found herself being turned firmly against the wall. Sarah pinned her back to the cool bricks and stared hard into her eyes. Her hands eased up but when Chan jolted to flee again, they bore back down, holding her still. Sarah leaned into her, pressing her powerful body up against Chan’s, their warm breath mixing.
“Damn you,” Sarah exhaled. Her eyes searched Chan’s for answers they couldn’t seem to find.
Chan felt her insides go weak as she was held captive by the sexy cop. Desperate to escape the fierce desire that was growing within, she demanded, “What do you want?”
Her answer was given at once as Sarah pinned her tighter and took her mouth with her own. Even if Chan had wanted to fight it, she quickly found that she didn’t have the strength. Sarah claimed her hungrily, with quick, forceful assaults of her tongue and possessive tugs of her lips. Chan moaned into her mouth, overcome and overwhelmed. It felt so good, Sarah taking her once again. She kissed her back and Sarah responded by kissing her harder, using her teeth to hold her lips, making sure that she was the one with the control. Chan shuddered beneath her, completely turned on, her body now tense with need.
She felt Sarah’s hands drop from her arms and pull away.
“Come on,” Sarah rasped, tugging her down a dim hallway to a dark corner near the back exit. “I have to have you.”
She slinked up against Chan, once again holding her to the wall. Chan welcomed the feel of her body with another groan. Sarah’s fingers unbuttoned her jeans as her hot mouth bit and sucked on her neck.
Chan dug her nails into the strong back and arched up into her. “I can’t stop thinking about you,” she confessed, breathless from the hot, hungry mouth on her neck. She closed her eyes, feeling the tug on her pants as Sarah’s fingers worked them open.
“Me neither,” Sarah whispered, dragging her teeth along Chan’s sensitive jawline. “When Dave called…” She paused and pulled back. “I was so mad at you. Why do you do that?” Her blue eyes darkened as she took Chan’s lips, this time gently, softly.
Chan wrapped her hands in the thick dark brown hair, lost in the kiss. “I…couldn’t stop thinking about you,” she managed softly between wet, soft pulls of her lips. “When you left the other night…I…the pain in your eyes…”
Sarah stopped her by touching her finger to Chan’s lips. “I’ve been thinking about you too.”
“You have?”
“Yes. I’ve been going insane with jealousy at the thought of you with someone else.” Sarah breathed deeply. “I had to find you. Not only because of what Dave said but to see for myself if you were dating. Crazy, huh?”
Chan moved her hands from Sarah’s hair and stroked her beautiful face. “Of course not.”
“When I think of someone else touching you…” Sarah leaned in as she spoke.
“Don’t,” Chan pleaded, afraid it would only cause pain.
“I go insane,” Sarah repeated. She bent down as Chan raised her chin, offering Sarah her lower lip.
Sarah took it aggressively, biting it, tugging it, igniting both their fires once again. Chan clung to her and kissed her back ravenously. She felt Sarah’s thigh thrust between hers, rubbing against her excited flesh. Sarah was here, and she wanted her. Sarah wanted this, wanted to be with her. The thought warmed her, consumed her from her belly out to her fingertips. As the desire flooded her, she felt Sarah’s fingers skimming across the satin of her underwear.
“Yes,” she cried out softly, wanting, needing the fingers to stroke her swollen need.
Sarah’s teeth found her neck as her hand eased down into the panties, gliding over the slick, firm flesh and causing Chan to jerk and groan. Dangerously close to going over, Chan forced her eyes open and her own hand down the front of Sarah’s shirt to her crotch. Fingers flying, she tugged open the button only to have Sarah pause in her movements, holding Chan’s sex firmly between her fingers.
“What are you doing?” Sarah softly demanded.
“I’m trying to get to you.”
“Why?” She raised her mouth, breathing upon Chan’s sensitive skin as she made her way to her ear. Sarah lined the ridge slowly with her tongue and moved her magical hand up and down, milking Chan’s clit, searing pleasure up into her.
“Because I want to. Want you to feel this too,” Chan managed, biting her own lip with determination. She lowered her other hand and eased down Sarah’s zipper.
“I don’t know if I…can.” Sarah took Chan’s lobe into her mouth and sucked, causing goose bumps to electrify Chan’s skin.
“Yes, yes you can,” Chan insisted between gasps of pleasure. Sarah was stroking her harder and faster, trying to get her mind off her new quest. But Chan knew what she wanted, what they both ultimately wanted, and she had to have it. Gritting her teeth, she maneuvered her hand down the front of Sarah’s pants, where she felt her excitement through her cotton briefs.
“Argh, God,” Sarah whispered weakly.
Chan felt her respond, felt her hot flesh pushing through the cotton, desperate to be touched. “Can I?” she asked, pleading.
Sarah pulled her head back and looked to the ceiling, breathing hard with excitement. “Yes.”
Chan tugged the underwear downward, quickly shoving her palm inside, cupping the slick flesh in her hand. Sarah gasped and jerked and then bored her eyes into Chan’s with raw excitement.
“Are you okay?” Chan had to be sure.
“Yes,” she gasped. “It’s good, so good.”
Chan felt Sarah’s fingers graze the exposed tip of her clitoris. She slammed her head back in pleasure, loving the feel of Sarah on her and the feel of her hand on Sarah. God, yes, it felt so good. Both of them groaning and gasping, kissing furiously as they stroked, tugged and rubbed. She lifted her hand a little, flattening her fingers against Sarah’s firm but flexible clit. She assaulted it with her entire hand, up and down, from the tips of her fingers to the heel of her hand. Encasing it in pleasure. There was no way it was going to escape. No way Sarah was going to get away.
“Make me come,” Chan begged, floating through heaven itself.
Sarah grunted and lowered to bite her neck.
“Come with me,” Chan insisted, knowing Sarah was close. She could feel it. Feel the pressure, hear the sharp intake of breath, the intense focus on her beautiful face.
“Feels so good,” Sarah rasped as she shoved her hand down harder and faster, grinding her hips as Chan did the same to her.
The cry of pleasure penetrated through Chan and she rubbed furiously, her entire hand covered in Sarah’s warm wetness. “Yes. Fuck yeah.” She threw her head back and clenched her eyes. “I’m going to come. I’m coming, I’m co…ming,” she cried out to the ceiling above as her body racked and shook with pleasure so intense she thought she would crumble.
Sarah jerk
ed in front of her, a low-sounding moan escaping her throat as she tensed and rocked into Chan. They both stilled and Chan felt Sarah throbbing under her hand. She had come. They had come together. Nothing had ever felt so good.
“You okay?” she asked, feeling her lift up, freeing Chan of her weight.
Sarah pulled her hand free of Chan’s pants and then eased Chan’s hand up by the wrist. She buttoned her jeans, her eyes avoiding Chan’s.
“Hey, are you okay?” Chan reached out and cupped her jaw, worried.
“I don’t know.” Sarah finally said before glancing away once more.
Chan hadn’t noticed before, but her eyes were sunken, her face thin and pale. Again she remembered Dave’s concern. “Talk to me,” she pleaded, yanking up her own pants.
“I…” Sarah sounded choked up, clearing her throat and clenching her jaw. “I can’t. Not right now.”
“Why?”
“I just can’t.”
Chan reached out for her arm as she stepped to walk away. “Then when?” She didn’t want her to go. Didn’t think she could survive her fleeing once again.
“I don’t know. I’m sorry.”
Chan watched helplessly as Sarah Monroe walked away from her yet again. Left her standing, sated, head spinning and all alone. The sting was brutal but not surprising. Her body moved somehow, and she returned to the bar in a daze.
“Tequila,” she ordered, only dimly aware of her surroundings. The pain she was feeling was unbearable, and she could only hope that the liquor would dull its sharp, stabbing edges.
With a full shot glass in hand, she glanced toward to the door that Sarah had hurriedly breezed out a moment before. Tossing her head back, she downed the powerful alcohol and asked for another.
“Everything okay?” The voice was Leah’s and she had her hand on Chan’s shoulder.
“Fine,” Chan responded with a cold indifference that wasn’t there before. She was shutting off all emotion, desperate for the hurt to go away. She eyed the shot glass in front of her, full of golden tequila, promising no more pain. She swallowed it down and cringed at the awful taste.
