“Like take a strange guy home to bed?” he asked, not liking the feeling of being the rebound man.
“No, that was because I wanted you when I saw you at the rally last week. And I’d wasted too much time not going after what I want.” She held up her hand when the grin blossomed on his face. “That wasn’t why I bought the bike. I wasn’t looking for you. I’ve honestly wanted one for years, but never had the guts. You probably think that’s pretty pathetic, huh?”
He was glad there was no man in her life, and he’d make damn sure he stayed the only one. He would start with a confession of his own “You’re not pathetic, and you’re not the only one to get blindsided by a cheater. I was out here last year, visiting my mom. She had terminal cancer, and I wanted to spend as much time as I could with her while I still could. But after the funeral I got back to find my business partner had run off with my fiancée. So I sold what little they left behind and moved back here. No, darlin’, you’re not the only one to make life-changing decisions after a breakup.”
Danny turned in his arms, gazing up into with her beautiful amber eyes. “You didn’t mind that I didn’t have a clue what I was doing?”
He bit his lip to keep from laughing, because he knew she was completely serious. Shaking his head, he pulled her closer. “Did it feel like I minded?”
“I don’t know,” she replied, a playful smile flitting over her face. “I might need a little more convincing.”
“Oh really?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow. He enjoyed her playfulness. “You sure you’re up for it, little girl?”
“Are you kidding? I’m just getting started. I think the question is, are you up for it?”
“I think I’m in trouble.” He laughed with a groan.
Chapter Five
Danny was sitting at the library’s main computer, running an overdue book report when she heard the hushed whispers of her two student aids.
“Oh! My! God!” Blonde-haired Tiffany gasped. It wasn’t an unusual reaction from the easily excitable youth, so Danny didn’t pay her much attention.
Nor did she pay too much attention to her companion, Mariah’s, reply. “Girl! Who is that?” They were always discussing the various attributes of their fellow classmates. She probably should have reprimanded them, but they were harmless, and simply too funny to be mad at.
“Well, he’s not a student, that’s for sure. I would definitely remember someone that fine!” Tiffany sighed as she stared dreamily at the object of her attention. “Look at that body, all tall and muscled.”
“Yumm! And he looks so dark and dangerous with those wicked blue eyes and dark goatee,” Mariah agreed, actually licking her lips.
Curiosity and a vague sense of déjà vu got the better of Danny, and she turned to get a peek at the object of their lusty gazes.
No! She felt her breath freeze in her lungs. What in the world was Gabe doing here? Not that she was ashamed of him, just the opposite. She just didn’t want him to see her in her nerdy environment, hair back in a bun, reading glasses perched on the end of her nose. She considered ducking below her desk, but he’d already spotted her, and an amused grin spread across his face.
Forcing herself to stand, she stifled a groan as her aching body protested. They’d spent the weekend days with him instructing her on bike riding and the evenings with him riding her. Now Monday evening, she was still feeling the after effects, and the lecherous grin on Gabe’s face told her he had noticed.
“Hi, beautiful,” he whispered as they met at the library’s highly polished counter. “I just couldn’t stay away.”
Danny’s body burned. Lord, just being near him made her tremble. And to make matters worse, she distinctly heard giggles behind her. Turning a sharp eye on her assistants, she tried to sound authoritative. “Don’t you girls have some filing to do?” But it came out slightly breathless, completely ruining the effect.
Tiffany winked as she and Mariah headed off anyway, whispering, “He’s way hotter than Professor Brain-dead, Ms. D.”
As they sashayed off, Gabe raised a dark eyebrow. “Professor Brain-dead?”
Danny winced. She could have gone the rest of her life without explaining that. “It’s what the students call my ex.”
Gabe chuckled. “Well, it’s nice to know I meet their approval.”
Danny flushed. It was like comparing a Porsche to a Pinto. “So uhm, what are you doing here?” she asked, trying to change the subject. He was already so self-confident. He definitely didn’t need his ego stroked.
“Well you said you always take the bus home, so I thought I’d give you a ride and save you the trip.”
Oh, Lord! Danny inwardly groaned. If she got on the back of the beautiful beast he called a bike, she’d be pulling his clothes off within two blocks of the campus. “I don’t have my gear,” she pointed out, desperate to save her self-respect.
“No problem, the stuff you ordered from the shop came in. You should have everything you need right here,” he replied, holding up a large bag with the distinctive logo of Smokey’s Cycles & Choppers on it.
“I don’t have my helmet,” she countered desperately.
“I brought a spare,” he came back, not trying to hide his grin.
“Damn it,” she whispered, leaning in close so only he could hear. “You’re not good for my sanity.”
“Now why’s that?” he asked with an arched eyebrow.
“You know very well why.” She shivered just thinking about it.
He tsked. “Now see, while you’ve been toiling away at work all day, I’ve had nothing but time on my hands, thinking about all the naughty things I was going to do to you tonight.”
“You need a job!” She blushed because she’d been having the same thoughts all day.
“That’s the perk about being the boss’s son.” He laughed but then sobered. “Seriously, I’m trying to get Dad to take it easy and let me do more, but since Mom died, he’s thrown himself into his work to keep busy. It really worries me, but you take my mind off my worries for a while, so come on and be a good girl and soothe my worried mind,” he coaxed, his charming grin sliding back in place.
Danny chewed her lip. You’re trying to be new and adventurous. The new Danny wouldn’t think twice about it, she told herself, but her inner voice argued back. It was very hard to be new and adventurous in the same old environment. That’s why you need to get out of here! the little devil on her shoulder pointed out. And it was time for her to get off.
Determinedly, she came out from behind the safety of the counter, and grabbed the bag from him. Danny turned to her giggling assistants where they stood secretly watching from behind the stacks of microfiche. Catching their eyes, she nodded to the desk. “I’m going home, girls. Lock up for me.” Decision made, she headed to her small office to change.
* * * *
Thoroughly enjoying the view of her departing rear, Gabe leaned against the counter and waited. The two giggling girls made quick work of coming over to him. “So, uhm, are you Ms. D’s new boyfriend?” the blonde one asked.
Turning an amused smile on the pair, he nodded. “Something like that.” Okay, so he and Danny might not have actually discussed their relationship, but as far as he was concerned she was his. Plain and simple.
“Good, cause that jerk she used to go out with really dogged her, and she deserves a little fun.” This came from the brunette. “She’s a really sweet lady. I mean she’d have to be, to put up with us, so we don’t want to see her hurt.”
Gabe tried not to laugh at their sincere warning. It was a testament to Danny’s character that the normally self-absorbed college students were willing to stand up for her. It made him all the more protective. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He nodded seriously. “So this professor, he treated her pretty bad, huh?”
Blondie nodded. “Yeah, it’s pretty common knowledge that the creep had a policy of ‘Grades for Gummers’ if you catch my meaning.” She made a disgusted face as if the thought made her skin c
rawl. “But he had Ms. D snowed into thinking he was Prince Charming.”
“You know he would show up here and harp on her if she was dressed up the least little bit. Like one day, she had on this darling little suit, black with bright blue trim and cute little spiked heels. Looked really good on her, but I heard him fussing at her saying that they looked like hooker heels.” Miss Brunette scowled at the recollection. “Poor thing, she never wore it again.”
Gabe returned her scowl. He was liking this creep less and less. Danny was such a wonderful free spirit. It was a shame to try and hold her back. But then she walked out of her office in the leather pants, spiked boots, tight tank top and tasseled leather jacket, and he wanted to keep her locked up himself. In her library garb she was cute, but in her biker garb, good Lord! It should be illegal for a woman to look that good! And what that tank top did to her cleavage, well that was more than any man should have to endure.
If he was stunned, the two girls behind the counter were positively floored. “Oh! My! God!” Blondie hissed. “Ms. D, you are smokin’!”
The looks from the male students in the library said that they agreed, and it was all Gabe could do to not thump his chest caveman style, while shouting, Mine!
Danny flushed as she joined him. “The top’s a little tight. Are you sure you ordered the right size?”
The girls giggled, and before Gabe could even get a coherent thought past his slack lips, the brunette answered for him. “Are you kidding? He’s practically drooling, Ms. D. It’s perfect!”
Gabe cleared his throat. They were right, he was nearly drooling. But she was intoxicating to him. Just being near her was a rush. His blood was singeing through his veins, all heading to the same inconvenient location, just a little south of his belt. “You ready?” Nodding, she let him lead her toward the door, but within a few feet he stopped. “One thing’s not quite right.” Turning her around, he made quick work of the pins holding her bun in place. Loving the smooth feel of her ebony tresses, he ran his fingers through it, inhaling the sweet clean scent. When it was loose, hanging in soft waves down her back, he nodded. “That’s better.” Oh the plans he had for that long, beautiful hair.
She was blushing again. “That feels so good, so hot,” she confessed. Deep, longing sighs came from behind them. Apparently her assistants agreed.
Danny climbed on the bike behind him, setting off a new set of fireworks through his already needy body. She was shaking as she pressed herself into him. “You better get us some place very private, very quick if I have to ride like this with you,” she whispered into his ear in a soft, husky voice.
Gabe sucked in his breath at the feel of her hot breath on his neck, hot body pressing into him, and even hotter words in his ear. She was right. They had to get somewhere private soon, especially in light of what he’d discovered this morning. He hit the bike’s ignition switch, and it rumbled to life. Her assistants’ faces were pressed to the glass doors, with looks of shock and admiration on their faces. Forcing himself to take a deep breath, he pulled back on the throttle, and the bike roared as they pulled away.
* * * *
Danny clung to Gabe as they exited the campus and headed out onto the main highway. The powerful engine ate the miles, and soon they were well beyond the outskirts of Aurora, surrounded by trees and rising rock walls. Danny had always loved the beauty of the Smoky Mountains, and as they began to climb, she found herself wide-eyed with wonder. Before long they left the main highway for a narrow, two-lane road. This snaked steeply upward, causing her to give a squeak and cling to him even more fiercely. Just when she started to relax again, he slowed and turned the bike onto an overgrown dirt road. The steep, twisting path led them deep into the woods, and Danny shivered at the isolation. Instinctively, she pressed closer to Gabe. The woods finally opened up to reveal a large clearing overlooking a crystal-clear river. The bike slowed down and she was able to take it all in.
“What is this place, Eden?” Danny’s voice held a touch of awe as her gaze swept the stunning scene before them.
“This is my special place I guess.” She noted the slight blush spreading across his handsome face, but with a shrug he went on. “I’ve never brought anyone here but Dad. The entire area was bought by moonshiners during Prohibition. They used the river to transport their illegal goods here, then loaded it onto cars to transport over land. From what I understand the operation was still up and running as late as a few decades ago. When the feds finally managed to shut things down, the property got tied up in red tape. A few years ago it went up for government auction, and I bought it. I’m not sure why I wanted to bring you here but somehow I knew you’d love it as much as I do. There used to be an old cabin, but it was crumbling. I tore it down last summer. Eventually I would love to build a house here, but for today, I just wanted to enjoy being alone with you.”
Flipping up the visor on her helmet, Danny let her gaze roam over the paradise surrounding her. The sheer beauty stole her breath. Lush green grass met the rocky bank of the river. To the left was a low bluff, and she was startled to make out the foundation and framing of what appeared to be a house in progress.
He slid off the bike and took off his helmet. He was searching her face for her reaction to this news and she saw the hope in his vivid eyes.
“Oh, Gabe, it’s glorious!” She answered at last, struggling for a word adequate enough to describe the heaven before her. “I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.” Following him, she yanked her helmet off so she could get a better look.
* * * *
“Neither have I,” he whispered in awe, but his gaze was solely on her.
“You know, I found something interesting this morning after you left for work,” he began, tentatively.
Turning to him, Danny raised an eyebrow. “Snooping? I knew I should have never left you sleeping in my loft this morning.” Gabe laughed as she tried to sound serious but he saw the corners of her mouth twitching up into a smile.
“Well, you see, my mom loved to read, like you, and she told me one time that if you want to know a person, look at what they like to read, so I decided to check out that huge bookshelf you have.” Gabe saw her throat work. She actually swallowed, fear or excitement he wondered. “At first I found nice, sweet chick lit, but then I made an interesting discovery.” He paused, as if gauging her reaction. She was sure she looked like a deer in the headlights, and she knew exactly what he’d found. He was fighting back a wicked smile. “It seems there was a secret row of books hidden behind the nice, sweet vanilla books.” Danny gulped, taking a step back. The knot in her stomach had turned into a legion of butterflies the size of bats. Gabe advanced.
“It was quite a collection too. You had the classics like The Story of O and Anne Rice’s Sleeping Beauty Chronicles, as well as the modern ones, like Pamela’s Punishment and Taming Tamara.”
“Oh God,” she whispered, taking another step back.
Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Her mind screamed. Wesley had been shocked by even her mildest erotica. He would have been completely disgusted if he’d known her darkest desires. Surely not even Gabe was that open minded. Would he think her disgusting too?
“Nothing to say besides that?” he teased, backing her up another few feet. She was going to be trapped between him and the bike in just a few more steps. She swallowed convulsively, her mouth moving, but no words came out. “Nothing, huh? Well, let me see if I can help you,” he taunted
Danny froze when she felt the warm steel of the big bike at her back and the even warmer steel of her lover at her front. He caught her hair at the nape of her neck, tugging gently but firmly, arching her toward him. Leaning in, Gabe’s lips grazed the column of her neck, the curve of her chin. Hovering just above her lips, he paused to whisper, “I know what you want, Danny.” He kissed her long and deep, forcing her mouth wide, ravishing her lips, capturing her tongue with the sharp edges of his teeth. She whimpered as the stinging nip sent a bolt of electricity southward.
&nbs
p; He pulled back, his lips still touching hers. “All you have to do is say it.”
She willed her mouth to work, but the signals weren’t making their way to her brain. “Still nothing?” he taunted, as she struggled to pull herself together. Pushing her closer to the edge, he ground his growing erection into her and she eagerly matched his movements. Whimpering she pressed into him, wanting more, wanting to be taken.
“No no,” he pulled back, holding her still when she tried to follow him. “I want to hear you say it. Tell me what you want.”
“Gabe, please,” she finally managed. Just say it she told herself, but it wouldn’t come out.
“Yes?” He arched a questioning eyebrow.
“You saw the books. You know.” Why couldn’t he end her misery?
“Yes, but do you?” She nodded vigorously, but he still pressed. “Then say it, or we leave, and I take you home.” He stepped back, leaving her cold and wanting.
“No wait!” she wailed, shaking with need.
“Then say it!” he growled, catching her chin in his big hand and forcing her to meet his intense gaze.
Danny panted. She’d stepped so far out of her comfort zone. Did she dare take this final step? God, how could she not? She could stop breathing more easily than she could let him go. Licking her lips, she felt herself drowning in his ocean-blue gaze, and the words flowed from her.
“I want to be dominated.”
Chapter Six
Gabe inhaled deeply as the words slid from her reluctant lips. He wanted to shout his triumph. He was dominant by nature and had been having a hell of a time taking things slow with her. He’d slipped a few times and was surprised he hadn’t scared her to death. He’d always planned to ease her into the darker side of his passion, but then he’d discovered her secret, hidden treasure of BDSM erotica. He’d nearly come on the spot! As it was, he’d ended up jacking off in her shower, picturing her on her knees in front of him, her hot little mouth engulfing his cock. He never dared to dream it could be possible that she was into kink just as much as him. He’d never admitted it to his former fiancée, keeping his activities to clubs and resorts that catered to alternative lifestyles and specialized in discretion. It still blew his mind that as innocent as Danny was, she seemed so open to his vices.
Breaking Free (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 4
