When he pulled off his leather duster and laid it over his bike, Danny suddenly realized what he meant. “You didn’t?”
He shot her a sheepish grin. “It’s not like I’m hiding it, I just don’t want you to think I’m a nutjob.” He tugged his T-shirt over his head, taking a deep breath before presenting his back to her. “It’s only a few days old, so I should probably still have it covered.”
Danny’s hand shot to her mouth as she took in his newly inked back. It was still fresh enough that it was slightly swollen. She stared at herself rendered across his wide shoulders in a work of living art. The tattoo depicted her sitting on her bike, her long hair falling around her. The artist had given her a wistful expression, and she imagined this was how she looked when she rode, relaxed and carefree.
“It’s…” Words failed her. She carefully traced her finger over the intricate scroll of her name beneath the picture. “Why? I can’t believe you did this.”
Gabe gave a slight shrug and Danny could see the blush spreading across his cheeks. “I knew you might never forgive me, but I couldn’t really let you go. This way I will always carry you with me.” He looked down, clearly embarrassed.
Danny caught his hand, and he turned him to face her. Their eyes met for a long moment.
She put a finger over his trembling lips, and she did the only thing she could think to do. She leaned into him and kissed him for all she was worth.
It was one of those kisses that seemed to last a lifetime yet still wasn’t quite long enough.
And when they finally came up for air, they were both panting, and she thought he’d take her right then and there. She was stunned when he pulled her to her feet and began pacing. “Sweetheart, what is it?” she questioned, confused by his withdrawal. “I thought you said you understood.”
He turned back, a lecherous grin on his. “Oh, I understand about that. What I don’t understand is what the hell you were doing riding your bike like a bat out of hell down unfamiliar roads, and with only a learner’s permit on top of that.”
He was right, and she knew it but was damned sure she wasn’t going to admit it. “Hey, you were chasing me. How was I to know what you intended? When you think about it, it’s really your fault.” Okay, that sounded lame even to her ears, but the wicked gleam in his eyes made her leery.
“Oh really?” he replied, advancing toward her retreating form. “I was the one who made you pull back on the throttle and forget where the break was?” Danny retreated, but, he skillfully steered her toward an old stone bench left over from the miners.
“Okay, okay, maybe not, but really, I’ve learned my lesson.” Oh God, she knew what he intended. He’d warned her, and normally she wouldn’t mind, but in his emotional state, she wasn’t sure she was ready for what he was about to dish out.
Then she felt the stone bench at the back of her calves and realized she was trapped.
Too stunned to move, she watched in morbid fascination as he took a seat on the bench. He pulled her to him and quickly and efficiently slid her jeans and panties down. Silently, she wondered why she wasn’t fighting, but she knew the answer. She wanted what he was about to do, had known it would happen eventually. Now her body tingled with anticipation. Gabe pulled her down over his knee, and finally she seemed to come out of her daze. Danny might want it, but she wasn’t going meekly. “Damn it, Gabe, let me go, you big ape!” She screeched, kicking wildly.
That earned her the first swat.
“Be still, brat.” He chuckled, caressing the fleshy curve of her ass, which was already stinging from only one swat. “You scared the hell out of me. Take your punishment like a big girl, and I’ll kiss it and make it better when I’m done.”
Then he set out in earnest, raining a series of stinging blows.
Squealing, Danny felt like her ass was on fire, but that was nothing compared to the fire building between her thighs. Each blow seemed to fan the flames of her desire. Her clit throbbed, and her pussy wept with need. Moaning and writhing, she arched into each well placed smack.
“Never ever scare me like that again,” he ordered emphasizing each word with a well-coordinated whack.
* * * *
Gabe stifled a groan as he felt her heat steaming against his thigh. Changing tactics, he caressed the steaming flesh of her bottom, tracing the crack of her ass down to her drenched slit. God, she was so hot and so wet. And she was his, every luscious inch of her.
Gabe pulled her squirming body up, flush with his. Their eyes locked, and their mutual need was wordlessly transmitted between them.
Suddenly hampered by too many clothes, they began ripping and tugging. Within seconds, pools of cloth littered the ground all around them.
Danny’s breath was coming in short pants as she straddled his big body. “Please, Gabe!” she begged.
“Yes, baby, now,” he gasped as his turgid erection began to probe her welcoming heat.
Danny let out a low wail of ecstasy as she impaled herself on his waiting staff, drawing a long hiss of pleasure from him in the process. Rising, she lifted herself up only to slam down on him again and again, riding him hard and fast, nearly pushing him over the edge.
Gabe’s hand went to the long coil of her hair. He loved the silky feel of it circling around his fist. Giving it a gentle tug, he stilled her. “Easy, baby.” He lifted her nearly all the way off, leaving just the broad head of his penis inside her.
“I can’t,” she panted, squirming, trying in vain to move, to recapture him.
“You can.” He pulled her upper body close so he could whisper against her lips. “Did you forget who was in charge?” His other hand reached to caress her ankle, tracing the band of gold still circling her, marking her.
She shivered in his arms, and Gabe saw her swallow. At last she stilled and shook her head as much as his tight grip on her hair would allow.
“Good. Now slow down or we’ll be done before we’re even started,” he added with a rueful smile.
Catching her lush hips in his big hands, he slowly lowered her back onto his waiting cock. Their moans mingled as he set a teasingly slow pace, letting their pleasure build. He kissed her long and deep, loving the feel of their bodies fused in every way. The kiss, so sweet and perfect, seemed to send her over the edge because he could feel the warning ripples of her pussy start to pulse around his cock. Breaking the kiss, he growled.
“Come for me, brat. Come now!” he ordered as his own climax roared up. She shuddered and convulsed around him as he filled her steaming channel with his hot essence.
* * * *
Danny sighed contentedly and rested her head on his shoulder, still too dazed to breathe right. His face was buried in her hair, his hand softly stroking it as he began to unbraid it. Her body began to heat all over again at his sensuous touch. He loved her hair, and it made her feel so beautiful the way he worshiped it. Still, they were going to have to come back to reality eventually, and she had to make sure he understood just what had been going on during his absence. Forcing herself to sit up, she caught his face in her hands and lightly kissed his lips. When he tried to deepen the kiss, it took every ounce of her willpower to not succumb again.
“We need to talk,” she finally managed, her voice throaty with denied desire.
He stilled and nodded, the concern written on his face. “So talk, beautiful.” His voice wavered a little, and she wondered if he was as nervous as she was.
“I…uhm…” How did you tell your lover you might be spending a long time trying to coordinate your shoes with your neon-orange jumpsuit? “I’ve kind of gotten myself in a bit of trouble.”
“What is it? Just tell me, and I’ll do whatever it takes to fix it.”
“It’s not that simple. You see, like I was trying to tell you before, what you thought you saw that day at the library wasn’t what it looked like.”
“I know, and I’m an idiot,” he interjected.
She had to fight a grin before she continued. “Well, yes, I
agree with you, but that’s not the point. You see, when he did what he did, when he made you think what you thought, I…well…I kind of lost my temper.”
Gabe chuckled. “Yeah, Gloria told me, and it was no more than the little creep deserved.”
“Yes, well, you and I might think so, but the county police don’t agree.” She gulped as she voiced her fears out loud. “I might be going to jail.”
“Well,” he began, pulling her back into his arms. “It seems to me what you need is a good lawyer.”
“The court assigned me one, but he wanted me to plead guilty and take probation, but I can’t do it. I know it would be the best, but I just can’t.”
“Of course not, and a decent lawyer would never tell you to do that. It’s your word against his, and all that needs to be done is destroy his credibility.”
“I don’t know. You should see him. He looks really bad.” She couldn’t help the sheepish grin that crept onto her face.
“Well, if I hadn’t been such an ass and stuck around to help you, he’d look a lot worse,” Gabe grumbled, his voice riddled with guilt, “Just because you don’t show the scars doesn’t mean he didn’t hurt you and countless other women. Remember, you told me about the ‘Gummers for Grades’ policy? All you need to do is get a few witnesses to testify to that, and his credibility would be completely shot, reasonable doubt established. No judge or jury would convict you then.”
“Yeah, but how would you get them to testify?” She looked up at him. Doubt knotted her stomach. “I mean, who would agree to that? It would be way too embarrassing, not to mention academic suicide.”
“They don’t have to agree. They just need to be called as a hostile witness then questioned under oath. A good lawyer will get it out of them.”
“How do you know so much about this?” Not that she thought he wasn’t smart enough, but there weren’t a lot of law books in motorcycle shops.
Gabe sheepishly laughed. “You know one of the things I love about you, is that you accept me as I am, grease monkey with dirty fingernails and all. But you know when I said you needed a good lawyer?” Confused, she could only nod and he continued. “Yeah, well, you got one.”
“Where?” She was completely lost.
“You’re looking at him.”
“What?” She reared back in his arms, staring at him as if he’d grown two heads.
“You never asked what kind of business my partner and I had, and I let you assume it had been a bike shop or something because I liked that you liked me for me, not my money or my status. But the truth is, we ran one of the most successful law firms in the entire state of California.” His grin was self-conscious.
“And when were you planning on telling me this?” she rasped, her temper rising at the fact that yet again he hadn’t trusted her.
“Eventually,” he hedged. “It wasn’t that I set out to lie, just that I was trying to forget my past and too busy enjoying my future.”
Danny contemplated this. “And what future is that?”
“You’re my future, Danny. God, woman, didn’t I tell you earlier how much I love you?” She couldn’t miss the frustration in his voice.
“Well, yes but…” she stammered, but he cut her off.
“No ‘buts.’ We’re going to beat these stupid charges against you, and then you’re going to marry me. Period, end of discussion.”
“Well, there’s just one more thing.” She was having a hard time fighting her smile.
“And that is?” he snapped, ready for any argument she had to throw at him.
Taking his handsome face in her hands, she pulled his lips to hers and whispered, “I love you too, you idiot.”
He chuckled devilishly. “Brat, I’m seeing many pink bottoms in your future.” To prove his point, he reached around and gave her still-stinging rear a squeeze.
Chapter Eleven
Danny was shifting nervously in her prim navy suit, high lace shirt, and sensible shoes when Gabe to pick her up the morning of the trial. They’d spent the last few days going over her case, and he’d instructed her carefully on what to wear. It amused him to think of her in her studious librarian persona, with his anklet standing out, marking her. But as he’d pointed out, the judge wouldn’t notice that so much as the entire outfit, and since it was going to come down to a matter of believability, he wanted her looking as wholesome as possible.
They had talked to countless people, but so far, none of the female students they’d talked to had firsthand knowledge of Wesley’s lascivious behavior. They knew the best source of information would be from the scandalous freshman she’d caught him in bed with. There could be no denying what she’d seen, but the mysterious Noir was nowhere to be found. Desperate, they’d turned to her library aids, Tiffany and Mariah, since they were campus socialites. Unfortunately, the two had come up empty handed as well, but they vowed not to give up until the final verdict was rendered.
Gabe said he wasn’t worried. And she didn’t doubt he’d won harder cases than this, but it was her life on the line here. She’d never placed this much faith in any human being before.
The soft purr of an expensive sports car drew her attention, and she turned in surprise as a gleaming black Jaguar rolled to a stop in the alley behind her loft. It took Danny a stunned minute to realize the man, who got out of the car wearing a suit that would have cost several months of her salary, was Gabe.
He grinned at her, obviously enjoying her shock. “What’s the matter, baby? I didn’t clean up well enough for you?” he taunted with a smile.
Danny could only stare. His shaggy hair had been cut and was brushed neatly in place. His pointed, bushy goatee was closely trimmed. And good Lord, she didn’t want to contemplate the cost of that watch on his wrist or the handmade Italian shoes on his big feet. He was the epitome of style and sophistication, the very image of a hotshot, Hollywood attorney. And damn if he still didn’t look better than sin on Sunday. Jesus, she inwardly moaned, she had it bad. It didn’t matter what he was wearing or where they were, she wanted him, no holds—or holes for that matter—barred, but right now she should be concentrating on being Miss Goody Two-Shoes, not how quickly she could get him out of that outrageously expensive suite.
Finally managing to clamp her stunned mouth shut, she closed her eyes for a moment as she fought to control the lust raging through her. Think unsexy thoughts. Think unsexy thoughts, she repeated to herself over and over again. But then he was there next to her, tenderness filling his face.
“Hey, sweetheart, it’s okay, I promised I’d get you out of this, and I will. Please don’t worry.”
His obvious concern snapped her back to life, and she couldn’t help but chuckle. “Darlin’, what I’m feeling right now has nothing to do with fear and everything to do with lust. So if you don’t want that expensive suit ruined, I suggest we go before I drag you back up to my place and have my wicked way with you.”
Gabe smiled sheepishly at her praise, and if she didn’t know better, she’d swear he was blushing. Clearing his throat, he opened the door for her and she caught the way his gaze lingered on glimpse of leg as she slid into the plush, leather passenger seat.
“Nice car, by the way,” she added as they glided off with a purr of the Jaguar’s powerful engines.
* * * *
The small county courtroom was overflowing with curious students and faculty when they arrived. Their entrance caused a hushed stir to roll throughout the assembly, as everyone turned to watch them enter, smooth and confident.
Gloria sat in the front row, directly behind the defendant’s bench. She smiled reassuringly at them as they moved past her.
All around them they could hear speculation as to who her fancy attorney was. The prosecutor, a Mr. Brooks, turned to watch them enter and paled.
Gabe nearly laughed when he caught sight of his pathetic adversaries, but he’d learned long ago to never underestimate an opponent. He saw the fear in the prosecuting attorney’s eyes as he leaned down to
whisper something to his client. Wesley Dandridge was the most pathetic excuse for a man he’d ever seen. And the sight of his blackened eyes and swollen, taped nose nearly had him doubled over. He shouldn’t laugh, but there was no doubt about it, Danny had worked him over good. He’d have to remember to never really piss her off. Then again… Shaking his head, to get his mind out of the gutter, he put on his game face as they took their seats at the defendant’s table.
He could feel Danny shaking next to him, and he reached out to give her hand a reassuring squeeze as he leaned over to whisper in her ear. “I can’t wait to get you home and strip that prim, little suit off of you.”
Danny’s cheeks flamed at his totally inappropriate comment. He knew he was pushing her, but his comment had the desired effect of relaxing her.
Within minutes, the bailiff was announcing the judge, requesting them all to rise. Gabe felt Danny start shake all over again as she stood.
Judge Wrenn was reported to be tough but fair. She was an older woman who’d worked her way up the ladder before it was considered in style for a woman to do so. Gabe knew that could work for or against them. On the one hand she knew what it was like being a woman in a man’s world, but on the other hand, she was old enough to perhaps consider Danny’s behavior unladylike and therefore reprehensible. In truth, he was nervous. It wasn’t that he thought he couldn’t win the case. He’d certainly won tougher ones, but none had ever mattered as much as this one. He’d let Danny down once, and he’d sworn to never do it again.
“Be seated,” Judge Wrenn instructed. “Today’s case is Aurora Heights verses Danika Eldridge on the charges of assault and battery. Would the defendant please stand.” She waited until Danny came to her feet before continuing. “Ms. Eldridge, how do you plead to these charges?” In truth, the little man at the plaintiff’s table looked like he’d been worked over by a chain gang, but it was difficult to believe that the equally diminutive woman at the defendant’s table was capable of this level of violence.
Danny took a deep breath and slanted Wesley a defiant look before turning to the judge. “Not guilty, Your Honor,” she said in a strong, confident voice.
Breaking Free (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 8
