by Vivian Arend
Oh boy. And so it began.
Anna sat, waking her computer and checking the last thing she’d had open. The fact Nick hadn’t mentioned finding her at the dirt track had been wonderful—and strange.
She should have known it was too good to last. “Not sure what you’re asking.”
Nick sighed heavily, his dark eyes focusing sharply on her as he seemed to change the topic again. “It was a shock to discover you in the middle of a bunch of off-roaders. I had no idea you were into that kind of thing.”
She shrugged. “Good clean fun, if you don’t mind the mud. They’re not illegal, and from what I can tell, the Blackstones have gone out of their way to make sure they’re not disturbing any of their neighbours.”
“Still surprised me,” Nick insisted. “With the rise in biker-gang activity all over the province, you might want to rethink being involved in that kind of situation again.”
A snort of disbelief escaped before she could stop it. “You’re not serious. We were riding dirt bikes, not hogs, and there’s no connection whatsoever between any gang activity and those guys innocently tearing up some spare land at the Blackstone property.”
“And Mitch?”
Anna rose to her feet and steeled her spine. “Again, not sure what you’re asking. Or if it’s any business of yours what I do outside of work time.”
Nick raised his hands and backed off. “Hey, no need to get snooty. Just—”
“Snooty?” Anna laughed, but there was a touch of anger under her amusement. “Good grief, Nick. Don’t try that on me. You have something to say, say it. Don’t go suggesting I just dropped a load of teenage angst on you.”
“Fine. Straight out, unless you’re doing court-ordered community work with him, I would suggest you not be seen in public with Mitch Thompson.”
A strange sensation churned her gut—annoyance on Mitch’s behalf, and a huge load of disgust at herself for hesitating in getting involved with him earlier. Having Nick toss his unwarranted bias against Mitch in her face only made it that much clearer how wrong she’d been in trying to hide her interest.
She crossed her arms and stared Nick down for a moment before she dared to speak. “Give me one solid piece of evidence you have that puts Mitch on any kind of watch list,” she demanded.
Nick opened his mouth then closed it just as quickly. He looked away, refusing to meet her eyes. “He’s got all the classic profiling for trouble. That’s all I’m saying.”
“And I’m saying we judge people by their actions, not the clothes on their back or the marks on their skin.” Anna breathed out slowly, fighting for control. “The Thompson family has been in the community for generations. Never a lick of trouble from them.”
“He’s bad news,” Nick insisted.
“Because he’s got tattoos? Because he rides a bike, or what? What are you basing your accusations on?”
“The tip sheets clearly—”
“God, Nick, where the hell are you getting these tip sheets you’re obsessing over? Because as far as I know tattoos and bikes alone don’t push anyone into becoming one of the criminal element.”
“Fine,” Nick cut in. “You obviously don’t want to listen to reason. I’ll be around if you need anything, otherwise I won’t bring it up again.”
He stormed from their office as if he were the injured party. Anna unclenched her fingers that had instinctively curled into tight fists during their discussion.
Yet another blot on her conscience that she’d ever given even a moment’s thought to Mitch’s reputation. She’d been as bad as Nick.
No more.
She headed home, showered and changed quickly in an attempt to scrub off her frustration. It was better to look forward, she decided, and she pulled out all the stops. Fancy silk underwear followed by dabbing perfume on the intimate spots she was sure Mitch would appreciate before the night was over.
In contrast to Mitch’s dark outfit, she went for light. A pair of faded stonewashed jeans so old they were buttery soft against her skin. A sturdy, lined leather jacket covered a pale blue turtleneck sweater that clung to her curves like a second skin. High riding boots hugged her calves, and the appreciation in Mitch’s eyes when she opened the door made it all worthwhile.
“Holy hell.” He examined her another time top to bottom, lingering on certain spots long enough to make her tingle. “Holy fucking hell.”
“You owe me dinner,” she pointed out. “No ravishing me before you feed me.”
Mitch tilted his head up and leered that much harder. “You reading my mind, are you?”
“Pretty much figured that’s what your expression meant,” Anna teased. “Let’s get rolling. I’m starved.”
She locked the door then accepted the hand he offered, pressing against him eagerly as he curled a hand around her neck and brought their lips together. Heat blazed between them like always, and like always Anna melted a little more.
He pulled back slowly, as if reluctant to relinquish her lips. “We’d better go before they run out of cranberry sauce.”
“That would be a travesty,” she agreed.
She crawled on the bike behind him, settling her thighs tight to his. Wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned in close. A strong, masculine scent filled her nostrils as she rested her cheek against his back.
There was something so incredible about moving together on the bike. A trust that had to be there, a confidence in Mitch’s abilities. A confidence that was clearly well deserved. He handled the bike with ease as they raced down the back streets of Rocky, the heat of his body warming her thoroughly.
He parked on the street a ways down from the café, holding the bike steady until she’d made it to the sidewalk. Anna lingered close, twisting in his arms to smile up into his gorgeous face.
“I can smell the turkey from here.” Mitch hummed happily. “Come on.”
He linked his fingers through hers and tugged her forward as they wandered the street, glancing in windows. Mitch pointed out the crazy Thanksgiving decorations the local shops had done in the front displays, and Anna laughed at his wry comments.
She was facing the café when a family wandered out. They had only taken a few paces down the sidewalk before the father jerked to a stop. He caught his wife’s hand, they both grabbed their kids, and dashed across the street, barely checking first to see if the traffic was clear.
Anna let Mitch guide her. She was too busy examining the mysterious response, especially when the family walked not even half a block before crossing back to get in their van.
Really? She glanced at Mitch, but all she saw was the man who turned her inside out with longing. Who shook her world and wanted to take her for a walk in the moonlight.
Not someone who it was prudent to cross the street to avoid.
They were seated. Menus brought. The entire time Anna was hyper aware of the customers in the café—of them judging, assessing. Finding Mitch wanting, or showing they were afraid of him in some way.
People eyed his arms as he took off his coat and hung it from the hook by their table, pushing up the sleeves of his sweater. Whispers sounded, conversations buzzed, low and interrupted.
Anna wanted to shout at them all to mind their own business.
She’d never been so aware of social bias in her life. Never so ashamed for not fighting it harder. She ignored the questioning looks being cast her direction and deliberately caught his fingers in her own in clear sight of anyone walking past their table.
Mitch rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, his smile softening. “You got something on your mind?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Just happy to be with you.”
It was the honest truth. And she was glad.
ANNA WAS LIKE a new person. One with so much fire he could barely control the flames.
He liked it. He liked it a lot.
They’d left the restaurant and headed back to his bike when she pulled him aside. “Wait. I want dessert.”
He squeezed her fingers. “You already had one piece of pie. You want to go back for more?”
She shook her head, stepping onto the stairs leading up to the bakery until their heads were on the same level. “Come here,” she ordered.
Her firm grip guided him forward until their lips met.
Mitch planned on letting her keep in control since she seemed to have something in mind, but the instant their lips connected the red-hot need blasting through his veins took over. Wiped out all his good intentions. She thrust her fingers into his hair and held him close, but he already had an arm wrapped around her back, fingers splayed wide to give him maximum leverage to lock their torsos together.
She kissed him greedily, undulating against him in an exquisite tease that fired his senses. His cock was hard and getting harder every second. Warning signals went off in his brain, but not loudly enough to make him stop. Her kiss was making his head spin, it was so damn good.
Much longer and he’d be tempted to forget where they were. He’d have his hand shoved up under her baby-soft sweater so he could grope her in full-out public. Mitch pulled himself together and dragged them apart, breathing heavily as he examined her face.
“You’re a pistol tonight. Not that I’m complaining, but you have plans?”
“Just making a point to myself,” Anna stated. “You and me—we’re going out.”
Mitch laughed loudly. “Hell, yeah, we are.”
Whatever it was that had flipped her switch, he had every intention of enjoying it.
She caught him by the front of his jacket, bold attitude and strength apparent in her every move. “Take me riding?”
He scooped her up, spinning her in a circle before he deposited her on the sidewalk again and led her back to his bike. “I thought we’d head to the mountains.”
Her grin widened. “Sounds awesome.”
They pulled on gloves and helmets before mounting, then Anna curled around him as if she were his own personal thermal blanket. Mitch debated tossing the extended ride out the window, because with her mood he could hardly wait to see what she’d be like in bed.
Being patient sucked, but then anticipation had a place as well.
For the next hour, the miles slipped past. Cold crisp air around them, the heat of her body like a miniature generator behind his back. There was barely any traffic on this stretch of highway—too late on the holiday weekend for anyone to be heading into the mountains on the lesser-traveled route.
He stopped at the better lookouts so they could take in the mountain views and growing twilight. Also so they could haul off their helmets and neck for a while before the cold forced them back onto the bike.
Mitch stared into the distance as the final curve of the sun disappeared behind the western ridge. Sunset glow lingered, reflecting off the clouds, but the bright light was gone for another day.
Things changed so quickly. For good. For bad.
A warm gentle touch connected with his cheek as she turned his head until he was staring into her pale blue eyes. “You’ve gone far away,” Anna said softly.
“Worried about my sister,” he admitted.
“Ahhh.” She cupped his face. “Any change since the accident?”
He shook his head. Katy had slid off the road a couple weeks earlier, and while she hadn’t been seriously hurt, she’d gotten a head injury. “Saw her yesterday at the family dinner. She’s doing okay, but the doctors still don’t know what’s up with her memory.”
“They’ll figure it out,” Anna assured him.
Mitch hoped so, only it was another thing that haunted him. “I hate how little control we have at times. One minute she was fine, the next, Katy’s lost parts of her past—all vanished in a flash. Made me think of my mom passing away years ago. Seemed like it was only a few days between finding out she was sick and her being gone.”
Control. He wanted it. Needed it, and yet right there with Anna looking up at him with sorrow in her eyes, it was clear that there were so many things he had no influence over.
Anna kissed him again, softer this time, brushing away some of his frustrations. Bringing him back to the things that were good, and that he could control.
The stars were out by the time he turned down the long driveway leading into the trees and his home.
He parked the bike, hauling off his helmet and loving how she right away stepped back into his personal space. “I didn’t ask if you wanted me to take you home.”
Anna shook her head, following him inside and hanging up her borrowed helmet. “This is exactly where I wanted to end up. Well, almost exactly.”
She caught him by the hand and pulled him into the living room. One more tug brought him to a seated position on the couch where she proceeded to crawl on top of him, knees straddling his thighs, her jacket carelessly abandoned beside them.
Anna caught him by the chin, staring him down. “I’ve been wanting to do this all night long.”
She cupped his face softly.
“You’ve kissed me plenty tonight,” Mitch teased, uncertain where she was going with this.
Her head tilted slightly, eyes sparkling in the faint light. “Not just a kiss. My turn to give to you. All of it, everything you need.”
“I don’t get any choice in what you do?” Mitch’s voice didn’t sound right, even to him. There was such tenderness in her touch it was making strange emotions flood his system.
He’d fallen in love with her passion, but this side of her—the slow-moving, gentle kisses she was pressing against his lips, his jaw, his neck—he could take this as well with no complaints.
She leaned against his body, sneaking her fingers into the hair at the back of his neck as she kissed her way to his ear. When she whispered, a shiver rolled over his skin.
“You get a choice. You get to choose to enjoy every minute.”
Mitch helped her take off his shirt. She traced her fingers over his tats, the teasing touch followed a moment later by her tongue. His vision went dark when she reached his abdomen. He must have helped her, but the actual details were lost as to how he now sat bare-ass naked on the couch, his jeans tangled around his ankles because all he could focus on—
Anna’s hot mouth on his cock.
Her tongue twirled around his piercings, the sensation all the more intense in the sensitive area. Wetness coated him, her strong fingers wrapped around the base of his shaft as she slipped between his knees and grinned up at him.
“Hell, babe, you have no idea what you’re doing to me,” he muttered, stroking her hair off her forehead.
She didn’t answer with words. Just leaned forward and put those incredible lips to his cock again. Pushed down and enveloped him with heat and pleasure. And when she pulled back, mouth tight as she sucked, Mitch gave himself over to the hedonism of the act. She wanted to blow his mind?
Game on.
He wrapped her long hair around his fingers, this time not to control her but because he couldn’t resist. Her head rose and fell in his lap, and he groaned as the tingling urgency in his balls increased so rapidly he knew he was gonna spill before he’d had a chance to really enjoy himself.
“God, you’re killing me.”
Anna hummed happily, her fingers slipping down to his balls. She added a twist with her tongue, and between the vibration and the extra pressure, he lost it. Stars formed in front of his eyes as he emptied, semen coating her tongue, spraying over her lips and cheeks as she pulled back. She pumped him as he came, new strands flying out to land on her neck and cleavage, and goddamn if his cock didn’t jerk again at the sight.
Mitch collapsed against the couch, a pleasant buzz wracking his body, but it hadn’t been enough. Not nearly enough. He somehow found the energy to lean forward and pull her into his lap. One more move and he’d snatched up his T-shirt so he could wipe her grinning face clean.
“You look awfully pleased with yourself,” he noted.
“That was fun.” She eased against him, relaxed and soft, which was ni
ce, but if she thought they’d reached the cuddling portion of the evening, she had another think coming.
“That was just the beginning,” he warned.
Her eyes widened, and the mischief returned. “You ready for more so soon?”
“I’m always ready for more of you.”
She shouted in surprise as he rose, cradling her to his chest. Her protests changed to laughter as he was forced to pigeon-step his way down the hall until he got his jeans kicked off, finally lofting her toward his bed and diving after her.
Hours later Anna smiled up at him, her hair tangled, a sheen of sweat on her skin. Sated and glowing and looking so damn content. He’d done that for her, and the idea pleased him far too much.
She curled against his naked torso, tucking her head under his chin. “Happy Thanksgiving, Mitch,” she breathed with a happy sigh.
Happy Thanksgiving, indeed.
Chapter Six
MITCH PULLED into his parking spot behind the family garage, blinking wearily as he made his way through the man-door that led to the main work area of Thompson and Sons. Anna had surprised him by crawling into his bed at five a.m. when she’d finished her shift, and there hadn’t been a lot of sleep from that moment to now.
His body was satisfied, but his brain needed a gallon of coffee to lose the fuzz.
“Finally,” Clay grumbled. “Nice of you to show up.”
“It’s like ten after seven. Don’t be an ass,” Mitch sniped back at his older brother as he grabbed a coverall from the shelf.
“Don’t bother getting changed.” Clay lofted a set of keys his direction. “We need to clear out a few of the older wrecks from the back lot, and you lost the toss.”
Shit. Last thing he wanted to do today was haul a trailer full of cars down the icy winter roads all the way to their parts buyer in Calgary. Anna had the next twenty-four hours off, and he’d hoped to cut out of work early to spend time with her after she woke from her nap. “How can I lose the toss when I wasn’t even here?” Mitch gave his youngest brother Troy the evil eye. “You bastard.”
