by Morgan Fox
He reached out for her hand to stop her from moving. “You don’t look like you’re in puberty, Layla.” He brushed his knuckles down the side of her face and he was surprised when she leaned into his touch. She seemed to almost need it. “I wasn’t kidding when I told you that I think you’re beautiful. And are you sure your sister’s the only one with confidence? The way I see it, you’re pretty solid in that department, too.”
“Truth be told, Liza was the one who got all of the attention. Boys were knocking down our door and I was always hiding from them.”
His fingers teased her hair as he cupped her face. “Would you really want a bunch of horny dweebs falling all over you that only want to dive head first into your panties?”
“No, but a little interest would’ve been nice.”
She shivered as he stepped closer.
“Can that interest come from all men or just the ones you handpick for yourself?”
She chewed on her lower lip, glancing up at him through her long dark lashes. “I don’t know.”
Staring at her, he couldn’t read her. She was a complete mystery. An intriguing one. A gorgeous one. He wanted to unravel each layer to see what he would discover underneath. Maybe it was the detective in him. Or maybe it was something else that he dare not consider.
For some reason, he couldn’t stop himself. He leaned closer, his mouth hovering at her ear. “Any objections to getting attention now?” A fluttering gasp parted from her lips and he grinned. It wasn’t the sound of shock he heard, but rather a sigh of need. “I want to taste you, Layla. I want to know if you taste as sweet as you look.”
With one hand pressed to the small of her back, he slowly pulled her against him. Again she didn’t resist. Instead, she molded to him, her body languid in his arms. He took that as a good sign.
His lips brushed her ear and like a flower, she opened for him, arching her neck, giving him all the permission he needed. Warm and smooth, her skin so wickedly soft. He inhaled deeply, sucking in her vanilla and sugar fragrance. She was sweet and delicious.
He tenderly dragged his lips and tongue over the column of her throat and chin at the same time his hands were exploring her body. With one hand still pressed to her back, the other molded to the soft curve of her hips and buttocks. Arching his pelvis forward, he let her feel just how much he desired her. He was rock hard and desperate for her. Layla was a craving he needed to satisfy.
He gazed at her heavy-lidded expression and smiled. She was breathtaking standing in the darkness, coated in only moonlight and surrounded by him. There was no mistaking her need.
“Ah, Layla,” he whispered before taking her mouth, finally tasting her lips.
There was no hesitation. She opened her mouth for him as he plunged his tongue deep, dueling with hers. She clung to him. Her fingers dug into the flesh of his back, seeming almost as insatiable as he was.
He deepened the kiss, pulling her against him, cradling her head in the direction that would give him better access to her mouth and body. She felt right cradled in his arms, like this was the woman that would satisfy his most primal desires. There was something different about Layla that was both alluring and unsettling—something he wasn’t ready to think about.
He drew his hand up from the small of her back, over her ribs, and cupped her small but perfect breast. When his thumb brushed over her erect nipple, she gasped and shoved away from him, straightening her clothing. If it hadn’t been so damn dark, he might have seen her blush. She shot him a hard look and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
“I think you should take me back to my car.”
The instant separation and wide-eyed stare from her surprised him and he didn’t know if she was offering him an invitation or a quick dismissal.
“I want to go home.” She turned, heading back to his motorcycle. From over her shoulder, she clarified, “Alone.”
Yep, that was a rejection. One that no other had ever given him. He’d known better and still he’d gone too far.
Why the hell did I have to kiss her? And why did holding her have to feel so good?
* * * *
Layla was at a loss. Was it right to want to go home when everything he had done to her felt right? Or was it the biggest mistake of her life?
Sam would assure her that she was doing the right thing, but for whatever reason, she couldn’t get her body to jump on the same page as her brain. The way Luke kissed her had made her toes curl and the way he felt nestled up against her had her body tingling in a way that didn’t seem real.
There was no mistaking her attraction to him, but did he share the same feelings about her? Or was she just being easy like the other women she’d seen at Iron Horse? Was she just another conquest? She didn’t feel like a conquest. Then again, she didn’t have much experience being one either.
As he drove them back to Iron Horse, she tried not to enjoy just how good it felt to wrap her arms around him. Breaking the kiss had been difficult and she wanted to be angry with him, hate him for kissing and touching her so intimately, but she couldn’t. She’d liked everything he did and craved more of it.
As they approached the parking lot, she caught the overpowering scent of smoke. Then as they turned down the street the bar faced, they spotted fire trucks and police officers blocking most of the road.
“Oh, God,” she muttered, covering her mouth with her hand.
Luke parked the bike as close as he could and she hopped off. “Wait here. I’ll be right back,” he said sternly.
Before she could argue, he charged in the direction of the police officers and started talking with the other cops. She knew he was an investigator and most likely helping where he could. She wasn’t sure if the fire was in one of the buildings near Iron Horse or if it were the bar itself. With so much commotion, it was near impossible to tell. Then a hand brushed over her shoulder and she twisted to see Sam.
“What happened? Is it the bar?”
Sam nodded, her eyes glued to the unfolding scene. “Jason called me as soon as he heard. Wanted to make sure we had all gone home safely.”
She spotted Jason making his way to Luke. He looked tormented, crushed, even. Iron Horse was his life and not knowing just how much destruction the fire caused must be killing him. “What’s gonna happen now?”
“I don’t know,” Sam muttered, her eyes glistening with tears. “I love that damn bar.”
Layla grabbed Sam’s hand and held it, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Maybe it’s not so bad. Maybe it won’t take much to repair. Who knows, maybe we’ll be back to business as usual in no time flat.”
“Maybe,” Sam whispered, glancing over at her. “How the hell did this happen?”
Layla shook her head. “I don’t know, but I’m sure they’ll figure it out.” She arched her chin toward the group of men fighting the fire. “They look like they’ve got it pretty well contained.”
And they did. To her relief, the fire was out fast. The firemen worked hard to keep the fire from spreading and with the sun coming up, they’d be able to assess the damage better.
Her boss, Jason Whitmore, walked over to her and Sam, his blue eyes red from smoke and maybe even a bit of regret. “I overheard them say arson,” he said plainly, running a stiff hand through his shaggy, sun-warmed blond hair. “Take the day off. We can’t do a thing until the investigations are done and the damage is evaluated. The insurance company will need to come out and…shit, there’s so much I’ll need to do.”
Layla’s heart sank into the pit of her stomach. “Are you sure we can’t help?”
He shook his head. “I’ve already made the necessary phone calls. I have to wait on everyone else at this point.” He smiled softly at her. “Sit tight. I’ll call you when I know something.”
“This sucks,” Sam said, stating the obvious. “I want to kick the shit out of the person who started that fire.”
“Trust me. I feel the same way,” Jason added, turning his attention to her. “Layla, your car�
�s okay. Might be another few minutes, but you should have access to it soon so you can get home and get some rest.”
“What about you, Jason?” she asked, moving to hug him. “Are you sure we can’t help?”
He patted her arm, his gaze appreciative. “I’ll be fine, kiddo.”
Luke stepped forward and Jason looked at him. “Can Layla get to her car now?”
Luke nodded, keeping his gaze off Layla and focused on Jason. “I was just coming over to let you know that.”
Jason pulled her in for a hug, and then patted her back. He made the best big brother and she’d grown close to him over the last several months. He deserved so much better than this. “Get out of here, kid,” he said. “Get some rest. I’ll call you later.”
She frowned. “Are you sure? I can—”
“Stop arguing with me and go,” he told her, looking at her and Sam with wide eyes. “There’s nothing either of you can do here.”
Sam sighed. “Come on, Layla. I’ll walk you to your car.”
As Layla pulled out of the parking lot and headed down the road, she couldn’t help but glance back in her rearview mirror. So many things were left uncertain in her life, the future of her job, the unexplainable flutter in her chest as she caught sight of Luke watching her leave.
With the events of the night, she shouldn’t care about the way his eyes darkened as he looked at her. Or that he seemed just as confused as she was. But she did care and she had no idea what to do about it.
Chapter Five
Five days later, Jason paced in front of Luke, his six foot frame, shadowing over his desk. The investigation was making slow progress. “So it was arson?”
Luke nodded. “I’m afraid so. I asked the fire investigator to keep me posted, since I was already investigating an assault at your bar after hours. He informed me that an accelerant was used.” He paused. “At the rear entrance of your bar where Layla was assaulted.”
Jason sat down in the chair. They’d known each other for the better part of twenty years. They’d grown up together and Luke knew the expression that blanketed Jason’s face. It was one filled with fury.
“You think the bastard who roughed up Layla is the same one who torched my bar, don’t you?”
Luke raised his hands as if to deflect his words. “I didn’t say that.”
“No, but you sure did hint at it.”
He blew out a breath. He was never good at keeping things from his best friend. “I simply find it odd that there were two instances in the same week.”
“Do you think this punk wants something from Layla or me?”
“I don’t know for sure. But you need to watch your back. Since Layla was sure this guy came into the bar looking for you…he could be someone you know. Or it is about Layla and the guy is trying to rattle her. Stalkers are fucked up that way.”
“Shit,” Jason mumbled.
A thought sparked in Luke’s mind. “How’s Daniel?” he asked, hating that he hadn’t found time to stop by and see him since he’d been discharged from the Marines.
Jason’s shoulders slumped, his expression uncertain. “He’s okay,” he replied. “He just needs time to get back into the swing of things.”
“I’m sure it’s hard to acclimate after spending so much time overseas and in the thick of it.”
He nodded. “He doesn’t talk much about what happened in Afghanistan or Iraq. He’s not the same man he was before he left.”
“Has Sam seen him?”
Jason rubbed his hands over his face as if to wipe the weariness from his eyes. “No. She refuses to see him. He hurt her when he left.”
Luke remembered how upset she’d been when Daniel joined the military. He hadn’t told anyone he was going until the moment he was about to depart and no one could change his mind.
“Well, don’t stress about Layla. You’ve got enough on your plate. I’m going to stop by her place on my way home. I sort of owe her an apology anyway.”
“I vividly remember telling you to keep your man paws off Layla. She’s not one of your—”
“I know,” Luke said quickly, cutting him off. “The other night when I took her out, I tried to keep it causal, but—”
Jason scoffed. “Please tell me that you didn’t sleep with her because I will have to rip your lungs out through your nostrils if you did.”
He screwed up his face as he pictured the pain that type of punishment would cause. It wasn’t pleasant. “Ouch. That’s very uncool.”
“Luke.” Jason’s tone was clipped and filled with warning.
“I didn’t sleep with her. I only kissed her.”
Jason stood. “And that makes it all right?”
He slowly rose from his desk chair. “I know. It was dumb and I shouldn’t have done it. I should’ve listened to you.” He sighed. “But damn it, I think I really like her.”
Jason laughed. “Of course you do. You haven’t fucked her yet. All that changes once you do. Then she becomes just another notch.”
Luke wanted to argue with him, but he couldn’t. An honorable track record was not something he had. But he really did feel differently about Layla. He couldn’t stress that enough. She was in his thoughts more often then she should be. He was even dreaming about her.
“She’s not like other women.”
“And that’s why you should stay away from her. Don’t hurt her. She deserves to be loved and cherished. Not fucked and dumped.” Jason pointed his index finger at him, his face red with anger. “You got me, Luke? Leave. Layla. Alone.”
He fisted his hands at his side as Jason stormed out of his office. Was he right? Would the way he felt about Layla change once they’d had sex? Was he that much of a douche?
Probably.
Everlasting commitment hadn’t been his deal. Ever. Why would it be now? His estranged father had shaped him into the man he was.
So many things jarred around inside his head and heart as he thought about the life he’d had until this point and why he fought so hard to remain single. But something was switching gears in his brain, something that was making him crazed and slightly confused.
He couldn’t blame Sam and Jason for busting his balls about Layla and demanding he stay away from her. But they couldn’t see how she was changing him and that he honestly didn’t see her as a one night affair. There was more to it than that, more to him because of her. She seemed to warm his heart, rather than just fire his blood. The soft curl of her lips as she smiled teased him deeper and more fierce than anything he’d ever felt before. Her innocence was crippling and something he admired. Then the idea of not seeing her again twisted his gut. He liked talking with her and being honest with her. He’d never lied to her about his past and not seeing her again—well, that wasn’t an option. After work, he would stop by her place, even if it did mean he would get his ass kicked by Jason. He was a big boy. He could take it.
* * * *
Six hours later, Luke stood at Layla’s apartment door and wondered if she would even open it once she saw him through the peephole. He hoped she’d at least give him a second to apologize for the other night. Jason was right. She deserved better.
He got that she needed space from him after the ugly things Sam had told her about him. So he’d kept his distance, which was easy as he’d been consumed by his investigation into her attacker and the arsonist. But even though he hadn’t seen her, it didn’t change that she was always in his thoughts and staying away had filled him with unease.
What the hell was that about?
Shaking the thought from his head, he focused on what he’d uncovered so far about her attacker and the fire. So far, no prints had been discovered to identify a suspect. Jason’s security footage was of no help. The damn equipment hadn’t worked in months. So other than Layla’s vague description, they were still at square one.
Not exactly the news he was hoping to report to her.
Sadly, the fire had gutted out the back storeroom. Most of the inventory had been destr
oyed and until the fire marshal completed his own investigation and ensured the building met all fire and safety codes, no one was allowed to return to work.
Again, news he figured wouldn’t be received well.
With a quick intake of breath, he knocked on her door. When it flung open and he was caught off guard by the penetrating glare of Sam’s green eyes, he took a step back.
“What?” she barked.
He cleared his throat, manning up. “Is Layla here? I’d like to speak with her.”
Sam laughed. “So you can try to get into her pants again?”
His jaw fell open, but he quickly closed it. Women talked. Why hadn’t he considered that when he’d decided to come visit her? “I never tried to get into her pants and I really don’t feel like talking with you about it.”
She curled her lip. “I don’t care if you—”
“Sam,” Layla said sharply, tugging open the door. “I got this. Thanks.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
As Sam stalked away from the door, Layla moved outside and closed it behind her. “Sorry about that. I didn’t actually tell her anything. She sort of figured it out when I—”
“I get it,” he told her. “That’s why I’m here. I need to apologize to you. I don’t know what I was thinking the other night. I never should’ve kissed you.”
To his surprise, she looked hurt by his apology.
“Don’t get me wrong,” he added. “I liked kissing you.”
Her cheeks pinked and he couldn’t help but smile. The tender look on her face had his heart doing something strange in his chest. Honesty took shape in his mind and before he thought better of it, he said, “You have the most beautiful color in your face when you blush.”
