by Cathryn Fox
He looked her over for another minute. “If you’re not okay to ride on my bike, I’ll call us a cab.”
She looked at his bike. “Honestly, Luke, other than my scraped knees and a bruise here and there, I’m fine. I can even walk home.”
“You’re not walking home.” He grabbed her grocery bag, and led her toward his bike. He set the bag on the ground, helped her on, and positioned her feet on the foot pegs. As she adjusted her skirt between her thighs, he bit back a groan and put his spare helmet on her head. Her warm breath rasped across his arm as he adjusted the straps. “Okay?” he asked, giving a little tug to make sure he didn’t have it too tight.
She shook her head. “Seems okay.”
“What’s your address?”
She gave it to him, then he grabbed her bag, hopped on in front of her and placed it between his legs. He angled his head and waited for a moment as she sat there with her hands on her knees.
“You need to hang on, sunshine.”
“Oh, okay,” she said and glanced down like she was looking for a handle.
He grabbed one hand, wrapped it around his stomach, then did the same with the other. She leaned against him and he tried not to think about the warmth of her thighs on his body, or how her skirt was riding up as she linked her fingers together. Jesus.
He turned around and headed back toward her market. He passed it and took a few more streets until he stopped in front of her very upscale townhouse.
He killed the ignition and braced his feet on the ground. Before he could help her, she climbed off the bike. Damn stubborn woman.
She fumbled with the helmet strap, trying to get it off.
“Come here,” he said. He grabbed her apron and tugged her close. “There’s a clasp right here.” He took her hand and placed it over the release, to show her how to do it. Keeping his hands on hers, she loosened the straps, then pulled the helmet off. He took it from her and when big blue eyes met his, he said, “You shouldn’t be walking in that part of town alone.”
She glanced at the bag between his legs. “I had some deliveries to make.”
“Deliveries? No one on that end of town is calling for deliveries from your market, Emery.” He eyed her curiously, waiting for another explanation. He didn’t get one so he opened the bag to peek inside.
She snatched it from him. “Thank you for seeing me home.” She rushed up the three steps leading to her townhouse and fished her key from her purse.
He climbed off his bike and met her on the steps. “I’m seeing you in.”
With her key dangling from her hand she swallowed, and for a moment she looked like she was about to argue.
“Open the door.”
She slipped the key in the lock, and pushed the door open.
He followed her in and flicked on the light beside him. “Where’s your bathroom?”
She gave him an odd look then pointed. “Down the hall, second door on the left.”
He took the grocery bag from her, and set it on the small side table near the door. Then he grabbed her hand, and took her to the bathroom with him. He pointed to the edge of the tub. “Sit.”
“Luke—”
“Sit down.” He opened her medicine cabinet and rooted around inside until he found what he wanted. “If you’re not going to get checked by a doctor, then you’re going to get checked by me.”
“You?”
“Yeah, I’ve had training in the field.”
She angled her chin. “Do you always go through other people’s stuff?”
He opened a small cabinet and pulled out a washcloth. “Are you always this stubborn?”
She looked down, and something passed over her face. His throat tightened, her look reminding him that she’d been strong for too long.
“What’s the center?”
Her head snapped up. “What?”
“You said you were on the phone with the center.”
She nibbled her bottom lip, drawing his attention to it. Fuck, he wished she wouldn’t do that.
“It’s a place where my brother lives.” He stayed quiet waiting for her to continue. “I was supposed to visit tonight, and called to let them know I was going to be late.”
“You better call and tell them you can’t make it.”
She nodded, and he was about to ask more questions when she turned the conversation to him. “Do you have any siblings?”
“Yeah,” was all he said. He cranked on the hot water, wet the cloth, then dropped down between her legs. “Can you lift your skirt?”
She touched the hem, her fingers lingering there for a moment as she stared at the washcloth. “I can do it myself,” she said.
“So can I and I’ve had training, remember?”
She inched her skirt up a tiny bit, and that’s when it occurred to Luke that he had to be some sort of damn masochist. What the hell was he thinking? Being this close to her, between her long gorgeous legs, no less, was an exercise in frustration. His cock jumped, warning him that he was setting himself up for failure.
He coughed to hide the moan rising in his throat.
“You okay?” she asked, her knees clenched tightly together.
“Yeah.” He lightly brushed one knee, removing the small pieces of gravel. She winced. “Sorry.”
When he went to work on the other, she leaned forward and her hair flared around his face. “How does it look?”
“You’re scuffed a bit, but once I clean and bandage it, you should be okay.” He ran the cloth over her again, and her knees relaxed. He slowly widened them, and he was almost certain he noticed a change in her breathing as he washed and checked for injuries in between her legs.
He set the cloth aside, and grabbed the alcohol. “This is probably going to sting a bit too.” He poured the alcohol onto a cotton ball and dabbed it onto her raw flesh. She let go of the hem of her skirt, and gripped the edge of the tub. He cast her a quick glace. “Okay?” She nodded, and trying to lighten the mood, he said, “You’re kind of tough.”
“Maybe you’re just good at what you do?”
Damned if he didn’t want to show her what he was really good at.
When he looked back down her skirt had slipped over her knees. As she continued to squeeze the tub, he slid his hand under the hem, pushing it up, just a tiny bit higher than she had it before. His hands trailed along her creamy thighs, so soft and smooth that all he could think about was widening them even more and running his tongue over her, tasting her sweetness as his mouth traveled higher and higher, to the warm spot that had been pressing against his lower back on the ride over.
“Jesus,” he cursed, and clenched down on his jaw to get his shit together.
“What?” she asked, sounding breathless.
Not realizing that he’d said that out loud, he looked up at her, and when he saw desire reflecting in her eyes, it became his undoing.
He looked at her mouth, and she wet her bottom lip with her tongue, like she was preparing her mouth for him.
Walk away, dude. Just walk away.
A long strand of hair fell forward, and her warm, sweet scent reached his nostrils, shattering his last vestige of control. He wanted to fuck her. Wanted to push her skirt up over her hips, tear off her panties and pound into her so hard and so fast that he forgot she was one of them, that they didn’t belong together. His blood pulsed as sexual heat flooded him, driving every sane thought away.
Sexual tension arced between them and engulfed the room. Hanging like fog, it was thick and heavy enough to obscure a battlefield and camouflage the enemy. His glance moved over her face, and every reason for staying away from her suddenly seemed so insignificant.
Why was sleeping with her a bad idea?
His hands traveled higher on her legs and his desire for her mounted as she leaned into him. Just one taste. That’s all he’d take. One simple taste.
Her mouth parted, and some small part of him registered that she wanted this too. She wanted him. It made no sense, really. Unles
s she liked the idea of sleeping with the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Maybe in her eyes, he wasn’t good enough for her, but good enough for sex.
Unable to think about that as his tension grew, he drew the tang of her arousal into his lungs as it saturated the small room. His breathing became rougher, harder as he pressed between her legs, grinding his hard cock against her softness and knowing only a slip of silk stood between his mouth and her pussy. Her face flushed. Damn she was so beautiful.
“Emery,” he whispered.
The soft rasp of her voice filled him with lust, when she said, “Luke.”
The second he heard his name on her lips, he knew he was done for. He slid his hands through her hair, cupping the back of her head. Her lashes fluttered as he drew her mouth to his.
Their lips joined and his senses exploded as she opened for him. Honey. She was as sweet as fucking honey. His cock pressed against his jeans, begging for release. He gripped her hips and shuffled forward on his knees, positioning himself deeper between her thighs. His cock throbbed against her heat, and their moans mingled. His mouth pressed hungrily, greedily, his tongue slashing against hers, eager to taste every inch of her. She kissed him back, and her hands slipped around his waist.
She touched him, tentatively at first, but as their kisses grew more passionate, more heated, she ran her hands over his shoulder blades and through his hair. He could feel her hard nipples, and he knew he needed to get her naked so he could help himself to a taste.
His muscles bunched, his cock ached and he needed to take full possession of her. “Your room. Now.”
He was just about to pick her up and carry her to her bed where he could ravish her all fucking night long, when the bathroom door creaked open. The unexpected noise caught his attention and he instantly switched to soldier mode. Who the hell…? He pulled back, and looked over his shoulder, completely unprepared for what happened next.
He ducked as a big black ball of fur jumped over him, landing squarely on Emery’s lap. What the fuck?
“Jinx,” Emery said, running her hand over her cat. “What are you doing?”
Jesus.
With the mood broken, he looked at her and worked to steady his racing heart. “You have a cat,” he said, stating the obvious.
She gave him an apologetic look. “She was just curious. I don’t usually bring men…” She stopped talking and angled her head as he glared at her cat. She removed the black ball from her lap and shooed her away, like she was ready to pick up where they left off. Luke went back on his heels, and she frowned. “You don’t like cats?”
“I’m a dog person.” As he watched the feline rush into the hall, it once again reminded him they were very different people, who came from very different worlds, and that kiss never should have happened. “And I…uh…I should probably finish up with your knee and go check on my dog.”
“Okay,” she said. Her voice was light, but she couldn’t disguise the hurt in her eyes. It hit him like a sucker punch and he felt like a world-class prick for backing away from something he never should have started in the first place.
Chapter Four
Emery spent most of the day in her office, unable to face Luke after that amazing kiss the night before. Things had been going so well until Jinx came along and scared him off. But it was more than just her cat that had spooked him. She had caught that haunted look in his eyes again, and felt the quiet, controlled anger just below the surface.
The knock on her door pulled her from her thoughts and she glanced up to see Mr. Lane…Ethan standing there smiling at her. Shocked, she jumped to her feet.
“Ethan,” she said, her glance moving over his handsome face, and dark suit. “What are you doing here?”
“I owe you a phone.” He held a black box out to her. “And I thought maybe I could take you to lunch.”
“Thank you so much.” She took the box, touched that he’d done this for her. Honestly, no one had ever given her anything before. “But you didn’t have to do this, and lunch isn’t necessary.”
“Of course I did, and yes it is.” He glanced over his shoulder then lowered his voice. “I also wanted to make sure everything went okay last night after I left you.”
Her mind took that minute to rush back to the bathroom and way Luke had touched her. His rough hands on her knees, her thighs, climbing higher and higher, until he almost reached the spot that needed him the most. Everything in the hungry way he touched her left her breathless, desperate for more. She could feel heat rising in her face and hated how she wore her emotions on her sleeve.
She swallowed past the tightness in her throat, and worked to find her voice. “Yes. Everything went fine.” She narrowed her eyes. “Wait, how did you know where to find me?”
He smiled, a smile so bright and dazzling it probably charmed everyone in the business world and played in his favor. “You were wearing an apron that said Taylor’s Market.”
“Ah, right. I forgot.” She opened the box and pulled out her phone. Seeing that she had one contact she clicked on it and grinned. “I see you programmed your number in.”
“Like I said, you can call me anytime. So about lunch?”
A movement behind Ethan caught her attention, and she looked over his shoulders to see Luke standing there. A rush of sexual energy hit her. Their gazes clashed and he clenched his teeth, the muscles along his jaw rippling.
“I didn’t realize you had company,” Luke said.
She held the phone out. “Ethan stopped by to replace my phone.” A wave of guilt moved through her as she rushed to explain. Which was silly, really. It’s not like he wanted her, and Ethan was being very kind, replacing her phone and coming to check on her.
Ethan turned to Luke and held his hand out. “I never did get your name last night.”
“Luke Phillips,” he said, a hardness in his tone as he gave the man a quick shake. He turned to Emery. “I need to get into your office to install some equipment. If you’re going to lunch, then maybe now is a good time.”
She looked at him for a moment and could feel the tension pouring off him. “Maybe I should stay.” She looked at Ethan. “Luke might need me for something.”
“Nope,” Luke said quickly. “I don’t need you for anything.”
Her stomach clenched, his words hitting like a slap. What the hell was going on with him? One minute he was kissing her, ready to take her to her bed, and the next he was back to hating her.
“Okay.” She turned back to Ethan, who was looking at Luke curiously. “I’ll just grab my purse.”
Ethan stepped to the side to let Luke pass with his box of equipment. Ignoring them, and whistling to himself, he started on his work.
“My car is out front,” Ethan said, clearly feeling the tension every bit as much as she did. “I’ll meet you there.”
Emery walked to the safe behind her desk and started to open it.
“Are you sure you want to do that with me in the room?”
She turned and glared at him. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t?”
Luke shrugged, but underneath that hardness she spotted something else, something that looked like a deep, unyielding pain. “You tell me,” he said, turning his back to her as he strung wire.
Emery’s heart pounded. “Luke,” she began cautiously. “About last night.”
He turned to her then, his eyes so dark and intense as they latched onto hers, she nearly fell back into her chair. “It shouldn’t have happened. I shouldn’t have…”
“I was there too,” she said quietly. “You’re weren’t in it alone.”
He looked at her like she was a game of chess and he was trying to figure out his next move. Then something in his face softened.
“Emery…”
Heat arced between them, and she took a step toward him.
“Don’t do that,” he said.
“Do what?”
“Don’t come so close.”
“Why?”
She stepped clo
ser, despite his warning. “Because I’ll want to kiss you again.”
She swallowed. “Maybe I want you to.” One more step closed the distance between them, and something dark and tortured moved over his eyes when she moistened her lips.
He caressed her with his eyes. “Emery,” he groaned, his throaty voice doing the weirdest things to her insides. He gripped her arms and dipped his head.
“It’s just a kiss,” she said, and her words seemed to do something to him. He leaned into her and swiped his tongue over her bottom lip. He licked her slowly, like he was savoring the taste of her. His body heat curled around her and she soaked it in as he looked at the ceiling and groaned, a deep, tortured sound from the depths of his throat. A second later his mouth crashed down over hers. Hard.
Desire twisted inside her, ripples of sensual pleasure sweeping over her skin. He deepened the kiss and gripped the back of her head to hold her against him. She reveled in the sweet taste of him as their tongues joined. It became harder and harder to draw in air as they devoured each other. Desperate to feel him, she ran her hands over his back.
The second she touched him he inched back, the kiss coming to a screeching halt. His breath came in a ragged burst as he stepped away. A barrage of mixed emotions moved over his eyes before he hardened himself. “You’d better go.”
“What?” Confused, she stared up at him.
He fisted his hair. “Your lunch date, remember.”
“I’m not sure…”
“No, you should go.” He scrubbed his chin, that haunted look back in his eyes. “I’m not the guy you should be with.” He waved his hand back and forth between the two of them. “And whatever this is…”
“…is nice,” she said.
“Yeah, it’s nice,” he said quietly. “But it can’t go anywhere.”
“I never expected it to.” She knew the rules, knew what she’d be getting herself into with Luke.
Luke opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but when one of her cashiers stuck her head in and said, “I’m going on my break,” he walked back to the monitors.
“You’d better go. I’m sure a guy like Ethan Lane isn’t used to being kept waiting.”
