Simple Twist of Fate: Fated, Book 3

by Karen Erickson

  “It is?” She jerked her arm away from him to check out the injury. It wasn’t bad, just a trickle of blood. “Why do you always see me at my worst?”

  “This is how I see most people,” he said with a chuckle. “And trust me, if this is your worst, I think you might slay me dead with your best.”

  Her entire body tingled at his compliment.

  “Climb into the passenger seat, and I’ll bandage you up.” He didn’t wait for her answer. Merely rounded the truck and got into the driver’s seat. She had no choice but to sit next to him, pulling the door shut to keep out the cool breeze.

  He did the same, and they were all alone. No sound but their soft breathing, the jangling sway of his key chain when he pushed the key into the ignition. The first aid kit rested on the console between them and he reached inside, pulling out bandages and antiseptic spray.

  “Let me take care of you.” His quiet words held more meaning than they should and longing splintered through her.

  She was being foolish. Believing there was more at play here than just a first date and a man ready to help her because it was his job.

  Within minutes she was bandaged and she slipped the sweater back over her shoulders, hopeful he hadn’t noticed her hard nipples poking against the thin fabric of her tank. Having him so close, his breath brushing across her upper arm as he’d worked on her elbow had nearly been her undoing.

  “Need anything else?” He placed his supplies back into the kit.

  “I’m fine. But what about you?”

  He appeared startled by her question, then glanced down at his right hand. “I guess I did scrape my knuckles when I punched him.”

  “My hero,” she murmured as she reached for his hand. She cradled it between both of hers, studying the reddened, lightly scraped skin of his knuckles. His hand was large with long, blunt-tipped fingers and so very capable. She brushed her thumb across his knuckles, and he hissed in a breath. “Hand me the antiseptic spray, please.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He chuckled and handed her the antiseptic. She sprayed the damaged skin, then brought his hand closer to her mouth and blew on the wound.

  A choked sound escaped him and she glanced up, saw all the want and desire swirling in his gaze. Her body went on high alert, nipples tightening even more and her skin went hot and shivery with need. They stared at each other silently, and her breathing accelerated.

  So did his.

  “This is crazy,” he whispered, exhaling loudly. “I don’t even know you.”

  It must’ve been the beer or the look in his eyes, she didn’t know, but she brought his hand to her mouth and carefully kissed his knuckles. “Does that make it better?”

  He shook his head and wrapped his fingers around hers, yanking her closer to him. “No. But this will.”

  He kissed her. And not some wimpy, tentative kiss either. No, it was hot. Deep. Wet. His tongue thrust between her parted lips and swept inside her mouth with sensual efficiency before tangling with hers. She couldn’t contain the moan that escaped her and he groaned in response, pulling her closer but the stupid console was like a wall between them.

  So he did what any he-man with bulging muscles would do—lifted her up and over the console so she was sprawled across his lap. She straddled him, her knees on either side of his hips, her arms wrapped around his neck. Their mouths were fused, their bodies as close as they could get to each other and yeah, the steering wheel dug into her back and it was totally cramped but…

  It was also totally awesome. Like her every teenage dream come true. She’d always wanted to be one of those girls the hot guys in school took parking by the lake. She’d grown up in a small town and had never been one to draw much attention from the boys. Half the time her irrational seventeen-year-old self had wanted the sleazy do-anyone reputation rather than be invisible.

  With Evan, she didn’t feel invisible. He was wrapped around her, kissing her, his hands wandering all over and she sunk her fingers into his short, thick hair, clutching him tight. She swore she felt the brush of his erection beneath the denim of his jeans and she lowered her hips, ground against him in the subtlest of movements.

  He groaned against her mouth and his hands gripped her butt, pushing her closer.

  Oh, God. Would they do it right here in his truck? Would he think her too easy if she happily caved? Would she finally earn that sleazy do-anyone reputation she’d yearned for oh, so long ago?

  She pulled back, desperate to catch her breath, her thoughts. Her head buzzed, her ears rung and her entire body vibrated from his touch, the magic of his lips. He stared at her, equally out of breath, his lips swollen and damp, his hair a mess from her tugging hands despite how short it was. His lids were heavy, his eyes smoldered with unrestrained lust and an answering call clenched deep within her.

  “We fogged up the windows.” She didn’t know what else to say.

  He glanced about the cab of the truck and chuckled. “We did.” He pushed the open cardigan from her shoulder, his fingers slipping beneath the spaghetti strap of her tank top. “How’s your shoulder?”

  Her breath hitched in her throat when he skimmed her skin gently. The tank had one of those shelf bras since she wasn’t the most abundantly endowed person and could get away with wearing it. “F-fine.”

  He smiled, his gaze locked on his traveling fingers. If he went any lower…

  “Are you comfortable?”

  “Not really,” she confessed.

  He out and out laughed, his fingers resting on the very top of her breast. “This is insane.”

  “You already said that.”

  “Ah.” His voice lowered. “Your skin is so soft.” Goose bumps dotted her skin by his words alone and he traced them. “I don’t normally maul women in my truck. I’m usually much more considerate.”

  “I don’t normally throw myself at men in their trucks either.” She nibbled on her lower lip, her entire being focused on his index finger drifting down, tugging her tank top with it, exposing her flesh inch by excruciating inch. “I don’t want you to think I’m…”

  “Easy?” His lids lifted, a sweep of thick, black eyelashes and she stared into his eyes, momentarily lost. How could she feel so connected to a man she didn’t even know? “I think this is something we can’t fight.”

  “Wh-what do you think it is?” He was making her stutter, and she was never one without words. Well, almost. When confronted by a too handsome man, then maybe she stuttered a little bit. Or when blind dates went shockingly bad, maybe she didn’t say anything at all.

  “Chemistry.” He tugged her tank down harder and exposed her left breast. “Fate.”

  Morgan’s pert, rosy nipple was too difficult to resist. Leaning in, Evan breathed over her skin, watching with smug satisfaction as gooseflesh rose in response. Her nipple hardened even more, pink and small and so pretty his mouth watered.

  Just one taste…

  He circled her nipple, slow and easy, his index finger catching on her skin. She was impossibly soft, incredibly responsive and her accelerated breathing was doing things to him, things he’d never experienced before. Inside, nerves and lust rioted at equal measure and he had to restrain from going completely caveman on her.

  He wanted to take his time. He also wanted to rush it and plunge deep inside her. Wanted to know what it was like, to have her most intimate flesh clutch tight around him, driving him on, driving him crazy until he came so hard he fucking saw stars.

  She whispered his name, her fingers plunging once more into the hair at the back of his head. Tugging, she tried to draw him closer and he resisted. Did she feel the same way? This urgent, pounding need to take and plunder and fuck until they were both spent?

  But not in his truck. This was just…ridiculous. He wasn’t some horny teenager ready to get it on because he had nowhere else to strip a girl naked. He was a grown man with a house and a perfectly good—and large—bed waiting for the both of them to put to proper use.

  Just one taste, f
irst. Just one…

  He licked her, drawing a circle around her nipple once, twice with his tongue. Her fingers tightened in his hair and she whimpered, a soft cry escaping her when he wrapped his lips around her nipple. She tasted sweet, hot and exquisitely feminine and the way she wound herself around him, her entire body quivering…

  Damn. He quivered too. It was amazing. She was amazing.

  Grazing her sensitive flesh with his teeth, he cupped her neglected breast, his busy fingers tugging on the fabric of her top until she was completely exposed. She ground her hips against him, driving him fucking crazy and his cock strained against the fly of his jeans, desperate to burst free.

  Morgan stilled, her entire body taut and she pulled on his hair so hard he yelped. “Ssh. Listen.”

  He leaned his head against her chest and tried to hear but there was only her wildly beating heart, her sweet fragrance enveloping him. Closing his eyes, he kissed her, licked her and she pulled his hair again.

  “Someone’s coming.”

  Oh yeah, he planned on her being the one who was coming. She was so damn responsive he was half inclined to see if he could make her come just by sucking on her nipples.

  It would be a first for him. If only she weren’t wearing jeans. A skirt would be much easier. He could slide his hand underneath the fabric, slip his fingers beneath her panties and encounter nothing but wet, hot flesh…

  “Evan. Someone’s out there, they’re getting into the car right next to us.”

  Her frantic tone broke through the lust-induced cloud surrounding him and he pulled away from her, yanking her shirt up so she was mostly covered. She climbed off him and tumbled into the passenger seat, a disheveled, sexy little mess. Her hair was half out of her once sleek ponytail, little strands framing her heart-shaped face. He hadn’t covered her completely with the tank and her silky flesh enticed him, as did her swollen lips.

  She was gorgeous. Just looking at her got his blood pumping into overdrive.

  “I, uh, got a little out of control, I guess,” he finally said when the people next to them piled into their car and started it, pulling out of the slot.

  “So did I,” she admitted, her soft voice winding all around him. Just like that he wanted her even more.

  How the hell was that possible?

  “Do I need to apologize?” He hoped the answer was no. If he offended her or freaked her out he’d kick his own ass.

  “For what? I was a willing participant.”

  Mmm, yeah, she had been. Those sexy little sounds she made had driven him out of his mind. What sort of noises would she make the first time he slid inside her?

  He desperately wanted to find out.

  “But I should probably go,” she continued. “It’s been sort of a—rough day.”

  Reality crashed down all around him. He’d pushed too hard, and she was retreating. And he was never the one who pushed hard.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.” She nodded and nibbled on her lower lip. God, that was sexy. “Thank you for taking me out for drinks. I’m sorry it got ruined by Don.”

  “It wasn’t your fault.” He should’ve never gotten confrontational with that asshole. It ruined the entire night.

  Of course, if it hadn’t happened he might never have got Morgan in his truck, in his arms.

  “Well, maybe it was. A little.” She smiled and shook her head. “You’re a really nice guy.”

  “Really nice?” He was almost offended at the general statement.

  And he was also a complete ass.

  “More than really nice.” Leaning over the console, she cupped his cheek, her fingers stroking his skin. “Your kisses made my toes curl.”

  He kissed her again because how could he resist that?

  She broke away first, a little breathless, her expression dazed. “I should go.”

  “You already said that.” Evan repeated her earlier words, which earned him a smile.

  “I mean it this time.” She reached for the door handle and he touched her shoulder, stopping her.

  “I want to see you again.” And again and again and again…

  “Okay.” She answered so quickly, so easily. Pleasure surged through him at the realization she was as lost to this as he was.

  “Tomorrow?”

  She nibbled on her lip once more. He was sorely tempted to sooth the wounded spot with his tongue. “This is moving so fast.”

  “But it’s a mutual thing, right?”

  She stilled and he dove beneath the neck of her cardigan with his fingers, touching bare skin. “Y-yes.”

  He took her shaky voice as a good sign. “I don’t want to fight it. I always make excuses. This time I want to give in.”

  Her brows lowered as if she were confused. “Fight it? Fight what? Give in to what?”

  “This. Us.” He was getting ahead of himself.

  But for once in his life, he didn’t care.

  Chapter Four

  “Emergency breakfast meeting, huh? What could be so urgent you dragged me out of a warm bed filled with my boyfriend?” Mia yawned, immediately covering her mouth with her hand.

  Morgan twisted in her seat, completely antsy and not from the giant cup of coffee she just slugged down. “I met a guy.”

  “Ooh, really?” Mia’s eyes lit with interest. “Someone better than Don? You know, I’m really sorry about all that. What a bomb that date turned out to be.”

  “You already apologized.” Morgan waved a hand. She had no ill feelings toward Mia for matching her with Don. It was water under the bridge—though she couldn’t seem to shake the guy, unfortunately.

  “Where’d you two meet? Are you going on a date with him? Give me details.”

  Morgan pressed her fingers into the leftover crumbs of the cinnamon roll she had devoured. Her appetite was as out of control as was her energy. She’d hardly gotten a wink of sleep last night. Just laid there and tossed and turned, thinking of Evan.

  Evan with the sexy blue eyes and the delicious mouth—man of the wondrous tongue and wandering, skillful hands.

  “You’re not going to believe this.” Morgan licked her finger before swirling it on the empty plate once more. “I met him yesterday at the hospital when I was going to get my staples out. He was the paramedic who took care of me the night I got knocked out.”

  Mia’s mouth dropped open. “No way. Why didn’t you ever tell us about this guy?”

  “There was nothing to tell.” Morgan shrugged. She was a liar. She’d been drawn to him from the start but no way did she want to admit it, even to her friends. They’d nudge each other and give her bunch of song and dance about falling instantly in love and fate and a blah, blah, blah. They were so big on it and she was so down on it, she didn’t want to admit that yes, indeed, she had a strong connection with this guy. A guy she barely knew but she’d had her tongue down his throat and he’d had her nipple in his mouth.

  Her cheeks flushed at the memory.

  “So are you guys going to see each other? Please tell me you agreed to a date with him. He asked you out, right?”

  Morgan nodded and launched into the entire story. The meeting in the hospital parking lot, the sports bar, the intrusion of Don, the fight—she gave Mia every detail.

  Well, almost every detail. She certainly didn’t tell her friend how hot and heavy it had gotten in his truck.

  “And so we’re seeing each other tonight. He’s coming over, and we’re going to…hang out.” She really hoped hang out meant have wild and crazy sex.

  Lord help her, she was such a slut.

  “Hang out.” Mia rolled her eyes. “Is this naked hanging out?”

  “Mia.” Morgan glanced around the crowded coffee shop. The three of them met for breakfast or coffee all the time and this was their favorite spot. Too bad Jenna was away for a romantic weekend with her boyfriend. She’d probably eat this news up with a spoon.

  “Sounds like it’s happening pretty quickly between you two.” Mia’s brows rose. “
Also sounds sort of familiar, don’t you think?”

  “Oh, I don’t want to hear it.” Morgan covered her ears, and Mia laughed.

  “You don’t want to hear it because you know what I’m trying to say. See? It can happen to you.”

  “Nothing’s happened yet.” Morgan dropped her hands to the table.

  “Besides a passionate make out session in his car like a pair of teenagers?”

  Morgan’s cheeks were so hot she was surprised they didn’t burst into flame. “Stop.”

  “Is he a good kisser?”

  Like nothing she’d ever experienced before. “I’m not telling.”

  “Which means he was absolutely amazing.” Mia sighed. “There is nothing better than that first kiss. That first connection of lips, the spark and the thrill and the dip in the belly when he takes it a little deeper. Jake kisses me sometimes, and I just want to melt.”

  “Only sometimes?”

  “Okay, all the time. Still. He makes me happy.” A secret little smile stole across Mia’s face. “And I try my hardest to make him happy too.”

  Always, always before Morgan would get jealous. She hated the emotion, hated envying her friends, how she wished she had just a piece of what they experienced with the men in their lives.

  For once, she didn’t feel jealous. Not at all.

  Morgan frowned. She was so jittery her hands shook and her skin suddenly felt clammy. God, she was nervous.

  So nervous. What was she thinking? One date with the guy, one delicious make out moment and she saw permanence and forever after? Had she completely lost her mind?

  “You look scared.” Mia slid her hand across the table and settled it over Morgan’s. “What’s wrong? Are you having a panic attack?”

  Morgan had never had a panic attack in her life. Jenna lost it once and it had been a sight to behold, right there in the middle of the lunchroom at work. “I don’t know.” She tried to inhale but hardly drew in air. “Maybe I am.”

  “Breathe, honey.” Mia squeezed her hand. “It’s just a guy.”

  “Exactly. It’s just a guy.” So why did it feel like so much more? Like she was standing on the edge of a vast and wide pool of water and she was this close to tumbling into the deep end?