He flashed an arrogant grin and climbed on his bike as he said, “For once in your life, stop giving a man shit and climb on.”
She told herself she was being stupid, that he was playing some sort of game, toying with her emotions, though she couldn’t figure out why he’d do that. Even if he was toying with her, she wanted to climb on his bike more than she wanted her next breath.
He put on his helmet as she straddled his bike, and years of greedy fantasies coalesced. Despite her best efforts not to get carried away, heat and hope whirled inside her. She pulled on her helmet and wrapped her arms around him. He covered her hands with his, pulling them tighter, crushing her chest against his back. She imagined him smirking as the engine roared to life. Most women would think it was the vibration of the engine making their body tingle and hum. But Dixie had been riding motorcycles so long, she knew the difference between an engine working its magic and Jace Stone making every ion in her body sizzle and spark.
As he cruised out of the parking lot and headed for the main drag, she relied on lies to try to regain control of her runaway hormones. She told herself the heat creeping up her thighs was caused by the warm leather seat and that she was done letting him toy with her emotions. She’d nix that shit as soon as they got wherever they were going.
After picking up burgers and bottled drinks, and not putting the kibosh on anything, Jace drove across the main drag and followed the winding roads that led into the mountains. Dixie knew these roads by heart, and she never tired of the umbrella of trees and woodsy scents. She loved them just as much as she enjoyed the open skies and salty air of the harbor. Sitting in the woods on her favorite overlook and burying her toes in the sand gazing out over the endless sea brought the same sense of freedom as riding her bike. But neither was as incredible as sitting on the back of Jace Stone’s bike, wrapped around his strong body. She could get addicted to the feel of his muscles flexing against her inner thighs, chest, and arms.
Who was she kidding?
She already was addicted…
Jace pulled off the mountain road, following the narrow trail Dixie had frequented when she was younger and had recently started visiting again. Even her brothers didn’t know she went there when she needed to be alone. Jace drove swiftly up the winding mountain trail like he knew it well, too, which was surprising. Dixie’s tire tracks from last week were still visible in the crushed leaves and dirt.
The trail ended abruptly at the thicker forest. Dixie climbed off the bike, whipped off her helmet, and shook out her hair. “What are we doing here?”
“There’s an overlook up ahead.”
“How do you know about this place?”
He set his helmet on the bike and grabbed the bag of food and drinks from the storage compartment. “I found it last year when we were considering opening a shop here.” As they walked through the woods, he said, “When I first found it, the trail looked like it hadn’t been used in years. I must have walked it twenty times while I was here. And the next time I was in town, I thought, fuck it, and rode my bike down it.”
He pushed through the last of the tall pines separating the woods from the overlook and held the branches back for Dixie to walk by. They crossed the bumpy, brush-covered ground to a large outcropping of boulders. The side of the mountain spilled out before them, as glorious and lush as it was the first time Dixie had gone there.
“It’s bizarre to think that the first people to discover Peaceful Harbor camped in these woods,” Jace said as they sat down on a boulder.
“How do you know that?”
He shrugged. “I like history.”
That was an interesting fact she hadn’t expected. She hadn’t pegged him as the kind of guy who would seek out a place’s history. “How on earth did you go from suggesting Nova Lounge to bringing me here? What’s up your sleeve, Stone? If you’re afraid I’m going to back out of the shoot, I’m not. You don’t have to play games with me.”
He set the food and drinks between them and said, “You know me well enough to realize I don’t play games.”
“Do I?” she challenged, wanting to get into his head.
“You will. Is it a fucking crime to want to spend time getting to know you better?”
“You’ve known me since I was a teenager, and suddenly you want to know me better? Buy me dinner? Bring me to my secret spot? That part’s a little unnerving. How did you know I come here?”
“Jesus, Dixie. You’ve got a lot of mistrust bottled up inside you. I had no idea this was your spot. I told you I happened upon it last year and liked the view.”
“You didn’t know?” she said sarcastically. She grabbed a burger and unwrapped it. She wanted to believe him, but at the same time, she was afraid to. He was showing her a completely unexpected side of himself, and she had no idea what that meant, if anything.
“I’m not a stalker, for fuck’s sake. You sure don’t need Bullet to scare me off. You’re doing a pretty good job of it yourself.”
She eyed him and took a bite of her burger, buying time to mull over the situation, and feeling like an ass for pushing him into a corner. “Sorry. You keep taking me off guard.”
“I’m good at that. Just take me at face value, Dix. What you see is what you get. No games, no bullshit, which seems to be how you operate, too.”
“Yeah, you could say that. Did you really just find this place?”
“Yes. Stop asking. What about you? How’d you find it? How often do you come here?”
In her experience, guys who had something to hide had shifty eyes. She watched him take a bite of his burger, his eyes never wavering from her face. Okay, she decided. She’d take him at face value and not worry about the whys this evening.
“I found it when I was a teenager, the year my dad had his stroke,” she said, realizing she’d never before exposed her hidden oasis, or her reasons for finding it, to anyone. “Bear was taking care of the bar, my mom was nursing my dad back to health, and Bullet and Bones were away. When things got to be too much, I’d come here.”
JACE SAW A hint of sadness in Dixie’s eyes, and it tugged at something deep inside him. “It must have been hard watching your father go through that.”
“My father, Bear, my mom. It affected everyone. Bullet and Bones weren’t around, but I think that made it even harder for them. It was a little terrifying, to be honest. You think you know your family, and then something like that happens and it changes everything. I always knew we were strong, but that made us even stronger as a group and individually.”
“How old were you?”
“Almost sixteen.”
So young…
He’d met Dixie when she was eighteen, and she was already a tough, take-no-bullshit spitfire. He wondered if she had been that way before her father’s stroke. At sixteen a girl’s biggest concern should be the cute boy she liked or seeing a concert with her friends, not wondering if her father was going to live or die.
“How’d you get here without a driver’s license?”
The corner of her mouth lifted, and her gorgeous eyes glimmered with rebellion. “Do you think I’d let something like that keep me trapped?”
He laughed. He liked knowing she’d always had a fiery spirit. It made him want to know more about her and the things she’d been through. “Not even for a minute. Sounds like you were a rebellious little thing.”
She held up her finger and thumb and mouthed, A little bit. “I took my mom’s motorcycle. I’ve been riding since I was fourteen.”
“And you came out here to escape the stress and sadness? To wrap your head around things?”
“You could say that. The first year I mostly tossed prayers up to the powers that be, cried, you know, that sort of thing. Later I’d come and debate whether I should go away to school or stick around after graduation. But sticking around wasn’t an option. My family practically pushed me out the door once I graduated high school. They were dead set on me attending college.”
“I’m sure
they were just looking out for you and didn’t want you to give up your future.”
“When is my family not looking out for me?” she said sarcastically. “I kind of hated that they made me go away. But to be honest, that’s one instance where I’m glad they told me what to do. I’ve done more for the family with what I learned while I was at school than I could have if I’d stuck around and never gotten any further education.”
“Bear raves about you and what you’ve done for your family’s businesses.”
She smiled like hearing it meant a lot to her, but she said, “We all do what we can.” She took a bite of her burger, and they finished eating in comfortable silence.
Jace put their trash in the bag and said, “After seeing what you pulled off last night and the way you stood up to your family, I have a feeling you do more than just what you can.”
“There’s no sense in doing anything half-assed.”
“I’ve got to agree with you there. Do you feel better now that you’ve taken a stand with them? Where do you go from here?”
Her finely manicured brows knitted. “Go?”
“You took quite a stance, getting up on that stage to be auctioned off and agreeing to be in a calendar after turning me down flat. You must have stood up to them for a reason. Do you want to get out of your family’s businesses or something?”
“No, not at all. I love running the companies, working with the community, and with my family, even though they drive me crazy sometimes. I just needed breathing room. It’s suffocating always being watched and told what I can and can’t do. You wouldn’t know anything about that, but I bet your sisters do.”
“I’m not Bullet.”
She rolled her eyes. “Jilly told me about what you did when you heard she was going to bid on Jared.”
“Because Jilly’s a lady and while my brother’s a great guy, he’s not very good with self-control. He acts now, regrets later. I know Jilly. Dating what she calls a bad boy is a game to her. Jared’s not the guy to play that game with.”
“But you are?” she asked casually.
“I don’t want to date Jilly.”
She laughed. “I didn’t mean that.”
“Trust me, I know how to hold back. I’m a fucking expert at it.”
“How do I know I can believe that?”
He debated giving her a pat answer, but Dixie was just pushy enough to browbeat him until he came clean, so he held her gaze and said, “Because I’ve thought you were gorgeous since you were a smart-ass eighteen-year-old looking at me like I was made of your favorite chocolate cake, and I’ve never done a damn thing about it.”
She snapped her mouth closed and visually gulped, but her eyes never left his.
A battle raged inside him. He could lean forward, push his hand to the nape of her beautiful neck, and draw her luscious mouth to his, taking the taste he so desperately wanted. Or he could behave, be smart, and take things slow.
A flock of birds flew across the sky behind Dixie, and the movement snapped him from his trance. He blinked several times, mentally circling back to her earlier comment to redirect his thoughts.
“I never breathed down my sisters’ backs the way your brothers do with you. I’ve always protected them, but I believe in giving them space and stepping in when they need me. We’re having dinner with them tomorrow night. You can ask them for yourself.”
Her eyes widened. “We’re having dinner with your sisters? I don’t need to take up your time with your family, Jace. I’ll just hang out in the hotel.”
“Hotel? No way, Dix. You’re staying with me at my loft, and my sisters would have my ass if I don’t bring you along. Jayla just had a baby and she loves showing him off.” It hadn’t dawned on him until this very second how tempting her staying at his loft would be, but he wasn’t about to change his mind.
“Was that the plan with the model you first booked? To stay at your loft?”
“Hell no.”
“Then why are you asking me to stay there?”
“Because I know you, Dix. You’re a friend. Besides, your brothers would get in my face if I let you loose in New York City. I’ve got to keep my eyes on you.”
She lifted her chin in a challenge, but her eyes turned hungry and dark as she said, “Are those the only reasons?”
“What do you think?” They were playing with fire, and he wasn’t nearly ready to stop.
“I think you want to get more than your eyes on me.”
Without thinking, he leaned in so close he could feel her breath on his lips and said, “I’d like to get every inch of my body on you and burrow so deep inside you that you still feel me the next week.” Fuck. Where did that come from? He had more of Jared’s impulsiveness in him than he knew—at least where Dixie was concerned. He had no business being there with her, much less taunting them both with his lascivious thoughts.
Her breathing hitched, but she didn’t look away. She swayed closer.
Hot. As. Fuck.
He ground his teeth together, struggling to get himself back in check. He forced himself to sit up, putting space between them. He needed to shut down the electricity arcing between them so he could think straight, so he said, “But settling down isn’t on my radar, and you, sweet Dixie, have roots so deep they’re buried well below the sea.”
She pressed her lips together, hurt and anger swimming in her eyes. Man, he hated that, but it needed to be said. Otherwise she’d just think he was a pussy for not taking the kiss he was sure they both wanted.
She sat up and reached for a bottle of water.
He snagged it, removed the cap, and handed it to her. When her brows slanted, he said, “I know you can do it yourself, but my old man brought me up right.”
“Your father tells women the dirty things he wants to do to them, then gives them whiplash by saying he can’t?” She took a drink. “Nice family you have there.”
He chuckled and reached for the bottle.
“Maybe you should drink from the other bottle so you don’t sprout roots,” she said sharply. “They could be contagious.”
“Your mouth hasn’t been on that one.” He took the bottle from her hand, enjoying the blush on her cheeks. “Never thought I’d see the day Dixie Whiskey blushed. You’d think my earlier comment would have earned a blush first.” He sucked down a drink and said, “It’s definitely sweeter after you.”
He offered her the bottle and she shook her head. She leaned back on her hands and gazed out at the setting sun. She was gorgeous, with all that thick red hair tumbling over her shoulders. She might be tough, but there was nothing tough about her delicate features. High cheekbones, a slender nose, and temptingly plump lips with a sweet bow in the middle. How could this sexy, challenging woman still be single? How could she never have been sent roses before? If she were his, he would shower her in all the pretty things she deserved. The unfamiliar thought hit him right in the center of his chest. The urge to kiss her was so strong, he felt himself leaning closer.
He cleared his throat to try to clear his head, and she glanced over, catching him staring. Instead of getting shy like other women might, she dragged her eyes down his chest. Man, that was hot. She knew how to push all his buttons.
“You’re a hard man to read,” she said. “It’s confusing.”
“Something tells me you eat easy-to-read men for dinner,” he said, though the idea of Dixie eating any other man made his blood boil.
“You think you know me?”
He set the water down and leaned back on one hand, angling his body toward her. “No. I think I know some things about you, the things you want men to see. But I want to get to know more about you, Dixie. The real you.”
Her eyes widened, and just as quickly they narrowed, as if she realized she was giving away how much she liked the sound of what he’d said. “Why?”
“You’re a ballbuster.”
“As I said, why?” she asked with unfaltering confidence. “You just told me nothing can happen betwee
n us.”
He moved the trash and the bottles from between them and shifted closer, enjoying the sparks flying around them. “Because until the other day, I’d only allowed myself to see you as a little sister to your brothers. But I can’t do that anymore. You’re so much more than anyone’s little sister. You’ve gotten under my skin, like a fever I can’t shake.”
“Whiskey fever,” she said breathily.
“That’s pretty accurate.”
“No, I mean, it’s a real thing. Ask my sisters-in-law. Once they felt an attraction to my brothers, there was no turning it off.” Worry washed over her face.
“There must be a remedy, some way to satisfy the urge, get rid of the fever?”
They gazed into each other’s eyes, the air between them pulsing to the beat of their lustful breaths. Her eyes held a challenge, and his body ached to take her up on it.
But he’d already caused enough trouble, so he said, “Then we’d better get out of here before we do something you’ll regret.”
She scowled, and hell if that didn’t add fuel to their inferno.
He grabbed the trash and reluctantly pushed to his feet. He reached out to help her up. She stared at his hand for a long time before finally taking it and rising to her feet.
She set those challenging eyes on him and said, “I never pegged you for a tease.”
Every fiber of his being wanted to grab her by the shoulders and kiss her until she was begging for more, showing her just how much he liked to tease, with his hands, his mouth, his body…
Instead, he ground out, “That makes two of us,” and headed back toward the trail.
Chapter Seven
“THE VIEW FROM upstairs is incredible,” Jace said as he unlocked the door to Silver-Stone’s Lexington Avenue store late Sunday afternoon. He lived on the top floor of the building and there was a side entrance that led to the elevator, but he wanted to show Dixie the retail operation first.
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