Temptations: A Limited Edition Contemporary Romance Collection

by Blue Saffire

  Her eyes narrowed just before she nodded. “Okay, I believe you.”

  Relief and excitement flowed through him. She would spend the night. But he’d promised no sex. Jesus, he was crazy. Just standing beside her gave him a bit of a rise.

  The pharmacy had already closed for the night, so he would come out early in the morning and pick up his prescription.

  A bubble of excitement lodged in his chest, staying in place all the way back to his hotel room. The room was small, cheap, nothing much to get excited about, but it would do. He let her shower, and then he washed quickly. When he came out of the bathroom, she was curled on her side, her hand tucked under the pillow with her hair spread out behind her.

  For a long moment, he stood and watched. Bubbles of excitement raced up his spine, making everything tingle. He was a pervert for getting hard at the sight of her sleeping. That shirt he’d let her borrow would never be washed again.

  Exhaustion hit hard, and he crawled into bed, falling asleep to the soft sounds of Shannon breathing beside him.

  Waking to Shannon in bed with him was incredible. Her warmth twisted around him like a summer breeze, beckoning him to draw nearer. What would it be like to wake to her every day? Her sweet scent wrapped around him, making him hard as a rock.

  He’d have to jack off later, maybe three or four times today. Hell, he’d be jacking off to the mental image of her forever.

  He moved his arm and pain raced up to his shoulder. It wasn’t too bad though. He’d be able to stand the pain today…maybe. He needed to take a Motrin and could grab some when he went out to pick up his prescription.

  Shannon blinked, her eyes going wide as pink spread on her cheeks. Suddenly the warm thoughts he’d had about her flamed hot as embarrassment filled him.

  “Sorry. You can use the bathroom first,” he said as he turned to stare at the ceiling.

  She slid out from between the sheets and made her way to the bathroom, closing the door with a harsh click. His stomach twisted at being caught watching her. She was amazingly beautiful though, and it was hard not to stare.

  He headed to the bathroom after she finished and brushed his teeth, then washed his face. He dressed in his jeans and shirt before he stepped out. He found her sitting on the bed, the covers pulled up to her chin. The bruise around her eye had turned darker. A new round of anger sparked.

  Without a second thought, he moved to the bed and cupped her cheek before leaning in close. The puff of her breath on his skin made him tingle. He wanted this more than he’d wanted anyone before. Shannon brought happiness where he’d only felt sadness before.

  She didn’t pull away, so he closed the distance, brushing his lips over hers. Soft like a rose petal, her lips invited even more kissing. He didn’t want to press too hard because of her split lip, but he needed her kisses.

  He drew in a deep breath, drinking her in. Sweet as a flower, her scent wrapped around him like a vine, pulling him closer.

  Lust burned hot. He needed to be careful with her. She wasn’t like the women he picked up at bars who wanted quick sex and nothing more. Shannon was special.

  She leaned back and watched him in a quiet way that made his soul come alive. Shock pulsed through him when she reached out and touched his shoulder. Her fingers feathered over his collarbone, then down to his pec.

  His heart thumped hard as he stared into her eyes. She was beautiful and amazing, and he only wanted to touch her, but he’d promised her he wouldn’t.

  “I said I wouldn’t have sex with you. I can’t be the type of man to go back on my word.”

  “What if I want you?”

  Shannon’s question took his breath away. His cock twitched, and for a second, he feared he might just come in his pants.

  “What if I want to touch you?” Shannon reached for the hem of his shirt and tugged it up. Her fingers grazed over his abs, then up to his pecs. He gasped as she tweaked his nipples. She leaned in, then lifted his shirt more before she licked over one nipple. Electricity shot through him. It was too much.

  In one smooth motion, he rolled, pressing her to the mattress. Her mouth hung open with shock as her eyes went wide. She looked absolutely beautiful even though her skin had been marred by that asshole.

  The twinge in his arm reminded him he’d been injured. So had she. That thought sobered him fast. He put a pause on his moves and stared into her eyes, trying not to lose his hold on the lust pumping through him.

  She arched up, brushing her body against his. Heat filled him. He was so close to the edge, his breath almost in gasps.

  “Shannon, Jesus, you are so freaking hot.”

  “I want you.” She wrapped her leg over his, holding him in place as she arched up.

  No question, combustion would happen if he didn’t calm down. She was exactly what he wanted and what he needed. He didn’t just need to feel better; he needed to feel anything. Too many hours had been spent in war zones, fighting for his life. The battle had left him empty. With Shannon up against him, his body ramped up, he had little doubt she could make him feel a heck of a lot better.

  His fingers itched to touch her. He wanted to run his hands over her waist, then up to her firm breasts. The thought of licking her nipples almost made him come.

  He had to stop, so he lifted up, holding himself above her with one arm. Lust buzzed, filling his brain with sexy imaginations, making him harder. He wanted to take her right then, but she still had the bruised eye and the split lip. That put a halt to his desires.

  Striker pulled her to sitting and shivered as her fingers toyed with his neck. “We should go get breakfast.”

  Her brows creased, and her lips turned down in a frown. “You don’t want me.”

  The pain in her voice pulled deep at his heart. He cupped her cheeks and stared into her eyes. “Oh God, Shannon, I want you so much, but I don’t want to have sex and then have you walk out of my life.”

  Her eyebrows pinched tight. “I won’t.”

  “I need to build a connection with you. I’m only here for a few days. Actually, I wasn’t supposed to be here, but I got lost.”

  “Lost?” A disbelieving look crossed her face and his heart melted.

  “I took a wrong turn.”

  Her laughter tickled his nerves, taking his desire to new levels. This woman’s effect on his soul was almost magical.

  “You sure showed up at the right time in the right place.”

  He studied her face, her hair, her shoulders, then back to her lips. God he wanted a kiss.

  “I really want to spend the day touching and kissing you.” He met her gaze and shivered. Lust morphed, growing deeper. Was it too early for that? They’d known each other for hours, and yet he experienced something amazing when her beautiful green eyes fell on him.

  “Then don’t stop,” she whispered.

  His heart rate increased as he took in her sweet curves and sexy dips. Then he met her gaze once more. Time stood still. This woman was meant to be his, and not for just one night of hot sex.

  God, he was crazy to think this way about a stranger, but something clicked, and he couldn’t shake the feeling.

  He cleared his throat. “I want to slow down and enjoy getting to know you. I want more of a connection before we do this.”

  Her brows were almost at her hairline, and then she lifted her hand to his forehead. “Nope, you don’t have a fever. You’re actually just being a gentleman, aren’t you?”

  He snorted and rolled his eyes. “I’m trying, but you’re making it hard.”

  A giggle escaped her lips. “You are very hard.”

  He groaned and shook his head. “I just don’t want you to run out on me after we finish.”

  Her lips spread in a smile. “No way would I run out on you.”

  She was tempting him. He wanted to push her to the mattress or a wall, anywhere he could get a good angle on her and take what he wanted.

  “I have to keep my promise, because what good is a man who won’t keep his
word?”

  Her lips pursed. “What promise?”

  “I said I wouldn’t have sex with you.”

  “That was last night.”

  She tested his resolve, driving him crazy. “We haven’t left the room. How about we go eat and talk, and then we can find out where it leads.”

  Shannon narrowed her eyelids and stared for a few seconds through the dark slits. Her study of him was intense, and he squirmed. Would she ditch him right now because he’d asked her to slow down?

  Forever with this woman would be nice.

  “Okay, big guy, here’s what we’ll do. Let’s go eat; then we’ll spend some time getting to know each other.”

  Relief filled him. “Good.”

  Shannon leaned in and brushed her lips over his, taking his breath and his sanity. She ran her fingers over his arms down to his hands. He flinched as pain rolled through his body. She pulled back, worry clouding her gaze.

  “You okay?”

  He nodded and looked down at his arm. “Yeah, it’s not too bad. A little pain, but nothing I can’t handle.”

  She stood, and he got up too then wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

  Shannon pointed to his arm. “I’d be crying if I got cut like that.”

  He touched her cheek and leaned in, kissing her shoulder. “You do have a black eye.”

  “Touché. So do you though.”

  He chuckled. “Go shower first. Then I’ll shower.”

  Her fingers brushed over his chest, and she shook her head before her gaze connected with his. She was full of passion and fire. There was an intelligence behind her eyes he wanted to get to know. This woman was complex, strong, and he bet she’d be fun in bed.

  An indelicate snort came from her. “I kind of understand why you want to wait, but I’m amazed by your restraint.”

  He leaned in so his lips were by her ear. “You’re worth it,” he whispered, then popped her on the rear. She shrieked before taking off to the bathroom.

  Her shower didn’t take too long, and once alone in the bathroom, he stared at his reflection in the mirror, thinking he was stupid. They could be having sex right now. Cold water helped a little, but he was still too amped up with lust.

  When he stepped into the main room, he felt the weight of her gaze. He glanced up to find her eyes on him, her appreciation evident. He closed the distance and leaned in, brushing their lips together.

  “You want me to drive you by your place and you can pick up different clothes?”

  A worried look passed over her features. “Sure, but you can’t come in.”

  He froze. Did she have a boyfriend? “Really?”

  She fidgeted with her purse, weaving the strap between her fingers. “Please. I don’t need my dad’s aggravation.”

  “Are you safe there?” Though he didn’t know her, he worried. She couldn’t be too safe if the man would be pissed she’d made someone angry instead of being pissed at the guy who hit her.

  Her shoulders came up in a shrug as her gaze drifted away. “It’s only until I finish school.”

  “School?”

  “Cosmetology. I have two months left, and then I’m done.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Your hair is really nice.”

  Her laugh went straight to his balls. “You’re sweet.”

  “I’m not trying to be sweet; I’m just stating the truth.”

  “We practice on each other sometimes.”

  “Well, it looks good.”

  “Thank you. I’ll give you directions to my dad’s house, but you have to stay outside. I can’t bring anyone of the opposite sex over while he’s at work.”

  “How will he know?”

  “He has cameras set up in the den, back door, and front door.”

  Worry filled Striker and he stared at her for a moment, unsure if he could allow her to stay at that house. He didn’t know her, but he feared for her safety. She said she only had two months of school left, so maybe she’d be okay, but he didn’t like it one bit.

  He parked down the street from her house, exactly where she asked him to park. It took every amount of restraint he had not to run into her house and tell her to move the freak out and come with him. But he had a job that wasn’t here, and she had school which was. They were trapped in circumstances neither of them could control.

  A car puttered down the street, slowing as it grew near. Jesus, what if that was her dad? Would he freak out and hurt her? His stomach twisted as the car slowed even more. She’d already suffered one beating this weekend; he didn’t want her to suffer more.

  5

  Shannon grabbed a backpack and stuffed two days’ worth of clothes in the bottom before grabbing her equipment she’d need for school. Striker would most likely be scared off by her overflowing bags.

  After pulling on pants and a T-shirt, she wrote a note to her dad, telling him she was sleeping at Ashley’s house. He didn’t know Ashley, so he couldn’t check up on her. In two months, she’d be able to work full-time. By the time she got her license a month or so later, she could have a good job lined up, and she wouldn’t be forced to live here.

  She’s spent years agreeing with everything her dad said just to keep the peace. That had been difficult recently. Her black eye would make him ask questions she didn’t want to answer. Her dad had blown up at her another time when she’d not flirted with a guy at the grocery store. He’d accused her of being gay, like that would even matter. She didn’t want to date someone she wasn’t interested in, and she wouldn’t pretend to be nice to some stranger just because he followed her all over the grocery store. It was weird to have someone stalk her up one row and then another, ultimately to follow her to the meat area. She wouldn’t encourage that type of behavior.

  After locking the door, she headed to the street. They’d already stopped at the pharmacy before heading over here, so they didn’t have that errand to do. Now they could enjoy the day together. Striker’s arm didn’t seem to be bothering him, and she’d taken a few tablets to stave off the pain from her black eye.

  Striker got out of the truck as soon as he saw her, and she gave her head a small shake then called out, “Not yet. The camera is wide. Just wait there.”

  She hurried down the walk in her tennis shoes, which were much more comfortable than the cute shoes she’d been wearing the night before. Maybe she should have dressed up, but this was her. If he didn’t like her plain and relaxed, he wasn’t the man for her.

  “You should have let me carry your bags for you. These are heavy,” Striker said.

  A laugh bubbled up from her chest as he placed the bags into his truck. He cut his gaze to her, his honey brown eyes warming her. He probably expected her to explain the laugh, but it wasn’t worth mentioning that she carried heavy packs all the time.

  “I’m guessing you want me to back up—that way the truck doesn’t show on the camera?”

  “I’m sorry. He’s not really too much of a jerk; he’s just old-fashioned and has certain, um, expectations. He’s not bad, he just isn’t great.”

  The engine roared to life, and Striker was true to his word. The truck rolled backward, and she was sure the camera wouldn’t show them. She glanced at him, thinking his sharp jaw dusted with stubble was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen, even with him frowning. He stayed silent, not commenting on her weird rules about her father and her home.

  She breathed a sigh of relief when they were gone from her street.

  “Okay, now that we have clothes for you, let’s go eat.”

  “I could eat. There’s a Waffle House not too far from here.”

  His lips spread in a smile before he glanced to her. “Sounds good.”

  She told him where to turn, and they were in the parking lot in minutes.

  “You ready?” Striker asked.

  “Sure am.”

  Striker popped the door on his side, then moved fast, stepping around the front of the truck to her side before she could even attempt to get out
. He held her hand, then put his arm around her as they walked in. The woman at the counter gave her a second glance, then frowned at Striker. For the life of her, she couldn’t imagine what that was about.

  Shannon settled in a booth and ordered her usual scrambled eggs and bacon. Striker ordered enough to feed a family of four. She had enough tip money from her clients at the school’s salon she could afford to eat out once a week. Maybe she could get him to run by a store, and she could pick up something to heat in the microwave in the room.

  Striker reached across the table, weaving their fingers together. “So after breakfast, you want to show me around downtown?”

  “Sure. Have you ever been?”

  “No—well, I was there last night, or close. I went to a different club first, and it was a dud.”

  “A dud?”

  He rolled his eyes. “The people were a little too uppity for my taste. I’m a little bit more of a fun-loving type of guy. I’m not into being perfect.”

  Her eyes flicked over him, and she lifted her eyebrows. “I think you’re perfect just the way you are.”

  His lips turned up, and he glanced away. The waitress was back, along with her sass directed at Striker. When she stepped away, Shannon rolled her eyes.

  “She doesn’t like you,” Shannon said.

  Striker’s lips curled up on one side, but his eyes were sad. “Could have something to do with this.” His thumb grazed her cheek under her eye. She flinched, and he cringed. “Sorry, did that hurt?”

  The waitress had snuck up on them and slammed down the silverware. “Should have known it would hurt when you hit her, ya cocky bastard.”

  Shannon gasped, and her hands flew to her mouth; then she waved her hands around. “No, it wasn’t him. He’s the one who saved me.” She’d honestly forgot about the black eye and her lip. People must really be thinking Striker had hit her since he was injured too.

  The waitress narrowed her gaze and looked from Striker to her. Her mouth stayed in a flat line. “Are you sure?”