by Tonya Brooks
When Luke had his next coherent thought, he had Easy backed up against the door and they were both panting and shaking with need. The skirt was pushed up around her hips; his hand was between her thighs probing the heat of her silken depths, while his mouth greedily suckled the breast that he had uncovered. Sweet Jesus. One taste and he’d lost all semblance of control.
“I was right,” she said with a bemused smile, her nails grazing his bare chest. Somehow she had managed to unbutton his shirt and pull it free of his waistband and he hadn’t even noticed. “You're a wild man, Luke Baker.”
And that scared the hell out of him. He stared down into her dazed, passion clouded eyes and forced himself to release her and take a step back. “Goodnight, Easy.” Luke said in a gravely tone as he turned and walked stiffly back to the Hummer, his body one throbbing ache of unrelenting need. Jesus freakin’ God! He'd practically molested the woman on her sister’s front porch. What the hell had he been thinking? Which brought him back to the root of his dilemma, Luke realized grimly.
Once his wild side had taken over, he hadn't been thinking at all.
~~~~
Two hours later he was still thinking about it. And her. He'd finally given up on reviewing the case file. It was impossible to concentrate when the only thing he could think about was the way she had felt in his arms. The taste of Easy on his lips. The scent of her filled his head and he'd given up and gone to bed to just lay there and stare at the ceiling as he willed his aroused body back into a normal state. It wasn't gonna happen any time soon, he knew.
When his phone rang, he glanced at the clock to see that it was eleven and picked up the phone, thankful for the distraction. “Hello.”
“Hello, Sugah.” That warm, sexy voice purred.
A wave of pure heat washed over him at the sound. “Easy?” Luke asked in disbelief and wondered how the hell she'd gotten his mobile number. He'd be willing to bet good old Brett had given it to her. Misery did love company after the stunt they had pulled today, he knew his friend had his hands full dealing with the Grayson sisters.
“Did I wake you?” she asked softly.
“No,” he denied in a tone that was far from welcoming.
“But you are in bed, aren't you?” she asked with a knowing smile.
“I am,” he confessed warily.
“Alone?” she asked hopefully.
“Yes,” he admitted a bit tersely.
“Umm. I can just see you stretched out naked in that big king size bed.”
The deliciously wicked voice sent a shiver up his spine even as he looked at the door expecting to see her standing there watching him. “How the hell did you know...”
She laughed softly and said in a perfect British accent, “Simple deductive reasoning, my dear Watson. That big, gorgeous body won't fit in anything smaller.” Which made perfect sense when he thought about it, but before he could form a reply, she switched to that sultry, Southern drawl again. “I wish I was there with you.” The heat intensified and settled low in his loins because he'd love nothing better. “Oh, the things I could do to you,” she said seductively. “Do you like honey, Luke?”
Forcing his brain to concentrate on the seemingly innocuous question and not the erotic images his mind had conjured up, he said somewhat hoarsely, “Yeah.”
“Umm. I love honey,” Easy breathed. “I'd like to cover you in it and lick every delicious inch. Since there’s so much of you to enjoy it could take hours to get every last drop. Would you like that, Sugah?”
He closed his eyes in agony and exhaled harshly, his hand gripping the phone tightly as he fought the mental imagery. Dear lord, the woman had reduced him to one big throbbing ache with her seductive words and he couldn't believe they were having this conversation. “Yeah,” he confessed huskily and wished he hadn't when she proceeded to tell him exactly how she'd go about it until he was breathing raggedly and so aroused it was painful.
Deciding that she had tormented him enough for one night, Easy said, “As much as I hate to, it's getting late and you have court in the morning, so I'm going to say goodnight.” Her voice was wicked beyond belief when she added, “Sweet dreams, Sugah.” She ended the call and laughed softly. That should teach him not to leave her all hot and bothered again.
Luke stared at the phone in a daze when the line went dead and wondered what the hell had just happened. And then it hit him. Sonuvabitch. He'd just had phone sex! He was so damn hot the phone should have been smoking. Throwing back the cover with a vicious curse, Luke went into the bathroom and stepped into the shower.
He howled when the icy cold jets of water hit his heated flesh, but it did little to quench the need that Easy had caused. He still wanted her more than a man should want anything and that doubled his determination to stay the hell away from her. The last thing he needed was to get tangled up with a wild woman and he'd never met one wilder than Easy Grayson.
Chapter Two
Friday, March 14, 2014
After a restless night filled with the most erotic dreams he'd ever experienced, Luke went down to Ted's Diner for breakfast and saw Brett seated at a table. The other man waved him over and he sat across from him wearing a disgruntled expression. “Morning, Brett.”
“Morning,” the Chief greeted as he looked his friend over. Luke looked tired and grumpy, not at all his usual demeanor. “Everything alright?”
“Fine,” Luke replied as the waitress joined them.
“Morning, Luke.” Velma said cheerfully as she poured him a cup of coffee. “You want the usual?”
“Thanks,” he agreed and sipped the coffee. Maybe a jolt of caffeine would help him get going today. If he didn't have to be in court, he'd have taken a shot of whiskey instead. He plucked a biscuit off the plate on the table and bit into it absently.
“Honey?”
Luke's eyes flew to Brett's guiltily as heat suffused his body. “What?”
The Chief nudged the honey container into the center of the table and offered, “Want some honey for the biscuit?”
The attorney stared at the jar as if it were a poisonous asp before replying, “No thanks.”
That peculiar reaction was what was known as a clue in law enforcement, and Brett was damn good at what he did. He knew his friend always slathered honey over biscuits and for him to avoid it this morning could only mean one thing. “I went down to the kitchen last night and accidentally overheard Easy on the phone.”
“You did?” Luke asked warily and stuffed the rest of the biscuit in his mouth instead of meeting the other mans gaze.
“She was having a very... explicit conversation about honey,” he admitted and fought a grin when Luke choked on the bread and then chugged his coffee to wash it down. “It seems both of the Grayson sisters have a sweet tooth.”
“They do?” he asked a bit hoarsely and took another swallow of coffee.
“Let's just say I buy maple syrup by the case.”
Startled blue eyes met amused blue across the table. “Dizzy?” Luke asked in surprise because he never would have guessed she'd have a fetish like her wild older sister.
Brett nodded solemnly and added, “Of course, if you repeat that, I'll have to kill you.”
“Understood,” Luke agreed seriously. God only knew gossip ran unbridled in Lakeside. There was no way in hell he was gonna add to it.
“Speak of the devil.” Brett said with a wicked smile as he saw his wife and sister-in-law enter the diner.
Luke felt as if the devil himself had appeared in the form of the sexiest woman imaginable, and she was dressed once again in, God help him, mouth watering leather. He barely bit back a groan of pure misery.
“Hi, Sweetheart,” Brett greeted and kissed his wife lightly when she slid into the booth beside him.
“Good morning.” Dizzy said brightly and turned her attention to the man across from her. “Hi, Luke.”
“Dizzy,” he said evenly and had no choice but to slide over and let Easy sit next to him, dammit. “Easy,�
� he greeted blandly and forced his eyes away from the perfect view of her ample breasts the low cut leather top revealed. Lord, the scent of woman and leather made him salivate.
“Good morning, Sugah,” Easy smiled up at him. “Are you ready?”
Hell yeah, he was rock hard and ready, but he couldn't believe she had just blatantly asked him that in front of the other couple. “What?” Luke questioned a bit dazedly.
“For court,” she reminded him with an innocent looking smile that didn’t fool him for a second. “You were reviewing a case last night,” Easy prompted when he just stared blankly at her with those smoldering eyes.
“Court. Yeah. I'm ready,” he acknowledged absently and was mesmerized by her luscious mouth and the sinfully wicked things she had assured him it could do to his body. The body that was already overheating from just being near her.
Brett bit back a laugh since his friend appeared too rattled for court or anything else at the moment. Thankfully Velma brought Luke's breakfast when she came to take the ladies order and that gave the other man something other than Easy to concentrate on. Brett knew exactly how he felt. He stayed so hungry for his wife that she was all he could think about. Hell, he'd keep Dizzy in bed all day if he could.
“You must be Easy.” Velma said as she gave the leather clad stranger a friendly smile. “Do you really ride a motorcycle?”
“I do.” Easy confirmed and understood now what her sister had meant about gossip running out of control in this town.
The waitress shook her head in amazement that a woman could handle one of the big, dangerous looking machines. “You're braver than I am, honey,” she assured her. “Those things terrify me.”
“The sense of freedom is seductive,” Easy admitted with a wicked smile. “And having something so big and powerful throbbing between your thighs is orgasmic.”
Luke almost spit the swallow of coffee he’d just taken while Brett, damn his eyes, actually laughed at the blatant innuendo.
Dizzy merely shot her sister an exasperated look before she gave their obviously shocked waitress her order. Once Velma left, she said, “I'm going to show Easy around town and then we're going to do a little shopping.”
“Very little,” her sister said dryly.
“E has been down in Daytona for the Harley rally so the only thing she has is her leathers,” the other woman explained. “We're going to supplement her wardrobe a bit.”
Ah, hell, Luke’s worst fear had just been confirmed. Easy really was a biker babe. He wondered if she was affiliated with any of the motorcycle clubs, but didn’t see any tattoos branding her as someone’s property. He hoped like hell she hadn’t gone alone. A woman alone at a biker rally was just asking for trouble. A woman who looked like Easy was guaranteed to find it.
“And I'll have to ship it all home because nothing else will fit in my saddlebags,” the eldest complained.
“Why bother? Just leave it in your room and you'll have it the next time you visit,” was pointed out reasonably.
“My sister doesn't particularly care for leather.” Easy informed the men in amusement before turning to the man beside her and leaning in a little closer to ask, “How about you, Luke? Do you like leather?”
Hell, yeah. He had a serious thing for leather and the way it fit her body like a second skin was enough temptation to drive a man insane. “It's hot,” was the only safe comment he could think of with her nearness short circuiting his brain.
Deliberately misunderstanding him, she smiled wickedly, laid her hand on his muscular thigh and drawled, “You're pretty hot yourself, Sugah.”
His entire body tensed at the contact and Luke had to remind himself to breathe. When her hand began to slide up his thigh, he grasped it and held it down on the seat between them in desperation. When she began to slide one of her fingers in and out between two of his in imitation of a more intimate act, Luke snatched his hand away. Jesus, he was gonna have to get hold of himself before the effect she had on him became obvious.
When Velma arrived with the ladies coffee, she smiled knowingly at the heated look that Easy was giving the town’s most eligible bachelor and commented, “Aren't we just cozy this morning?” The look that Luke gave her could have melted steel and she laughed as she headed back to the counter. Nope. Luke Baker was not the type of man to take up with some leather clad floozy. Dizzy’s sister was wasting her time.
The ladies made small talk until they finished their coffee and then they stood to leave. Dizzy leaned over and kissed her husband before remembering to say, “Oh, by the way, we're out of maple syrup, Brett. Could you pick some up today?”
Brett flushed slightly when Luke laughed and assured his wife, “You bet.” When the women left, he glared at his friend and warned, “Not one damn word.”
Luke just grinned back at him. “You've got your hands full with those two.”
“You could help me out and take Easy off my hands,” he suggested since it was more than obvious that the two of them had some serious chemistry going on. Brett was surprised the fire sprinklers hadn’t gone off from the heated looks the pair had shared.
“Not a chance in hell.” Luke refused flatly. “Trouble like that I do not need.”
“Dizzy swears she's not as wild as she pretends to be,” he said to alleviate the other mans concern, though his tone was doubtful at best.
“Like hell,” the attorney denied flatly as he called for the check. That woman was nothing but T.R.O.U.B.L.E.
~~~~
Once the sisters were in Dizzy’s cute little red convertible, she asked, “Alright, give. What happened with Luke last night?”
“Nothing,” Easy denied and then amended that with, “Well, not nearly enough.”
“Uh-uh. Not buying that,” the youngest denied. “You two were putting off so much heat just now I thought the booth was gonna catch fire.”
“I know, right?” Easy agreed and her smile said she was well pleased at the knowledge.
“E,” was said in the tone that sisters used when they weren’t going to let up and take no for an answer.
“Alright,” she relented. “I, um, coaxed him into a goodnight kiss.”
Dizzy took her eyes off of the road long enough to level a glance at the other woman. The smile on her sister’s face said a hell of a lot more than her words did. “That good, huh?”
“Jesus, D. That kiss was hotter than the best sex I’ve ever had,” she sighed in remembrance.
“Wow. Maybe he did inherit that bad boy gene after all,” she mused.
“What do you mean?”
“Luke really isn’t a bad boy like his brother’s. He’s as solid and dependable as they come,” she explained. “The gossip grapevine never dishes dirt on him like they do the rest of them because he’s an honest to God old fashioned gentleman.”
“Like hell,” Easy denied. “Luke was the perfect gentleman until he kissed me and then the bad boy took over in spades.” She shivered at the memory of his hands and mouth as he took her right to the very edge of ecstasy before leaving her hanging and walking away. Damn his gorgeous hide.
“So you like him, huh?”
Like him? Holy God, one look and she’d fallen head over boot heels, one kiss and she was hooked for life. “Let’s just say I’ve finally found a man who could convince me to change my last name,” she confessed with a hopeful smile.
That shocked and pleased the younger sister. For years now, Easy had been so focused on her career that she hadn’t had time for a real relationship. She had dated a lot but had never let things get too serious with anyone. The fact that she thought she could have a long term relationship with Luke this soon after meeting him was telling. Thankfully, Luke was a good man and she knew he would treat her sister right.
“You never should have told me that.” Dizzy informed her seriously.
“Why?”
“Because now that I know, I’m going to shamelessly exploit your attraction to Luke until you’re living right here in La
keside permanently,” she promised.
“Hit me with your best shot,” was readily agreed. If moving to small town USA would help her win the man of her dreams, she’d have the u-haul unpacked before the man knew what hit him.
~~~~
The man knew exactly what had hit him and he was running for cover out of sheer desperation. Luke arrived at his office to discover the judge had an emergency and the hearing had been postponed until Monday. Thank God. At least now he'd have another opportunity to go over everything one last time. He was very meticulous and never left anything to chance in his personal and professional life.
Anyone in Lakeside would tell you that Luke Baker was a man you could count on to do the right thing. His friendly, easy going nature combined with a strong moral code and calm, rational manner engendered an assurance of trust in anyone who met him. When you factored in his handsome face and muscular body, not to mention the lethal charm that all of the bad Baker boy’s had inherited, he was the perfect Southern gentleman.
But when his wild side rose to the surface, Luke’s entire demeanor changed and the transformation was shocking to say the least. That was the reason why he refused to have anything to do with Easy. She brought out the wildness in him and he knew if he ever gave it free rein that he would be totally screwed. No, the possibility of any type of relationship with her was out of the question. The woman would ruin his well ordered existence if he let her.
A few years ago he would have been on her like white on rice, but not now. Now he was too close to his goals to make such a costly mistake. He had too much to lose to get mixed up with a wild woman. No matter how much he wanted her. And dammit, he wanted her more than he had believed possible. She was simply irresistible.
Her blatant interest in him wasn’t making his decision any easier. The woman was completely obvious about the fact that she wanted him. She didn't play games and the simple, honest truth of her desire for him was a huge turn on. Easy wanted him and she had no qualms about letting him know how much. He envied her that freedom.