MakeMeShiver

by Aline Hunter

  Make Me Shiver

  Aline Hunter

  When Lacey loses control of her vehicle and finds herself trapped by ice and snow, she knows there’s only one person to call for help. Unfortunately, Michael may cause more turmoil than relief. She’s lusted for the gorgeous Dom ever since she first laid eyes on him. Trouble is, he doesn’t do vanilla and she’s not a submissive…or is she?

  Michael’s hungered for Lacey for months, so when he notices her fleeting glimpses and blush-stained cheeks as he rescues her from an altercation with a guardrail, he decides it’s time to push the sultry beauty’s boundaries…only to discover Lacey’s not as reserved as she thinks.

  Physical attraction blossoms into something neither anticipates, taking Michael and Lacey beyond kink, dominance and submission. Their newfound connection is strong. until a flame from Michael’s past returns, shatters the fragile trust he and Lacey have only just developed and threatens to destroy something neither wants to surrender.

  Ellora’s Cave Publishing

  www.ellorascave.com

  Make Me Shiver

  ISBN 9781419936814

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Make Me Shiver Copyright © 2011 Aline Hunter

  Edited by Ann Leveille

  Cover design by Syneca

  Photography: RomanceNovelCovers.com

  Electronic book publication December 2011

  The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  The publisher and author(s) acknowledge the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned in this book.

  The publisher does not have any control over, and does not assume any responsibility for, author or third-party Web sites or their content.

  Make Me Shiver

  Aline Hunter

  Dedication

  I have to give a shout out to my husband, who is not only my best friend but my rock. To my critique partners and beta readers, who keep me on the right path. To my editor, who I’ve permanently dubbed The Divine Miss Ann, whose support, knowledge and dedication inspire me to think harder and write better. And lastly, to the readers who support my work and encourage me to keep doing what I love.

  Chapter One

  “If I die because of you, so help me God I’ll make you regret the day you were born, Scott Barker.” Lacey Walsh gripped the steering wheel and leaned forward, trying to see past a windshield obscured by large flakes of falling snow. “I’m so coming back to haunt your no-good, lowdown, dick-dipping ass. Death will look like a walk in the park compared to what I have planned for you, you cheating bastard.”

  Thirty minutes before, she’d gotten the shock of her life when she had decided to swing by Scott’s office. Now she understood why he’d always wanted her to call ahead before she came for a visit.

  “Asshole.”

  The image of Scott on his knees—his face buried in his secretary’s crotch—flashed in her mind. Karen’s golden head was limp on her shoulders, her massive, silicone-enhanced breasts bared to the world. Her hands grasped the copy machine she was seated on, manicured fingernails shining in the artificial office lighting as her soft whimpers accompanied the slurps of what Lacey could only imagine came courtesy of Scott’s mouth and tongue.

  “Skank.”

  Lacey cursed when she hit a patch of ice and the wheels rolled, causing the car to slide. Easing her foot off the gas, she waited until the wheels caught and she gained control. Living in the higher elevations of Tennessee meant snowy drives were dangerous. When winter weather advisories came, it was best to raid the grocery store and prepare for what could be days being snowed in. Fortunately her job granted her the freedom to remain trapped indoors during the snow and ice. Writing children’s picture books allowed her to stay at home, work at her own pace and keep to herself. It was a fantastic way to earn a living.

  Until you started dating the attorney working for your publisher and decided to take a drive into town to invite him over for the weekend.

  Ugh, how ironic.

  Here she was, ready to give it up, while he was getting his rocks off elsewhere. At least she’d never let him past second base. Just thinking of him coming to her after fucking Karen with his face, offering up a plate of sloppy seconds as a gift, made her physically ill.

  Another slippery spot of ice sent the car veering to the left. She gripped the wheel and tried to bring the vehicle back to the road. Instead it plunged farther to the left, toward the guardrail. The airbag deployed the instant the bumper made contact and consequently gave way to the metal barrier. She screamed upon impact and the inflatable cushion slapped her in the face. The car came to a slow stop, the windshield wipers going strong as the motor sputtered and died. Her heart was hammering, her rapid, panicked breaths more like pants as adrenaline rushed through her and brought everything into focus.

  Jesus. She really could have died. And for what? A man who enjoyed dipping his jimmy stick into God knew how many women?

  Groaning, she shoved aside the slowly deflating bag and sagged into her seat when she saw the steam from the engine through a steady fall of snow against the windshield. Fabulous. While she didn’t know much about engines, she had a pretty good feeling that even if the car started she’d never be able to drive the damn thing.

  Could things possibly get worse?

  She reached for her purse in the passenger seat, retrieved her phone and unlatched her safety belt. There was nothing like calling a tow truck during a snowstorm. Not only would they charge her double the fee, but she’d have to stay in town until the roads cleared. There was no way they’d take her up the mountain to her home, not if it was already icing over.

  Opening her cell, she grumbled, “Scott, I hope you get a massive case of dick-rot and suffer miserably,” and scrolled through the phone book, searching for the number she’d wisely programmed for emergencies just like this. When she got to the number she hesitated, a hot, undeniable flush settling over her.

  Talk about serendipity.

  She’d chosen Mike’s Wrecker Service as her tow of choice for one reason—the owner, Michael Gilchrist. He was total hotness, a glorious specimen of man, and absolutely not her type. Although she was normally drawn to the powerful men in business suits with manicured nails, pressed slacks and regular haircuts, Michael had shown her that a dirt-under-his-nails working man had the power to blow every fantasy she’d ever had out of the water.

  From the moment she’d seen him two months before cruising inside the family-owned-and-operated Food Mart—dressed casually in faded and torn blue jeans, a black T-shirt and worn work boots—she’d been smitten. Unfortunately, she hadn’t even known who in the h
ell he was besides gorgeous and unforgettable. She had been too shy and nervous to approach him and introduce herself. Instead she had lingered behind aisles of cereal and gawked at him as he made his selections and strolled over to the checkout. It was like one of the romance movies she watched, where the heroine was too afraid to grow a pair. But she couldn’t help it. It wasn’t in her nature to strike up a conversation with a random Adonis in the frozen food section.

  After he left she’d made a casual remark to the cashier and got a knowing grin and the man of her dreams’ name. Michael Gilchrist, owner of Mike’s Wrecker Service, a legend in his spare time and total eye candy. For days she had cursed her shyness and fear of rejection. At twenty-four, she wasn’t exactly new to the dating game. What was wrong with going up, saying hello and asking for his number? Women did it all the time. It was a sign of the times. Because of her insecurity, she’d never know what might have been.

  All because she was too afraid to grasp life by the balls.

  Then one night, as if it were destined to be, Michael had strolled through the door of Haddie’s while she’d been on her lonesome. One too many cosmopolitans had lowered her guard and loosened her tongue, and she’d found herself not only talking to the god himself but flirting with him as well. It had been going splendidly, until she’d been ripped away from the bar by her college best friend, newspaper sleuth and resident local, Candice Bradshaw. One trip to the ladies was all Candy had needed to warn Lacey about what Michael looked for in a relationship, and it wasn’t just love, monogamy and vanilla nights between the sheets.

  An electric charge ran down her spine as she remembered Candy’s quickly spoken words.

  Whips, bondage, dominance…submission.

  As Candy spilled, Lacey had listened, stunned and disbelieving. Sure, Michael exuded an aggressive and alluring alpha vibe. But a Dom?

  Even more surreal had been her reaction to the revelation. She had started to sweat, her nipples had tingled and hardened into points and an all-revealing gush of wetness had soaked her panties. For a moment she had imagined what it would be like.

  He was sexy as sin but giving orders, demanding submission…

  Holy Hell, it made her hot. Sadly, even more than that, it scared the shit out of her.

  Keyed up, yet mortified, she’d ditched her newly brassed balls, returned to the bar and thanked Michael for the drink, and left despite his offer to drive her home. It was always better to be safe than sorry when it came to things like this, especially as a new resident in an extremely small town. Once word got out about anything, everyone knew. Yet even after finding a certain relief in her decision, a nagging regret ate at her for weeks and refused to go away. In the end, it was impossible to stop obsessing over one very unforgettable, and undeniably sexy, Michael Gilchrist.

  How many times had she asked herself what would have happened if she hadn’t left him that night? What if she’d stayed and listened to his heavy and alluring Southern timbre? What if she had taken him up on the offer of a drink, some flirty conversation and a ride that could have become something more? How far would things have gone?

  Her fingers trembled as she stared at the name on the screen.

  What would it be like to let Michael tie her up? Make her a willing slave to his pleasure? Could she allow a man that level of control? Would she enjoy being dominated for their mutual enjoyment? What if he wanted to take her to the club he frequented and put her on display for the entire world to see?

  Her nipples peaked at the prospect and her pussy clenched. Yep, the interest was definitively there—as it had been since she started doing Google searches and watching videos of D/s on the net. Of course, this was Michael she was fantasizing about. With his tall, muscular frame, shoulder-length blond hair and glacier blue eyes. It wasn’t fair that a man looked so damn good you wanted to eat him.

  Exhaling raggedly, she acknowledged that even without the kink the temptation to learn what he was like in the sack was a sinful, and in her case unobtainable, fantasy.

  She pressed send and pushed aside thoughts of something that would never happen. She wasn’t Michael’s type. He was sure to gravitate toward women with similar interests. Women who wore leather, rode Harleys and liked being tied up in their spare time. He’d never be interested in someone like her. An average woman who watched The Price Is Right reruns, ate her ice cream straight out of the carton and preferred loose cotton skirts and sneaks to skintight jeans and platform heels.

  “Mike’s Wrecker, this is Jacob.”

  A pang of disappointment struck when Michael didn’t answer. Not that Jacob Lewis was anything to smirk at. Pleasant View’s resident mechanic was also a renowned bachelor who wooed the ladies but refused to settle down.

  “Hi, Jacob. It’s Lacey Walsh,” she said, oddly deflated. “I need a tow.”

  “Hello, Lacey.” His soft chuckle rasped into the phone. “I kind of figured that. Where are you?”

  She quickly gave him directions and snapped the phone closed after she was instructed to remain in her car and wait. Settling into her seat, she palmed the cell and tugged her coat around her shoulders.

  It was just as well that Michael didn’t answer. Coming off the disaster that was Scott Barker, it was best she get her kicks from erotic romance novels followed by some quality time with her vibrator. There was nothing worse than getting herself worked up only to take the lonely trip back home to her computer screen, Twitter and Facebook and dream about what might have been.

  Wasn’t that the kicker? Things that occurred in books never happened in real life. There were no tall, dark and handsome strangers who were faithful, gainfully employed and romantic. There were only men who loved you, fucked you and left you high and dry. And when it was all over, if you were lucky, you were left with a broken heart versus a dried-up bank account, an STD or enough emotional damage to make sure you never made the same mistake again.

  Nope, when it came down to it there was one universal truth shared by single women the world over: You could always depend on something that only required batteries and decent wrist action to provide adequate, if mildly disappointing, sexual satisfaction.

  Who needed a man?

  Chapter Two

  “Mike, are you there? Come in.”

  Michael snagged the microphone from the CB and lifted it to his mouth. “I’m here. What do you need?” He released the small circular button and listened, hoping like hell he didn’t have to make a detour. After giving his last unfortunate client a tow to the closest tire shop, he’d hoped to finish up for the night. Too bad heavy snow meant business would be booming, and the temperature wasn’t supposed to rise until the morning.

  “I need a tow up on Merril Mountain.”

  That was heading in the opposite direction. If he took the call he wouldn’t make it home for an hour or more. “Radio Pat. He was in that area last time I checked.”

  “You might want to take this call.”

  “Why is that?”

  The line crackled with static when Jacob answered, “It’s Lacey.”

  Lacey. Damn.

  His heart accelerated as his cock came to life, stirring and straining against his jeans. The name alone did all kinds of things to him—things he didn’t like to think about. From the first time he’d seen the newest Pleasant View resident in her billowy knee-length skirt, conservative blouse and Keds sneakers, he’d felt an instant attraction. She was a natural beauty, perhaps a decade or so younger than his thirty-five years, with beautiful waist-length mahogany hair, a heart-shaped face, full and lush lips and the most exotic pair of grass-green eyes he had ever seen.

  Everyone had noticed when she moved into town. It had been impossible not to. She was well-known for writing children’s stories, and it had been as if a celebrity had arrived in their midst. Sure, most of the fans were mothers with small children but it didn’t take long for the rest of the community to take notice. With the way she looked, she had the single male populace standing in line for he
r signature at local book signings in the hopes they might also walk away with her phone number or a night in her bed.

  “I’ll call Pat,” Jacob said, breaking apart his thoughts. “He’s free at the moment.”

  “No,” he snapped into the CB, livid at the thought of the town charmer giving Lacey a ride. Pat would try to wrangle her out of her panties the minute her perfectly rounded ass hit the passenger seat in his truck.

  Striving for calm, he said evenly, “I’ll take care of it.”

  There was laughter in Jacob’s voice when he responded. “I figured you would.”

  Sliding the receiver back into its appropriate slot, Mike downshifted and turned the rig around. His body was on fire, amped up for what he couldn’t have, and his now fully engorged dick pounded miserably. It had been a long time since he’d been with a woman he’d envisioned having more than casual sex with.

  Too fucking long.

  Beginning a relationship was never easy, but adding BDSM into the mix made things far trickier. He’d sworn off relationships entirely after the bitter fallout with his ex that had left him emotionally drained and exhausted, unwilling to take the risk of entering into anything remotely similar. It was almost impossible to find what he was looking for in a woman. Head games were too draining, and trying to find someone who was willing to be totally open, honest and trusting was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

  Inadvertently, his thoughts drifted back to Lacey. The first time they met, he’d believed she might be different. She’d been a breath of fresh air, opening up to him without any reservations.

  When he’d moseyed up to her at Haddie’s and offered to buy her a drink, her mannerisms and fleeting glimpses told the Dom in him that she was a born submissive. Her nature was sweet, pleasing and delightful. He’d been certain she felt the connection. She hadn’t shied away from his teasing touches, her cheeks blushing beautifully as he’d casually run his finger along her jaw to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Their conversation had been relaxed and comfortable—the beginning of something extraordinary starting to take place.