by Gina Gordon
The heat that sparked in her eyes at his comment told him everything he needed to know.
He grabbed his helmet and mounted the bike, easing his body behind her.
“You’re going to have to get closer.”
Neil moved until his crotch was flush against her sweet ass. He was going to have to make a conscious effort not to get aroused. That would be a little embarrassing. A lot embarrassing.
He slid his hands around her waist, the leather of her jacket soft against his skin.
When they were settled, she tilted her head slightly and looked over her shoulder. He nodded letting her know he was ready.
They took off at a quick pace, the crunch of the gravel under them barely audible over the sound of the engine.
Carson then eased out of the driveway and turned left. They travelled through the city streets for about ten minutes then headed north until the housing developments grew sparse.
They were on a true country road, whipping through the wind, and Neil had to grab on a little tighter when she kicked it into fourth gear.
It was weird to not be in control of the ride. The hum between his legs, the air around them, all felt different being a passenger.
They came to the entrance of a conservation area but it was closed off.
Carson stopped the bike and let it idle. She lifted her visor and turned. “I was hoping this was going to be open. There are some cool hills we could try.”
Hills? Why was she making so much of an effort? There was no reason for her to spend more time with him. Especially when they weren’t anywhere near a bed.
“Why are you doing this?” He settled his eyes on hers.
“What do you mean? We’re riding.”
“We could have just gone our separate ways.”
It was as if she was frightened of him riding.
His restlessness had settled, a sort of peace coming over him simply by the way the wind washed over his body. But the feeling that usually forced him to do stupid things had been replaced with a different type of restless urge. A sexual urge to take this woman up against one of the thousands of trees that surrounded them.
“Why are you so intent on me not racing? What’s it to you?”
“It’s dangerous…and I don’t want to see you get hurt.” She tensed. “It’s not a nice thing to get caught up in.”
She faced forward, preventing him from seeing her eyes. He knew she was holding something back.
“Are you going to tell me what happened?”
She slammed her hand on the handles of the bike. “Disclosing personal information wasn’t part of our deal.”
“Your call.” He shrugged. “Maybe Martin will tell me about your—”
“You’re infuriating.” She spit out her words with a growl and her head tilted slightly but not enough to face him. “I told you. I raced. And then I stopped.”
Neil let his hands slide down her body and settle on her hips. Those lush, curvy hips that fit the palm of his hand with perfection.
He heard a soft intake of breath as his hands moved to the crease of her thigh. And there it was, the thing he didn’t want to happen was getting harder with each passing second.
She felt him. Hard against her back. Of that he had no doubt. She even did a tiny wiggle against his crotch. It felt amazing. Just what he needed to forget his troubles.
“We should probably get back.”
She had won this round. Although he had handed it to her when he got distracted by her hips. She wasn’t ready to disclose her demons. He had many of his own so he didn’t hold a grudge. He probably would have done the same had the roles been reversed.
She backed them out of the driveway and they drove off down the deserted road.
Neil wanted to take this further. The reaction of her body told him she was on board. She just needed a little coaxing. And he knew exactly what he needed to do to get her in the mood.
The hum of the bike underneath them had to feel good to her. It felt good to him and he didn’t have a clit. He let his hands slide back down to the crease of her thighs. She gave her head a shake. Was she losing concentration?
He squeezed and let his fingers make their way between her legs. She was warm, so hot, even with his gloves on.
She shimmied back against him. He had no idea how she managed to do it while they rode. Her back straightened, and it allowed her legs to open a little more, giving him a little more access to the part of her he hoped throbbed with need for his cock.
He let one hand slip further down and he cupped her crotch as best he could, given the tight space. The bike jerked and he surged forward. He was getting to her.
His hands found their way under the leather of her jacket to the waistband of her jeans. He undid the button and slowly pulled down the zipper. With the zipper all the way down, he dipped two fingers under the waistband of her panties, slowly, giving her time to stop him if she wasn’t into it. Or if she didn’t think she could hold her concentration while driving the bike.
Neil wasn’t one to shy away from what he wanted, especially in the bedroom. And he wanted Carson. All the arguing, all the anger toward one another was just foreplay. Revving up their own engines. Bringing their need for each other to a deeper, more intense level.
The first touch of warmth sent his head spinning, and when he delved deeper between the folds of her flesh, he groaned. The wetness between her thighs was the best greeting he’d gotten in a very long time.
This was insane. This was bad for business. This was going to get him in very deep with a woman he had no business getting under his skin.
But when she leaned back and their helmets touched, he lost all sense of logic. With her torso straight he was able to slip further down. He massaged her clit with the pads of his fingers, his movement limited by the tightness of her jeans.
He pressed closer into her body, his hips pushing up against her bottom in even strokes.
The bike jerked again, but this time she slowed and pulled onto the side of the road.
They stopped and Neil let his feet drop to the ground cradling the bike between his thighs. She pulled off her helmet and her shiny, black hair flew in every direction. It smelled of citrus and, from behind, he noticed the strands were a little soaked with sweat along her hairline.
With his free hand Neil removed his own helmet, the air against his face cooled him down a touch, but only a touch.
She leaned back, her head resting against Neil’s shoulder. She spread her legs wider and undulated her hips.
“Oh, God,” she murmured. “Oh…”
“Feel good?”
She moaned. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“And why not. All this arguing has been one long game of foreplay and I’m about ready to stop playing.”
He moved his fingers with vigor but he couldn’t give her what she needed like this.
Neil slipped his hand from her pants and got off the bike. He stepped closer, crowding her, then cupped her cheek, letting his thumb brush across her soft skin.
Her pulse pounded against the palm of his hand. She licked her lips, her sweet breath an intoxicating scent.
When his lips finally touched hers, something inside him broke.
His restraint?
The brick wall he kept between him and the world?
At this point he couldn’t be sure which, but it didn’t matter. He could analyze it tomorrow. Right now all he wanted was to fall between her legs.
Neil deepened the kiss and she opened for him, her lips parting in invitation. He slipped his tongue inside. Her arms came around and grabbed onto his neck, her fingers lightly cutting into the skin at his nape. It felt good. Right.
“You hired me to build your restaurant. My fee doesn’t include this. You know that, right?”
Neil kept kissing, and she kissed him right back. He pulled away. “Close your eyes.”
She stared at him. Desire. Fear. All shot like daggers.
“Close your eyes,
” he repeated.
She swallowed hard. Finally her eyes closed and he leaned in.
Neil let his lips roam against her face, her cheeks, her nose, never making full contact. He’d had her lips, plump and swollen from his kiss. What he wanted lay between her legs.
He stepped back and pulled her off the bike. His hands went right to her waistband and pulled her jeans and panties down.
Her boots were in his way. “Shit!” Strike one for having sex with a female biker. He pulled them off then lifted and settled her on the seat.
“I thought you were going to kiss me.”
He grinned. “I am.”
Neil lowered himself, one knee hit the dirt road as he let his lips graze against her folds. She smelled sweet and musky. His hands skimmed up her legs, tickling her calves, gripping her supple thigh, and resting between her legs.
“Neil,” she whispered.
His tongue licked her tender flesh, moving from the outside of her lips then dipping between her folds where sweetness waited for him.
He lapped, letting his tongue flatten against her flesh. She gripped the bike, one hand on the handle, the other on the seat, her legs spread wide, her feet resting on his shoulders.
He took her flesh into his mouth and sucked, the pressure setting her off.
She wailed loudly. Her thighs came up and squeezed his head and her flesh pulsed against his mouth.
She grabbed his hair and pulled him away and up, her eyes wide and sparkling. Her fingers wiped at his mouth and she nipped at his lips. He loved when a woman wasn’t afraid of her own scent.
“Please tell me you brought a condom,” she asked. Her lips pressed against his. “Please, please, please,” she whispered.
And so she begged. And he barely had to do a thing.
“Never leave home without one.”
Neil reached for his wallet and grabbed the condom that he kept there for situations just like this one. But if someone asked him two days ago if he’d be using his stash with Carson Kelly, he would have laughed.
He bent and slipped her feet into her boots. “What are you doing?”
He held out his hand. “Come with me.”
She tensed. “Where are we going?”
He gestured over to the tree line. He’d imagined taking her up against one of those trees. And that’s exactly what he was going to do.
She stepped into his embrace and he captured her lips. Her fingers fiddled in his hair. This time, he let his hands roam to other areas, like her breasts. He grazed his fingers along the outside. They were petite and more than perfect for the cupping of his hands.
He grabbed her hips and pulled her forward, letting his hands drop to her bottom. He massaged the smooth flesh then gripped her tightly, lifting her so her legs wrapped around his waist. With her in position he walked them over to a tree.
He pushed her against it, caging her there with his hips. He placed his palms on the rough bark on either side of her and kissed her, hard, devouring her mouth with all the pent up anger and frustration he’d been holding in.
Her hands slipped between them and she grabbed on to his length, rubbing him over his jeans.
He pulled back and thrust his hips out to keep her against the tree then lowered his fly.
“Condom.”
He handed it over and she ripped it open while he pulled his erection out of his pants.
He let her slip it over his engorged flesh and when it was in place, he grabbed her ass one more time and lifted. Her hand gripped around him and she stroked once, then twice, guiding him to her opening.
His cock nudged her and with one smooth thrust he was seated to the hilt.
Carson let her head fall back and her hands roamed over her body, grabbing her breasts and squeezing through her shirt.
This position couldn’t be comfortable for her, but Carson moaned with every stroke. She was so tight and smooth.
Her hands slid up to his shoulders and she gripped his face pulling him in for a kiss.
“Faster,” she whispered. “Do it.”
Neil granted her wish and thrust with greater force.
“Yes. That’s…” She whimpered and the next thing he knew she was shaking in his arms. She had come again. And now it was his turn.
He leaned back and thrust, exhaling hard with every up-stroke. He pounded her harder and faster into the tree and finally he came with a hard groan.
After, he enveloped her in his arms and pulled her away from the tree. He carried her back to the bike and settled her on the seat.
Their eyes met and Neil smiled. What was it about this woman that touched every nerve, good and bad?
But he knew just as well as she did that they were no good together. Sex wasn’t the only thing that kept a relationship going. And he was the last person in the world that wanted to be tied down.
He would treat this as it was—a mutually agreed upon arrangement where they both had the opportunity to let off some steam.
After straightening their clothes, they returned to the gym and picked up Neil’s bike. She left him with a smile and a quiet “see you tomorrow.”
It had been a great day. The best day he’d had in a long time.
But as soon as the sound of her engine fell away into the distance, everything went silent and his demons came back with a vengeance.
He only hoped he could survive the night without Carson to keep him in check.
Chapter Five
Carson fiddled with the pencil she had stuck behind her ear. Her stomach churned with nervousness. She did her best not to stare at Martin, who sat at the bar, his face immersed in some sort of magazine. Must be nice to be able to read a magazine for pleasure. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d done anything for pleasure. With the exception of last night when she let Neil feel her up on her bike. Or when she’d sucked him off in the walk-in fridge. And the night before when they’d fucked on a table.
Right, besides all those times, she hadn’t had any fun in way too long.
But last night Neil tried to dig deeper into her past. Questioning her about her involvement in racing. That was something he didn’t need to know. That part of her life was over but the shame still haunted her. It still made an appearance every time her father questioned her designs, her work ethic, her lifestyle.
She remembered that night, when she came clean about her extracurricular activities. Mike had just died, her life had been ripped apart again, and she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t stand the heartache. The disappointed look on her father’s face broke her heart and she would be damned if she would give Neil the opportunity to look at her with that same disappointment.
The building inspector toured the facility jotting down his last minute recommendations. She had completely forgotten about the inspector’s appearance this morning, her mind on other, sexier things. And of course Martin had shown up at the exact same time as the inspector.
And where the fuck was Neil Harrison?
In the year that she had been dealing with the man he never missed a meeting. He never missed a phone call. Because of this track record, she was starting to think that something might be terribly wrong.
She pulled out her BlackBerry and checked her messages one more time. Still nothing.
“Quite rude of Mr. Harrison to miss a meeting.” Martin sidled up to her in the front foyer of the restaurant. “Is there something going on that I should know about?”
“Maybe there was some kind of emergency. He would be here otherwise.”
He inched closer, a little too close for her liking. “I would say that maybe you didn’t tell him about the meeting except…” His hand reached up and brushed a stray piece of hair away from her neck. The light touch of his skin to hers made her nauseous.
With his flawless blond hair and average frame, Martin was the complete opposite of Neil’s commanding physique.
Even the fact that she once contemplated allowing him to touch her in a more intimate manner almost made her viol
ently ill. To this day, Martin still had the wool pulled over her father’s eyes and, despite her repeated brush-offs, still imagined that one day he’d be a legitimate member of the family. “Dad did tell him I’d be here.”
Dad? She hated when he called her father Dad. Didn’t he have his own blood-sucking, slave-driving, know-it-all asshole parent who didn’t respect him? She stepped away and whirled around to face him.
“How dare you accuse me of sabotaging a meeting. You know Martin, I—”
“Ms. Kelly.” The inspector approached them from behind. “Everything looks great. Once again your inspection is spotless.”
She heard Martin scoff under his breath.
“Thank you Mr. Banks. It was a pleasure seeing you again. And I apologize on behalf of Mr. Harrison. There was an emergency and he wasn’t able to make it this time.”
“That’s all right. I will send over the finalized documents and the certificate of occupancy. This place is ready to open for business.”
She always had good luck when it came to Carl Banks. There were a few inspectors on the city payroll that liked to stir up trouble just because they could. But not Carl. He came in, did his job and walked out. She appreciated that.
“Mr. Harrison will be happy to hear the good news.”
Carl walked away leaving Carson to deal with an even bigger problem—her father’s spy.
“Your father will be very disappointed to hear that Mr. Harrison ditched this meeting. He was hoping to get some insider information on the job you’ve been doing.”
“All he has to do is ask. And you can tell him that I don’t appreciate his lack of confidence. This job has been done right, and done well.”
Martin gave her an amused look. “All this tension and competition. You know it doesn’t have to be like that.” He meant they could get married and he could steal her family’s money. “We can work together.”
She laughed. “You mean you can steal the company out from under me.”
“We’d make a good team you and I.” He sidled closer. “In the boardroom and the bedroom.”
She had resisted his advances far too long to fall for his niceties now.