by Burke, Dez
A moment later, he lifted a hand to smooth a knuckle across her cheek. Kendra’s strangled breath caught in her chest.
“You’re very beautiful,” he murmured very thoughtfully, those eyes gliding over her face. “Eyes the prettiest I’ve ever seen.” His words were simply hypnotic. She could only watch, immobilized, as his head slanted low, aiming for her mouth.
Kendra could not believe this was about to happen. Again. So much for resisting him.
But God help her, she couldn’t stop it. She couldn’t do more than melt into him as he devoured her lips. His tongue began a slow, sensual assault the moment she let him into her mouth. Kendra moaned and trembled when she felt his hands move under the towel and cup her ass. His touch was possessive, heated, famished. He cupped the curves of her ass and tugged her tighter against his hard, overpowering masculinity.
Their lips crashed together so hard Kendra knew her lips would feel the bruises later. Her fingers dug into his hair and rifled through the silken strands. But then moments later her senses returned and she gasped, letting go of his hair and straining against him. He pulled away slowly, resting his hands on her hips as Kendra slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes were glazed and confused, her sensuous mouth even more swollen and enticing. Kendra was completely losing it. Her gut told her Flint was a man with the potential to lead her deep into forbidden territory, and he was proving her right with every passing second.
He seemed to see right through her to her fears and worries, and he gently touched her swollen bottom lip as he said in a gentle tone, “It’s all right, doc. Relax. It’s not my style to force myself on women. Which means the next time I touch you or kiss you, you’re not going to want me to stop. When that happens, I’ll start here,” he murmured thickly.
Kendra looked down and gasped as his fingertips grazed over her now rock-hard nipples through the towel. She’d never felt them get so big and stiff, aching with need. Her own body was betraying her. She arched at his barely-there caress across her breasts.
She lifted widened eyes to his face and found his gaze fixed on her heaving breasts, heavy now and filled with want that she was sure he could detect even beneath the terrycloth towel. She met his gaze. She felt one thing, but her brain told her another. She couldn’t let this happen. Not now. Not ever. This wasn’t her style and he wasn’t her type of man.
“I’m sorry,” Kendra said before hurrying out of the room, embarrassed once again for giving in so easily. Whatever was happening between them, it was opening a side to her she’d never known; a submissive part that found it so easy to yield to a man with the will and passion strong enough to control her every response. Flint was that kind of man. She knew it instinctively. The knowledge both scared and thrilled her to the bone.
****
Flint wondered if Kendra had any idea how difficult it was for him to let her go. The luscious feel of her ass in his hands as he’d kissed her had made his brain almost short-circuit. What was it about her?
He hadn’t meant to be a peeping Tom and spy on her in the shower like a pervert. His intention had only been to ask her something through the door. But when he found it slightly ajar, he couldn’t help pushing it open. Once he’d caught sight of her naked body behind the shower doors, his feet refused to turn and walk away.
All he could do was stand there completely mesmerized and watch as she soaped her heavy breasts and between her legs; all the places he would pleasure with his tongue if he ever got the chance. His reaction to her was immediate and overwhelming, his erection so painfully hard he thought he was going to explode.
He’d wanted her the moment he’d opened his eyes, delirious with pain, and found her leaning over him. He’d already kissed her twice, and who the hell knew what else he was capable of doing if she kept looking at him the way she did? Hell, sex was all he could think about since he’d set eyes on her. When she had stepped out of the shower wrapped in only a towel, it took every bit of control he possessed not to rip it off her body, bend her over the bathroom counter, and take her from behind.
There was no doubt that this woman brought out his primal streak, and holding back was making him feel like he could implode at any moment. She didn’t have a clue as to her effect on him. He’d meant it when he told her she was beautiful. She really was even though she was different from his usual preference, which leaned toward petite, blonde and thin.
He loved the way she wore her hair, the wild, long dark mane framing her features. There was a calm intelligence about her that turned him on along with that curvy, full-figured body of hers. Not to mention her heavy breasts and the wide hips that knew how to fill out a tight pair of jeans. She was tall for a woman but only barely reached his shoulder. He loved cupping her large ass. Damn, that was one piece of her he could certainly form an obsession over.
And Kendra wasn’t like any of the groupie bimbos that hung around the clubhouse. She didn’t mind letting a man know that she possessed a mind of her own. He’d noticed that first thing when she told him about the keys. He would never let her know it, but that single action turned him on as much as it pissed him off. She was most definitely a woman of strong character who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind.
The more he thought about her, the angrier he grew inside. Whatever attraction he felt for Dr. Kendra Shaw, he needed to get over it fast. A nice, decent woman like her would never go for a man like him. Maybe she would have liked the man he was once striving to be six months ago. A man with integrity and principles. Certainly not the way he was now and would probably always be.
Nothing more than a common outlaw.
****
It took a while for Kendra to work up the nerve to join Flint in the kitchen. He was seated at the small dining table enjoying a second cup of coffee. He looked up but didn’t speak when she walked past him to the coffee maker.
“Flint, about what happened earlier...” she began and couldn’t continue.
Flint raised his eyebrows. “You mean in the bathroom?” he asked innocently.
Kendra turned away from him to look out the window over the kitchen sink. Sleet was beginning to stick to the trees and power lines. The winter storm was turning out to be worse than predicted.
Flint leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “So you want to tell me why you ran out of there like a bat out of hell?”
Kendra ripped a paper towel from the roll and nervously wiped down the edges of the sink. “I don’t know. I guess I was afraid of what might happen if I stayed,” she replied in a soft voice, unable to meet his intense gaze.
He drew in a sharp breath as if she had slapped him. “You’re afraid of me?” he asked incredulously. “Jesus!”
She let out a long sigh and turned to look at him. “No,” she replied. “No, of course not,” she said more firmly. “I’m not afraid of you, Flint. It was more a matter of being afraid of me...of my doing something rash and out of character.”
“And that’s a problem because...?” he asked, his voice calmer now and his eyes suddenly twinkling.
She shrugged, embarrassed by her admission. “I’m not an impulsive person and you caught me off guard. That’s all.”
He raised his eyebrows, clearly not buying her story.
“Listen, Flint,” she continued. “The bottom line is I don’t do casual sex. Ever. I need a mental and emotional connection first. And if that’s not happening and I’m not feeling it, then the physical part just isn’t worth it to me.” She smiled to take the sting off of her words. “After all, I’m sure you have plenty of pretty girls hanging around the clubhouse who would be more than happy to have you. What do you call them? Old ladies or something like that? They probably find the tough guy biker act of yours very appealing.”
“And what about you, Kendra?” he asked, suddenly serious again. “Do you find it appealing?”
Kendra opened her mouth to lie. To make a joke and laugh it away as if that was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard. And normally it would be. She was
n’t into the whole dominant alpha male thing. Or had never been in the past. But if she was to be honest with herself, she would admit this time the answer was different.
Hell yes, she found him immensely appealing. The thought of Flint being in control, persuading her to do things sexually beyond her normal comfort zone, was an erotic fantasy. A fantasy she couldn’t stop thinking about. It was driving her crazy. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.
“That’s not the point,” Kendra snapped. She had a feeling Flint knew exactly what she’d been thinking.
He grinned. “What is the point then?”
“Admit it, Flint. You probably wouldn’t look twice at me if we weren’t holed up in this cabin together. It’s obvious I could stand to lose a few pounds and I don’t wear makeup or fix my hair in a fancy style. I’m here and I’m convenient. That’s all this is. And don’t try to tell me I’m your type because I’m not buying it. Not for a second. If we had met at the grocery store or in my vet clinic, I seriously doubt you would give me a second look or ask for my number. That’s all I’m saying. I’m not an idiot. And I won’t be used for sexual entertainment.”
Flint sprang from his chair with the sleekness of a panther and stood inches from her. His eyes flashed with emotion before he grabbed her with his good arm and pulled her close to his chest. She struggled in his grip, but he was too strong for her as he stared deeply into her startled face. Her heartbeat increased alarmingly at his closeness and Kendra wondered if she would ever be immune to his overwhelming magnetism.
“You really believe that?” he demanded angrily. “That I would sleep with you only because you’re stuck here with me? That I wouldn’t still want you if we’d met another way? How can you not understand how desirable you are to me? Do you know how incredibly difficult it was to let you walk away wrapped only in a towel? When I saw you in the shower, it took my breath away...you took my breath away.”
When she didn’t answer, he let out a long sigh and abruptly turned her loose.
“I’m sorry, darling,” Flint said simply.
Kendra sent him a sharp look. “For what?” she asked.
Flint shrugged and looked away from her. “For getting you involved in all this. You’re a smart woman and seem like a really good person. I let Jesse have it over the phone for dragging you into this mess. It never should have happened. And I do wish we could have met in different circumstances. Like you said, in the grocery store or at your vet clinic. Normal every day circumstances.” He let out a short laugh and ran a hand through his hair. “Though I’m not sure normal will be showing up any time soon in my life.”
He stuck his hands in his jeans pocket and leaned back against the kitchen counter. “I know it could never work,” he said quietly before turning and leaving the kitchen.
Kendra stood there for a moment, stunned by his words.
No, a relationship with a man like Flint would never work out.
Or could it?
Did she dare to find out?
Chapter Seven
Flint hurried back inside the cabin and slammed the heavy oak door behind him. He shrugged off his leather jacket before slinging it over a chair by the door. “God! It’s cold out there,” he said, rubbing his hands together to warm them up. “From what I could tell, the road is completely iced over. Looks like you’re going to be stuck with me for a while longer. Even if I had my keys back, I wouldn’t make it more than a few feet.” He shook his head, sending a few snowflakes flying to the floor.
Kendra was curled up on the sofa with a blanket, checking messages for the vet clinic on her cell phone. She finished typing a text message to one of her clients and hit send. “Or you’re stuck with me,” she teased back. “However you want to look at it. I have to warn you, I can be pretty cranky at times. Especially if I don’t get my morning cup of coffee. Or lunch. Actually, I’m at my most crankiest if I have to skip lunch. Must be low blood sugar or something. ”
Flint grinned. “Is that a fact? I’ll have to remember to feed you. Maybe I should make a sign that says “Don’t Forget to Feed the Tiger.” He walked past the table where her pistol and shotgun were partially tucked under her coat. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about this. Two guns, Kendra? Pardon my pun, but isn’t that a little overkill?”
Kendra looked up from her phone and shrugged. “Yeah, maybe,” she replied. “I feel better with the guns in here than in the truck. After all, someone shot you. Who is to say they won’t come here looking for more?”
Flint frowned, a flash of concern crossing his face before he quickly hid it. Damn! Why hadn’t he given more thought to keeping Kendra safe? He always knew there was a chance the Liberators would come after him, but until now the thought hadn’t occurred to him that Kendra might be in danger as well. All because of him.
Kendra immediately picked up on his change of mood. “You’re worried too,” she said perceptibly. “Aren’t you?”
“Not really,” Flint replied. “There’s no need to be worried. Jesse assured me that nobody knows where we are except for our crew, and they can be trusted. Hopefully the temperature will warm up tomorrow and we can both leave. We need to get you back to town so that you can take care of all of those sick animals.”
Kendra nodded in agreement. “Isn’t that the truth! There’s always plenty of work to do. It seems like I never get caught up. There’s always another sick animal to examine.”
“Mind if I sit with you?” Flint asked, plopping down on the other end of the sofa before she replied. He pointed to her cell phone, where she was rapidly typing another text message. “Is the vet clinic open on weekends?”
Kendra shook her head. “No. Technically, the vet clinic is closed on the weekends. I’m usually on call twenty-four hours a day for emergencies though. If someone needs help with a mama cow that’s having a hard time giving birth, they can’t wait around for business hours to call me. It’s the nature of the business. Long hours and low pay.”
“You go out to their house?” Flint realized he didn’t like the idea of Kendra going to a stranger’s house alone. Especially after seeing how easily she could be tricked into meeting a man about an animal in the middle of nowhere. Didn’t she realize there were bad people out there? He felt strangely protective of her but didn’t dare show it.
“Barn usually,” she corrected. “Or pasture. It’s not like they can load the big animals up and bring them to me. It’s not so bad though. Spring and summer are the busiest months. In February and March the majority of the calves are born, so that keeps me busy. Then starting in mid-April, all of the orphaned baby birds and mammals start flooding in to the wildlife clinic. From April until the first of October, the clinic is crazy. We work fourteen hours a day, seven days a week.”
“Wow! Sounds intense. How do you get paid for that?”
Kendra laughed. “We don’t. Not for the wildlife rehab stuff. It’s all volunteer based. I have a terrific group of wildlife rehabilitators who come in several days a week to help out. We wouldn’t be able to keep the clinic open without them since the clinic survives solely on donations. I assume your brother mentioned he offered to give the clinic the proceeds from the charity ride in the spring?”
“Yeah,” Flint answered. “He told me how they practically strong-armed you into taking care of me. I really do feel bad about that,” he added sincerely. “We’ll make it up to you, I promise. The MC will deliver on the money for your clinic. You have my word. If it had been my decision, I would have found another way. What they did was wrong.”
Kendra’s eyebrows shot up in surprise that he would go against the MC.
“Jesse and I don’t always see eye to eye on how to handle things in the club,” Flint explained. “He’s more of an ‘act first, apologize later’ kind of guy, and I’m more strategic. Methodical. We usually end up in the same place, we just choose different ways to get there.”
Kendra quietly turned off her phone. “What about your other brother, Sam? What is he like?”
A shadow crossed Flint’s face at the mention of his younger brother. “Sam is stubborn, rebellious, and at times completely out of control.”
“Sounds like you two don’t get along very well.”
“We get along well enough, I suppose,” Flint replied. “Considering what we’ve gone through. Sam still harbors some hard feelings toward me over something I did many years ago. It’s taking me a long time to regain his trust. I understand so I’m willing to give him as much time as he needs.”
Kendra frowned. “What on earth did you do?”
“I left,” Flint replied simply. “I turned my back on my brothers, my dad, the MC, and left town. I moved to Atlanta for a few years and got a job. Started a brand new life. Basically, I abandoned everyone when they needed me the most. Sam never forgave me for that.”
“What made you leave? Did something happen?”
Flint let out a long breath. He honestly didn’t know why he was telling her all this. Normally, he didn’t share personal information about himself with anyone. With Kendra, it was almost like once he started talking, he couldn’t stop. The words flowed over each other in a hurry to get out.
“We’d lost our mom to breast cancer,” he began. “The years before her death were pretty rough on everybody. Watching somebody you love get sicker and weaker by the day...it was hard. Up until then, we had always been a close-knit family. When she passed away, it took a heavy toll on all of us. None of us knew how to deal with our pain. Before long, Dad was drinking too much. Jesse and I started hanging out with the motorcycle club to take our mind off the situation at home. We left Sam all alone to deal with an alcoholic who could be abusive at times. He was only sixteen and too young to join the MC. He felt abandoned when I left town.”
Kendra reached over and gave his leg a comforting pat. “I’m sorry about your mom,” she said. “And Sam.”