by Vella Day
“No can do. Wade’s at his parents’ house. My folks would find out.”
Well, shit. She didn’t need people to think they’d hooked up. His reputation wouldn’t be good for hers. She read stories to little kids and worked in the library, but she didn’t have much choice at this point.
Thank goodness, it was dark by the time she pulled into her driveway. The most difficult part was getting him inside and onto the sofa. He kept saying he was fine, but he most definitely was not.
“I’ll make us some coffee.” She could use some, too. The start of a headache was brewing.
She’d just measured out the grounds when he ambled into the kitchen. “I want to thank you for being so nice.” His words sounded a bit clearer.
“You’re welcome.” Now, please, sit down so I don’t have to see your handsome face and incredibly strong body.
Burke leaned against the counter. “You have pretty eyes.”
He so didn’t say that. Then again, he was drunk. “Burke, how about going into the living room? I’ll bring the coffee out when it’s ready.”
He moved close and her heart skipped a beat. From the way his lips had parted and his eyes were half closed, he looked like he was about to kiss her. That wasn’t good. She should be pointing to the living room and demanding he move away, but the bear inside her wanted him to kiss her.
Odd sensations curled deep in her belly. Damn, but it felt like lust to her. For Burke Devereaux, though? He was the last man on earth she should consider kissing. He’d kiss—she’d swoon—and then he’d laugh and walk away.
He twirled a lock of her hair in his finger. “I’d forgotten all that Hidden Hills has to offer.”
His masculine scent, while mixed with more than a hint of Jack Daniels, was doing something to her. She wasn’t looking for a romantic interlude, but if she were, it wouldn’t be with him. He’d just stated he never spent the night with a woman, which implied he didn’t intend to ever get involved. While she wasn’t looking for a mate, Burke was the type of man capable of breaking her heart.
“We do have a nice town,” she said.
“I wasn’t talking about the town.” He leaned in closer, and she gripped the counter behind her for support.
“Okay.” What else was she supposed to say?
His arm wrapped around her waist, and he drew her near. “You have the most perfect tits. They’re so large and luscious, I want to make love to them.”
As if he’d dumped a bucket of ice water on her, she pushed him away. “Burke. I’m not like your other women. You’re welcome to sleep off your drunk here. On the couch. But that is all.” Jesus. She wished men didn’t look at her and only see big boobs.
He grinned. “Ooh. Playing hard to get, I see.”
She palmed his chest. “I’m not playing hard to get. You’re drunk.”
“On you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Be good, Burke.” She wanted to appeal to his upbringing, but the right words didn’t come to her. She wouldn’t stoop so low as to ask what his parents would say about his behavior right now.
“I want to be good to you and show you what it can be like. Don’t you feel it?”
He was crossing into dangerous territory. “Feel what?”
“We have chemistry.”
She bet he said that to all the women. Thank God, he hadn’t said that he got a rush whenever he was near her, or that his body heated the moment he saw her. That might mean they were destined for each other.
The coffee finished perking. “Hold that thought.” She had to derail his line of thinking. She poured him a cup then located the bottle of aspirin. She handed him a couple of pills along with a glass of water. “I’ve got your chemistry right here. Take these.”
“You’re good, I’ll hand you that.”
She wasn’t trying to be good. She was trying to keep her distance from Burke Devereaux.
Chapter Four
Burke didn’t know what had come over him hitting on Tasha. They were friends and he wanted to remain that way. He’d be the first to admit that she’d been kind when he’d needed someone. The problem was that her tits were amazing, and her curves did something to his insides. He still didn’t know why talking about them had pissed her off, though. The other women he’d dated didn’t seem to mind. Perhaps it was because Tasha’s were real, whereas the others had fake tits.
He downed the aspirin then sipped the coffee. While it didn’t taste as good as the Jack, it did hit the spot. “Thanks.”
“I’ll get you a pillow and a blanket.”
He set down his cup on the counter. “Wait. I’m sorry. We got off to a bad start.”
“Start? Burke, please. It’s me, Tasha. You seduction routine won’t work. I’m not interested.”
As she walked away, he had no comeback. That was a first. Tasha intrigued him. They had this undeniable pull that existed between them, and he’d been fighting the concept of Tasha being his mate for as long as he could remember. He’d never asked his father for details about how this mate thing really worked, so he had no idea if they both fell madly in love or if only one of the partners felt the pull. It could be that this animal attraction was purely a sexual one.
To be honest, Burke had always assumed he’d end up with a human. They supposedly were the superior race, though to him, it was only because they outnumbered the bears and the wolves—not because they were necessarily better people or better fighters.
“Here you are.” Tasha dropped the pillow and blanket on the sofa. She folded her arms, acting like she was the classroom teacher who expected her student to obey.
Suddenly, he wasn’t that tired. “Want to watch a little TV?”
She laughed. “Do you see one?”
He glanced around, stunned at not finding the modern amenity. Because she had a cell phone, he figured she at least owned a TV. “No. What do you do at night?”
“I read.”
That made sense. She was a librarian. He rarely watched stuff on TV, either, except for the home construction shows and college football. As long as he was here, he might as well get to know her. It wouldn’t be a hardship. “I read, too,” he said trying to connect with her.
Her eyes widened with interest. “Who are your favorite authors?”
Shit. He meant he read motorcycle magazines, home construction articles, and a fair amount on alternate energy sources. He’d seen several Stephen King movies and figured he must have written a few books. “Stephen King.”
“Cool.” She looked at him expectedly, almost as if she wanted to discuss one of his books.
He sipped more of the coffee, which thankfully had cooled a bit. Needing to change the subject, he asked her, “So what are your hobbies?” He found women loved to talk about themselves.
Tasha slipped onto the chair across from him and stretched out her legs. God, she looked amazing. “You really want to know about my hobbies? Who are you?”
He chuckled. “You do know me.”
Burke wondered who else understood him as well. Not Tom. Shit, his brother was into football too much to pay close attention to a little brother. In fact, he probably cared more about drugs than him. Tom always claimed if he’d zigged instead of zagged during the sixth game of his senior year of college, and not torn his ACL, he’d have been in the pros. Burke disagreed. His brother was a good player, but he lacked the drive and ambition to be great.
She nodded, her eyes sparkling. “I do know you, or at least I did at one point. I remember when the kids used to make fun of you for being chunky. They should see you now.”
He swore he detected some respect in her voice. “I’d forgotten about the teasing. I think I was maybe eight.”
She shrugged. “At least you grew out of it.”
From the way she averted her gaze, he figured she didn’t like being a larger size. He put up with the skinny girls because that was who showed up at the parties, but he liked a woman with meat on her bones. After all, he was a bear underneath his muscula
r body.
“You certainly grew into your beauty.” There went the eye roll again.
Tasha held up a hand. “Okay. I get you don’t want to talk about your brother. I’ve taken enough psychology classes to know that flirting is your coping mechanism, but can you save the swagger for someone who will be impressed?”
He touched the table and made a hissing noise. “You told me. Fine, I’ll leave you alone.” The problem was that he didn’t want to. “Since talking about you is off limits, you want to hear about me?”
That eked a smile out of her. “Sure. Feel free to take off your boots and stretch out on the sofa while you tell me.”
He chuckled. “I get your game. You’re hoping I’ll fall asleep so you can read and get lost in your little fantasy world.” Fuck. That came out wrong. “Sorry. There’s nothing wrong with fantasy.”
“I don’t need to apologize for what I love. Getting lost in another world makes me happy—it’s like my drug—and it’s not because I don’t like this life.” She lifted her chin as if to dare him to refute what she was saying.
“You’re right. You shouldn’t apologize. You know what? I’m feeling a bit dizzy.” Not really, but it was a good excuse.
Her brows rose. “Now you want to sleep? I thought you wanted to talk about yourself.”
“I changed my mind. My life is quite boring.”
“I doubt that.” She stood. “If you need me to drive you to your bike, my door’s the second one on the left. Just knock. Bathroom is first door on the left. Good night, Burke.”
As soon as she left, it was as if he’d fallen down a rabbit hole and had no idea where he was.
* * *
Tasha leaned against the bathroom counter and stared into the mirror. She looked the same as when she’d left the house, yet Burke acted as if she were different—prettier, sexier. It must be the alcohol, or else he thought that if he complimented her enough, she’d fall into bed with him.
Part of her wanted to see what it would be like to make love with someone as hot and experienced as Burke. The few men she’d slept with had been Neanderthals—or rather bears—in their approach to sex. With the number of women Burke had slept with, she bet he’d be amazingly good. As long as she understood that nothing could come of it, she saw no reason not to indulge. For once, she could be like the heroine in her books.
Who am I kidding?
She’d get naked, and once he saw how much her tits drooped without a bra and how wide her hips were, he wouldn’t be able to get it up. Add in the fact that he was inebriated, and she was being stupid contemplating sex.
She wished like hell her body didn’t quiver every time she got near him, though. The reason for the intense reaction didn’t matter. It was why she had to get away from him tonight. Even being in the same house wouldn’t really solve her problem. No doubt she’d not get a wink of sleep.
Tasha washed up and tiptoed down the hall to her room. As quickly as she could, she undressed and tossed on a tank and panties. It was hot in the house and she rarely slept if it was too warm.
She crawled under the sheet and turned off the lights. She yearned for sleep, but her mind kept racing. Burke would probably wake up in a few hours, come into her room, and ask her to drive him home. She couldn’t help but wonder if his competitive ego would make him try and seduce her. The bigger question was if he didn’t, would she be disappointed?
Go to sleep!
With great willpower, she managed to block Burke from her mind long enough to doze. She might have actually fallen into a sound slumber had a crash not woken her. Heart racing, she jumped up and ripped open the door.
“You okay?” she called.
“Fuck.”
He must have forgotten where he was and run into the coffee table. She’d done that a few times when she’d fallen asleep on the sofa reading.
“Burke?”
When he didn’t answer, she fumbled her way down the hallway. No lights were on and the moon seemed to have done a disappearing act. The living room lights suddenly blazed and startled her. There stood Burke rubbing his shin.
She forced down a smile. “Forget where you were?”
“Yeah. Sorry about the coffee cup.”
She looked to where he was pointing. Not only had the coffee stained the carpet, the handle had broken. It was a cup she’d had a long time, one that she’d glued the handle on twice already. “Don’t worry about it.”
She headed into the kitchen to find something to clean up the stain with. As soon as she retrieved a dishtowel and wet it, Burke was beside her. He placed the broken cup on the counter and held out his hands. “I’ll do that since I made the mess.”
He probably had no idea how to clean up a coffee stain, but it would be fun to watch him try. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Burke got on his hands and knees and began to rub, looking mighty fine with his ass wiggling and his biceps bulging with each swipe. What she wouldn’t give for a camera. Too bad her phone was in the bedroom. He sat back on his heels and stared at the stain that had spread. “I’m making it worse.”
Feeling sorry for him, she filled a small bowl with water, vinegar, and a drop of soap. “Let me see what I can do.”
His shoulders slumped. “Can’t do anything right where you’re concerned, can I?”
She wouldn’t say that, but she wasn’t ready to speak her piece. Tasha dropped to her knees next to him, dabbed the unused end in her magic potion and rubbed. In seconds, the stain disappeared.
“Wow.”
Only then did she realize she was in her tank top and panties. Oh, crap. No wonder he was looking like he’d won a prize. She cleared her throat. “For wine, use club soda. Works every time.”
“You are amazing.”
He slipped the cloth and bowl from her hand, and set them on the coffee table next to him. The whole time, his gaze never left her face. She wanted to ask him what he was doing, but no words would form. The intensity of the attraction was too strong, as if he’d put a spell on her. The good girl in her screamed for her to get off her knees and rush back to her bedroom, but the bear part of her told her to stay right where she was.
“I need to taste you, Tasha.” His lips parted.
Oh, dear Lord. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. Her first instinct was to say he really didn’t mean it, but for once in her life, she kept quiet. He cupped the back of her head and her heart pounded. Eyes blazing almost black, Burke leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers—softly, almost tentatively. The kiss was pleading, and when he let up on the pressure, she yearned for more.
Burke scooted closer, and when he pressed a palm to her back, sparks of electricity burst all along her spine. She’d never felt anything like that before. It was a combination of lust, passion, desire, and pure need.
This moment with Burke would be fleeting and most likely never happen again. Enjoy him. As if someone from behind lifted her arms, she wrapped them around his neck and pressed her chest against his. He moaned then teased her lips open.
When their tongues touched, her body ignited. She’d been dreaming of this moment from the first time she saw him so many years ago. To her, he was her Prince Charming. Tasha decided it was time to take what he was willing to give. Burke was a player, but that was okay. She’d have him once and then let him go.
Burke planted his hands on her cheeks and took possession of her mouth. Hard, this time, passionate and with meaning. His tongue probed, swiveled, and then tangled with hers. He tasted of coffee blended with a hint of whiskey. There was no doubt that Burke Devereaux was all man.
As if driven to experience him more fully, she lowered her hand and pressed her palm against his hard cock. It was a bold move, but her inner bear made her do it.
He broke the kiss, his eyes full of lust. “You sure you want that, good girl?”
“I might. Then again, I might not. You’re the party boy. Perhaps you should try to convince me.”
He dropped his
head back and laughed. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”
She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not, but she didn’t want to sound too much like a dork. “I am unique.”
“That you are.”
He leaned back, tore off his white T-shirt, and tossed it behind him. Holy mother of God. While she’d seen a lot of bare-chested bear shifters, none looked as amazing as Burke Devereaux. “You do a lot of construction work, I see.”
He flexed his pecs one at a time and she punched him. “Don’t. That’s gross.”
His eyes widened. “Gross? I thought women liked men who worked out.”
“Yes, but we don’t like show-offs.”
“Hmm. Who knew? More rules I have to remember.”
Now he was just teasing her. “I like men to be themselves.”
“Fair enough. Speaking of fair, it’s your turn.”
It took a second for her to understand. She should have given more thought to what would happen after they kissed. Now she’d actually have to take off her clothes. “Can we turn off the lights?”
“Oh, sweetheart. You don’t need to be shy around me. Trust me; I’ll like what you have to show me.”
She wasn’t so sure, but she had agreed to this. Tasha lifted the edges of her top, ready to stop if he winced. To her delight, the higher the hem rose, the wider his eyes became. When he licked his lips, she removed her tank top but immediately crossed her arms over her naked, pendulous breasts.
Now Tasha wasn’t sure she could go through with this.
Chapter Five
Without a word, Burke stood, walked over the wall, and placed his finger on the light switch. “You have any candles?”
“Yes.” Tasha started to get up.
“Stay there. Tell me where they are.”
Only then did she realize what he was doing—trying to make her more comfortable. Tasha hadn’t expected that from someone like Burke. “In the kitchen drawer next to the sink. It’s kind of messy.”
“Not to worry.”