She’d fought hard through fourteen months of physical therapy to regain her mobility, and most people would never guess by looking at her that she’d been through such a traumatic experience. But she still struggled with long trips in the car. Not physically, but emotionally. She could do her daily commute with no problem, and could manage the hour it took to get from her apartment in San Jose to Half Moon Bay for a visit with Nora. More than an hour? Yeah, it was difficult.
Would she have sucked it up and come along in order to help Hazel? Definitely. Camille had a will of pure steel. But Nora was kind of glad her baby sister didn’t have to suffer through this trip.
She kept her tone light when she added, “Believe me, Cami, I would much rather have you with me than Ben freaking Hudson.”
“Pfft. You’d rather have almost anyone there besides him. Satan and Mom would be the only two lower on your list.”
She had to smother a chuckle. “True story, my friend.”
“He’s always been nice to me, but I’m sorry you’re stuck with him now.” Camille’s voice softened with sympathy. “I know he gets on your last nerve.”
“Oh, I think that’s putting it kindly,” Nora countered. “Especially after he blackmailed his way into coming with me.”
“I heard he threatened to call Dinah. What an asshole move.”
Apparently Hazel had filled the youngest Kirby in on all the dirty details. Nora had called about the slight, unwanted change in plans while she was throwing clothes into an overnight bag. “Right? He almost got a punch in the nuts for that, but then I’d have a lawsuit and the drama llama mama to deal with.”
Cami hooted with laughter. “A terrible part of me wishes I was a fly on the wall. I can only imagine the two of you stuck in a car together for days. One of you might not survive the trip.”
“I’m the one skilled with a scalpel, baby.” Nora grinned. “Bet on me.”
“I’d always bet on a Kirby,” her sister declared. “We’re badass like that.”
“I should probably go before he wakes up.” Though she’d appreciated the distraction, she was just tired enough that she should really concentrate. She yawned again. “Get some good business done up there and I’ll see you when you get home.”
“I’ll come visit,” Camille promised. “I want to hear all about your little Ensenada escapade.”
“It sounds so much more fun and exciting when you say it that way, but it’s mostly a long boring drive there and an equally long boring drive back.” A quiet groan issued from Nora’s throat. “With Ben Hudson along to annoy the shit out of me.”
Cami snorted. “Okay, maybe I’m glad I can’t be a fly on the wall.”
“Brat.” Nora shook her head, even though her sister couldn’t see it. “Okay, time to go. Bye, honey.”
“Safe travels. Try not to skewer anyone with a scalpel.”
“No promises,” she drawled and tapped the button on her earpiece to disconnect the call.
The miles continued to whiz by, traffic bunching occasionally as everyone tried to pass a slow-moving vehicle, but generally flowing smoothly. She cast a glance at Ben, but he still slept deeply. Probably for the best. Maybe he’d snooze all the way to Mexico and she wouldn’t have to speak to him.
A massive white Escalade flew up beside her in the slow lane, trying to shove in front of her before they reached a semi. The SUV wasn’t going to make it, but it wasn’t slowing down. Instead, the driver cut in too close, nearly clipping the front of her car. She slammed on the brakes and swerved to the left. Her wheel bumped over some detritus near the center divide, making the wheel jerk in her hands.
“What?” Ben shot upright, green eyes snapping wide. “What’s wrong?”
“An Escalade almost forced us off the highway, and I rolled over something.” She flipped on her blinker, eased across the slow lane, bumped over to the shoulder of the road, and pulled to a stop. “I think I blew a tire.”
“Did you get the plate number?” he demanded, anger morphing his features.
Seriously? That was the most important thing here? Her heart was about to hammer out of her chest, adrenaline shooting through her veins. “No, Mr. Lawyer, I was trying to make sure we didn’t die. The SUV is that white speck way up there. If you can see the license number, feel free to jot it down.”
Blowing out a breath, he reached for the door handle. “Okay, let’s get out the spare.”
“Good idea.” Yes, there was a little too much acidity in her tone, but she didn’t need his opinion or his help. It wasn’t as if she’d never changed a tire before. Her older sister had made sure all of the Kirby girls knew how to take care of all the basics on their vehicles. No handwringing helplessness for them. That was their mother’s forte.
The thought of her mom just ratcheted up her irritation with Ben. How dare he use her family’s problems against her? How dare he blackmail her? What gave him the right to tell her what she should and shouldn’t do? Asshole.
She shoved out of the car, slammed the door behind her, and strode around to open her trunk. Luckily, she had a full-size spare. She pulled out the jack and wrench and set them in the dirt beside the flat.
“Give me that.” He reached for the wrench. “I can do it.”
She backed away. “I’ll change my own tire, thanks.”
“Look, I’ll take care of it.” He came forward, trying to take the wrench.
That put him way too close, well into her personal space. Something quivered deep inside her, but she ignored it and tucked her hand behind her back. “I don’t need you to take care of anything.”
The tip of his nose almost touched hers, and he glowered at her. “Nora, just let me change the damn tire.”
“Why? Because you’re such a mechanic?” She arched her eyebrows and didn’t back down. “You have so much experience with car repair?”
“That’s not—”
She cut him off. “What makes you think you could do it better or faster than me?”
“I never said—”
“I can change my own flat tire. I know how. I’ve done it before. So stop bickering and let me get it done.” He opened his mouth to argue again, and she made a sound of pure frustration. “I swear, you never listen to me and you always think you know best. You’re like a damn bulldozer, just plowing over what—”
He grabbed her shoulders, hauled her into his arms, and slammed his mouth over hers.
Time stopped. Reality stretched and warped. Ben Hudson was kissing her. Of all the things she’d ever thought might happen in her life, this wasn’t one of them. The wrench fell from her numb fingers, clattering against the gravel.
A moan poured from her, the desperation in the sound shocking her. Heat swept through her and pooled between her thighs. He held her so tight it was difficult to breathe, or maybe it was the way his lips played softly over hers, contrasting with his restricting embrace. He suckled her lower lip, scraping at her flesh with his teeth. Her heart pounded and she dragged in a lungful of air. He used the opportunity to slip his tongue between her lips. Oh God. He tasted hot and male and perfect.
Turning them, he backed her into the side of her car, and she learned that Ben didn’t just kiss with his mouth. No, he used his entire body. He settled his angles into her softer curves, subtly rubbing his front against hers. The friction over her nipples made her shudder, utter want ricocheting within her. She lifted one leg and wrapped it around his thigh, and the hard length of his erection pressed into her sex. The slow rocking of his hips ground him against her clit, and her inner muscles spasmed. Her need built with every move he made, until she quivered on the ragged edge of her control. She set her hands on his shoulders, not sure if she wanted to push him away or pull him closer. All she knew was that if he kept doing what he was doing, she was going to come here and now. She arched and whimpered into his mouth, so needy it was terrifying
, but unable to stop herself.
He set her away from him as abruptly as he’d hauled her into his arms. “Okay, you can change the tire. Let me know if you need help.”
“All…all right.”
She blinked at his back as he turned away, feeling as if her world had somehow shifted on its axis in a matter of a few minutes. Pushing away from the car, she had to brace her hand against the door for a second before she was sure her legs were steady beneath her.
Holy crap.
* * * * *
Fuck, that was good.
He’d been dreaming about getting his hands on her since he was twelve years old. That was a long damn time to wait for a pay-off. But with Nora?
Worth it. Totally worth it.
Of course, in the forty-five minutes they’d been back on the road, he’d had a semi-erection that wouldn’t quit. A small price for living out his longest-held sexual fantasy. Part of the fantasy anyway. He doubted he’d get the chance to fulfill the rest of his favorite wet dream, but he’d take what he could get and have no regrets.
He could feel her confusion, but there wasn’t a single thing he could say that might help, so he kept his lips sealed. For all he knew, this was the first time she’d ever looked at him as a man and not some overgrown version of the teen who used to harass her. Sad, but he acknowledged the possibility. The intensity of their chemistry had rocked him to the core, and he’d been thinking about it for years. If she was new to the very idea, this had to floor her. He doubted she was pleased by the knowledge either, given their history.
She’d insisted on driving after the tire was changed, and he decided that arguing with her wasn’t his best option. They made good time through the Central Valley, despite the emergency repair. While they stopped in Lebec for coffee and a refill on gasoline, he checked the traffic in LA. Not too bad. Yet. But between them and LA was the grapevine, a twisting, turning stretch of I-5 that took them through the Los Padres National Forest and over the Tejon Pass. Here, cars drove too fast, semis drove too slow on the steep inclines and nasty accidents weren’t that uncommon. Not his favorite part of any drive to the southern part of his home state. And that was before LA’s notorious gridlock.
As they were descending toward the San Fernando Valley, he checked traffic again. He winced and glanced at Nora. “Do you want the bad news or the worse news?”
Her eyebrows arched above the rim of her sunglasses. “Is none of the above an option?”
“Sadly, no.”
She sighed. “Okay, tell me.”
“The 405 is looking slightly better than the 5 on traffic getting through LA, so we should probably take that when we get to the interchange.”
Another eyebrow arch. “That’s the bad news?”
“Yup.” He grunted. “Both freeways are complete shit right now. The 405 is slightly better. We’ll basically be in stop-and-go around the 10 interchange and it’s a parking lot outside LAX.”
“But still better than the 5.” Her tone was beyond dubious.
“Uh-huh. I said bad and worse news.” He resettled in his seat, ignoring that his butt had gone numb in the last hour. “That’s the best I’ve got for you, Kirby.”
“Outstanding.”
He shrugged. “Par for the course today, really.”
“Exactly.” She cut a pointed glance in his direction, and he kept his expression as bland as possible. She was not getting a rise out of him for coercing her into letting him join her.
Zero regrets. That was going to be his motto for this trip.
While she focused intently on navigating the thickening crush of cars, he did a search to figure out where they might eat dinner. Despite her plans to make it to Ensenada in one long drive, this traffic was turning into a serious clusterfuck. Another accident had popped up on the map, which meant it could take hours to get to the other side of the City of Angels.
“I hate LA,” she grumbled when a Porsche cut her off. “I really, really hate LA.”
The snarl in her voice would give any man pause, so he tried to distract her from the shitty road conditions. “I’m a NorCal guy myself. Never had any desire to migrate south.”
Her fingers flexed on the wheel, and she released a big breath. “Me neither. I like HMB. I knew I’d be coming back when I left for college. Never once changed my mind.”
Shifting in his seat a bit, he turned toward her. “You did some rural travel nursing after college, didn’t you?”
“Yeah.” She glanced at him, perhaps deciding if she wanted to continue the conversation with him or give him the silent treatment. Apparently, she went with the former because she kept talking. “I was waiting for a job to open up at the local hospital, and that kind of work meant I got experience, was paid extremely well, and it wouldn’t look bad if I left at the drop of a hat to take a position in HMB. It worked out perfectly, and I saved enough to put a down payment on my house.”
“I thought you might stick with the traveling job.” For reasons he’d never wanted to examine too closely, he’d hoped like hell she didn’t enjoy that job. The thought of her never returning to Half Moon Bay, of living his life without seeing her on a regular basis—even if it would be better for both their sanity—had made something ache inside him. He’d never confessed that to anyone, and doubted he ever would.
“Nah.” She shook her head and made a quick merge over to a faster-moving lane of traffic. “The constant moving around gets old quick. I leave that lifestyle to Anne.”
“No running around for you, huh?” He lifted a brow. “Except for the occasional impromptu road trip.”
“Something like that.” She rolled her eyes. “Though this is neither work nor a vacation.”
“More like a rescue operation.” He tapped his fingers against his thigh. “Should we have codenames? Do you want to be Natasha?”
A smile fluttered at the corner of her mouth. “No, Boris. I’d rather be Agent 99.”
“Get Smart. Nice. I’m not sure I’d like Agent 86 as a codename.” He leaned a little closer to her. “You might take a different spin on 86-ing me.”
She just grinned, and it was not a comforting sight. Then she sighed, her smile fading as she squinted over the dashboard at the miles of cars stretching before them. “Have I mentioned I hate LA? Especially the traffic?”
“Once or twice. Let’s switch when we stop for dinner.” He set his hand on her arm and knew it was a mistake immediately. An electric pulse of need went through him as his fingertips slid over her silken skin. He pulled back and swallowed. “You can get some rest and let me deal with the bumper-to-bumper.”
Her gaze went from where he’d touched her to where his hand now lay in his lap. Her tone was huskier than it should have been when she spoke. “I’m fine.”
“You might as well take advantage of me.” And that came out way more porno than he’d intended.
The look she gave him told him the type of advantage she wanted to take had nothing to do with vehicles. “Fine. After dinner.”
God, he wished that promise was for something a whole lot naughtier than driving. “Good.”
She growled, checking her rearview mirror. “Jesus, does this guy have to tailgate me?”
Grateful for the topic change, he went for a flip joke. “It’s how they greet newcomers in SoCal, by riding your ass.”
Ah, shit.
Her face flushed scarlet, but her voice emerged breezy, “Maybe I like it when people ask to ride my ass first. It’s only polite.”
Okay, he couldn’t resist now. “Riding a woman’s ass is never polite, otherwise you’re doing it wrong.”
“Still as subtle as a sledgehammer, Ben.” She cleared her throat. “Being tailgated is not a position I like to be in.”
“No? What position do you prefer?”
Her grin was saccharine. “That’s for me to know and for
others to ask about politely, even if that means they’re doing it wrong.”
He just chuckled, and her cheeks burned even redder, which he hadn’t thought was possible. Damn, but he loved riling her up and, for once, he wasn’t pissing her off in the process. No, he was turning her on. But teasing her meant teasing himself because his cock hardened, chafing against his fly. He tried to subtly rearrange himself as he shifted in his seat again to face forward.
The way she kept glancing at him, something hungry in her gaze, did nothing to help his condition. He could all too easily imagine the things the two of them could do to each other, if she was willing. He’d had a lot of years to think about those possibilities.
Unlikely that she’d ever unwind enough to let anything more than that one kiss happen, but her lack of interest had never stopped him from wishing, from fantasizing.
“When we stop for dinner, I’ll call Hazel and check in.” She sighed as a short jag of lighter traffic turned into more braking. “I assume they talked to the police about the car by now, and then they were planning to—”
“Wait.” Ben held up a hand. “You only assume they talked to the police?”
Because getting a car stolen wasn’t something a person just brushed off as an unfortunate foreign travel experience. Official paperwork was going to be needed, and that required a conversation with the cops.
Nora shrugged. “She said they would after I got off the phone with her. I was her first call when they found the car gone. So, yes, I can only assume at this point. I need to give her a ring to know for sure.”
“What was she doing down there anyway? I get that it’s her spring break, but she’s never been the drunken party in Mexico kind of girl.”
“She’s still not. There’s apparently some kind of huge manta ray migration that happens in Baja. No, mobula rays, that’s what they’re called. They apparently jump out of the water so often they’re also known as ‘flying rays.’ Hazel and some other marine biology students went down to check it out.”
Ensenada Escapade: Destination: Desire, Book 6 Page 3