by Dez Burke
Maybe that’s why he felt such a strong attraction to her. She was different from the chicks that hung around the club, desperate to be made someone’s old lady so they could be taken care of. But Piper was the only one doing all of the caring, and he could see genuine concern in her eyes when she looked at him. She was beautiful. Damn, she was absolutely stunning.
The flash of desire on her face only fueled his own sexual tension, heightening his awareness of all that he longed to do to her. If he wasn’t careful, he’d cross the line and pull her into his darkness where they’d be forever lost. He had to remember all that was on the line, the risks, the dangers.
Frustrated with himself, he pushed away from the counter and faced her. “So, what sort of torture are you going to put me through now, nurse?”
His tone sounded falsely irate and Piper’s eyes widened in surprise. What was he trying to hide? Suddenly nervous, she tried to force her hands to stop shaking as she carefully removed the old bandages.
“We’re just going to clean the wounds, put some antiseptic on them, and cover them back up. It shouldn’t take long. Besides, I’ve got pain medication for you afterwards.”
Jace watched her as she began to work on him, her touch tingling when it should have been stinging. There was only the slightest discomfort with the pressure she applied. Her fingers were deft, leaving his body begging for more. “Where did you get the pain meds?”
She glanced up at him and then back to his hip, her gaze glued to the gorgeous curve of his body, and she longed to run her hand down to his cock.
“I...I took what I needed.”
He couldn’t help but smile at her suddenly serious tone, her annoyance obvious, as was her attraction to him in the way her fingers lingered over his hot skin.
“You’re quite the bad girl, after all,” he teased, something he rarely, if ever, did with women. But Piper was so different from the women he knew, the women who came looking for bikers. Most of them were hardened, not soft and gentle like this woman. And they sure as hell weren’t interested in tending to bullet wounds or stealing medication in order to ease his pain.
“Hardly,” she mumbled, smiling. But as she finished ministering to his hip, his hands slid to her waist, and she swallowed a whimper at how firm his touch was. As his male scent hit her senses, she felt the heat burn through her veins. She followed the line of his arm up to his gaze, and it nearly burned straight through her with a heated desire that left her trembling.
“I appreciate everything you’ve done,” he told her, his voice gruff, and she didn’t have to look down to realize he wanted her. Her heart pounded in her ears, and she knew she was helpless to hide how badly she wanted him as well.
He looked at her with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. “Why do you want to help me?”
Piper didn’t have any more of an answer to that question now than she had at the time the words had spilled from her lips.
“I don’t know, Jace. I really don’t. It just felt like the right thing to do.” It was the best she had to offer, and it was the truth. His stormy grey eyes met hers and refused to let go.
“The right thing to do...” he murmured, as if chewing on the thought.
“I...” she stammered, “I’ve never wanted to help someone like you before.”
Jace growled, and focused on her full lips, which taunted him viciously. “Like me?” He lowered his head, stopping inches from her lips, which were now parted and ready.
“Trust me. You’ve never met anyone like me.”
Jace tightened his grip on her waist, roughly pulling her to him, his lips crashing down on hers, the sweet taste of cherry lip-gloss tickling his tongue. He groaned against her mouth, the desperate need to possess her taking over, causing him to forget his wounds, wanting to consume her, to make her his.
She was sweet and spicy all at the same time, and he raised one hand to cup the back of her neck, turning her head to the side so his tongue could delve deeper into her mouth, entwining with hers. Her sigh into his mouth made his desire erupt inside of him, and he drew Piper’s body even closer, her curves sitting snugly in his hands, his fingers kneading her delicate skin, wanting her to feel just how hard he was for her.
But as the material of her scrubs touched the spot on his hips where the bullet had been removed, he hissed, and she backed away instantly, averting her eyes in obvious embarrassment.
“Oh God, I’m sorry,” she murmured, refusing to turn toward him.
Using his other hand, he rubbed her back, feeling her shiver in response. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”
She chanced a glance up at him and saw his eyes had darkened, his desire for her unchanged. “Let’s get this bandaged up so I can get back to kissing you.”
Piper laughed, though she couldn’t stop the trembling as she worked on him, her nerves and anticipation clashing within her. She was completely out of her comfort zone. The feel of Jace’s tongue in her mouth permeated her thoughts, and she had to stop what she was doing several times to get the dressing on his shoulder just right. When she finished, she was proud of her work and smiled up at him.
“You should be good for the night. I’ll get your pain medication and you’ll be able to get some sleep. You certainly need it.”
Amused at her avoidance, Jace wrapped his fingers gently around her wrists. “Piper.”
The sound of her name as it rolled off his tongue delighted her, causing a ripple of goose bumps to crop up across her skin. She couldn’t help but obey, dropping everything she’d collected, her emotions rising. “Come on, Jace, this is crazy.”
He chuckled, seeing the indecision in her eyes even as he felt the blood heating in her veins, pumping harder where his grip remained, a swirl of desire ratcheting up inside of her, tensing.
“What’s wrong with a little craziness in life every now and then?” He pulled her closer, laying her hands flat on his chest and running his fingers up her arms and down her back. She closed her eyes reflexively, and he couldn’t tell if the response was due to her internal conflict or the satisfaction of his touch.
“You can’t tell me you’re not attracted to me, Piper. I can see it in your eyes.” He reached under her shirt, his hands just barely brushing against the bare skin of her lower back and making her inhale sharply. “You’re absolutely beautiful.”
A voice inside her insisted that she pull away and forget all about this dangerous stranger with the sinfully gorgeous face, but as his lips found that sweet spot behind her ear and left a kiss as soft as the flutter of butterfly wings, she couldn’t resist turning to him and letting him kiss her deeply, all warnings drowned out by the intensity of her desire for him. She was pliant and accommodating, too lost in the sensation of such a sensual touch, his masculine scent, his heat and stiffness suddenly pressed against her body. This time, he didn’t seem to mind the nearness, and before she knew what she was doing, her arms went around his neck, her fingers running through his soft hair.
His erection pressed against her belly and she felt the heat. It was full and thick, a subtle throb of lust pounding within. Piper wanted nothing more than to reach down and feel him through his jeans, but she didn’t dare to go that far. Instead, she fisted her hands where they rested in his hair, clinging to dear life as she thought about how easy it would be to just stay in his blissful embrace forever, hiding from the responsibilities of life as she allowed herself to get lost in his possession.
Jace wanted to taste more of her, wanted to feel her writhing beneath him, but he knew she was nervous and afraid. She clearly wasn’t experienced with men and he didn’t want to push her too fast or too hard. Not tonight. For now, he reveled in her heated touch and in the way she rose up on her toes and slid her body against his, allowing him to cradle her in his arms, to wrap himself around her, rubbing against her in a smooth, seductive stroke.
She was soft and warm, the feel of her large, round breasts against the hardness of his chest only turning him on even more. She
was incredibly curvy and if she had a flaw, he didn’t think he’d ever find it even if he stripped her naked and inspected every last inch of her voluptuous body.
Growling at the thought of having her spread out in front of him, naked, he fought the intense desire to slide between her thighs and take his fill of her. He forced himself to pull his lips away from hers, leaving her breathless and confused as she looked at him with bright, awe-filled eyes. She couldn’t move.
Jace smiled at her, gritting his teeth against the throb in his groin, knowing that he would go unsatisfied tonight. “Was that so bad?”
Piper simply shook her head, her ears buzzing and her body on fire. She’d never felt this desperate for a man before, and while so much of her wanted to abandon all caution and just let him to take her to the point of no return, she was far too afraid. She had never had a one-night stand before, and had certainly not been with a man like Jace. A dangerous man...the only guy who had ever made her feel this way. She knew she might never recover from a man like this.
“No,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper, straining with her need for him.
Jace chuckled. His lips feathered over hers once again and the taste of him intoxicated her. She felt his fingers brush against her neck before he cupped her chin, holding her face close to his.
“I better get dressed.” His voice was steady and controlled, but the wicked fire that danced in his eyes told her just how wild he was for her.
Quivering, she ached for the return of his touch as soon as he pulled away. The intimacy that she had felt in his embrace had all but consumed her, and she suddenly realized just how lonely she had been.
She sucked in a deep steadying breath before closing the door behind her.
Chapter Nine
Piper pulled blankets and sheets out of her linen closet, fluffed pillows as if she had a personal vendetta against them, and made up the couch with a fury she couldn’t comprehend. She tried desperately not to look up as Jace came out of the bathroom, but she caught sight of him, a towel wrapped even lower around his hips than his jeans had been, and she found herself attempting to hide the weakness she felt though she knew it was pointless. He was likely well aware she couldn’t keep her eyes off him.
“What’s your pain level on a scale of one to ten?” she asked, desperate to avoid the tension she felt building between them.
“I’m probably about a five, headed quickly to a six.”
She nodded, not looking at him. “I’ll get you two pills, then. That should get you through the evening, and I can give you one more before bed so you’ll sleep through the night.” She was rambling, but it calmed her down as she finished making up the couch. “Make yourself comfortable. The television remote is on the coffee table. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
She needed to put some space between them and figured a hot shower would help calm her so she could think about everything that had happened with a clear head.
Calm down, she thought to herself. Just calm down.
She wasn’t sure whether it was the unknown dangers of the situation that she now found herself in or the deliciously gorgeous man that had kissed her so passionately.
The kiss. Now that the pleasure of feeling his strong lips pressed against hers began to dim, reality took its place, forcing her to face all that had happened and all that she now stood to lose. The turmoil that coiled itself within her belly hadn’t been strong enough to drown out the strong desire to help Jace, and she had allowed herself to follow the voice inside of her heart rather than the one that screamed inside her head to be heard.
As she stood in the shower, she thought about the fact that just this morning, her biggest concern was whether she’d be late for work after she found herself stuck in a traffic jam. And somehow, in the course of no more than a few short hours, she’d become an accessory to a crime and found herself caught up in a crazy situation being kissed by a handsome bad boy.
And if she were honest with herself, even knowing all that she now knew, she would still have offered her help to the gorgeous stranger, even if it cost her everything. Even if it left her with nothing but a broken heart.
* * *
Jace lay on the sofa and flipped through the channels on the television even though his mind wasn’t focused on anything but the woman in the other room.
Piper was becoming a distraction for him, one that made it difficult to think about the problem at hand and all that he was up against. At this very moment, everyone wanted him, and no one was going to stop until they had him in their sights. From local criminals looking to cash in on the jackpot being offered by Alec, to the police, and right up to the federal agency chasing him down. Where the hell could he go and hide out until the heat let up?
He knew he had to withdraw money fast before his accounts were frozen. He’d need money to survive until he could figure out what his next move should be, though he had no idea where to go from here. His life was in real danger and he knew that he should be thinking about nothing else other than how to get himself out of the mess he had suddenly found himself in.
And yet, he let his mind drift to Piper and the unbelievable intensity he felt whenever she was around. Her touch left him burning for more, and he longed to taste her just as much as he ached to be tasted. He could feel the conflict rising up inside of him, tearing at his heart, leaving him confused and frustrated. It was stupid to care about anything but just surviving right now. With so much on the line and his club turned against him, he had little time left. Yet he couldn’t ignore the blazing heat that engulfed him when she had touched his skin, bandaged him, and finally kissed him back, hard and fierce. In those few moments he had found peace, warmth, and discovered a place in which he knew he could be truly happy.
But now wasn’t the time.
He had spent so many years focused on building up the club, taking on all of the responsibilities of a vice president, doing all that he could to bring peace and prosperity to his brotherhood. Somewhere along the way, he had lost his own sense of self. His own life didn’t matter, relationships weren’t important; everything could be put off for another day. All that had mattered was the Iron Soldiers and making sure that they became stronger than the years before and that they could leave an unforgettable legacy.
But here, hiding away in some girl’s apartment, he wasn’t so sure that anything he had done ever really meant a thing. Most of his club had turned their backs on him, that much he was sure of, and Alec, the man that was like a father to him, had put a price on his head. In just one day, he had lost nearly everything that had ever meant anything, and he had never felt so alone.
And now there was Piper.
He knew nothing about her. For all he knew, she could be one of those broken women that needed to feel loved at all cost. Much like the desperate chicks who found themselves writing to inmates, perhaps he was no more than a broken animal which she felt the need to heal.
Yet in the few moments when he had held her in his arms, he was certain that there was something real between them, and it was far more than just sexual attraction. Was it possible that he could really care about someone that he had just met, especially at a time like this? The heat of her desire had radiated through the barrier he had placed around his heart years ago and he felt himself caught off guard, not wanting to feel anything for this girl yet unable to ignore it.
When she came out of the bathroom wrapped in a thick robe, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She looked so damn sexy, her skin pink from the hot water, her hair wet and brushed back out of her face, revealing her sparkling blue eyes. If only he deserved someone like her, someone kind and gentle. Too bad he hadn’t met her years ago, although he knew that if he had, he likely wouldn’t have looked at her twice.
But with the mess he’d created of his life, he was sure he’d never find that sort of peace again. Rather, he needed to get the hell out of her life before she got dragged into a situation neither one of them could get her out of. I
t was a dangerous game that she didn’t deserve to be tangled in.
“So, do you know of anyone that you feel you can trust?” she asked, combing out her hair.
“Hmm, I don’t know. I think I can trust Donnie, but I’m not sure. Outside of the club, I have no one.” It sounded even worse when he said it out loud, but then, that had been the purpose of joining the brotherhood. They’d taken an oath to support each other, and he could see where Alec would feel he’d been betrayed, just as much as Jace felt their president had betrayed them all when his selfish greed got the better of him.
Piper sat down on the opposite end of the sofa, her eyes heavy with concern, her hair weaved between her fingers. “Well, I don’t have a lot to offer, but I was thinking about everything and...you can stay here for as long as you need to.”
Jace shook his head, surprised by the offer and by the compassion that edged through her voice.
“No, I can’t stay here. You’ve done enough.”
“I know what you’re up against, Jace.” Piper admitted softly. “And I still think you should stay here.”
“Look, I really appreciate what you’re doing for me, but I don’t want to drag you down a path that’s going to cause trouble for you. I’ve already brought you into this mess and it’s only going to get worse. I can be out of your hair first thing in the morning. I just need to get back to my bike.”
“I’m not going to let you leave just like that,” Piper bit back a little too quickly. “I mean, not with those wounds, especially when there are people hunting you down.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and faced him with a determined expression that let him know she was serious.
“Piper, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Listen, I believe you when you say you want to take down the operation, but you can’t do that if you’re on the run. You need a plan and a place to stay until you figure it all out. This is the safest place for you right now.”
The truth that flickered in her eyes, pleading with him to stay with her, stabbed straight through his heart. No one had ever looked at him like he mattered that much.