Born to Be Wilde

Chapter Seven

"HAS there been any more word from Zach?" Jon asked, once Lora was out of earshot. It was the first time the four of them had been alone all evening and could talk business.

Joel shook his head, watching as Lora pushed the door open to the women's restroom and slipped inside. "He hasn't contacted me since his initial phone call. There haven't been any threats against Lora, either."

"Yet," Kevin added grimly.

"There won't be a yet," Joel stated adamantly. "She's covered twenty-four/seven, by either myself or one of you. That doesn't give someone a whole lot of opportunity to get to her."

Even as he said the words, Lora was leaving the rest-room and making her way back to table to get him for the dance he'd promised her-while a guy in his mid-thirties was walking directly toward Lora. The man could have been headed to the John, but the way he remained purposefully in Lora's path, instead of veering to the left to let her pass him, made the approach far more personal.

Joel stiffened as every primal instinct within him surged to life and he automatically went into military combat mode. His sudden, intense reaction caused his three friends to turn in their seats to see what had captured Joel's attention. As soon as the guy stopped in front of Lora, which forced her to come to an unexpected halt, Joel knew some kind of trouble was about to erupt. The big question was, was this one of the thugs who was out to terrorize Lora on Zach's creditors' behalf, or was he a harmless guy looking to hook up with a woman for the evening?

Either way, Lora wouldn't be involved.

"Fuck," Joel muttered beneath his breath, and abruptly stood up, ready to tackle the problem.

At the same exact moment, three other chairs scraped against the hardwood floor as Ben, Jon, and Kevin joined him in his stance, instantly prepared to provide additional reinforcement. Their unwavering fidelity reminded him of their time in the military and the way they'd always banded together whenever a threat was imminent.

Joel appreciated his friends' support, but he didn't want to make a scene if it could be helped, and the daunting sight of four big, strapping guys striding across the establishment would attract way too much attention.

"I'll take care of this," he said, one hundred percent certain that he could handle the smarmy guy on his own.

"We've got your back if you need it," Ben told him, even though it went without saying.

With a nod, Joel made his way through the crowded bar, his gaze never leaving Lora or the blond-haired guy who was invading way too much of her personal space. His temper spiked when he saw her shake her head at something the other man said, then try to step around the guy only to have him grab her arm to stop her.

Ten more seconds and he reached Lora's side, every one of his five senses sharp and alert, along with a strong protective impulse that went above and beyond the call of duty. This unfamiliar feeling was far more possessive, and it set off warning signals he pushed aside in order to deal with the issue at hand.

He pinned the other man with a dark, menacing look. "I suggest you let go of her and back off, unless you'd rather I remove your hand for you."

The man had the good sense to drop her arm, but was stupid enough to challenge Joel. "Who the hell are you? Her bodyguard?" he sneered, his breath reeking of whiskey, which explained his show of bravado.

"Actually, I'm your worst fucking nightmare," Joel said with deadly calm. "The lady is with me."

The man looked him up and down, his gaze brimming with alcohol-induced insolence. "Yeah? Why don't we let her decide who she's with? She might not like the Neanderthal type." He shifted his gaze to Lora and attempted a cocky grin designed to charm her. "Come on, sugar, let's get out of this joint and go somewhere quiet and private where we can get to know each other better."

Lora opened her mouth to speak, but Joel squeezed her arm to shut her up.

Confident that Lora was interested in him, the guy took a step toward her. Blood simmering with annoyance, Joel instantly stopped him with a flattened palm to his puny chest. He ruled this particular man out as a suspect, and saw he was rather a too-aggressive womanizer who thought way too much of his power of persuasion when it came to the opposite sex.

Still, Joel wasn't about to let any guy near Lora-a direct threat or otherwise. "Do not touch her again. If you do, I'm going to have to kick your ass."

The other man let out a bold, you-don't-scare-me laugh. "Yeah, you and what army?"

Joel could easily take the guy single-handedly. All it would take was two seconds and he would have the man's arm jammed up the middle of his back and his face pressed against the nearest wall, but Joel truly didn't want to engage in any kind of physical altercation if it could be helped.

So he opted for a more intimidating tactic. "Me, and that army right over there." He pointed to his three friends, who were still standing across the room as they watched the scene play out. Their arms were folded over their chests and the ominous expressions they wore would make any man think twice about doing something stupid.

This guy was no exception. Finally realizing just how outnumbered he was, he cast a disgruntled look toward Joel. "She's not worth the trouble." He turned around and went back to the bar to order a drink and nurse his bruised ego.

Once Joel was certain he'd diffused the situation, he glanced back at Lora. He wasn't sure what to expect from her, but it damn sure wasn't the amusement glimmering in her eyes or the way she was biting her bottom lip to contain her laughter. She didn't display an ounce of fear or trepidation over the man's overzealous confrontation, and Joel wanted to shake her for being so trusting. So naive. Just like she'd been earlier in the evening by not checking who'd been at her door.

She had no idea what she was up against. Or just how vulnerable and defenseless she was right now. That any guy who approached her could be someone who wanted her dead.

That thought, mingled with the realization of just how personal this job, and Lora, had become to him, increased the gut-twisting turmoil within him. His entire body was strung so tight he felt as though he was going to snap.

He made a split-second decision based on his surly mood. "Let's get the hell out of here."

Before she could suggest otherwise, or remind him that he owed her a dance, he grabbed her hand and led her back to their table to collect her purse and jacket, then escorted her out of the joint. As if sensing his need for space, she didn't say a word when he handed her a helmet to put on, nor did she ask where they were going as he revved up the motorcycle and told her to get on behind him.

Once he was on the interstate, he increased the speed of the bike, which also gave him the surge of adrenaline he was looking for. His motorcycle had always provided a therapeutic release for him when he was feeling irritable or restless, a way for him to relax and take the edge off of any aggression or tension that might be riding him hard.

Then again, hot, mindless sex had always been a great stress reliever for him, too, and with the provocative feel of Lora straddling the bike behind him, that's exactly where his mind and body had wandered. And it didn't help matters that her gloved hands were splayed on his thighs instead of clutched around his waist. Between the heat and throbbing vibration of the bike between his legs, the grip of her thighs against his hips as they leaned into a curve in the road, and the occasional brush of her fingers against the fly of his jeans, he was hard enough to pound nails.

She was teasing him again. Making him achingly aware of her willingness to indulge in the kind of carnal pleasures that would put an end to his sexual frustration. To that end, she was slowly, seductively driving him out of his ever-loving mind.

Needing a breath of cool night air to douse the arousal humming through his veins, he turned his bike off the main road and onto a narrow pathway. The trail led to a secluded area along Lake Shore Drive that he'd discovered a few years ago but hadn't visited in a while. The clusters of large trees gave the place a modicum of privacy and seclusion, and had always provided a peaceful, solitary escape for him. Especially during the first few months after he'd returned from Iraq, when the nightmarish memories of that last mission in Baghdad seemed to drag him down.

He wasn't sure why he'd brought Lora here now, considering he'd never shared this spot with anyone else, but it was the first place he'd thought of heading to after leaving the bar.

He brought the motorcycle to a stop, cut the engine, and parked the bike up on its kickstand. Lora slid off the back of the seat, pulled her helmet off, and shook her hair out so it fell in soft waves around her shoulders. Pale, silvery moonlight shimmered and gleamed off of those long, lustrous strands, making him wonder if its heavy weight felt as soft and rich as it looked.

She took off her gloves and jacket and set them on the seat behind Joel, but left on the scarf he'd given her earlier to wear. After giving the place a quick look around, she flashed Mm a dazzling smile that accentuated the mischievous light in her eyes.

"Mmmm. This is a nice, quiet, make-out spot," she said with all kinds of insinuation lacing her tone. "Do you come here often?"

"It's been a while." He took off his own helmet and hooked it over the end of the handle bar, then pulled off his gloves. "And just so you know, I've never brought anyone here to make out."

"Maybe we'll have to do something to change that," she said, her low, husky voice wrapping around him like a sensual promise she intended to keep.

Or maybe not, he thought to himself as he got off the bike, then unzipped his leather jacket, welcoming the rush of cool night air against his T-shirt and the heated skin beneath.

She walked to the edge of the trail, which overlooked Lake Michigan and the sandy beach stretching out below them. He came up beside her, and a few quiet moments passed as they admired the gorgeous evening view of the harbor lights off to the right.

"You know," Lora said, finally breaking the companionable silence between them, "I have to say, between you and your guys, that was quite an impressive front back at the bar."

Grateful for a conversation that wasn't laced with sexual undertones, he chuckled as he recalled how fierce and formidable Jon, Ben, and Kevin had looked as they backed him up. From the moment they'd been assigned to the same unit, it had always been that way with them, a strong, united front all the way. In good times and in bad.

A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth as he stared at her lovely face. "What can I say? Old habits die hard. For all of us."

She tipped her head to the side. "Once a marine, always a marine?" she guessed.

He nodded. "In a lot of ways, yes."

She was standing so close, the urge to reach out and caress his fingers along her soft cheek, down the side of her neck, and across the full swells of her breasts pushing against her top nearly overwhelmed him. Instead, he slid the tips of his fingers into the front pockets of his jeans, which forced him to keep his hands to himself.

"Well, all that fuss over me at Nick's wasn't necessary," she told him, her voice vibrating with feminine confidence. "I could have handled that guy on my own."

He raised a brow at her claim, though he couldn't help but approve of, and be attracted to, that fiery independence of hers. Couldn't help but imagine how all that bold self-assurance would be a huge turn-on in the bedroom. "You think so?"

"I know so. I deal with jerks like that all the time at The Electric Blue." The impudent smile on her lips made Joel grin, too. Then her lashes fell to half-mast as she stepped toward him, placed a hand on his chest, and slowly, brazenly stroked her palm down to his abdomen, leaving a trail of burning desire in its wake. "On the other hand, it was kind of nice having a big, strong man like you staking his claim."

He curled his hands into tight fists, even as his dick throbbed to life when he considered just how close her fingers were to his fly. "Is that what I did?" he asked, his voice rough with arousal. "Stake a claim?"

"Yeah." Her sweet, tempting mouth held a delectable curve of humor and sensuality. "And just for the record, it was a tad barbarianlike."

"Can't say I'm sorry."

"Me, either," she admitted, and shifted closer so that her mouth was only inches away from his and invited his kiss. Her hand, still splayed low on his belly, seared his skin through his T-shirt. "I've never had any guy come to my defense the way you did," she said softly.

"Not even your ex-fiancé?"

Her eyes widened in startled surprise at his abrupt comment. She dropped her hand and took a step back, giving him breathing room that no longer contained her warm, enticing female scent, which was wreaking havoc with certain parts of his anatomy.

Her brows creased in confusion and curiosity as she stared at him. "How do you even know I had a fiancé?"

It was an easy enough question for him to answer. "You wrote to Zach while he was in the service, and we talked about our siblings and what was going on back home. He happened to mention your engagement, though I don't know the specifics of your breakup." And right now seemed like a great time to discuss something that would cool his ardor. "What happened?"

She shrugged, as if her broken engagement no longer mattered to her heart or her emotions, and Joel hoped that was true. "Soon after I accepted Brent's proposal, I moved into his place with him. I figured since we were getting married anyway it made sense that we cut costs and live together, instead of paying for two apartments."

She looked away, providing Joel with a silhouette of her profile and the way she absently stroked her tongue across her soft bottom lip before speaking again. "A few months after that, Brent starting acting strange. He'd pick fights with me over ridiculous things, like me taking up too much room in his closet, or if I cooked something he didn't like, and even the way I folded his clothes. I honestly thought it was because he was having a hard time adjusting to living with someone when he'd always lived on his own and that we'd eventually find some kind of balance."

"Except you obviously didn't," Joel said.

"No, we didn't." She glanced back at him. A faint smile touched her lips and her hands tugged on the ends of the scarf wrapped around her neck. "Things just got worse. Brent grew distant and started spending more time at work, and he'd even take off for a weekend, claiming it was for the ad agency he worked for."

Joel knew exactly where all those classic signs were heading, but he didn't say anything, just listened to her tell the story her own way.

"The stupid arguments we had, and Brent's behavior, reminded me exactly of the way my own parents' marriage started disintegrating, then eventually fell apart. I was only twelve at the time, but I remember it all so vividly. Having lived through my father's infidelity and what it did to my mother, I emotionally prepared myself for what I knew was coming. And it did."

She wrapped her arms around her stomach and exhaled a deep breath. "Six months after I agreed to marry Brent, he finally broke down and admitted that he'd been seeing someone else on the side for the past three months. And if that wasn't enough of a blow, he also told me that she was pregnant and he planned to marry her."

"Jesus, Lora." He scrubbed a hand along the late-evening stubble on his jaw, hating that some prick had treated her so badly. "I'm so sorry."

Her chin lifted, showing him that gutsy, defiant spirit that never failed to impress him. "You know what? I'm okay now. Better than okay," she added as a light breeze ruffled through her silky, unbound hair. "At the time I was devastated, but I wasn't about to be defeated. And I wasn't about to repeat my mother's mistakes by wallowing in regrets and wishing for something that wasn't meant to be."

He didn't know many women, if any, that could survive such a painful breakup and be stronger for the experience, instead of angry and bitter. Only someone as stubborn and determined as Lora could push forward with such a positive outlook and attitude, he thought with an internal smile.

"What about you, Joel?" she asked, turning the tables on him with a not-so-coy grin. "How many hearts have you broken over the years?"

"None," he replied easily, and honestly.

She gave him a dubious look that was tempered by the playful gleam in her eyes. "Oh, come on, Romeo. I find that hard to believe."

Now that she was standing far enough away, he pulled his hands from his pockets and folded his arms over his chest. "Let me rephrase that. I've never intentionally broken anyone's heart," he said, not wanting her to think that he was the type of guy to string a woman along with false expectations. "The women I've dated know right up front what I'm willing to give to a relationship."

Tipping her head to the side, she eyed him curiously. "And what's that?"

He shrugged and gave her the truth. "A good time, in and out of the sack."

"But no emotional ties," she murmured, more to herself than to him. "You like to play it safe."

It both amazed and annoyed him how effortlessly she'd nailed his MO, when he was normally very guarded when it came to the opposite sex. It was an unsettling feeling knowing that Lora could get into his psyche so easily, and it made him realize how important it was that she understood his own personal rules when it came to women and relationships.

"I'm straight up with women about what to expect because I don't want anyone to get hurt when I'm ready to walk away." And he always did. Either he grew restless and bored with the affair, stifled by constraints, or some woman would get it into her head that she was the one who could domesticate him. All three situations were clear signs that it was time for him to move on.

"What made you so jaded?" she asked, her gentle, caring voice reaching out to him like a physical caress.

He ignored the sensation, as well as the all-too-knowing tenderness that softened her features and seemed to see past all those internal barriers he'd erected long ago. "I'm not jaded," he said, but knew that denial was a lie. He'd learned at a very young age that it was so much simpler, and less painful, not to open himself up to any kind of emotional involvement, and it was a lesson that had served him well ever since.

"There isn't any room in my life for commitments and promises," he went on, before she could dig any deeper into the depths of his subconscious. "And it has more to do with my lifestyle and my job than anything else."

In the starlit shadows, he watched as a slow, sultry smile claimed her lips, and his gut clenched with heat and desire, mingling with the frustration twisting through him.

"I know this sounds clichéd, but maybe you just haven't met the right woman yet," she said.

He laughed, but the sound held no humor. In fact, considering the topic of conversation, and his own uncontrollable lust for this woman, he was beginning to feel downright cantankerous. "And you think you're her?"

His dark, argumentative tone didn't seem to faze her. "Who knows? Only time will tell." She followed up that flirtatious reply with a seductive wink.

"Don't set yourself up for heartache, sweetheart," he warned, narrowing his gaze at her. "I can't give you what you need."

She raised a dark brown brow, highlighting the amusement in her gaze that seemed to taunt him. "How do you know what I need?"

His jaw tightened in growing aggravation, and he jammed his hands onto his hips, wondering how in the hell this one woman could push all his hot buttons. She had him tied up in knots on so many levels. Emotionally. Physically. Sexually. All because he wanted her soft and naked beneath him, in a variety of ways. God, why couldn't she be the kind of woman he could just fuck, get out of his system, and forget?

But he instinctively knew there would be no forgetting Lora Marshall, and not just because she was Zach's sister.

He answered her question, using the direct, no-nonsense, male approach so there'd be no misunderstanding what he meant. "You want and need all that emotional hearts-and-flowers kind of crap that all women eventually want. I'm not that kind of guy, Lora. I never have been and I never will be."

She stepped toward him and opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off before she could say a word. Or touch him again. If she did either, she'd send him right over the edge with no hope of turning back.

"I like living alone," he went on, impatience roughening his voice. "I like my life uncomplicated, and I like being able to come and go as I please. I don't do love, Lora, and don't think that you'll be the one to change me. Many have tried, and all have failed."

Her mouth curved ever so slightly, as if she wasn't thoroughly convinced. "Wow, that's quite a speech."

"It's the truth."

"Okay. Your position has been duly noted." She held up both of her hands, clearly backing off, just as he wanted. Unfortunately, the movement caused her full breasts to lift and bounce, drawing his attention to the front of her snug top and the clear outline of her chilled nipples straining against the fabric.

Heat shot straight to his groin, thick with the aching, pulsing need that constantly smoldered just below the surface when it came to her. Inhaling a steadying breath, he raised his gaze back to her face, ignoring the fact that she'd noticed him staring at her breasts-and didn't seem to mind at all.

Shit. "I think it's time I took you back home," he said gruffly.

Before he said to hell with the moral quandaries surrounding their relationship and succumbed to the awareness enticing him to do all the things he fantasized about doing to her in the dark of the night, he forced himself to turn around and head back to his motorcycle.

But despite his admirable discipline at the moment, Joel feared it was just a matter of time before this particular woman shattered his quickly dwindling willpower.

At least he'd adverted giving in to any temptation for tonight.

THE man was a bundle of contradictions, Lora thought as she watched Joel stalk toward his bike. Pure walking sex with a body made for sin, yet so unconscious of his masculine appeal. Fiercely protective of her, as he'd been earlier in the bar, yet dangerously possessive in a way she found shamelessly exciting.

Then there was the dark hunger in his eyes that clearly stated he wanted her-yet every time she tried to get close enough to indulge in her own desires, he immediately put physical distance between them to keep things platonic. And now, with his lecture about women and relationships, he'd just erected all sorts of emotional walls, too.

What the heck had that been all about, she wondered, feeling confused and baffled by his odd behavior. She didn't understand his resistance when there was so much sexual tension between them just waiting to be explored and exploited to its fullest potential of pleasure. Especially when he'd asked her out on a date-yet had spent most of the evening avoiding any one-one-one contact with her.

It was as though he was fighting himself and what he truly wanted. She didn't know why, but considering he'd made it clear during their discussion that he only wanted one thing from a woman, she figured they were pretty much on the same page. She had her own reasons for not getting tangled up in a committed relationship right now, but what was wrong with the two of them enjoying a bit of sexy fun?

As he slid onto his bike and reached for his gloves, Lora decided it was time to go after what she wanted. Time to really shake Joel up and let him know she'd more than welcome some one-on-one attention. Obviously, the seductive, flirtatious cues she'd been tossing his way all night long hadn't done the trick, so she needed to ratchet up her efforts.

He glanced her way, frowning when he found her still standing where he'd left her. "Let's go."

It was a brusque order, tinged with impatience to match his restless need to get out of this secluded area with her. She started toward him, adding a slow, purposeful sway to her hips as she walked-like a woman on a sensual mission who wouldn't be dissuaded. Not this time, at least.

"I'm not ready to go back home." The anticipation of executing her plan infused her voice with a low, husky quality.

His gaze, so dark and intense, narrowed at her, as if he was trying to figure out exactly what she was up to. "It's late."

"It's Saturday, and the night is still young." Before he realized her intent, she slid her hip onto the leather seat in front of him, between his spread thighs. Then she plucked the gloves from his grasp before he could put them on, and tossed them aside.

Lifting her hand, she caressed her palm along the taut line of his strong, firm jaw, trying to ease the tension vibrating off his entire body. "Besides, I don't have a curfew. Do you?"

He didn't touch her as Lora ached for him to. In fact, he went to great pains to make certain he kept his hands to himself, even though she was practically draped across his lap, his for the taking.

"Lora-"

She silenced his oncoming protest with her fingers against his mouth. His lips were so warm and pliant and tempting, and all she could think about was tasting him and making that precious control of his shatter. Feeling the barely leashed aggression beneath his reserve, along with the solid length of his shaft pressing against her hip, she knew she was close to doing just that.

Lora's greatest wish was to be ravished by this man, except he didn't seem willing to oblige, and that meant she'd have to do the persuading, and the seducing. "I've been dying to kiss you," she whispered as she eased her right leg over the bike so that she was facing Joel, her legs draped atop his muscled thighs in a position that was oh-so-intimate. "Really kiss you. Slow, and long, and deep."

Sinking her fingers into the soft, richly textured hair at the nape of his neck, she lowered her mouth to steal one of those kisses, but right before her lips made contact with his, he jerked his head back.

She sighed. His reaction was disappointing, of course, but Lora wasn't completely surprised, considering he'd been thwarting her attempts to get close to him all night long. But she wasn't discouraged, and she didn't take his rejection personally, not when he was staring at her with eyes that were dark and tormented with wanting, and the struggle within him was nearly palpable. The big question was, why was he still denying her, and himself?

Since her bold and assertive advance hadn't worked, she opted to handle the situation by taking a more humorous approach that would undoubtedly get some kind of reaction out of him.

She tipped her head to the side and schooled her features into a mask of seriousness. "Are you gay?" she asked, even though the fierce erection straining against the fly of his jeans made his sexual orientation a non-issue. Still, the transformation in Joel-from controlled and collected to severe shock-was too comical, and she had to bite her lower lip to keep from laughing out loud.

"Jesus! Of course I'm not gay!" Joel stared at her in horror, his expression appalled. "What in the hell would make you ask that?" he demanded.

Clearly, he wasn't amused by her question, but she was enjoying herself, and his response, immensely. Enough so that she decided to keep up the pretense a bit longer. "Well, you've been avoiding any kind of physical contact between the two of us, and you don't seem very interested in kissing me." She sighed, trying to sound and look dejected. "Do I just not do it for you?"

He exhaled a long, harsh breath and curled his hands into tight fists at his sides, still not allowing himself to touch her. "I've got a goddamn raging hard-on that states otherwise."

"Yeah, you do," she agreed as she stroked her palms up his jean-clad thighs until her fingers grazed that very impressive bulge. "So, since we've established that I do turn you on, what's the problem?"

"I'm trying to be chivalrous," he said through clenched teeth.

"Who asked you to be?" Certainly not her! God, she was doing everything in her power to entice him, all to no avail. "Not only does chivalry not suit that risk-taking personality of yours, but you strike me as the type of guy who has no qualms about taking what a woman offers, no questions asked. So why are you fighting what we both want so badly?"

Pale moonlight washed across his gorgeous features and gleamed off his black-as-midnight hair, making him appear every inch the rebel. But it was the candid, caring look in his eyes that captured her attention the most and made her realize just how serious this moment was to him.

"Because I don't think I can stop at just one kiss," he told her.

His words were so real and honest, they made her heart skip a beat to think he found her that irresistible. "I guess that's a risk I'll just have to take."

Smiling, she leaned toward him and nipped gently at his bottom lip, teasing him with the promise of something hotter, deeper, sweeter. "Kiss me, Joel," she breathed against the corner of his mouth while she brazenly tugged his shirt out of the waistband of his jeans so she could slip her hands beneath the warm, soft cotton material. "Touch me," she urged as she splayed her palms on his rock-hard stomach and glided them upward, aching to feel his hands on her, too. "Take me, please."

A low, untamed growl ripped from his chest, and that stubborn, unyielding control of his finally, finally, gave way to all the pent-up desire and hunger he'd been struggling against all evening long. His hands, which had been so idle before, now came up and tangled in her hair, and in the next moment he crushed his mouth to hers. Her lips parted on a gasp of surprise, and he took advantage and slid his tongue inside, reckless and demanding, sweeping every one of her senses into overload.

His response was absolutely, positively heavenly.

She'd managed to unleash his lust, and now all that alpha male aggression was spilling over into the hottest, most erotic kiss she'd ever had the pleasure of receiving. Returning the kiss with equal abandon, she wrapped her arms around his waist beneath his T-shirt and jacket, trying to get as close to him as she could.

Judging by the restless shift of his body against hers, he seemed to want the same thing. She felt the impatient tug of the scarf from around her neck as he unraveled the strip of knitted material and let it drop to the ground, revealing her neck to the chilly evening air. She shivered, then moaned in pure delight when he buried his face against her throat and warmed her skin with his breath and the hot, damp press of his lips nuzzling just beneath her jaw.

Closing her eyes, she let her head fall back to give his mouth better access, while one of his hands skimmed down her back to the base of her spine and the other gave a gentle tug to the snaps securing the front of her top. One, two, three, four… they popped open, exposing her bra and the full upper swells of flesh nearly overflowing the lace-edged cups. He lifted his head, watching as he pushed the stretchy fabric down and released one of her breasts, then the other, to his dark, avid gaze. Her nipples hardened instantly, and he saw that, too.

An involuntary sound escaped her lips, a whimper of need that Joel recognized and understood. He covered both of her bare breasts with his hands, the slight roughness of his palms abrading the sensitive tips as he gently kneaded the soft mounds of flesh. Then the lazy friction of his thumbs joined in on the action, stroking and swirling around her areolas, rasping across her nipples-gentle at first, then harder, firmer, creating a firestorm of sensation that spiraled straight down to the pit of her stomach, and lower.

She groaned, in surrender, in anticipation of feeling his mouth on her. The wanting made her weak. The waiting made her impatient. Sliding her hands into his hair, she pulled his head down and arched her back, silently begging him to take her into his mouth-and ready to strangle him if he refused.

Obviously done denying her, or himself, he licked at her stiff nipples, a wet, velvet swipe of his tongue over each tender peak. A slow, lazy lap designed to torment and tease. A soft, heated stroke that made her tremble and moan. The gentle scrape of his teeth was both sweet bliss and exquisite pain. When he finally sucked her deep into his mouth, the pleasure was so immense, her entire body shuddered and she cried out.

Her wanton response tore a groan out of him, too, and his mouth came back to hers in a desperate, needy kiss that made her mind spin. The deep, assertive stroke of his tongue echoed the decadent, erotic rhythm of hot sex. He circled his strong arms around her and pulled her close, but when that didn't seem like enough-for either of them-he skimmed his flattened palms all the way down her back to her hips. She was still straddling his thighs, but that didn't stop him from tucking his hands beneath her bottom and hauling her up onto his lap, then gently tipping her backward, until she was laying on the metal gas tank with her legs all but wrapped around his waist.

Her top gaped open, and pale moonlight painted her naked flesh and lush curves with an opalescent hue. She'd never felt more beautiful, or more desirable, than she did at that moment with Joel staring down at her, worshipping her with his reverent gaze. Soon, though, the chill of the evening washed over her, causing her to shiver.

Keeping the bike stable with his feet braced on the ground, Joel bent over her, pressing his muscled body intimately, insistently into hers with his thick erection fitting naturally in the crux of her thighs. Threading her fingers through his silky hair once again, she welcomed another deep, drugging kiss, and sighed against his lips as his hands caressed her breasts and warmed them in his palms. His mouth eventually followed, trailing a searing path from her neck to her tight, puckered nipples. With the wet heat of his tongue, he lavished each one with a generous amount of attention before kissing and nuzzling his way down to her soft belly. When he reached the low waistband of her jeans, instead of unsnapping her pants and continuing the journey, which she would have more than welcomed, he instead stopped and laid his head on her stomach.

She was panting, and he was breathing just as hard. Hot, damp puffs of air caressed her belly, and the stubble on his jaw chafed her skin. She waited, knowing exactly what he was going to say, even before he said it.

"We have to stop." His voice was rough and strained, and it was enough to tell Lora that it was taking Joel tremendous effort to bring things to a halt.

Aroused beyond belief, she squeezed her eyes closed, trying to ignore the way her body was clamoring for release. She could have told him that they didn't have to stop, that she was on the Pill and protected, if that was his concern. But for as much as she wanted Joel-and for as badly as she ached to know how he'd feel inside of her-she didn't want their first time together to be like this, out in the middle of nowhere on his bike. She wanted a warm, soft bed and lots of time to enjoy everything about making love with Joel Wilde.

"Okay," she said softly.

He lifted his head, clearly surprised that she hadn't argued. "I really am going to take you home now." He straightened and helped her to sit up, too.

She immediately missed his warmth, the heat and strength of his body pressing into hers. Humored by his insistent, back-in-charge tone, she readjusted her bra while he watched. "Okay."

Pulling the sides of her top together, he snapped them closed in a very efficient manner, as if he wanted her covered as quickly as possible. "And we are not going to finish what we just started here tonight when we get back to your place."

She almost laughed at his ridiculous order, but managed to hold it back. "Okay."

He frowned at her easy acceptance after she'd spent most of the night trying to seduce him. "When did you become so agreeable?"

"Since I got what I wanted."

He raised a dark brow, and much to her relief she caught a glimpse of amusement softening the depths of his bluer-than-blue eyes. "Oh, yeah? And what was that?"

This time, she didn't bother stopping the grin from appearing on her lips. "A hot kiss, and knowing there's a whole lot more where that came from."

And for tonight, that kiss, and Joel's uninhibited reaction, was enough for her.