04 - Born to be Wilde.txt (5 page)

The parking lot lights illuminated those deep green eyes of hers, which had darkened with heat and acute awareness. He brushed his fingers over the rapid pulse beating at the base of her throat. Her soft lips parted in unmistakable invitation, and her breathing deepened, causing her chest to rise and fall in a way that beckoned him to look and appreciate those fine feminine curves. Her coat was open, enabling him to see her tight nipples pressing against her T-shirt—from the night chill or their provocative exchange, he wasn't certain. Either way, he ached to take those lovely breasts in his hands just to see how well she fit into his large palms.

He curbed the impulse. Just barely. "So, if I give you what you want, does that mean you'll go for a ride with me?" At the moment, it wasn't straddling a motorcycle that he had in mind, but rather having her soft, slender thighs wrapped tight around his hips as he took her on a fast and wild ride of a whole different kind. The erotic thought made his cock twitch and ache between his thighs.

Oh, man. He was in deep, deep trouble with her.

She caught her full lower lip between her teeth as she seemed to consider the implications of his question. Just as he had. "I'm not that easy," she said, her tone light and playful. "But I'll think about your offer and let you know."

He chuckled at her sassy and very unexpected reply. Her ability to make him laugh was yet another thing he enjoyed about her. "You be sure to do that, but don't make me wait for long."

The humorous moment gradually faded, and in its place something more intimate and sensual simmered between them. Her eyes softened with desire, and he knew without a doubt that he could have easily kissed her. Knew she'd let him take her mouth and give them both a small sampling of the kind of carnal pleasure that promised so much more.

He'd always been a man who took what he wanted, especially when it came to women and what was so freely offered. But this time, kissing Lora would be a huge, monumental mistake, because he was certain one taste of her wouldn't be enough to satisfy the gut-level craving he was beginning to develop for her. Not to mention he'd be overstepping boundaries he had no business crossing.

He'd agreed to protect Zach's sister, not dive into a hot and heavy affair with her just to appease their attraction. Because of his job and his carefree way of life that didn't include being tied down to anyone, a short, temporary relationship was all he was willing to offer any woman. And knowing Lora's past history from many conversations with Zach during their time together, he got the distinct impression that she was the kind of woman who'd need a stable, secure man in her life.

So, as difficult as it was, he took a huge step back and shoved the tips of his fingers into the front pockets of his jeans—just as an added precaution.

A flicker of disappointment passed over her features, then she covered it up with a smile. "Well, I guess this is good night, then."

He gave her a nod. "Good night, Lora."

She slipped into her car, and once he heard her lock the door he headed over to his motorcycle, trying to shake off the light buzz of arousal with every step he took. She headed toward home, and as he followed behind at a discreet distance, he wondered how in the hell he was going to spend the next few weeks around Lora, courting her in order to stay close to her, without touching her. Without kissing her. Without taking her exactly where those eyes had all but begged him to go back in the parking lot.

His ripe curse was drowned out by the rumbling of his bike's engine. He was in for a long couple of weeks of excruciating sexual tension with no relief in sight.

At least not with the woman he wanted the most.

Chapter Three

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"'MORNING, Syd," Lora called out cheerfully, announcing her presence as she walked into her best friend's two-bedroom apartment, which was located right down the hall from her own place. "I brought doughnuts, so come and get 'em while they're good and fresh."

Lora headed into the kitchen, but no one was there. Figuring Sydney and her fifteen-year-old daughter, Cassie, were still in their bedrooms getting ready for the day, Lora went ahead and poured herself a cup of coffee and rummaged through the refrigerator for the cream. She and Sydney had an open-door policy for the most part, and keys to each other's apartments. Most mornings they met for breakfast before Sydney had to take Cassie to school and Lora had to head off to the St. Claire Hotel for work.

"I heard your chipper greeting all the way into my bathroom," Sydney grumbled as she entered the kitchen, wearing a pair of form-fitting jeans and an equally form-fitting blue sweater top. Her naturally wavy auburn hair, which reached the middle of her back, was still damp from her morning shower.

After letting out a loud, obnoxious yawn, she narrowed her gaze at Lora and asked, "Why are you in such a good mood this morning?"

Sydney was so not a morning person and couldn't understand how Lora could wake up so early bright-eyed, rested, and ready to face the day. Sydney would sleep in until noon, given the chance, but she had a daughter in high school, and that kept her from enjoying that particular luxury.

Carrying her cup of coffee to the table, Lora sat down and selected an apple fritter from the pink pastry box. "Well, maybe I'm in a good mood because you let me off early last night."

"Yeah, to go out and get yourself laid." Sydney turned from the counter, a mug of steaming coffee in hand and a sly grin curving her lips. "Dare I hope?"

Lora picked off a crispy edge of her fritter and popped it into her mouth. "Sorry to disappoint you, my dear friend, but my virtue is still intact." However, Lora had to wonder if the vividly erotic dream she'd had last night qualified as getting laid. It was as close to getting laid as she'd gotten in the past two years.

She'd been deep asleep, but the image of Joel's hands and mouth pleasuring her in such steamy, breathtaking detail had seemed so real. Intensely so. She'd felt the heat and strength of his big body stroking in and out of hers, and each hard, fierce thrust had sent her spiraling into the sweetest kind of ecstasy.

She'd woken up panting and moaning as her body clenched deep inside and the last ripples of an orgasm coursed through her. She'd been shocked, and realized that she'd had the female equivalent of a wet dream, proof that her body truly was sexually deprived.

Her face warmed at the memory, and she ducked her head to hide the flush on her cheeks before Sydney noticed and called her on it.

Sydney plopped herself down across the table from Lora and picked out a maple glazed doughnut, which was her favorite kind. "So, tell me all about your platonic date with the hunk."

"It really wasn't a date." Lora shrugged, and took a sip of her coffee.

"What do you mean it wasn't a date?" her friend replied in that affectionately sarcastic way of hers. "You went out with him, didn't you?"

"I had a cup of coffee with him. It wasn't any big deal." Or so Lora tried to convince herself, as well as Sydney.

Sydney made a grunting sound to the contrary. "Did he kiss you?" she asked hopefully.

She recalled all the playful banter and innuendo about Joel's motorcycle at the end of the evening, could still feel the way he'd strummed his fingers down to the base of her throat and how his touch had ignited such a powerful sexual awareness between them. At that moment, she'd wanted to kiss him—the kind of slow, deep kiss that was infused with a heady rush of sensation. She could have sworn by the heat and desire in his eyes that he was thinking the same thing.

She was certain a kiss would have been so good between them… until he'd stepped away, dispelling any notion she might have had about making out with Joel Wilde. Which was probably for the best, she thought with a sigh.

In addition to the fact that he had "bad boy" written all over him, she really wasn't in the market for any kind of relationship right now. She just didn't have the time. Between her day job at the hotel, her evenings at The Electric Blue, and saving every spare dollar she earned so she could open up her own spa within the next year, Joel and his sexy smile and built-like-a-god body were a distraction she couldn't afford.

"Helloooo," Sydney singsonged as she waved a hand in front of Lora's face to get her attention again. "Considering how long you're taking to answer my question, I'm guessing you're wishing he had kissed you."

"Score one for you," Lora admitted, and finished off her apple fritter. "But it didn't happen."

"Damn." Sydney shook her head and licked the sticky remnants of maple cream from her fingers. "Why didn't you just plant one on him? Or better yet, just tear his clothes off and have your way with him out in the back alley? Trust me, judging by the way he was watching you in the bar last night, he wouldn't have refused."

Lora laughed at her friend's outrageous suggestion. "Maybe because I'm not that kind of girl?"

Sydney rolled her eyes. "Tell me something I don't already know."

"Well, here's something you don't already know," Lora said, and folded her arms on the table. "Would you believe that Joel knows Zach? They were in the service together. The same unit, actually."

"No kidding?" Sydney asked, surprised. "Talk about a small world."

Lora told Sydney about her conversation with Joel, about Zach and how long it had been since Lora had been in contact with him. She really needed to call her brother again, just to let him know she was thinking about him and missed him. Her brother had become a wanderer since leaving the Marines, a man who just couldn't settle down in any one place, and she just wanted to know that he was okay.

Sydney cast a quick look at the clock on the wall, then turned to yell down the hall toward the bedrooms, "Twenty more minutes before we need to hit the road for school, Cass! You need to eat breakfast, so hurry it up already!"

"Okay, okay, I'm coming!" Cass hollered back, her voice vibrating with teenage impatience.

Hiding a grin at Cass's bit of attitude, Lora stood up, retrieved the coffeepot, and refilled her mug, then Sydney's, figuring her friend could use another boost of caffeine. "Hey, have you decided on a costume for the Halloween bash you're having at The Electric Blue?" The bar was hosting its second annual Halloween party, and Sydney had made it mandatory that everyone dress up—from the employees, to the customers, and even the bouncers. No one entered the place without wearing a costume.

"I'm thinking of being a lady pirate. Arrr," she said in a deep, swaggering tone, then grinned. "What about you?"

Lora set the coffeepot back on the burner and returned to the table. "I'm not sure yet. Any good suggestions?"

"Well, there's always a nun habit and gown to go with your celibate life these days," Sydney teased, and batted her lashes at Lora. "Or how about Little Bo Peep? She's pretty innocent, too."

Lora shot her friend an indulgent glance. "Ha ha, very funny. I'm sorry I asked. I'll figure out something on my own."

Sydney finished off her maple doughnut and grew silent, subdued even, and Lora wondered what had brought on the change. Her friend was normally so outgoing and bubbly, and even used her vivacious and sometimes sarcastic personality to keep other people from getting too close emotionally. It was a defense mechanism for Sydney, and one that had served her well over the years, but Lora was the one person with whom she let down her guard. The one and only person she trusted to let see the vulnerable, insecure woman beneath all that seductive, and brash, bravado.

"You're awfully quiet all of a sudden, Syd," Lora said softly, knowing her friend needed to talk about something. "What's on your mind?"

Inhaling a deep breath, Sydney lifted her gaze to Lora's, giving her a glimpse of maternal worry and deep-seated fears. "Cassie asked me if she could go to a Halloween party at a friend's that Saturday night."

Lora certainly didn't see anything wrong with a young girl enjoying a party with friends, but Sydney obviously did. "And?"

Sydney traced her finger along the rim of her cup. "I told her I had to think about it, but that didn't go over well at all, as you can imagine."

"Why?" Lora asked curiously.

An incredulous burst of laughter escaped Sydney. "Because she's a moody, temperamental fifteen-year-old?"

Realizing that Sydney had misunderstood her question, Lora shook her head. "No, I mean, why do you need to think about letting her go to the party?"

"Because she's fifteen," Sydney said meaningfully. "And she already has a centerfold body to match mine and every guy from the age of ten to eighty can only think of one thing when they look at her." Sydney put her head in her hands and groaned. "Why couldn't she have been skinny and flat-chested?"

Lora would have laughed at Sydney's motherly complaint, but knew her friend wasn't joking. Sydney was thinking of her own troubling and unstable childhood, and how her deep yearning for love and security had led to her getting pregnant with Cassie at the tender young age of fourteen. Her very mature and voluptuous body, along with a boy's promise of forever, had prompted Sydney to ultimately give her heart and body to him. But she'd learned the hard way that he'd only wanted one thing from her, and in the end, when she'd needed him the most, he'd betrayed her in the worst possible way.

And now, Sydney's biggest fear was that some young guy would take advantage of her own daughter in the same way.