Holding On (Road House Series) (2 page)

“What are you doing?” she whispered, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

He stepped closer, so he wouldn’t wake the neighbors.

“I brought a peace offering.” He had to suppress a groan when he saw how her bare breasts had tented her tank.

Noticing his pointed stare, Iris covered her chest with her arms. He came even closer, drawn to her. When he was standing in the doorway with her, he stopped a few feet away.

Her face had scrunched up at his breast ogling but softened when she peered into the bag.

“Are these pecan sticky buns?” Her long brown hair had fallen across her face and prevented him from reading her emotions. He itched to brush it back and run his hand along the nape of her neck, to run his fingers through it and fist his hands in it as he brushed his mouth along her jaw.

He cleared his throat and shifted position, hoping it wasn’t visible how much of an effect she had on him.

“Uh, yeah.” He cleared his throat again, trying to find his balls. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, but they’re my favorite and the best you ever had.”

Iris looked up and him. A blush had worked its way up her chest and left her cheeks a rosy red. She offered a shy smile.

“Thanks,” she said quietly.

“I was just planning on dropping them off. Didn’t think you’d be up.” He couldn’t help the question in his voice. It was almost too much to hope that she had been equally affected by him.

“Getting in a shipment here in an hour.” Disappointment slipped through him. His smile faltered.

She looked toward her car out-front and froze. Her hand nervously came to base of her throat and traced along the edge. She turned and stared at him with slightly hooded eyes.

“And I was having trouble sleeping.” Her throaty answer had him moving forward.

Before he knew it, he was standing directly in front of her. His breath stirred the hair around her face. He had to hunch himself slightly to whisper in her ear.

“And why was that?” The rich floral scent on her skin was driving him mad. He ached to press himself firmly into her and show her ways that would assure they both slept well.

“I…my…maybe we should go have some of these buns.” She rustled the bag between them.

Luc took a deep breath and pulled away. No point hiding his arousal this time. With the way his dick was painfully throbbing behind the zipper, he knew his feelings were evident. He heard her sharp intake and knew she had seen the proof.

He smirked. Shocking her shouldn’t be so much fun. He walked into the store.

Iris latched the door behind them. A piece of her wanted to run. She had just locked herself in with a wolf in dimpled sheep’s clothing.

She watched as he browsed the racks, picking up and putting down books as he went. Once again her attention was drawn to the large bulge below his waist. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen a man turned on, but it was a first for her to be aroused at the sight. She shook her head slightly. Who wouldn’t be though? He exuded raw energy. And his shaggy blond hair, bronzed skin and incredible height made him something akin to a Greek God. Not that she’d tell him that. Men like him knew what their looks did and used this to their advantage. She had seen it on more than one occasion.

“I’ve got a fire going in a fireplace in the back of the store and coffee.” She started to walk toward the back but turned when she heard him stop at the stairs. “Pan is sleeping over upstairs,” she said quietly without turning and continued to the loveseat in the back.

A carafe of coffee and napkins were neatly placed on the table behind the couch.

“Help yourself,” she said and gestured toward the coffee. She busied herself by placing each bun on a napkin.

She had just taken a bite when he sat next to her. His warm leg brushed against her.

Iris closed her eyes and savored the rich honey bun. When she opened her eyes, she found his gaze firmly fixed on her mouth.

“You have a spot,” he said. It came out in a breathy erotic way that made her clit catch fire and her panties go damp.

“Here,” he said. “I’ll get it.”

Gently, he swept the pad of his thumb over her sensitive lips. His eyes locked with hers as he gently slipped the tip in and her tongue darted out to meet it. Her eyes widened in shock at the involuntary response.

“Fuck,” he groaned.

In the next instant, his mouth was crashing down on her. She reached up and placed her hands on his shoulders to push him back but found them sliding up and fisting his hair at the back of his head. Iris deepened the kiss with her new hold on his head. Boldly, she licked the seam of his mouth. He groaned.

It was erotic and totally empowering, a combination new to her. Normally, she waited for the guy to make all the moves, if it even got to that point. Sudden realization at what was happening shocked her into pulling away. Her mind blanked when he ran his mouth along the column of her neck. She arched to allow more access, pushing her body firmly into his.

He pulled back and twirled her around, so she was seated in his lap, his cock firmly nestled against her heat. Her eyes rolled back as she rocked against him. Iris couldn’t tell if his grip on her was him trying to still her actions or create more friction. Again, she rocked against him. The dampness from her core seeped through her pants, creating a wet spot on his jeans. If she hadn’t been so far gone, she might have been embarrassed.

Luc’s calloused palms lightly skimmed up her hips and under the hem of her tank. They finally stilled just on the underside of her breasts. Frustrated by his teasing, she moved again to try and position them where she wanted them most. As if anticipating this move, he slid them away. In a huff of annoyance, her eyes snapped open.

Iris openly glared at him and huffed again in frustration.

“Tell me it’s okay,” he croaked out when she rocked again.

Satisfaction lit through her at his barely held restraint.

Keeping eye contact, she rocked against him again and brought her face close to his.

“Touch me,” she whispered.

He captured her mouth in a searing kiss and cupped her aching breasts. He pinched and rolled the sensitive nipples as his tongue thrust in her mouth in time with the rocking of their hips.

Iris reached up to cup his cheek when her fingers came in contact with the jagged scar. The feel of it thrilled her, and she traced the line to his temple. When he broke the kiss, she planted open-mouthed kisses along his jaw, nearing the scar.

It was then she noticed he was frozen still.

Iris pulled back and looked at him. A wild look haunted those lovely eyes. Luc pushed her abruptly away and slipped further away on the couch.

She watched silently as he stood and backed away. Pain flashed through her at the rejection. Followed closely by anger.

“Get the fuck out!” She coldly turned away from him and hugged herself.

Iris jumped when she heard the door chimes and the unbelievably loud click. Tears clouded her vision and only made her even angrier, but they wouldn’t stop. She leaned her head on the armrest and let out her frustration.

***

Luc climbed onto his bike and took a deep shuddered breath. Why did she have to touch it?

He sighed. Why did he have to be such a fucking freak in so many ways? It was best it ended when it did. Wasn’t like he was ready for much beside a night of fun, and she definitely was not the girl for that. She was the kind you took to meet your mom and sister. He shook his head. They would be thrilled. She was exactly the type they wanted to see him end up with. Someone like Victoria. Too bad he wasn’t going to open himself up like that again.

***

“What’s up, hun?” Iris sat up at the sound of her sister. Pan was rounding the corner and had clearly seen her crying. She brushed the stray tears away when her sister came to sit beside her.

“Sticky buns?” The wheels were turning as she saw Pan trying to put things together.

“Luc brought them.” She tried to smile, but it came out wobbly.

“Oh really.” Pan narrowed her eyes. “And did you all fight again?”

“Sort of.” Iris sighed. With the lack of sleep earlier and crying spell, her energy was sapped. “Listen, can we talk about this later? I’d like to get some sleep before the shipment comes in.”

Pan looked like she wanted to say more but nodded.

When Iris was settled back into bed, she again ran over the scene. She wasn’t sure what had caused the change of heart, but she knew one thing, she was not going to give Luc an open invitation again.

Frustrated in more than one way, she yanked the covers over her and drifted off to a restless sleep.

Chapter Three

Luc cursed when the nut he was trying to loosen wouldn’t budge and tossed the wrench into the toolbox. He had been in a piss-poor mood all day and tried not to thinking about the reason. His crew had given him a wide breadth of space and avoided asking for help. It was so unlike him to be this way, but he was grateful for the space. No telling what would have come out if he had to make conversation.

“Hey, princess, you done throwing a tantrum down there?” An amused voice sounded from behind him.

Luc turned and knew who it was before seeing him. Jake was not just a friend and the owner of the Road House but also an ex-SEAL like himself. The two had spent more than their fair share together, and Jake sometimes knew him better than his own mom. He had been the one who helped get Luc to the hospital when a bomb nearly took off his face. Couldn’t ask for a better friend than that.

“This coming from the queen of tantrums.” Luc rolled his eyes and stood to dust off a bit.

“I don’t throw fits. I get quiet. Big difference my friend.” Jake winked at him. Luc wasn’t totally sure how to deal with the new Jake. Old Jake bottled things up and tended to be stern and overbearing. New Jake was more carefree and open with his smiles and humor. Something Luc hadn’t seen in years. It was without a doubt the work of Sarah. The two started seeing each other several months back, and since then there had been nothing but new Jake.

“Surprised the crew let you come back,” Luc said gruffly.

Jake laughed loudly. “Emilio gave me a warning. I just explained that if you pissed me off too much, I’d have to lay you out. Wouldn’t be the first time.”

The two fell silent thinking about times when they had been far more carefree.

Jake cleared his throat. “So, what crawled up your ass?” Jake leaned against the bike next to him and crossed his arms.

“It’s Pan’s sister, Iris. Every time I see her I just want to tear off our clothes, but she’s so much like Victoria.” Luc sighed. Damn, he really didn’t want to be talking about this.

Jake shrugged. “So stay away from her.”

“I can’t.” Luc swiped his hand along his face, scraping the stubble. “I try, but there’s just something about her. It’s like she sees right through to the core.”

“Hummm. Well, it doesn’t sound like she’s much like Victoria at all. Are you sure you aren’t seeing what you want to see?”

Luc stiffened. “What the hell does that mean?”

Jake pushed off the bike and put a hand on Luc. “Relax. You were burned. Just don’t shut yourself off from feeling anything. ‘Cuz when it’s right, it’s great.”

Luc rolled her eyes. “Okay, lover boy, calm down. We can’t all be like you.” Luc leaned on the bike he had been working on.

“Oh really? And what do you know about Pan’s sister?” Jake paused and looked pointedly at Luc. He shrugged his shoulders in response. “Pan came to the bar one night when she was in town last. Talked about how the girl’s parents had died in a car accident when Iris just entered high school. Pan was just going into middle school. They had an uncle who lived here and had to move several states away in order to live with their guardian.” Luc’s stomach twisted thinking about how hard that would be to move right after their parents had died, only to live with some uncle they barely knew. “So the uncle owned a book store and lived in the small apartment above the store. The year Iris went off to college, the uncle passed away, leaving behind a high schooler for Iris to raise. So, she quit school and ran the book store while getting Pan through school. If she’s wild now, she must have been ten times worse back then.”

Jake chuckled at the thought.

“Poor Emilio wouldn’t stand a chance,” Luc said. “Although, I’m not so certain he stands a chance now.”

“That girl has known from day one what she wants and will be damned if anything is going to stop her.” Jake shook his head.

Luc turned to watch Emilio. Pan had certainly made it known what she wanted. None of them could really figure out what was stopping Emilio from starting a relationship, but he had made it very clear he was not interested. Not that Emilio was allowing anyone else the chance to get in there though. Nope, Pan was off limits.

At that moment, Emilio looked up at Luc. He tossed him a saucy wink and then flipped him the bird.

Luc chuckled and turned back to Jake.

“Come up to the bar tonight. Sarah’s gotten me to let some band come play and the place should be packed.” Jake ran his hands though his hair. “Besides, I could use some muscle around in case things get out of hand.”

Luc wondered what the hell kind of band Sarah had book that would make Jake nervous. The man was built like a tank and Sarah was about as far from biker chick as you got.

“Yeah sure. I’ll tell the guys, and we’ll meet up there later.”

Jake clapped him on the shoulder in thanks and started to walk back to his bike but turned half way there. “One of these days, you’re going to find someone worth opening up to and when you do, you remember to hold on because your world is going to be flipped inside out.” Jake slid his mirrored shades down to his nose, hopped on his hog and drove out of sight.

***

“So, sis, you gonna tell me what happened this morning?” Pan asked.

Iris sighed. She sat on the stool behind the counter and placed her cup and soup next to the cash register. Normally, she would be eating on the loveseat, but the idea of going back there made her ache once again.