Whether she was experiencing pleasure or pain, excitement or fear…
He ripped his eyes away from her and studied the glowing gauges in the dash. Fuck. This was not the time or place for this shit. Not with her so close he could feel the warmth radiating from her body, smell the sweetness of her perfume mingling with the floral scent of her shampoo.
Clearing his throat, he hoped he’d be able to keep his voice steady. “Do you mind tagging along? It’s probably not a sight you’ll want to see.”
She smiled, shaking her head. “It’s not like I have anywhere else I need to be.”
As he informed Jacob that Lacey’s car was too dangerous to tow, he wondered what Lacey would say if he told her she was completely wrong. There was one place she needed to be. It was the one place he’d been dying to see her.
On her knees, at his feet.
Chapter Three
Lacey watched Michael as he helped clear away the last of the wreckage from the horrific four-car pileup. The ambulances had departed just as they arrived, leaving behind demolished vehicles, glass, metal and rubber. Three other trucks had been on the scene when they got there and had already started pulling the mangled wreckage onto the backs of their rigs. Mike had quickly pulled into place, gotten to work on the last one and loaded it up before clearing the icy road.
As he told the other drivers goodbye, she soaked Michael in. Even in oil-splattered jeans, a snow-drenched jacket and damp hair, he looked delectable. Her heart began to melt, as did other parts of her anatomy as she watched him walk, each step graceful and sleek, like a jungle cat. Heavens, he was sex on a stick. So damn hot he made her pussy throb and her nipples ache.
How in the world had she ever found business suits attractive when denim could hug a man’s ass so perfectly?
Nodding and saying something she couldn’t hear, he turned from the other men as he pulled off his work gloves and started walking toward the truck. She sat down and snapped her seat belt in place just as he opened the door and climbed up.
“Damn, it’s cold,” he grumbled, tossed the gloves on the seat between them, and brought his hands to his lips to blow into his clasped fingers.
Talk about an understatement. Even inside the truck with the heat at full blast she could still feel the chill seeping through the windows. “I don’t know how you stand it out there.”
He lowered his hands and grinned. “You get used to it.”
“I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it.” She shivered as she touched the windshield and felt the bitter bite coming from the other side. “I’m too accustomed to the sun.”
“You wouldn’t know it.”
Turning to him, she cocked a brow in question. “Why’s that?”
“Your skin’s so pale,” he answered, studying her closely, his eyes piercing and shockingly bright inside the darkened cabin.
As if he were imagining her pale naked body without clothes.
She blushed and looked away, staring at the air vent. Good God. So much for being cold. She was burning up now, her pussy soaking wet, and all it took was a look, his voice and a bit of wishful thinking to make it happen. She could feel the heaviness of Michael’s stare, his eyes like phantom hands that left an impression where they lingered.
After a tense moment, he grabbed the microphone from the radio and brought it to lips as she found the courage to peer in his direction.
“Jacob, are you listening? Come back.”
The radio crackled. “I’m here.”
“I’m bringing one in.”
“Ten-four.”
Michael slid the radio back into place and glanced at her. “After we drive this in I can take you to a hotel. Is that all right with you?”
She was tempted to tell him it was fine so long as he planned on joining her. Instead she nodded, smiled and tried to pretend he didn’t light an inferno under her skin that only burned brighter in his presence. He put the vehicle in gear and they were back on the road. She forced herself not to glance over too often, too aware of him in the suddenly small confines of the cabin. She could smell a hint of his cologne, something that was light but woodsy, and wondered what he would smell like with her nose pressed against his chest, his skin resting just under her lips as his heartbeat sounded against her ear.
Although it was well over thirty minutes until they made it to the garage, staring at her sexy, silent driver made it seem a hell of a lot shorter. The first building was the actual garage. The large brick house situated several yards behind it was Michael’s home. She’d driven by his place once on a whim, curious about where he lived and worked. It wasn’t flashy but homey and welcoming, which made the way she felt about him all the more confusing.
How could he possibly want a wild woman who liked to be spanked and hog-tied but live in a house that was obviously constructed for a family?
“Lacey?” Michael’s voice broke her out of her reverie. “Do you mind if I stop by the house first?”
“Sure,” she answered automatically, uncaring of what he’d asked. She gave him a cheery smile and hoped like hell he wasn’t aware of what she was thinking.
He returned her smile with a devilish grin, flashing a set of dimples that made her breath catch and her womb clench. “I won’t take long. You can kick back, relax and grab anything you’d like from the kitchen.”
Kitchen?
She struggled to keep the smile in place as he drove. Emergency lights came on as they approached the concrete circle of his driveway and stopped at the foot of the brick stairs that led to a massive porch complete with a matching pair of egg-white rocking chairs.
Michael shut off the engine, removed the keys and exited the truck. She watched, wide-eyed, as he came around and opened her door. She felt her stomach heave as the reality of the situation struck.
He wasn’t stopping by to pick up something or make a pit stop. He was actually inviting her inside his home.
“Coming?”
“Yes,” she whispered and started to climb down.
When she stumbled he reached up to steady her, grasping her forearm. She gasped as she looked into his face, so close she could feel the delicious warmth of his breath against her mouth. Up close his eyes were the clearest aquamarine, absolutely breathtaking. She couldn’t tear her gaze away, even as he moved closer, then closer. His face stopped just before his nose brushed hers, his fingers at her elbow rubbing in gentle, lazy circles against her coat.
“You have to be careful, darlin’. That first step is always tricky.”
Her eyelids fluttered at the husky invitation in his voice. She wanted him to close those scant millimeters, to bring his face down, to kiss her until her toes curled. It wouldn’t take more than a nudge to accomplish the goal, if she was just willing to move a bit closer.
He smells so damn good…
When he released her she almost stumbled again. She righted herself and tried to calm her nerves, her heart beating a mile a minute. What was once dampness between her legs was now a full-fledged tsunami. Her body was trembling, her knees were weak and she was so damn flustered she couldn’t breathe. The heavy knots in her stomach became a gentle caress of butterfly wings, creating anticipation where none belonged.
She was grateful when he turned and walked ahead of her. Not only for the view but because it also gave her a moment to restore her composure. How many times did she have to remind herself that she wasn’t his type? Michael was as likely to be as interested in her as he would be one of the elderly widows who played bingo at the community center on a Friday night. Unless, of course, she came clean about her newfound fantasies. Fantasies she still wasn’t sure she was prepared to explore.