She ducked her chin, not wanting anyone at the other tables to hear. “Someday you’ll sit here with someone else, and you’ll explain me away as someone who meant nothing to you.”
“Come here,” he murmured.
“I don’t think — ”
“Now, babe.”
She loved it when he called her babe in that soft, gruff voice. She leaned closer. He hovered over the table and feather kissed her. Once. Twice. Three times. She dug her fingers into the tablecloth. Every doubt fled, even though she warned herself that things were moving too fast. She couldn’t process new feelings the way he could. He had more experience with relationships, and all she had was years of people-watching to help her through.
“Listen to me.” He sat back down, but kept his eyes on hers. “All I can tell you is I feel different with you. I want to kick everyone’s ass that looks at you or thinks about you. I want to make every day perfect for you. Yes, I want to have sex, and we will. That’s a promise. What I have with you, I’ve never once had with another woman. Stop thinking yourself out of what you’re feeling.”
“We’ve only known each other a week.” She inhaled. “I don’t know if this is something you tell every woman you’re trying to sleep with, because we haven’t talked about where this is going between us.”
“Bullshit.” He shrugged, unfazed by her talking to him so openly. “You trusted me before your head told you to have faith in me. When you’re near me, you’re not even aware of how you lean against my side without even thinking, because deep down you know I’ll protect you. When you say my name, it comes out in a whisper and grabs hold of my chest. I’ve never heard you do that with anyone else.”
“Rain … ” She sighed.
“You gave yourself to me before you talked yourself out of growing closer to me. All my life I’ve been looking for a woman who had the right qualities, and I’ve come close, but they lacked one of the things I desired, or were too extreme in others. You’re balanced, and I have to tell you, even sitting here trying to open up and put you at ease, I want to sweep all the dishes off the table and taste you.”
“You want to kiss me again?” Her chin dropped, and she hurried to close her mouth.
He laughed. “God, you’re whacked, and you have no idea how much I like that you don’t assume anything. Makes me feel in control, and you’d allow me to give you the world, babe.”
The smile he gave her told her she’d guessed wrong about him only wanting her for sex. She squirmed on the chair. What would it be like to make love to a man the size of Rain? Her lower stomach fluttered, and it was hard to take a deep breath. Oh, God, she wanted to have sex.
“Damn me,” he mumbled.
Her head jerked up. Rain threw down his napkin and grabbed her hand. “Let’s go home.”
She hurried after him. “Now?”
“Yeah, babe. Now.”
“Why?”
He chuckled. “You have no clue how your emotions play across your face, do you?”
“No.” She stepped outside.
“You can’t look at me that way without me doing something about it,” he said.
She didn’t think she was doing anything wrong. There were times when he said something outrageous, like when he talked about kissing, when she couldn’t even think, let alone talk. He made her insides come alive, and it was hard to concentrate. “What way?”
They barely made it to his Harley parked outside the front door, before Rain had her pinned against a nearby car. “Like you want me inside you more than you want to breathe.”
His arms held her. His mouth settled on her. His heat surrounded her. Leather to leather, she raised her leg, hooking her foot behind his calf as he plunged his tongue into her mouth.
God, he knew everything about her. She slid her hand up his shoulder, over his neck, and sunk her fingers into his long hair. Her body flashed between warm and cold, trembling. Without him holding her up, she’d slowly slink along the side of the car and be sitting on the ground.
His eyelids drooped, and he stared at her intently. She panted, wishing she knew what was going through his mind.
“We’re going home. Me and you,” he rasped.
She nodded.
He leaned forward and kissed her neck, whispering, “I’m not going to let you run away.”
She melted. He always knew the perfect things she needed to hear to grasp what was happening so fast with them.
“Tonight. We’re having sex. Lots of sex,” he mumbled against her skin.
She swallowed. Sensitive to his touch, she could feel his lips smile against her neck. “Okay.”
She followed him to the bike, waited for him to get on and hand her the helmet. After getting used to balancing and taking the corners earlier when they rode to the restaurant, she could see herself becoming addicted to riding.
“Rain!” A female voice came from behind her.
She turned, along with Rain, and spotted a gorgeous blonde hurrying across the parking lot in high heels and a skimpy sundress, carrying a small purse.
“Hell, no.” Rain got off the bike and stalked toward the woman.
Even from her position, Tori could tell the woman was close to tears. Her stomach sank. She hoped nothing had happened at Cactus Cove or the Lagsturns weren’t causing problems again.
Unable to hear what Rain was saying, she had a feeling he had on his scary face when the woman backed up a step and crossed her arms. She swallowed hard. She expected him to come with an ex-girlfriend — because he was hot and women were always checking him out — but she hated the thought that this woman knew Rain intimately.
Rain returned to her. She stepped into him out of dread. His face hardened, and he refused to meet her eyes.
“Everything okay?”
“No.” He latched her helmet. “Damn bitch is here to cause trouble. You stay away from her, hear?”
She nodded. “Sure.”
“Rain. Don’t walk away from me.” The woman yanked Tori’s arm, pulling her away from Rain. “Give me ten minutes, honey.”
“Back off, Crystal.” Rain motioned for Tori to stand behind him.
Crystal? She looked at Rain’s ex-girlfriend. When he’d described her, she’d pictured a used-up old cow, not a pretty, blonde-haired woman with an attitude problem.
“Please. I’m not allowed to stay at the hotel.” Crystal stepped closer, putting her hands on Rain’s chest. “Take me back. Let me make up for what I’ve done. It’ll be good. You know it will. It was always good between us.”
“Excuse me.” Tori reached over, opened the saddlebag, and removed her new, beautiful, pink blush jacket before turning on Crystal. “I believe my man told you to skedaddle.”
“You are not talking to me.” Crystal never took her eyes off Rain, although she directed her words toward Tori.
“Get the hell out of here,” Rain said. “Go back to Sanchez.”
Crystal moved in closer to Rain. “Honey? Please. I’ll make it good for — ”
“Let me give you a little advice.” Tori stepped beside Rain.
“No, thanks.” Crystal looked down her nose at Tori, dismissing her.
“No, really. It’s free. I’m good at it, and you need all the help you can get. I mean, that’s what you’re asking Rain for, right? You need help, and apparently a lot of it.” She schooled her features.
“Get real,” Crystal snarled.
“Sure.” She smiled as if she’d received permission. “Men appreciate confident women. Not too self-assured, mind you. You have to stay vulnerable, because opening your heart is really the only way you can receive and give love. If you come across too easy, too malleable, too needy, it turns men off.”
Crystal turned and finally looked her square in the eyes. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Love advice, sweetie.” She stepped forward and put her arm around Crystal, walking her away from Rain. “You’re a beautiful woman, and strong. You need a man who will put you first in life. You deserve nothing less.”
Crystal’s mouth opened, closed, and finally she spoke. “What are you — ?”
“Go on. Hold your head up high.” She stopped in the middle of the parking lot. “Tomorrow, you remember what I’ve told you and people will notice. Men will notice. Before long, you’ll have your pick of any man you want” — she narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice — “except my man. Got it?”
“He … Rain’s not … Just who in the hell are you?” Crystal backed away and sneered.
Tori’s smile came from deep in her soul. From the kiss she’d shared from Rain. From the way he held her as if she was the most valuable thing on earth. “I’m Rain’s new woman. Don’t you forget it again.”
Without letting Crystal continue the absurd conversation, she pivoted on the heel of her boot and leisurely walked back to Rain. She lifted her chin, hiding the fact that Rain led a scary life and she was out of her comfort zone. Despite the rough characters he hung around, there were no doubts, no second-guessing, and no hesitation. She wanted Rain, and she’d fight anyone to have him.
“Damn me … ” Rain studied her as he helped her onto his bike. “You mean that, babe?”
She wrapped her arms around his waist. “Let’s go home.”
Chapter Eighteen
The exhilarating, fast ride on the roads out of town, cuddled against Rain’s back atop the motorcycle, left Tori’s body idling in a purr of sexual awareness. Along with the knowledge of wanting a relationship with him, to be his woman in every sense, she came alive in a way she’d never experienced before.
She followed Rain to the door of the house. Now that she’d given herself permission to feel, her irresponsible behavior both frightened and excited her.
He ushered her inside, cussed at the new alarm panel, stalked to the kitchen, read the instructions in record speed, and punched in the security code. Then he had her in his arms before she could take off her leathers. She wrapped her arms around his neck to keep from falling.
“Rain.” She laughed, her boot heels dragging along the hardwood floor as he wrapped her in his arms and walked her backward to the stairs. “My jacket.”
“I’ll strip you of your jacket.” His eyes warmed and he carried her into the bedroom. “I’ll take everything off you, until there’s only you. I don’t want you hiding anything from me. You and me. No shields and nothing to hide.”
Upstairs, he carefully unzipped her jacket. She stared into his eyes, caught between wanting to help him shuck her clothes and explaining to him that having sex went against everything she thought she wanted. She couldn’t even remember why she kept to herself and never forged friendships with anyone with all his attention focused on her.
“Stay with me.” He peeled her shirt off over her head. “I want your eyes on me. Don’t build the wall to protect yourself.”
“Rain?”
“No, babe.” He kneeled down in front of her, shimmied her leather pants off the tops of her boots, and set about working on the laces. “Me. You.”
She crossed her arms and held on to her bare shoulders, covering her bare breasts. The other time she’d had sex was different. She’d stayed partway dressed, and they were in a car. Not the best place to lose her virginity, but at the time, she’d only wanted to get the job done. She’d found out she wasn’t missing anything by not having an intimate relationship, which proved her dad’s belief that she could ruin anything.
At seventeen, she didn’t know any better. She only wanted to be normal. But, even sex wasn’t the way the other girls at school talked about when she finally did it just to say she did it.
Rain took complete control, taking the worry from her shoulders, undressing her with a surprising tenderness that brought tears to her eyes. He forced her to stay focused on what was happening between them. Even going so far as to hold her tightly every night while she fought the darkness in her head.
He was different. Confident and determined, he made her feel special. Tonight, she wanted to be special. Tomorrow, she’d figure out if she was doing the right thing or not.
One boot flew across the room. Then the other boot joined the first. His gaze slid up to hers, and his hand undid her leather pants. She sucked in her stomach and held her breath as his knuckles skimmed her flesh, taking everything, including her panties, to the floor.
“Uh … Rain?” She stepped away.
He stood and pulled her against him. Her gulp echoed in her own ears. He didn’t respond. He didn’t have to. His face said it all.
She touched her lips to his and whispered, “I don’t want to disappoint you.”
“You couldn’t.” He kissed her back.
Unable to meet his eyes, she stood beside the bed, conscious of her nudity. He stripped off his clothes, down to his boxers. She glanced down at the hardened length that cotton couldn’t hide, and he chuckled.
She blew out her cheeks and exhaled. “I should tell you something … ”
“Later.” He stalked toward her, picked her up, startling her.
“Ra — ” The rest of her words swallowed by his mouth.
He took her down to the bed. Not softly. Not gingerly. But tackled her, keeping his weight braced on his elbows at the sides of her shoulders on the bed. She gasped. His lower body pressed comfortably between her legs.
In his clothes, he was tough, gorgeous, and scary. Out of his clothes, he was far more beautiful. The sculpted muscles from head to toe showed a man who took care of himself. His tats highlighted his masculine body better than fancy clothes. The scars — one on his right shoulder and a puckered line alone his ribs she’d noticed earlier — showed her what kind of man lay on top of her.
One who fought for the safety of those he called family, who wasn’t afraid to face the darkness of life. A man who wanted to battle her past and keep her safe. She loved the idea. She wanted to put everything in his hands. Yet she knew better.
“Stop.” He laid his forehead against hers. “Get outta your head and stay with me.”
“I’m not … ” She took in his eyes, soft and warm. “Okay.”
His smile stormed through the armor she held in front of her and settled comfortably inside her. She warmed and returned a shy smile, doing her best to show him how far she’d come from the person she was yesterday, a year ago, five years ago, even from the twelve-year-old who’d watched her father try to kill her and succeed in killing her mother, all because cursed blood flowed in her veins.