“This is a family-friendly aquarium,” she said, gesturing with one hand at us as if we were at a school dance and she was measuring the distance between us.
“Were we having sex?” I asked, looking down at myself. “Nope, still dressed.”
In all honesty, my head was about to launch into a hot flash from hell, but I wasn’t about to let this old lady best me.
“Ma’am,” the lady said, her expression changing to Grandma’s-got-a-stick mode. “There are things that aren’t acceptable in public. There are kids here.”
I looked around to see two elderly men eyeing old Blue Vest, here. Not a rugrat in sight.
“Where?” I said.
“It’s okay,” Duncan said. I guess finally finding his voice. “We’re sorry.”
“No, we’re not,” I said, wondering where all this was coming from. A rebellious cell from my youth lying dormant? “All we were doing was kissing in front of—” I turned back to the glass, where two large angel fish were swimming in sync like it was to music. “—Ben and Jerry, here.”
“It was how you were doing it,” she said, one hand hovering over the radio on her hip.
“And how was that?” I asked.
“Intimately.” She grabbed her radio.
Duncan took my hand and pulled me backward. “It’s all good,” he said, a chuckle at the end. “We’re leaving.”
“But I haven’t seen the stingrays yet,” I said loudly as he pulled me through the door into the hallway.
He tugged me around a corner and pinned me against a wall before I saw it coming.
“You are insane,” he said on a whisper, laughing.
“Oh, she’ll get over it,” I said, my hands against his chest. “Probably the most excitement she’s had in a week.”
Duncan’s eyes were dark and excited, his smile mischievous. “Probably so.”
“And she interrupted us,” I said, pulling at his shirt a little. I wanted that back. “I was enjoying that.”
Duncan’s hands cradled my face again. “God, you made that noise,” he said against my lips. “So hot.”
“What noise?” I asked, though I kind of knew.
“That sound you make when you get excited,” he said. “You even did it eating steak.”
What?
“I couldn’t take my eyes off you,” he said. “I knew that night that I’d give anything to be the one causing that little sigh and that look on your face.” His lips found mine again, soft but hungry.
Holy shit-fuck. Everything in me started that warm buzzing rush that would suck me in if I let it, and I wanted it. I wanted to get lost in it so I didn’t think about everything else.
I slid my hands up his chest to his neck, and up into his hair, pulling him into me harder and deeper. The resulting growl down low in his chest and the southward movement of his hands made me dizzy.
This is what I needed. This is what my heart and mind and body needed right now. Mindless physical contact to counteract the turmoil my brain was inducing. I’d always been wired that way.
Duncan’s mouth broke free of mine just as one of his hands did a drive-by on my boob. Well, well, Mr. Spoon was feeling daring out here where all—or where no one—could see.
“We should go,” I whispered against his mouth, hoping he’d get my meaning.
“Mmm,” he said, nibbling my lips. “That’s right. Have to feed you still.”
Feed me. Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. Normally those would be happy words, but I was hungry in a whole different way. I even had my good underwear on. I was ready.
“We could skip that,” I breathed.
Duncan’s mouth curved in a smile and his hands traveled down my hips. “There’s time. I promised you a full-out date, and I wouldn’t be a gentleman if I didn’t feed you.”
“Mmm,” I said, kissing his neck and reveling in the way he fisted my hair in response. “And that gentleman thing is important, huh?”
He chuckled and backed up a step, taking my hand, his blue eyes dark with heat and wanting. “It’s supposed to be,” he said. “So let’s go before I forget that.”
“Okay, Auntie Em will probably be trolling soon anyway,” I said.
Duncan laughed, and I could feel it in his entire body. His amazing, hard-as-rock, delicious-smelling body.
“Come on, lady,” he said, all seductive. “Let’s go ply you with food and alcohol.”
“Will there be donkeys?” I asked, following him, loving how he held my hand against him, like he wanted to keep me close.
Duncan smiled and let go of my hand to pull me to his side, looping his arm around my neck and kissing the top of my head.
“Not this time, babe.”
Babe?
My insides shimmied a little on that. Duncan could take my breath away. It was going to be a good night. I could feel it. I was going to be able to let go of the stress of my business and Ian and scary people, and enjoy a night with a smoking hot man that made me giddy every time he looked at me. And maybe even get laid.
That probably wasn’t a girly thought. But my bones were itching with the need for something physical. Something to relieve the mounting pressure of my life.
“This work for you?” Duncan asked as we pulled in to the Grille parking lot two establishments down from the aquarium.
I laughed as I put the seat belt back in place before I could even fasten it. “It’s fine.” The Grille was pretty quick on its service, too, so I was already calculating how fast we could hypothetically be back at one of our houses, stripping off clothing.
I got out, smoothed my dress and tossed my hair a little. And then I heard it. The unmistakable rumble of a bike. And not just any bike. The sexy deep-throated beast that was a Harley. I might have been old now, but too many years around and on Harleys had certain things ingrained in me. Like the way a Dyna Wide Glide’s rumble could just about give you an orgasm on the spot.
Duncan followed my gaze as I looked toward the sound, and thankfully he was watching the rider approach instead of me. Because the sight of Ian McMasters astride that machine nearly made me lose my shit.
Chapter Fifteen
I stopped walking. Kind of stopped breathing. Ian, dressed in black, parked the sleek black beauty he was riding and went inside, never seeing me.
My damn nerves were already shot. I was in serious need of either a 10K run or crazed monkey sex in a tree, and now Thor had just landed. Okay, maybe not Thor, maybe that was overstating it a bit, but my God, seeing Ian on that bike turned my knees to pudding.
“Savanna?” Duncan said, making me twitch as I realized that I’d forgotten he was there. “You okay?”
“I’m—” I had to stop and clear my throat. “I’m good.”
“Who was that?” he asked, taking my arm so I’d move in a forward motion again.
“Oh, nothing,” I said. “Just admiring the bike.”
“Because I thought he looked familiar,” Duncan said.
Crap.
“Well, it was Ian from the butcher shop,” I said, thinking that made him sound much less important. “Where we ate breakfast the other day?”
Duncan slowed. “Ian who?”
“McMasters,” I said, glancing up at him. We were approaching the front patio area and I could hear the music vibrating the walls from there.
Duncan blinked. “Your brother-in-law?”
I shook my head and willed the trembling out of my hands. “Jim’s brother. He’s been gone a long time.”
He didn’t respond, just pulled open one of the doors, where music assaulted us. Inside, I let the pulse of soft rock music and semidarkness soak into my bones. I needed to unwind, relax, forget about Ian or the barn or illegal activity for a little while. Focus on the hottie on my arm, and the way he warmed my whole body every time he smiled at me. Duncan deserved that.
The Grille was a decently sized place, with a dance floor splitting the middle. Maybe I could spot Ian and then park myself on the opposite side. It was feasible.
We found a booth, something nice and cozy. That was good. Keep our momentum going, keep it sexy, get some good food and a beer and music and dim lighting—I’d get revved up to show off my sexy underwear within the hour.
There wasn’t a waitress around, so Duncan held up a finger. “Beer? Wine? Iced tea?”
“Light beer in a frosted mug,” I said.
“Woman after my own heart,” he said, kissing my cheek. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’m gonna run to the ladies’ room,” I said, strolling that way, around a corner. And straight into Ian.
“Oh!” I exclaimed.
“Excu—” he began, both hands on my arms. His quick intake of breath killed the rest of the word.
We both backed up a step and smiled politely, but his eyes didn’t miss an ounce of me. Every centimeter of my skin felt it. To be fair, I wasn’t missing much, either. Ian looked positively edible in black jeans and a black button-down shirt.
“Ian.”
“Savi,” he said, dragging his eyes back to my face.
“I saw you—outside,” I said. “The bike.”
It was like moving to another planet where they spoke in cryptic code and electricity served as oxygen. He nodded. I nodded. Yeah, this was fun.
“Well, have a good night.”
“Here on a date?” he asked.
“Yes!” I nearly yelled. “On a date. Me and Duncan.”
“Duncan?”
“Spoon. Veterinarian here in town.”
“Ah, aiming high, huh?” he said, crossing his arms.
I gave him an ugly smirk. “I’m gonna go pee now,” I said, moving around him.
“Hey,” he said, catching my arm. “Sorry. My mouth—” He stopped and blew out a breath. “Is stupid sometimes.”
“It’s okay,” I said, looking away.
“Savi, are
we
okay?”
Startled, I met his eyes again. “Are we okay?” Hell no, we weren’t okay. Nothing about us was anything close to okay.
“The other night—”
“First of all, there’s no
we
anymore, Ian. You did that.” I paused and watched that punch land. “But, yes, I’m still pissed if that’s what you mean,” I said, “You had no right to—”
“I know,” he said. Too close. He was too close. He was fire and matches, and tonight I was tinder. “And we can keep batting that around or we can move on.”
“Fine. Sounds good,” I said, just wanting away. I wanted to tell him what my dad had told me, but that required bringing it all back to the surface, and I was about halfway to burying it all for the evening. I didn’t need him undoing that.
“Okay,” he said, reaching to gently squeeze my hand.
Sparks jolted through my body. “Okay,” I managed.
Get back to Duncan
.
I walked into the bathroom and let my heart take over, matching my breathing. I had to get it together. We had to share space like he had mentioned before. Coexist, or whatever the hell he had said. I stared into the mirror, taken aback a little at the haunted look on my face. I kept seeing that on him, but I didn’t realize we were wearing the same mask. I stayed there till I looked and breathed like a normal woman, and then headed back. Where I nearly had a stroke.
Duncan and Ian were standing at our booth. Talking.
“Fuck,” I whispered, feeling an all-out sweat coming on.
I approached the table with my stomach roiling. Food no longer sounded good. What the hell was he doing? I tried to send him that question through all the glaring daggers I shot, but he just looked cool.
“Hi?” I said instead, posing it as a question on purpose.
“Thought I’d come introduce myself,” Ian said.
“Said you two are old friends,” Duncan said, something odd in his voice that matched the tight smile on his face. His demeanor. Was he jealous? He kept turning away, as if looking around the room.
“Yep,” I said, pasting on a smile. “Old friends. Meeting someone?”
“Oh, you never know,” Ian said, grinning. His floor show was back with cocky in full gear. Joy. “I’m always up for meeting new people.”
“Well, don’t let us stop you,” I said, sliding into the booth so Duncan would too. “Have a good night.”
What the living hell? He had to be bipolar.
Ian smiled, slapped Duncan on the back in that manly dick-swinging thing guys do, and sauntered toward the bar. I met Duncan’s gaze.
“What was that?” I asked, playing stupid.
“You tell me,” Duncan said, averting his eyes.
I frowned. “You okay?”
Duncan blew out a breath and brought the smile back. Sort of. “Sorry. That was just weird. And really damn nosy.”
“Nosy?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Duncan said, distracted, glancing back to where Ian had left. “He’s a friend of yours.” He looked back at me with a studied gaze. “How good of a friend?”
Oh, no, we weren’t going there. “We grew up together,” I said. “Why?”
He shook his head. “It’s all good.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, taking his hand. “Ian is just—his own species. Don’t let him get to you.”
Duncan took a swallow of his beer, some kind of dark variety, which mirrored his plummeting mood. His mind looked as if it were suddenly miles away.