Page 72 of Lethal Pursuit

“One thing.” His tone held a warning note and she stared at him expectantly, wondering what he was going to say. “When we get toyour room, this time you’re letting me run things.”

Instant desire and nervousness exploded in her belly. She had promised that, hadn’t she? Back when they’d been locked up in those cages. Many a night she’d lain awake, imagining what it would be like to give him control in bed. The idea turned her on more than anything ever had. But could she actually let herself go like that? She’d never let herself be vulnerable to a lover before.

She stalled. “I only have one helmet—”

“I’ve got one. Meet you out front.”

She stood by her bike as he came out of the side of the garage with a helmet in his hand, battling the lingering nerves eating at her. “I’ve never ridden on the back of a bike before,” she admitted, feeling off balance.

He titled his head, eyes twinkling. “No? Well, just think of it as foreplay.”

What?He leaned in for a hot, deep kiss before she could say anything. She moaned low in her throat and reached for him, but he pulled away to throw one long denim-encased leg over the bike and straddled it. My God, he was sexy like that. All-American hero meets badass biker. Her heart fluttered and her knees went a little weak.

He tossed a grin at her before putting on his helmet. “Climb on.” He fired up the engine.

Maya strapped on her own helmet and settled on the seat behind him. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, immediately struck by the intimacy of it. Her breasts, stomach, hips and inner thighs were all pressed against him. Jackson set a hand on hers where they were clasped against his belly and squeezed once before putting the bike in gear and pulling away from the curb.

The drive to her motel only took about fifteen minutes, but it felt like an eternity. Her body was already gearing up for what was coming and reminded her of it every time either one of them shifted or leaned into a turn. Her open thighs hugged his hips, pressing the hot glow between her legs against him. Tiny shocks of sensation traveled through her, turning her nipples into tight points that pressed against her T-shirt inside her leather jacket. By the time Jackson pulled into the parking lot and killed the engine, she felt dizzy with arousal, a little breathless.

Inside her helmet, her breathing sounded overly loud. Her heart drummed in her ears. Between her thighs, she was wet and aching for him. The intense need kept growing, heightening until she could barely contain it.

He pulled off his helmet, stood and quickly restraddled the seat to face her. Maya tugged her helmet off and swallowed at the flare of heat in his dark eyes. Reaching up to tuck a lock of hair back behind her ear, his fingers trailed down her jaw, triggering a shower of sparks in their wake.

“You’re nervous,” he said, sounding surprised.

There was no way she could deny it. “A little.” She wanted this to be perfect and was worried she wouldn’t meet his expectations when she was the one on the receiving end of things. It was a role she was completely unfamiliar with.

An adoring smile formed on his lips. “No need to be. C’mere.”

Those strong hands closed around her hips to tug her forward, lifting her to practically straddle his lap. Catching her breath at the show of easy strength, Maya set her hands on his broad shoulders and tilted her head back as he leaned in, one hand on her ass and one sliding into her hair. She shivered at the controlled hunger so evident in him. He kissed her slow and deep and she let him, mentally testing the idea of handing him the reins during sex. It was tempting. It was terrifying. Her heart knocked against her ribs.

Her hands crept into his hair as the kiss grew hotter, more demanding, their tongues caressing. She broke away to catch her breath, gauging the look in his eye. They were almost black with desire.

“I can’t wait to be inside you,” he said in a low voice. “Show me where your room is.”

The words made her breath catch. Gathering her rattled composure, she got off the bike, her legs surprisingly shaky. Up at her room, she unlocked the door and stepped inside. He followed, sliding past her as she closed the door and turned the dead bolt. She reached for the sliding chain with unsteady hands, dropping it twice with a metallic rattle against the door before she finally got it in place. Jesus, she’d never been more turned on in her life, yet it felt like she was on the verge of another panic attack.

She sensed him approach from behind, then the heat of him licked along her spine. She had only a second to tense before his hand closed over hers where the chain attached to the door. His long fingers wrapped around hers, trapping them against the wood. He pressed his chest against her back, the hard ridge of his erection nudging the top of her buttocks. She drew in a startled breath when he bent to nuzzle the delicate spot where her neck met her shoulder, sending a cascade of shivers through her. His warm breath brushed over her bare skin in an intimate caress, and her knees wobbled.

“Just turn around and give yourself to me,” he murmured against the top of her shoulder. “That’s all you need to do.”

Maya closed her eyes. He made it sound so easy and it wasn’t. Itwasn’t. She was caught between an intense yearning that made her want to whip around and devour him, and a terrible, cringing fear of being rendered emotionally bare. Her heart was pounding and her breathing was erratic. The ravenous sexual need amplified every tiny piece of sensory input. She was acutely aware of the feel of him pressed against her, waiting, all that coiled strength begging to be turned loose, the quiet hum of the air-conditioning unit beneath the windowsill.

Taking a fortifying breath, she gathered herself and pivoted, launching herself at him. He caught her with a low growl as they collided, their mouths fusing together. The kiss was wild, full of pent-up need. Jackson drove her back against the door with a hand on her nape and one on her ass, forcing the aching flesh between her legs against the hard outline of his erection. She whimpered and strained in his grip, struggling to get closer, nipping and licking at his mouth. His kiss was forceful, demanding, and she was right there with him. But it wasn’t nearly enough. She was starving for the feel of his naked skin on hers, for him to slide deep inside her, to make her his.

Urgency and impatience drove the lust higher. Seams popped and material ripped as they tore at each other’s clothes. Her groping hands met bare, heated flesh. She gripped his back, glorying in the raw power in those bunching muscles. He undid her jeans and wrenched them down her thighs while she clung to him, walked them the few steps over to the queen-size bed without breaking the voracious kiss. He reached past her to yank the covers down, andshe released him long enough to scramble up toward the pillows while shucking her jeans, leaving her in her black bra and panties.

He gazed down at her with a possessive look that made the breath back up in her lungs. His jaw flexed as he stared down at her, as if he was struggling for control. “Lie back and don’t move.”

TWENTY-FOUR

THE LOW COMMANDseemed to shock her. Jackson didn’t miss the uneasy ripple that moved through her body, but she stayed still for him. It was incredibly hot to have her lie there, complacent, while he removed her bra and drew her panties down her legs.

His heated gaze devoured every inch of the naked skin he revealed. He tossed the scraps of lace to the floor and prowled up the bed to straddle her calves, still wearing his jeans. The last time they’d been naked together in that tent, it had been too dark for him to see her body. Now he couldn’t help but stare at her. She was all smooth, silky skin overlaying sleek muscle, and he couldn’t wait to explore every inch of her with his hands and mouth.

Before, it had been wild and hungry. Now he took it slow. So slow he feared his heart might pound its way through his chest. Maya watched him in silence, her eyes full of heat yet tinged with uncertainty. He knew how hard it was for her to remain passive like this. To let him look his fill while she lay totally exposed to him, allowing him anything he wanted. And, given her history with her sister, it made sense that she’d never allowed herself to be vulnerable during sex. Her show of trust now moved him.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, shaking his head in reverence. She sucked in a sharp breath when he reached out and cupped her breasts in his hands, brushing his thumbs across the hard, dusky-brown centers that seemed to beg for his touch.

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