Page 14 of Trouble for Hire
At first she’d resented returning home a failure, in the same position—if not worse—than when she’d left. But now...now it was all as clear as the star-speckled night sky above her. She’d needed to come here to heal, where it was warm, welcoming, safe. Where she belonged. This might not have been the path she’d envisioned for herself, but maybe right here was where she’d been meant to end up all along.
Inhaling a deep breath, she held it, then released it. And another chunk of the burden she’d carried around for so long cracked and tumbled from her chest.
Smiling wider, she slowed her pace and meandered down the sidewalk. That’s right. Shemeandered. Because she could.
Laughter bubbled up in her chest as she glanced into the dark windows of Mimi’s Café and The Ride, the local shop that catered to a motorcycle enthusiast’s every need, and other storefronts lining Rose Bend’s quaint Main Street.
Soon enough she approached Forever Ink, and without her permission, her feet slowed to a stop. This place had become her haven in such a short amount of time. She’d found herself here—her confidence, her strength, her talents—and had been unconditionally accepted in spite of her very recent past, her clothes and how she talked.
Well, almost unconditionally accepted.
Her heart thudded against her sternum, dispersing the calm that had settled over her like dandelion seeds on a summer breeze.
Erik.
He’d disappeared after their impromptu dance and confession, and yet it seemed she couldn’t escape him tonight. She peered through the display window as he stood behind the front desk, and she could no longer escape one vital question: Did she want to?
No.
The answer ricocheted off the walls of her mind, gaining volume and certainty with each pass.
No, she didn’t want to escape him. On the contrary, she longed to be found. And held. And...and taken.
Before she even fully acknowledged that she’d made a decision, Camille rapped on the window. Erik’s head jerked up and their gazes caught.
Through the glass and the space of the dark shop, shadows partially hid his face. He remained behind the desk, unmoving. And doubt sank in her belly, pooling wide. She lowered her arm—
In one moment, he strode across the lobby in an explosion of movement. Her breath snagged in her throat, and she barely had time to register that he barreled toward her before Erik unlocked the door and pulled it open. Long fingers encircled her wrist in a gentle but implacable grip and drew her inside.
Her gaze locked on his face, drinking in every stark line, every sharply honed angle, every arrogant slope. The only softness in his face belonged to his mouth, and her fingertips tingled and itched to sketch each gorgeous feature.
A thick, drugging need flowed through her like melted, dark chocolate. Sweet, bold and addictive.
“Last chance,” he said, reaching around her. The click of the lock punctuated his offer—or warning.
A shiver quaked through her. But not out of fear from his faintly ominous words. No. She trembled in excitement.
“I don’t need it.” She shifted forward until her breasts pressed against the solid wall of his chest, until the thick length of his cock branded her belly. “I need you.”
As if her words snapped a tether leashing his control, he cupped her face, tilted her head back and took her mouth.
That’s the only way she could describe it. Took.
And that’s when she stopped thinking at all.
His lips parted over hers, and she opened for him. Willingly but not helplessly. Because as his tongue plunged deep, tangling with hers, their breath and groans mating, power sang through her, its melody strong, clear and emboldening. She’d never been the aggressor in her past relationship, but then desire had never burned as bright inside her as it did now. It never permitted her the freedom to fist a shirt and drag a man closer as she rose to her toes to demand more. More of his touch. More of his fire.
So this was abandonment.
It was glorious.
She tunneled her fingers through his hair, dragging her nails over his scalp.
And she accepted another rough groan as a reward, as her due. But satisfied? Nowhere near.
Sliding a hand up his chest, she curved it around his neck, anchoring herself and keeping him in place as she snatched control of this marauding they unimaginatively called a kiss. Tilting her head, she nipped the full bottom lip that had become her obsession, then soothed any sting she might’ve caused by sucking on that wicked curve.
His growl vibrated against her breasts and she crushed them to him, seeking to alleviate at least some of the sweet ache.
