Mastering Heat [Men of Iron Horse 9] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  “Sure, whatever,” Lacey grunted, shrugging out of the hug. “I’ll see you when I see you.” She picked up her bag. “Becky wants me to come over now.”

  “All right.” Claire kissed Lacey’s cheek and walked her out. She watched until Lacey stepped inside Becky’s house and the door closed behind her.

  When it comes to my daughter, why do I always feel so damn guilty?

  Moving back inside, she finished getting ready. Nox would be arriving shortly and she wanted to finish straightening up the house before he did. Since she was going to be gone for the weekend, she got a jump on the laundry and chores she usually saved for Saturday night or Sunday.

  A mother’s work is never done.

  A knock came to the door, and with a quick glance to the clock, she knew it was Nox. As expected, he was right on time. Greeting him, she smiled, admiring his riding attire.

  “Don’t you look the part?”

  Nox wore a riding suit, an off-gray color with a single black stripe that stretched from the collar of his jacket, down his arms and legs. He had on black motorcycle boots, and he carried a pair of black leather gloves. Her mouth watered.

  “I wasn’t sure if you had a leather jacket, gloves, or helmet, so I took the liberty of picking those up for you.”

  For being bed buddies, he found ample ways to shower her with thoughtful gifts. If he wasn’t opening doors, treating her to dinner and drinks, or bringing her motorcycling gear, he was making sure she was satisfied in every aspect of their time together. He spoiled her, and sometimes, she forgot that they were only sexually involved, but she quickly deflected those thoughts.

  “Thank you.”

  “I want you to feel safe with me.” He smiled. “And nothing screams sexy like riding leathers.”

  “So I’ve heard.” He looked at her curiously. “Iron Horse. The place is crawling with bikers most nights. I’ve seen jackets of all types. I’ve even seen chaps with fringe.” Butt-less chaps, too, but what the hell is safe about those—for the spectators or the wearers.

  He chuckled. “Sadly, I don’t own a pair of those.”

  She feigned a mock pout. “That’s unfortunate. I find them dead sexy. I almost tore them off the poor guy sporting them.”

  Not really. Fringe was not her thing. But give her some smooth black leathers and she would be all set.

  “I’m packed,” she told him, moving to pick up her bag. “Are you ready?”

  He nodded and took her bag for her. “You pack light.”

  “You said to pack for the motorcycle.” She furrowed her brow. “Which I’ve never done before, so I hope I haven’t forgotten anything.”

  He slanted her a warm look. “We’re not going to the boonies, Claire. We can always stop at a store should you need something.”

  “In that case, I’m totally ready to go.”

  He carried her bag to the bike, while she locked up the house. When she joined him, she took a hard look at his shimmering blue motorcycle. It was gorgeous and big. Like Nox. A wide fairing, equipped with a windshield, GPS unit, and stereo. It had three storage trucks and a seat fit for a king and queen. She might actually fall asleep.

  If that seat’s as comfortable as it looks, I will.

  “Nice bike,” she told him.

  “Thanks.” He reached into the back trunk and pulled out a black helmet and the leathers he’d mentioned. “Try these on.”

  He held the helmet, while she slipped on the jacket. Perfect. Why did wearing this thing suddenly turn her on? Then, he handed her the helmet.

  “It’s easier to put this on before the gloves.”

  “Good idea.”

  The helmet went on, snug, but comfortable. Nox reached forward to help her fasten the buckle under her chin. Then, he handed her the gloves.

  “Well, I don’t have OJ’s problem,” she teased, holding up her hand to show the perfect fit. “Can’t say they don’t fit.”

  He laughed. “Only you would bring up the OJ Simpson trial in references to your gloves.”

  She shrugged. “I couldn’t help it. It’s a legal thing.”

  He flipped his leg over the bike and righted it, while she waited. Once the bike was running, and he was in position wearing his helmet and gloves, he told her to step on the foot peg and slide her leg over. She did, and the seat really was as comfortable as she assumed it would be.

  “Will I fall off this bike, if I happen to fall asleep?”

  “No,” he said through the intercom system in their helmets. “I’d never let anything happen to you.”

  Hearing his declaration to keep her safe sent a wild quiver down her spine and settled low in her belly. She glanced down at her thighs spread erotically around his hips. Nox had a perfect ass, firm and round. Her blood boiled.

  Who knew motorcycles could be so damn sexy? Then again, maybe that was just the effect Nox had on her. In that case, it was going to be a fuckfest of a weekend.

  * * * *

  I’m dreaming.

  Every time Claire moved behind Nox, rubbing her thighs deliciously against him, his cock pulsed. Most of the ride she’d leaned back in her seat, but sometimes, she moved forward, placing her hands on his waist, touching his back. Claire was the first woman he’d ever taken for a ride. His previous road trips had been with Victor—guy trips without the baggage. He liked being with Claire.

  They’d been riding for a while, and to his surprise she was…chatty. She talked to him about legal cases she’d studied, the bar and the motorcycle cliental that told her of adventures they’d taken and she’d always wanted to do, as well. She shared about her love of motorcycles and how she’d always wanted to own one and learn to ride. Never once did she mention her daughter or her personal life outside the bar and school. He wondered if she ever would.

  “When will we meet up with Victor and Janie?” she asked.

  “They’re going to meet us at the cabin later tonight. Victor had to finish something before they could leave.” He reached back with one hand and rubbed her leg. “So that gives us time to stop and see some sights.”

  “Sights?”

  “In fact, we’re almost there. I’ve got the perfect place for us to go hiking and swimming.”

  Fifteen minutes later, they were pulling into a convenience store. “If you need to use the bathroom, do it now. I’m going to grab us some snacks and drinks for the hike.”

  “Okay.” She slid off the bike and removed her gloves and helmet.

  Nox did the same. Then they both went inside the store. She darted her way and he started shopping, selecting bottles of water, sandwiches, nuts, chips, and chocolate. When he stepped up to the register, she put down a bag of licorice.

  He slanted her a look, and she flashed him a smile. “My favorite.”

  He picked up the bag. “Strawberry.” He paused. “Do you happen to like fresh strawberries?”

  She placed her hand on his ass and squeezed, shoving to her tiptoes to whisper, “Only with whip cream.”

  An image of her lathering up his cock with whip cream had him swallowing hard. Staring at her, he realized that that was her intention. “I’m going to buy some of that.”

  She removed her hand. “You do that.”

  Slapping his money down on the counter, he watched as Claire sauntered back to his motorcycle. His entire body burned for her. If he had his choice, he’d bend her over his bike and fuck her right in the parking lot.

  Damn, she always has me thinking like that.

  “Your change,” the clerk said, obviously repeating himself judging from his elevated tone.

  “Thanks.” Nox tucked his money into his riding pants, grabbed the bag of goodies, and headed for his bike.

  He put the bag in one of the trunks. Her intent gaze ignited his blood once more. One side of her mouth quirked, her eyes still heavy and lust filled. “I can’t get over how good you look in that suit.”

  He leaned closer to her, his hand clasping the nape of her neck. “Maybe it’s what’s under
neath you really want a good look at.”

  She licked her lips and he kissed her, savoring her mouth in a quick, passionate taking. When he pulled back, she was panting.

  I’m going to rock her world this weekend.

  “You might be on to something,” she told him.

  “Let’s go,” he demanded. “I’ve got plans.”

  Another fifteen minutes and they were parking the bike on a dirt covered clearing. “Is this the hiking part of our trip?”

  “Yep.”

  Once she was off the bike, he dismounted, shrugging out of his riding clothes to reveal he wore jeans and a navy-blue T-shirt. He placed the helmets on the bike seat with their riding gear and grabbed the bag of snacks from one trunk and a small duffle bag.

  “Come on,” he ordered, setting off down a trail.

  She followed him, keeping up with him as if she’d hiked a lot in the past. About a mile and half in, he took her off the main path, cutting through brush.

  “What about snakes?” she asked, her voice torn with apprehension.

  He stopped and looked at her. “Would you like me to carry you?” She cocked her head to the side, and he laughed. “Just step where I step, okay?”

  She did and within a few minutes, they were standing beside a spring in the middle of nowhere.

  She gasped. “How did you ever find this place?”

  “I grew up around here. This was a favorite place to come and hide from my old man when he was pissed at me for not doing my chores or when I goofed off in class.”

  Claire grabbed his arm. “Wait, you weren’t Mr. Perfect in school? I find that hard to believe.”

  He grinned. “Like most kids, I had a rebellion period.” He paused. “My dad was tough. He wasn’t big into sports or afterschool stuff. He was a hardworking man and he wanted me to be like that, too. Which is great, but—”

  “Not for a kid with a free spirit?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Well, join the crowd. I was the idiot teenager that fell in love with the first guy who told me he loved me and I married him.” She looked at him as if she hadn’t meant to reveal that, but for some reason she had.

  Then he realized she’d told him she was married. “Wait.” His brow furrowed, and his heart hit his ribs hard. “Are you still married?”

  Claire choked. “No way.” She laughed. “We didn’t even make it through the honeymoon phase. Things changed pretty much right after we got married. I wanted to go to college, and he wanted to drink beer and hang out with his boys. We divorced after a few years.”

  And he’d gotten her pregnant, too.

  Nox suddenly had the urge to find the prick and punch him right in his face. That bastard had hurt Claire. For some reason, that thoroughly troubled him.

  “Ready to go swimming?” he asked, yanking off his shirt and moving down to the rock with a flat surface. He dropped the bags and began kicking out of his boots. Then noticed Claire wasn’t joining him. “What’s wrong?”

  “I forgot my swimsuit back at the bike.”

  A warm buttery feeling slid over him. She didn’t need clothing, especially with what he had planned for her.

  Without answering her, he stripped naked, let her take her fill of his body, and then jumped into the water. When he surfaced, he said, “Come on, Claire. Who needs a suit to swim?”

  Holding his unwavering gaze, she took off her clothes.

  Chapter Nine

  Claire wasn’t keen on sex in the water. It never felt right. But when it came to touching Nox, acting like children, frolicking in the water, she was all for that. Nox was full of surprises. The straight and focused lawyer professor could let his hair down at a moment’s notice. He seemed to want to do everything he could to make her enjoy their time together. When he held her, kissed her, touched her, he did so with a feeling that was familiar and genuine—like they’d been together for years rather than weeks.

  “We should probably get going,” she told him, her stomach rumbling. “It’s got to be after three now.”

  He pulled her against him, her legs wrapping around his waist in the water. “I’m not ready yet.”

  She got that. The wooded area swallowed them into seclusion, the sky overhead cloudless and blue, and the white boulders and rocks were a vibrant accent against the rich green foliage. “This place is pretty tranquil.”

  “Before we go, how about fulfilling my fantasy?”

  His words drew her attention and teased her blood to awaken every erotic center in her body. Curiosity ravaged her. “What fantasy is that?”

  “I want to see you on that rock.” He jutted his chin in the direction his eyes darted, just as he dragged his hand down her breast and dipped his finger between her legs to stroke her clit. “I want to see you touch yourself.”

  She sucked in a breath as he pressed his finger inside her. “And what will you be doing?”

  “What would you like me to do?”

  She arched her hips, riding his hand. “It’s your fantasy, but I’d want you to do the same.”

  He nipped at her ear and dragged his whiskered cheek over hers. Kissing him once more, she untangled from his body, and she climbed out of the water.

  “There’s a towel in the bag, if you’d like to lay on it.”

  She found it, laid it out, and settled on it. “Is this how you pictured me?” She was laying on her back, her knees bent and legs apart. When she raised her head up to see his appreciative gaze, she had her answer. “Now what?”

  “Spread your legs wider and touch yourself,” he instructed, his tone guttural.

  Claire’s eyes slid shut as her hand descended down her body, seeking and finding wet flesh. Her breaths grew heavy as she swirled her fingers around her clitoris. Her skin and blood boiled, as she felt his eyes devour her the way his kisses always had.

  “Finger yourself.”

  The sound of his voice shattered her, and as she did what he asked, she grew closer to release. She never heard him get out of the water, but felt his powerful grip clasp her wrist. He snatched her hand, slipping her fingers between his lips, sucking. The world around her faded in an instant as his mouth replaced her hand on her pussy. His wild groans of pleasure had her eyes rolling back in her head. He was driving her over the edge, licking and sucking her with feverish greed.

  “Touch your breasts,” he ordered, returning to devour her.

  She did, massaging her mounds, pinching her nipples, and staring down at his face between her legs. Watching him pleasure her outside in the middle of nowhere was sinfully epic.

  He pressed his finger inside her, and she rocked her hips and held the back of his head, relishing the feel of his mouth on her clit and the pressure of his fingers fucking her.

  Then she exploded, melting into a heap of molten lava as she came. Overcome with the need to satisfy him as he had her, she sat up and reached for his hard cock, stroking him, exploring him.

  “Oh, yes,” he hissed, bucking his hips to fuck her hand.

  He shadowed her as she looked up at him, studying the ecstasy that was etched all over his face. She felt powerful, watching this man become reckless with need. She cupped his balls with one hand, while the other explored his length. He rose up, stretching his back wide, a roar tearing from his chest as he shot hot semen over her bare breasts.

  Her face hot, her body quivering, she asked, “Is that how your fantasy played out?”

  He quirked a grin. “Almost.”

  An abrupt sensation of cold water dumping over her head surfaced. “What else did you have in mind?”

  “This.”

  He scooped her up in his arms and launched them back into the water. When they surfaced again, they were both laughing. She splashed him as he began to swim toward her.

  He pulled her against him, and slowly, the laughter died. In the blink of an eye, something between them had changed. The way he looked at her was different. The way he held her, brushed his fingers over her cheek, was different. And when he tou
ched his lips to hers, they were soft, sweet, and unforgettable. When he broke the kiss and stared into her eyes, she saw something new within their depths, something that frightened her.

  She saw a future—one she had resisted and deeply feared.

  * * * *

  Nox was bemused. Claire surpassed any and all expectations he had and dazzled him with emotions he’d never considered exploring. Their chemistry burned hot, and he genuinely liked her. A lot. She was the up to his down. The blanket on a cold winter’s night. The only woman he’d ever considered…more with.

  She doesn’t want more. He held himself still. When did I start?

  His quick reminder had him releasing her in the water. “I’m sure Victor and Janie will beat us to the cabin, if we don’t get a jump on it.”

  “Sure. Right.” Again, she climbed out of the water, picked up the towel, and dried off. “How far away is it?”

  He found his own towel. “Less than an hour.”

  The hike back up to his bike gave him way too much time to think. How was it that he was feeling something more for her, something that was clearly outside the lines of their arrangement? Had her smiles and wit enthralled him that much, bewitched him to want something he never planned to want?

  My parents had the perfect marriage and family, but I never desired what they had. I wanted a career and freedom.

  But what did he want now?

  Every time he turned around, he was thinking about Claire, wanting to see her, be with her, and it wasn’t always sex or fantasy games that beckoned him. Something was driving him that he couldn’t put his finger on. Figuring that out would have to happen later.

  He held her hand as he led her through the brush and onto the trail. His feet punched along the rocky ground with determination, the trip back to his bike taking less time. After donning their riding clothes and repacking the bike, they were off and riding once more.

  Again she held him, hugging her thighs to his hips, and her hands coiling around his waist. He’d never felt so willingly captive. She was unraveling him, mile by mile.

  As they made their way to the cabin, he placed his hand on her leg, the need to touch her overwhelming him. For the weekend, he would pretend that things between them could be more, was more. Another fantasy. Reality would hit him in the face on Monday when he had to come to terms with the feelings plaguing him.