Mastering Heat [Men of Iron Horse 9] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 8

  Not now though.

  The shift from the highway road to the gravel one lasted for only a few minutes. He stopped at the main building to check in. The area was nestled in the woods next to a lake—a public one. Nothing at all like the private piece of heaven he’d just enjoyed with Claire. Boats filled with people darted across the water. The shore was lined with those drinking and celebrating whatever it was they were celebrating. Thankfully the cabins were far beyond the lake and its recreational inhabitants. The cabin he selected was quaint, secluded, and ideal for lovers.

  Once back on the bike, he took them the rest of the way, listening to her gasp as the sights and smells awed her. He smiled, his chest rounding with pride, glad she liked where he’d brought her. Even more so, he liked how her body clung more tightly to him.

  The tires of his bike chewed up the pebbled earth beneath them, kicking up dust as he parked in front of the cabin. The honey glow of the wood was brought forth by the crisp green foliage and trees surrounding it. Two chairs sat on the porch. Next door was an identical cabin that Victor and Janie would be occupying. Only a simple trail slipped between the cabins and disappeared into the woods. They were alone, once again.

  Claire slid off the seat and quickly took off her helmet. “Wow,” she breathed. “How did you ever find this place?”

  “A motorcycle magazine,” he said candidly. “It’s the best place to find restaurants and routes.”

  “Really?”

  “Who better to ask about motorcycle riding than by those that actually put in the miles?” he told her. “Personal articles of travels and experiences of others are a great way to plan a trip. Best part is they’ve already done all the heavy lifting.”

  She moved up to him, sliding her arms around his neck. “Heavy lifting,” she repeated, kissing him.

  He picked her up, her legs wrapping around his waist. “Plotting out a route and making lodging arrangements can be stressful. I’d hate to disappoint my riding companion.”

  She grinned. “Well, I’m certainly not disappointed now.”

  He hooked his hands under her ass. “So glad to hear that.”

  “I knew there was something going on between the two of you.” Janie’s voice had her slipping from Nox’s hold and straightening their jackets.

  Claire audibly cleared her throat, her face and neck reddening. “Yes. Well, thanks for the interruption.”

  Janie laughed. “Don’t panic, you’ll have all weekend for that kind of stuff.” She hugged Claire. “I’m so glad you guys finally made it. I was starting to worry. Didn’t you guys leave hours before us?”

  Her face grew redder as she nibbled her lower lip, slanting a glance to Nox that revealed more than it should have.

  “Oh,” Janie breathed, her eyes wide. “Looks like you two got a jump on the weekend.” She laughed again, obviously finding humor in her jump phrase.

  “How long have you been here?” Claire asked, tugging at her jacket and looking uncomfortable.

  “Long enough to unpack and check out the sights.”

  Nox furrowed his brow. “Where did Victor park his bike?”

  Janie hiked her thumb over her shoulder. “Around back. Why don’t you guys unpack and get settled? We’ll figure out what to do for dinner in a bit.”

  “That works,” Claire replied, fidgeting to open the trunk where he’d stored their belongings. “We’ll come find you shortly.”

  Nox handed Claire the keys to the cabin and pulled their bags out of the trunk. “Shall we?”

  When Claire stepped inside, she gasped and he saw why. It was a hundred times better than he’d hoped for. He’d paid extra—a lot extra, for the cabin to be fully stocked for the weekend and decorated for a queen. The table was covered by a maroon table cloth with unlit candles at the center and a bowl of fresh fruit. The bed was made up with lavish bedding and numerous pillows, and the kitchen was loaded with food and drinks.

  She faced him. “I’m well aware that cabins don’t usually look this accommodating for campers.”

  A satisfying grin played at his lips. “They do when you ask for it.”

  She arched a brow, and then smiled, sliding up to hug him. He dropped the bags to the floor and kicked the front door shut with the heel of his boot. He took her into his arms and kissed her, relishing the feel of her mouth on his and the warm affection she offered. He didn’t see how he would ever get tired of this.

  “Thank you,” she said, between kisses.

  “My pleasure,” he murmured, leading her toward the bed.

  She breathed a laugh as she fell onto of the comforter, and he crawled his way over to her. “How will I ever thank you?”

  He sucked her lower lip into her mouth. “I can think of a million ways.”

  She reached her hand down his chest, the tips of her fingers teasing over the muscles of his chest and stomach, dipping into the waist of his jeans. She unfastened the buckle on his pants and took hold of his hardening cock. “Let’s start with this one.”

  He took her mouth hard and let her thank him.

  Chapter Ten

  Claire inwardly sighed as Nox wrapped his fingers around hers and guided them outside to meet Victor and Janie. They were both smirking like mischievous conmen, but she didn’t care. She was enjoying every second with Nox and nothing was going to waver her mood.

  “Didn’t think we’d see you tonight,” Victor said.

  “We’re hungry,” Nox replied flatly.

  Janie nodded, a blush on her cheeks. “What are you hungry for?”

  Nox squeezed Claire’s hand and she smiled, knowing exactly where his thoughts had gone. Hers had done the same. “How about Tex-Mex. Surely there’s a place around here where we can go.”

  “That sounds great,” Janie cheered.

  “I know of the perfect place,” Nox said.

  “Don’t tell me, the magazine offered suggestions,” she muttered, her voice low so only he could hear.

  He winked.

  They piled onto their bikes and took off, with Nox leading the way. The night air was crisp and fresh. She closed her eyes and just embraced the breeze on her skin, the night surrounding her, and the heat and desire blazing from Nox’s body. He held her leg, as if to tell her he was never letting go. She wanted to ignore it, but instead, she craved more of it. Everything around her seemed heightened. She was more alive than she’d been in years.

  To think I’d almost missed this. Missed being with him.

  She was going to have to figure things out when she returned home. Trouble was still brewing between her and Lacey. She’d dig deeper into what was on Lacey’s mind when she got home, but until then, she’d enjoy Nox and the weekend he had planned for them.

  Dinner at the hole-in-the-wall Tex-Mex joint was delicious. They each ordered something different—tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, and a chimichanga. The place was packed. People came from miles to eat there—a local hot spot.

  “That was so good,” Claire said, wiping the sides of her mouth with her napkin. “I can’t eat another bite.”

  “Me neither,” Janie added. “I’m stuffed.”

  Nox twisted his expression, the slight lines around his eyes softening. “That’s too bad,” he started, as he sipped his iced tea. “I had planned to take you to one of the best creameries this side of Texas.”

  “Ice cream?” Disappointment cascaded from her head to her feet. She slumped in her chair and frowned, her bottom lip quivering. “But I love ice cream.”

  Nox chuckled. “How about we give ourselves digestion time and then check it out.”

  Claire’s heart beat funny, like she was somehow caught up on a first date with a boy she’d liked since high school. “I’d enjoy that.”

  “You guys coming?” Nox asked, shifting his attention to Victor and Janie.

  They exchanged glances. “Not me.” Victor put his hands up in a show of surrender. “I’m so full anything more sounds like torture.”

  “Me, too,” Janie admitted, loo
king shyly over at Victor. “A long walk sounds amazing though.”

  Victor smiled. “I can handle that.”

  Nox excused himself and headed up to the cash register near the front of the restaurant to pay. Then he returned carrying four peppermints and laid them at the center of the table for any takers. Claire jumped at one. She planned to kiss Nox again until her toes curled, and doing so with rice and bean breath was not happening.

  Victor thanked Nox for picking up the tab, and before long, he and Janie had excused themselves and headed back to the cabin.

  “How far away is the creamery?”

  “A few miles.”

  “So not far enough to digest all this food,” Claire teased with a wink.

  “Let’s sit at the bar for a bit.” He twirled his fingers around hers and led her to an open seat at the bar. “What would you like to drink?”

  “A red wine would be great.” He ordered it and got a refill on his iced tea.

  “Graduation is coming up,” he reminded her.

  She scrunched her face. “If I pass.”

  He laughed. “You will. I have faith in you.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled and then looked up at him through her dark lashes. “Why did you pick law?”

  He shrugged. “When I thought of what I wanted to do…legal studies fit.”

  “And why a law professor?”

  “I’d made an amazing living having my own practice. But during my time as a lawyer, I met a lot of people who didn’t really know as much about law as they thought they did and they were missing something vital.”

  “What?”

  “Integrity.” He sipped his tea. “I wanted to help others strive to be more than good attorneys. I wanted them to be great.”

  “Anyone else in your family study law?”

  He shook his head. “Nope, but I had an uncle who was a cop and another who was a firefighter.”

  “Well, that’s close.” She paused. “No one in my family had anything to do with law. Mom was a teacher, Dad was an engineer, and I’m an only child.”

  “So why did you then?”

  She stared at him with a fondness that felt like an eternity. His eyes held her captive, as if, even if she tried, she could never glance away. “It fit.” He smiled at her use of his own description. “I wanted to finish college, and when it came time to figure out what I wanted, I just knew it was something in the law profession.” She held up her hands. “Now I wasn’t prepared to be a full-blown lawyer. That wasn’t what I wanted.”

  “Not now anyway.”

  “Right. I figured I’d get my degree as a paralegal and see how I did, and if I wanted to be a lawyer I could eventually do that.” She took a sip of her wine. “I’m young enough, and earning better money would certainly help me pay for college.”

  “No one ever said there was only one way to get a degree. I’ve met several people who have done what you’re doing, and there’s nothing wrong with it.” He reached for her hand. “You’ll be amazing at whatever you chose to do, Claire.”

  A warm heat settled in her face. “You don’t have to say that.”

  “You’re right, I don’t. I am not the kind of guy who spews bullshit. Only facts.”

  “That’s true,” she replied. “And thank you for the compliment.”

  “Only calling it like I see it.”

  “When I finish my wine, I think I’ll be ready for that ice cream,” she told him and he smiled.

  He paid the tab and dropped a tip on the bar. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

  * * * *

  The pristine pearly white tiled creamery with its bright rainbow of posters melted into nothingness around them. Nox’s eyes were riveted to Claire’s sensuous mouth, as she licked her double-scooped Jamocha Almond ice cream cone like it was a gift from God. With each bite, her eyes closed, and she moaned, enjoying it to the fullest. For the first time in his life, he was jealous of a damn dessert.

  “Want some?” Claire asked, waving the cone in his face. “It’s so good.”

  Did he want some? Hell yes, but not in the way she was offering. He leaned closer. “Only if you’re willing to let me lick it off of you. And I’m not talking about your fingers. I want it on your breasts, your lips, your pussy, and everywhere I can put my mouth.” His words scraped against the back of his throat.

  The pleasure he endured watching her was almost unbearable. When a sexy grin pressed to her lips, he was well aware of how much the idea appealed to her. He could easily get a half-gallon to go.

  “Would you like more?” he asked, reaching as if to haul out his wallet.

  She laughed. “It would melt before we got back to the cabin,” she reminded him.

  A thrilling rush stole his breath. “Who said we’d wait until we got back to the cabin?” He’d have her naked and spread right in the damn parking lot. The image had his cock punching at the back of his zipper.

  She resumed eating her ice cream, her eyes fixed on him. He smirked. He was going to stock his freezer the second he got back to Dallas.

  Sitting in the creamery shop with Claire was a first for him. He hadn’t brought anyone with him to his favorite ice cream shop, nor had he treated a woman to a double scoop of the good stuff. With Claire, he was experiencing a lot of firsts.

  Maybe it was their arrangement or something else. Either way, it felt good to have her close. It was even better, knowing he was going to take her back to the cabin and devour her like she was that ice cream cone.

  “You have that look again.”

  His expression never wavered. “What look?”

  “The one that says you’re plotting wicked things.”

  He chuckled. “I am. So finish the damn ice cream already so I can get to execute my wicked plot.” She grinned and then licked her mouth like a teasing vixen. “Do that again and I’ll have you bent over my bike.”

  She shivered. “That sounds like an after dessert.”

  He stood and reached for her hand. “My thoughts exactly.”

  He led her from the creamery and right to his bike. When he’d parked it around back, his thoughts had already been on taking her the second he could. Now was the time.

  Nox pulled her against him and took her mouth, tasting the delicious combination of her flavor and a hint of Jamocha Almond. He fumbled for the button on her jeans and shoved his fingers inside her panties, yanking both down. He spun her around and pressed her down toward the bike. She held the seat as he freed his cock and covered it with a condom. Then he fingered her damp slit and shoved his cock inside her. She groaned as he filled her. Without hesitation, he fucked her liked he’d envisioned doing all night long—hard, long, pounding strokes. No foreplay, just passion and desire. She reached back and clawed at his thighs, beckoning him to drive harder, with more force and more yearning.

  “Yes,” she cried, and he felt her heat envelope his cock as she came, pulsing around his shaft.

  He held her hips and plowed home, his climax so fierce it brought him up onto his toes. He groaned, practically growling. Claire had destroyed him from ever wanting to pleasure another woman. Her free spirit, her needs, they matched his own.

  She slanted him a look from over her shoulder, a smile on her flushed cheeks. “How about we go back to the cabin and enjoy a hot shower?”

  He pulled her to him, his hand slipping between her damp folds. He teased her clit, kissing her neck. “I like the way you think.”

  Once they returned and enjoyed one more romp of sex in the shower, they were spent. He cradled Claire in his arms and held her. A flutter of something sweet ignited in his chest. He liked holding her like this, caring about her. She was a gem, and he could stare at her for hours. She slept like an angel, and he was so overwhelmed by just how much he was coming to care for her.

  The hard exterior he’d tried to show early on faded as their connection grew. He had wanted things to remain as they were, but now, he was sure it wasn’t going to last. He wanted more. He simply had to fin
d a way to convince her that she did, too.

  Chapter Eleven

  Claire’s phone rang, and she shot up out of bed to grab it. Becky’s mom was calling. Panic consumed her. “Hello?”

  “Claire, Lacey’s run away.”

  Her heart lodged in her throat. “What?”

  “She told Becky that you were leaving her and replacing her with a new man. She wasn’t making much sense to Becky. I don’t know where she’s went.”

  “How long has she been gone?”

  “Maybe fifteen minutes.”

  Her mind jumped to reinforcements, friends she trusted to help find her daughter. “I’m going to get help to find her. If she comes back, please call me.”

  Claire hung up and dialed Noble’s number and quickly blurted out what happened. “Finn and I are on it. Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”

  Claire’s hands shook as she stared at her phone, her mind blank with fear. Why would she run away? “I never should’ve left,” she muttered.

  Nox came up behind her, his hands coming up to rub her shoulders. “What happened?”

  She shrugged away from him. Overcome with what was happening to her daughter, she didn’t want to be touched. She regretted leaving Lacey. “She ran away, and it’s all my fault. I thought I could find balance. She’d have a good weekend with her friend, and I’d do the same. We’d come home and things would be okay again.” She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “But they’re not okay. They may never be okay.”

  Lacey, where are you?

  Her phone rang and she practically jumped out of her skin. It was Jace. “Claire, Noble told me what happened. Tell me where Lacey would go. Favorite places. Anything to help me find her.” She rattled off what she could. “We’ll find her. Don’t worry.” He hung up the phone.

  “Claire, tell me what’s going on?”