Bobby stood in the bitch’s bedroom door watching her sleep. Her oh-so-protective German Shepard snored beside her. Could be the dog’s age, or could be that Bobby had slipped some tranquilizer into the mutt’s food. He silently snorted to himself.

Taking a long puff on his pipe, he let the smoke drift into the room.

Suck on that, beeyotch.

She moaned and rolled onto her side. He froze in place. Then she giggled. Stupid woman was probably thinking about that disgusting display of lust on her sofa earlier tonight. She’d climbed all over that guy like the whore she was. It was gross. His mother, so proper and upright when she was in her right mind, would have been appalled. And his sister didn’t chase after guys and throw herself at them. This one was repulsive.

Once he was sure she was out, he headed up to the third floor recording studio. When he finished his book’s narration, he’d release the digital, print, and audio simultaneously. Watch out New York Times. He’d hit the top of the list like a motherfucker.

And then this house and everything in it would be his…as it should have been.

***

Fiona awoke slowly, the ever familiar aroma of pipe tobacco scenting her room. Today, she didn’t care about her ghost, or whatever it was. She was going on her first motorcycle ride. Giggling, she hugged the extra pillow on her bed and relived last night. Holy crap, that man could kiss—not that she had that much experience with kissing.

She’d almost died when she’d asked him to kiss her. Where had her nerve come from? Never ever in her life had she done that. But she had, and ohmigod, she was so glad she had.

He put his hands over hers on his face and then his warm breath caressed her lips seconds before he touched his mouth to hers. If she hadn’t been sitting down, her knees would have buckled.

His lips had been full and hot against hers. He slid his hands up her arms until his fingers threaded into her hair. Totally controlled the kiss, he’d moved her head to take the kiss deeper. When he flicked his tongue against her lips, she opened, gladly welcoming the stroke along her tongue and then her teeth.

Someone moaned.

Oops. It was her.

Her heart raced. She got lightheaded as all the blood left her brain. Between her thighs, she throbbed.

Her hands acted as though they had a mind of their own, sliding down his face to his chest. Oh dear lord. She could have been petting concrete…hot concrete. Hard, muscles filled her hands. With his breaths deepening, her fingers moved and caressed those slabs.

She probably shouldn’t have, but she’d moved her hands down to the hem of his shirt and eased them under. Oh heavens. If she thought he was hot over his shirt, under it was like pushing her fingers into a human furnace.

And she found not just heat but the most delicious ripples along his abdomen. She skated her fingers up and down and over the ridges, causing the ache between her legs to intensify.

Chase kissed along her cheek and down to her neck before working his way back up to her ear.

“We better stop,” he said, his words sending shivers down her spine.

“Why?” She kissed the dip at the base of his throat. “I don’t want to stop.”

She pushed his shirt higher until she could put her mouth where her hands had been. When she scooted closer, her forearm rested on the rock-hard erection behind his zipper.

His hands grabbed her shoulders and he gently pushed her away. “We need to stop,” he said again. “Now.”

“And if I don’t want to?”

His fingers stroked her face. “Either we stop now, or I’m going to carry you up to your bedroom and strip off every piece of your clothing.”

Her belly tugged at his words. Arousal dampened her panties.

“Okay,” she said and put her lips back on his flesh.

He chuckled, the sound deep in his chest. “Think about this first, Fi. If you still want this tomorrow, then it’s a done deal.”

Sitting back with a loud, exasperated sigh, she’d said, “Okay, but I don’t like it.”

This morning, in her bedroom, she kicked her legs in the air at the thought of tonight. Sex! Sex with Chase Adams.

Some fantasies do come true.

She put clean sheets on her bed and hoped like hell they matched. Usually Lori or one of the housekeepers made her bed. She’d told them exactly where and how she wanted the sheet sets stored. The sheets were stored where she’d wanted, but she couldn’t be sure the sheets had been stored in coordinated sets as she’d requested.

Still, if they didn’t match, she didn’t think Chase would care one way or the other.

The only real question she had was…should she tell him she’d never done this before?

She took a little more care with her morning routine than usual, making sure she scrubbed everywhere during her shower. In her closet, she picked out jeans, a tank, a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of boots, all based on Chase’s suggestions. Now, standing in her kitchen waiting for him, the army of butterflies in her stomach were fluttering. She pressed one hand against her stomach while her other one fluffed at her hair. Wasn’t it nine yet?

At that thought, the rumble of a motorcycle roared up her drive. He was here.

Her butterflies did more than flit at the sound.

She hurried to the side door and opened it. “Chase?”

“No ma’am,” Chase said. “I’m part of a rowdy motorcycle gang. I’ve been ordered to kidnap you.”

Putting her hand to her lips, she giggled. “Well, if you’ve been ordered…”

“Exactly.” The engine stopped. “How are you this morning?”

“Good. Well, a little nervous and a whole bunch excited.”

“I thought maybe you’d like to feel around before we took off.”

Her loud laugh burst pulled a booming howl from him. He kept chuckling as he watched her wiping away tears of laughter.

“Hmm…that is an interesting, um, offer,” she said when she quieted.

“I was talking about the motorcycle. Other types of feeling around is for later.” He paused to clear his throat. “Now, back to the bike. The engine is still warm, so I’ll keep your hands away from that, but I thought you’d like to explore just a little.”

With that, she took his elbow and allowed him to guide her to the bike. There, he took her hand and placed it on the leather rider’s seat. Her hand was so small in his gargantuan one. Soft too, where his were always rough. But somehow, when he looked at their two hands, they seemed to go together like pieces of a puzzle.

Now he was being ridiculous. Pieces of a puzzle. He had to stop watching those nighttime soaps.

“I sit here.” He guided her hand along the curve of the seat until they reached the rear seat. “This is your seat.”

“You mean I don’t get to drive?”

“First, you don’t drive a motorcycle and second, do you have a driver’s license?”

“It might have expired.”

He chuckled. “Then, no. I’m riding in the front.  You’re riding on the back.”

“But we have helmets, right?”

“Of course.” He put the fiberglass helmet between her hands. “This is yours.”

“Is it pink and pretty?”

He looked at the black fiberglass with blue flames along the side. Dinged up from years of abuse.

“Um, sure. That’s exactly right.”

She snorted and pushed the bulky helmet on her head. “Sexy, right?”

She had no idea just how right she was. She did look sexy standing there in tight jeans and cowboy boots.

“Of course. Want me to lock up? Does Huck need out before we leave?”

“He doesn’t. He’s been in and out a couple of times, and yes, please lock the door.”

Tasks done, he came back to where she stood waiting.

“The bike is on a stand, so I’m going to help you on first and then I’ll get on.”

“Got it.”

Surprisingly, after minimum explanation, she swung her leg over the bike and seated herself. The only problem was that she seated herself in the rider area, not the passenger area.

“We had this discussion. I get the front seat and the handlebars. You get the back seat, so scoot.”

She laughed. “Oops. Sorry. Guess we can’t share the space.”

He studied the tiny seat, imagined her in his lap, and a few gallons of blood left his head for his groin.

“Um, no.”

She wiggled backwards while he steadied the bike. Once she was in place, he climbed on, fired up the engine and they took off down her drive. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, her hands clutching his shirt. Even with the wind whizzing past, he was ensconced in her floral scent. Not a perfume smell. More like fresh flowers. Was it her bath soap?

He didn’t really care where it came from. He did, however, have a slight problem with the fact he liked her arms hugging him while he was cocooned in her scent. It was playing havoc with his libido.

And frankly, riding a jarring motorcycle with a raging hard-on was a tad uncomfortable.

However, the laughter behind him, the arms snug around his waist, and just being with Fiona made any discomfort worth the effort.

The ride to the Rise and Shine Diner took about forty-five minutes. When he pulled to a stop in the parking lot, she squeezed him.

“No! I don’t want to stop.”

“You’re not interested in fluffy pancakes, gallons of coffee, crisp bacon, and hot biscuits with butter and jelly?”

He heard her stomach growl.

“Enough,” she said with a laugh. “You had me at fluffy pancakes.”

Over breakfast, they talked about work, growing up, the weather, and just about any topic except tonight. He wanted her. There was no doubt about that. His dreams, both day and night, had been highly erotic and downright filthy with sexual images. Most of the time, he walked around with a semi-erection all day.

However, he noticed that she didn’t broach the subject either. Maybe she’d cooled off and changed her mind. People were allowed to do that.

And he hated to think this, but it was possible—maybe even probable—that, even though she couldn’t see them, touching his scars and knowing there were more, she’d become turned off at the idea. He couldn’t blame her. Hell, he hated looking in the mirror every morning when he shaved. He’d tried to grow a beard. What a disaster. Patchy and red, of all things! He’d given up after a month, but maybe he’d try again.

Anything to hide his scars.

The ride back to Fi’s house was the exact same torture as the ride to the café. He thought about delaying the end by taking a longer route, but he’d promised her they’d be home by noon and he was cutting the time close as it was.

“Thank you,” she said as soon as she was off and standing in her drive. “That was so much fun. I loved the feel of the wind and the sound of things passing us.”

“Glad you enjoyed it.”

“I expected it to be louder. Didn’t you say it was a Harley? I thought those were deafening. I didn’t expect to be able to talk to you during the ride. ”

He chuckled. “Not all Harleys are loud. They have to be modified to sound like that. This one wasn’t. I don’t really want a loud bike.” He rested his hands on her shoulders and leaned closer to her ear. “Loud bikes disturb my karma.”

She grinned and his heart swelled, much like his cock was. Not good. He needed to work this afternoon. If all his blood was trapped in his heart and dick, there’d be none left for his brain.

“Well, I loved it,” she announced. “Coming in?”

“I’ll be back later. I need to spend a couple of hours in the production booth.”

“My book?”

“Yes and no. Some on your book. Some on my podcast. And a little time for a project for Sadie’s husband, Hank.”

She nodded. “Sure. Use whatever of mine you want.”

He wanted to bang his head on the door. Did she hear what she’d said? She didn’t mean it sexually, but try and tell that to his out-of-control cock.

He grimaced, waiting to adjust himself, but wondering if the shadows she could see would expose his telltale action. “I’m going to take the motorcycle back and see what kind of deal I can make. I’ll be back when I can.”

“Good luck.”

***

Because he paid cash, the whole buying process took only a little over an hour. By one-thirty, he was back at Fiona’s house and ready to settle down to work, but it was going to be difficult. He was so excited about his new wheels.

For the next three hours, he labored uninterrupted. It was the middle of the afternoon before he heard the elevator activate. Shortly, the door slid open, and Fi and Huck walked out.

“Chase? You’re still up here, right?”

“Yep. In production.”

“Am I interrupting something?”

“Nope. I’ve just finished putting my podcast online and was sitting here thinking about what we need to get done over the next few weeks.”

She leaned against the door frame. “We’re behind, aren’t we?”

“A little. Not much. I think we can make up some time. I’m not worried. You’ll have a finished audiobook well before your deadline.”

“Good.” She smiled. “You have dinner plans?”

“I do.”

“Oh.” Her voice dropped in disappointment, and she sagged a little.

He felt bad for teasing her. “With you.”

“Oh.” She straightened and smiled. “You’re bad.”

“Totally.”

“I think I might like bad boys.”

“I’m not a boy, Fi.” He voice dipped low.

“Yeah, but bad boy is so much sexier than bad men.”

He laughed. “Spoken like a woman.”

“Good, cause I am.”

“I’ve noticed.”

She canted her head. “Have you?”

“Very much so.”

“Tonight…um…”

“No pressure, Fi.” He rose and took her in his arms. “We’ll do or not do whatever you want. You’re in charge.”

She blew out a long breath and he smelled the mint toothpaste. She’d brushed her teeth before she came up to talk to him. He was flattered. His probably smelled like old coffee mixed with the cinnamon from his mints. Not a good combo.

“Can I take you to dinner?” he asked. “Restaurant. White table cloths. Snobby waiters. The whole shebang.”

She found his face with her hands and pulled him down for a long, deep, wet kiss.

“I’m pretty much a sure thing, Chase. You don’t have to wine and dine me.”

“Yeah, I do,” he said softly. “I want to. You deserve a nice night out.”

“Okay then. What time?”

***

He picked her up at seven, having gone back to the hotel to shower, shave, dress, and get his truck. He just didn’t think taking a date in a dress—at least he hoped she wore a dress—on the back of a bike would send the right message.

Since their meeting, he’d spoken to Chief of Police Gruber a couple of times. Today, Gruber suggested a restaurant that he always took his wife to when he was trying to butter her up.

The Grill Master was everything Chase was looking for and more. The tablecloths were startlingly white. The atmosphere was quietly elegant. His date—wearing an eye-knocking dress—was the best-looking woman in the place. The food was excellent. The only thing missing were snobby waiters.

Back in the truck after dinner, Fiona groaned. “I ate too much. The filet was so tender, I think I could have used my butter knife to cut it. That might be the best meal I’ve had in a long time.”

“I’m glad. Mine was good too. What you couldn’t see was that my date looked so good she put all the other women to shame.”

He glanced over in time to see her smile and duck her head.

“I’m sure that’s a lie but that is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

“Then you’ve been talking to the wrong people.”

She smiled and reached across the console to find his hand. “Thank you.”

He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.

“Chase,” she said.

“What, Fi?”

“You’re driving entirely too slow.”

He chuckled. “You don’t know what speed I’m driving. How do you know I’m driving too slow?”

“Because I’m ready to be home now.”

The speedometer on his truck hit fifty, cutting the time to Fi’s house in half.

***

The kiss on Fiona’s knuckles produced a throb deep inside her. Arousal flooded her panties. She twisted on the seat.

“You okay?” Chase asked.

She smiled toward his side of the truck. “Yeah. More than.”

When he turned off the engine, she immediately opened her door to climb out.

“Wait,” he said in a stern voice. “This is a date. I open doors for my dates.”

“Oops.” She slammed the passenger door.

“Better.”

He slid from the seat, walked around the truck and opened her door. Taking her hand, he helped her down from his truck. Her heart raced at the touch of his fingers. She might actually die of a heart attack before tonight was done.

“You have your key?” She’d given him a key to her house and his own personal code to the alarm system.

“Yup.”

She heard the key rattle in the lock and the beep, beep, beep of him disengaging the alarm. The warmth from his body surrounded her as he wrapped her in his arms.

“Trust me,” he said, and lifted her off her feet and into his arms.

She might have sighed.

Okay, fine. She sighed, but hoped he didn’t hear it.

A thick, muscular forearm supported her from under her knees while bulging biceps pressed into her naked thighs. His other arm went around her back and he pulled her tight against his concrete slab of a chest. She thought about protesting that she was too heavy, but he didn’t seem the least bit out of breath as he carried her into her house and kicked the door shut.

She snuggled in his hold and threaded her arms around his thick neck. Her lips found the curve of his jaw and she pressed kisses up his face and then nibbled her way down his neck. When she took his ear lobe between her teeth, he swore under his breath.

He took her mouth in a hard, almost vicious kiss, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. She kissed him back, parrying her tongue with his, then closing her mouth to suck on his tongue. He growled and jerked her tighter against him.

Her actions produced her desired effect. He took long, quick steps across her living room and climbed the stairs to the next level, all the while continuing to press her against his muscular chest. She had a feeling he was going to set a bar no future sexual partner would come close to.

“I haven’t been up here,” he said. “Which door?”

“To the left through the sitting area.”

Their progress through the house had been noisy with his boots clomping on her hardwood floors and stairs. However, carpet covered her private sitting area and bedroom, so his steps were muffled, and she could hear the swooshing of her heartbeat in her ears. As rapid as her pulse was, she figured her blood pressure must be through the roof.

She toed off her shoes as they crossed her bedroom, letting them drop silently to the floor, all the while continuing her attack on his mouth.

As he began to lower her, she tightened her hold around his neck. “Can you unzip me?”

“Gladly.”

He set her on her bed—with the clean sheets, thank goodness—and pulled down the zipper closure along her back. The dress immediately sagged off her shoulders and slid down her arms. She was gratified to hear the deep inhale of his breath.

Followed by, “Damn. You are so beautiful.”

The dress hadn’t required a strapless bra, but she’d worn one nonetheless. Pulling her arms free from the material, she let the dress fall to her waist, exposing the lace bra she’d worn for him. 

He pulled her toward him and kissed her. Then he kissed and nibbled his way down her throat. When he reached the indentation between her collar bones, he swirled the tip of his tongue there before continuing his downward travel.

At the same time, he palmed both breasts through her bra, scratching the stiff lace against her erect nipples. Jerking the cups down, cool air flowed around her heated flesh, drawing her nipples tighter. And then his hot mouth was sucking her breast, pulling it deeply into his mouth. He bit then licked the tip, sending waves of lust straight to her core. Her sex pulsed with need. Arousal gushed, soaking her panties.

She moaned. “That feels so good. Don’t stop.”

He took time to give her other breast the same loving attention. She felt her bra loosen and drop into her lap. She’d never known his hand had gone behind her back.

Oh, yeah. He definitely had more experience at this.

She found the buttons on his shirt and began working them. Used to not seeing what she was doing, she had no trouble slipping the buttons through their holes. She pulled the edges apart and filled her hands with Chase’s flesh. He’d mentioned the scars, and she could feel them as she glided her fingertips up and down his chest and abdomen. Who the hell cared about a few scars? She didn’t. In her mind’s eye, he was perfect.

“Lift your hips,” he demanded, his lips brushing her lower abdomen as he spoke. When she did, he pulled off the dress, leaving her wearing only a tiny pair of lace panties. “Fuck,” he muttered.

The cuss word made her pause. “Is something wrong?”

“Yes. You’ve got me so fucking hard, I’m in pain. I won’t last but a few minutes this first time.”

She smiled. This first time. That was a promise that there would be more.

“Lay back,” he ordered, his voice like rough gravel.

As soon as she was on her back, he pushed her legs apart and seated himself between them. But it was his shoulders between her thighs as he mouthed the soaked crotch of her panties. He sucked, and she almost came off the bed.

Holy shit. She’d never felt so much tension building inside her, like she was going to explode.

He pulled her panties down her legs and then it was his mouth on her flesh. She bit down on her thumb to keep from crying out. He licked her from top to bottom and back. He stuck his tongue inside her, thrusting in and out. But when he bit down just the slightest on her clit, a tornadic orgasm tore through her. Her hips bucked off the bed. Her shoulders jabbed into the mattress. Her hands fisted into the sheets as she cried out. Tears rolled down her cheeks as wave after wave of intense pleasure rolled through her.

When it finally ebbed, she gasped, trying to catch her breath.

“Hey,” he said, his thumb wiping her tears from her cheeks. “You okay?”

“I. Don’t. Think. I’ll. Ever. Be. The. Same,” she panted out.

He chuckled. “Glad to know you liked it.”

“Gave myself…away, did I?” she asked, still pulling deep breaths into her lungs

He moved off the bed and her heart sputtered. “Where are you going?”

“I’m a little overdressed for this party. Did you think I was leaving?”

She didn’t want him to think her a total rube, so she snorted. “No.”

His belt buckle jangled and she heard the soft sound of material sliding as he removed his clothing.

When she’d first been blinded, she’d been irate at God, the world, and everyone in it. But over the last twenty years, she’d adjusted, learned to live in her dark world. Until this very minute, she’d accepted her condition. But right now, this very second, she’d give anything to be able to see him. “Chase?”

“Hmm?”

“Remember how I saw your face? With my fingers?”

“Yeah, and?”

“Stand by the bed. I want to see the rest of you.”

***

Fuck. He was barely holding on as it was. Fiona’s soft fingers stoking every inch of him would set him off like a firecracker.

“Honey, as much as I would love that, there’s no way I could hold off.”

Her forehead wrinkled. “Hold off?”

“Coming. The minute you touch me, well, I’m doing mathematical division in my head right now to keep things under control. I’ve been hard since the first time I looked at you. But now that I’ve had a taste, I want you so bad, my teeth ache. I’m a pressure valve ready to blow.”

“Oh,” she said, as though his explanation had finally dawned on her. “Later then? After the, um, pressure is off?”

“That’s doable,” he said, his voice tight.

During their conversation, she’d scooted to the edge of the bed ready to see him with her hands.

“Scoot back,” he said. “You know you’re on the edge of the bed, right?”

“Of course I know.” She moved to the middle and then said, “You do have a condom, right? I’m not on any type of birth control.”

He ripped the condom open and slipped it on. “I’m covered. No pun intended.”

She giggled.

Wrapping his hands around her ankles, he spread her legs and settled himself between them. She’d been so wet, he knew she was ready.

He pressed the head into her and was surprised at how tight her opening was. Then he thrust deep. Her internal walls squeezed his cock like a vise.

She gasped, her fingers clenching into fists. She held her breath for a minute and then began breathing in pants.

“Fiona?”

“Hmm?”

“Is there something you meant to tell me?”

“I don’t know what you mean?” He could see that speaking was a struggle.

“Are you a virgin?”

“Not anymore.”

“Fuck, Fi.” He gently pulled from her body. “You should have told me.”

“Why? Because you wouldn’t have had sex with me?”

He laid on top of her and brushed away the tears beginning to slide down her cheeks. “Oh, hell, no. I wanted you more than I’ve wanted any woman in a long time. You are mine. I knew that. But I would have taken care not to hurt you. The first time can be a little painful.”

“For the woman,” she said, with a little smile.

“Yeah. You okay?”

“I am now. You’re not going to stop, are you? I mean, the damage is done, and all that.”

He slowly pushed back inside. Her hips lifted to help her adjust to taking his girth. The muscles in his neck strained as he worked to be gentle when what his body wanted was to slam into her over and over. Finally, he was seated up to his balls.

“How does that feel?”

“Unbelievably good,” she said. “I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to be moving now.”

He chuckled and withdrew. When he pushed back in, her hips moved in concert. As he let his body take over, he began pumping into her faster and faster. Her legs wrapped around his hips, opening herself wider for his cock.

Then she cried out, her head rolling from side to side. Her canal pulsed and squeezed his dick with her orgasm.

When he came, his climax hit him like a freight train. He collapsed on top of her with a gasp.