****
Flint wondered if Kendra had any idea how difficult it was for him to let her go. The luscious feel of her ass in his hands as he’d kissed her had made his brain almost short-circuit. What was it about her?
He hadn’t meant to be a peeping Tom and spy on her in the shower like a pervert. His intention had only been to ask her something through the door. But when he found it slightly ajar, he couldn’t help pushing it open. Once he’d caught sight of her naked body behind the shower doors, his feet refused to turn and walk away.
All he could do was stand there completely mesmerized and watch as she soaped her heavy breasts and between her legs; all the places he would pleasure with his tongue if he ever got the chance. His reaction to her was immediate and overwhelming, his erection so painfully hard he thought he was going to explode.
He’d wanted her the moment he’d opened his eyes, delirious with pain, and found her leaning over him. He’d already kissed her twice, and who the hell knew what else he was capable of doing if she kept looking at him the way she did? Hell, sex was all he could think about since he’d set eyes on her. When she had stepped out of the shower wrapped in only a towel, it took every bit of control he possessed not to rip it off her body, bend her over the bathroom counter, and take her from behind.
There was no doubt that this woman brought out his primal streak, and holding back was making him feel like he could implode at any moment. She didn’t have a clue as to her effect on him. He’d meant it when he told her she was beautiful. She really was even though she was different from his usual preference, which leaned toward petite, blonde and thin.
He loved the way she wore her hair, the wild, long dark mane framing her features. There was a calm intelligence about her that turned him on along with that curvy, full-figured body of hers. Not to mention her heavy breasts and the wide hips that knew how to fill out a tight pair of jeans. She was tall for a woman but only barely reached his shoulder. He loved cupping her large ass. Damn, that was one piece of her he could certainly form an obsession over.
And Kendra wasn’t like any of the groupie bimbos that hung around the clubhouse. She didn’t mind letting a man know that she possessed a mind of her own. He’d noticed that first thing when she told him about the keys. He would never let her know it, but that single action turned him on as much as it pissed him off. She was most definitely a woman of strong character who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind.
The more he thought about her, the angrier he grew inside. Whatever attraction he felt for Dr. Kendra Shaw, he needed to get over it fast. A nice, decent woman like her would never go for a man like him. Maybe she would have liked the man he was once striving to be six months ago. A man with integrity and principles. Certainly not the way he was now and would probably always be.
Nothing more than a common outlaw.
****
It took a while for Kendra to work up the nerve to join Flint in the kitchen. He was seated at the small dining table enjoying a second cup of coffee. He looked up but didn’t speak when she walked past him to the coffee maker.
“Flint, about what happened earlier…” she began and couldn’t continue.
Flint raised his eyebrows. “You mean in the bathroom?” he asked innocently.
Kendra turned away from him to look out the window over the kitchen sink. Sleet was beginning to stick to the trees and power lines. The winter storm was turning out to be worse than predicted.
Flint leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “So you want to tell me why you ran out of there like a bat out of hell?”
Kendra ripped a paper towel from the roll and nervously wiped down the edges of the sink. “I don’t know. I guess I was afraid of what might happen if I stayed,” she replied in a soft voice, unable to meet his intense gaze.
He drew in a sharp breath as if she had slapped him. “You’re afraid of me?” he asked incredulously. “Jesus!”
She let out a long sigh and turned to look at him. “No,” she replied. “No, of course not,” she said more firmly. “I’m not afraid of you, Flint. It was more a matter of being afraid of me…of my doing something rash and out of character.”
“And that’s a problem because…?” he asked, his voice calmer now and his eyes suddenly twinkling.
She shrugged, embarrassed by her admission. “I’m not an impulsive person and you caught me off guard. That’s all.”
He raised his eyebrows, clearly not buying her story.
“Listen, Flint,” she continued. “The bottom line is I don’t do casual sex. Ever. I need a mental and emotional connection first. And if that’s not happening and I’m not feeling it, then the physical part just isn’t worth it to me.” She smiled to take the sting off of her words. “After all, I’m sure you have plenty of pretty girls hanging around the clubhouse who would be more than happy to have you. What do you call them? Old ladies or something like that? They probably find the tough guy biker act of yours very appealing.”
“And what about you, Kendra?” he asked, suddenly serious again. “Do you find it appealing?”
Kendra opened her mouth to lie. To make a joke and laugh it away as if that was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard. And normally it would be. She wasn’t into the whole dominant alpha male thing. Or had never been in the past. But if she was to be honest with herself, she would admit this time the answer was different.
Hell yes, she found him immensely appealing. The thought of Flint being in control, persuading her to do things sexually beyond her normal comfort zone, was an erotic fantasy. A fantasy she couldn’t stop thinking about. It was driving her crazy. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.
“That’s not the point,” Kendra snapped. She had a feeling Flint knew exactly what she’d been thinking.
He grinned. “What is the point then?”
“Admit it, Flint. You probably wouldn’t look twice at me if we weren’t holed up in this cabin together. It’s obvious I could stand to lose a few pounds and I don’t wear makeup or fix my hair in a fancy style. I’m here and I’m convenient. That’s all this is. And don’t try to tell me I’m your type because I’m not buying it. Not for a second. If we had met at the grocery store or in my vet clinic, I seriously doubt you would give me a second look or ask for my number. That’s all I’m saying. I’m not an idiot. And I won’t be used for sexual entertainment.”
Flint sprang from his chair with the sleekness of a panther and stood inches from her. His eyes flashed with emotion before he grabbed her with his good arm and pulled her close to his chest. She struggled in his grip, but he was too strong for her as he stared deeply into her startled face. Her heartbeat increased alarmingly at his closeness and Kendra wondered if she would ever be immune to his overwhelming magnetism.
“You really believe that?” he demanded angrily. “That I would sleep with you only because you’re stuck here with me? That I wouldn’t still want you if we’d met another way? How can you not understand how desirable you are to me? Do you know how incredibly difficult it was to let you walk away wrapped only in a towel? When I saw you in the shower, it took my breath away…you took my breath away.”
When she didn’t answer, he let out a long sigh and abruptly turned her loose.
“I’m sorry, darling,” Flint said simply.
Kendra sent him a sharp look. “For what?” she asked.
Flint shrugged and looked away from her. “For getting you involved in all this. You’re a smart woman and seem like a really good person. I let Jesse have it over the phone for dragging you into this mess. It never should have happened. And I do wish we could have met in different circumstances. Like you said, in the grocery store or at your vet clinic. Normal every day circumstances.” He let out a short laugh and ran a hand through his hair. “Though I’m not sure normal will be showing up any time soon in my life.”
He stuck his hands in his jeans pocket and leaned back against the kitchen counter. “I know it could never work,” he said quietly before turning and leaving the kitchen.
Kendra stood there for a moment, stunned by his words.
No, a relationship with a man like Flint would never work out.
Or could it?
Did she dare to find out?