What . . . is this?” Wrapped in a huge bath towel that covered her body, Tara glanced up at Griffin and frowned. Pointing at the pile of clothing spread out on the bed, she muttered, “I . . . I don’t understand.”
Griffin shrugged. “For better or worse, I have an inveterate nursemaid who interjects himself into my life in surprisingly personal ways. If it makes you feel any better, I found a similar box with my name on it.”
Staring at the stack of what looked like pricey clothing, Tara was shocked that her first question was precisely who had selected what looked like a high-end designer’s choice of a weekend wardrobe.
“Um, did you say that your inveterate nursemaid is a him?”
Griffin laughed aloud as he closed in on her. “No worries, sweetheart. My nursemaid is none other than my lawyer and partner, not the inimitable Jia Yanlin. And yes, you’re correct. Jia gives Miranda Priestly a run for her money.” He added with a wink, “Not surprisingly, she actually does wear Prada.”
Tara pointed to the pile that seemed to include everything from jeans and sweatshirts plus an expensive-looking leather bomber jacket to several astonishingly sexy bra and panty sets. “Uh, are you saying that Magnus Armstrong chose these?” She picked up a bright red lace shelf bra that was notable in that it had cut-out cups. Seeing the matching red lace thong that, like the bra, was uniquely constructed in that it was crotch-less, she sniffed. “Can I assume that these are Magnus’s idea of a dirty joke, or is this what you customarily order for your numerous paramours?”
In seconds, Griffin was next to her and gripping her arms, forcing her to look up at him. “Let me answer the question that you didn’t ask, Tara. But first, knowing that I didn’t allow either one of us to pack, I asked Magnus to lay in some food and clothing for us both. And no, I did not ask Magnus to choose that particular bra or those interesting panties.” Ignoring her stiffening frown, he didn’t hide the twinkle in his eyes. “Although, I have to admit, the ‘mechanics’ of both are intriguing. And if anyone could do them justice, you could.” At her outraged cry, he yanked her next to him and continued. “To answer your more important concerns, let me tell you that, unlike a certain brash woman claimed, while I do like strong women, I don’t require them to come to me in pairs, on their backs, or on their knees.”
Knowing that Magnus Armstrong had relayed her diminishing comment, Tara refused to be embarrassed. Instead, she lifted her chin higher and scoffed. “I beg your pardon. I misunderstood. Now I know that your preferred MO is to kidnap unsuspecting women out of public places, embarrass them in front of their family and friends, then toss them on the back of a death-mobile and cart them off to your den. So, at least in this particular adventure, I presume that I’m your only captor and that the rest of your harem won’t pop in.” Keeping the bath towel securely wrapped around her, she glanced at the offending clothing, then glared at Griffin. “What if I don’t want to wear the pricey clothes that your consigliere chose for me? What if I prefer my Target wardrobe—as pitiful as it may seem in your eyes?”
Griffin narrowed his gaze but refused to take her bait. “Hmm, given the state of your Target wardrobe—which a disgraceful man tore off of you last night, I might prefer seeing you in that.” Reaching for the red lace bra with the missing cups and the barely-there panties, he said with a widening grin, “Although, given that your bra is beyond repair and your torn thong has become part of my collection to remind me of your sultry fragrance when you aren’t with me, you might want to consider Magnus’s choices—as provocative as they are.”
Tara struggled between her anger at his presumptiveness and her laughter at the remarkable situation she was in. Not wanting him to see that she was amused by his cavalier cockiness, she picked up the double-breasted leather bomber jacket and peeked at the label. Knowing the Chloé creation from her perusal of fashion magazines, she tossed her head. “But then again, not ever having worn anything that costs in the thousands of dollars—and heck, who needs cups in their bras or crotches in their panties—why wouldn’t I wear these?”
Snatching the bundle of extravagant clothing from the bed, she jerked out of his grasp and stormed toward the bathroom door. Horrified when she lost her grip on the bath towel covering her, further compounding her graceless exit, she let it go and fled naked into the bathroom. His roar of appreciative laughter following her bare-assed exodus brought tears to her eyes. That the tears flowing down her cheeks were a result of her laughter as well as her fury only underscored the emotionally precarious position she was in.
He was waiting for her beside the powerful motorcycle. His aviator sunglasses masked his remarkable eyes but only served to make him look sexier, if possible. Seeing the rest of his upscale clothes that included Diesel jeans and a leather jacket similar to the one she was wearing, Tara was glad that she’d overcome her temper tantrum and given in to the extraordinary circumstances she found herself in. He grinned at her as he reached in his pocket and pulled out a pair of what she was sure were designer sunglasses. He put them on her and nodded in appreciation as he gazed at her. “You look terrific, Tara. Like a courageous woman who is willing to climb on the back of a motorcycle she’s terrified of, wearing clothes that some crazy ‘consigliere’ chose, with a guy who kidnapped her. Impressive, sweetheart.”
Tara tossed her head, hoping that the sunglasses masked her contorted emotions. She gave a dismissive shrug. “Like I have a choice, Griffin? You’ve already seen what a head case—make that freak—I am in an elevator, so why not up the ante? Pile on as many scary things as you can to—” She stopped, not able to squelch the tremor in her voice. She’d intended to sound aloof, perfectly capable of handing the challenging situation she found herself in.
But it was clear she hadn’t fooled him when Griffin pulled her up next to him. Taking off her glasses and his, he forced her to meet his intense gaze. “Listen to me, Tara. I know I owe you an apology for my high-handed behavior. And I would apologize, except that I’m not sorry.” Ignoring her gasp, he continued. “Sweetheart, I can only tell you that I can’t remember ever being as angry as I was with you, and frankly, as hurt, when you blew me off. Even though I knew that you must have been scared out of your mind by what happened that crazy night at my house, I never believed that you would refuse to answer my calls and texts.”
He hesitated. “I should apologize, Tara, but I’m not that much of a fraud. In truth, I’m glad that I did what I did. Frankly, I would do even more if you ever try to blow me off again.” Seeing her deepening frown, he added, “For sure, I would add to my repertoire, a much-needed spanking on that delectable ass of yours.” At her shriek, he added with a grin that bordered on a leer, “However, the day is young and no telling how many naughty things you’re likely to do before I have you in my bed again tonight.”
Ignoring her attempt to break free of him, he tightened his grip and asked casually, “Would you like to know what I have planned for this afternoon?”
Still reeling from his surprising threat, she swallowed hard and shrugged. “In that you are unlikely to take me home and that I am still your prisoner, yes, I would like to know where we are going.” Glancing at the shiny motorcycle, she tried to contain the tremor in her voice. “And if maybe our destination can be reached on foot?”
He chuckled. “Uh, no, sweetheart, afraid you can’t have that wish. But if you will give it a chance, I’m willing to bet that after a few more rides on this impressive crotch rocket, you’ll be a hardcore axel addict. I gotta tell you, Tara, as feisty a rule-breaker as you are, you’re a natural biker babe.”
Tara took her glasses out of his pocket and planted them on her face, hoping that the dark lenses would mask the unruly emotions storming her. Sucking in as big a breath of air as her constricted lungs would allow, she assumed a nonchalance she was far from feeling. “Any chance this ‘axel addict’ can ask where we’re going?”
Griffin nodded. “We’re going someplace very special. A beautiful, pristine place that has captured me. In that you know it even better than I do, I’m eager to see it through your eyes, and perhaps even help you to see it through mine.”
With that quizzical assertion, he put on his sunglasses, then strapped on one of the helmets. He placed the other helmet on her and fastened the strap under her chin. Scooping her up in his strong arms, he sat her on the padded passenger pillion. Before she could resist, he mounted the seat in front of her and reached back for her hands. “I think we’re agreed that wrapping your arms around me and holding on tight is the best was to survive this crazy adventure we’re about to undertake.”
It didn’t take the roar of the engine as he brought the powerful machine to life to make Tara cling to him. As he steered the bike onto the narrow road and kicked it up to full throttle, Tara admitted that it wasn’t only fear that had her clinging to him. It also gave her an excuse to put her arms around his taut belly and bury her head against his strong back. Given the powerful engine humming between her thighs, Tara was glad that the bike was as noisy as it was. It wouldn’t help if Griffin overheard her muffled moans. Unfortunately, when he stopped at a turnoff and met her gaze, his cocky grin confirmed that he knew exactly what the powerful engine pulsating against her crotch was doing to her. When he shot forward, she wrapped her arms around him but allowed her hands to slip slightly lower, resting on his thighs. His responding growl confirmed that he hadn’t missed her erotic overture. The bulge in his tight jeans was palpable evidence that he was as aroused as she was.
Pulling off the paved road, Griffin carefully steered the bike along the edge of what could have been a scary drop next to the overlook. Containing his speed, he was careful to avoid the most egregious dips and gullies. He’d been gratified when he felt Tara give in to the erotic power of the bike and to him. Christ, he would have given anything to pull off to the side of the road and lay her out on the ground. But the last thing he wanted to do was to stir up her fear. The dicey start to their morning had been challenging enough. He still couldn’t believe that damned underwear Magnus had slipped into the box of clothes he’d sent for her. Even though he was annoyed as hell and would make it clear to his outrageous partner that he didn’t appreciate the red flag, make that cup-less, crotch-less underwear, he hoped that maybe, just maybe, he could convince Tara to at least try it on—if not model it for him. Squashing the scandalous image that had him grinning, he ground the bike to a halt as close to the top of the ridge as they could safely go. Carefully lifting Tara off the back of the bike, he set her on the ground and unstrapped her helmet. Tipping up her chin, he grinned at her and murmured as he kissed her cheek, “Come on now, sweetheart. Confess. That wasn’t all bad, was it?” He didn’t miss the smile that quirked her lips when she shrugged out of his grip and, with a saucy tilt of her head, strode away from him.
He met her on the cusp of the ridge. The view before them was extraordinary. No matter how many times he’d seen it, the sight of the lush valley below surrounded by dimpled ridges and soaring mountains took his breath. The clouds hovering in the bright sunlit sky cast purple and pink shadows on the distant vistas. Griffin acknowledged that it was one of the most beautiful parcels of land he’d bought and one of the most biologically astonishing. Without a doubt, southeastern Arizona was truly an ecological crossroads. In amazing junctures, the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains came together with the Sonoran and Chihuahua deserts. And then, almost out of nowhere, the Huachuca’s peaks rose from the surrounding grasslands. The ecological masterpiece stole his breath and underscored his intent to make his development worthy of its astonishing setting.
The rigid demeanor of the woman beside him confirmed that she also knew the land they were looking at. After a long moment, she broke the silence between them. Her crisp tone underscored her anger as did her flashing dark, almost-black eyes. “I should have known this was where you were bringing me.” She whirled on him and said bitterly, “I’ll bet you couldn’t wait to rub it in, could you, Griffin?” Her voice shook when she added, “What I don’t understand is the buildup. Was it necessary to fuck me to underscore how you intended to screw me?”
Seeing the pain in her eyes, Griffin managed to contain his fury at her outrageous accusation. Forcing himself to speak carefully, he jerked her up next to him and refused to let her pull away. Holding her chin, he refused to let her look away. He was surprised that his voice was as calm as it was.
“No, Tara. I brought you here because in some wild and crazy way, I seem to be falling in love with you.” At her dismissive snort and attempt to shove him away, he tightened his hold. “I know you think I’m insane and I just might be. Regardless of how I feel about you or, for that matter, how you feel about me, I needed to bring you here. As you may recall, when you asked me where we were going, I told you we were going to a place that was special to us both. My hope was that you would allow me to see it through your eyes and perhaps I could show you what I see though mine.”