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  Until Candice Bradshaw had arrived, whisked Lacey away to the bathroom and put a wrench in what he’d hoped might be a changing point in his life.

  A white-hot wisp of anger stirred his blood. He wrapped his fingers around the steering wheel in a crushing, vise-like grip, squeezing until his knuckles turned white. One trip to the ladies’ room and Lacey had reappeared, apologized for having to leave and bid him a good night. When he attempted to offer her a ride home she had declined, refusing to meet his eyes as she paid her tab and slipped away. It didn’t take a genius to know what Candice had told her—not that it was a secret. Several of the regulars at Haddie’s frequented the exclusive BDSM club Fantasia, in Nashville.

  Including the snitch herself—not that Candice would own up to it. He’d gotten a firsthand glimpse of what the investigative reporter would do when she was down on her luck, even if it meant infiltrating a BDSM club to get the lowdown on a story.

  At first he’d assumed Lacey was nervous about his dominant predisposition and had considered giving her a call to test the waters. It was natural for a woman who hadn’t been introduced to the scene to be frightened by the prospect of exploring her sexual boundaries. Then he’d learned she started dating Scott Barker. It wasn’t any wonder she wasn’t interested and had blown him off. What did a mechanic who drove a tow truck and had a taste for kink have over an attorney who owned a Jag and was as vanilla as an ice-cream cone?

  Apparently not a damn thing.

  This was no fucking good. He shouldn’t be traveling out of his way to save Lacey. It was going to be absolute hell and he had no one to blame but himself. Once he saw her, those longings would rise to the surface all over again. Like a dog who knew it would be kicked but just wanted to be petted, he’d smile, play nice and go home empty-handed.

  Even in the heavy snow, it only took twenty minutes to arrive at the scene. No one was out and the roads were turning slushy. Her car was wedged into the railing, the tires buried in white midway to the hubcaps. As he pulled behind the older model Camry his headlights shone into the car and he saw a head dart up from the driver’s seat. Just knowing it was her stirred passions that were dangerous for them both.

  “Shit,” he muttered, staring at the car covered in glistening ivory. It was late, they were on a dangerous and slippery stretch of road, and climbing into the snow to secure the winch to her car would be hell. This wouldn’t be a simple tow. He’d have to take her into town, come back for her car and face her not once, but twice.

  He pressed the emergency brake button on the dash and left the motor running as he unlatched his seat belt. After he opened the door he jumped down, turned and closed it behind him. Several deep breaths in the frigid winter air cooled him down, taking the edge off his lust and extinguishing the fire in his blood. He’d always been polite to Lacey since that night at Haddie’s, and he wasn’t going to start being an asshole now. Five long strides took him to her door. Her eyes flared wide when she saw his face and her lips parted ever so slightly.

  Could it be? Was she happy to see him?

  Of course she’s happy, he berated himself. She called for a wrecker and now you’re here!

  She cracked the door open. “Michael?”

  “Hi, darlin’.” He couldn’t help but smile, warmed by her voice, the use of his entire given name and the curiosity in her gaze. “I see you’ve managed to get yourself in a spot of trouble. Don’t you know better than to drive on these roads when a storm is coming in?”

  “I do now.” She grinned sheepishly, cheeks turning an alluring shade of pink.

  He stood back and gave her room to climb out. She was dressed in jeans, fur-lined boots that came to mid-calf and an enormous tan-colored coat that swallowed her willowy form. Once she had her massive purse in place over her shoulder she closed the door and moved closer. The moment she neared he smelled the delectable perfume she wore, a mixture of jasmine and linen. Sexual need hit him like a punch to the gut, and he took a step back.

  So much for keeping his mind on work and not the woman in front of him.

  She stopped, frowning slightly. “Is everything okay?”

  Shaking his head, he answered in a half-truth. “We’re not going to be able to tow your car out of here until the temperature rises and the sun melts off some of the snow. With the visibility getting worse, it’s a dangerous spot to turn the rig to pull you out.”

  “Oh.”

  She nibbled on her bottom lip and his cock returned to life, becoming engorged once again, altering the comfort of his jeans. Shit, things could definitely get worse. So much for the cold cooling him down.

  She peered up at him. “So what do we do?”

  We go to my place, I strap you to my spanking bench and I warm that pretty little ass of yours until you’re begging me to fuck you senseless.

  “First we get you inside my truck,” he said quickly, attempting to steer his mind away from the vision of her bound, naked and ass up in the air. “Come on. It’s cold as hell out here.”

  He walked her to the passenger side of the truck, opened her door and waited until she was safely inside before he closed it behind her. Then he went to her car, flipped on the hazard flashers, removed her keys and locked the doors. When he returned to his truck and climbed in, Lacey had her hands in front of the air vents, wriggling her fingers.

  He took a moment to appreciate the scene. She was not only sexy but adorable. It didn’t seem fair to waste her on someone as conceited and uptight as Scott Barker. The hotshot lawyer wouldn’t know the first thing about exciting her, pleasing her or appreciating her as she deserved. He probably didn’t even have sex with the lights on to enjoy Lacey’s body, preferring quick and fast bunny rabbit sex so she couldn’t see how small his dick truly was.

  Just let it go. Thinking about what you’ll never have will only make this harder.

  Resigned, he settled in, buckled his seat belt and accepted the fact that it just wasn’t in the cards. “I’m not sure if I can get you into the city, but I can drive you into town if you’d like. The roads are salted and passable for the time being.”

  “The city?” She glanced at him, fingers going still.

  “Did Scott move?”

  At first she seemed shocked to learn he knew who she was dating. Her mouth opened, closed, and she frowned at him oddly. Just as quickly her green eyes narrowed and her plush lips thinned.

  “I’m not seeing Scott anymore.”

  His heart faltered before it started to race and his dick hardened like a rock as blood rushed from one head to the other. She wasn’t seeing the asshole. That meant Scott had either fucked it up, or Lacey wasn’t into uptight businessmen who thought money made the man. Either way, it made his mood a hell of a lot lighter. He tried not to let his surprise and interest in the statement show.

  “That’s too bad.”

  “No,” she replied in a level tone that told him it wasn’t open to discussion, “it isn’t.”

  The CB crackled and Jacob’s voice came through the speaker. “Mike, are you there?”

  Grateful for the distraction, Michael snagged the receiver and glanced at Lacey before he responded. “I’m here.”

  “There’s a bad pileup on back four-forty. Buxom’s and Twill’s are already en route. Even with Pat they’re going to need an extra set of hands. After you finish with Lacey can you head that way?”

  As he turned to pose the question, Mike knew he didn’t have to ask Lacey if the trip was all right with her. Concern was etched all over her face, her green eyes darkening into a brown shade of hazel. Damn, her face was so expressive, just as it had been the first night he walked up and introduced himself to her. He would be able to decipher so much about her from that alone.

  Whether she was experiencing pleasure or pain, excitement or fear…

  He ripped his eyes away from her and studied the glowing gauges in the dash. Fuck. This was not the time or place for this shit. Not with her so close he could feel the warmth radiating from her
body, smell the sweetness of her perfume mingling with the floral scent of her shampoo.

  Clearing his throat, he hoped he’d be able to keep his voice steady. “Do you mind tagging along? It’s probably not a sight you’ll want to see.”

  She smiled, shaking her head. “It’s not like I have anywhere else I need to be.”

  As he informed Jacob that Lacey’s car was too dangerous to tow, he wondered what Lacey would say if he told her she was completely wrong. There was one place she needed to be. It was the one place he’d been dying to see her.

  On her knees, at his feet.

  Chapter Three

  Lacey watched Michael as he helped clear away the last of the wreckage from the horrific four-car pileup. The ambulances had departed just as they arrived, leaving behind demolished vehicles, glass, metal and rubber. Three other trucks had been on the scene when they got there and had already started pulling the mangled wreckage onto the backs of their rigs. Mike had quickly pulled into place, gotten to work on the last one and loaded it up before clearing the icy road.

  As he told the other drivers goodbye, she soaked Michael in. Even in oil-splattered jeans, a snow-drenched jacket and damp hair, he looked delectable. Her heart began to melt, as did other parts of her anatomy as she watched him walk, each step graceful and sleek, like a jungle cat. Heavens, he was sex on a stick. So damn hot he made her pussy throb and her nipples ache.

  How in the world had she ever found business suits attractive when denim could hug a man’s ass so perfectly?

  Nodding and saying something she couldn’t hear, he turned from the other men as he pulled off his work gloves and started walking toward the truck. She sat down and snapped her seat belt in place just as he opened the door and climbed up.

  “Damn, it’s cold,” he grumbled, tossed the gloves on the seat between them, and brought his hands to his lips to blow into his clasped fingers.

  Talk about an understatement. Even inside the truck with the heat at full blast she could still feel the chill seeping through the windows. “I don’t know how you stand it out there.”

  He lowered his hands and grinned. “You get used to it.”

  “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it.” She shivered as she touched the windshield and felt the bitter bite coming from the other side. “I’m too accustomed to the sun.”

  “You wouldn’t know it.”

  Turning to him, she cocked a brow in question. “Why’s that?”

  “Your skin’s so pale,” he answered, studying her closely, his eyes piercing and shockingly bright inside the darkened cabin.

  As if he were imagining her pale naked body without clothes.

  She blushed and looked away, staring at the air vent. Good God. So much for being cold. She was burning up now, her pussy soaking wet, and all it took was a look, his voice and a bit of wishful thinking to make it happen. She could feel the heaviness of Michael’s stare, his eyes like phantom hands that left an impression where they lingered.

  After a tense moment, he grabbed the microphone from the radio and brought it to lips as she found the courage to peer in his direction.

  “Jacob, are you listening? Come back.”

  The radio crackled. “I’m here.”

  “I’m bringing one in.”

  “Ten-four.”

  Michael slid the radio back into place and glanced at her. “After we drive this in I can take you to a hotel. Is that all right with you?”

  She was tempted to tell him it was fine so long as he planned on joining her. Instead she nodded, smiled and tried to pretend he didn’t light an inferno under her skin that only burned brighter in his presence. He put the vehicle in gear and they were back on the road. She forced herself not to glance over too often, too aware of him in the suddenly small confines of the cabin. She could smell a hint of his cologne, something that was light but woodsy, and wondered what he would smell like with her nose pressed against his chest, his skin resting just under her lips as his heartbeat sounded against her ear.

  Although it was well over thirty minutes until they made it to the garage, staring at her sexy, silent driver made it seem a hell of a lot shorter. The first building was the actual garage. The large brick house situated several yards behind it was Michael’s home. She’d driven by his place once on a whim, curious about where he lived and worked. It wasn’t flashy but homey and welcoming, which made the way she felt about him all the more confusing.

  How could he possibly want a wild woman who liked to be spanked and hog-tied but live in a house that was obviously constructed for a family?

  “Lacey?” Michael’s voice broke her out of her reverie. “Do you mind if I stop by the house first?”

  “Sure,” she answered automatically, uncaring of what he’d asked. She gave him a cheery smile and hoped like hell he wasn’t aware of what she was thinking.

  He returned her smile with a devilish grin, flashing a set of dimples that made her breath catch and her womb clench. “I won’t take long. You can kick back, relax and grab anything you’d like from the kitchen.”

  Kitchen?

  She struggled to keep the smile in place as he drove. Emergency lights came on as they approached the concrete circle of his driveway and stopped at the foot of the brick stairs that led to a massive porch complete with a matching pair of egg-white rocking chairs.

  Michael shut off the engine, removed the keys and exited the truck. She watched, wide-eyed, as he came around and opened her door. She felt her stomach heave as the reality of the situation struck. He wasn’t stopping by to pick up something or make a pit stop. He was actually inviting her inside his home.

  “Coming?”

  “Yes,” she whispered and started to climb down.

  When she stumbled he reached up to steady her, grasping her forearm. She gasped as she looked into his face, so close she could feel the delicious warmth of his breath against her mouth. Up close his eyes were the clearest aquamarine, absolutely breathtaking. She couldn’t tear her gaze away, even as he moved closer, then closer. His face stopped just before his nose brushed hers, his fingers at her elbow rubbing in gentle, lazy circles against her coat.

  “You have to be careful, darlin’. That first step is always tricky.”

  Her eyelids fluttered at the husky invitation in his voice. She wanted him to close those scant millimeters, to bring his face down, to kiss her until her toes curled. It wouldn’t take more than a nudge to accomplish the goal, if she was just willing to move a bit closer.

  He smells so damn good…

  When he released her she almost stumbled again. She righted herself and tried to calm her nerves, her heart beating a mile a minute. What was once dampness between her legs was now a full-fledged tsunami. Her body was trembling, her knees were weak and she was so damn flustered she couldn’t breathe. The heavy knots in her stomach became a gentle caress of butterfly wings, creating anticipation where none belonged.

  She was grateful when he turned and walked ahead of her. Not only for the view but because it also gave her a moment to restore her composure. How many times did she have to remind herself that she wasn’t his type? Michael was as likely to be as interested in her as he would be one of the elderly widows who played bingo at the community center on a Friday night. Unless, of course, she came clean about her newfound fantasies. Fantasies she still wasn’t sure she was prepared to explore.

  Michael opened the door and stepped inside just as she crossed the porch. Flipping a switch to the right, he flooded the dark wooden floor and ceiling with light. There was a long matching table to the right alongside a coat rack. She gawked when he removed his jacket, placed it on a peg and proceeded to pull his navy sweatshirt over his head. A wave of desire spread through her as she finally set eyes on the body she’d dreamed about. Only the reality was so much better than she ever could have envisioned.

  There was no hair on his corded chest. A trail of honey blond descended just below his navel into his jeans. His stomach was defined,
the six-pack abdominal muscles lean, the line of his hipbones notable and incredibly sexy. His sinewy muscles seemed the result of hard work rather than time spent in the gym, his arms and torso trim and cut rather than massive and bulky. A large tribal tattoo graced his left biceps while a serpent marked the skin from shoulder to elbow on the right. As he turned the remainder of the way to face her, he reminded her of a wayward Viking—stunning, beautiful and dangerous.

  Talk about the ultimate bad boy.

  Seconds seemed to pass like minutes as their eyes met and they studied each other. She knew her cheeks were flushed, her lips were parted and her chest was heaving. The strangest thing was he seemed to be enjoying her reaction, basking in it somehow. Before he spoke, he grinned, causing her insides to become liquid as her knees threatened to buckle.

  “Feel free to explore the house. There’s food in the fridge and wine on the counter.”

  Afraid her voice would reveal exactly how she felt, she nodded. Right then, if he had asked her to bend over the table, bare her ass and let him do as he wished, she would have. The thought alone created another tidal wave of moisture in her panties, causing her to squirm.

  He took a step toward her, then another, then another. When he stopped he reached out, cupped her chin and forced her to meet his level stare. “If you decide to go down to the basement, make sure you leave the door open behind you. There’s a security lock that activates the moment it closes and you won’t be able to get out.” He swept his thumb along her lower lip and a tendril of excitement created flutters in her belly. “Understand?”

  “Uh-huh,” she breathed, wishing like hell he’d end her suffering and allow her to learn what he tasted like by closing the distance and kissing her long and hard.