Back in Black (11 page)

Ignoring that lame bit of advice, Drew said, “You still have my cell number just in case?”

“In case what? Good grief, Drew. I
do
know how to drive. Now, unless you’re dragging your feet out of performance anxiety—”

Laughing, he kissed her one more time and even dared a quick swat on her voluptuous behind. He could barely wait to get his hands on all her lush curves. “Sounds like I have a few points to make tonight. I promise I’ll do my best.”

With both hands, she rubbed that sweet ass. “Paybacks are hell.”

Enjoying her, Drew grinned. She had such a great sense of humor; that had been evident from the first moment he’d met her. “Is it naked payback? Because, honey, I could get into some naked payback.”

She gasped and looked around for a rock, presumably to throw at him. Pretending to believe the threat, Drew hustled into the car. It occurred to him that he’d laughed more with Gillian in the few days that he’d known her than he did with most people in a month.

That realization threw him, but with Dickey giving drunken complaints nonstop, Drew didn’t want to dwell on his reaction to Gillian.

It took damn near a half hour before they finally pulled into Dickey’s motel. The damp night air felt charged with electricity and smelled of rain. Hoping to get out of there before the storm erupted, Drew dumped him in his room to sleep it off.

Unfortunately, Dickey didn’t want to stay put. Even as Drew turned to leave, he started hunting for his keys.

“Forget it,” Drew told him. “You’re going to sleep it off, and the keys are going with me.”

“But it’s my fucking car!”

His patience had ended some time ago. “Two choices, Dickey. I can sit outside and wait for you to
try
to leave, then call the cops and let them arrest your sorry ass. Or I can take the keys. Decide quick, because I’ve had more than enough of you already.”

Behind him, Gillian murmured in disapproval,
“Drew.”

Drew did not want her to be a part of this. “Wait outside,” he told her without looking her way.

She hesitated.

“Now, Gillian. I mean it.”

When he felt her retreat, he really wanted to clout Dickey.

Dickey stumbled toward him. As a six-foot-four heavyweight who was all muscle, he could intimidate most people.

At the moment, Drew only saw him as a drunk.

Pointing at Drew, Dickey said, “Just because I fight for you—”

“Used to fight for me, dumb-ass.” Stepping up to him, Drew met his temper. “You think I’m going to let this shit slide?
Think again
. You need to go home until you’ve grown up a little.”

Mouth falling open, Dickey stared at him. “You’re dumping me?”

“For now, you bet your ass I am. Show me you can get it together, and we’ll talk again then.” Drew held up the keys. “But these are going with me, and if you have any fucking sense at all, if you
ever
want to fight in this sport again, you’ll keep to this room until you’re dead sober.”

Drew pocketed the keys and turned to leave. When Dickey was ready, he’d have a long, heated lecture ready for him. Maybe,
maybe
if Dickey seemed like he’d learned a lesson, Drew would give him another chance.

But tonight, right this minute, his first priority was to get Gillian alone.

As they left the motel room, a boom of thunder shook the ground and lightning splintered the sky in a bright display. They raced for his car, but the skies opened up in a stinging deluge just before they got in.

In seconds, they were both soaked.

Using a tissue from her purse to pat her face, Gillian looked out the window. “Wow. What a downpour.”

Anxious to be on their way, Drew adjusted the heat and then drove out of the lot. “I’ll have you out of those wet clothes in no time.” Saying it amped up his lust. Jesus, he had it bad.

Gillian glanced at him. “You need to swing by the group home first, so I can get my car.”

She
had
to be kidding. “Tomorrow.” The familiar tat-tat-tat of hail began pelting the roof.

It didn’t deter Gillian. “Uh, no. I need my car tonight, Drew.”

“Why?” Trees bent under the force of the escalating wind. He’d always found storms sexy as hell. He couldn’t think of a better way to spend the night than having sex with Gillian. “It’s not like you’re going anywhere tonight except to my place, right?”

“I don’t have any other plans, no. But when I’m ready to leave your place, I want to be able to.”

Her tone sank in and he shot her a look. What the hell? Did she expect him to screw her and then kick her out of bed? Sounded like. “I wouldn’t mind if you spent the night.”

That startled her. “Thank you.” She smoothed wet hair off her face. “I might take you up on that. But if I decide otherwise—”

All he wanted to do was get her under him, and it sounded like she was already planning on leaving him. “Hell, I’ll give you my keys, okay?” The determined set to her posture irked Drew. “If I do something to piss you off that much, you can just take my car.”

In a show of stubbornness, she folded her arms over her chest. “I appreciate the offer, but I want
my
car.”

Slowly, Drew let out a breath. “Look, Gillian, I’m not real good at this ‘pretty please’ shit, but I’m trying all the same, so be reasonable, will you? The weather is crap and it’s getting late. I swear to you, if something happens and you want to leave, I’ll take you, or you can take my car. I have another in the garage so it’s not a big frigging deal, okay?”

It was dark inside the car, with only the bluish glow of the lights on the dash for illumination.

“You’d let me drive your BMW?”

“It’s just a car. No big deal.” But Drew saw her indecision.

Trying for a solution, he added, “Want me to have your car towed to my place?”

“
No
, of course not.” She shifted, showing a hint of indecision.

“Look, I’d rather do that than see you get soaked in this downpour or have you worry about it.” More thunder boomed, almost immediately followed by a thick, blinding bolt of lightning. “Seriously.”

She relented with ill grace. “Oh, all right. But I am taking your keys. And so help me, Drew Black, if you give me cause, I
will
leave in your car and you better not try to stop me.”

Damn, but she amused him. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” He thought of everything he wanted to do to her and with her. It would take half the night and leave her exhausted. The woman wouldn’t be going anywhere, whether she realized that yet or not. “Are you wearing panty hose under that skirt?”

She gawked at him. “I swear, the way your thoughts leap around is mind-boggling.”

“No leaping, not really. I’ve been thinking of undressing you since I first saw you today. Hell, from the moment I met you, I’ve been thinking about what’s under the ladylike clothes.”

Sputtering indignation turned into a reluctant laugh. “Outrageous, as always.”

No sense in denying that one. “You look great, by the way.”

“Thank you.”

Since she hadn’t yet replied, he prompted, “Panty hose?”

With a roll of her eyes, she confirmed that. “Yes.” “Hate the things,” Drew told her, “but I’ll overlook them for you.”

“Gee, Drew, that’s really big of you.”

“I take it you don’t have stockings?” A man could fantasize.

Such a caustic look should have left him melted on the seat. “Tell you what. You try wearing a garter and nylons to see just how that works out for a hardworking business-person, and then I’ll follow suit.”

“Uh . . . no, thanks.” He was so turned on, forming coherent words took an effort. “Uncomfortable, is that it?”

She sniffed. “They show under close-fitting clothes, and they’re far more time-consuming.”

“All that? I had no idea.” Imagining Gillian naked except for stockings and a garter left him shifting in his seat. “I suppose you could go commando.”

One brow lifted in query.

“You know. Sans underwear altogether. Naked underneath.” A mental image accompanied the words, nearly doing him in. “Bare assed.”
Easy access
—but he kept that to himself.

“I get it, Drew. You can stop explaining.”

To his surprise, she considered it. He held his breath, waiting . . .

“Maybe tomorrow.”

Oh, hell. That did it. “Damn it, woman.” He shifted again. “Now I have a boner.”

Her light, teasing laugh exacerbated the situation for him. “Bully for you.”

The foul weather kept him from driving any faster; he wouldn’t risk her safety in any way. She already thought the worst of him. No reason to give her fuel for her disdain by driving like an idiot.

They turned down his street and with his thoughts in a riot of lust, Drew said nothing else. He pulled up the driveway, but when he tried the garage door opener, nothing happened.

“Power must be out.” He put the car in park. “Stay put. I’ll be right back.”

In the time it took him to jump out of the car and open the garage door manually, he got soaked clear through to his skin. The icy rain did nothing to cool his need. The sooner he got them both undressed, the better.

When he slid back in beside her, she gave him sympathy. “Poor Drew.” She touched a light fingertip to his dripping jaw, down over his throat, and then his shoulder. “You’re drenched.”

“Not for long.” He parked the car in the garage with a jerk. Damn, but he’d never been this anxious to bed a woman before. It was nuts. He had to get a grip or he’d blow things, and she’d end up thinking him an unskilled dolt.

In a heartbeat, he got out and closed the garage door again, shutting out the worst of the storm and leaving them in total, absolute darkness. Normally, he would have dried the fine leather of his car seats, but right now, he just didn’t care.

Fumbling his way over to her door, he opened it. “Let’s go.”

With a smile thick in her voice, Gillian asked, “In a hurry, are you?”

Her teasing had to end. Drew found her arm and pulled her in close to kiss her long and deep. While she softened against him, he moved his hands from her back to that lush ass and snuggled her in tight against his erection.

Perfection
.

Against her mouth, he whispered, “I’m on the ragged edge, lady, so unless you want me to have you right here, right now, in a cold garage on the hood of my car, you better stop taunting me. Got it?”

In the darkness, Drew couldn’t see Gillian’s face, but he heard her heavy breaths and felt her faltering nod. “Yes . . . okay.”

Pulling her behind him, Drew led the way into the house. “Watch your step.”

“Don’t you have a flashlight?”

“Good idea.” He had started to go straight to the bedroom, but he wanted to see her. All of her. A flashlight would help with that.

He stopped at the hallway. “Wait right here. Don’t move.”

“Hurry.”

“Yeah.” He bumped into a chair, cracked his shin on a table, and then he found the kitchen and felt around until he located the right cabinet. The utility light shone brightly, making his return to her much easier.

Leaning against the wall, Gillian stood with one knee slightly bent, her head back, her hands flat on the wall beside her generous hips. Through her open wrap, her wet clothes clung to her body.

Unlike the model-slim babes with inflated boobs who usually came on to him, Gillian had real curves in all the right places. She wasn’t vain, but neither was she shy about her appeal. Her confidence was almost as sexy as that voluptuous body.

When she opened her eyes and smiled at him, Drew shook himself.
Get a grip, already
.

Several deep breaths helped him to slow down. A little.

Small talk required more patience than he had left. Leading with the light, he again took her hand and started down the hall for his bedroom.

With her heels clicking on his hardwood floors, Gillian laughed behind him. “My, my, Drew, you really are in a rush, aren’t you?”

“I’m sporting mahogany here. Of course I’m in a rush.” In a laughing, throaty purr, she murmured, “I’m flattered.”

Finally in his bedroom, Drew set the flashlight on the nightstand like a lamp and turned to her.

Already she had shrugged out of her wrap, stepped out of her shoes, and untied the scarf from around her neck. Knowing he’d marked her left him burning with deep satisfaction.

When she caught him watching her, her hands paused on the fastenings to her skirt. “Well, don’t just stand there,” she playfully ordered. “Clothes
off
.”

God help him. “Yes, ma’am.” Keeping his attention glued to her, Drew stripped off his jacket and started unbuttoning his shirt.

G
ILLIAN made a neat little pile of her clothes, folding each piece and placing it on a chair. When she stood in only her skirt and a pale, lacy bra, Drew couldn’t help but stare. The bra, despite the underwire, didn’t seem adequate to hold her bountiful breasts.

Gillian didn’t mind.

Smiling, she reached up under her skirt and rolled down the panty hose. Thick shadows enhanced everything.

Outside, the storm raged, with rain battering the windows and the wind howling in fury. Every few seconds, lightning flashed with a blinding, strobe effect.

Knowing that he watched her every move with rapt attention, Gillian shimmied out of the skirt with a provocative lack of haste. His hands curled into fists, his cock strained behind his fly.

Gillian’s panties were made of the same lace and matched her bra. She looked so incredible, Drew knew he wouldn’t last.

“Come here.” He sounded harsher than he meant to, but never had he wanted a woman like this.

He took two steps to meet her halfway and, with his hands moving everywhere at once, ravaged her tender mouth. Her skin was damp from the rain, warm and soft. When he slid his hands into her panties, palming her cheeks, squeezing, Gillian bit his bottom lip.