The Renegade Returns (Mill Town Millionaires) (12 page)

Now he knew.

The smile that burst over his face had originated deep in his gut. Pats on his back from his brothers only added to the joy.

“Very good, Master Luke,” Nolen said.

But it was the beaming face before him that held his attention. Her joy reflected his. He couldn’t stop himself. He drew her close and met her lips with his own, felt the spark of that touch.

By the time he pulled away, she was flushed and panting. His brothers were grinning. “You’re welcome,” she murmured.

She waved her hand in the car’s direction. “I thought we could celebrate. And I didn’t think you wanted to have your first drive in my little SUV.”

“You didn’t rent this car anywhere around here,” Jacob remarked, echoing Luke’s earlier thoughts.

Avery shrugged. “The Blackstones aren’t the only people who know people.”

The men gave a murmur of appreciation that had Avery’s cheeks flushing even deeper. She reached in a pocket of those skintight pants and pulled out the keys with a metallic rattle. Then she held them out. “Shall we go?”

Luke grabbed her hand and started down the steps, wishing he could sprint. “See y’all later.”

He was able to stay his excitement long enough to open her door, then he practically ran to the other side of the car. But after dropping into the low leather seat, Luke found himself unable to move. Beside him, Avery kept quiet.

The seat felt cool, smooth. As he squeezed his hands around the steering wheel, the familiar feel overwhelmed him. His chest tightened. One hand dropped to the stick shift in the center console. He’d learned to drive on a stick and all his personal cars had been manual transmission ever since. His memories reverberated with the hum of the engine beneath his body, the pressure of the pedals beneath his feet and the shift of the stick beneath his palm. The scent of leather filled his senses, along with the sweet scent of woman.

Avery.

Blinking his eyes, Luke cleared his vision, then turned to her. She blinked back, sitting still with her hands folded in her lap. “Sorry,” he said, then realized he didn’t need to apologize. Understanding shone from her blue eyes, accompanied by a sweet little smile.

“Let’s go,” she said.

He pushed the ignition button. A smooth purr filled the small cabin and Luke’s entire body went
ahhh
…

Then he revved the engine and shifted into gear. Control was the only option. Luke kept himself to a snail’s pace as they started down the drive. The ache to pick up speed sat heavy in his gut, but he knew the minute he gave in, his small exertion of will would break and he’d never get it back.

He carefully gauged every turn, every acceleration. They headed out on the highway, opposite the direction of town. The first time he hit sixty should have felt like nothing compared to his racing stints, but instead his heart pounded same as the first time he’d put tires to a track.

He was ultra-aware of his precious cargo. Avery—who’d gone out of her way to do this. Who’d given him this gift.

Acute awareness of how undermined his confidence had been by the accident shook him. The fact that he wouldn’t let himself gun it. Couldn’t. Because something bad might happen. And Avery sat next to him in the car.

Just when the shaking reached his hands, a warm palm covered the upper part of his forearm. He eased off the gas and looked over at Avery.

“Turn right up here,” she said.

Reorienting himself to his surroundings, he realized they were about ten miles out from Blackstone Manor. The road, and the turnoff, should have been familiar to him. His late teens had practically been lived on this road.

He followed her directions down the road to the entrance beyond. “I didn’t realize this place was still here,” he said.

“I got the owner to open it up for you. He’s kept it in good repair, but they only race here once a month now.” She chuckled. “He remembers you very well, and appreciated the memorabilia you sent him a couple of years ago.”

Wow. Avery had arranged for him to spend his first time back behind the wheel since his accident at the only racetrack within fifty miles. Probably more like seventy-five. “Do you trust me to do this?”

“I’m trusting you to know your abilities…and your limits.”

Would he push it too hard? He knew firsthand how addictive speed was, how desperately the fever burned in his blood for it. But as he looked into her direct gaze, her words echoed inside him.

A few minutes later, he halted the car on the lane. To his surprise, Avery unbuckled her seat belt.

“That’s not safe, hon,” he said.

“It’s not a problem if I’m not gonna be in the car.”

He sucked in his breath, simply watching her.

Her soft hand rubbed along his jawline. “I know you’d never tell me, but I have a feeling this is something you need to do by yourself. Right?”

Not by nod nor shake did he give away his answer, but she got out anyway. Waiting until she was safely behind the barricade, he eased the car into gear and took a very slow turn around the track. It had been years since he’d been on an oval track this small. He let himself and the car meld with the road. Then he took a deep breath, down into the bottom of his lungs, and hit the gas.

Forty minutes later, he wanted to cry true tears at having to stop, but knew he shouldn’t press the limit of his healing limbs…or his therapist. But as he drove off the track, he knew this would stand out as one of the most important moments of his life.

Not just his career.

TWELVE

A
s Luke hit the straightaway leading from town to Blackstone Manor, he couldn’t help but sadly remember the black sports coupe Avery had rented for him. It made him miss his race car, and the beaut he normally drove every day. Instead he was driving a pickup from the Blackstone fleet.

His foot pressed harder on the gas, giving him the thrill of speed and the satisfaction of being that much closer to Avery. His woman.

After a long day walking the mill for inspections, he wanted only one type of thrill tonight—one that involved bare skin and delicious friction and hard thrusts.

It sure beat watching the door at the mill to see if Mark was going to walk through. Word must have gotten out that Luke would be there today, because the ladies in the office had said Mark decided to take personal time at the last minute. That guy had better hide. If Luke ever heard him talk to Avery, or any woman, like that again, his job wouldn’t be the only thing Mark would have to worry about losing.

Maybe that straight, pretty-boy nose of his…

Luke gunned it a little harder, speeding down the road to get to the Manor, get his clothes, talk to Jacob about today and then get himself over to Avery’s. Thoughts of Avery’s house distracted him from his impatience. It was weird. He’d never felt at home at Blackstone Manor, or his apartment, or anywhere else. But he loved Avery’s home.

Slightly smaller than the Manor, it only had three stories. She’d closed off the upper floor completely. But the light atmosphere, complemented by lots of blond wood and soothing colors, made his whole body relax. He shouldn’t enjoy being there that much. Shouldn’t daydream about what it would be like to live there every day, to play with Avery in the woods and eat dinner with her in the breakfast nook. To sleep beside her every night listening to the serenade of frogs and crickets outside.

He. Should. Not. Go. There.

So why did he?

Before he could answer that—or avoid answering it—he heard a pop from under the hood. He barely had time to frown before the truck pulled sharply to the left. There wasn’t time to think, only react. When all was said and done, he was facing the opposite direction, hanging at a forty-five-degree angle off the side of the road. A side glance confirmed a deep water drainage ditch dug out between the road and the fields waited below him. Even worse, anything not concrete or asphalt had turned into a muddy mess after three solid days of steady rain. He could feel the incremental slips of the heavy vehicle as the top layer of soil started to give way.

Not the most stable of positions, but luckily Luke had done extensive upper body work. He was able to lift himself through the open window rather than shifting the balance by opening the door. Once he had his feet back on the asphalt, he watched the steady slide of the truck the rest of the way down the hill into about five feet of water with a bit more detachment than before. For a moment, anyway.

But then the memories rushed over him. As if his body equated this incident with the last car accident—the one he didn’t walk away from—his knees went weak. Thankful there was no one to see, he let himself go down. Silence reverberated around him. His mind replayed the sounds of screaming metal, the smell of gasoline and the burning sting of smoke. But above all came the pain, like his lower body was being torn to shreds. Every laceration had been on fire, though emergency personnel had reached him before the car could erupt into actual flames.

Once the shaking stopped and the nausea subsided, Luke pulled his cell phone from the case attached to his belt. A simple call to Jacob. A few deep breaths to get himself back on his feet. He took a mental inventory of all his limbs, not finding any major issues. Some tightening in his lower back. Oh, and upper back. Hell, he was tight all over.

Great. No hiding that from Avery.

A sound in the distance had him looking in the direction of the Manor. He could see Jacob’s Tahoe as it came around the bend and sped toward him. Another dark vehicle followed behind.

Only the sound of engines came in stereo. Looking in the other direction, Luke could see flashing lights and cursed. He should have kept his suspicions that this hadn’t been an accident to himself. Jacob had taken the initiative and called the authorities. So now Luke would spend the night answering questions and filling out paperwork. Lovely.

Jacob pulled over to the side of the road and parked. He stopped about five feet away, arms crossed over his chest as he studied the truck. “Well, good thing you know what you’re doin’.”

“I agree.”

A glance down the highway at the oncoming vehicles had Jacob stepping forward quickly. A single strong hug had Luke’s back muscles wincing, but he wasn’t gonna complain. He could feel Jacob’s relief that he was okay without his twin even having to say it.

A low whistle from behind his brother separated them. Luke glanced over Jacob’s shoulder to Zachary Gatlin, who must have been in the black SUV.

“Man, that takes some mad skills. How’d you manage not to roll it?” Zach asked.

Luke rubbed at the back of his neck. “Honestly, I’m not sure. All I remember is the noise, then it’s a blur.”

Zach nodded. “Instincts took over. Great job.”

It didn’t feel like a great job. It felt like a flashback from a hell he’d hoped never to endure again. He simply nodded and left it at that.

Luke had never been happier that Aiden had hired Zach. The new head of their personal security handled most of the police issues, except for the questioning. He had the truck towed and kept everyone on task. Luke only protested when an ambulance showed up and Jacob insisted Luke let them look him over.

“The only thing wrong with me is some tight muscles.”

“You never know,” Jacob said.

“I don’t need it.”

He should have known by the look on his brother’s face that resistance was futile. Twenty minutes later, Avery’s little SUV joined the immobile caravan parked along one lane of the highway. The rest of the scant traffic headed out this way had been diverted into the other lane. “Oh, man—you didn’t.”

Jacob just smirked. “You should have listened to me the first time.”

Damn married men.

Avery’s steps were snappy, but she didn’t rush. He could almost see her taking everything in despite the fading light. Especially him. Those astute therapist eyes traveled over every inch of his body. It wasn’t the kind of inspection he’d been hoping for, but then again, this evening wasn’t turning out the way he’d envisioned at all.

“Are you all right?” she asked, rushing right up to him. For once, she didn’t look around at their audience before touching him. Her arms widened as if to hug him, but she settled for grasping his biceps instead. “Do you hurt anywhere?”

Instead of answering, he reached around her, pulling her close. Her warmth seeped into his body, into his bones. He pressed his lips against the smooth softness of her hair. “I’m great, now that you’re here.”

Her body relaxed into his, but she didn’t completely give in. “But you couldn’t call me yourself?”

Thanks, Jacob.
“Once we were done here, I was going to get another truck and head over to your house.”

“Would you have told me?”

No.
“I didn’t want you to worry.”

“Well, I did. We need to get you back to the house, to check everything out and make sure there was no damage.”

“That’s what I told him,” Jacob said as he approached.

Luke shot daggers at his brother with his gaze. “I’m fine. The paramedics said so.”

She pulled back, leaving his tired body without warmth or support. “They don’t know what they should specifically be looking for based on your history,” Avery said. “I’ll feel better once I’ve checked you out.” She looked over at Jacob, then past him to the police officers wrapping everything up. Everywhere but at Luke. “If you don’t mind.”

Luke looked at Jacob, unsure of what to do. His brother shrugged, no help whatsoever.

Right now, Luke knew just what he wanted. He’d deal with the aftermath of the wreck tomorrow. “Let’s go home.”

Avery stepped back even more, wrapping her arms around her middle.

“Call my cell if you need anything else,” Luke said to Jacob. Then he walked toward Avery’s car, using an arm around her shoulders to turn her to go with him.

* * *

Avery could sense Luke’s disappointment when he came out of the bathroom and found her still in her scrubs. Men. She was rapidly learning that the old adage was true. They did constantly think about one thing.

“I thought we were going to bed early,” he said hopefully.

She shook her head, secretly amused but keeping her therapist facade firmly in place. “Not yet. But if you cooperate, you might get a reward.” She pointed for him to lie on the bed.

Part of her felt shocked. A month ago, she could never have imagined herself teasing about sex. But with Luke, it came naturally. And he teased her back, which made her giggle, but deep inside she stored sadness away. Because one day he would leave, and this magical time would be over.

“I want to check you out—” she started.

“Go right ahead, baby—”

“—for any damage.”

His sigh echoed around her spacious bedroom. “I told you, I’m fine. Just a little tight, that’s all.”

This time her hands went to her hips and her attitude showed up full force. “You want some help with that, right?”

He glanced over his shoulder, his face aglow. “As in, a massage?”

Hook ’em quick.
“Yes, as in a massage.” She held up a warning hand. “But if you’re going to be difficult…”

He settled onto the bed on his belly without another word. She needed to remember what good currency massages were. Stepping to the side of the bed, she started with his feet and worked her way up. Her palms found every knot in his normally smooth muscles, working them out. She savored his groans as much as the feel of his skin.

Only when he’d melted into a metaphorical puddle of goo did she deliver the bad news. “Well, this has set you back a bit, I’m afraid.”

He lifted up on his elbows to look at her over his shoulder. “What?”

Her hands found the small areas where she could feel the changes from the last time she’d touched him. “It’s minor. Some muscle damage here in your lower legs from braking so hard. Which created a chain reaction up your leg.”

Her stomach quivered as she thought about him in that truck, struggling for control. Thank God he had extensive skills, or the wreck would have been devastating, what with those banks on either side of the road.

“About a week’s worth of extra therapy should fix it, I think.” She tried to lighten her tone. “Are you sure this wasn’t a ploy to keep seeing me? A few extra massages, maybe?”

Luke rolled over onto his back, lifting himself into a sitting position against the headboard in one fluid movement. He leaned into the pillows, fully unaware that he’d laid out a smorgasbord of sexiness that she was more than ready to dive into.

“I’m not sure,” he said, giving her a look that said he knew exactly where this was leading. “Is that all you have to offer me for sticking around? A few massages?”

How about my heart?
But she wouldn’t say that, so she countered with “Are you saying my massages aren’t good enough? Maybe I’ll save them for another deserving patient.”

Luke reared up, grabbing her by her upper arms and dragging her down onto the bed with him. Or rather,
on
him. He was the best kind of lumpy mattress—the living, breathing kind.

“Oh no, woman. Those massages are mine.” He planted a hard kiss against her lips. “All mine.”

“Sounds perfect.” She froze for a minute, wondering if she’d gone too far, but he didn’t react to her words.

Instead he focused on her body, their bodies. Lifting her up with those glorious biceps, he helped her straddle him. Her knees naturally fell open on each side of his hips, her thin scrubs leaving nothing to the imagination. Luke’s boxer briefs molded to his erection like a second skin. The position brought them into perfect alignment, and Avery’s core went soft.

She pressed down, lightly grinding against him, savoring the differences between them. Luke groaned as he dug his hands into her hair. He pulled her down, teasing her mouth open. Not that she needed much coaxing. The feel of his tongue inside her mouth, like she wanted him inside her body, liquefied her. She met him stroke for stroke.

Luke’s hands fisted at her sides, clenching the material from her top, which pressed her bra into her nipples. She gasped, the sensations building.

Then the world disappeared for a moment as he swept the top up over her head. Moving fast, he unclasped her bra. As cool air rushed over her, she moaned, but heat quickly followed. Luke’s large hands shaped her, molded her, engendering a lovely boneless sensation that left her melting. His mouth at her breast swept away the last of her thoughts, until she could only feel.

Her thighs tensed, rubbing her most sensitive spot against him. Building the tension just where she needed it. As if he’d read her mind, Luke’s hands went to her waistband and jerked with just the right amount of force. The material parted and her body went wild.

Soon she was completely naked, and riding Luke Blackstone. She didn’t even have the sense to be embarrassed.

For once, Avery felt a surge of power rise. This was her show. Her time. She dipped her hips, just an inch, teasing him. He gasped, then groaned when she pulled back up. Over and over she moved, until they both broke out in a sweat.

Only when she thought she’d die without him did she sink down—one long slide until her thighs met his, and she felt stretched almost to her limit. But now Luke wanted the upper hand. His palms cupped her hips, those long fingers pressing against her flesh. His touch guided her, pleasuring them both with a hard rhythm that shook her breath in her chest. She gave herself over to his demands.

Not just her body, but her soul. No barriers. No hesitation. Her hands on his shoulders sought safety, even though there was none to be had. There never would be.

Just as she cried out, Luke stiffened. Her body tightened around his, and she dug her fingers into his skin as she exploded—oblivion quick and almost painful.