Twofold Desires Page 2

  Keeping an arm around her, he guided them through the crowd to a small table set up almost as an afterthought in the far corner next to the bar. He gestured for a server, while settling her into a chair.

  She finally got a chance to study the man whose body was most definitely worth falling down stairs for. Heavy black boots, black jeans and a gray shirt with a weathered black leather jacket completing the look. Guessing by the way he wore everything so comfortably, it was more normal attire than a costume.

  He took a seat across from her, then, resting his forearms on the table, leaned forward, closing the distance between them. “So, just how many wishes are you willing to grant me?”

  She matched him, leaning forward and speaking conspiratorially.

  “Depends on what they are.”

  “My first wish is to know your name.”

  Sticking with the comfort of her fairy persona she said, “Tonight I’m a fairy, escaped from my world for a few hours of mischief and mayhem. But when my wings disappear tomorrow, I’ll be plain ol’ Jill Evans again.”

  “Certainly not plain, Jill.” He shook his head, his gaze sweeping over her before returning to her face. “And tonight I am a great warrior from a strange world, seeking freedom I have long been denied. Tomorrow I’ll

  13

  simply be Arden Griffin, graphic designer extraordinaire. Are you in need of a battle won? A website built? Or maybe my warrior can rescue your fairy and we can escape our worlds together?”

  “And then what?” Even though she knew this was only a game, she found herself caught up in the fairy tale he was spinning.

  “And then we live happily ever after, or so they say…” The tips of his fingers lightly brushed over hers, and her heart rate accelerated, feeling like it would beat its way right out of her chest. Then he winked and gave her a lighthearted grin. “But who really believes that stuff anyway?”

  The moment was interrupted by the appearance of a server. Jill smiled up at the woman and placed her order, then waited for Arden to do the same. She took that moment to catch her breath and regain control of her senses. This man was overwhelming in every meaning of the word. Tall, broadshouldered, dark and intense, yet with a sense of humor and a way with the fantastical that seemed to contradict his outward appearance. So how much was real and how much was a part of the fantasy character he was portraying for the night?

  When the server left, Arden’s gaze returned to Jill. “So, my fairy queen, Jill. What do you do when you’re not granting wishes?”

  “I own Jill’s Bloomers ,” she replied. “It’s a flower shop.”

  His eyes lit up. “On the corner of Hayden and Third,” he said as though continuing her sentence. “Your window displays always grab my attention. I think it’s your use of colors and shapes in composition. They beckon to the designer in me. But then I always think to myself, ‘I don’t need any flowers’ and I keep on going. Boy, am I an idiot, huh? Look at what I’ve been missing all this time.” His gaze washed over her face, centering on her eyes.

  “You’ve been missing out on the best flower arrangements in town,” she teased, unable to think of anything else to say. It wasn’t like she heard this kind of stuff everyday. At least not about herself. Her shop, yes. But the way he was looking at her led her to believe that flowers were the last

  14

  thing on his mind.

  “Well, I’ll have to change that in the future.” Arden was about to say something more when their drinks arrived, brought by an incredibly wellbuilt and handsome bald man. The two men exchanged handshakes and grins. “Diesel, I’m surprised you’re getting your hands dirty.”

  “Hey, now. I don’t just run the place,” Diesel said, making his point by grabbing a towel from his back pocket and wiping off the table.

  “No, you’re a workaholic just like me.” Arden shook his head, a selfdeprecating smirk on his face.

  “Add me to that list.” Jill laughed. “It sounds like we all need to get out more.”

  “Silver Twilight’s my mistress and she’s not very forgiving if I take a night off.” Diesel glanced around the club, the pride evident in his demeanor. “And I haven’t found anyone willing to play second fiddle.” He held his hand out to Jill. “I’m Diesel.”

  Arden shifted forward. “Shit, I’m sorry. Jill, this is Diesel, he owns this place. And Diesel, this is Jill, she owns Jill’s Bloomers .”

  Her hand was swallowed up in Diesel’s. “It’s great to meet you,” she said.

  “The pleasure’s all mine.” Diesel let go of Jill’s hand and when she lowered it back to the table, Arden moved his hand close to hers.

  “So, Diesel, what brings you over here?” Arden asked.

  “Actually, I just wanted to thank you again for the website. This whole party never would’ve happened without your redesign and addition of all the online contact stuff that you claim to have thrown in for free.”

  “All in a day’s work, man. I’m glad it’s working for you, though. This gig’s a hit.” Arden smiled and purposefully returned his gaze to Jill.

  15

  “And that’s my cue to leave,” Diesel grinned. “You both have fun. Drinks are on the house.” He headed back to the bar and the crowd waiting there.

  Arden watched Diesel walk away and breathed a sigh of relief. He genuinely liked the man, but he didn’t want to share Jill with Diesel for even a minute.

  The clock was ticking and he wanted to make every moment count, wanted to take his time with her, court her, prove himself to her, because after eighteen years of looking, he knew she was the one. But taking his time wouldn’t be possible. There were only three nights left.

  Shit. Why couldn’t he have met her before? What he needed from her was too much to expect anyone to give in such a short period of time. Maybe he should just walk away now, give up, let her go to find another man—

  hell, maybe even Diesel—who could give her a future without sacrifice.

  But that thought left emptiness in his gut, and made anger burn across his flesh. Maybe this was his true curse. After so many years of looking, to finally find the one who could make his world right again, only to lose her forever because time had run out.

  Jill took a drink from her beer, then cocked her head to the side and gave him a concerned smile. “You okay? You got quiet. Don’t tell me I’m boring you already.”

  “No, actually quite the opposite.”

  “Uh-oh. Is that good or bad?”

  “It’s good. Very good.” He was about to reach for her hand, ask her to dance, something to get his mind off the big picture and focused on just Jill Evans, but she beat him to the punch.

  Jill downed the rest of her beer and pushed her chair back. “Do you dance? Or…or…do you want to?” She gave him a glowing smile, but he noticed the nervousness in her eyes.

  16

  “You read my mind.” This time he did take her hand as he swept her onto the dance floor. The first slow song of the night was playing, encouraging interested couples to get a little closer. A man crooned a ballad of love lost as Arden pulled Jill into his embrace. She settled against him as though they’d danced this way a thousand times before, one hand curled over his shoulder, the other still clasped in his.

  His free hand rested on the small of her back, holding her as tight to him as he dared. She relaxed against him, her face turned into his neck rather than away, her breath a sweet sigh whispering across his skin. A sign of trust he was so afraid to shatter. Her soft hair brushed against his cheek, and he inhaled, breathing in the scent of wild strawberries.

  You look enraptured, Leo said. Is she what we expected?

  Even more so, Arden replied. She’s the one.

  Right. Sure. We’ve been down this road before, and it always ends with the woman running away from the “crazy freaks of nature”.

  Don’t give me shit. I just know, okay? Arden spotted Leo exiting Silver Twilight , a tall blonde on his arm. And the blonde?

  Anot
her option. If the fairy queen isn’t what you claim—

  She is.

  I hope you’re right.

  There was no need to respond. They both knew what would happen if she wasn’t.

  Too soon, the last strains of the ballad morphed into a raw techno beat. Couples around them broke apart, adjusting their movements to match the music. The primal pounding of the bass urged him to throw her over his shoulder, to take her away from the masses. All the muscles throughout his body flexed and tightened as he fought against his animal instincts. The mild annoyance he’d felt toward Diesel’s earlier intrusion had heightened

  17

  a hundredfold. If he didn’t get her alone soon, he knew his control would snap. Although being alone with her would be another trial in and of itself.

  Jill lifted her head and graced him with a beautiful smile. “The song’s over,” she said wistfully.

  “And I’m not ready to let you go,” he admitted.

  A group pushed past them and someone chortled, “Geez, you guys. Get a room.”

  A blush swiftly covered Jill’s face and traveled down her neck beneath her costume. She tried to pull away from him, but instead he kept an arm around her and drew her off the dance floor toward the exit.

  “Let’s get out of here.” It came out as a growl and he cursed the need that had him near crazy, then added in a calmer voice, “Please.”

  She stopped in her tracks and tipped her head up, meeting his gaze. Her cheeks still glowed pink. “Where?”

  Although she seemed willing, he could hear the uncertainty in her voice. Shit. He was scaring her already. “Anywhere,” he said softly, hoping to reassure her. “I just… Let’s just get away from the crowds and the noise so we can talk. There’s an all-night diner I go to sometimes. Can I take you there? Buy you dinner? Coffee? Or where do you want to go? It’s up to you.”

  Jill was quiet for a few moments, long enough for him to convince himself that the asshole with the “get a room” comment had ruined things between them and that she was trying to come up with a good excuse to get as far away from him as possible. Then her lips tilted up in a flirty smile. “You’re right. It’s time for us to make our escape.” She started walking again. “So my warrior, where should we fly away to?”

  Her acceptance brought immediate relief. Together they walked out of the club toward the parking lot. “You like to fly?” he asked with a grin as he motioned to his custom motorcycle, parked in front. Now free of Silver

  18

  Twilight’s sensory overload, he felt more at ease. The night air was crisp, but not too cool. Perfect night for a ride, but he wasn’t sure he should suggest it. Jill looked a little too sweet and innocent. Like asking her if she wanted to go for a ride would give her the wrong idea.

  “Wow. This is yours?” Her eyes wide with appreciation, she began circling his bike. Then giving him a pleading look, she asked, “Can I touch it?”

  Oh God, she was going to kill him. Those words coming out of that angelic mouth. And the desire in her eyes. Okay, maybe the desire wasn’t yet for him, but it was a start. He nodded his approval and she knelt down next to his bike, caressing the green flames on the tank.

  “Yeah. My little toy.” He knelt next to her. “You’ve got wings to fly, but have you ever been on one of these?”

  “Not one like this. One of my brothers was a bike mechanic back home. He used to take me riding, but I’ve never thrown a leg over a custom like this. Wow!”

  Her hands continued to slide all over his Steed Quarterhorse SE. It was obvious that she knew what she was looking at and he didn’t even care that she was getting fingerprints all over the paint. When he’d first gotten the bike, he’d caressed it, too. This motorcycle was no average showroom model. He’d had it custom-made. In fact, there wasn’t much on it that hadn’t been turned or smoothed by hand. She smiled over at him. “Let me guess. With a bike like this, you don’t even own a car, do you?”

  “Nope.” He shifted his stance, his erection growing larger as he watched every stroke of her graceful hands on the motorcycle.

  “Does this thing really have the hidden LED gauges? My brother only told me about them. I’ve never seen them. Sheesh! It’s been ages since I’ve even been near a motorcycle. And never a machine like this.”

  “Y-you know about hidden gauges?” Arden put the key in the ignition and turned it, allowing all the gauges in the rearview mirrors and on the tank to

  19

  light up.

  “You have to take me for a ride,” she blurted out.

  “Well, shit, you’re good…granting my wish before I could even speak it. But you’re going to freeze in that sweet costume of yours.”

  “Oh yeah. Ummm…” She glanced around the parking lot, her eyes twinkling mischievously. She backed away from him, lifting her hands up reassuringly. “Don’t go anywhere, okay? I’ll be right back. I’m going to grab some jeans from my car.”

  Within the time it took him to fantasize about helping her out of her skirt, reminding himself that he shouldn’t be thinking that way, and pulling a spare helmet from his saddlebag, she was already back. And he’d never seen a woman look so good. She’d thrown an oversized purple sweater over her white leotard top, and a pair of jeans replaced the skirt, hugging her thighs and tapering down… Dammit, she’d caught him looking. Her grin widened and she wiggled excitedly, her hips doing a quick side to side. He couldn’t help it, he laughed. She was something else. Something special. And now he wanted her even more.

  He forced his attention down to the helmets in his hand, hoping he’d regain control of himself. When he returned his gaze to her, he realized she was missing one thing. He set the helmets down on the seats, took off his leather jacket and held it out to her. “I wouldn’t want you to get too cold. You know how it can get.”

  Tentatively, she reached out to take his coat. “But what about you? Won’t you get cold?”

  Like that would be possible with her body close to his. “I insist. Besides, this shirt is thicker than it looks.” He plucked the sleeve of his lightweight cotton weave top, hoping she’d believe his lie.

  She slid his jacket on over her sweater. It was so large it could probably wrap around her twice. For some reason that turned him on even more, and he had to force himself to get on the bike and out of there or he would end

  20

  up throwing her against the bike and consuming her like she was consuming him.

  He handed her the emerald green helmet, then put on his dark green one, snapping the clasp into place. “Let me know if you need help adjusting the strap,” he offered but she’d already settled it on her head. “You sure you’re ready for this?”

  “Oh heck yeah! I’m always game for a good ride.” She bit her lower lip, her face pinking in a way he was already becoming addicted to. “I-I mean…yeah…I’ve always wanted to go for a ride on a custom chopper, so let’s go.”

  He grinned and shook his head knowingly. “There’s a good diner just up the street. We can get coffee or something. Sound good?”

  “Sounds great.”

  Arden mounted his bike and she climbed on behind him, her body rocking against his as she situated herself. Her hands settled on his shoulders, then smoothed down to his biceps. Maybe she didn’t know where to put her hands? He had several inappropriate suggestions, but stuck with something more suitable so she wouldn’t think him a pervert. “Sorry, there’s no bar on the back to hold on to, and the tank is—”

  “That’s okay. I prefer to hold on to the rider.” Answering his unspoken request, she wrapped her arms around him, resting her hands flat against his abdomen. With her breasts pressed against his back, her thighs surrounding his, and her hands inches from his cock, it was all he could do to start the bike and get it upright. If he hadn’t spent over half his life riding, he probably wouldn’t have made it out of the parking lot without wiping out.

  Throughout the short ride, the wind whipping past cooled his fevered bo
dy. But all it took was one shift of Jill’s hand, bringing it flush against his cock—a touch he was sure she didn’t even realize she’d done—and his blood was boiling again. His raging erection banged against the tank. He was stuck. Either he could keep banging his cock into the tank, or slide

  21

  backward, nestling deeper into Jill’s body. Which would probably just make his erection grow impossibly larger and he’d still manage to dent the damn tank and bruise his dick.

  He slowed down as the diner came into view, wondering how he’d be able to hide the very prominent bulge in his pants when he got off the bike.

  “Arden?” Her voice came from just behind his right ear as he coasted to a stop on the street in front of the diner. “Don’t stop. Please. I just want to keep going. If that’s okay with you…”

  She had no idea. “I’m always game for a ride, too. Is there somewhere in particular you’d like to go?”

  “No. Anywhere’s fine. On this bike…with you…the diner just wasn’t far enough of a ride.”

  He checked his gas gauge. Still full. Arden wondered what she’d say if he told her he never wanted to stop.