Twofold Desires Page 3

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  Chapter Three

  Jill couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so free. The Pacific shone dark and beautiful on her left, and she had her arms around a man who had quickly become irresistible. She had no idea what the rest of the night would bring, and she didn’t want to know. She just wanted to let go and live.

  As he slowed down to make a turn, Jill gathered her courage and gave word to her desires. “Arden, go faster.”

  “What?” he called over his shoulder.

  “I said, faster, Arden.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes! I want to fly with you.”

  “Your wish is my command. Now hold on tight.” He twisted the throttle and let the chopper fly.

  Mile after mile whipped past them, exchanging the lights of Talisman Bay for endless coastline. Everything was perfect. The sky was clear, the brilliant stars adding to the magic of the night. This was nothing at all like riding with her brother.

  Jill’s heart kept pace with the whirring of the engine. She’d never felt this alive—or turned on. The faster he went, the more she wanted him. Was she becoming an adrenaline junkie, or just an Arden junkie? Her entire body vibrated, and she couldn’t blame it solely on the ride. It was mostly the rider who made her skin tingle, her body burn, and her insides clench with unfulfilled yearning. The constant vibration between her legs only accelerated the sexual desire that had begun the moment she’d fallen into

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  Arden’s arms at Silver Twilight .

  When they passed a small hotel, she bit her lip to keep from begging him to stop. How would that look? Don’t stop at the café for dinner, but please stop at this hotel for dessert? Because as much as she wanted to have sex with Arden, she didn’t want him to think she was a one-night stand kind of woman.

  Keeping one arm tight around his waist, she let the other hand wander, stroking up to his chest. The muscles beneath her exploring palm tightened and she shivered at the sign of barely restrained power. The smell of earth and sunshine surrounded her, in the leather jacket she wore, and coming directly from Arden himself. It was heady and addictive and she couldn’t inhale deep enough to satisfy her craving for all things Arden.

  He slowed down, pulling to the side of the road. Twisting to face her, he said, “Are you afraid of heights?”

  “No. Why?”

  “There’s a really pretty spot off the beaten path that I want to show you.”

  “Hey, I’m just along for the ride,” she teased. “You can take me anywhere.”

  “Don’t tempt me, Jill.” He grinned, his teeth shining white in the darkness. He turned back around, but before pulling onto the road, he ran his hand down her leg from thigh to knee. But this wasn’t a casual touch; this was a promise of things to come. His fingertips claimed and possessed, his hand circling, kneading, burning through her jeans and making her flesh beg for more of his touch.

  Wherever he was taking her, she hoped he got there fast.

  A few minutes later, Arden left the main road, slowly weaving along a dirt path. When it became too narrow to continue, Arden drew the bike to a halt, turning off the engine. She expected the sudden silence to surprise her, but the roar of the engine was replaced by the roar of the ocean

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  somewhere in the distance. Not to mention the roar of blood pulsing anxiously through her veins.

  He took off his helmet, hanging it from one of the handlebars before brushing a hand through his hair. She matched his movements, removing hers as well, but unless her arm grew an extra six inches she wouldn’t be able to hang her helmet. Still she tried, wrapping herself around him like she was playing a game of Twister.

  “Here. Let me,” he said, taking the helmet from her outstretched hand. Before she could thank him he mumbled, “Aw, hell,” and crushed his lips over hers.

  Arden did taste like sunshine. The heat blistered her lips, soaking into her body. But it wasn’t enough. Wrapping her arms around him, she slammed their bodies together, opening her mouth, begging for more.

  The helmet thumped to the dirt as Arden brought his hand to her cheek, his tongue sweeping recklessly into her mouth. The kiss became a battle as they both fought for more of each other. Tongues tangling, teeth nipping, groans ripping from their very souls. An arm swept beneath her, and in one swift movement, she was lifted off the bike, spun around and lowered, her legs straddling Arden. She didn’t know how he kept his balance and the bike from falling. It was all she could do to breathe.

  She shrugged off his jacket, no longer needing it to stay warm. Both of his hands trailed underneath her sweater, massaging the middle of her back. She wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing her crotch flush against his erection. He groaned and his hands lowered, cupping her ass, grinding their sexes together. The hot friction made her gasp and squirm, desperately seeking relief. At what point would the denim separating them burst into flame?

  Arden stood up, taking her with him. Much to her dismay, the kiss had to end or they’d fall over in a heap of hot flesh and metal. Untangling their legs from the bike and each other, Arden lowered Jill to the ground, then leaned the bike over onto its kickstand. He paused, catching his breath.

  “Although you probably won’t believe this, I didn’t bring you here just to

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  ravish you.”

  Trying to hide how her knees were still shaking from their encounter, she bent over and picked the leather jacket off the ground, brushing off some leaves and dirt before hanging it on the bike. “Really? Well that’s disappointing. You’re pretty good at ravishing.”

  He chuckled. “Well, we’ll get back to that in a minute. First, there’s something I want to show you.” Taking her hand, they began walking between trees and bushes, the air growing misty with sea breeze.

  They broke through the trees and Jill froze in wonder. The earth fell away less than a dozen feet from where she stood. Beyond that, the great Pacific Ocean filled her vision in all its vast glory. It blurred outward and upward, melding with the star-filled sky. Jill crept closer to the edge of the embankment, Arden’s arm wrapped protectively around her waist. There, secluded from the road by trees and high above the crashing waves, the cliff top afforded a view for miles.

  “It’s magnificent,” she murmured, almost afraid to speak and break the magic of the night.

  “I stumbled across this place a few years ago, right after moving to Talisman Bay. It’s become my favorite secret escape spot. Come here.” He tugged on her hand, taking her closer to the edge, pointing off in the distance. “See those lights over there? That’s the Talisman Bay pier. You should see it at Christmas time.”

  “I bet it’s beautiful.”

  “From here, all the twinkle lights look like fireworks with the spray distorting them. We’ll have to come back here in a couple months so I can show you.”

  “I’d like that.” She smiled up at him, her breath catching when she met his eyes. No one had ever looked at her like that before. Desire…need…yet it was more than that, something deeper. Like she alone could make his world right—or like she was the only person in his world. But that was

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  crazy. Not yet. Not after only a couple hours together.

  “T-thank you,” she whispered. “For tonight. For everything. It’s been amazing.”

  “It’s not over yet.” Both his hands cradled her neck, his thumbs framing her face, running up and down, caressing her cheeks.

  “Thank God,” she whispered as he leaned in and kissed her. He brushed his lips over hers, back and forth, softly, taking his time. His mouth teased along her jaw, his teeth lightly scraping down her neck. Then he moved back to her mouth and started all over again.

  This was more than a seduction. It was a slow, sweet worshipping, making her feel cherished and adored. Yet beneath his tenderness, there was a sense of urgency in the way he kissed her, the way he held her. Like the moment would shatter if he pressed her too close. It was
such a contradiction from their frantic entanglement on the motorcycle. Why was he holding back now?

  When his lips returned to hers, she opened her mouth, rejoicing when he accepted her invitation and swept his tongue inside.

  Arden had mastered the art of kissing. He kissed with his whole body, his mouth like a live wire that filled her from head to toe with electric energy. Unlike the duel of earlier, this time his tongue slowly thrust and retreated, mimicking two bodies in the throes of lovemaking. Her fingers dug into his shoulders and she arched into him. She wanted to melt and explode, to find a way to relieve the pressure building inside.

  He growled, sliding his hands down, caressing her. Not breaking the kiss, he lifted her into his arms, taking her down to a small patch of grass beneath a lone tree. His hair brushed against her neck and she wanted to purr, wanted to feel those wayward strands tease down her body. The thought alone had her letting out a strangled moan. She couldn’t remember ever being this hot before, to the point she was ready to rip a man’s clothes off and take advantage of him.

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  He pulled away, his breath ragged, arms trembling as he held himself just above her body. “Jill…damn, you’re killing me.”

  “Sorry,” she whispered, lifting up and kissing his jaw.

  “No,” he rasped. “I mean, you deserve better than this.”

  “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be.”

  His eyes darkened and he kissed her again, fully lowering his body over hers. She loved the feeling of his weight pressing into her, his heat burning through their clothes. His erection throbbed against her thigh and she shifted her leg, rubbing his cock through the denim.

  A low growl of pained desire came from deep inside Arden. He broke from the kiss, his eyes pinpoints of flame in the darkness. Desire. Fear. Regret. Hope. Her heart ached at the mix of emotions visible there. He didn’t outwardly portray vulnerability, but she knew it was there, just beneath the surface. Unsure of what to say, she tried to show that she felt a connection to him, too. She stroked his jaw, his face, tracing along his temples. With a harsh groan he buried his face into her neck and began to love her further.

  While his mouth traced along the neckline of her sweater, his hands skimmed down her sides, coming to rest on the slopes of her breasts. He cradled and caressed, his fingertips lightly brushing over her erect nipples. She cried out as a shaft of desire shot from her nipples to deep inside her body. Liquid heat filled her, making her feel like she was being boiled alive.

  There was still too much clothing separating them. Jill sat up and pulled the sweater over her head. Arden nodded his approval then lowered his head to her breast. Through the thin fabric of her leotard, his warm mouth suckled, his teeth tugging on the nub of flesh. His other hand slid down her abdomen, stopping when his fingers hit the zipper of her jeans. She whimpered, pushing up against his hands and mouth and body. “Arden…”

  she moaned, tossing her head back and forth.

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  There was a rustle in the bushes to her right. Visions of rapists, murderers, and other creepy things from the late night news filled her mind. Could it be the wind? No, the wind had died down. And Arden hadn’t noticed anything—was she imagining it? She blinked, trying to focus in the dark.

  Glowing lion eyes blinked back at her. Before she could draw breath to scream, a lion jumped back into the brush.

  “Oh my God!” Jill scrambled out from underneath Arden, yanking on his arm, trying to pull him with her.

  “Jill? What’s wrong?”

  She pointed a shaking hand in the direction the lion had disappeared. But had it even existed in the first place? It had been so quick…

  He lifted her to standing, his arms surrounding her protectively. Arden’s concerned face filled her vision. “Jill? What did you see? What’s wrong? Was someone there?”

  Trying to come to grips with what she’d just seen—or thought she’d seen—Jill looked back into the bushes. Nothing was there. “A lion…I swear I just saw a lion. It was watching us…” She shook her head. “I must be seeing things…”

  “We should go just in case,” he said.

  “Yeah.” Jill swallowed hard, her eyes still trained on the last location of the lion her mind had most probably fabricated. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay, Jill.” Grabbing her discarded sweater, Arden tore her away from the cliff and all the fiery passion they’d shared there. She threw one last glance behind her. No lion. Just the undisturbed beauty of coastline.

  Arriving back at Silver Twilight , Arden parked next to her car. “You going to be okay?” he asked as they dismounted.

  “Yes. I’m okay now. More ticked off at myself than anything. A lion? I

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  mean, what was I thinking?” She sighed. “I’m sorry it ended that way—”

  “Shhh…” He pressed a finger to her lips. “Can I see you tomorrow night? To avoid lions, we’ll take it inside this time. My house? Dinner?”

  “You cook?”

  “And clean.” He winked.

  “Then I’ll definitely be there.” She smiled, relieved that he wasn’t taking tonight as a blow off. “I get off work at five. I’m all yours after that.”

  He pulled his wallet from his back pocket, then handed her a business card. She traced her finger over the embossed lettering. “Griffin Designs—

  Arden Griffin—Owner” and a phone number beneath it.

  “Call me in the morning and I’ll give you directions to my place.” As though sealing the deal, he placed a hand on her cheek and kissed her so sweetly, her knees weakened. His other hand trailed down, resting on her hip. “I’ll see you then.”

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  Chapter Four

  Jill’s stomach fluttered excitedly as she drove toward Arden’s place. Today had felt insufferably long and even though she’d been remarkably busy, the day had dragged by. Especially after she’d spoken with Arden. All she’d wanted to do was close her shop and spend the day remembering the way he had kissed her. The way he used his whole body when he kissed, the strength, heat and power of him melding with her. Every part of her had felt that touch, even though he hadn’t touched the parts of her that burned the hottest.

  Jill blushed at the memory. She wasn’t the type to have sex on the first date, but she’d been more than willing last night. Right there on the cliff overlooking the deep dark ocean. If she hadn’t been spooked by the lion, or what she’d thought was a lion, she would’ve happily gone for it.

  “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my,” she sang in a high-pitched voice. The stupid thing was that she still couldn’t completely convince herself that she hadn’t seen a lion. Although she knew it was near impossible that a wildcat would be prowling around the outskirts of Talisman Bay, in that brief moment it had seemed absolutely real.

  She turned onto Arden’s street and parked in front of his house. No lion was going to screw things up tonight. Grinning, she grabbed the bottle of wine she’d brought as her portion of tonight’s dinner and practically skipped up to the house, following the flagstone walkway that led to the front door.

  Before knocking she took half a second to assess herself, smoothing the wrinkles out of her pale pink sundress. Did she look too Little House on the Prairie ? Darn it, she might as well have put on a bonnet and gone barefoot. She should have gone for a more casual, please-have-sex-withme outfit. Although she was wearing tiny lace panties and a white lacy bra—not exactly über-vixen but it was the closest she got. But like he was

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  going to see them underneath her Amish attire! Maybe if she loosened the laces over her breasts, exposed a little skin…

  “Arden was right. He lucked out when you bumped into him last night.”

  Jill jumped and whipped around to face the man behind the voice, her heart practically beating out of her chest. But the surprise was far from over. “You? But…”

  That same knowing smile she remembered from last night covered his face.
In fact, he looked much the same, his long blond hair cascading down his back, amber eyes alight with mischief, his arms full of groceries.

  Wait a second. Groceries? Just what was he doing here?

  He looked pointedly at her arm, his smile widening. “You can lower the wine bottle. I’m just bringing home some stuff to make a salad. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  Jill looked over at her arm, realizing that she was hefting the bottle like a weapon. Smirking, she lowered the bottle. “Well, that’s what you get for sneaking up on me.”

  He laughed, a rich golden sound that made her insides feel like putty. He shifted the bag of groceries into one arm, held out his hand and winked.

  “Sorry. We weren’t properly introduced last night. I’m Leo.”

  The man’s—Leo’s—charm was just as apparent and appealing as it had been last night at Silver Twilight . It was like he immediately drew you inside of him, making you feel like you belonged, even when you were caught off guard by his overwhelming presence.

  She mentally kicked herself in the rump, then, promising herself she’d ask about Arden in a second, she took Leo’s offered hand. “I’m Jill.” Her gaze wandered from his eyes to his dark green T-shirt, leather jacket and finally to his faded blue jeans. For those few moments, Jill couldn’t remember why she was there or who she was there to see. She shook it off, returning her gaze to Leo’s face. Perhaps the blond god was more dangerous than