As she stared at the calm surface of the lake and the cabin in the distance, images of moments she’d never forget flashed before her.
Her hands held behind her back, not because he’d bound them together, but because he’d told her to keep them there . . . the feel of Liam taking her as if he couldn’t wait, as if he needed to make her his. . .
She didn’t want soft and sweet from Liam. Not then and not now. “Trying to make amends for the past?” she asked.
“I want to give you new memories.” He nipped her ear.
Oh God, she was going to melt into a puddle of take-me-now desire if he did that again. “And if I like the old ones?”
“We’ll get there too,” he said.
“Umm, sorry to interrupt,” the waiter said.
Katie jolted upright on Liam’s lap, feeling her face heat. If she had a mirror, she knew she would see bright red cheeks staring back at her. Her bottom still pressed against Liam’s lap, she glanced at the young man, probably close to her age, holding a second set of menus.
“Can I interest you in dessert?” the waiter added.
Liam squeezed her hand. “What do you say? Still hungry?”
“They don’t have what I want on the menu.” Slowly, she rose from Liam’s lap and walked past the wide-eyed waiter to her side of the table.
“Just a check,” Liam said. “We need to hit the road.”
Katie sank into her chair. The motorcycle. An hour with her body pressed up against his, the large machine vibrating beneath her. How was she going to survive the ride home? She stared at the man across the table. She wasn’t. Not without a kiss, a touch—maybe even an orgasm right here in the Ale House parking lot.
LIAM TOOK HER hand, leading her through the maze of parked cars and pickups to his bike. He needed to get her back to Independence Falls and safely seated in her wagon, heading home to her brothers. His jaw set, his teeth grinding together, he held on to that plan. He was determined to do this right, damn it. When they got down and dirty, there would be nothing holding them back. She would know that she was his.
Now wasn’t the time and place. She’d asked if he was trying to make amends for the past, and in a way, he was. He’d been too stupid and afraid to fall for her back then. He wouldn’t repeat that mistake.
Moving too quickly, taking the fleeting pleasure she offered over a supposed business dinner, would only lead to a dead end. He’d traveled that road, and the sign where the pavement ended? It read “FAILURE” in big red letters. And that wasn’t an option for him.
He stopped beside his bike, quickly handed her the spare helmet, and threw one leg over his ride. Hell, his jeans were too tight. And having her holding on to him for the next hour would be hell. When he got home, he was headed straight for a cold shower. Alone.
Liam sat upright, hoping she wouldn’t notice that he’d left the restaurant still at half-mast. Before he could stop her, Katie put her foot over his, sliding her leg across his lap. That bold move had him reaching for her. It didn’t matter that they were in a parking lot, the sun still peeking over the coastal ranger. Katie Summers stirred something inside him. Knowing he should end their evening with a simple kiss didn’t change his desire to take more. Perched on the front of his bike, the handlebars at her back, she pressed up against him.
“Now how am I supposed to drive like this?” he murmured, his hands gliding up her slim waist, teasing the breasts he was dying to touch and taste.
She inched closer. Her fingers brushed the nape of his neck, working their way up to his hair. “You’re not.”
“Katie.” He heard the hint of desperation in his voice.
She touched her mouth to his skin, running her lips, her teeth, her tongue, over his jawline. Liam closed his eyes. Now would be a damn good time to stop, but he couldn’t do it. She drew her body flush against him, rising up until her breath brushed against his ear.
“My turn,” she said, her voice low and heavy with need. “If I took you to that cabin, I’d give you a night you would never forget. I would tease you until you begged. This time, I want you screaming my name, begging me for more. After all that, if you’re ready for round two in the bed, you’d better be ready and willing to bind me to the bedposts.”
His pulse raced at the image of Katie tied to his bed. He wanted that and so much more.
“I remember what turns you on. What makes you lose control,” she added, running her hand down his chest, pressing her palm against his erection. “And I liked it.”
He grabbed her wrist and drew her teasing fingers away from his crotch before he came on his damn bike. “Katie,” he growled. “We’re in a parking lot.”
“I know. And I’ll play by your rules.” She shifted back willingly, allowing him to see the wicked gleam in her green eyes. “I’ll wait until you’re ready to give me everything. No holding back.”
Liam closed his eyes. He felt her slide off the bike and move to the rear seat. He’d never held back. Not with her. But letting her in, showing her what he wanted, that was his biggest regret.
“I need to take you back to your car. Now,” he said, his voice low and rough. Opening his eyes, he glanced over his shoulder. “Put your helmet on.”
She smiled. “I always liked it when you made demands.”