Author: Jaci Burton

“Do you like fucking outside where someone can see you?” he asked, his whisper a warm caress against her cheek.

“Yes.” She rocked forward, her pussy tightening.

“Someone could be watching us right now, Jess. They’d know we’re fucking. Does that make you wet?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah. I can feel your pussy getting wetter.” He drove harder, lifting his hips to give her more of his delicious cock. She was getting closer, her fingers drifting down to cover her clit.

“That’s it. Rub your clit and make yourself come for me.”

He gave her nipple a light pinch, rolled it, and she shattered, feeling like a million pieces of her were scattering all over. She wanted to tilt her head back and scream but didn’t dare. Instead, she shuddered against him, gripping his arm, the chair, while she climaxed repeatedly, panting through this intense orgasm that rolled in waves. Diaz buried his face against her, whispering her name in the softest way as he came, grasping her hand and holding it tight for the longest time until he finally relaxed.

When she had some sanity again, when she’d righted her clothes and he had, too, she shifted onto the seat and leaned her head against his shoulder.

“Is it always like this?”

“What?” he asked, caressing her arm.

“Sex.”

It took him a few minutes to answer.

“No, Jessie. It isn’t always like this.”

She smiled. That’s what she thought.

THIRTEEN

EVERY TIME DIAZ HELD JESSIE IN HIS ARMS, HE REALIZED HOW hard it was going to be to let her go. He’d gotten used to having her around, having her close. He’d started to think of her as his.

He was in deep shit.

But he was going to let her go.

She had nestled in close, her nose pressed to his chest, eyes closed, lashes resting against her cheek. God, she was beautiful, and still so innocent. He’d never mar that innocence by forcing her to live with him. He’d ruin her. Maybe not today, tomorrow, this month, this year or next, but eventually his true colors would show. He already had a hard time reining in his temper. What would happen when she really pissed him off? Would he go after her like his old man had done with his mom?

The thought of hurting Jessie caused him physical pain inside. He’d like to think he’d never do something like that, but he couldn’t take that chance.

It would be better to start distancing himself from her now, but he supposed he was weak, because he just couldn’t do it.

The more time he spent with her, the more he craved. There never seemed to be enough, especially knowing that what they had could only be temporary. Every day the clock ticked louder, signaling time running out. Maybe if he just strung her along for a while, then abruptly cut her out of his life when they finished the mission, it would be easier. She’d hate him, but she’d get over him faster.

Yeah, he was a fucking saint, wasn’t he? He wasn’t thinking of Jessie. He was thinking of himself. If he’d been thinking of Jess he’d never have started anything up with her. He’d been weak. Instead of walking away like he should have, he’d fallen right into bed with her.

There were a lot of women he could have fucked, plenty of willing females to scratch the itch with.

But he wasn’t interested in just scratching the itch, was he? With Jess, it was more than that. She’d knocked repeatedly. Hell, she’d pounded. The girl was relentless when she wanted something. What she’d wanted was him. Instead of barring the door, he’d flung it wide open and let her in, so he had no one to blame but himself for this mess. How to get out of it was the problem.

“Something’s been bothering you.”

He looked down at her, not even realizing she’d woken. “Just thinkin’.”

“I know. You do that a lot. But you don’t tell me what you’re thinking about.”

“This and that. Mostly the mission,” he lied.

She pushed up so they were face-to-face, her eyes a clear emerald that even the darkness couldn’t hide. He stopped breathing whenever he searched her face. Damn, he was in deep.

“It’s more than the mission. It’s us, isn’t it?”

“Us? No.”

“Diaz, you can talk to me. I’m an adult. I can handle a frank discussion if there’s something on your mind.”

Not this discussion. This one she wouldn’t want to have. It would lead to tears and emotions he wasn’t equipped to handle. “Trust me, Jessie. There are a lot of things on my mind about this case. That’s what’s keeping me busy.”

She studied him carefully. He knew she wasn’t buying his excuses. She could read him too well. Sooner or later, they’d have to talk about their relationship. He just didn’t want it to be now.

The roar of motorcycles saved him. They both turned their attention to the lodge. Rex and the other bikers who’d ridden off earlier had returned and were dispersing to their designated sleeping spots.

“Did Spence ride back in yet?” she asked.

“No.”

“That’s not good.”

“No, it’s not.” Diaz dragged out his cell phone and punched in Spence’s number. He waited while it rang several times, then went to voice mail. “He’s not answering.”

“He might be on his bike and headed back. He won’t hear it if he’s riding.”

“Could be.” Diaz leaned back in the rocker. Something didn’t feel right. It was unusual for Spence not to check in.

An hour later Diaz was convinced something had happened. Spence should have checked in or been back by now. “Let’s go search for Spencer.”

Jessie threw the blanket off. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

They grabbed their gear and hopped on their bikes. As soon as they reached the lodge area, Crush strolled into the middle of the road.

Shit. Diaz stopped.

“Kinda late for a ride, isn’t it?” Crush asked with a tilt of his brow.

“Yeah.”

“Where are you headed?”

“Spence and Stephanie had a fight earlier tonight.”

“So we all noticed,” Crush said with a slight smile. “It happens.”

“He went out for a ride to clear his head. That was four hours ago.”

Crush frowned. “He’s not back yet?”

“No.”

“And he went out on his own?”

“Yeah.” Diaz hoped Crush wasn’t going to keep them sitting here asking questions. They needed to get on the road to look for Spence.

“Hang on. I’ll go with you.”

Double shit. That’s the last thing Diaz wanted. “It’s okay. We’ll handle it.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you can, but I’ve been to this area a hundred times. I know every trail. You don’t. Let me help you.”

No way could Diaz refuse an offer of assistance. They had no choice. “Okay. Thanks.”

Diaz looked at Jessie, who shook her head while they waited for Crush to get his gear.

If Crush was involved with whatever Rex and the others were doing out there, and if it had something to do with the arms deal with the survivalists, then Diaz and Jess might be walking into a trap.

Diaz didn’t like having Jessie along for this ride.

“You can go back to the cabin,” he said to her.

She frowned. “And you can kiss my ass. I’m going with you.”

He thought she’d say that. He hated that his gun was in his saddlebag and not tucked into the back of his pants, but at least he had one with him. Hopefully, he wouldn’t have to use it tonight.

Crush came out and climbed onto his bike. “We’ll start on the closest trails, figuring maybe he took a short ride. Then we’ll work out from there.”

“Lead the way,” Diaz said.

They started up the bikes and headed out. Pitch-black and narrow roads weren’t the best conditions for biking. At least there was a decent-sized moon overhead to light the way.

The first trail took about a half hour to maneuver, mostly downhill and dead-ending at the river bank. No sign of Spence on that one, so Crush turned them around and headed up the way they came, went a short way down the road and took the next trail, with the same results. As they rode, Diaz kept his eyes open for any other bikers or signs of a survivalist camp. The last thing he intended to do was to ride into a trap. He’d grab Jessie and they’d hightail it out of there in a hurry if it looked like Crush was setting them up.

Crush made an abrupt right turn down what didn’t even look like a road. In fact, if he hadn’t been leading them Diaz wouldn’t have seen it at all. It wasn’t marked and was difficult to maneuver because of trees and other vegetation in the way, all hazards for bikers. They took it slow. Damn good thing, too, because about ten minutes into the ride, Jessie hollered, honked, and grabbed their attention. Diaz and Crush stopped and turned around. Jess had turned her bike sideways so her headlights shined on a downed bike.

Spence’s bike. They raced over to it, climbed off the bikes, and grabbed flashlights, shining them onto the surrounding areas.

“There!” Jessie said, already running toward a prone Spence.

He was half covered in fallen leaves. The three of them converged on him. Diaz held his breath while Jess checked him out.

“He’s alive,” she said, her fingers on his pulse. “Spence, can you hear me?”

He moaned.

“Shine the light down his body while I check him,” Jessie said.

Diaz and Crush held their flashlights over Spence and Jessie inspected him, shoving the leaves out of the way.

“His leg is bleeding,” she said.

“I’ve got a first aid kit,” Crush said, already heading toward his bike.

Jessie turned her worried gaze to Diaz.

What the hell happened out here?

Crush brought back the kit and Jessie went to work on Spence, who was already starting to stir.

“Lie still. We’re here.”

“My goddamn leg is throbbing.”

“Don’t move it. I’m checking it out now.” She grabbed the scissors and started to cut away the spot on his pants where he was bleeding.

Diaz bent over him. “Do you know what happened?”

“Yeah. I was fucking shot.”

“What?” Crush’s eyes widened. “Who shot you?”

“Hell if I know.”

“Why didn’t you call for help?” Diaz asked.

“I guess I was too busy being shot and tossed off my bike and getting knocked unconscious. Fuck, I don’t even know where my cell is.” He patted his pants pocket. “Where’s my bike?”

“It’s on its side about fifteen yards over. You must have gone flying.”

Spence winced. “Great.”

Jessie had a thick pad of gauze pressed to his wound. “Okay, the bleeding has stopped. I’m going to wrap this but we’ve got to get him out of here and have someone see to his wound.”

“One of the Skulls is an MD,” Crush said.

“No shit?” Spence asked, lifting his head.

“No shit,” Crush said.

Then they needed to get Spence into the hands of that doc immediately. “Can you ride?” Diaz asked.

“Hell yeah. Just get me up.”

Crush and Diaz lifted him, put his arms over their shoulders, and Spence limped over to Diaz’s bike.

“You’ll have to ride on the back of my bike,” Diaz said.

“Like a fucking girl. No offense, Jessie.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not kicking your butt only because you’re injured and because I’m so grateful you’re not dead. Otherwise . . .”

Spence laughed. That was a good sign. He and Crush managed to get Spence onto the bike with a minimal amount of wincing on Spence’s part.