She made a split second decision and then kicked off her shoes and took off, a grin splitting her face. Her bare feet pounded on the concrete hallway and she hit the door to the parking lot at full tilt. He wanted her to run, so she’d run. But not in the way he expected. Because she understood—the loss of control to passion, emotion so intense it overwhelmed, the instinct of a predator to chase its prey.
As she surged forward, she felt the rush of adrenaline she hadn’t felt in years, the freedom of baring herself to the night.
“Evie. Come back.”
She crossed the parking lot and ran into the small field behind the shop, praying there wasn’t anything sharp in the grass. Warehouses dotted the commercial area around her; giant, corrugated metal structures surrounded in barbed wire. Spotlights, streetlights, and the bright moon gave her a clear view of the soft grass underfoot. She veered over to a small thicket of trees, hoping to find more cover. Although she worked out a few times a week, the thrill of fear coursing through her body ratcheted her pulse up to a level that would have made her kickboxing teacher proud.
Chase me.
And he did. The door slammed open, clanging against the metal wall, and she heard him call her name, this time with a growl of determination that sent a delicious shiver up her spine. This was her game now. She was in control. If she wanted him to catch her, she could slow down her pace. If she wanted him to chase her, she could pick up speed. If she wanted to hide, she could head for the dense underbrush ahead. He was hers to command. Zane, VP of the Sinner’s Tribe. Dark warrior. First love. The man who had stolen her heart.
Chase me. Chase me. Chase me.
Her heart pounded furiously with each footfall, her speed hampered by her tender feet and the fabric of her dress. She heard him call, nearer now, his voice echoing in the stillness, but now that she was going she couldn’t stop. Not until he caught her. And God, she wanted him to catch her. But first he had to prove himself worthy of his reward.
Evie laughed as she ran, drawing in breaths of air scented with pine and a hint of diesel. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt such a rush, fear and excitement mixed into a heady cocktail that made her heart race and her sex throb.
Exhilarating. Had Zane felt like this the night she chased him through the forest? Had he run in anticipation of being caught, as she did now, or had he run in fear? Had he succumbed to her desires simply because she brought him down?
The crack of a tree branch behind her made her kick up her pace, every step a delicious thrill that made her heart flail against her ribs, her body tense in anticipation of the moment he caught her.
“Jesus. Fuck. Evie.” With a grunt, he lunged, his shoe just brushing the back of her heel. Finally, blissfully, his hand closed around her neck. She tensed for the impact, but he pulled her against him and rolled, taking her to the ground in the cradle of his arms. She almost came at the surge of adrenaline that accompanied her capture, her legs shaking so violently, she was grateful when he rolled again, positioning her on all fours in the cool grass, covering her with his body.
“Need you.”
Evie looked over her shoulder. His eyes glittered in the semi-darkness, his face masked by shadows.
“Yes.”
Zane shoved her dress roughly over her hips, then tore her panties away with an animalistic growl. “Now. Can’t wait.”
Evie’s body flared to life, seized by a lust unlike anything she’d felt before. Zane reached around and cupped her breast, his thumb rubbing over her nipple until it peaked beneath her bra.
“More,” she rasped. “Take off my dress.”
“Like the dress. Naughty dress. So fucking hot it drives me outta my mind. Wanna fuck you in this dress, but I won’t be gentle.”
She wished she could see his face, although the torment in his voice told her what she needed to know. “If I wanted gentle, we wouldn’t be here.”
He groaned and kicked her legs apart with his thigh, sending a shock wave of pleasure through her belly. His big body pressed hard against hers, and Evie trembled in anticipation, her ragged breaths the only sound in the still of the night.
“Mine.” He swept her hair aside and pressed his lips against her nape, his teeth scraping over her skin. Sweat broke out at the base of her spine and spasms contracted her inner muscles. The men she’d been with since Zane had been nice, kind, but dull in the bedroom. Mark, in particular, had been appalled at her suggestions for spicing things up, and she’d resigned herself to the most traditional positions, taking her own pleasure in private to fantasies of rough men and even rougher sex.
“Harder.” She rocked back against him, grinding her ass into his huge erection.
He hissed out a breath. “I came to the shop tonight thinking last night shouldn’t have happened, that we had too much hurt between us. Then I saw you and I couldn’t think anymore. I don’t know how we got to be here, but if you don’t want this, tell me now.”
“I want this. I want you.”
He nipped her shoulder, his body covering hers, keeping her warm despite the chill of the night air. A bird fluttered above them and the pine boughs swayed in a silent breeze, scenting the night with a fragrance both fresh and sensual. Primal.
Evie spread her knees wider, inviting. This was how it should be. In the forest, the way they had first come together. But rough instead of gentle; hard instead of sweet. They weren’t the same people anymore, no longer innocent in any sense of the word. She wanted Zane the way he truly was; she wanted the side he had kept in the shadows, the way he was now. All man. All biker. All beast.
“Ah, sweetheart,” his breath whispered over her skin, sent a shiver down her spine. “You do that, and I can’t get you ready for me.”
“I am ready for you.” If she were any wetter she’d be dripping on the grass. “Touch me.”
He palmed her cleft, sliding his fingers through her folds. With a groan, he pushed one finger inside and her body clenched around him.
“So hot. So wet.”
She heard the rattle of the chain on his belt, the soft slide of leather and the harsh rasp of a zipper. Unable to hold back, she looked over her shoulder and watched as he released his shaft, huge and heavy, the tip gleaming wet in the moonlight. She wanted to take him in her mouth, as far he could go, wrap her hand around his straining length, and suck him until he lost control.
“Evie…” His warning growl sent a bolt of lust straight to her clit. God, she wanted to tease him, torment him, make him punish her again like he had with that slap. Her pussy clenched and she wiggled her ass. How could she make him slap her again?
“You wanna be spanked, sweetheart?” He dug a condom from his pocket, tore it open, and sheathed himself. “You want me to punish you for running away?” He smacked her cheek so hard she caught her breath. The burn spread across her skin turning into pure, delicious sensation by the time it reached her clit, and she bit back a low groan.
“Yes, she does,” he murmured to himself. “She’s a fucking naughty girl, but that’s all she’s gonna get.” He thrust a thick thigh between her legs, opening her for him. Evie ground her sex against the delicious friction of his denim.
In her entire life she’d never felt as wanton as she did now, uninhibited, free. After Mark, she’d resigned herself to casual relationships, keeping her encounters brief and focused on only one thing. No risk of relying on a man to look after her. No risk of staying too long when she needed to walk away. But it was different with Zane. She’d been down that road with him before, knew where it led. There was a comfort in inevitability, and if she had doubts along the way, if occasionally he broke through the walls around her heart, she could shore them up with the memories of the nights she’d sat up waiting for him to come back, and the sunrises that crushed her hopes for yet another day.