Thorn's Challenge Read online

  When she felt his hands moving over her body with an expertise that overwhelmed her, Tara knew she had to put a stop to this madness and slowly, regretfully, she eased her lips from Thorn’s.

  But he continued to touch her, gently rubbing her back. For the longest time neither of them said anything. They couldn’t. The act of breathing alone took too much effort.

  When she found the ability to lift her head, she met his gaze. It was so intense it nearly made the words she was about to say catch in her throat. She swallowed then forced herself to speak. “Why?”

  She saw comprehension in the dark eyes that were locked with hers. He knew what she was asking and understood her need to know. “Because I want you and have from the first time I saw you. I tried denying it but I can’t any longer. You may not accept it or acknowledge it, but your response proves to me that you want me just as much as I want you, Tara.”

  She knew his words were true, but she wasn’t ready to accept what he was saying. “But I don’t want this.”

  He nodded. “I know, but I refuse to give up or walk away. I want you more than I’ve wanted any woman in a long time.”

  A spark of anger lit her features. “And I’m supposed to feel good about that?”

  Thorn lifted a brow. “I would hope that you do.”

  “Well, I don’t. The last thing I want is an involvement with a man.”

  Thorn’s frown deepened. “You’re saying one thing but your kiss said another.”

  Her eyes filled with anger. “Imagine what you want, but I prefer doing the solo act. There’s less chance of being played a fool that way. Once bitten you have a tendency to avoid a second bite.”

  Thorn sighed deeply, remembering what one of his brothers had told him about how Tara’s fiancé had hurt and humiliated her on what was supposed to have been their wedding day. Tara’s words touched a part of him that hadn’t been touched in a long time. He reached out and caressed her cheek tenderly, mesmerized by the smoothness of her flesh and the pained yet angry look in her eyes.

  He wanted to kiss her again but forced himself to speak instead. “You will never get a bite of pain from me, Tara. But you will get nibbles of passion and pleasure of the most profound kind. That I promise you.” Walking away while he had the mind to do so, he picked his helmet up off the table.

  He paused before opening the door, seeing the confused look on her face. As he’d hoped, he had her thinking. The Tara that been feeding his nightly fantasies for almost two years was a woman who was as turbulent as the storm of sensations she stirred within him. Now that he’d finally admitted to himself that he wanted her, he intended to have her. And if she thought she was going to put distance between them then she had another thought coming.

  “I’ll be by tomorrow,” he said calmly. He could tell by the way she narrowed her eyes that she intended to rebuild that wall between them. Little did she know he had every intention of keeping it torn down. He watched as she folded her arms beneath her breasts. They were breasts he intended to know the taste of before too long.

  “You have no reason to come by tomorrow, Thorn.”

  “Yes I do,” he responded easily. “I want to take you for a ride on my bike.” He saw something flicker in her eyes. First surprise, then stubbornness, followed by unyielding resistance.

  She lifted her chin. “I have no intention of doing anything with you.”

  Thorn sighed good-naturedly, thinking that she liked talking tough, and a part of him couldn’t help but admire her spunk, which was something you rarely saw in a woman these days. Most were too eager to please. But even with all her feistiness, in good time she would discover that he was a man who appreciated a good fight more often then most people, so her willfulness didn’t bother him any. In fact it made her just that much more desirable.

  “And I intend to see that you do anything and everything with me, Tara,” he said throatily, assuredly, before opening the door, walking out and closing it behind him.

  * * *

  Tara leaned against the closed door as the soft hum of Thorn’s motorcycle faded into the distance. Taking a deep breath she tried to get her pulse rate and heartbeat back to normal. There was no denying that Thorn Westmoreland had the ability to rock her world. But the problem was that she didn’t want her world rocked. Nor did she want the changes he was putting her through. And she definitely didn’t want to remember the kiss they had just shared. The memory of it sent a tingling feeling through every part of her body. She had discovered three months ago that the man was an expert kisser and had a feeling he was probably an expert at making love as well. And she believed if given the chance he would do whatever it took to get her mind and body primed for sex.

  She pulled in a deep breath trying to get her mind back in focus. It was late, but she doubted she would be able to sleep much tonight. She thought that it was a good thing she didn’t have to work tomorrow. She was having lunch with Delaney and was looking forward to it.

  Pushing away from the door she headed for the kitchen hoping she would find something there to keep her busy. She stopped in the doorway. There was nothing for her to do since the Westmoreland brothers had left everything spotless. But one brother in particular had gone a step further. Tonight Thorn had invaded her space and gotten closer to her than any man since Derrick had dumped her.

  That realization disturbed her. Her fantasies of Thorn had been rather tame compared to the real thing and she hated to admit it but she had found kissing him the most exciting thing she had done since leaving Bunnell.

  As she climbed the stairs to her bedroom, it suddenly dawned on her that she hadn’t mentioned anything about the calendar to Thorn, which meant she would have to see him again this week. And since he claimed he would be coming by tomorrow she would bring it up then.

  * * *

  Thorn had a difficult time sleeping that night. Whenever he tried closing his eyes, memories of his kiss with Tara were so vivid he could still actually taste her. Tonight’s kiss had been much better than the previous one. That kiss had had an element of surprise. Tonight their kiss had been fueled by desire—basic and fundamental.

  Muttering something unintelligible, he rolled out of bed knowing that sleep was out of the question. Making his way through the living room and into the kitchen he opened the refrigerator, needing a beer. With his present state of mind, he might need more than one.

  As he pulled a beer from the six-pack and popped the tab, a low moan formed in his throat. He took a long, pleasurable gulp. At that moment, unexpectedly, huge drops of rain splattered on his rooftop and he was glad he had made it home before the downpour. He had gotten caught on his bike during storms enough times to know it wasn’t something he relished.

  A smile worked at his mouth when he thought of something he did relish. Thorn couldn’t wait until he saw Tara again. The thought that she would try to avoid him made the challenge that much more sweet.

  Tonight he had made a decision and it hadn’t been easy, but kissing her had helped to put things into the right perspective. Tara was a pure challenge if he’d ever seen one, and although she had fought what they shared and would continue to fight it, he was convinced more than ever that she was just the woman he needed.

  They had been attracted to each other from the first, and tonight had exposed numerous possibilities, all of them definitely worth pursuing.

  Finishing off his beer and placing the empty can in the bin, he headed back up the stairs to the bedroom. He was hot. He was hard. He was horny. And the sound of the rain pounding against his roof didn’t help matters. It only made him want to pound his body into Tara’s with the same steady yet urgent rhythm. The thought of doing so made his gut clench with need. A vivid, sensuous scene flashed in his mind. The impact almost took his breath away. Thorn quickly sucked in air. This was not good. Tara Matthews fascinated him. She intrigued him and filled him with intense desire and made him think of unbridled passion.

  Unless he did something about his predica
ment, she would be the death of him and he wasn’t ready to die just yet.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “There’s only one word to describe your brother, Laney, and that’s stubborn.”

  The two women were sitting at a table on the terrace of the restaurant. They had enjoyed lunch and were now enjoying a glass of wine. A smile tilted the corners of Delaney’s lips and her eyes sparkled as she glanced over at her friend. “Let me guess. You must be referring to brother number two, none other than Thorn Westmoreland.”

  Tara couldn’t help but return Delaney’s smile. “Yes. Who else? Your other brothers are simply adorable and don’t have a grumpy bone in their bodies. But that Thorn…”

  Delaney chuckled. “I don’t know why you continue to let him get next to you, Tara,” she said, taking another sip of her wine, although she had a pretty good idea. She had been keeping a close eye on Thorn and Tara since they’d met and knew better than anyone that the spark of annoyance flying between two individuals was a sure sign of attraction. She and her husband Jamal could certainly attest to that. When they’d first met there had been sparks, too, but then the sparks had turned into fiery embers that had fed another kind of fire. Delaney hated that she hadn’t been around more to prod Thorn and Tara in the right direction. She and Jamal had spent more time in his homeland during their son Ari’s first year of life. They had returned to the States a few months ago so that she could complete the rest of her residency at a hospital in Kentucky. They would be remaining in the States for at least another year.

  “I know I shouldn’t let him get under my skin, Laney, but I can’t help it. For instance, last night, when the others left my house after the card game, Thorn hung back just to rattle me.”

  Delaney lifted a brow. “Thorn hung back? I’m surprised he wasn’t the first to leave.”

  Tara had been surprised, too. Usually, he avoided her like the plague. “Well, for once he decided to stick around.”

  “And?”

  “And he said we needed to talk.”

  Delaney shook her head. “About Mrs. Chadwick wanting him to do that calendar?”

  “No, I never got around to mentioning that.”

  “Oh. Then what did the two of you have to talk about?”

  A rush of color suffused Tara’s mahogany skin when she thought of just what they had done in addition to talking. Aftereffects of their kiss still had her feeling warm and tingly in certain places.

  “Tara?”

  Tara met Delaney’s gaze. “Ahh…he wants to take me bike-riding today and we talked about that,” she said, not telling Delaney everything because she figured she really didn’t have to. No doubt there was a telltale sign all over her face that Thorn had kissed her.

  “Are you?”

  Tara blinked as Delaney’s question broke into her thoughts. “Am I what?”

  “Are you going bike-riding with Thorn?”

  Tara shrugged. “I told him I wouldn’t, but that didn’t mean a thing to him since he indicated he would drop by today anyway. At first I had planned to make sure I wasn’t home when he arrived, but then I remembered Mrs. Chadwick and that darned calendar.”

  “So, you’re going?”

  Tara breathed in a deep sigh. “I guess so, I’m only going so that I can ask him about the charity calendar.”

  Delaney smiled. It seemed things were finally beginning to happen between Thorn and Tara; after two years it was definitely about time. But still she decided she needed to leave her friend with a warning. “Look, Tara, I know my brothers probably better than anyone and Thorn is the one I can read the best. He was involved in an affair a few years back that left him with a bad taste in his mouth, and heaven knows that was the last thing Thorn needed, since he was moody enough. He’s an ace when it comes to doing whatever it takes to get whatever it is he wants. He’ll pull out all stops and take any risks necessary if the final result suits him. There’s only one way I know to get the best of him.”

  “And what way is that?”

  Delaney smiled, her eyes crinkling attractively as she thought of the brother who loved being a thorn in everyone’s side most of the time. “Don’t try beating Thorn at his game, since he’s a pro. What you should do is to come up with a game plan of your own.”

  Tara lifted an arch eyebrow. “A game plan of my own?”

  Delaney nodded. “Yes. One that will get you what you want, while making him think he has accomplished his goal—getting whatever it is he wants from you.”

  Tara frowned. For the past two years Thorn had avoided her space and now suddenly he was determined to invade it. She didn’t have to think twice as to what he wanted from her since he had pretty much spelled things out last night. He wanted her! “A game plan of my own. Umm, I think that’s a wonderful idea.”

  * * *

  Thorn sat astride his motorcycle and gazed at Tara’s house, wondering if she was home. He had heard from Stone that she had had lunch with Laney earlier that day.

  He should have called first but he hadn’t wanted to give her the chance to refuse his invitation. He’d figured that the best thing to do was to catch her with her guard down since chances were she probably thought she had made herself clear and he wouldn’t show up today.

  Shutting off the engine he began walking toward her door with two helmets in his hands. He was determined that they would go today. He hadn’t slept most of the night for thinking of how it would feel when she leaned into his back with her arms wrapped around him, while the vibrations of the motorcycle’s powerful engine hummed through her.

  He rang the doorbell and heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching. Moments later Tara opened the door. And she was smiling.

  “I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show up, Thorn. I’ve been ready for over an hour.”

  He blinked and a look of indecision filled his eyes. The woman certainly looked like Tara but the one standing before him didn’t appear surprised to see him. In fact, from her statement it seemed she had been expecting him. His gaze darkened dangerously as he wondered just what the hell she was up to.

  “I thought you weren’t going riding with me,” he said, meeting her gaze and holding it with an intensity that should have made her nervous. Instead she waved her hand, dismissing his words and stood aside to let him enter.

  “If you really thought that then why are you here?” she asked, closing the door behind him and leaning against it to look at him. The suspicious look on his face, his pensive and forever brooding expression had Tara wanting to go up to him and wrap her arms around his neck and assure him that he wasn’t imagining things, and that she had thrown him a curve. She had a feeling that few people did that to him. And she had another feeling that she should savor this rare moment of having the upper hand with Thorn.

  Then, to her astonishment and complete surprise, the corner of his mouth quirked into a seductive grin. “Because I’ve learned when most women say one thing they really mean another.”

  She frowned. “When I say I won’t do something, usually I won’t. The only reason I changed my mind is because I remembered I needed to talk to you about something.”

  Thorn continued to meet her gaze. He knew just what she wanted to talk to him about—that charity calendar. He quickly decided he would prefer turning her down after their bike ride rather than before it. “All right. I plan for us to have dinner at a restaurant I think you’ll like. We’ll be able to talk then.”

  She raised a brow. “Dinner? You didn’t mention anything about dinner.”

  He shrugged. “Didn’t I? It must have slipped my mind.”

  He then studied her outfit, a pair of jeans, a lightweight pullover sweater and a pair of short leather boots. It was the perfect riding attire and the outfit looked perfect on her. “It may get chilly later so you might want to grab a jacket,” he suggested.

  Tara sighed. He had intentionally not mentioned dinner to her last night. A part of her thought of resisting, but she quickly decided not to start fi
ghting him just yet. There would be plenty of time for that later. There was no doubt in her mind that after telling him what she needed from him, he would prove to be difficult. “Okay, I’ll be right back.”

  Thorn went completely still and held his breath when Tara passed him to go up the stairs. He’d seen her in jeans a number of times before and always thought she knew how to wear them well, but today he couldn’t help but pay close attention to how the jeans fit her, especially the way the denim cupped her curvy backside.

  And she was wearing her hair down and he liked that. He wanted to know how the silken strands would feel blowing in the wind as he tore up the road with her clinging to him.

  “All right, I’m ready.”

  He glanced back to the stairs and watched her come down. He looked at her intently before saying. “So am I.”

  * * *

  “Here, let me help you with that,” Thorn said, easing the helmet on Tara’s head and adjusting the straps to keep it firmly in place. “Have you ever ridden on a motorcycle before?” he asked as he tried to ignore how his body was responding to her closeness. As usual, whenever he was around her, a deep, sexual hunger stirred to life in his midsection. It was only at times like these that he remembered just how long he had been celibate, which didn’t help matters.

  “No, I’ve never ridden on one before.”

  He swallowed deeply. The low, seductive tone of her voice was only adding to his misery.

  “But I have ridden on a moped. Does that count?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “No, that doesn’t count, so consider this your first experience,” he said as he assisted her in straddling the seat behind him. He tried not to think of how good she looked with her legs spread wide across the padded seat or how well her body fit onto it. Today he was riding the Thorn-Byrd 1725, a huge bike that had a passenger armrest and backrest to give a second rider added comfort.

  “You, okay?” he asked as he placed his own helmet on his head and strapped it on.