Chasing Eden Read online

  Yeah, Eden had been seriously buzzed that first night. But even so, she certainly hadn’t drunk enough to not remember. Had she?

  Her heart rate picked up double-time while her breathing became shallower. She studied Shane’s face as best she could in the dim glow away from the fire. He appeared…well, somewhat different from the recent haunting images on her small television screen or those touched-up photos in the rock magazines. The strong jaw, the powerful angle of his nose, those luscious lips—and the way they tilted at the corners—each distinct feature played at the edge of her mind.

  The bad-boy rocker…

  Oh God. He…he couldn’t be. Could he?

  But even as she asked herself, she knew the answer.

  “Your band went on late, right? After midnight.” Her breasts swelled and her mind whirled with the memory. Flutters bunched together in her stomach. “You…you had me hooked from the second you stepped up to the microphone. I couldn’t stop staring at you while you were singing. You jumped off stage about an hour later. Sweaty, sticky, but that didn’t matter to me.” More tingles coursed through her body, fire lanced between her thighs.

  “You came from behind and touched my arm,” he added.

  Yeah, she had. She’d wanted to touch his tattoo, a seductively designed Celtic Tree of Life high on his right biceps. Mystified, she tried to swallow, but her throat remained bone dry. “You turned around…”

  “And then you kissed me. Not a word from you. Just hot, wicked lips.” He smiled. “And plenty of tongue.”

  It took enormous effort to not stand there and gape at him. How could she not have connected the drop-dead gorgeous man he was now with that hot, young rocker from years ago? God, no wonder she was so drawn to him. She could arguably say that her somewhat fuzzy recollection of the skinny, long-haired singer had spurred her secret obsession for hard-driving, hard-rocking musicians.

  It was him.

  Scents and sounds instantly amplified. Thrust back in time, she actually felt the stickiness of her skin that hot, humid night. Smelled the citronella from the tiki lamps that mingled with the salty breeze of the ocean beyond the beach. Relived the tingle of his lips, soft and warm against hers.

  “You tasted like…a little like mint.”

  He cupped her cheek and brushed his thumb over her lower lip. “Yeah? Well, you tasted like beer.”

  She chuckled and spun away, breathless. Amazed. “I bet I did.”

  After a few steps, she peered over her shoulder. It was all she could do to keep the tentative hold on her wavering control. The last thing she wanted was to come off like some sort of teeny-bopper-crazed fan. Nor was she that impetuous young woman anymore. No, now she was a professional—smart, respected…

  And damn it, so far out of her league.

  “You’ve changed. Your hair’s shorter. And… Well, you’re a little bigger now.”

  He followed her and smirked. “Yeah. I ditched the grunge look, cleaned up some and joined a gym. I met Brett a few years ago and we hooked up with a couple other awesome musicians. The rest, as they say, is rock and roll history.”

  “You make it sound so easy.”

  He huffed. “No, definitely not easy. The glamorous rock-star life is more than just a myth.”

  They’d worked themselves halfway past the gentle sloped edge beyond the fire pit. Down the hill lay the warm lake she’d swum in so often on long weekends here. But further up on the opposite rise sat the small guest cottage where she always stayed whenever she visited.

  “Where’d you go after that night, Eden? You laid one hell of a kiss on me and then your friends dragged you away. You never said a word. I had to ask around for hours just to find out your first name.”

  Crickets and frogs sang together in the underbrush and trees as she turned to face him. The swish from the gentle waves of the lake below and the glow on the water from the full moon painted such a serene, seductive picture.

  Pleasure seeped from every pore of the delicious man in front of her. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t form even the simplest word. He inched closer until his chest pressed against hers. The zing from his touch stole her breath. He snaked his hands down her arms and wound his fingers between hers. As he lowered his head, he brought her hands to the small of her back and clasped her wrists together within one of his. He tightened his grip and tugged ever so slightly. She winced at the force, but the thrill of his dominance, combined with the hungry way his gaze devoured her, had her more than ready to make all those dreams she’d had about him come true.

  “I’ve been chasing after the thought of you for eight long years. No way are you getting away from me this time, baby.”

  With his lips a breath away from hers, he reached between their bodies with his free hand, stroked a hard nipple through her thin cotton blouse with the back of his knuckles and licked the seam of her lips with a tongue so hot, she knew he’d burned her for sure.

  “So, what do you say, sweet Eden? Wanna play with me now?”

  Chapter Two

  Two words burst through her mind—hell and yeah. But she couldn’t move them past her lips. Instead, she stared at his mouth, imagined his more-than-full lips consuming hers, or covering a taut nipple. Or licking lower on her body, where she dreamed of having him so many times before.

  Her breasts heaved against his abs on every breath. She ached, wanted. Wanted her bad boy. Wanted Shane.

  The edge of his lip quirked. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”

  The childish cliché brought her out of a stupefied daze. She bit her lip to buy herself a moment, all the while hovering a little too close to the brink of lost control.

  “Tell ya what,” he crooned as he loosened the grip on her wrists. “I’ll even give you a head start. Count, like I’m supposed to. But not to fifty. Not even twenty. Oh no, baby. You get the count of ten. Then I’m coming after you.”

  His voice, smooth and low with the slightest hint of an Irish brogue she hadn’t really noticed before, oozed over her senses like a coating of sticky honey. Desire laced every one of his words.

  A short-lived wave of self-confidence replaced her utter amazement as the need for him intensified. “Only ten? I won’t get very far.”

  His day-old beard prickled and scratched along her cheek when he nuzzled against her. A warm, even breath blew over her ear and sent tremors racing down her spine. “That’s the idea. I told you, I’m not letting you get away this time.”

  Her heart pounded, not only in her chest, but in every vein, pore and cell throughout her body. And Christ, he smelled so good. One lick… Please, give her just one lick on that strong, powerful neck he kept just out of reach.

  “Then why should I even try?”

  A deep chuckle vibrated against her breasts. “Ah, come on, babe. Call it the thrill of the chase. Even if it is a short one.” He pulled back, looked down at her with powerful, searing eyes. The stark desire in his gaze floored her. “I saw it in you then and I see it in you now, Eden. The wild child hidden beneath the professional exterior, the naughty woman begging to be released.” He slid his hand lower between them until he cupped the hot denim that covered her throbbing core. He stroked her slowly, firmly. “You feel it here. The rush, the ache.”

  Her eyes drifted shut and her head rolled back to her shoulders. Warm lips nipped her chin, then moved lower along her neck.

  All of what he said was true, so true…

  How did he know? What gave her away? And could she, should she give in to it?

  “Ready now?” He stroked harder through the seam of her jeans. God, she could’ve come right then. “One…”

  When she lifted her head to meet his gaze, the fire inside burned even hotter.

  “Two…” He gave her another devilish, crooked smile. “You’d better go, Eden. I’ve waited such a long time. You don’t want to keep me waiting much longer, do you? Come on, baby, make me run after you.”

  He removed his hand and she wanted to scream. No, no!
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  “Go ahead. I’ll find you. And once I do, I’m going to blow away the memory of that kiss years ago.”

  The heat from his seductive eyes compelled her to move. She twisted her wrists from his grip, spun from his arms as some sort of mesmerizing force carried her toward the hill. She knew exactly where to go, exactly where she wanted to lead him.

  “Three…”

  The word floated on the air right behind her and she turned to flick a peek over her shoulder. He wasn’t hiding his eyes to count like a child would. Oh, no. He stood tall, his stance wide. Thick arms hung at his sides, devastating eyes bored into hers.

  The sly grin on his lips belied the fire from his stare. And this time when he counted, he stepped toward her. “Four…”

  Let the chase begin.

  With a sudden playful edge, she laughed—all girlishly giggly, which was just so unlike her—and ran up the hill. She climbed the stairs to the wide terrace of the guest house two at a time and shoved through the front door. Not looking behind her, but feeling his intense presence closing in nonetheless, she raced through the house toward the back, past the gourmet kitchen, around the dining room table and out a set of French double doors that led to a huge balcony.

  Breathless from the thrill of the run—or was it more from the knowledge of what was to come?—she lurched into the corner, grabbed the railing and took in the stunning view. Nocturnal life pulsed from the forest beyond and a spectacular harvest moon hung high in the dark sky. From it, a vivid, silvery glow washed over every surface. Its brilliance made seeing easy, despite the late hour.

  Eden turned her back to the picturesque scenery and eagerly waited. Waited for Shane to find her, waited for every one of her dreams to be realized.

  Thank God she didn’t have to wait long.

  With a predatory pace, he emerged from the shadows inside the house. Moonlight emphasized his dark European coloring, accentuated every rakish nuance. He stopped and splayed his arms, gripped the jamb on both sides of the double doors with hands so large and powerful, she shivered.

  Oh Lord, he was even more magnificent in the flesh than he’d been in her dreams. Black biker boots covered his feet. Dark, loose jeans hung belted from trim, narrow hips and she was surprised to see he’d unbuttoned his shirt somewhere along the chase. Instead of the dryness she experienced before, her mouth now watered when she glimpsed the shadows of an impressive six-pack, the cut of hard-muscled pecs. A tattoo she’d never seen before curved above his left nipple. As he stalked across the deck toward the railing—toward her—she made out the single word in beautiful Gaelic script: Blasdag. She had no idea what the word meant, and the tattoo only added to his mystery.

  Mere inches away, he gripped the railing on either side of her hips and leaned closer. She arched her back and tamped down a new barrage of belly flutters at the sheer determination etched upon his face.

  “Five.”

  When he crashed against her lips, his succulent mouth stole all rational thought and his feverish tongue devoured any sane notion that might’ve lingered in her befuddled mind. Only their mouths touched, but the effortless way he consumed her was more than enough to drive her insane.

  He broke free and she moaned.

  “God, that was it, Eden. That’s what’s haunted me for years.”

  “Shane…”

  “More. Give me more.” He kissed her again, only this time he gathered her in his arms and roamed his hands over her back. One slid down to cup her ass, the other went higher to tangle in the hair at her nape. Below his belt buckle, his erection pressed firmly against her lower belly as he held her tighter.

  She couldn’t think, didn’t want to. All she craved was right here, right now—Shane in her arms.

  He left her lips to lick his way down her neck. “Do you want me?”

  What? Was he serious? Did he honestly think she’d be this breathless right now if she didn’t?

  He stopped the torture of his lips to stare at her. “Tell me you’re not just caught up in the moment, Eden. Tell me you want me—the real me—as much as I want you.” There went that little lift to the edge of his lip again. “I’ve thought so many times of what I’d like to do to that sweet woman who nearly brought me to my knees years ago with a single kiss. And now that I have you, I can’t walk away. God, don’t ask me to.”

  She caressed his rough cheeks and stared into his sultry eyes. “You’ve lived in my subconscious for years, Shane. Yes, I want you. With a helplessness I really don’t understand.”

  With a loss of control she’d only felt once before in her life, she raised to her toes and kissed him with all the pent-up passion she’d kept hidden inside for ages. Hidden since the last time she let loose and kissed him eight years ago. She sucked his lips, pulled the lower one between her teeth, then let go with a nip. “I don’t want you to walk away. Stay. Show me all the naughty things that have been missing in my life.”

  He groaned and held her tight against his chest. “My little wild child,” he whispered against her lips. “I think I just fell in love.”

  She started to smile, but he stole her reaction with a kiss so forceful her entire body instantly turned to jelly. Pliant within his arms, she melted further as he spun and walked her backward until her calves hit the double-wide chaise lounge in the center of the balcony. He gently lowered them together until she lay with the soft cushion under her and Shane’s hard, taut body above.

  His hips nestled flawlessly within the juncture of her thighs. The thickness of his cock rubbed against her in perfectly synchronized waves as his pelvis imitated the action of his tongue deep in her mouth. But all she could think about was what else she wanted there. The desperation to feel him against her, to taste every inch, stormed over her.

  He peeled his body from hers and sat back on his heels. He captivated her with eyes hooded beneath killer lashes as he tore off his shirt and went for his belt buckle. “Tell me then,” he said, the burr of his accent thicker now as desire swarmed heavy between them. “What does that naughty woman inside you crave?”

  She licked her lips as he slowly withdrew the belt through the loops of his jeans. He folded the leather in half and slapped the looped end against his palm.

  “Maybe,” he continued with a knowing glint in his eyes that she wouldn’t answer, “Maybe she’d like me to use this belt. Give her a well-deserved spanking for leaving me hanging all those years ago. Or, better yet…” He slid his body back over hers, catching her hands in his and sweeping them above her head. “I bet she’d rather like to give up all that control. Give in a little and step over to the dark side.”

  She laughed, then gasped in his grip as he licked along her collarbone. “Oh, Darth.”

  The low, sexy tone of his chuckle resonated deep inside her heart. But when he somehow cinched the belt around her wrists and secured the end of the soft leather through the wrought iron frame that curled in ornate swirls above the top of the lounge’s cushions, her laughter died away.

  She tugged slightly, but she wasn’t afraid. If anything, the way he took charge drove her passion higher.

  He balanced on strong, ropy arms mere inches above her. “Trust me?”

  Unbelievable—so fricking unbelievable—but, yeah, she did. “Yes,” she hissed. Oh, God.

  “That’s what I want to hear. I’m going to make this so good for you, Eden. I have a lot of fantasies stored up. Tonight’s just the tip of a very large iceberg.”

  “Fantasies? What fantasies?” Were they the same as hers? Oh, the things he’d done to her in her dreams.

  He smiled, all diabolic and delicious. “Oh no, baby. Telling you is one thing. But showing you?” Back on his heels, he worked his fingers down her blouse, unbuttoning one delicate button after the other with slow, meticulous—torturous—movements.

  “Ah, now showing you, that’s where all the fun is.”

  Chapter Three

  The way Shane held his breath, and the calloused fingertips he strummed along her stom
ach and over the center clasp of her bra, had her about thirty seconds away from begging. Begging for him to replace his fingers with his mouth and to move those talented fingers elsewhere.

  Eden had never begged for a single thing in her life.

  God, how did he do that? How could he, in the span of mere moments, steal her sanity so easily?

  With tender strokes he pushed her shirt open and drew in a ragged breath. “You’re so beautiful, lass. You take my breath away.”

  And then he finally did what she’d been dying for him to start all night. He lowered his mouth and placed tiny, wet kisses along the top of her breasts. A sigh gushed from her lungs as teasing hands slid down her sides and stopped at the low waistband of her jeans. He gripped her hard as he moved his mouth to a lace-covered nipple. With gentle pulls, he suckled through the thin fabric of the bra. The odd sensation of lips over lace, mixed with the strong hold on her hips had her arching into him, desperate for more of his heated mouth, for more of his devilish ways.

  “So eager, too,” he mused. “Easy now, there’s no rush. Now that we’re here, I fully intend to take my sweet time.”

  He gripped the button of her jeans and pulled. Holding her stare, he tugged the zipper downward. Slowly. God, so damn slowly. A growl rumbled from his chest when he finally peered at the glossy material he exposed. He bent and teased the edge of the fabric with the tip of his tongue. “Satin and lace. You’re killing me here.”

  She pulled against her restraints. “The killing is mutual, Shane. I’m dying. I need…”

  He nipped over the soft swell of her belly and curled his fingers into the denim at her hips. “Tell me what you need. Don’t hold back, Eden.”