“Why, all of them, Blondie.” She grinned. “I’m up for the private tour, if you are.”
He turned, looking over his shoulder at her, those green eyes of his positively smoldering.
“I’m definitely up for that, Duchess.” He revved the engine. “You hold on.”
There was something about the way he said that last that lit her up inside. Not a question, an order, but one she was more than happy to comply with. Clea leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“This good for you?”
“No.” He took her hands, giving a little tug as he ordered her closer.
When Clea had moved her hips up and nestled against Blondie’s back, he brought her left hand to his lips and kissed her thumb.
“That’s better.” He lifted her right hand, turning it so he could kiss the backs of her unadorned fingers. “And my name is Asher.”
“Asher.” She smiled, enjoying the heat coiling in her core as he flattened her hands against his belly. She could feel his muscles through the soft cotton of his t-shirt and damn, what that did to a woman.
Clea had to work to focus as Asher pulled out of the parking lot. With the tingling where he’d kissed her skin, the power between her legs and the wind in her hair, she was already in near Zen territory. Add to that the sexy man in her arms leading them to some sort of adventure, she was near orgasmic and he’d barely touched her.
Oh, tonight was going to be fun.
As he drove, Asher lifted one of her hands to his mouth for a kiss before smoothing it against his abdomen again and returning his hand to the handlebars. It was a small thing, but the gesture went a long way with Clea. His attentiveness to her let her know they were going to have a good time together.
And she was absolutely up for that.
Though they’d just met, there was something about him that called to her and drew her in. And it wasn’t just his good looks, though damn. Even with his clothes on, he was a fine specimen of a man. She couldn’t wait to see him unveiled.
She’d bet money he was a showstopper.
The bike slowed and Clea leaned with Asher as he made the turns, appreciating the way his muscles shifted beneath her hands.
In no time at all, they were pulling into another parking lot. Clea frowned as she took in the building.
The Osprey Inn was a sprawling white manse that simultaneously fit in and stood out in the small mountain town. The Inn’s mix of Tudor and neoclassical architecture somehow worked to create a welcoming and homey vibe. For some reason though, Clea didn’t want to go there, not right now.
“I thought we were checking out the sights.”
“I thought I was escorting you to the hotel and getting you settled in.”
Clea leaned back, shaking her head. “It’s still early. Why don’t you take me somewhere else, somewhere more exciting?”
“Exciting, huh?” Asher chuckled. “What do you have in mind?”
“What about the falls? Pine Haven Falls has to have a waterfall, yes?”
“That’s best seen in the day. It’s not safe at night.”
“Why not?”
“No lights, the terrain is steep, the water’s swift.” Asher shook his head. “It’s not a nighttime venue.”
“It’s not quite dark yet, and I have headlamps in my saddlebags.”
Asher turned toward her more. “It’s a bad idea, Duchess. I won’t fuck around with your safety. We’re not doing anything dangerous on my watch.”
Clea sighed, trying not to swoon with his glower. There was something she found incredibly sexy about a protective male. Something endearing in the way Asher laid down the law about danger.
It was probably a good thing he didn’t know what she did for a living.
