Touch of Amber: Hot Rods, Book 7 (2 page)

Tires screeched and rapid-fire Spanish filled the bus as Alanso wrestled the beast to the side of the road. They came to a stop with a lurch. The scent of burning rubber stung the inside of her nose.

“Holy shit! Al!” Eli burst from the rear of the bus to the front before Amber could orient herself. “What happened? Are you okay?”

Meanwhile, Roman was asking her the same. Tenderly, she poked at her cheekbone, then winced. It would probably make a bit of a bump later, but she seemed fine. Everyone else too, thank God.

They began to disembark, each of them hugging the tree line as far from the highway as possible while Eli, Kaige and Bryce surveyed the damage. Her mom fussed unnecessarily over the rising knot on Amber’s face until the guys returned to give Tom a report.

“Some asshole in front of us didn’t have his load secured,” Alanso explained. “I saw the ladder starting to slide, but I couldn’t get out of the way entirely. It landed stretched out across the whole lane and there were cars on either side of us.
Mierda
!”

“You did the best you could. No one’s hurt. It blew one of the tires, that’s all.” Eli rubbed the back of Alanso’s neck as he spoke. “Pretty great driving there, Al.”

Kaige looked angry as he wrapped Nola in his arms and rubbed her belly. Still, he was able to keep his temper in check so that he didn’t upset his fiancée or their unborn child any more than they’d already been shaken up by the wreck.

Tom glanced around from person to person, nodding as he made sure they were each all right.

“The bad news is that we had to ditch the spare tire to fit in everyone’s crap.” Bryce groaned. “How bad is it? Maybe we can make a patch to get us to the next exit.”

Amber squinted at the shredded tread. She didn’t have to be an expert to know there was no way. “You’re mechanics, not MacGyver. What do you need? Write it down and I’ll call a cab to go pick it up.”

She already had her browser open and her finger hovering over the link for the nearest cab company as she mentally calculated the length of the delay and the impact to her schedule. Sabra loomed over her shoulder with her ever-present video camera. At least this would make for some drama on the
Hot Rods
reality show.

“You’re not going alone.” Eli shook his head. “In fact, this thing is huge. Heavy and dirty, probably. One of us can handle it. Just because you’re planning the wedding doesn’t mean you’re our slave. Jesus. Let someone else do this.”

She didn’t pay him much mind.

Before she could tap the link and put in a request to the online dispatcher, a loud rumble startled her. She took a few steps farther away from the road. So did everyone else. Buster McHightops barked like a maniac as a motorcycle rolled onto the shoulder.

The damn thing nearly deafened Amber.

Badass and beefy, the bike
was
undeniably sexy. Deep blue metallic paint glinted in the afternoon sunlight and a painting of a lone wolf was revealed when the rider climbed off.

The man who’d wrangled the machine wasn’t bad either. His long legs were encased in denim and his charcoal T-shirt was partially obscured by a black leather motorcycle jacket with more zippers than seemed entirely necessary. The contraption made Amber want to bury her nose in it and breathe deep.

When he flipped up his visor, a piercing gaze bored into her as if he could feel her gawking, mentally undressing him in a way she never would have admitted to. The tattoos she glimpsed disappearing into the wrist of his jacket would decorate the solid muscles she could tell were hiding beneath soft cotton.

“Wow,” Nola murmured from beside her.

“Hey!” Kaige growled.

“Sorry.” She laughed. “I may be taken, but I’m not blind. Besides, I might as well be invisible. He’s staring at my sister.”

“Is not.” Amber turned to Nola, breaking the connection with the newcomer. She felt the snap of it recoiling in her guts as if it had been a physical link. Something about him fascinated her. Drew her in. Made him seem…familiar?

Roman roared and rushed past her to greet the mystery man, putting his arms around the guy’s broad, leather-clad shoulders for a brusque man-hug followed by a solid fist bump. No one could hear their exchange in the rush of traffic passing nearby. Eli waved them over to join the rest of the Hot Rods assembled on the shoulder of the highway.

The way the guy swaggered, calm, sure, and with the tiniest hint of a limp, clued her in.

He was familiar because she’d seen him before. Even at a distance, he’d intrigued her.

“This is Gavyn, Kayla’s brother.”

Amber heard what Roman was saying. Hell, she even knew who the guy was, having noticed him wandering through the background on videochats with the Powertools before. He was living temporarily-but-not-so-temporarily at Bare Natural while he got himself clean, sober and on his feet.

“I swerved to miss that fucking ladder too. On a motorcycle, well, yeah… It’d have hurt more than in your bus, that’s for sure. I started to pull over to call the cops so they can pick it up, and that’s when I saw your ride. Figured it could only belong to one group of crazy mechanics I know given that paint job.” He held out his hand to Roman for a high five. “It’s badass. Good job.”

Amber still couldn’t do more than gape at Gavyn as her mouth went dry and her knees threatened to buckle.
Get it together. Fix the problem. Don’t get distracted. Not now.

She shook her head, pressing the bump that had formed with two fingers when it throbbed softly. And that’s when she realized Eli had been explaining their plan.

“No need to call a cab. I’ll take you into town. I’m already here. It’s no problem.” He held out his hand to Amber. She couldn’t bring herself to take it. If she did, she might not be able to let go of those strong, thick fingers encased in driving gloves that left his knuckles bare.

Her hesitation went on long enough to be apparent.

“Go ahead, Amber.” Her mother betrayed her, her mouth curled up slightly on one side. “The rest of these big lugs aren’t going to make very good riding partners for this nice fellow.”

“I’m not dressed for…” She rounded on her mom with wide eyes, hoping she could transmit the
what-the-hell-are-you-doing
glare she intended.

“Nothing prettier than a woman in a skirt on the back of a motorcycle,” Alanso practically purred. “You’re dressed perfectly for this job,
chica
.”

And her own damn sister pushed her over the edge. “Go ahead, sis. I dare you.”

Because Amber never had been able to refuse a challenge.

“Fine.” She marched over to their savior and steeled herself for the full-body contact they were about to make as she straddled his wide machine. “I’m counting on you to drive faster than some damn cab.”

Both for the sake of her timeline and her sanity.

“You got it.” He took her hand, then lifted it to the gap in his helmet, placing a kiss on her knuckles. His lips were warm and demanding enough to make her wonder what it would be like to have his mouth on hers without more than a dozen of their closest friends and family looking on. “Anything for a lady.”

Gavyn assisted her up the grassy incline, then watched without blinking as she hiked her skirt to the very tops of her thighs. Why had she thought a pencil skirt was the right choice for today?

“Nice,” she thought she heard him murmur before flipping his visor closed and climbing onboard. He kept the motorcycle steady as she scrambled on behind him, loving the feel of the warm metal and leather between her legs.

“Closer,” he instructed as he grasped her hands and placed them on his tight abs. “Hang on tight. We’re not going far, but you don’t have a helmet and I assume you don’t ride much.”

More like never.

She’d
never
ridden a motorcycle, or a man, as fine as this one.

Holy shitballs.

Even the new mega-organizing binder she’d had her eye on hadn’t excited her as much as Gavyn.
What the hell?
she thought as she hid her smile against his strong shoulder.

Make lemonade.

Chapter Two

Sunlight streamed through the canopy of leaves overhead. Gavyn steered his custom chopper between the golden shafts and took a deep breath. A warm spring day after a long, hard winter plus a smoking hot woman riding his bike with him, hugging him as he took the curves in the road… He couldn’t ask for more than that.

Everything seemed new and green and fresh. Maybe because of the quality time he’d spent on introspection lately, or maybe because nature was coming out of hibernation once more.

Either way, he’d take it.

It was great to feel clean for once.

To
be
clean.

At least when surrounded with things this pleasant. It was clear to him now that Kayla, his sister, was the smartest of his siblings. She’d ditched their high-priced lifestyle for something that spoke to her soul. She lived in the mountains at her resort, surrounded by natural beauty, and worked as a masseuse, relieving people’s pain. Providing a safe haven for them to express themselves without recrimination.

That was what he should have done instead of listening to the urgings of their father about what the world would require of him—a way to support a wife, a family, carry on their legacy—which had landed him a fancy law degree, a massive paycheck and an even bigger headache to go with it. He’d spent the past ten years listening to divorcing couples spew hatred at each other every minute of his working day, which had expanded to fill nearly all of his waking hours.

No wonder he’d started to drink.

Plenty of people did to cope with the shit life dealt them.

But why the hell hadn’t he been able to stop?

The answer to that mystery still eluded him despite several stints in rehab, like the last one, where he’d met Roman Daily. Whether he knew it or not, that guy had changed Gavyn’s life. Convinced him it was worth fighting to break his self-destructive cycle.

The woman perched behind him, groping his chest and belly as if her wandering hands were necessary for her safety, seemed like a fitting reward for the fierce battling he’d done—against himself and his urges—lately.

Gavyn was tempted to take the long way to the garage in town. But he didn’t. After all, he was trying to be good these days. No lying. No booze. No drugs.

No more one-night stands.

Shit, he might have to rethink that last part.

Not that a woman as classy as his passenger would indulge his base instincts. He sighed as they rolled into the lot of the garage.

Amber practically launched from behind him the moment they came to a stop, as if her ass was spring-loaded. A chuckle rumbled from his chest despite his disappointment at the removal of her heat and clutching hold.

After swinging his leg over the bike and tugging off his helmet, he spun to find her yanking the hopelessly crumpled fabric of her skirt into place somewhere around the middle of her svelte thighs. It didn’t do much to obscure the gorgeous lengths of her ultra-long legs.

As discreetly at possible, he adjusted his stiff cock. Not that he minded if she knew how badly he wanted her—more than a drink at the moment, and that was saying something. It was painful, how hard she made him.

He hadn’t gotten laid since the bender he’d gone on that had landed him in rehab the last time. That probably didn’t help either. But he was honest enough with himself, these days, to admit there was something different about Amber. Something irresistible.

Especially for a man with poor self-control.

“Well…” She cleared her throat. “Thanks for the ride. I’ve got this from here.”

Gavyn laughed. “I’m not going to take off just like that. Come on. Let’s go see if they have the size Eli needs. Otherwise, I’ll find somewhere else to try.”

Amber shrugged, then spun on her sexy black heels. He’d spent enough time around women in suits that he wouldn’t have expected to get turned on by one. Usually the brass-balled women he’d crossed paths with were either scheming to steal their husbands’ fortunes or representing some dickhead who deserved to lose every penny.

This woman had a stick wedged so far up her ass he thought he might be able to see it if she opened her mouth wide enough, but she lacked that killer instinct most of his fellow lawyers—or the cunning, underhanded divorcées he’d had a reputation for representing—had possessed.

The combination of softness over a steel core tempted him to needle her for the sole purpose of seeing what would happen. True, he was short on entertainment these days. No parties, not much to do except think up at his sister’s place. So he jogged to catch up to her long strides, then slipped his hand up until it rested against the small of her back.

She shot him a look that promised she’d chop his arm off if he didn’t move it quickly.

Gavyn called her bluff.

Too polite to cause a ruckus when they needed assistance, she leveled a glare at him yet kept the magnificent smile on her face as she approached the service station counter, with him right beside her.

“Hey, man.” The owner, Marcus, grinned. “Back already? Something wrong with the part?”

“Didn’t get to install it yet.” Gavyn chuckled. “Found me a stray on the side of the road.”

“Gavyn,” Amber hissed.

He knew he shouldn’t tease her, but he couldn’t help himself. It was too damn much fun.

“Somehow I doubt that.” Marcus scanned Amber from head to toe. His naked appreciation had Gavyn tightening his hold on her.

“Actually, some douchebag had a ladder unsecured in their truck bed. It flew out and some of my friends hit it. Nothing too major, thankfully. I happened to be coming by and saw them stranded. They blew out a tire on their bus.” He shrugged. “I figured you were the best shot at a replacement around here.”

“Are these friends the gang that are coming into town for the weddings?” Marcus asked.

“Yup.” Gavyn nodded.

“What size?” Marcus asked.

Amber fished in her bag for the neat, precisely folded paper Eli had scrawled the information on. She handed it over to the local mechanic, who hummed and began to pound away on the battered keyboard at his workstation. After about ten thousand keystrokes, he flashed them an okay sign.

“So you have it in stock?” Amber asked.

“Yep,” Marcus confirmed.

“How much is it?”

“For the Hot Rods, it’s free. Hell, I’ll even follow you two out there with the flatbed and deliver it myself.” He smiled. “Just make sure you introduce me and say the name of our garage nice and loud on film, huh?”

Gavyn laughed.

“That can be arranged.” Amber nodded. She immediately fired off a text on her phone, her manicured nail flying so quickly across the smooth screen that her finger blurred.

Something about her proficiency made him want to get her dirty, messed up. Maybe it would make him feel better about the fact that he couldn’t seem to get his own shit together. Ever.

“Just give me a few to haul this out of the storage locker and load up the truck.” Marcus gestured to the waiting room. “You can have a seat here if you want. With weather like this, most people prefer the bench over there, though. Whatever works.”

Without consulting each other, Amber and Gavyn headed outside. As he held the door for her, he couldn’t help but notice the rich vanilla-and-spice scent of her skin. It dared him to lick her. Everything about her turned him on.

“You know these guys?” Amber asked as she perched on the edge of the seat, though it wasn’t really a question. “Could have mentioned that.”

“Yeah. I’ve been pestering them with questions, since I’d like to open a shop of my own. One focused on custom bikes.” Gavyn tried to play it cool, as if the idea alone hadn’t carried him through some rough nights over the past several months.

“That’s right.” Her eyes lit up at the prospect of a new business. “Kayla asked if I would help you with some strategy for the venture. Between my sister and me, we should be able to come up with something. I just hope I can fit it in with all this wedding stuff. And honestly, because of her experience with the Hot Rods, Nola would probably be better for the job.”

“I’d rather have you.” He didn’t have to lie. Spending time with Amber wouldn’t be a hardship. Sexy
and
smart. Now he was really turned on.

“Seriously, she won’t mind helping. And she’ll have more time than me this week since I’ve tried to keep everything off her plate so she can relax, enjoy the wedding and make the most of the pre-baby time with Kaige,” Amber reasoned.

“Well, if that was your goal, I certainly won’t ruin it by hogging her romantic getaway with her groom.” He’d been selfish enough these past few years. “What if I help you out and you do the same for me?”

The idea popped into his brain and he’d offered before he even considered it. Once he did, he figured he was some kind of genius. Or more like an idiot savant.

“Hmm?” She peeked up from her phone then and drew her purse tighter to her torso, as if he’d threatened to mug her instead of lightening her load.

“You know, you boss me around during the day. Use me however you like.” He wiggled his brows at her. “And when you’re finished sooner than you’d otherwise be, we can talk about the shop. Or I could buy you dinner every night and we could discuss it there. Or even later, in bed, if that’s your style.”

“I don’t mix business with pleasure, Gavyn.”

“Then forget that other shit and let me kiss you instead.” He leaned closer.

“Are you nuts? We just met,” she protested, though she seemed to be scrambling for reasons to reject him when he was coming up with an equal number of arguments to the contrary. As if she could sense the stubborn intensity he was about to aim at her, she stood from the bench. So he did too.

“Did you know I’m a lawyer? Well, used to be.” He shrugged. “I’m a professional arguer. You’re not going to shut me up easily. Unless you put your mouth over mine, anyway. That’ll do the trick.”

Instead of waiting for her to advance, he did it for her.

For a moment, she didn’t seem like she would object.

Amber blinked up at him as he neared, his mouth a hairsbreadth from hers. She sighed, parting her lips and brushing up against him the slightest bit.

Without her tacit approval, he plundered the moist paradise before him. He nibbled on her plump and glossy lower lip before exploring the fullness of her lush mouth well enough to confirm she was delicious. His fingers fisted in her hair, tipping her head back for better access.

It happened fast. From the initial taste of her to him craving a bigger portion. And he wasn’t the kind of man used to saying no to himself. Gavyn wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her flush against his body as he deepened the exchange.

Amber cupped his shoulders with her hands. She didn’t use the leverage to push him away, though. Instead, she held him steady when she wrenched her head back and jammed her knee into his balls much quicker than he would have imagined possible.

“Jesus!” He bent in half and swallowed a whole riot of curses as pain assaulted him in waves. He glanced up at her just long enough to make sure she wasn’t going to bolt before blackness fuzzed the edges of his vision.

“Oh shit, sorry.” Amber put her hands on her cheeks, looking mortified. “It’s instinct. I just…I don’t let strange guys make out with me in broad daylight like that.”

After sucking in a few shaky breaths, he tried to show her he wasn’t pissed. Hell, she had been justified, and he admired her strength. “How about after dark?”

“Oh my God!” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “You are absolutely incredible! You know that?”

“Thank you.” He grinned, though he knew she hadn’t intended her rant as a compliment. Still, he did enjoy verbal sparring. It was about the only thing he’d really excelled at in his life so far.

Muttering under her breath about fool men, Amber marched to his bike, leaving him to scrunch his eyes in pain for a few moments before attempting to straighten up fully. He mumbled, “Son of a motherfucking cocksucker” under his breath while wishing she didn’t have quite such good aim.

Which was when the flatbed pulled up next to him, the window open.

“For the sake of your manhood, which has already taken a beating…” Marcus slapped Gavyn on the shoulder. “Let’s pretend I didn’t see that.”

“Good idea.” He groaned then walked, slowly and somewhat stooped, over to his bike.

When he got there, he was grateful for the dull ache in his crotch that had him thinking clearly once more because it allowed him to really study Amber, ensuring she was truly pissed off and not upset or afraid. Which was when he noticed the faint bruise shadowing her skin. Her rich complexion had made it difficult to spot before, but now she stood in a wash of light. Instead of molesting her, he should have been making sure she was okay.

“I’m sorry—”

“My fault.” He held up his hands as if in surrender. “And I’m not sorry, so you shouldn’t be either. It was worth it.”

She took a step toward the flatbed as if she’d hitch with Marcus instead. Gavyn caught her elbow. Only long enough to turn her around, not to earn another ball-smashing. This time he was gentle when he reached out, his fingertips brushing her left cheekbone. “Is this from the wreck?”

“Yeah, it’s fine.” She shrugged.

“I’d like to hear that from an expert. Unless you’re a doctor as well as a ninja.” He grimaced, knowing she wouldn’t much care for his next maneuver. “You’re not dizzy or anything, are you? Maybe you shouldn’t be riding on the back of my bike.”

The thought hurt worse than her kneecap in his nuts, but he wouldn’t put her at risk.

“Seriously, it’s sore, that’s all. A headache. That could just be my luck today, though.”

“Okay.” He nodded, probably making her think he’d let it go.

But he hadn’t.

“Hey, Marcus!” he shouted. “I’m taking Amber to the clinic to get checked out. The Hot Rods are stranded near mile marker 239 on 70, heading east. Can you take care of that?”

“Not a problem.” He waved, then left with a roar of his engine that drowned out Amber’s protests.

“I don’t have time for—”

“Taking care of yourself is top priority. Put yourself first, if only for the hour this will take.” He turned serious as he studied her. “Believe me, I’ve learned that the hard way. And I already told you I’ll help you out, be your assistant. Even if you didn’t like my terms very much.”