Treasuring Amber: The Temptation Saga: Book Five (5 page)

BOOK: Treasuring Amber: The Temptation Saga: Book Five
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Amber shook her head. “The steaks can wait. I want to take you up on your previous offer. I’d like to go to bed.”

Chapter Six

A
crackle
of energy passed through the air—hot, raw, and carnal. Amber’s skin sizzled. Did Harper feel it too? A deep sexual hunger stirred to life in her gut.

Harper turned out to be a gentle lover. He removed her clothes with care, slowly and deliberately, to the point where she wished he’d hurry up a little. The spiral of need burst out of her belly and flowed like molten honey through her veins. Her arousal—unlike anything she’d ever known—sent sparks over her whole body.

Every touch tingled as though she were holding a blow torch. She looked down at his crotch, at the arousal apparent beneath his jeans. She gulped and dragged her gaze back up to his face. His dark eyes consumed her with raw need. Sensations of ice and fire raced up her spine. Her hunger for him gnawed at her, and the tickle between her legs intensified.

He’d discarded her shirt already, and he stroked up her ribs, to the edge of her bra. She leaned toward him, as though a magnet drew her. His finger reached underneath her bra and stroked the sensitive skin of her breast.

Her breath caught. Her nipples tightened against the satin of her bra. Slowly, slowly he caressed, until the need to shout at him to take the damn bra off almost overwhelmed her.

As though he read her mind, he deftly unhooked the offending garment and tossed it to the floor. Her ample breasts fell gently against her chest. The air hit her nipples and they tightened even further. He leaned down, and his firm wet mouth closed over one peak.

Such sweet suction, such gentleness. He drew on the nipple, sucking, tonguing, teasing. The ache between her legs heightened. With his other hand he cupped her other breast, and she leaned into him, letting his palm rub against her, hold her. Fingers clamped around the nipple and she sucked in a breath. Just a touch of pain, the right amount. It spiraled downward and intensified her need.

“Mmm. Beautiful.” His breath caressed her skin. “Gorgeous breasts, baby.”

Thank you
, she said in her mind. It came out as a soft sigh, the air blowing wisps of his silky hair into further disarray.

His other hand wandered to her crotch. Through her jeans, he rubbed her most intimate place. “Are you getting wet, baby? Wet for me?”

Another sigh was her answer.

“I’m hard for you, Amber. So hard. God, I want you.”

Amber wasn’t sure she’d ever wanted a man this much, this intensely. How could this be happening? With Harper Bay? Brother to her best friend? They didn’t have chemistry did they? Couldn’t possibly.

Yet her body responded to his touch like it had to no other man’s. Not that she was overly experienced. In fact, she hadn’t ever had a serious relationship. A couple dates here and there, two one-night stands, one of which had been a drunken mistake. What did it feel like to have real chemistry? To fall in love?

She foisted the thought from her mind. This was not love. Harper certainly wasn’t in love with her. So he knew a few things about her past now and he didn’t hold them against her. That didn’t mean he was in love with her. To the contrary, it only meant he was a nice guy.

Was it too soon to fall in bed with him?

Yeah, it really was. She pulled away.

“Baby? You all right?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. I’m just not sure this is the right thing to do after all.”

“Oh?”

“I mean, we hardly know each other.”

He pushed a stray curl behind her ear. “I know I’m attracted to you. I know I’m hard for you. I want you. And I know you want me. If I reached into your panties right now I’d find you wet. I can tell by looking at you. Your cheeks are ruddy, your eyes smoky, your lips swollen and trembling. You want this, Amber.”

She couldn’t deny it. “It’s not a question of what I want. It’s a question of what is right.”

“We’re attracted to each other. We want each other. What’s not right about that?”

How could she tell him when she didn’t know herself? All she knew is that Harper was someone special. Someone she could actually imagine a future with. And she didn’t have time for a man right now.

Well, that wasn’t exactly true. She’d just decided against men for the time being. She wanted to finally be her own person and not be subject to the whims of men like she’d been during those years at Rachel’s.

But Harper? Yes, Harper was a decent guy. A guy she could fall for. So the last thing she wanted was a one-night stand with him. If she slept with him now, she’d destroy any chance for a relationship.

Was he even looking for a relationship? Probably not. Still, sleeping with him now felt both very right and very wrong.

Very right because she was wet and horny and extremely attracted to him.

Very wrong because he was the type of guy she wanted in her future, and she might destroy that possibility if she fell into bed with him on the first date.

“I’m sorry. I know I said I wanted this.” She scooted away from him. Had to be away from him to get her body under control. Still she shuddered. It wasn’t working. “I was feeling close to you. I told you things I haven’t told anyone, and I’m not really sure why. But I don’t sleep around. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about me.”

He cocked his head. “You worked at Rachel’s.”

A sword of anger lanced through her. How dare he assume— “As a dancer, damn it. Not as a prostitute!”

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that.” He stood. “I’m a big boy. It’s been a long time since I’ve slept with anyone, and the truth is, I’m horny as hell for you. But I’m also a gentleman. I understand a lady can change her mind.”

“Thank you.” She smiled, and her anxiety eased a bit. “I assure you I’m not in the habit of being a tease. If you want me to go, I will. We don’t need to have dinner.”

His dark eyes danced as he grinned. “Of course we do. I’ve got the steaks all ready to go. I hope you’ll stay.”

Thank God he wasn’t angry. “I’d love to stay. Thank you.”

“But if you expect me to have dinner with you and not jump your bones right here and now, you have to do something for me.”

“Of course. What’s that?”

An adorable dimple cut into his left cheek. “Put your shirt back on, baby. Right now you look good enough to eat.”

Amber warmed as she donned her bra and shirt. “Better?”

“Not really,” he teased, “but it’ll do for now. There’s one thing we need to get clear though.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“I like you, Miss Amber, and I’m not done tryin’ to get you into my bed.”

She laughed. “That’s fine by me. If we continue to go out and we like each other, that’s where we’ll end up. I’m looking forward to it.”

His dark eyes gleamed. “So am I.” He stood. “Now about those steaks.”

“I’ll get our salad ready.”

She went to the kitchen to start work as Harper went outside to the patio to put the steaks on the grill. He came back in with a serious look on his face.

“One thing I want to know.”

“Sure. What?”

“How did no one know till now that Thunder Morgan is your dad?”

“I never told anyone his name till you.” She shook her head. “Funny. I told you a lot of things tonight that I never talk about. My mother, for example. Rachel’s. I’ve never told Catie or Angie any of that stuff.”

“Still, you knew his name.”

“You got a cutting board?” Amber rinsed off a tomato. “I knew it was Morgan Cross, not Thunder Morgan.”

Harper grabbed the board out of a cupboard and handed it to her. “True. I guess most people wouldn’t know his real name. I only know it because he was friends with my dad.”

“Can you tell me a little about him?” She sliced into the tomato’s red flesh.

“Careful, I’ve nearly de-fingered myself with that knife.” He winked. “He’s a good guy. Retired now.”

“How old is he?”

“I haven’t a clue. Probably in his late fifties or early sixties. He knew my dad from his days on the western slope. He worked as a ranch hand for my great-grandpa when he was just starting out. Once he took a few good-size rodeo purses, he left the ranch and went out on the circuit. Never married, never had kids. Or rather, I never knew he had kids. My guess is he doesn’t know either.”

“I seriously thought my mother made up the name to put on the birth certificate.” She dumped the tomato into the salad bowl and began chopping a few scallions.

“He’s a real person, and she told you he was a bronc buster, right?”

“Yeah. They must have met when he was in Texas doing a rodeo or something. She never told me more than his name and the fact he busted broncs. I stopped asking after a while. Then she kicked me out.”

“Why? Why did she kick you out?”

Amber sighed and tossed some bagged lettuce into the bowl. “Who knows? She was a drunk, Harper. I have no clue why she did half the things she did. I wasn’t much of an expense to her. I did all the cooking and cleaning. If I didn’t the place was a sty.”

“Did she work?”

“At the post office, yeah.”

“At least she held down a job.”

“As far as I know. Once I left I never looked back. I have no idea what she’s doing now.”

“You mean you haven’t seen her?”

“Heck no.” Amber tossed the salad to keep her hands busy while past emotion crept into her. She held it at bay. “Why would I want to see the woman who kicked me out of her house when I was only sixteen? If it weren’t for my friend Laura taking me in, I’d have been on the streets.”

“I guess I can’t blame you.” Harper’s arms slipped around her waist from the back. “I’m sorry life was so tough for you. It’s hard to imagine a mother not wanting her child. My mother loves her children so much.”

“You don’t know how lucky you are.”

“I was mad as hell when I found out she’d duped my dad about Angie’s paternity. It wasn’t fair to him or to Jeff, my uncle.”

“Angie’s real father, yeah I know.” Amber leaned back into Harper’s hard chest. Instantly her agitation lessened. Ahhh. What a remedy for the anxiety produced by the subject of her mother.

“But I’m beginning to understand why she did it.” Harper’s breath was warm against her scalp. “She did it for Angie. To give her a good life. She married a man she didn’t love so her child would have a great life. There’s a lot of selflessness in that.”

“There’s a ton of selflessness in that, Harper. Don’t hold a grudge forever.”

“You should take your own advice, baby.” He turned her around to face him. “Do you ever think about seeing your mother? Working things out?”

Her tummy churned. Here came the agitation again. “There’s a huge difference. My mother never did anything out of selflessness. Who in hell kicks out a sixteen-year-old girl? That’s plain selfish.”

“True enough.” Harper trailed one finger over her outer ear. “Maybe she had her reasons though.”

“Yeah. She couldn’t afford me plus the booze. Typical Karen Hedstrom priorities.”

“That’s her name? Karen Hedstrom?”

“Yup.”

“And you never knew your father at all?”

“Nope. She never saw him again after that night.”

Harper’s brow furrowed. “Interesting.”

“Why?”

“Why she’d put his name on your birth certificate. Give you his last name.”

Amber shrugged. “Doesn’t seem so weird to me.”

“Maybe not. You’re twenty-two right?”

“That’s right.”

“Twenty-two years ago Thunder Morgan was already pretty well-known. If you are truly his daughter, why wouldn’t your mother have tried to contact him to get child support?”

“Don’t ask me. I have no idea how Karen’s mind works. She was probably too inebriated to think of it.”

“Hmm. Doesn’t seem to make sense.”

“It’s too late now. I’m way too old to get child support. He wasn’t there when it counted.”

Amber tried to turn around and grab the salad bowl, but Harper stopped her. “If you’d known your father was famous, would you have tried to contact him?”

“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “Why the third degree, Harper? Maybe he’s not even my father. I really don’t care. I’ve made it on my own for the last six years. I don’t plan to start taking help from anyone now.”

“I’m not saying you need his help. But wouldn’t you like to know him?”

“What good would it do now? He didn’t want me before.”

“Baby, that’s not fair.” His strong hands gripped her shoulders. “He didn’t
know
about you before.”

She sighed. “Look. You now know more about me than pretty much anyone in the world. Could we just eat our steaks?”

“Crap, the steaks!”

He ran outside. A few minutes later he returned. “Well, they won’t be blue, but they’ll be medium rare. That okay with you?”

She laughed. “That’s just fine. I’ll put the salad on the table. And when we sit down to eat, could we please talk about something besides my genetic makeup?”

“Absolutely.” He brushed his lips over hers.

Chapter Seven

H
arper had
a perpetual hard on thanks to Amber Cross. And he had a sneaking suspicion that she
was
his type after all. He’d have loved to screw her brains out the previous evening. In fact, he’d brought it up because he’d assumed she’d hop in the sack with him. She’d worked as a stripper, right? Course that didn’t mean she was easy, and he berated himself for being so prejudiced. Even so, she’d almost gone through with it. When she changed her mind he thought he’d explode. But now, having had the night to ponder it, he was glad they hadn’t done the deed.

Amber Cross was special. Maybe even the one. He’d never in a million years imagined it would be her. But clearly they had chemistry, both physical and emotional.

She wasn’t a quick fuck.

The girl’d had one hard life.
For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why her mother wouldn’t have gone after Thunder Morgan for child support. Unless Thunder Morgan wasn’t Amber’s father after all. But then why would Karen have named him on her birth certificate?

Amber was holding something back. Harper wasn’t sure what it was, but he was sure of one thing.

He was going to find out.

A
mber had Sunday off
. She relaxed in her studio apartment above the beauty salon. It was tiny but cheap, and it worked for her. She had finally saved up enough money to buy a tablet, and she fired it up after she’d downed her first cup of coffee.

Her Google search? None other than sweet Daddy himself, Thunder Morgan.

He had his own web site, of course.

Her heart nearly stopped. There on the web page were her light brown eyes.

She’d always been a dead ringer for Karen Hedstrom, except for the eyes.

He was handsome—sandy gold hair graying at the temples. An older man now, but she flipped through his gallery and caught sight of him in his younger years. Wow. Buff and beefy, just the way Karen liked her men.

Why on earth would he have been interested in bedding a worn-out drunk like her mother?

And why, why,
why
hadn’t her mother gone after him for child support?

Harper was right. Something was up with this story. Amber scanned each page of the web site. Nowhere was the name Morgan Cross mentioned. She did a Google search cross referencing the two names. Nothing.

Either Thunder Morgan was not Morgan Cross, or he had left that name behind for some reason.

Two things niggled at her.

First, Harper would not lie. He was Catie’s brother, and he was a good man. He wasn’t a liar. If he knew Morgan Cross was the birth name of bronc buster Thunder Morgan, that was how it was.

Second. She couldn’t overlook it or deny it. The man stared at her from her computer screen with her own eyes.

“I’ll be damned,” she said aloud.

She had questions. Tons of questions. She should go to Karen. But she hadn’t spoken to the woman since she’d been kicked out of her house. What would she do? Go to San Antonio and show up on her doorstep?

Hi, I’m the daughter you threw out with the trash. Uh, how come you neglected to tell me my father was Thunder Morgan? And how come you neglected to tell him he had a kid?

She couldn’t do any of those things. She didn’t have two nickels to rub together. How would she get to San Antonio? On her looks? Hardly.

Her cell phone interrupted her thoughts.

She smiled. It was Harper. They’d exchanged numbers last night.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he said. “Feel like some coffee?”

“I’m on my second cup already.” She laughed.

“How about I come get you and we’ll head to Rena’s for some more. And maybe a croissant or two?”

“A croissant? You mean a cowboy like you doesn’t want a hearty bacon and egg breakfast?”

His chuckle warmed her ears. “Well, that does sound good.”

“Come on over to my place then. I’ll make you breakfast. And my coffee’s better than Rena’s.”

“Better than Rena’s? Them’s fightin’ words.”

“She brews a good pot, for sure. But mine’s better. Strong, thick, and black, like my men.”

“Huh?”

She giggled into the phone. “Just a joke, cowboy. From a movie I saw once.”

“I won’t turn that down. I’ll be over in half an hour or so.”

She took a quick shower and let her hair hang in wet waves around her face and shoulders. Then she tidied up the place, which didn’t take long given its size, and started a fresh pot of coffee. She looked in her small fridge. Plenty of eggs and bacon, good. Also a few apples and a few cartons of yogurt. That was about it. Time to do some shopping. She’d get to that later today.

She started the bacon, and by the time a knock sounded on her door, the tiny place was alive with the aroma of smoky pork.

“Come in,” she called.

“Hi there.” Harper entered carrying a bouquet of wild flowers. He handed them to her.

“Thank you. That’s so sweet.” She grabbed a jar out of a cupboard and put the flowers in water.

“I’ve never been up here before,” he said.

“It’s small but comfy. It’s actually really convenient to have everything in one room.”

He sat down on the edge of the bed. “A double, huh? Not a lot of room.”

“Don’t need a lot of room just for me.” She gave him what she hoped was a teasing smile and served up a plate of bacon and eggs. “Here you go.”

“Smells great.”

“Just sit down at my little table there.” She pointed. “Dig in.”

“You’ve fixed this little place up real nice.”

“It worked well since this is about all I had to bring with me. I roomed with my friend Laura and another girl in San Antonio. Most of the furniture belonged to the other girl. I was thrilled when Judy showed me this place. I knew I wouldn’t have to go out and buy a lot of stuff I couldn’t afford.”

“Makes sense.” He took a bite of eggs. “Mmm. Good. So, I’ve been thinking.”

“About what?”

“About your situation.”

She gulped down a sip of coffee, her nerves on edge. Was he going to bring up Rachel’s again? “What situation might that be?”

“About your dad, Thunder Morgan.”

Oh, that was all. She breathed easier. “Funny you should mention him. I was just doing some research this morning.”

“And?”

“And he was already a pretty big name by the time he hooked up with my mother. So I’m confused why she didn’t tell him about me.”

“Maybe she didn’t know how to get in touch with him. The world wide web wasn’t as worldwide twenty-two years ago.”

“That’s true, but he was a pretty big name, especially in rodeo country.”

Harper swallowed his mouthful. “Well, there’s one way to find all this out.”

“And that is?”

“You could ask her.”

Amber nodded. She’d thought of that, but… “Yeah, I suppose. But I literally haven’t seen her or spoken to her since she kicked me out.”

“So?”

Clearly Harper wasn’t getting it. Of course not. He’d had a model childhood. “It’s a little awkward.”

“She’s your mother, and you deserve some answers.”

“I deserve a lot of answers. Doesn’t mean I’m going to get any.”

“Can’t hurt to try.”

She sighed and pushed her plate to the side. “The thing is, Harper, it
can
hurt. I don’t want to go back to San Antonio. I left for a reason. I got the hell out of Rachel’s. I don’t want to go back there.”

“Even to find out more about who you are?”

“Can’t I find out from here? I mean, you said you know Thunder Morgan. You could contact him.”

“Yes, I could do that, I suppose.”

“Would you?”

“For you?” He leaned forward—the table was so small—and brushed his lips against hers. “Anything.”

Her skin erupted in tiny bumps. Just a small peck, and here she was ready to hop into the sack with him again. And with her bed only twenty feet away—in plain view, still rumpled—it’d be darn easy.

Nope. Not going there. Not tumbling into bed with Harper just because he was tousled and sexy and oh so sweet to her.

She stood. “More coffee?”

He shook his head. “I’m doing fine. What are you doing the rest of the day?”

“No plans. I need to hit the grocery store. Pretty much all I had left was eggs and bacon. You got lucky this morning.”

“Not as lucky as I’d like to.” His voice was soft, husky, so very masculine.

She swooned just a little bit.

“I’ve been thinkin’,” he said, his voice huskier than seconds before.

“About what?”

“About us.”

“There’s an us?”

“There could be, I think. I’m not lookin’ for anything serious. Not just yet, anyway.”

“Neither am I,” she said and meant it, but her heart sank just a little.

“But I know one thing. I really want to kiss you right now.”

He stood and took the coffee pot from her hands. Amber’s breath caught as his finger trailed over her lower lip.

“You have such a gorgeous red mouth, baby.” He cupped both of her cheeks and touched his lips to hers. The kiss was light and teasing, just enough to still her resistance.

Not that she had any resistance. What a crock.

He tasted of the robust coffee, the smoky bacon, with just a hint of minty outdoorsiness, an unexpected taste of wildness. He brushed his firm full sexy lips back and forth over hers.

Her eyelids fluttered closed, and she gave herself to the kiss, to the passion and desire that flowed between them. How difficult it would be not to fall in bed with this man! The moist heat of his mouth against hers tormented her, made her want more. Made her want all of him.

The kiss became stronger, more possessive, every bit as raw and unapologetic as it was tender and sweet.

Perfect
.

The perfect kiss.

She sighed into his mouth, let her tongue entwine with his. She thrust her hands into his silky hair, let it flow through her fingers. So soft, like silk fringe—and beautiful, tousled, and sexy like the rest of him.

His groan vibrated against her lips and gums. The pressure of his lips increased, and he kissed her as though he wanted to devour her right then and there.

Without thinking, she stepped backward, backward, until the back of her legs hit the side of her bed. She sat, pulling him with her, until they were lying, him on top, still kissing with the frantic desire of new lovers.

His lips left her mouth and crept over her cheek to her ear. “I want to give you pleasure, Amber. I want to show you how good I can make you feel.”

Yes, yes, yes,
she said in her mind. Her sex pulsed between her legs. Her nipples tightened into buds so hard she was sure they’d freeze and fall off. They ached for his lips, his teeth, his tongue. She wanted to rip off her clothes and climb on top of him.

His strong hands roamed over her shoulders, across the swell of her breasts still covered by clothing. Fingers fumbled at the waistband of her jeans, and soon he was tugging them over her hips.

“Is this okay?” he whispered.

She nodded.

“Naughty girl. No panties.”

She let out a soft laugh. “I was in a hurry.”

He tossed her jeans on the floor. She lay, her body taut and full of tension, tight as a bowstring, her breasts and shoulders still covered, but naked from the waist down.

He touched her clit, and she nearly shattered right there. He rubbed her softly, moved downward into her folds.

“Mmm. So wet for me, baby.”

Her body thrummed to the point she was sure he could hear the low purr. She thrashed her head from side to side on her rumpled comforter.

His fingers picked up speed, just a little, and he eased one inside of her while his thumb circled her clit.

She sighed.

“You like that, baby? Do I make you feel good?”

She closed her eyes, basked in the warmth covering her body, the desire flowing through her veins. “Yes, yes. Just like that, Harper.”

“Mmm. You’re beautiful. I need to taste you.”

When his lips replaced his thumb on her clit, she soared to the ceiling. It had been a long time since anyone had made her feel this good. She wasn’t sure anyone ever had, truth be told.

Sensation after sensation bombarded her body.

“God, baby, you’re so sweet,” he said against her folds, his breath a soft caress.

He continued to stroke the inside of her with his finger, and he added another as his tongue worked the rest of her flesh. She tangled her fingers in his hair, moving her hips against him, guiding his mouth in the right rhythm.

The spasms started in her clit, rocked through her wet channel, and spread up into her torso and then outward to her arms and legs until even her toes tingled. She flew, she danced, she soared, all without leaving the bed.

“That’s right, baby, come for me.” Harper thrust his fingers in and out of her in a racing rhythm matching her breaths.

“God, oh God,” she heard herself scream. “Good. So good!”

When she finally floated downward, encased in pure nirvana, she opened her eyes. His head was still between her legs, his lips and chin glistening with her cream. She couldn’t speak. Could barely move her head.

He smiled, his brown eyes glowing. “Again,” he said, and he went back to work.

BOOK: Treasuring Amber: The Temptation Saga: Book Five
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