The Bikers' Babe Part 6

"Sounds like you're nearly asleep. A shower is just what you need to wake you up again." He let go of her and rol ed out of bed before leaning in and picking her up.

"Whoa, I can walk. I promise." She was wide awake now.

He laughed and let her slide down his nude body. In the process she realized he was hard again. She lifted an eyebrow at this and he smiled.

"Can't help it being around you. You're hot, Tina."

"You're sort of s.e.xy, yourself."

He kissed her and proceeded to back her into the corner of the bathroom. She looked over to the side and noticed the condom package on the counter across from the shower. She lifted her eyebrow again.

Chapter Seven.

Zack heard the scream come from the shower and knew Cole had made her come again. He grinned. A dozen or so more of those and surely she wouldn't want to leave them anytime soon. As plans went, it was a good one. Stil , he wanted her to want to be with them because she loved them, not just because the s.e.x was great.

He sighed and continued stirring the meat sauce for the spaghetti he was making. They were encouraging her that she would get her nerve back to be able to ride alone, when in truth, they didn't want her riding alone again. They wanted her with them. Being a travel nurse, she could work just about anywhere they did. If there wasn't a spot open there, she could just hang out with them while they worked.

Inside, he knew that wasn't going to fly with her. She needed her independence. It was a vital part of her, and he, at least, could tel something was missing in her right now. She was missing that independent streak because some a.s.shole had scared her. Zack wanted to beat his a.s.s for that alone.

A few minutes later, Cole walked into the kitchen wearing jeans and nothing else. His hair was stil damp from the shower.

"She's getting dressed." Cole walked over to sniff the sauce.

"f.u.c.k, she's something else, Cole. Five minutes after I came, I wanted her again."

"Tel me about it. I'm already semi-hard again. Thanks for the condom. I would have forgotten al about it."

"You're in just as deep as I am. You never forget about condoms."

"She'l make you forget your own mother's name," Cole insisted.

They looked at each other and grinned. He was sure he had the same goofy expression on his face that he saw on Cole's.

"What's so funny, you two?" Tina walked in wearing jeans and a red blouse that she hadn't bothered tucking in.

"Talking about Cole's cooking skil s. Don't eat anything he makes," Zack told her.

"That bad, huh?"

"Worse."

"That's enough trashing my cooking. That's why I have you around, Zack, my man." Cole popped him on the shoulder.

"So I take it Zack is cooking the delicious-smel ing stuff coming from that pot over there." She crossed the room to peer into the boiler.

"He does the cooking. It's the only way we would survive. That and takeout." Cole leaned against the bar watching her.

Zack liked looking at her, too. Like right now. With her back to them, he had a good view of her lovely a.s.s. Her jeans caressed those rounded cheeks like a second skin. His hands itched to squeeze them, but he refrained. She wasn't just a s.e.x object to them. She'd get the wrong idea if al they did was feel her up.

"It wil be ready in another twenty or thirty minutes," he told her.

"Why don't you go pick out a movie out of the stack sitting on the coffee table to watch after dinner. I pul ed some out of the shelf for you to look through." Zack checked the other boiler to see if the water was ready for the noodles.

"Okay. Need I ask what kind since al you have is action?"

"What else is there?" Cole asked with a mischievous grin.

"Oh, there's always horror or sci-fi," she teased.

"Go pick a movie." Cole swiped at her as she ran past, but missed.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Zack looked at Cole and drew in a deep breath.

"She's got to get her nerve back, Cole. There's a sadness in her. I can't stand knowing she doesn't feel whole inside."

"I don't want her riding alone anymore." Cole frowned.

"She has to think she can do it, though. Her confidence is part of who she is."

"Hel , I know it, but I don't like it."

"If we try and hem her in, she's going to bolt, Cole. You know that. Don't do it." Zack had rarely gone against Cole on anything, but for her, he would do it. She was perfect for them. Only Cole's dominant nature could ruin it for them.

He had to back down some.

"She doesn't have to ride alone again as long as she has us, Zack."

Zack slammed the spoon down on the spoon rest.

"Okay, I've picked. We're watching The Fast and the Furious with Vin Diesel." Tina walked back in the room before he could say something to Cole he might regret.

"Please don't tel me you're a fan," Cole said.

"He can't help it if he's hot." She grinned at him, then walked back over to where Zack was adding the noodles to the boiling water. "Can I do anything to help?"

"Nope, I've got it covered. Why don't you sit over there and keep Cole company so he doesn't irritate me."

"What is he doing to irritate you?"

"Being his usual hard-headed self." Zack kissed her on the top of the head and gave her a nudge in Cole's direction.

He glared at Cole over her head. Cole's mouth tightened into a straight line.

"What are you doing to aggravate Zack?" She grabbed his hand and pul ed him off the bar stool and into the living room.

Zack sighed as soon as they were out of the room. He'd do anything for Cole. They'd been through hel together, but he'd be d.a.m.ned if he let the other man run off the best thing that had ever happened to them. Somehow, he had to get Cole to listen to him. Because he knew that just as sure as Cole tried to rein her in, she'd run.

Tina let Cole pul her down onto his lap in the living room when he sat on the couch. She liked the attention the two men showered on her, but it worried her, too. She could get used to being the center of someone's attention too easily. And with them there were two someones involved.

"When we decide to take another job, you want to ride with us?" Cole asked.

"What? Ride with you where?" She was so tuned into her own thoughts that she missed part of his question.

"Wherever we take another job. There are a couple around here, but there are some in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and one in St. Louis, Missouri."

"Oh, wel . I doubt I'l be around then. I'm planning on taking another job myself soon. I just haven't figured out where I want to go next."

"So we'l choose a spot where you want to work and we'l find something close by." Cole seemed to be watching her awful closely.

"Um, wel , I'l think about it. I haven't real y decided where I want to work next. I'm stil thinking about here."

"That would work out fine since you can stay here while you're working in town. You're welcome here as long as you want to stick around." He wrapped his arm around her waist and pul ed her in for a kiss.

He nipped at her lower lip then pressed his lips tight against hers before pul ing back and kissing her on the cheek. He seemed about to say something more, but Zack cal ed that dinner was ready.

"Great, I'm starved," Tina said jumping off Cole's lap.

He fol owed her back to the kitchen. Zack was spooning up plates of spaghetti as they settled on the barstools. He sat the first plate in front of her and then handed another plate to Cole. He added sauce to his and sat across from her.

"Dig in. The bread is right there in the basket." He indicated a cloth-covered basket near her elbow.

She opened it and pul ed out a slice of garlic bread and pa.s.sed it across to Zack next. She took a bite of the spaghetti and closed her eyes in appreciation of how good it was.

"I'l marry you if you'l cook for me," she teased.

Both men laughed.

"You'l have to marry Cole since he has an inheritance, but I come with him so I'l cook for you. When do you want to do the deed?" Tina laughed and took another bite. She figured they were kidding until she looked up and noticed Zack's expression. Was it hopeful? Surely they weren't serious.

They finished dinner and Tina insisted on helping with the dishes.

"It's only fair. You've fixed everything for me ever since I've been here."

"You've only been here one day, Tina." Zack reminded her.

"Seems like longer," she mused.

They turned on the TV and the news was on as Cole started to put the movie in. The announcer caught Tina's attention.

"Wait, Cole."

He stopped, and they listened as the newscaster talked about the latest victim of the Truck Stop Kil er, as he'd been nicknamed. They flashed the picture of a woman who could have been Tina's double. Then the announcer showed a picture of Tina from her driver's license stating she had been attacked but managed to get away.

"f.u.c.k!" Cole slid the movie in and cut off the rest of the newscast.

Zack wrapped his arms around her and pul ed her into his lap.

Tina couldn't help the shakes that suddenly gripped her. That woman had looked just like her. Was that why he'd tried to grab her, or had he taken the other woman because he had missed her?

"You're thinking too hard, Tina. Let it go," Zack told her.

Cole started the movie and returned to the couch to pul her feet into his lap. He removed her boots and socks, and ma.s.saged her feet as the previews started. She swal owed around the lump in her throat and tried to concentrate on the movie. Final y, the shakes subsided, and she relaxed against Zack's shoulder.

She had seen the movie before, so she was able to fol ow it despite her mind trying to return to the murdered woman's face. She didn't think she would feel safe riding alone again. At least until they caught the kil er. How long could she handle staying in one place? She wasn't used to doing that for more than a month to six weeks. She usual y changed jobs every four weeks with a few weeks off in between to ride to where she was going.

The movie credits were rol ing when Cole turned off the DVD player and TV. She felt Zack stretch beneath her. She started to scramble off of him so he could get up, but he held her there and stood up.

"I've got you, Tina. Let's head to bed. Do you need something to drink before we go?"

"Yeah, I need a drink of water. Put me down, and I'l get it."

"I've got it, Zack. Go ahead and take her to the bedroom. I'l bring a gla.s.s." Cole walked toward the kitchen as Zack headed for the bedroom.

"I could have gotten it myself. You two are spoiling me. I have to be able to take care of myself." She clung to Zack's shoulders as he carried her into the bedroom.

"Let us spoil you a little bit, Tina. We like spoiling you." Zack sat her on the bed and began to unb.u.t.ton her blouse.

"Hey, I can do that." She slapped at his hands playful y.

He chuckled and grabbed her hands in one of his. "Hold stil or I'l turn you over my knee."

"Promises, promises."

Cole walked in with a gla.s.s of water for her and smiled. "If you like spankings, we can certainly oblige." She pouted and wiggled her hands in Zack's grip. "I want a drink of water, Zack." Cole walked over and held the gla.s.s to her lips. She raised her eyes to his and slowly sipped at the water until he pul ed it away. Something about how he gave her the water seemed so intimate. They gazed into each other's eyes for several seconds before she blinked and the spel was broken.

Zack had her blouse undone, but had to release her hands to pul it off of her. She let him this time and even let him remove her bra, but when he started to unfasten her jeans, she grabbed his hands and shook her head.

"Your turn now. Take off your shirt."

He grinned and grabbed a handful of it and jerked it over his head. She feasted her eyes on his chest and leaned in to lick one of his nipples. The flat disc felt rough to her tongue. He hissed out a breath, but didn't stop her from moving to the other one. Zack threw back his head and blew out a breath.

"No s.e.x tonight. You're tired, and we al need to get some rest."

"Who said I wanted s.e.x? I just like teasing you." She pouted.

Cole walked over to the bed and pul ed back the covers. He grinned at Zack.

Zack shook his head and stood up to pul off his pants. They had already removed their boots and left them by the couch with hers. Tina stood up and shimmied out of her jeans then her thong.