Thorn's Challenge Part 9

Tara looked up at the man holding her gently in his arms. Her gaze took in his dark brooding eyes, his chiseled jaw and the firmness of his lips. His breathing was irregular and he was staring down at her as if she was a morsel he wanted to devour. Now. Tonight.

She swallowed. She was cradled in his lap practically naked. She wasn't wearing a bra or panties, just a nightgown, a short one at that. And she knew that even if he wasn't fully aware of it before, he was now aware of the state of her dress since she was sitting in his lap and her bare bottom was coming into contact with his aroused body.

Tara felt the air surrounding them heighten to full s.e.xual awareness as she stared at Thorn the same way he was staring at her. She saw a muscle tick in his jaw as if he was fighting hard for control. She realized just how hard this had to be for him-a man who had gone without s.e.x for two years-and she knew the only way to make things easier for him was to send him away, but she couldn't do that.

She licked her bottom lip and decided to tell him without words just how much she wanted his touch, how much she desired it. Her body was aching for him. And when she thought she couldn't stand it any longer, he leaned down and kissed her again.

Her breath caught when she felt his hand beneath her nightgown, touching her at the juncture of her thighs. And then he began stroking her. She whimpered her pleasure into his mouth as her body came alive to his intimate touch. She remembered how it had been the last time he had touched her this way, and she clutched at the front of his shirt while his mouth made love to hers and his skillful fingers stroked her until she thought she would scream.

He suddenly broke off the kiss, and before she could let out a whimper of protest, he eased her gown down from her shoulders, giving him a good view of her neck and exposing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. His hand lightly caressed her neck and then he leaned forward, and slowly lowered his head. He captured a budding dark nipple in his mouth and began licking and sucking.

"Thorn," was the only word she could think to say as pleasure beyond her control vanquished any further words. The only thing she could do was close her eyes and savor the moment in Thorn's arms. She moaned as his mouth continued to greedily taste her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and his hands stroked her wetness.

"I want to taste you," he mouthed against her breast, and she didn't get the full meaning of just what he meant until he gently laid her down on the sofa.

"Close your eyes, baby," he said in a deep, husky voice kneeling over her.

She met his gaze and saw the deep desire lodged in their dark depths. She couldn't help but wonder how much control he had left and knew she couldn't do this to him. She couldn't do anything to jeopardize his chance of winning the race. "Thorn, we can't," she managed to get out the words. "Remember, no birth control."

His hand was still touching her between the legs. His fingers were stroking her, entering her, driving her mad with desire. "Shh, I know, sweetheart, but we don't need protection for what I want to do. I need this for good luck. Taking your taste with me makes me a sure winner in more ways than one. This is what I need right now more than anything."

And then he lifted her gown, dipped his head and kissed her stomach at the same moment that she closed her eyes to concentrate on what he was doing. Her breath caught when his mouth lowered to replace his stroking fingers.

"Thorn!"

She cried out his name then sucked in a deep breath, never having been kissed this way before. Her mind went blank of all conscious thought except for him and what he was doing to her. She felt pleasure, deep and profound, all the way to her bones. She groaned aloud when he deepened the intimate kiss. His tongue, she discovered, was just as skillful as his hands, and was drugging her into an intimacy she had never shared with any man. Sensations beyond belief with his seductive ministrations were making her realize and accept the extent and magnitude of her love for him.

She whimpered deep within her throat when the first wave of ecstasy washed over her, more powerful than the last time, and she cried out as she held his head to her, his tongue increasing its strokes and tasting her greedily while tremor after tremor raced through her body. Her body shook with the pleasure he was giving her, and moments later, when the tremors had stopped and her body had quieted, he picked her up and cradled her back in his lap while gently stroking her back.

"Thank you," she heard him whisper in her ear.

She shifted in his arms slightly and pulled back, wondering why he was thanking her when she should be the one thanking him. From the feel of his arousal it was evident that he still was in a state of need, but had pushed his need aside to take care of hers.

"But-but you didn't-"

He placed a finger to her lips to seal off any further words. "That's okay. My day will come, trust me. I'm thanking you for giving me something to look forward to, something to antic.i.p.ate, and whether I win the race or not, I have the prize I desire the most right here in my arms."

His words touched her deeply, and before she could find her voice to respond, he kissed away any words she was about to say, and she knew that the man who held her so tenderly in his arms would have her heart for always.

The next morning, Tara stirred then rolled over in bed. She slowly opened her eyes as she remembered last night. After Thorn had kissed her, he had taken her upstairs and placed her in bed, then he had left.

She moaned deep in her throat as she recalled what they had done. He had created more pa.s.sion in her than she had thought was possible, and he had unselfishly satisfied a need she didn't know she had. Even now, the memory sent delicious tremors all the way down to her womanly core. Thorn had branded a part of her as his in the most provocative and intimate way.

She loved him, and no matter how things turned out in Daytona, she knew that she would always love him.

The four men crossed their arms over their chests and glared at the one who stood before them, making a request they intended to refuse.

"What do you mean you're not in love with Tara? If that's the case then there's no way one of us will bring her to you, Thorn. We won't allow you to take advantage of her that way," Stone Westmoreland said angrily. "And you can forget the d.a.m.n bet."

Thorn inhaled deeply, deciding not to knock the h.e.l.l out of his brother just yet. He was about to leave for Daytona and had found all four of them having breakfast at Storm's house as they got ready to head out to go fishing. He had merely asked that one of them bring Tara to Bike Week. When Stone had grinned and asked him how it felt being in love, he'd been quick to set him straight and had told him he wasn't in love, and that what he and Tara shared was a completely physical, emotional-free affair. That's when all h.e.l.l had broken loose.

"That bet wasn't my idea and shouldn't have been made in the first place. And regardless of what you say, Stone, one way or the other, Tara will be coming to Bike Week," Thorn said, barely holding on to his anger.

"No, she won't. I agree with Stone," Chase Westmoreland said with a frown on his face. "When we made that bet we thought it was to make you see how much you cared for Tara. But instead, you've concocted some plan to use her. Dammit man, if Tara was Laney, we would beat the c.r.a.p out of any man with your intentions. So whatever plans you've made for Tara you can sc.r.a.p them until you fall in love with her."

"I won't be using her," Thorn growled through gritted teeth. Ready to knock the h.e.l.l out of Chase as well. Other than Dare, he didn't see any of them falling in love with anyone, so why were they trying to shove this love thing down his throat?

Storm chuckled. "And you want us to believe that? h.e.l.l, you haven't had a woman in over two years and you want us just to stand aside while you get your fill knowing you don't care a d.a.m.n thing about her?"

Thorn felt steam coming out of his ears. "I do care about Tara. I just don't love her. Besides, what Tara and I do is our business and none of you have a d.a.m.n thing to say about it."

"That's where you are wrong, Thorn," Stone said angrily, rolling up his sleeves and taking a step forward.

Dare Westmoreland decided it was time to intercede before there was bloodshed. "It seems you guys are a little hot under the collar. Keep it up and I'll be forced to throw all four of you behind bars just for the h.e.l.l of it, so back up, Stone."

He then turned his full attention to Thorn. "And as far as Tara goes, I'll bring her to Daytona when Sh.e.l.ly and I drive up."

"What!"

Dare ignored the simultaneous exclamations from his brothers, as well as the cursing. Instead his gaze stayed glued to Thorn, who was visibly relieved.

"Thanks, Dare," Thorn said, and without giving his other brothers a parting glance, he turned and walked out of the house.

It didn't take long for the other three Westmoreland brothers to turn on Dare.

"Sheriff or no sheriff, we ought to kick your a.s.s, Dare," Chase said angrily. "How can you even think about doing that to Tara? Thorn doesn't mean her any good and she doesn't deserve something like this. Thorn is planning on using her and-"

"He loves her too much to use her," Dare said softly, as he heard the roar of Thorn's motorcycle pulling off.

"Love? Dammit, Dare, weren't you listening to anything Thorn said? He said he wasn't in love with Tara," Stone said angrily.

Dare smiled. "Yes, I heard everything he said. But I believe differently. Take it from someone who's been there, who's still there. Thorn is so much in love with Tara that he can't think straight. However, he needs total concentration for that race, which is why I'm glad he's leaving for Daytona early. Thorn needs Tara at that race, but once the race is over there is no doubt in my mind he'll begin seeing things clearly. It won't take long for him to realize just how much he loves her."

Chase frowned. "We all know just what a stubborn cuss Thorn can be. What if he never realizes it? Where does that leave Tara?"

Dare chuckled. "Right where she's been for the past two years, deeply embedded in Thorn's heart. But it's my guess that Tara's not going to settle for being any man's bed partner and will force Thorn to face his feelings."

"And if he doesn't?" Storm asked, still not convinced.

A smile tilted the corners of Sheriff Dare Westmoreland's lips. "Then we beat the c.r.a.p out of him. One way or the other, he's going to accept that Tara is no longer his challenge. She's the woman he loves. But I don't think we have to take things that far. Rumor has it that he's sent Tara flowers for Valentine's Day.

Chase raised a shocked brow. "Flowers? Thorn?"

Dare chuckled. "Yes, Thorn. You know Luanne Coleman can't hold water, and word is out that Thorn went into her florist shop yesterday, ordered flowers for Tara and wrote out the card himself. I heard he even sealed it before nosey Luanne could take a peek at it."

"d.a.m.n," Stone said, with disbelief on his face. He'd never known his brother to send flowers to any woman before, and that included Patrice. Everyone knew Thorn hadn't really loved Patrice, but had merely considered her as his possession, and when it came to the things Thorn considered his, he had a tendency to get downright selfish and wasn't into sharing. Being in love was a totally new avenue for Thorn, and Stone couldn't help wondering how his brother would handle things once the discovery was made. Knowing Thorn, he would be a tough nut to crack, but he agreed with Dare; Tara was just the woman to set him straight. In Thorn's case she might need a full-fledged nutcracker.

"Hey, guys, I bet there will be a wedding in June," Stone said to his brothers.

"I think it will be before June. I doubt he'll wait that long. I'll say sometime in May, close to his birthday," Chase threw in.

Storm rolled his eyes. "Love or no love, Thorn is going to kick and scream all the way down the aisle. He's going to be difficult, that's just his nature, so I bet he won't be tying the knot before September."

All three glanced at Dare to see what he had to say about it. "All of you know I'm not a betting man." A smile touched his lips. "But if I were to bet, I'd have to agree with Chase. Thorn won't last until June."

Tara walked down the busy hospital corridor, glad she was finally able to take a break in her hectic schedule. It only took a few minutes to slip into the small chamber that led away from the crowded hallway lined with patients, as she made her way toward her office.

Once inside she closed the door behind her, walked across the room and collapsed into the chair behind her desk. She had been at the hospital since six that morning and had agreed to make it a fourteen-hour day instead of a ten. One of her fellow doctors had asked her to cover for her while she treated her husband to a special dinner for Valentine's Day. Since Tara hadn't made any plans for the evening herself, she decided she could be flexible and help her co-worker out.

She leaned back against her chair and closed her eyes and immediately remembered what had happened two nights ago when Thorn had come to see her to let her know of his change of plans.

After days of little sleep, her body had needed the release he had given to it, and she had been sleeping like a baby since. But now she was feeling downright guilty at the thought that in a few weeks, after the race, she would be letting him down. He thought he would be getting an experienced woman in his bed, when in truth he would be getting the complete opposite.

Twice she had thought of calling him before he left to tell him the truth, so he could make additional changes in his plans if he needed to make them. Chances were, after a two-year abstinence, he would want to share a bed with a woman who would know what she was doing. And the truth of the matter was that she didn't know squat. At least not enough to handle a man like Thorn Westmoreland.

He would be leaving sometime tomorrow for Daytona, so today was her last chance to come clean. Somehow she had to tell him that she'd never thought things would actually get this far. She'd a.s.sumed from the get-go that she would get him to the point where he would have to choose between her and celibacy.

That day in her bedroom hadn't even put a dent in the situation. He had merely given them a couple of days' breathing s.p.a.ce then he had called to take her out, but he'd made sure the two of them had never been completely alone in her house again. And except for the other night, they hadn't been.

Okay, so she'd been stupid to count on such a thing happening, but she had had counted on it, and now she was in a real fix. Delaney would be just the person to talk to about her dilemma, and to help her look at things more objectively, but unfortunately, Jamal had whisked her friend off to Rome where Valentine's Day was reputed to have originated. No doubt the prince intended to wine and dine his wife in style. counted on it, and now she was in a real fix. Delaney would be just the person to talk to about her dilemma, and to help her look at things more objectively, but unfortunately, Jamal had whisked her friend off to Rome where Valentine's Day was reputed to have originated. No doubt the prince intended to wine and dine his wife in style.

Tara smiled, thinking how much in love the couple were, as were Dare and Sh.e.l.ly. Love always seemed to radiate between them, and she always felt strong affectionate emotions whenever she was around them. On Super Bowl Sunday at Chase's restaurant it had been hard not to notice the intimate smiles the couples had exchanged, as well as the discreet touches.

She often wondered whether, if things had gone according to plan, she and Derrick would have shared that kind of loving relationship. For some reason she believed they would eventually have become a divorce statistic. It was only after she had finally stopped wallowing in bitterness and self-pity that she had decided not marrying Derrick had really been for the best. Still, she could not let go of the fact that he had betrayed and humiliated her the way he had.

Her thoughts shifted back to Thorn. When she had met him two years ago, her heart was recovering from being brutally battered. But still she knew, just as sure as she knew there were still a lot of patients yet to be seen, that she had fallen in love with Thorn that night they'd first met. It had been the same night she had stormed out of Delaney's kitchen to give him a piece of her mind. Instead, he had gotten a piece of her heart, a pretty big chunk. She had known the exact moment it had happened. At that time she had fled to the safety of her apartment.

Now she had nowhere to run to. The die was cast. A bargain made. He had kept his end of things and now she had to keep hers.

She loved him.

And the sad thing about it was that he had done nothing to encourage her emotional involvement. In fact, he had been more than up-front with her by letting her know he only wanted a physical relationship. She had known from the very beginning that his attraction to her had been based on l.u.s.t and not love, and although it had been her intentions never to fall in love with another man after Derrick, she had done so anyway.

She opened her eyes at the sound of the knock on her office door. "Yes? Come in."

A fellow pediatrician, Dr. Pamela Wentworth, walked in carrying a huge vase of the most beautiful flowers Tara had ever seen. Tara smiled. "Wow, Pam, those are gorgeous. Aren't you special?"

Pam grinned. "No, in fact, you are, since these are for you."

Tara sat up straight in her chair. Her eyes instantly widened. "Excuse me. Did you say those were for me?"

"Yes. They were just delivered at the nurses' station, and I told Nurse Meadows that I would bring them to you myself," she said, setting the huge container in the middle of Tara's desk. "Hey, girlfriend, whatever you're doing, you must be doing it right to get flowers like these." She smiled brightly. "Well, I've got to get back. It's like a zoo out there so enjoy your break while it lasts."

Pam breezed out of her office just as quickly as she had breezed in, leaving Tara to stare at the huge arrangement of flowers sitting in the middle of her desk.

She frowned. "Who on earth would send these?" Tara wondered, leaning forward and pulling off the card that was attached. What man would remember her on Valentine's Day by sending her something like this?

She quickly opened the envelope and blinked at the message, then reread it again.

Be mine, Thorn.

A knot formed in Tara's throat. Be his what? His lover? His one-night stand? His bedmate for a week? His true love? His baby's mommy? What?

She sighed deeply. Only Thorn knew the answer to that question, and she intended to ask him when she saw him again.

Nine.

T ara scanned all the activities through Dare's SUV's window as the vehicle rolled into the heart of Daytona Beach where Bike Week would be held. Squinting against the glare of the sun shining brightly through the window, she was amazed at what she saw billed as the World's Largest Motorcycle Event. And to think that Thorn was a major part of it. ara scanned all the activities through Dare's SUV's window as the vehicle rolled into the heart of Daytona Beach where Bike Week would be held. Squinting against the glare of the sun shining brightly through the window, she was amazed at what she saw billed as the World's Largest Motorcycle Event. And to think that Thorn was a major part of it.

It had been a little more than two weeks since she had seen him and she couldn't forget the night he had shown up unexpectedly at her house. It had been the same night she had come to terms with her feelings for him. It had also been the same night he had given her a sample of what he had in store for her.

But what had arrived two days after his visit still weighed more heavily on her mind-the flowers he had sent her for Valentine's Day. The message on the card had been personal, and she still found herself wondering just what he'd meant.

"Ready to get settled so we can do some shopping, Tara?"

Sh.e.l.ly's question got her attention. She had enjoyed the company of Dare and his wife during the seven-hour drive from Atlanta. Since school was still in session in Atlanta, their son AJ had not been able to make the trip. He was staying with Dare's parents.

"I'm always ready to shop," Tara said, smiling. When she glanced out the window and saw the numerous vendors, she wondered if there was anything for sale other than bike wear and leather.

"As soon as we get settled into our hotel rooms we can hit the malls," Sh.e.l.ly said, turning around in her car seat to smile at Tara.

Tara nodded her head in agreement. A few months ago, before Sh.e.l.ly's wedding, she, Sh.e.l.ly and Delaney had flown to New York for a girls' weekend and had enjoyed themselves immensely. The one thing the three of them discovered they had in common was their obsession with shopping.