Thorn's Challenge - Brenda Jackson [16]
“And what way is that?”
Delaney smiled, her eyes crinkling attractively as she thought of the brother who loved being a thorn in everyone’s side most of the time. “Don’t try beating Thorn at his game, since he’s a pro. What you should do is to come up with a game plan of your own.”
Tara lifted an arch eyebrow. “A game plan of my own?”
Delaney nodded. “Yes. One that will get you what you want, while making him think he has accomplished his goal—getting whatever it is he wants from you.”
Tara frowned. For the past two years Thorn had avoided her space and now suddenly he was determined to invade it. She didn’t have to think twice as to what he wanted from her since he had pretty much spelled things out last night. He wanted her! “A game plan of my own. Umm, I think that’s a wonderful idea.”
Thorn sat astride his motorcycle and gazed at Tara’s house, wondering if she was home. He had heard from Stone that she had had lunch with Laney earlier that day.
He should have called first but he hadn’t wanted to give her the chance to refuse his invitation. He’d figured that the best thing to do was to catch her with her guard down since chances were she probably thought she had made herself clear and he wouldn’t show up today.
Shutting off the engine he began walking toward her door with two helmets in his hands. He was determined that they would go today. He hadn’t slept most of the night for thinking of how it would feel when she leaned into his back with her arms wrapped around him, while the vibrations of the motorcycle’s powerful engine hummed through her.
He rang the doorbell and heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching. Moments later Tara opened the door. And she was smiling.
“I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show up, Thorn. I’ve been ready for over an hour.”
He blinked and a look of indecision filled his eyes. The woman certainly looked like Tara but the one standing before him didn’t appear surprised to see him. In fact, from her statement it seemed she had been expecting him. His gaze darkened dangerously as he wondered just what the hell she was up to.
“I thought you weren’t going riding with me,” he said, meeting her gaze and holding it with an intensity that should have made her nervous. Instead she waved her hand, dismissing his words and stood aside to let him enter.
“If you really thought that then why are you here?” she asked, closing the door behind him and leaning against it to look at him. The suspicious look on his face, his pensive and forever brooding expression had Tara wanting to go up to him and wrap her arms around his neck and assure him that he wasn’t imagining things, and that she had thrown him a curve. She had a feeling that few people did that to him. And she had another feeling that she should savor this rare moment of having the upper hand with Thorn.
Then, to her astonishment and complete surprise, the corner of his mouth quirked into a seductive grin. “Because I’ve learned when most women say one thing they really mean another.”
She frowned. “When I say I won’t do something, usually I won’t. The only reason I changed my mind is because I remembered I needed to talk to you about something.”
Thorn continued to meet her gaze. He knew just what she wanted to talk to him about—that charity calendar. He quickly decided he would prefer turning her down after their bike ride rather than before it. “All right. I plan for us to have dinner at a restaurant I think you’ll like. We’ll be able to talk then.”
She raised