Thorn's Challenge - Brenda Jackson [36]
“What about you, Thorn? Have you ever been in love?”
He met her gaze over the rim of the coffee cup he held to his lips. “Why do you ask?”
“Curious.”
He set down his cup. “I don’t know. I may have thought I was at one time, but when I take the time to analyze the situation, I don’t think I’ve ever been in love.”
Tara nodded. “But a woman has hurt you.” It was more a statement than a question.
“I think it was more disappointment than hurt. It’s hard for anyone to discover they were deceived by someone they cared about, Tara.”
She of all people knew how right he was on that one. She thought of how many times Derrick and Danielle had written to her, asking her forgiveness for deceiving her, and how many times she had tossed their letters in the trash.
“But she meant a lot to you?”
He picked up his cup and took another sip before answering. “Yes, at the time I thought she did, but I can say it was nothing but lust. What disappointed me the most was finding out I wasn’t the only man she was sleeping with, and I’m glad I used protection to the max with her. I make it a point to stay away from women who routinely have multiple bed partners.”
Tara nodded. “What did she do for a living?”
He signaled for a waitress to refill his coffee. “She’s a freelance photographer.”
“Oh.” No wonder he hadn’t been anxious to do that photo shoot, she thought. “And are you over her?”
He chuckled. Evidently he thought she had scored with that question. She was following the same line of questioning he had used on her earlier.
“Yes, I am definitely over her.” He leaned over the table, closer to her and whispered. “You, Tara Matthews, are the only woman on my agenda, and I’m counting the days until I have you in bed with me while I do all kinds of wild and wicked things to you.”
Tara swallowed as her pulse rate increased. She dropped her gaze to her plate, but the sensations that swept through her with his words forced her to meet his gaze again. The look he was giving her was dark, sexy and brooding and she knew that if things worked out the way he planned, he would have her in his bed after the race so fast it would make her head spin.
She lowered her gaze and began eating her food again. Thorn was seducing her and she couldn’t let him do that. They had already played their love games for the day. She needed to think smart and stay in control. She decided to maneuver their conversation to a safer topic.
“Why do you race?”
His mouth twitched, and a smile appeared. She knew he saw through her ploy but decided to go along with her. “I like the excitement of taking risks. I’ve always liked to compete. Motorcycle racing stimulates that side of me.”
For the next twenty minutes she listened while he talked about racing and what benefits, promotions and recognition his company would receive if he won the first race of the year, the one during Bike Week at the Daytona Speedway. He also told her about his desire one day to compete on the European circuit.
“Do you race a lot?”
“I do my share. Last year I was in a total of twelve races. That averaged out to be a race a month, so I was on the road quite a bit. The men who’re my crew chief and mechanic are the best in the business. And I also have the best damn wrench around.”
“Wrench?”
“Yeah, just like a wrench is a mechanic’s basic tool, the same holds true of a human wrench in racing. He’s the person I most depend on. I have an eighteen-wheeler that transports my bikes from race to race and wherever I go, my wrench travels with me. Racing is a team sport and if I win, my team wins.”
By the time the evening was over, Tara had received a very extensive education on motorcycle racing. For most of an hour, they had avoided bringing sex into their conversation and when they left the restaurant to head home, Tara looked at Thorn and smiled before getting on the motorcycle. Unlike the last time, when they had ended their meal with tempers flaring, tonight she had thoroughly enjoyed the time she had spent with him.
Later that night, as she