Thorn's Challenge - Brenda Jackson [71]
Six T ara got to the hospital almost thirty minutes later than usual after enjoying the best sleep she remembered ever having. It was only with the brightness of morning that she had allowed herself to think of Thorn’s proposition. Last night, after he’d left, she had been too exhausted and too satiated to do anything but strip naked, take a shower, slip into a nightgown and get into bed. That morning while she had taken another shower, brushed her teeth, dressed for work and grabbed a small carton of apple juice as she raced out of the door, she was feeling angry all over again. First it was Derrick, then Dr. Moyer and now Thorn. Did she have a sign on her forehead that said, Go Ahead And Use Me? Not that she was even considering Thorn’s ridiculous offer, but if she did go with him to Daytona, she would be close to home. Her hometown of Bunnell, Florida, was less than an hour from Daytona Beach, and it had been two years since she’d been home. She frequently talked to her family on th
Seven “O kay, Mr. Westmoreland, I only need a few more shots and then this session will be all over,” the photographer said as she adjusted the lighting. Thank God, Thorn thought as he sat astride his bike once again. He had plenty of work to do back at the shop and had been at this photo session for three hours. The photographer, Lois Kent, had decided the best place to shoot the photos was outside to better show the man, his bike and the open road. They had taken over a hundred shots already and Thorn’s patience was beginning to wear thin. The only thing that kept him going was knowing that he was living up to his end of the bargain, which meant he could make damn sure Tara lived up to hers. This past week he’d been restless, agitated and moodier than ever. “It will only take a minute while I reload the film.” Thorn nodded. Things hadn’t gone as badly as he’d thought they would. Lois Kent was strictly a professional, unlike Patrice. To Lois this was a job and nothing more and he appr
Eight T ara glanced at the clock on the wall. Thorn would be arriving any minute. She had called him at the shop asking if he knew anything about repairing a leaking faucet. It was the perfect ploy since his brothers had gone on a camping trip for the weekend. Had they been available, he would wonder why she had summoned him instead of one of them. She nearly jumped at the sound of the doorbell. It had been a couple of days since she had seen him, and today she had a plan. She was intent on testing his control to the limit, with the hope that he would finally see that was more trouble than she was worth and a threat to his winning his race; especially if he strongly believed in this celibacy thing. She looked down at herself before walking to the door. Although her outfit wasn’t outright provocative, she thought it would definitely grab his attention. After glancing out of the peephole in the door, she opened it. “Thorn, thanks for coming. I really hated to bother you but that dripping
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. 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