Tin Queen Read online

  Another suit.

  But this one . . . this one I liked.

  Her dark hair framed her face, spilling over her shoulders and down her spine. That lacey top was glued to her breasts and waist, leaving nothing to the imagination. The straps were so thin I could cut them with my teeth.

  My cock twitched and my mouth went dry. I finished my beer after all, draining it in two gulps. Then I adjusted my hardening arousal before crossing the room, weaving around people and not once taking my eyes off her.

  She sat perched on her stool, her eyes assessing the room. Her lips had a natural pout that she’d accentuated with a rosy lipstick. Her nude fingernails tapped on the martini glass in front of her.

  Both seats beside hers were empty and nothing about the lazy way she took in the room showed she was waiting on a date or a colleague to join her. There was no ring on her left hand either.

  Conversation and music drifted around me. Someone called my name but I ignored it, this woman stealing my entire focus.

  Damn, but she was a stunner. She had to be new around town because that face was unforgettable.

  Standing a head taller than most people in the bar had its advantages and when she lifted her cocktail to those lips, I had the perfect view of her tongue darting out to touch the rim before she took a sip. She swallowed and set the glass on its napkin, then looked around again. The moment she spotted me, her eyes traveled up my chest, landing on my face. Then she held my gaze, her own unwavering, as I rounded the corner and leaned on the bar beside her seat. She looked me up and down, only her eyes moving.

  Her perusal wasn’t subtle.

  Neither was mine.

  At thirty-eight years old, I was done playing games when it came to women. When I wanted one, she knew it. I didn’t hide my intentions or pretend I wanted more than a casual hookup. What was the point? My friends might have settled down, but that wasn’t in my cards.

  So I lived for the good times while they lasted. And if this beauty wanted a good time, I’d show her one.

  Her perfume hit my nose, the rich, floral scent complicated and expensive. It chased away the smell of beer and people.

  My gaze drifted to the pressed crease of her black slacks, down the line to the sexiest heels I’d seen in years. The strappy sandals were black and sleek. Her toes were painted fire-engine red, a color that matched the soles peeking out.

  That red meant those shoes were expensive. Classy shoes for a classy woman.

  What the hell was she doing at The Betsy?

  “Nice shoes,” I said, meeting her gaze. Her irises were the color of coffee, so dark they were nearly black. Framed with long lashes and lined with a charcoal shadow, her eyes would bring a weaker man to his knees.

  “Thanks.” Her voice was like a curl of smoke, swirling around us and blocking out the noise.

  I held out my hand. “What’s your name?”

  She looked at my fingers, then back up at my face. “You don’t really want it.”

  I chuckled. No, I didn’t need her name. “Not really.”

  “Good. I don’t need yours either. I like what I see. That’s enough.”

  Well, fuck. I think I’d just met the female version of myself. I dropped my hand and twisted, leaning both forearms on the bar. I was close enough that my arm brushed against hers. “You good to drive?”

  “Yes.” She slid off her stool and stood, taller than most women. Those six-inch heels had to help. Then she plucked up her purse and jacket. “Shall we?”

  “Follow me.”

  The crowd parted in my wake and every click of her heels was like a jolt of adrenaline through my veins and a blast of heat to my groin. My body was thrumming with anticipation as we walked outside and into the yellow evening glow. Going straight for my bike parked beside the door, I swung a leg over and straddled the seat.

  She kept walking, straight across the parking lot to a car nearly as sexy as the woman herself. A ’69 Nova. Damn. That was a car I’d drool over later. At the moment I was too busy staring at the perfect shape of her ass as she walked.

  This woman . . . damn, she had a way. Her hips swayed in a slow sashay. Her legs looked a mile long with those slacks and heels. My hands burned to grip those toned thighs and skate across the swell of her breasts.

  I started the engine of the bike as she slid behind the wheel of her car. Even from behind the glass, I caught the smirk on her lips and the lust in her gaze.

  Fuck, I was glad I’d come to the bar tonight.

  I rolled out of the parking lot, resisting the urge to rev the bike’s engine. I didn’t want to lose her as we navigated through town. But the minute I hit the quiet county road that led toward the mountain foothills, I cut myself loose.

  If she drove that hot-as-fuck car like a mouse, I’d be disappointed.

  But she hit the gas and hugged the road’s curves, never once letting me out of her sight. Every mile was an aphrodisiac. Every second part of the build. I hoped she was ready for a long night because I hadn’t felt like this in a long damn time.

  The wind whipped past my face as I pushed us both faster, wanting off my bike and inside her body. The turnoff to my place came into view and I flashed her my brake light, slowing onto the narrow private lane.

  Part of the reason I’d bought this property was for the trees. Where other properties around Clifton Forge were situated in the middle of the sprawling range, my home was tucked into an outcrop of the forest that led straight up into the mountains.

  The hills were covered in green, the forest luring us forward until we reached my clearing a half mile later.

  My house was centered on thirty acres, tucked away from the world. The log exterior blended into the natural surroundings. Some of the trees had needed to be taken down—I didn’t need a windstorm coming through and toppling one onto my roof.

  Built into the side of a small slope, the main floor was level with one side and on the opposite, the basement opened to a wide, sprawling yard that extended to the tree line. A wrap-around porch extended the length of the front and on the rear I had a wide, covered deck. My three-stall garage had plenty of space for tools and a place to park my truck in the summer and my bike during the winter.

  This home, this property, was my sanctuary. It was the place I came to escape the world and get some air.

  Rarely did I bring a woman here, preferring to keep my hookups away from my private space. But this woman I wanted in my bed. I wanted that exotic, sultry perfume on my sheets. I wanted that silky hair spread across my pillows.

  I parked my bike in the driveway in front of a garage door, not bothering to pull it inside. I was in too much of a hurry. The low rumble of the Nova’s engine stopped at my side as she killed the engine.

  I was off my bike and at her door, holding it open as she glided out. She moved with grace and confidence, and damn was I anxious to ruffle her perfect composure. To make her come undone.

  “Sure about this, baby?” I asked, taking her hand in mine.

  She arched her eyebrows. “Are you?”

  I led her to the door.

  The drive had taken us about thirty minutes and the sun was sinking beyond the horizon. The trees blocked out most of its fading light, making the house dark and empty. Unlocking the door and punching in the alarm code, I crossed the threshold. She followed behind me.

  Then I was on her, my lips slamming onto hers. God, she tasted good. As sweet as warm honey and better than I’d imagined on the ride home. But her tongue was as wicked as the devil himself, licking and tangling and dueling with my own.

  I sank into her, bending low as she rose to me. Her hands roved up my abs as mine dug into the soft flesh at her hips while I eased her back and against the wall of the entryway.

  I went to work on the belt of her slacks, managing to get it free and unhooking the clasp of her pants. Then I dove inside, searching for the hem of that lace top to guide my hands underneath.

  The minute my calloused grip skated up the smooth
skin of her torso, she gasped. Then her teeth nipped at my lower lip.

  I ripped my mouth from hers, dropping my lips to the long line of her neck. I sucked hard on her skin, hard enough to leave a mark, before trailing my tongue lower and dragging it across her collarbone.

  She leaned into the wall at her back, baring her throat for my tasting pleasure. Her hands dove into my hair and freed it from the tie that had kept it out of my face. Some women didn’t like my shoulder-length hair. I didn’t give a fuck because haircuts were a pain in my ass.

  Then there were the women who’d thread their fingers through the strands and hold on for the ride.

  This woman . . . thank fuck she was the latter. Her fingernails grazed my scalp. The sting made me want her that much more.

  My cock throbbed behind my zipper as I worshiped her skin, my hands splayed wide across the tight skin at her ribs.

  “More,” she whispered, tugging at my hair.

  I pulled my hands out of her shirt and went straight for her thighs, hoisting her up and pressing my erection into her center.

  Our gazes locked, her coffee gaze boring into mine.

  There was doubt in her eyes. Like she didn’t think I’d deliver.

  Proving her wrong was going to be a blast.

  I took the strap of her top, pulling it away from her shoulder. Inch by inch it stretched until it snapped. Her eyes flared as it broke away. Then I peeled down the lace and set her breast free. No bra. Fuck.

  Her nipple was a pebbled ruby, a perfect size for the pad of my thumb. I tweaked it twice before tearing at the other strap, breaking it free and ripping it away.

  Her chest rose, her back pressing against the wall as she arched into my touch and lifted her legs to wrap around my waist. Her luscious breasts filled my palms as I took them in my grip, bracing her against the wall with my hips.

  She rolled her head, giving me the delicious column of her throat once more. I sucked on her pulse, feeling it quicken beneath my touch until I was so painfully hard that it was time to move away from the goddamn front door and get her into my bed.

  I set her on her feet, annoyed at myself that she didn’t sway. I wanted her to be as dizzy as I felt. With a hand clamped around her wrist, I tugged her through the house, past the living room and down the hallway toward the master. The whole time, those heels clicked to the rhythm of my racing heart.

  The moment my feet pressed into the plush carpet, I let her go and reached behind my head to yank off my T-shirt. Then I went for my own belt, loosening the buckle and flicking open the button on my jeans.

  Her hands skimmed the skin of my back, snaking up my spine, her fingertips digging deep to mark their trail. Then she dropped her hands and walked past me, straight for the bed.

  That lacey top was in tatters as she peeled it off her body, her hair splaying with the movement. Naked from the belly button up, she kept her eyes glued to mine as she unzipped her slacks, shoving them and the black panties beneath to the floor.

  “Heels stay on,” I said when she bent to slip one from her foot.

  She gave me a nod as she stood tall, her shoulders back and those tits begging for my mouth.

  A mouth that had once again gone dry, this time at the sight of her bare body.

  Christ, this had to be a dream. Her body was tall and lithe, rounded in the right places and made for a man my size.

  I let myself study her, taking in every inch as she stood naked but for her heels. If my perusal intimidated her, it didn’t show. There wasn’t a hint of hesitation on her face.

  This was my home, this was my room, but she was in control.

  I’d take it back soon enough.

  I shoved my jeans away, not having bothered with boxers this morning, and my throbbing shaft bobbed free. I took it in a fist and stepped to her, stroking it twice as I drank her in.

  Her eyes dropped and she stared. I was a big guy and instead of a hint of fear at how I’d feel inside her, she looked . . . hungry.

  I was ravenous.

  I moved to the nightstand for a condom. The packet got tossed to the bed where it would stay until I was ready. Then I picked her up, moving so fast it caught her by surprise. Her breath hitched as I twisted us both, crashing us onto the mattress.

  Dark hair over my pillow. Her smooth, satin skin and scent on my sheets.

  Her legs parted to cradle my hips as I kissed her again, hard and wet, until my lips were swollen and I felt the slickness of her folds coating my cock.

  She panted.

  I ached.

  Leaning away, I gave her one last look as I took the condom and tore it from the wrapper to sheath myself. “Ready?”

  She smirked. “Are you?”

  I chuckled and dragged myself through her wetness. Then I lined up at the entrance and with one fast thrust, I drove deep.

  She cried out, the sound sheer pleasure as she stretched around me. Her back arched off the bed.

  “Fuck, that feels good.” She was tight and hot and so damn perfect. I gave her a moment to adjust but when her fingernails dug into my shoulder, I took it as permission to get on with it. So I slid out and slammed in again, this time earning a mewl.

  She might not know my name, but I’d make her scream regardless.

  I shifted, getting to my knees and taking her legs in my hands. Then I started slamming inside her, loving the bounce and sway of her breasts with each thrust.

  Her eyes held mine, that silent dare still hanging in the air as the room filled with the scent of sex and sin. Maybe she didn’t think I could make her come.

  “Hold on, baby.”

  She smirked and raised her arms, pressing them against the wooden headboard. “I’m not that easy.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Maybe some men wouldn’t care. They’d take their pleasure and fail this test. I wasn’t most men and if I was coming, so was she.

  I rolled my hips, earning a hiss. Then I pressed in deep, as deep as she could take me, and felt the flutter of her inner walls.

  “Look at us.” I dropped my gaze to where we were connected. When I slid in again, it was purposefully slow, watching as I disappeared into her body inch by inch.

  When I glanced at her face, her eyes were locked on where she stretched around me. I found her clit, touching it with the pad of my middle finger. I circled it, slowly at first, until her legs began to tremble.

  “Watch,” I ordered when her eyes drifted closed.

  She snapped them open and shot me a glare for ordering her around.

  I grinned and pressed in on her clit harder, savoring the flush that spread across her chest.

  But her mouth was set in a firm line, her jaw clenched.

  Why was she fighting it? Whatever the reason, I wouldn’t lose, not tonight. Her body was mine to play with and she could resist all she wanted, but it responded to my touch. It was mine to command.

  Stroke after stroke, I plunged deep. I alternated the pressure on her clit, hard to soft, fast to slow. She tried to twist and shift but I kept a firm grip on her legs, holding her exactly where I wanted her. Exactly where I could hit that spot inside.

  She panted, her chest rising and falling, as her body shook until finally there was no resistance left. Her eyes slammed closed as her body arched, the orgasm coming over her like a tidal wave. Pulse after pulse she squeezed until the pressure built so tight in my spine I let go, losing myself too.

  White spots broke across my vision and I tipped my head back, letting the release tear through my body like a freight train. A groan escaped my lips as I came long and hard. When the orgasm finally loosened its grip, I cracked my eyes open. My mystery woman lay limp and sated on the bed, her arms draped over her face.

  I lifted them away, taking her chin and turning it to me as her lashes flickered open.

  “Got anywhere to be?” I asked.

  “No.”

  “Good. Now that we took the edge off, let’s have some fun.”

  Those dark eyes laughed, and
she leaned up on an elbow, brushing her lips against mine. “Do your worst. And I’ll do mine.”

  “You’re on.”

  Hours later, I walked her to the door. The ruined straps of her top hung at her sides. Her slacks were wrinkled from their time on the floor. I’d finally taken her shoes off during the third round, but not before they’d left welts in the small of my back.

  She didn’t speak as she crossed the threshold, that sway of her hips making me wish I had stopped her when she’d started getting dressed.

  I leaned against the door’s frame, naked, and soaked her in as she strolled to the driver’s side of her Nova.

  She opened the door but didn’t get inside. Instead she stared over the car’s roof, studying me. Then she threw her head back to the midnight sky and laughed, her smile as white and blinding as the stars themselves.

  Maybe she laughed because I’d surprised her. Maybe because tonight had been a fucking blast. Whatever the reason, I chuckled too, waiting until she climbed into the car and drove down the road.

  Then I retreated inside and shook my head, a lazy grin on my face. I’d given her my number before she’d left. Maybe she’d call it. Maybe she wouldn’t.

  I chuckled again. “Damn, what a woman.”

  And I didn’t even know her name.

  Chapter Three

  Nova

  “Hey, Mama.” I hugged her as she came into my condo.

  “Hi, honey. How’s my pretty girl?” She kissed my cheek, sweeping into the kitchen and setting her purse on the counter beside a vase of white roses.

  Picking up those flowers and meeting with Mom were the last items on my massive to-do list. It had been two days since my trip to Clifton Forge and the hours had become a blur of rushing from one task to the next, all so I could leave Missoula today and carry on with my plan.

  “I’m good. Thanks for doing this.”

  She touched the silky tip of a rose. “Would you like to explain why I’m housesitting for two months?”