Gunnin' for You (Rolling Thunder series Book 4) (6 page)

He smiled his most devastating smile, the one with the dimples, raised their joined hands to his lips and kissed her fingers. While deeply gazing into her eyes, Emma sighed.

Janie gasped. Even though it was soft, Emma heard it. It snapped her to attention and she tried pulling her hand out of Gunnar’s, but he held tight. He stood from the table and pulled her hand to help her to her feet. He supported her as she slid down the side of the table until her feet touched the ground and quickly but firmly wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her tight to his body.

“W-well, you guys have a n-nice ride tomorrow,” Janie stammered.  

Emma felt sorry for her. “Thanks, Janie. We will. Enjoy your night, okay?”

Gunnar pulled them around the outside of the bar to the front parking area. As soon as they rounded the corner, he leaned against the wall of the building, pulling Emma tightly to him, her front to his front. Quickly he wrapped an arm around her waist and had her face cupped in his hand. Before anyone else could interrupt them, he touched his lips to hers. He kissed her gently, coaxing her mouth open to slide his tongue inside. As soon as she opened, he deepened the kiss and as his hand slid to hold the back of her head, he slanted his to fit perfectly to her mouth and kissed her like he hoped she had never been kissed. He wanted to leave an imprint on her mind that no other person in the world would ever be able to replace. When she closed her eyes tonight, he wanted her to see him, feel his mouth on hers, smell him and be consumed by him. He wanted her to want him with every fiber of her being. He wanted her to need to be with him and
only
him.

Emma was surprised by the way Gunnar grabbed her and pulled her to him, and kissed her. She was even more surprised by how quickly her body responded to him and right now, at this moment, she couldn’t get her brain to work for anything. There was nothing in it but Gunnar. The way he felt pulling her to his body, the heat he radiated, the strength he had in those arms of his and the desire he ignited in her was so potent and immediate, she didn’t have the power to resist. Her breasts felt heavy and needy, her nipples beaded to sharp points with an ache threatening to take her breath away if he didn’t touch them. Emma slid her arms up and around Gunnar’s neck and shoulders to push her breasts into his chest. A moan slipped between her lips and she immediately felt Gunnar’s muscles bunch under her arms. Powerful—so powerful and sexy.

Chapter Eight

Gunnar slipped a hand between them to touch Emma’s breast. He found her nipple and pinched it softly between his thumb and forefinger, causing her breath to catch. Jesus. Gunnar reluctantly pulled his mouth away from Emma’s. He laid his forehead against hers and concentrated on regulating his breathing. If he continued at this pace, he would completely lose control. She started to pull away, but he held her tight, loathed to let her go.  

Emma lowered herself as she realized she was up on her toes and had pulled her arms tightly around Gunnar’s shoulders in an effort to ease the tension in her breasts. She was embarrassed at her behavior. So much for making him think ‘she wasn’t doing men’ right now. But holy shit, she had never, ever been kissed like that before. She shivered as she thought about it.  

“You cold?”

Emma blinked and pulled her head back just an inch to look into Gunnar’s eyes. He lifted his head slightly and watched her face. Her beautiful, sweet face.

“No. I’m fine.”

“You shivered; that means you’re cold.”

Emma was thrilled that it was dark out, because she could feel the heat in her cheeks. God, she was so in way over her head here.  

Gunnar watched her face for a moment more, nodded once and turned them toward his truck. He opened the passenger door and grinned at the look on her face. “Between stalker Janie and stalker picture guy, we keep getting interrupted. Let’s sit in here so you can tell me what you need to tell me.”

Nodding her head, Emma stepped on the running board and scooted into the passenger seat. He closed the door and walked around the front of the truck, affording Emma a small amount of time to gather her thoughts.

After climbing in, Gunnar turned towards her, resting his wrist on the back of her seat. With his free hand he smoothed her cheek with the back of his forefinger, staring into her eyes. She smiled and caught her bottom lip with her perfect white teeth and his nostrils flared as his heart began beating out a rhythm a rock band would be jealous of.

Emma swallowed the lump in her throat and let out a long, slow breath. “Okay. Gunnar, if you change your mind about tomorrow after I tell you…I’ll understand. Okay?”

Gunnar smirked. “Spit it out, babe.”

“Okay. Six and a half years ago, I killed a…a biker.” Emma looked deeply into his eyes to gauge his reaction. He waited patiently for her to continue. Greg never, ever waited patiently for anything.

Swallowing again and fidgeting with a loose string in the seam of her jeans, fighting the tears that were blurring her vision, Emma said, “His name is...was Josh. Josh Kendall. I was driving home from school. It was a clear day, the radio was playing—probably too loud—but it felt right at the moment. I had the windows open and the wind whistled through the car. I felt free—invincible. I had just gotten an A on a final; the world was my oyster. “Emma sniffed and braved a glance into Gunnar’s eyes.

He looked at her, following the lone tear that trekked its way down her smooth cheek. He leaned in and kissed her lips, just once and very quickly, his way of comforting her. But still, he continued to wait.

She nodded her head once, and continued. “Well, I was just three blocks from home. My dad was still alive and I was living with him. Ashley was too, but she and Ron were getting married in a month and a half. Anyway…” Blowing out another breath, Emma briefly glanced out the window, and then back to the stubborn thread in her jeans. “I was driving past the street before I needed to turn toward home and he shot out of the intersection. He never stopped, just ran right out in front of me. I…” clearing her throat and sniffing, she said, “I slammed on the brakes, but I was too late. I hit him.”

She wiped the tears that flowed freely now and sniffed a few more times. Gunnar touched her hair with his fingers using light stroking, soothing motions.

“He died instantly. There was so much blood.” Swallowing again, she softly said. “So much blood.”

Gunnar leaned forward, kissed her forehead and cupped the back of her head. Pressing his lips against her hair, he softly kissed the top of her head. With the console between them, he couldn’t hold her like he wanted. He reached down and captured her fidgeting little fingers in his much larger hand and held them, gently rubbing circles with his thumb. As she calmed down, Gunnar leaned back and held her gaze in his own.

“That wasn’t your fault. He was behaving recklessly. A motorcycle seldom wins when it plows into a car or the other way around.”

Emma nodded her head a couple of times but still couldn’t look into his eyes. Slowly Gunnar reached forward and tucked his fingers under her chin, pulling her face up to his. Their eyes locked. He softly traced the scar he had seen on her cheek. “Is that where this came from?”

She nodded and looked into his eyes but couldn’t say anything. “It wasn’t your fault, babe.”

Another tear trekked down her cheek to the side and traveled toward her ear. Emma reached up and swiped at it. Her full lips quivered at the corners. “His mother thinks it is. She’s the reason I left town and moved to Chicago. She kept driving past my house, and for a while, I felt like she was stalking me. Everywhere I went, she would be there too. I would do anything to turn back time and change that day.” She sobbed.

“I’m sure you would. I’m sure she would, too. That doesn’t give her the right to stalk you, and I’m sorry it chased you out of town away from your family. But, this doesn’t change things for me. We’re still going on a ride tomorrow, and I’ll show you not all bikers are reckless.

“If you aren’t sure what to wear, ask Molly for pointers. I’m a safe driver. I don’t screw around and I want you on my bike. Tonight, I’ll see that you get home, but, that’s it. No pressure. I want you to know that I’m not a pig, never have been. Not saying I haven’t had casual sex, because I have. If it’s consensual, which is the only way I would ever engage in it, there’s nothing wrong with it. But, you and me,” he said, motioning his fingers between them, “we aren’t casual. We’re going to get to know each other, spend time with each other and see where this goes. Got it?”

“Gunnar, I—”

“Got it?”

“Gunnar—“ He held her gaze. “Yes. Got it.”

“Good.” He bent his head and brushed her lips with his. He licked the seam of her lips gently, and then lightly pressed his lips to hers once more. He lifted his head and watched her face in the dim light, seeing a soft smile spread across her face. God, she would undo him. He was quickly becoming afraid that she could crook her finger at him and make him do anything she wanted him to do. But one thing he would not do, and that was allow her to put space between them. He felt something for her the instant he met her. He kicked himself for not asking for her phone number. Then, God put them together at the hospital and Gunnar knew it was a sign. After their date last week, she said she didn’t want to go out with him again, and he stupidly allowed her to have her way. If he wouldn’t have seen her tonight, he would have been there tomorrow morning to get in her space and demand that she get to know him.

Grinning, Gunnar firmly kissed her lips once more and motioned toward the building. “So, do you want to go back in or head home?”

“Home please. I’m a bit creeped out now, I guess. Too many weird things happened tonight.”

Chapter Nine

“Geez, Emma, he’s…holy crap, how in the heck are you even able to talk to him? I would be a stuttering mess around him.” Ashley’s voice was low so as not to wake a sleeping Tyler in her arms.

“Do I need to remind you of the exploding baby formula incident of a couple weeks ago?” Emma looked at Ashley and smiled. “Besides, you talked to him last week.”

They both giggled as they watched Gunnar through the front window in the living room. He had just pulled his bike up the driveway, turned it around, dropped the kickstand, climbed off and started walking to the front door. Gawd! Emma could see the power in his thighs through the thick fabric of his jeans. Fantastic legs and his ass, well—forehead slap—there was no ass in the world like
that
ass. His leather jacket was unzipped and under it he wore a tight t-shirt, which showed off his defined abs and massive pecs. Emma felt a pulsing between her thighs and her heartbeat hitch, creating a blush rapidly crawling up her neck and resting on her cheeks.

“Yeah, I did. But need I remind you, I’m not sexually interested in him, it’s different. And, I was sleep deprived.” Ashley watched Gunnar walking toward the front door. “Geez, you’re a lucky woman, Em. Gawd, but he’s beautiful.”

Emma’s voice was barely a whisper through her dry and constricted throat, “I know.”

Ashley looked at her sister and they both grinned. “God, it’s good to be home.”

Emma walked to the front door, wiping her damp palms on her thighs and opening it just as Gunnar knocked. Ashley quickly sat down in the rocking chair in the living room and rocked Tyler in her arms.  

“Come on in. I’ll get my purse.”

“You look beautiful, Emma.” He leaned down and surprised her with a quick kiss on the lips. She had pulled her thick blonde hair into a braid down the back of her head. A few little tendrils escaped the braid and Gunnar reached up to touch one of them, gently brushing the scar.

Emma blushed. She turned and looked at a grinning Ashley, rolled her eyes in an oh-my-God motion, then walked to her bedroom to grab her purse.

“Good morning, Gunnar. How’re you today?”

“I’m good. You look good. Is Tyler letting you get some sleep?”

Gunnar leaned over Ashley just a little to look at Tyler, who was fast asleep in his mother’s arms. Ashley giggled. She was very pretty too. Emma looked a lot like Ashley with her big brown eyes. Ashley was a little taller, her hair was shorter, and she was a couple of years older, but you could definitely tell they were sisters.

“No. Last night Ron let me get some sleep while he got up both times to feed Tyler. He’s sleeping right now or I would introduce you.”

“No problem. There’ll be time for that another day.”

Emma came back into the room with her purse in tow. “I’m ready.”

Gunnar nodded and held his arm out toward the door, prompting Emma to walk out before him. They both said good-bye to Ashley and left. Emma’s jeans fit her perfectly and defined her toned legs. She had on a white cami and over that she wore an Army Green wrap sweater. She paired it with a scarf, her brown mid-calf boots, and her leather jacket. As they walked to his bike, Gunnar couldn’t take his eyes off her ass. When she walked, it moved just enough to be enticing as hell and his cock throbbed with want for touching it—touching her. He hadn’t slept at all last night, dammit. Every time he rolled over, he remembered the way she felt in his arms, the way she tasted, the sounds of her little moans, and the way her tongue felt sliding against his. He could smell her on his t-shirt, so he decided to sleep in it last night. When he dropped her off at the house, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her like he had kissed her at The Barn. She whimpered into his mouth when he pulled her close to him and ground his cock against her belly. It made him shake to feel her and smell her and taste her. He wanted her so fucking bad right now, he was going to have a painful ride today. He purposely wore the loosest fitting jeans he had to allow his forever swollen cock room, but it was painfully apparent they didn’t allow him enough.

Fuck!

Gunnar opened the side bag and pulled out a pair of gloves and held them out to her. “You can put your purse in the bag. You’ll get tired of carrying it. I brought you gloves to wear. It’s a little cool in the morning yet, but it’s supposed to warm up this afternoon. By the time we get to Door County for lunch, it should be nice out.”