Shane Malone tilted back a bottle of beer, letting the warm liquid slide down the back of his throat. His older brothers, Ty and Ethan, had left a few minutes before. Since they’d each tied themselves down with a woman, they were much more interested in being at home than out with their baby brother, drinking beer in their favorite worn-down bar in Last Chance. He didn’t blame them. The whole scene was getting old for Shane, too.

Dottie, the waitress, came by with her breasts spilling out of her top and offered Shane another drink. She gave him that flirty little smile that told him she would give him much more than that if he wanted it. He rubbed a hand over his head. “No, thanks, Dot. I’m about to head out.”

His boots crunched discarded peanut shells on the floor when he stood up. Shane tossed a tip on the table and that’s when he saw her sitting at the bar. Long raven hair, with a hint of an almost purple color, ran down the length of her back. It rested just above a curvy, feminine ass. She wasn’t doing anything to draw his attention, yet just seeing her sent fire through him. A long, delicate finger tucked her hair behind her ear in a way that shouldn’t be so damn sexy but it was. She didn’t have to turn around for him to know she was fucking beautiful. He had a sixth sense where this woman was concerned.

Shane couldn’t believe his eyes. After all these years, she’d come back.

Instead of turning toward the door, Shane kept on his current path. Could be a huge mistake. It wasn’t as if they were ever friends. Except for that one night, he probably hadn’t spoken two words to her. Shane wasn’t dumb enough not to realize what that night had been but, for some reason, he needed to check on her. Shane pulled out the barstool beside her. “Can I buy you a drink?”

“No, thank y—” she turned her head toward him and, the second her eyes caught his, the words died on her tongue.

“Shane?”

He winked at her. “The one and only.” Shane scratched his tattooed arm. The movement drew her attention down, her eyes scanning the ink in his skin. Hell, she’d probably run for the hills. The one thing he remembered about her from school was how quiet and shy she’d been. When he’d found her that night, she’d been a mess, obviously scared to death of him. The way she looked right now, her big green eyes taking him in, she still wasn’t very comfortable with him.

But he didn’t get up and move. “I never thought I’d see you here again. When your dad died, I thought about you, but when you didn’t come…”

Audrey sighed. “Please, Shane. I don’t want to talk about him.”

Hell, neither did he. Thinking about the man still made ice slither through his veins. “Done.” She looked over at him and licked her pink lips. It was an innocent move. One she probably didn’t even realize she’d made, but it made his cock harden. The woman still set him afire. Shane watched as she examined the flawless polish on her nails. She wore a skirted suit, navy blue, which hugged her slender body.

“Your tattoos…” Her eyes skated over his body and damned if it didn’t make him want to touch her. “You have a lot of them. I think you only had two that night.” Her voice was sweet as sugar. Damn, did he have a sweet tooth.

“Yep. You like tats, Audrey?”

To his surprise, she winked at him. “I like yours. I remember watching the way they moved when your muscles tightened. I’d forgotten about that until just now.”

Shane groaned. He’d been on edge for a while now and ten minutes with this woman was about to send him over it. “We keep talking like this and I’m going to want you exploring every mark on my body. For that, we’ll need a little more privacy. So, if you’re not on the same page, we better steer this conversation in a different direction.” The flash of shock in her eyes inflamed him more but, when it turned to desire, it was more than he could bear. Her pink-tipped fingers started shaking; it took all his self control not to make good on his threat right then and there.

Yeah, he definitely needed to blow off some steam. His body was wound tight, begging for release. A release he hadn’t known he needed so badly until Audrey Peterson showed up on Smokey’s bar stool.

“Is that drink offer still available?” she asked.

Shane smirked at her before waving Dottie over. “I need another Coors.” He looked at Audrey. “And you?”

She smiled at him. It was a much more self-assured smile than the ones she’d given him years before. “Midori Sour.”

Dottie stomped away to get their drinks. They were quiet until she handed Shane his bottle and Audrey her glass and walked away again. “Thanks.” She took a small drink and he couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to have her lips on him like that. The woman was driving him wild. Shane nodded and she spoke again, “So, what have you been up to all these years?”

Shane’s mouth covered the lip of the bottle and took a swig. “You remember my brothers, Ty and Ethan? They were a couple years older than us.”

“Yeah.”

“We started a construction company right after graduation. It’s been the three of us ever since. Ty just got married. His wife, Maggie, is a florist. Ethan is pretty settled down, too. Lindy works with us at Malone’s. She’s a tough little thing.”

Shane felt a twinge in his chest. It was the first time he’d really told someone about his family in a long time. Everyone in Last Chance knew them so there was no reason to. For the first time, he felt a little lonely.

“What about you? Anyone in your life?” She had another sip, her eyes never leaving his.

“Naw, not besides my bike, if she counts.” He winked at her before taking another drink. “You?” A quick glance at her hand and he saw she wasn’t wearing a ring.

Audrey bit her lip. “Well, after I left here, I ended up in Washington. Found a job at a bookstore and worked my way through college. I’m a counselor. Teens.” She paused and Shane gave her a slight nod of his head. Her profession didn’t surprise him. “It’s strange.” Audrey turned her stool to face him, crossing her long sexy legs. Christ, he wanted those legs wrapped around his waist while he slid between them.

She started talking again and snapped him out of his fantasy. He found he wanted to hear her talk too, that she interested him. “I never thought I would want to come back here, but when my husband and I—”

Shane’s whole body tensed. Hell, here he was thinking about every way he could take her and she was married. “You’re married?” he cut her off.

Her whole demeanor changed. Audrey stiffened. “Um, no. Divorced. I was just going to say, when I left him, this was the only place I wanted to be.”

A breath pushed from his lungs as Shane ran a hand over his head, a little unsure why the thought of her having been married before left his limbs stiff and heavy. “I’m sorry. About the divorce, I mean.”

“Don’t be. I’m not. I don’t want to talk about him though.”

There was a lot she didn’t want to talk about, he noticed. “So you’re home for good?”

A spark lit the green depths of her eyes. “Yes! I’m going to have about an hour’s drive for work, but I’m incredibly excited about my new job.”

Shane listened as she talked about the school she’d be counseling in. It was for troubled children—not violent kids—ones who had been through hard times and weren’t sure how to deal with it. Excitement oozed off her and onto him. He wasn’t quite sure how he knew that this was a dream come true for her. It wasn’t as if he knew her well. They’d gone to high school together but never traveled in the same circles. In fact, there were only two times he’d ever held a real conversation with her: now and on her last night in town, graduation. But he felt how happy this made her and it made him happy, too.

She kept talking and he let her. It was like once she started, she couldn’t stop. And hell, he liked the sound of her voice. Excitement laced with sweetness. Her earlier hesitancy was all but gone. “Listen to me. I’ve gone on and on and haven’t let you get a word in.” She looked at her watch. “We’ve been talking over an hour.”

Shane leaned forward, his finger tracing the lip of the long-dead bottle of beer. “No worries. I like seeing you like this. Makes me glad I did what I did on graduation night.” Some she knew about but others she didn’t. “Life has been good to you.”

She looked a little uncomfortable again, fidgeting in her seat before picking up her purse. “It’s getting late. I better get going.”

Shane stood, too. “Want me to walk you out?” He’d make sure she got to her car regardless but part of him wanted it to be her choice. Some sign that her quick departure didn’t mean he’d screwed up somehow. Or hell, maybe there was just a part of him that needed to make sure this pull he felt to her wasn’t one-sided.

“Yeah. I’d like that.”

Leading the way, he headed for the door. Shane pulled it open for Audrey and followed her out.

“Oh, no!” Shane followed her line of sight to a little Honda with a flat tire. “Crap. See? Good night and then something has to happen. It’s probably karma for hogging all the conversation inside.”

Shane couldn’t help but laugh at her. “If karma strikes for something as small as that, I’m in a whole lot of trouble.” He winked at her and she smiled. “It’s late. If you want, I can give you a ride home on my bike. No one will mess with your car here and I’ll come back and fix it tomorrow.” Selfish request. He really just wanted to feel those long legs wrapped around him.

Audrey gave a nervous chuckle. “Motorcycle? Um, no, thanks. Sorry. I’m a wuss.”

“Aw, I’ll protect you, baby,” he teased, feeling playful in a way he hadn’t in a while.

“I trust you, Shane, but me and motorcycles don’t mix. I can call a tow or something.”

“Pop the trunk.” He walked over to her car. “I’ll fix it for you.” It was late and he was tired as hell, but there was no way he would walk off and let her wait for a tow truck.

Her heels clicked on the pavement as she followed him. “You don’t have to do that. I’m sure you’re tired. It’s no big deal.”

When she stood in front of him, Shane couldn’t fight the urge to touch her any longer. He traced a finger down the side of her face. “You ever think that I’m just being selfish? Maybe I’m not ready to tell you good night yet.”

Audrey shivered. Her eyes were wide; a smile teased her lips. “I…” she started but didn’t finish.

Shane chuckled and put a finger to her lips. “Pop the trunk, baby. I’ll change your tire and then I’m following you home to make sure you get there okay.”

*

Shane Malone. Audrey couldn’t believe the first person she saw in town that she knew would be Shane. Well, she kind of knew him. Okay, so she didn’t really know him at all but when she’d needed someone, he’d been there. When she’d been more scared than she’d ever been in her whole life, about to leave everything in her life behind, the tattooed man had been the one to wipe away all her fears. He’d made her feel like someone with the way he’d talked to her … the way he’d touched her.

And here they were, ten years later, right after another major decision in her life, and he was the one she ran into. Small world … or at least, small town.

She stood back while he jacked her car and changed her tire. The man was so incredibly sexy. He looked so rough, so raw and almost dangerous, but when he turned those big blue eyes on her, her body went wild. Need pulsed through her like she’d only felt one other time in her life. Funny, that time had been with him, too.

Before she knew it, the job was done and he was closing her door behind her. “You really don’t have to follow me to my hotel,” she said to him through the open window, the whole time silently telling herself to shut up.

Shane’s eye brows crinkled. “You’re not staying at your parents’ old place?”

Audrey fought to hide the unease the swept over her. “No, I’m going to sell it. Look for my own place.”

Nodding his head as if he understood, he said, “I’ll follow you,” before jogging over to a motorcycle and climbing on. Audrey waited until he was helmeted before pulling out of the parking lot.

Why did she feel like this man knew her so well? Like he understood her. She’d never told anyone some of the things she’d told him that night. And now … now he rode a bike behind her and she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d put his hands on her. If he’d tease her sensitive flesh like he’d done the only night they’d spent together.

Her pussy pulsed at the thought. Oh God, she wanted him. It had been so long since she’d wanted anyone and, after a two-hour conversation, she wanted him inside her. Stop it, Aud. She’d hardly been in town a day and here she was fantasizing about Shane Malone. She hadn’t wanted anyone in so long … it shocked her, that little surge of need bubbling inside her.

A few minutes later she pulled into the parking lot of her hotel. Pushing her thoughts aside, she got out of the car. Shane’s jeans-clad legs straddled his bike, and God, was he delicious. “Thanks. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me tonight, Shane.”

He gave her a half-grin and got off his bike. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

She should be. God, she should be, but her body wanted anything but. “No…”

“Come on. I’ll walk you in.” They started to walk. Her legs were shaking with eagerness. “Do you have a cell-phone number so I can call you tomorrow about fixing the tire?” he asked when she opened the door to her room.

“Yeah.” Audrey set her purse and keys on the TV stand. “I’ll write it down for you.” Grabbing her purse, she pulled out a pen and wrote her phone number on a pad of paper. “Here you go. You have to let me make this up to you. Buy you dinner or something.” She reached out and handed Shane the paper. The brush of his work-roughened skin made her shiver.

This man was like sex brought to life. All forbidden man but the tickle at the base of her spine spreading throughout her body, didn’t care how forbidden he was. He stirred something inside her which had been dormant for much too long.

It made no sense.

She wasn’t in a place in her life where she should feel the urge to jump into bed with any man but she wanted to.

Before she realized what he was doing, Shane’s hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her forward. They weren’t touching—a mere inch or two between their bodies—but his heat wrapped around her. “Tell me it wasn’t a mistake. That we made the right choice that night.” His finger brushed down the side of her face, before threading through her hair. “That you’ve never regretted it.”

She felt his fingers everywhere. He’d touched her like this that night as well. He looked so hard but touched so softly. Her breasts started to tingle, her heart beating furiously. “It was right,” she whispered as his lips ghosted over hers. “I’ve never regretted any of that night.”

Audrey gasped when both of his hands cupped her face, his mouth crushing down on hers. Shane’s tongue slid between her lips, taking control of her mouth. She kissed him back, dismissing any thoughts of pushing him away. It felt too good to deny this urgent need between them. No one had needed her in so long, if ever.

Shane’s mouth slid down the column of her throat with nips, licks and kisses. It gave her a second to think. She hadn’t seen this man in ten years, yet he had his mouth on her. “Shane, what are we doing? I’m not sure…”

“Fuck, I don’t know but I want you, Audrey. I want to caress every one of your soft curves.” One of his hands slid down her body, resting on her hip, before pulling her closer. Her pussy ached for him. But she couldn’t … not yet.

“I can’t. I want to … God, you feel so good.” His teeth bit tenderly into her neck. She gasped. But damned if she didn’t do the same to him … let her teeth press into his neck. “I haven’t felt this good in so many years, Shane, but I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

Shane pulled away, just enough to look her in the eyes. “Years?”

Audrey’s cheeks warmed. “Well, it hasn’t been years since I’ve been with anyone … my ex-husband, but…” How did she say this? How could she tell him she ended up marrying the same kind of man she’d run away from? That he’d only cared about himself, cut her down. That when they’d made love, he cared more about his pleasure than how she felt?

“But what? He couldn’t please you? I promise you, baby, you won’t have that kind of problem with me.”

Audrey sighed and pulled away. “He didn’t care. Not about me.” She pleaded with him with her eyes, hoping he would see there was more but she didn’t want to talk about it. Couldn’t talk about it.

“Christ.” Shane rubbed a hand over his head. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t…” Audrey held up a hand. “It’s not your fault. And I want to but I can’t. Not yet, Shane.”

He dropped his head back in frustration. It was on the tip of her tongue to apologize but, like him, she had nothing to be sorry about. She was done saying sorry for things that weren’t her fault.

Shane’s eyes met hers. “I’ll call you tomorrow. We’ll get your tire replaced and talk. I promise I’m not going to push you, but I want you, Audrey. Even more now. I want nothing but to worship at that beautiful body of yours. You deserve it, baby, and I’m going to have a hell of a time giving it to you.”

With that, he walked out the door. It took everything she had inside her not to call him back in.