The Taming (The Black Thunder Series) (7 page)

“Why teaching?” he asked again
. “I mean you’re a hell of a cook. You could do that full time. I wouldn’t mind.”

“Cooking is more of a hobby for me,” she smiled taking the compliment
. “But education is my passion.” His ears perked wondering what else she was passionate about. “It’s kind of like a calling for me,” she continued.

“A calling to teach?” he didn’t understand
. “You didn’t have no divine revelation did you?”

“No,” she laughed and he breathed a sigh of relief
. “I’ve wanted to teach for as long as I can remember. Education is important and I like the idea of opening a door to a child’s mind. It gives me a sense of fulfillment.”

“You like kids, I take it?” he asked as he continued to eat.

“I love children.” He thought he saw something rush past her blue eyes but then it was gone as she looked down at her plate. “Don’t you?”

“I guess so,” he shrugged
. “As long as they’re not my own. I’m extremely careful not to have a little Jack showing up at my door.” Her eyes lifted and saw a sly grin form at the corners of his mouth while his green eyes twinkled with a humorous glow.

“I’m sure you are,” Kate couldn’t help but laugh and he liked the cute little sound that escaped her lips
. It was a soft laugh and it suited her. He wished he could hear it again. What was it about Kate Harris that made him want more? Right about now he wanted much more.

“So Clara tells me you’re a nice girl,” said Jack as his focus was now resting by the tan tank shirt that showed not as much cleavage as he would have liked
. “Are you a nice girl?”

“If you’re implying what I think you’re implying then yes, I am a nice girl,” she stated.

“No room for negotiation, baby?” he asked as he leaned back in his chair and sipped on his wine since he was done eating. “I mean you went to a lot of trouble to make for quite an enjoyable evening, seeing the candlelight, the wine and good food. The least I could do is finish it off with a little enjoyment for you.”

“Don’t read anything into this,” she laughed
. “I just needed you to know I am a good cook. Besides, Clara has warned me to stay away from you.”

“She’s probably right, if you really are as nice of a girl as you proclaim to be,” he chuckled
. “I’d be downright dangerous, but I’d give you a hell of a ride.”

Kate almost choked on her wine
. “Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

“I’ve never heard a woman complain,” he grinned at her.

“At least not to your face,” she said under her breath.

“You’re quick Barbie doll,” said Jack in an appreciative tone
. “I like that.”

“I really hate when you call me that,” she scowled.

“I know,” he grinned and leaned his elbows on the table. “That’s why I say it.”

“
Humph.” Kate sat back in her chair and sipped on her wine.

“I like seeing you get all wound up,” he said as he watched her
lips touch the glass. “I got me a feeling if I got you riled up enough you’d lose that nice girl attitude fast.”

“I doubt it,” she saw a gleam in his eye.

“I think you’re lying to me again, Kate,” he toyed with her. “I think you’re itching for me to take that sweet ass of yours and make it wiggle beneath me.”

This time she choked on her wine
. “Are you ready for dessert?” She asked, feeling her cheeks flush a slight pink.

“You have no idea how ready I am.” He grinned and watched her jump from her seat, grab their plates,
and then scurry into the kitchen.

Jack pushed his chair back and stood
. He liked that he unnerved her. He followed her into the kitchen and watched her place their dishes in the sink. He leaned on the counter, bridging the gap, watching Kate fumble with the pot holder, sliding it over her hand as she reached into the oven and pulled out a tray.

“What’s that?” he breathed on her.

“Crème brûleé,” Kate mumbled as she looked up and saw his eyes change to a steamy dark green.

Her head
began to spin from either too much wine or his close proximity. Either way Kate felt like melting into a befuddled puddle on to the ground. She placed the tray on top of the stove and without thinking went to lift the hot delicacy on to a plate burning her finger in the process.

“Oh shit!” she exclaimed as
she dropped the dish and grabbed her finger.

“Here, let me take a look,” said Jack as he reached for her injured fingertip and saw the trail of redness against her flesh
. “Let’s run some cold water on it.”

He
acted quickly, turning on the water by the sink and pushing her finger under the cold force, holding tightly.

Kate glanced at his strong hands, wrapped around her own, keeping her positioned beneath the running water
. It felt so ruggedly male, him taking charge, and she felt so utterly female submitting to his need to care for her, rescue her in that old fashioned cowboy sort of way; just like in the movies when the gunslinger freed the heroine from the train tracks… except it was probably Jack that tied her up there to begin with. Her eyes bugged bright blue at the realization.

“I think
it’s okay?” She tried to pull away.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” he said in his usual overbearing tone
as he continued his hold over her.

Kate blinked blue mixing with a sea of s
teaming green. Jack removed her hand from the rushing water and looked at her burn. “Is it stinging?” he asked in a sultry voice.

Kate couldn’t speak
. All she could do was nod. Jack placed a gentle kiss on her finger then covered it with his mouth, removing the droplets of water and replacing it with his own.

The burning ceased on her finger, and began on her cheeks, working its way down lower through her belly
. Jack never took his eyes from her watching her full breasts rise and fall in rapid succession with each breath.

At that moment he wanted her more than anything he had ever wanted before in his life
. Her skin was soft as his dream, her eyes a slumbering blue that any man could get lost in. She was swallowing him whole, and he liked the feeling of being consumed by her very presence.

His mouth tingled by the feel of her flesh as he suckled her finger wet again with the moisture from his own lips.

“It’s better now,” she whispered and he slowly removed her finger from his mouth.

This time she used the pot holder when she placed the hot dish onto the cooled plate
. Jack stepped in locking her between the stove and his body, resting his chest on her back. He swept her sun-bleached hair to the side, exposing her sweet little ear. He couldn’t help himself as he reached out and played with the tiny green gem piercing her lobe.

“I think you’re pretty, Kate,” he breathed against her neck and she felt a hot tingle ripple down.

“Thanks,” she mumbled, growing more unsettled by the minute.

Kate was way out of practice, and out of her league with this one
. It had been five years of marriage and two years before as a couple. She didn’t know how to date anymore, but Jack wasn’t looking for a date.

It would be so easy giving in to his carnal invitation, feel his strong arms wrapped around her and get caught up in a lover’s embrace
. God she wished she could just let go and experience it for once in her life.

But Jack wasn’t the man to give in to
. She had a feeling he could swallow her whole, and all she would be left with was a memory of remorse when it was over and he moved on to someone else. Kate needed distance before she did something she might regret.

Jack saw the shiver run down her neck
. He decided to push it a little further hoping she would fall. He leaned over and placed a trail of light kisses to her neck.

“Don’t,”
she whispered as she leaned her head away nudging him with her shoulder.

Jack didn’t want to stop
. His head was already swimming in the smell of her sweet perfume and the touch of her soft skin. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?” he practically groaned in her ear. “I can’t think straight when I’m around you.”

His words were like sweet cream melting all over her
. If only she could believe him.

“Can’t we just finish dinner?” she asked squeezing her eyes shut, steadying the wild fire surging out of control in her belly.

“Are you sure that’s what you want, baby?” he asked as he ran his hands up and down her arms.

“It’s what I want,” she said as she placed the dessert dishes in her hands and turned using them as a shield between them.

“I’ll loosen the rope a little, but I’m not letting go,” he stated as he stepped back and motioned for her to pass.

Kate breathed a sigh of relief
. She entered the dining room and set his plate by his seat, then walked around the table to her own.

“I was thinking maybe we could sit closer together,” said Jack as he lifted his plate.

“No,” stated Kate rather loudly. “You sit over there. I think it’s better if we keep the table between us.”

“You’re only prolonging the inevitable,” he frowned as he flopped back in his seat.

“Just eat your dessert Jack,” said Kate as she ran her fingers through her hair.

“I’d rather eat you.”

Her eyes shot wide as she felt a rush go through her body and down her legs. She could barely hold on to her spoon with her quivering hands. Jack saw the look of shock and fluster on her face and he couldn’t help but sit back and laugh at her unnerving.

“Stop laughing!” Her temper flared and her face flushed a crimson red.

“Why, did I make your panties wet Barbie doll?” He continued with his amusement seeing her getting more rattled by the minute.

“Did anyone ever tell you that you are a disgusting man Jack
McBride?” She was more flustered than she’d ever been.

“You know what I think, Kate?” he said
with a mischievous grin. “I think you secretly like the way I talk.”

“No, I don’t.”

“I think you do,” he said as he slowly stood from his chair. “And I’ll prove it.”

He moved around the table
towards her like he was hunting for prey.

“What are you doing?” Kate gasped
. She jumped up realizing that she was the prey he was hunting.

“Where are you going?” His eyes smoldered with heat as he watched her move around the table putting distance between them.

“I knew this was a mistake,” she cried as he stepped closer and she stepped further. “I should have never sat down to dinner with you.”

“Oh, you don’t mean that Kate,” he said following the trail of sweet perfume that lingered behind.

“I certainly do,” she said as she passed his seat and continued to keep distance between them.

“How many times you going to go round the table before you let me catch you?” He was toying with her.

“As many times as it takes for you to back off,” she sputtered.

“We could be here all night, baby,” he grinned as he picked up his pace.

So did Kate as she rounded the corner rather quickly and pulled out her chair to slow him down. Jack threw the chair to the ground and leaped over it before he charged her.

“Oh, holy shit!” she screeched and made a beeline for the front door
. She barely made it passed the archway when she felt his arm wrap around her waist and her feet being lifted off the floor.

“I gotcha,” he laughed as he hoisted her in the air and strode back to the dining room table.

“Jack, put me down.” She couldn’t help but laugh herself.

He set her rump on the table and bent her back against its wood surface, pinning her between his hands.

“Now what are you going to do, Kate,” he said as he sunk his mouth lower to hers.

“I’m not going to kiss you,” she laughed again as she shook her head back and forth trying to avoid his lips.

“Maybe you want me to do other things to you first?”

“If I’m not going to kiss you, then I am certainly not going to do
other things with you,” she said trying to fight against the stirring he was creating within her.

“I don’t think you’re in a position to negotiate,” he said pressing into her until she fell against her elbows
. He was losing himself again, feeling her soft skin against his flesh. He wanted her, needed her like he had never wanted or needed anyone before. “Kate, you are driving me insane. What do you say we take this upstairs?”

“Not a chance,” she scoffed at his advances
. He was playing a dangerous game, and one she no longer wanted to play.

He was a one night stand kind of guy,
where she was a forever kind of girl. If she gave in to his moment of passion there would be no tomorrow. Her heart was damaged enough, and she didn’t think she could suffer any more indignities without it being totally destroyed.