Free Back in Black by Lori Foster Page A

up—and so was Gillian.
    With his mouth still touching hers, he said, “This will probably take a couple of hours.”
    Gillian held on to his shoulders. “This?” His expensive sports car wasn’t really big enough for making out. She felt the parking brake dig into her side.
    Humor lifted the corners of his sexy mouth. “Dickey, remember?” He smoothed a tendril of hair behind her ear. “That’s why we’re here.”
    “Oh.” She tried to straighten away from him, but was too off balance.
    Drew set her back in her seat. “But I like how you think. And hey, if it’s hours you want, come home with me after we take care of this. I’ll need to take the edge off first, but then, hey, I can last as well as any guy.”
    What had she gotten herself into? Drew Black was more than she could handle.
    But she couldn’t wait to try.
     
     
    WITH the collar of his leather jacket turned up against the damp evening wind, Brett stood out front of Roger’s Rodeo. After the last few days of nicer weather, there was now a decided nip in the air. Black storm clouds obscured the moon and stars, leaving the neon lights of the establishments and the street lamps to glow through the thick humidity.
    The flannel he’d put on over a T-shirt wasn’t doing much to keep out the cold.
    A few feet down from Brett, a woman leaned against the wall and enjoyed a smoke. Her short leather jacket was meant more for looking good than protecting her from the weather. The glow of her cigarette showed in between ribald comments spoken a little too loudly about what she’d like to do to him. She was drunk and easy to ignore, but her smoke irritated Brett as it carried on the wind.
    For him, there was a fine line between bold enough to be sexy, and so brazen that it became a turnoff. Courage from drink was always a pain in the ass. And he couldn’t abide kissing women who tasted like an ashtray.
    Audrey Porter, with her moral crusade, intrigued rather than annoyed. Brett liked women dolled up or dressed down. He liked it when they fussed with their nails and makeup, and when they went natural. He liked them sexy in short dresses and comfortable in worn jeans.
    Until he set eyes on Audrey and knew that she pushed every single one of his buttons, he’d never really thought about preferences.
    Just as the lady down the way sidled up to Brett, determined to strike up a conversation, a small car pulled up to the curb. Beneath the light of a street lamp, Brett could see Audrey in the passenger seat. Tonight she had her hair in a high ponytail and thin gold hoops in her earlobes.
    Anticipation sparked in his gut and before the hopeful woman vying for his attention could get a word out, Brett said to her, “Excuse me,” and went to the car to open Audrey’s door for her.
    Behind the wheel, Millie waved to him. When she was smiling and happy, she really was cute, Brett thought.
    “Hello, ladies,” he said. “Looks like you just beat the storm.”
    Audrey stared at him with nervousness, and that endeared her to him even more. She didn’t say anything, just froze with her hands on the seat belt latch.
    Brett leaned in and unhooked it for her. “I see you hitched a ride.”
    “My car is being serviced,” she blurted out. “New tires, long overdue. I thought I’d have to cancel, but Millie was nice enough to chauffeur me.”
    “Not a problem,” Millie said. “I was going out anyway. What time should I come back for her?”
    Audrey started to reply, but Brett beat her to it. “How about I bring her home and save you the trouble? We really don’t know how long we’ll be, and I’d hate to interrupt your plans.”
    “You wouldn’t be interrupting,” Millie told him. “I’m just meeting at a restaurant with some friends. I’ll be in the neighborhood anyway—”
    Brett took Audrey’s arm and urged her out of the car. “But hey, if it works out, I might be able to talk Audrey into staying late.” Now with her standing at his side, he put