Free Steel 2: Blackthorne MC #2 by Carrie Cox

1

    Nick’s fever finally broke at 3 A.M., but it wasn’t until the dawn light flooded in through the window that he finally woke up. I hadn’t slept at all. I’d spent all night sitting beside him, anxious to see some sign that he was getting better.
    After everything he’d been through, he should have looked a wreck. He’d been at death’s door last night and almost died, yet he woke up looking refreshed as if he’d just taken a quick nap. The pale tinge had disappeared from his skin, and he was back to his gorgeous tanned self.
    It just wasn’t fair.
    I on the other hand, looked a complete mess. As I hadn’t changed my clothes and hadn’t showered, I felt grubby, and my hand tangled in my hair when I tried to run my fingers through my unruly curls. I’d been so worried last night and caught up in what had been happening that I hadn’t given a thought to my appearance.
    But as Nick looked up at me and gave me a sleepy smile, I couldn’t help wishing I looked a little better.
    I rubbed my fingers under my eyes self-consciously, thinking that I probably had smudged my mascara. I hadn’t so much as glanced in a mirror.
    “Hey,” Nick said. “Did you wake up early?”
    I just shrugged. I didn’t want him to know that I had been sitting up all night watching over him.
    When it seemed like he was waiting for an answer, finally I said, “I couldn’t sleep.”
    “You should try and get a few hours now,” he said. “The rest of the crew will be hungover, so we won’t be leaving here until late afternoon. It will be cooler then.”
    “Thanks, but I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to sleep. What I could really use is a shower. I’ve been wearing the same clothes for far too long. Do you think there’s any way I could wash them?”
    Nick’s eyes flickered down to take in my red dress. My heart skipped a beat as his eyes lingered on the low-cut area at the front of my dress.
    It wasn’t my usual type of outfit, and it definitely wasn’t suitable for the daytime. Claire had persuaded me to wear it, telling me that my curves were hot, and that I should show them off. I’d always been self-conscious of my curvy figure and with Nick’s eyes on me now, I blushed.
    He reached across and gently trailed a finger over the red strap of my dress. My skin tingled at his touch. But I pulled away. My body was reacting too easily to him, and I was getting carried away with these feelings I had for him. I needed to focus on getting out of there, not crushing on Nick Steel.
    He looked confused as I pulled away, but only for a moment before he threw back the blanket he’d had over him and swung his legs out of the bed.
    I held my breath. It didn’t matter how many times I’d seen his body, every time, the stab of lust that hit me took me by surprise.
    “I’ll talk to Johnny’s wife and see if she’s got anything you can borrow,” he said.
    As he stood up, I forced myself to look away from his toned torso.
    I stared down at the floor and said, “How are you feeling?”
    “Pretty good, considering.” He ran a hand through his hair and grinned at me. “My shoulder is a little sore, but nothing I can’t handle. It won’t stop me riding.”
    I didn’t know exactly how to approach what I wanted to ask him, but I needed to know what he’d been talking about last night in his fevered state.
    I chewed on my thumbnail. “Last night, you said something to me.”
    Nick turned to face me. He had just been pulling on his jeans, but he paused and stared at me with an intense expression. It was only for a moment and then his expression cleared and he smiled at me again. “Oh, really? What did I say? I think those drugs the doctor gave me last night were pretty strong. I’m not sure it’s fair to hold me to any promises I gave you last night.”
    He winked at me, and I rolled my eyes at him. He was a bit full of himself. I supposed with a body and a face like that he could afford to be.
    “It was nothing like