Free Tease: Mojave Boys MC by Carmen Faye

winced, and Maya frowned.
     
    “Where else are you hurt?”
     
    He chuckled sarcastically. “I took a kidney shot. Trust me, there’s nothing you can do to fix that one.”
     
    She didn’t buy that for a minute. There had to be some way to help him, and she scavenged through the bag as the guy came in with the ice packs. “Here you go, Ice. One for your nose and the other for anything else that’s bothering you.” The smirk on his face amused Maya. He was obviously referring to the unsatisfied sexual tension that Maya felt as heavily as she knew Vance did.
     
    Her date rolled his eyes and said, “Take off, Dusty. And don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.” When he was gone, Vance looked up at her with the prettiest puppy dog eyes she’d ever seen. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
     
    Maya nodded, holding up a bottle of acetaminophen and a packet of aspirin powder. “We’re going to coat the area with this, you’re going to swallow two of these, and then we’re going to put an ice pack on it. Got it?”
     
    His expression showed his reluctance, but he nodded. “There’s a sink around the corner to the left.”
     
    Maya didn’t hesitate. She grabbed an empty cup from the desk and carried it to the sink, rinsing it and putting enough water in it to make a good paste. When she came back, she told Vance, “Take off your shirt.”
     
    He removed the ice pack from his face to show a salacious grin. “Are you trying to take advantage of me, young lady?”
     
    She rolled her eyes but grinned. “That comes later. Right now, let’s see the nasty wound.” And as he lifted the hem of his shirt, it was pretty nasty. The bruise was already coming to the surface, creating black and red and purple splotches over an area at least five inches tall and six or seven inches wide. “That’s a good one,” she said, making a face as she blended the powder into the water with her finger.
     
    With a gingerly touch, Maya began to smooth the paste over the bruised area, dabbing it lightly and then rubbing it in with very little pressure. Vance sighed. “You have a nice touch. And you’re pretty handy at first aid.”
     
    “I took a course in emergency medical training in college. I’m also still a licensed lifeguard,” she replied, trying not to think about the compliment. “My mother had heavy hands with wounds, and I’ve always tried to be better than that.”
     
    “You’ve succeeded,” he told her in a matter-of-fact tone. “Why did you take those courses? Did you want to be a doctor or something?”
     
    Maya didn’t talk about her aspirations in life before becoming a model. This opportunity had fallen into her lap and took off, putting her on a very different course in life than she’d planned. She was groomed now to be behind the camera, directing photoshoots when she couldn’t star in them anymore. She’d even worked with Tyra Banks a couple of times to get the feel for using the camera and directing models, preparing herself for the inevitable aging process.
     
    Now, she shrugged as she worked, refusing to meet Vance’s inquiring gaze. “I thought I was going to be a pediatric nurse, work at a children’s hospital, maybe in the cancer ward or something. I’m good with kids. That’s part of why I enjoyed being a lifeguard. It wasn’t about wearing a bathing suit or being at the pool all day, and I didn’t care about the boys.” She got enough of that everywhere she went as a teenager.
     
    “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who had such a selfless goal.” Vance sounded inspired, as if in awe of her wishes, and as she finally glanced up at him, she saw an incredible amount of respect staring back at her. It boosted her ego a little, even if she had given into the draw of fame and fortune in the end. “Why did you give it up?”
     
    Maya pursed her lips. This was a difficult subject for her, and she vowed that if she divulged this information to Vance, he was