She couldn’t imagine a strong man like Drake fearing anything. She admired the way he always moved and spoke with confidence. “What changed?”
He tipped his head, his caramel-colored hair flopping over one eye. “When I got to middle school, my parents took me to a child psychologist who explained to them I suffered from a phobia of extreme weather.”
“That’s hard to believe. You’re always so controlled.”
“You have no idea,” he muttered, raking his fingers through his hair. “Every week the shrink made me write another paper on a weather-related topic. After a few months, I knew more about weather than my teachers. I became obsessed, but I was still terrified, even knowing the facts.”
Drake plucked his candy from his mouth and narrowed his gaze on the radar, a small crease forming over the bridge of his nose. He continued his story, although he seemed preoccupied by the burgeoning weather. “That’s when my therapist took me outside in the middle of a thunderstorm for some exposure therapy. I stood there, trembling as the cool rain poured over me like the Niagara Falls, the thunder rumbling so loudly the ground shook, and I realized my interest in the science of weather superseded my fear.” He yanked his attention away from the Doppler and smiled at her. “I didn’t experience a tornado until I went on my first storm-chasing tour at eighteen. I’ve been doing it since.”
“What an incredible story. You’re very brave.”
He shrugged. “Hardly. Just a weather geek who turned his irrational fears into a healthier obsession.” Pivoting in his seat, he faced her with a serious expression. “Even though I can’t control the weather, it helps to control my movements within the weather. Does that make sense?”
She nodded. “When I had cancer, I lost control of my life for a while. That’s one of the reasons I created my bucket list.”
“What other—” A beeping and some shouts coming through the radio interrupted him. He laughed. “I told you I’d find you a tornado.” Sure enough, the Doppler displayed a purple blob, but she couldn’t make out the hook. Guess that’s what makes him the professional. “Ready to have your world rocked off its axis?”
Her breath caught as she visualized a more pleasurable way for him to rock her world. Bad girl. The moment she’d waited for had arrived, and instead of enjoying it, she was working her way down the naughty list in her head. “You mean by the tornado?
“Yeah,” he said, his dangerous gaze returning to her mouth, “but if you need help rocking anything else, feel free to let me know.”
FOCUS.
Drake jumped out of the minivan, willing his thoughts to return to the amazing opportunity waiting for him beyond the wheat field.
Catching sight of the tornado in the distance, Allie practically skipped over to Taryn, her short blonde hair bouncing.
A couple of the male tourists gawked at Allie’s ass. Not that he could keep from doing the same, but at least he could trust himself not to hurt her. As one-third owner of this tour company, he had a duty to keep Allie safe. Yeah, usually that meant from weather-related scenarios, but he figured it applied to protecting innocent women from lecherous men. He didn’t know much about these guys other than they managed some insurance agency in Long Island.
Shit, he shouldn’t be watching her with the storm nearby. Good thing his official Blow Me Away Storm Chasing Tours golf shirt was long enough to cover the hard-on about to burst through his jeans. If the other owners, his friends Cole and Jack, caught sight of it, they’d never let him live it down.
From the moment he’d met Allie, he’d wanted her. In his bed. Against the wall. On the hood of the minivan. Anywhere and everywhere.
But she was his little sister’s best friend. Too innocent and fragile for what he’d demand from her. Plus, he didn’t need Taryn learning his tightly wound need for control crossed into the bedroom.
To further complicate matters, he’d signed a contract with his buddies that included a clause about not fraternizing with the paid guests. When he and his friends had started this business three years ago, they’d all agreed hooking up with women from the tour went against their ethics.
Damn ethics.
In the dozen of tours he’d led, he’d met lots of beautiful young women, several who let him know they were available for a night or two. A couple of them may have briefly tempted him before his rational side had kicked back in to remind him of why it would be a terrible idea.
When it came to Allie, his rational side was hanging by a thin thread. For the last five nights, he’d jacked off to fantasies about tying her up and tasting every square inch of her delectable body until she begged him to let her come.