Austin - Piper Stone Page 0,1

anything else, I pressed down on the accelerator, trying to calm my raging libido. The bulky jacket couldn’t hide his muscular physique, his massive legs filling out his faded jeans. I remained quiet, uncertain what to say, but I could tell he was studying me, his head slightly turned.

“I appreciate you stopping.”

I’d never known a man with such a deep baritone. “You’re welcome.” I’d never been a woman to make a connection right away, or maybe I’d refused to allow that to happen, hence my boring love life. I’d been cautious, careful to check references, refusing to follow my desires before entering into a single date. And there’d be absolutely no spark in a single one of them, including my previous marriage.

At this moment, I was unable to breathe, the electricity shooting through me volatile and exciting. I gripped the steering wheel, doing everything I could not to glance in his direction, but he continued to study me, raking his gaze down from my face to my legs, then slowly lifting it again.

“You should be careful,” he muttered.

“Why?” I dragged my tongue across my lips, doing everything I could to keep filthy thoughts out of my mind.

I was failing badly.

I wanted nothing more than to peel away his shirt, discovering the rest of his delicious body.

“Because a beautiful woman should always be careful around dangerous strangers.”

The words weren’t meant as a threat, merely a compliment. They also ignited a flame, one that had been dead for a very long time.

“I’m Franny,” I managed, my breathing shallow as I tried to keep my eyes on the road.

“Vader.”

“As in Darth Vader?” I snagged another quick look in his direction.

“As in death.”

His words were haunting, as if he’d experienced far too much during his time spent in the Marines. I knew that all too well, the heartache and sorrow often too much to bear, my late brother’s stories horrifying.

As I continued driving, the heat in the cab became oppressive, my thoughts continuing to linger in a very bad place. The light rain continued to fall, the only sound in the truck the windshield wipers slashing back and forth, the rubber obviously failing, their action creating a slight squeak. When the headlights reflected off a small sign on the side of the road, I took a deep breath, my heart racing.

I rounded another curve, the half-lit neon sign in the distance forcing me to inhale. I held my breath as my fingers trembled. I’d never been a risk taker, but I was tired of living a controlled life.

“Stop there,” he commanded, obviously noticing the sign.

You’re nuts. Keep driving. Just keep driving.

But I didn’t.

Vader didn’t make any sounds as I made the turn, pulling into a parking spot and allowing the engine to remain idling. A full thirty seconds passed before I found the courage to speak, although I couldn’t look in his direction. “What are you going to do?” Why did I even ask?

You’re crazy. What are you doing?

I couldn’t answer the question. There were no rational explanations why I’d followed his demand.

He exhaled before opening the door. “Whatever I want to, Franny, and you will obey my every command. At. All. Times.”

“Obey?” Every part of me shivered.

When he turned his head, this time I was able to see just how dazzling his deep blue eyes were. They had so much depth, yet they were riddled with just as much pain as they were with raging desire.

“Yeah. You are mine.” He reached over, turning off the truck then yanking the keys from the ignition, shocking the hell out of me.

When he slammed the door, I was forced to take several deep breaths, a rush of fear of the unknown rolling into me. There was no way I could change my mind, no possibility that I could get away from him. I was disgusted with myself as well as fully aroused, trying to weigh the odds I’d made the wrong decision.

I closed my eyes briefly, able to hear the hard thudding as he walked away from the truck. “You have no idea what you’re doing,” I whispered, now quivering all over. I should use my phone, calling my best friend or my assistant to come get me, hiding…

Where?

I laughed as I studied his form through the plate glass window as he communicated with the man inside. This was the dumbest thing I’d ever done in my life.

And the most exciting.

He returned a few minutes later, a keycard in his hand, providing the keys to my