Taming Blade (Kings Reapers MC Book 5)

by Nicola Jane

  “You kissed him,” he growls.

  “Your point?”

  “You didn’t kiss me on our first date!”

  I laugh with disbelief. “He didn’t kill a man in front of me,” I snap. “He took me on an amazing date to the London Eye. He fed me lobster and champagne and a fruity little dessert that almost gave me an orgasm, it was that nice. He kissed me at the perfect time and he walked me to the door. Are you seeing why I kissed him and not you?”

  “Not really,” he mutters, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “He’s not even that good looking.”

  “Wow, how grown up.”

  “I’m sorry about the date fail,” he mutters. “I fucked up.”

  “Why are you here?” I ask. “I told you already, stay away from me!”

  “I was passing, saw you kiss him, and lost it.”

  I shake my head sadly. “Please leave.”

  He takes a deep breath and peeks up at me through his eyelashes. “I missed not seeing you this last week. I don’t understand why I can’t get you out my head.”

  I look away. His puppy dog eyes and dimples are affecting me. “I can’t answer that. All I know is you put your hands on me, you threatened my friends and family, and you admitted, quite crudely, the only reason you went on a date was to get inside my . . . what were the words you used? Tight little cunt?” He has the decency to look a tiny bit ashamed. “I asked you to stay away from me. Please leave.”

  Blade steps closer and I move back. “I regret it. The date, speaking to you the way I did, and putting my hands on you. I needed you to understand that if you went to the cops, Riggs and Cree wouldn’t have let you walk out of the club alive.”

  “You know something, Blade? I regret it all too, but most of all, I regret smiling at you that very first time you walked into my shop. I regret looking forward to you coming in every day and flirting. I regret meeting you. I’m a nice person. I help the elderly cross the road. I give the same skinny kid free sweets at three p.m. every day because I worry he doesn’t eat anything at home. I didn’t deserve being treated how I let you treat me. Maybe I shouldn’t have pushed for a date. You told me it wasn’t your thing, and I learned that the hard way, but I am barely holding my shit together,” I grit out, closing my eyes briefly to stop the threat of tears. “I check the news ten times a day. I lie awake at night seeing that man’s dead eyes.” My voice cracks but I compose myself. “Every time I see a cop car, I crap myself wondering if they’re coming to arrest me.”

  “You didn’t do anything wrong,” he reassures me.

  “I didn’t report a murder, Blade. That’s a fucking crime.”

  “So you’re dating that guy now?” he asks, and I like the way he looks to be in turmoil over that thought.

  “I guess I am, yeah.”

  He nods slowly, his hands still stuffed in his pockets. “Then I guess that’s it,” he says. His tone is final, and for a second, I feel panicked. But he’s right—this is it. I can’t see him again. We stare at each other in silence, letting that realisation sink in. This time when he steps closer, I stay rooted to the spot. Slowly, I watch as his hand moves to my face and gently brushes my jaw before moving into my hair at the nape of my neck while his thumb rubs against my cheek.

  BLADE

  I see it in her eyes—she wants me just as badly as I want her. Her chest is rising and falling so damn quick and I haven’t even put my lips on her yet. This woman calls to me like no other, and I’ve zero control over anything that happens when I’m around her. Fuck it, I ain’t got no loyalty to this stalker she’s hooked up with. I press my lips against hers. Her sudden intake of breath gives me the green light to take it further, so I cup her gorgeous face in both hands and kiss her so damn hard.

  I force her back until she hits the counter, not breaking the kiss as I lift her up to sit on it. Her tiny hands rest against my chest, gripping my kutte and pulling me closer. I don’t think as I slide my finger across the smooth skin of her slender shoulder, knocking the thin strap of her silk top so it falls down. I move the kiss along her jaw, down her neck, and over her shoulder. My cock is desperate to get to the heat of her, pushing so hard against my jeans, it’s painful.

  I hook my finger under the other spaghetti strap and pull the top further down. When I see she isn’t wearing a bra, I almost come in my pants like a damn teenage boy. I drag gentle kisses across her chest and over her breast until the dusky pink nub is in my mouth. Tillie whimpers, throwing her head back in pleasure.

  There’s something about her that makes me want to do shit differently. I don’t want to fuck her, bend over the work top—not right now anyway. No, right now, I want to devour her and take my time praising every inch of her goddess-like body. I lift her against me and she wraps her legs around my waist, allowing me to carry her upstairs. Once we’re on the landing, she points to a closed door at the end of the hall.

  Inside, I move towards the bed and lay her down. I stand back and look down at the perfection that is her. She’s perfect in every way. I shrug off my kutte and throw it on a chair in the corner of the room. Next comes my shirt, and her eyes roam over the tattoos on my body. I loosen my belt before crawling onto the bed above her. “I’m sorry,” I mutter, kissing her again. “For everything. For fucking up so bad.”

  Her hands go to my shoulders and she pulls me down for another kiss. This time, it’s full of passion and hunger. Her hands find the button on my jeans and she tugs it open, reaching inside and wrapping her hand around my erection. I groan against her lips. Just having her hand around me feels fucking good. I run my palm up her thigh and under her skirt until I find the scrap of lace that she passes as panties. I pull the material hard, ripping them away and stuffing them in my pocket. “Tell me you’re on the pill, Sunshine. I need to feel all of you.”

  She nods, crying out as my fingers probe the heat of her pussy. Her nails rake across the skin on my neck and I welcome the burn as I line myself against her opening and gently ease inside of her. Christ, she’s so fucking wet and tight, it takes every ounce of restraint I have not to fuck her hard and fast. The little whimpering noise she’s making is the best sound I’ve heard, and once I’m fully inside, I pause to gain some self-control. It’s never felt so amazing to fuck a woman like it feels to be inside my Sunshine, and when I feel her tremble against me, it’s enough to send me spiralling over the edge with her. Both of us are lost in our own orgasm as we come apart, together.

  I bury my face into her neck, panting hard. “Fuck,” I mumble against her skin. “That was hot.”

  “Goodbye sex is always hot,” she whispers, running her nails up and down my back.

  She must feel me tense at her words, but she doesn’t follow it up with anything and I choose not to end this moment with an argument. This isn’t goodbye . . . it’s the beginning.

  Chapter Eight

  TILLIE

  I wake and Blade is inside me once again. I’m not complaining. Something about having this strong, tattooed man moaning on top of me makes me feel fucking amazing. It’s the fourth time he’s woken me with sex. He’s an insatiable beast.

  He grips my waist and rolls us over so I’m on top of him. He place his hands behind his head and stares up at me with eyes full of lust. I place my hands on his hard, muscled chest and begin to rock back and forth. He’s obsessed with my breasts. All through the night, he either had his hand resting on one or his mouth licking and sucking one. Even now, as I move on top of him, his eyes are fixed to my chest.

  When I finally break free from him, I head for the shower. I need to clear my head because I could so easily get wrapped up in him and he has heartbreak written all over him.

  I’m in a towel, brushing my teeth, when the bathroom door opens and Blade pop his head around the corner. “Listen, I hate to do this, but I have to run. Something came up with the club.”

  I spit and rinse. “Really, Blade?” The words tumble out.

  “I’m not running out on you. I’ll call you
.” I stare at him for a minute and he sighs.

  “I really like you, Tillie. What happened between us was the best decision I ever made. I don’t regret it.” He moves closer and places a gentle kiss on my forehead. “Trust me on this, Sunshine. I have to sort some shit out and I’ll be back.”

  I nod. “You don’t need to make false promises, Blade. Like I said, last night was goodbye. We’re both adult enough to accept it for what it is and move on.”

  His hands grip my arse cheeks and he holds my body against his. “I’m not walking out on you, Tillie.” He sounds so convincing that I find myself wanting it too. “All future dates with anyone other than me will need to be cancelled,” he adds. I have no intention of leading Ethan on. Having sex with Blade was a game changer, and deep down, I don’t want it to be goodbye.

  Sara smiles when I eventually appear for breakfast. “I was quietly minding my own business, drinking my coffee this morning, when a tall, handsome biker came down those stairs and rushed outta here,” she says with a smirk. “What happened to Ethan?”

  “Blade may have called in to see how I was,” I say, grinning.

  “And what time was that?” she asks.

  “Straight after my date with Ethan last night,” I answer, wincing at how bad that sounds out loud.

  “Whoa, you didn’t like Ethan?”

  “I did, he was great, and the date was amazing—”

  “But?” she cuts in.

  “But Blade came over, pushed his way in here, kissed me like his life depended on it, and

  we fell into bed together.”

  “He must be one hot kisser,” she says, raising her brows.

  “Don’t judge me,” I groan, burying my head in my hands. “It wasn’t planned. In fact, I

  was all ready to say goodbye to Blade for good. After the way he spoke to me and the things he’s . . .” I let the sentence trail off. I can’t tell anyone about what happened on my first date with Blade, but Sara’s eyes dart to me with concern.

  “Things?” she repeats. “What did he do to you?”

  “Nothing,” I say, a little too quickly. “He’s a bad boy. I was trying to stay away from my usual type and then I go and fall into bed with him.” I rub my hands over my face. Saying all this out loud is making me realise the gravity of what I’ve just done. “Ethan is a good guy. He’ll treat me well, but Blade, he’s got heartbreak written all over him.”

  “You can’t help what your heart wants, sweetie,” says Sara sympathetically. “I felt exactly the same about Lake.”

  “And look where that’s got you,” I point out. She hasn’t heard from Lake since he came to the shop when Blade asked me on a date. They shared an awkward conversation and parted like they hadn’t ever seen each other naked, her words not mine.

  “I chalk it up to experience—a good one at that. The man was a beast in the bedroom and I can’t ever regret that,” she says, wiggling her brows, and I laugh. I don’t regret having sex with Blade either, it really was the best I’ve ever had. I smile at the memory.

  “He ran out of here pretty quick,” I mutter. “He said he isn’t running but—”

  “But your head is telling you he’s gone. Give him a chance, Tils, he might surprise you.”

  BLADE

  I head straight for the docks, where I find Riggs and Cree waiting for me. Riggs called and told me to meet them here because it was urgent. “We had a little visit this morning,” says Riggs. “The cops kicked the clubhouse door in.”

  “Fuck,” I mutter. We never get raided. Riggs has friends in high places and we always get tipped off about that shit. “What were they looking for?”

  “You,” says Riggs, and my eyes widen. “They’re investigating the disappearance of Tyler West.”

  “Who the fuck’s Tyler West?” I ask, my heart racing.

  “I’m guessing the man you killed in front of your little girlfriend!” snaps Cree.

  “The clean-up team sorted that. He’s long gone,” I say. “They don’t have a

  body.”

  “They have your name. How the fuck have they got that?” asks Riggs.

  I shrug. I’m always careful, and I wasn’t even supposed to meet that guy, Riggs was, so even if he’d have told people he was meeting anyone, he would’ve given Riggs’ name.

  “You think your little lady has anything to do with it?”

  “No,” I snap. “No fucking way.”

  “How do you know?” asks Cree.

  “Because I know!” I hiss. “She wouldn’t do that.”

  “You’ve fucked her,” states Riggs, groaning.

  “Which is why I know she wouldn’t do that, Pres. We got something good.”

  “Since when?” asks Cree.

  I shrug, feeling stupid. “Last night,” I mutter.

  Riggs shoves me hard in the chest. “You ass. She could have grassed you up any time since the murder.”

  I replay my night with Tillie. Yeah, she was pissed about all that first date shit still, but there’s no way she’d go to the cops. Doubt creeps into my mind, but I push it away. “She hasn’t, Pres. I’d put my life on it.”

  “You’d better go find her and find out. If she’s told them, you’ll go down for life. She’s a witness to the whole damn thing,” snaps Cree.

  I head straight for the sweetshop. Tillie looks up from a magazine she’s reading on the counter. “You came back.”

  I smile. “‘Course I did, Sunshine. Told you I would. Can I take you for breakfast?” I ask. She glances at Sara, who nods.

  We go to a cafe just across from the shop and order two coffees. I sit opposite her, staring straight at her. “I need to ask you something.”

  “Okay,” she says with a nervous laugh.

  “Did you tell anyone at all about what happened on our first date?”

  She shakes her head. “No. I promised I wouldn’t.”

  “Not even Sara?” I ask, and she shakes her head again. “Or your other date?”

  She scowls. “I told you no.”

  “The thing is, the cops are looking for me. There were only three people there that night who witnessed what happened, and one of us is already dead, so—”

  “So that leaves me, right?” she snaps, standing.

  I sigh heavily. “Don’t storm off,” I mutter.

  “Fuck you, Blade.” I watch her march back to her shop. Well, that didn’t go how I planned at all.

  I follow her, placing her coffee on the shop counter. “I asked you not to storm off,” I mutter and she glances up at me. Sara disappears, grabbing her coat and bag and muttering something about food. I move around the counter, my eyes fixed to Tillie’s. She backs against the stock room door and I reach behind her, opening it and backing her inside, then kicking the door closed behind me.

  “You can’t accuse me of that and then come here all—” she begins, but I cut her off, crushing my lips against hers. I’ve heard enough talking. My hand wraps in her hair and I feel her melt against me.

  “Something about you being mad turns me the fuck on,” I whisper, pushing up her shirt and pulling the cup of her bra down. I run my tongue over her nipple and she moans. “If the cops show up here,” I continue, “you gotta hold it together, Sunshine.”

  She shoves her hands hard against my chest and I stumble back. “You ass,” she snaps, pulling her shirt back into place. “You are unbelievable.”

  “What now?” I ask, exasperated.

  “Is that why you came here? To check I would keep your secret?” she hisses.

  I shrug. “Well, yeah, but also cos I wanted to see you.”

  “Get out,” she snaps, pulling the door open. An old woman is waiting patiently at the counter. She stares at us in surprise, and I smile awkwardly.

  “I’ll be right with you, Mrs. Schmidt,” says Tillie politely.

  “Tils, that wasn’t what I meant it to sound like.”

  She opens the shop door and leans against it. “This isn’t gonna work,” she says qui
etly and I frown. “I keep trying to make excuses, reasons for it to work, but I know deep down it won’t. Last night was great and all but—”

  I hold up my hand to silence her. “You’re dumping me?” I snap.

  “It’s not like we were dating,” she mumbles. “It was just—”

  “Don’t fucking cheapen it with your one-night stand bullshit. Jeez . . .” I turn my back to her, then spin around to face her. “You’re right. Riggs and Cree told me it wouldn’t work. Marry her or threaten her, they said. I chose to threaten you,” I take a few steps away, “cos I knew I couldn’t marry you. I don’t see you as a long-term plan. Remember what I said about the cops. Keep your mouth shut.” I turn and walk away. Fuck women—they’re nothing but trouble.

  Chapter Nine

  TILLIE

  I watch him leave and sag against the door frame. Mrs. Schmidt clears her throat, snapping me out of the torturous heartbreak currently ripping through me. “What can I get you?” I ask, breezily. I wait until she’s left before hunching over the waste bin and emptying my stomach contents. Why do I always fall for the guys who are no good for me? I watched him kill a man, but I still crave him. What does that say about me? Sara rushes over to me, rubbing my back. “Shit, Tils, are you okay?”

  “I don’t feel great,” I admit. “I’m gonna head home if you can manage here?”

  She nods. “Of course. Take as long as you need.”

  It takes me three days to begin feeling better. I’m not sure if I was suffering some kind of sickness bug or my heartbreak was so severe, it made me ill. Either way, I haven’t heard a thing from Blade and that makes the pain in my chest so much worse.

  Sara pops her head around through the bedroom doorway. “I hate to make things worse, but your mum is downstairs asking to see you.”

  I groan. It’s Saturday morning, why would she turn up at ten a.m. when it’s clear I’ve been avoiding her calls for the last few days? She’s down from Scotland for a week but I’ve been putting off our catch up.