by Atlas, Lilly
“Yeah, just making plans for an uncomfortable conversation with my father tomorrow.”
“Ooh, girl, I don’t envy you that one.” Jazz said. She shot a scowl at Screw who had rubbed his nose along the shell of her ear. “Hands off, Screwball. Follow the rules. I’m only sitting here because I’d feel bad making you sit on the floor.”
“Rules?” Screw kissed her cheek. “I haven’t heard of this word before.”
“Yeah, no shit,” Jazz grumbled.
Their banter was just what Holly needed to shake off the impending conversation with her father. She stood. “Thanks for everything, Toni, Jazz. I can’t tell you how excited I am to start working with you ladies.”
“Please, I’m the one who should be thanking you. You’re about to do wonderful things for my business.” Toni stood and hugged Holly, as did Jazz. After promises to get together before their debut Monday, Holly followed LJ to the door. One last goodbye over her shoulder revealed Jazz hadn’t returned to Screw’s lap but took the spot on the couch vacated by Holly and LJ.
If Screw’s frown was any indication, he wasn’t thrilled with the development.
Interesting.
“You ready to get that sweet ass on the back of my bike?” LJ asked as he stored the wine and cups in his saddlebags after wrapping them in a T-shirt.
“Your bike? I’ve never been on one.”
Well, once when she was a kid, but that didn’t count.
“Figured.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her against his body. The man was huge and he didn’t give anywhere. Every part of his body was just so freakin’ hard. “I’m excited to be the man who pops your cherry.”
Huh? That ship sailed long—oh, right, the bike.
He kissed her, those firm lips and that skilled tongue wreaking havoc on her ability to rationalize.
“Okay,” she said in a dreamy voice.
At this rate, the man could get her to rob banks and steal from little old ladies just with the power of his kiss. As it was, his lips had the power to make her forget the fact that the only other man to get her on a motorcycle ended up murdering her sister.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
LJ HADN’T BEEN a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast like many of his brothers. In fact, the first time he so much as sat his ass on a bike hadn’t been until he’d left the military. Rocket introduced him to the high of riding on two wheels a few weeks after they started working together. In the years since that eye-opening first ride, he’d sure as hell made up for lost time and missed miles.
Freedom. That’s what he’d experienced the first time he flew through the mountain roads on Rocket’s spare bike. Back then, his head had been fucked up far worse than it was now. Nightmares had plagued every sleep he’d dared to slumber, and the daytime hadn’t been much better. Panic attacks and frequent loss of time and reality were constants in his life. To this day, he swore riding his motorcycle was worth more than any qualified therapist.
The peace, the freedom from four boxy walls. It allowed him time to get shit straight in his head and plod on another day. Without it, who knew what drastic measures he might have taken in those early days, when bitterness and anger clogged his thinking.
As much as he loved riding solo, and he fucking loved it, his favorite activity turned out to be infinitely better with Holly behind him. Shit, having a woman he genuinely liked clinging to him, those big soft tits cushioned against his back as they cruised to a destination where they would no doubt be unable to keep their hands off each other?
Fucking heaven.
“I freakin’ love this!” Holly yelled as he followed the curve of the mountain road. She gasped. “Oh, my God! That view…”
Yeah, it was something to see. Especially now, as twilight faded to night and the sun slipped behind the mountains.
LJ slowed to a roll while pulling off to the scenic overlook. This spot wasn’t an official tourist overlook, more a clearing he spotted a few years ago when his head had been a jumble of fucked thoughts. A quiet, peaceful stretch of the Smokies overlooking the picturesque towns below.
A place to soothe the mind and ease the soul. Two necessities in LJ’s world and a place he bet Holly would love.
“Can I get down?” Holly asked the moment his boots hit the ground.
After cutting the engine, he glanced over his shoulder at the excitement written across her fresh, makeup-free face. “Sure, sugar. Need help with the helmet?”
“Nah, I got it.” She wiggled a few times, her tits and the heat between her thighs rubbing all over him. LJ bit back a groan as his dick hardened. “See?” She hopped off the bike and held out the helmet like some kind of offering.
“I see.” He took the helmet and hung it from the handlebars. As he watched her practically skip off, he was helpless to do anything but stare. Even in ratty workout pants and an old T-shirt, the woman was hot. Smokin’ hot.
LJ swung his leg over the bike then strode to her. Standing with her back to him, she had her arms folded across her chest and her gaze fixed on the mesmerizing view. As he came up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her middle. Man, did she fit well there, snuggled against his perking dick.
“LJ, this is incredible,” she said in a soft voice as she gazed at the twinkling lights of the towns hundreds, even thousands of feet below.
Rather than take in the gorgeous scenery, he stared down at the woman enjoying it. “Yeah, it sure as fuck is.”
She tilted her head up and back. “You’re not looking. How do you know it’s beautiful?” Her pink tongue came out and swiped along her bottom lip. That move alone had his cock twitching with need.
“Trust me, nothing out here is more beautiful than what I’m looking at right now.”
“LJ…” she said, breathless.
“No bullshit, Holly, I like you. Really fucking like you. I like your sass. I like your sweetness. I like how you try to take care of everyone you know by bringing them treats.”
Her lips curved. Fucking spellbinding mouth.
“I also like this body. Fuck, do I like your body.” As he spoke, he ran his hands over her hips, her ass, her sides. “All these sexy curves.” Then he stroked up until he cupped her large tits. They filled his hands to the brim, and he groaned as he gave them a sensual squeeze. “And these tits. Goddamn, woman, these tits were made for my hands.” He bent and nipped her ear while rubbing his thumbs over her hardened nipples. “And my mouth.”
Her eyes fell shut, mouth tipped up as though waiting for his kiss. And who was he to turn down that unspoken request? Still teasing her nipples, he captured her lips in a kiss that began soft and exploratory but ramped up to warp speed the second she whimpered into his mouth.
Fuck, that needy little noise drove him out of his mind. Through her T-shirt and thin bra, he pinched her nipples, and she arched her back with a sharp cry. Their lips separated only long enough for the shout to escape before he fused them again and devoured her like a man who hadn’t eaten in a week.
Holly’s ass ground against his erection, nearly bringing him to his knees. His cock was so hard, LJ’s head spun from the lack of blood flow.
A little rumble that sounded a whole lot like frustration erupted from Holly’s throat, causing LJ to chuckle. With quick movements, he spun her, grabbed handfuls of her ass and hauled her up his body. Before he even had her in position, her legs circled his back, crossing at the ankles.
“Better?” he asked, finding her mouth yet again.
“So much better.” Now she could rub against his cock all she wanted, giving her some relief from the sharp arousal. At least he assumed she felt as desperate for release as he did.
“God, LJ, you’re so strong.” Her head fell back, and he took immediate advantage, running his tongue up the side of her neck.
“Wait until you feel all that power fucking into you, baby.” He kissed the underside of her chin, then down to her collar bone where he sucked at the junction of her neck and shoulder.
“Yesss,” Ho
lly hissed.
“Need to get this fucking shirt off you.” He growled as he tried to hold her and remove her tee at the same time.
He cursed when the top got stuck between them, drawing a giggle from Holly. “You can put me down, big guy,” she said.
“Fuck that.” In a feat of clothes-removing magic, he managed to keep her in his arms and riding his cock through his jeans while he worked the shirt up her body. Together, they yanked it up and off her shoulders. He did the same with her bra, not bothering to unclasp it, just jerking it up and off her body which had Holly laughing. For a million bucks, LJ couldn’t have said where either garment landed. He was too busy taking in the sight of the creamy breasts that had become his new obsession.
Starving for another taste of her, LJ went straight for broke, sucking a puckered nipple into his mouth. Holly moaned as she jolted in his arms. “Jesus, that feels incredible. Please don’t stop.”
Mouth full, he grunted. She was certifiable if she thought he planned to stop sucking her anytime soon. But he did need to give the other side some well-deserved attention. He released her, chuckling at her small whine as he stared at the shiny, wet nipple. When he blew on it, Holly shivered and yelped.
Fuck, she was perfect. So voluptuous. So responsive.
“Please, LJ,” she said, one hand nudging his shoulder as though to guide him to her other tit.
So greedy.
“I’m on it, sugar,” he said before scraping his teeth over her nipple one last time. Then he kissed down the side of her breast and across her chest where his mouth landed on a warm piece of metal.
The moment his lips touched the charm he’d inquired about the night before, Holly froze, but she didn’t stay immobile for long.
“Stop!” she yelled as she shoved his shoulders, flailing like he was trying to mug her instead of make her come. “Put me down!” A note of hysteria rang clear in her voice. “Now, LJ. Put me down now!”
“Christ, Holly, what the fuck?” He had a feeling if he didn’t let her go, she’d be clawing his eyes out in a matter of seconds. Shit, if he’d pushed her too far, scared her, or God forbid, hurt her, he’d fucking lose it.
He released her immediately but didn’t just dump her on the ground. Instead, he set her down, grimacing as her thrashing thigh made contact with his erection. Once he was convinced she wouldn’t land on her ass, he let go.
Holly sprung back as though she’d been electrocuted by his touch. Breathing as though she’d just run a marathon with her hand clasped around her necklace, Holly stared at him, horror in her gaze.
“Shit,” she said as she lifted a hand to brush her wild hair out of her face. “I’m sorry. Oh, God, I’m so sorry. I’ve never…I just totally freaked on you. Oh, my God, what did I do?” she whispered more to herself than to him. “I screwed this up, didn’t I?”
No, she hadn’t, and that right there was LJ’s biggest indication that he liked this girl way more than a quick fuck in the woods. Had she been any other woman he’d have nodded, tossed her the shirt she’d shed, given her a ride home, and peaced the fuck out. Then he’d have lost her number. Instead, after a heavy sigh, he said, “No, but I’m pretty sure we should be talking instead of fucking tonight.”
WHAT HAVE I done?
Holly stared at LJ’s broad retreating back as he turned and made his way toward the motorcycle. She was an idiot. Hands down the stupidest woman in Tennessee, the US if she was honest. Who the hell went berserk during a hot and heavy make-out session like that? All because he’d touched the necklace she only taken off twice in twelve years, and then it was only for a few seconds to replace a corroded chain.
What the hell must he think of her now? Her brother, Danny, had once called a woman he’d broken up with crazy pussy. At the time, she’d told him he was a pig for the crude description, but now she wondered if it didn’t make perfect sense. Was she crazy pussy in LJ’s eyes? A girl he’d messed around with who turned out to be psycho? She wouldn’t be surprised if he hopped on his bike and peeled out, leaving her half-naked in the woods.
Shit! I’m half-naked.
Holly scanned the ground for her T-shirt. Didn’t take her more than a few seconds to find it, but the damn black bra was much harder to locate.
Screw it. She’d survive without it. She lifted the shirt to wiggle back into it as she peeked at LJ from the corner of her eye. The moment she caught sight of him spreading a soft-looking red blanket in front of the bike, she froze. Instead of shrugging into the shirt, she clasped it to her chest.
“W-what are you doing?” she asked as he made his way back to her. The sun had all but disappeared since they arrived, shrouding them in an intimate cloud of darkness. Well illuminated by the headlight of his bike, the blanket he’d set up looked nothing short of romantic. The bottle of wine he’d borrowed from Zach and Toni lay alongside the plastic cups on the blanket in the quiet woods with the breathtaking view.
“I went about this the wrong way,” he said, extending a hand to her.
For a second, Holly stared at the outstretched palm as she battled an internal war.
Take it, her irrational and starry-eyed side said. Her body, too. Really, her body practically begged her to go with him.
Don’t you dare, her logical, parent-loving, guilt-bearing side screamed.
He sighed. “We should have sat down and talked first. Especially after what happened last night. I meant what I said, Holly. I like you. Not just your body.”
You’re not just a fuck.
The words he didn’t voice were louder than the words he said. God, this would have been so much easier to do the night of the party, right after he left her hot and bothered in the hallway of the clubhouse. For those thirty minutes or so she’d thought he was an asshole. She could have walked away then. Not now when he worked to give her what she needed.
Clearly, she’d become quite proficient at lying to herself because if she could have walked away last night, she would have. Instead, she’d tracked him to his room and let him go down on her. Let him and loved it. Then she agreed they were a thing. And now that he was acting like the sweetest man on earth, she was having second thoughts.
She needed some serious help.
As she looked into those warm hazel eyes, Holly once again fell under his spell. She placed her hand in his and let him guide her to the blanket. LJ sat with his legs curled under his left side. Some inexplicable need to be close to him took over, so she knelt near him, her knees brushing his thigh. It was at that point she realized she still held her shirt to her chest, so she slipped it over her head.
“Well, that’s just mean,” LJ said, making her laugh. The light comment worked to get her out of her head and broke the thick tension in the air.
“Sorry, but I’m not talking to you while my boobs are hanging out. Especially not with that spotlight from your motorcycle on me.”
He chuckled. “Wine?”
“Yes. Fill it to the brim.” Anything that promised to relax her.
Another chuckle and he did as she asked, handing her a very full glass of the stolen wine. Silence fell between them, not necessarily awkward, but not quite as comfortable as it should have been.
Thanks to her and her little brain explosion a few moments ago.
Holly gulped a mouthful of wine then sighed. “So…you probably want to know what that was all about.”
“Did I hurt you?” he asked in a more serious tone than she’d heard from him to date.
“What?” Her forehead scrunched.
“Or scare you?”
She shook her head. “What are you talking about?”
After blowing out a breath, LJ said, “Nothing. Just checking.”
Holly took four large swallows of her wine. Liquid courage could only help her at this point. Even if she got drunk and acted a fool, nothing could top the mortification of making the man who’d been bringing her such intense pleasure worry he’d hurt her.
“You said you liked me. Really liked
me.” She spoke in a low voice. “I’m not fishing, I just…” She shrugged.
He nodded and opened his mouth, but she held up a hand. “Wait, let me keep going before I chicken out.” When he nodded again, she continued, closing her eyes. Somehow this was easier to say without seeing his patient, compassionate expression. “LJ, I like you just as much. And not just all those hard, sexy, muscles—though they are stellar.” Her eyes opened and she sought his gaze. He deserved that much from her after the way he’d been so amazing post-Holly-freak-out. “I’m drawn to everything about you. How you make me feel safe and protected, your kindness and generosity, the way you are with your brothers and their women. All of it.” The light in her eyes dimmed. “But—”
“But it’s fucked from the start.” He respected her space, not touching her, and she wanted to beg for his hands. How unfair was that? Ask for his comfort while telling him they’d never work.
With a sigh, Holly nodded and turned her head, taking in the beauty of the space. The sprawling mountains should have captured her full attention, but too much weighed on her mind. Her hand came up to clasp the charm once again. “My sister who was killed, the one I t-told you about?” Just the mention of Joy brought a fresh surge of grief.
“Mm-hmm,” LJ said as he curled an arm around her waist and hauled her even closer. They sat facing each other, Holly on his left side with their thighs pressed together.
“She wasn’t just my sister. She was m-my twin. My identical twin,” she said as she averted her gaze. Saying the words took too much of her reserves. She might not have the strength to fight her connection to LJ and tell the gut-wrenching story at the same time.
But LJ seemed to have other plans. “Fuck,” he said as he cupped her cheek, turning her face toward his. “I’m so sorry that happened to you, sugar.”
She found herself trapped by the emotion in his eyes. Not pity, but genuine sorrow for her pain.
“You said it was a biker?”
Words failed her, so she nodded.
LJ slid a finger under the chain of her necklace, fishing it out of her shirt. Once it lay outside her T-shirt, he stroked the pad of his finger over it. Holly gasped. As insane as it sounded, the moment felt incredibly significant. As though he was meeting her sister and earning her approval. Tears filled Holly’s eyes, but she blinked them away, determined to see this as an experience that bonded them, instead of just as a reliving of her grief.