His little doll blushed. He liked that, a lot.
The beeping of his phone put an abrupt end to their time together. He had a lot of shit to get done before he could get back to the clubhouse to check on her.
“I have to run, but I’ll be back for dinner. Aunt Beryl will be popping in with your meds. Be a good girl and take those meds.”
Dropping a kiss on her forehead he heard her breath hitch as he pulled away.
Giving her one last look he opened the door and left. He would definitely be back to have dinner with her.
He knew anything he started with her wouldn’t last because their worlds were so vastly different. His was taken up with taking care of his brothers and his club and hers was taken up by caring for the cats who came to the sanctuary. There wasn’t a way for the two worlds to integrate in any way.
In his gut he knew she would become important to him and he would use the time they had together to fill the empty spaces inside him with her goodness. A goodness that shone from her eyes every time she looked at him.
Never would he allow the filth clinging to him to soil her beautiful soul.
Never. He would die first before he would allow that to happen.
Fuck. Maybe he should just leave her alone. But it was already too late. He wanted what he knew he couldn’t have and he was going to have a taste, just a little taste, to carry him through the empty years ahead.
And then he would let her go.
A little taste of the good life. That was all he was going to have.
Just a little taste.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Crash
He was worried about his big brother. The man was so cut off from his feelings that he was sure he wouldn’t even realise the opportunity that had fallen right into his lap. Or maybe he did know but wasn’t going to act on it.
Not that he blamed Jagger for shutting down a big part of himself, he didn’t.
The things his big brother had endured and done just to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table had changed him. It had changed him even more when the bitch who had drawn Jagger into that life had tried to draw Crash into it when he was about to turn fourteen. She had come to him with photos and videos of his big brother with women, women much older than him, and tried to snag him with the lure of sex and money, a lot of money. Her crazy argument was that Jagger shouldn’t be allowed to be the only one making money the easy way. She made a mistake thinking she could use jealousy to turn him against his big brother.
What the bitch hadn’t known was that his brother had sat him down on his thirteenth birthday and told him everything. What he had done for money and why he had done it. He had been worried that the filth from his past would touch his little brother and he wanted him to hear about his past from him and understand why he had done it. Crash had loved and admired his brother even more for his sacrifice.
And then the bitch had turned her predatory eyes on him.
Jagger had almost lost his mind when he told him that the woman had tried to recruit him.
They could thank Spider for insisting that they talk to Bounty before Jagger did something that would have landed him in jail. The club had stepped up and sorted the bitch out and they never heard from her again.
Bounty had retrieved the blackmail material she had on Jagger and the three of them had burned it in a big bonfire. Not a single photo or video remained to come back to bite his big brother in the ass.
He would never forget what his brother had done for him, never in a million years. And that was why he would do whatever was necessary to get his brother the one thing he needed and would never reach out for.
A woman. A good woman.
A good woman that his stubborn ass of a brother didn’t think he deserved.
He was wrong about that, so very wrong.
Sunny
Hell’s Bells. What kind of magic did the man have in his lips that it turned me into a puddle in the bed with a little kiss on the forehead?
As I lay stunned silent I lifted my hands to my burning cheeks. I never blushed, not ever. And here I was with what felt like a bush fire on my face. The man who had swaggered out of the room seconds ago was trouble, trouble spelt with a bit T.
Did I need trouble right now? No, definitely not. But damn, he was so…so…so everything.
The blush slowly receded as I calmed my racing heart and thought about the man who had caused the blush. He was a hard, rough, arrogant, rude and opinionated biker who had given me one look out of his stunning hazel eyes and caught me in his web.
Shit.
What the hell was I thinking? Web? What bloody web?
It had to be Stockholm syndrome, had to be. I laughed at myself and if I could have I would have shaken my head at my stupidity. I haven’t been around the club long enough to suffer from Stockholm syndrome. One thing I did know, these guys did not play around, they were the real deal. They had a doc on call to avoid the attention a hospital visit would bring them and I felt sure they had some cops in their pockets as well.
Were they bad guys? I didn’t know. The few men I had met hadn’t given me a bad feeling and I was really good with those. Until bloody Bart. I never suspected the bastard was anything more than he said, a grieving son trying to look after his mother’s pet. But then he hadn’t interacted with me as much as he did with Cherise. She had handled him while I had handled the cat. I never asked her if she felt uncomfortable around him. I should have.
I was still lying there kicking my own ass for not paying more attention when a soft knock drew me out of the dark place in my head.
“Come in!”
To say I was surprised to see two women coming into my room wouldn’t be wrong. I thought Jagger had said the club girls wouldn’t be visiting me. Hah, little did he know.
“Hi, I’m Penny, Rider’s old lady.” The young woman with hair almost the exact same colour as mine said as she came towards the bed. “And this is Tori, she’s Beast’s old lady. Our men spoke to us and we were so excited about you coming to stay with us we couldn’t wait to come and meet you.” She gave me a brilliant smile as she sank down on the foot of the bed, letting the other woman take the chair.
I smiled at her enthusiasm. “Jagger told me about you but he didn’t give me any names. Pleased to meet you and thank you so very much for allowing me to come and stay with you. I don’t want to be a burden on you.”
The tiny redhead grinned wide. “There’s no way you’ll be a burden. We have this huge house we share and we have plenty of space. As Penny said, I’m Tori and Beast is my old man, we have two little girls who would love to have someone new around the house.”
“And Rider and I have a little girl as well.” Penny placed a hand on her still flat belly. “And I’m busy baking another one in here.”
They were so friendly and open I felt as if I had known them forever. “Congratulations. To be honest, when you walked in I thought you were the club girls and didn’t know how to react. Those women are bloody loud in the bedroom.”
They looked stunned for a minute and then burst out laughing and I joined while holding onto my midriff. The laughter pulled at muscles and it bloody well hurt.
“Damn. I don’t think any of the men thought about the fact that you would be able to hear the girls when they got busy doing what they do.” Tori had an evil grin and she winked at me. “I’m going to love throwing this out in conversation and watching a few of those guys out there cringe knowing you heard them getting it on.”
Penny snorted and shook her head. “No they wouldn’t. They would puff out their chests and claim they are so good at it that they had the girls screaming out their pleasure. Personally I don’t believe the screaming to be what they think it is. But then I’d also rather not say one word. I don’t need to know who bangs the girls around here. It would make me blush.”
Tori grinned as she shook her head. “You are still such an innocent. Wouldn’t say you’re the old lady of a rough biker with
a kid and another on the way by the way you act.”
“Oh shut up you. No more muffins for you if you keep teasing.” Penny threatened playfully.
Tori immediately zipped her lips and turned to me. “Remember this rule. Do not piss Penny off because her muffins are the bomb. We wouldn’t get through the morning without them.”
The women were very friendly and they immediately made me feel at home. “Do you know when they plan on moving me to your house?”
Both looked very serious and it was Tori who explained. “It will happen at night. We’ll most probably pretend to have a poker night or something and a couple of the men will come over. You will be hidden on the back seat of a car and once it’s in the garage we’ll transfer you to your room. No one will ever suspect that you are no longer in the clubhouse. If the people after you slip someone in on Friday night they won’t find a single trace of you ever having been here. Hopefully they’ll assume that you’ve left and gone somewhere else.”
Rubbing my hands over my eyes I sighed then dropped them back onto the bed.
“I don’t want to bring my trouble into your house. Maybe it would be best if I went back home. I have my best friends there plus security guards. I’m sure I’ll be safe.”
“We’re not letting you go until you can at least go for a jog with me.” Penny half teased.
Jog? I didn’t jog.
“You’re pregnant, you shouldn’t jog.” I frowned at her but she laughed and patted my leg.
“I might be pregnant but I can still go for a jog and exercise. The secret of a healthy pregnancy is a healthy body, remember that when it’s your turn.”
“That’s not happening. I don’t even have a man right now.”
Tori grinned and waved a hand in the general direction of the door. “There are plenty of gorgeous specimens right out there. Take your pick.”
I put up my hand like a stop sign but I was grinning at her teasing.
They kept me company for most of the afternoon and I was looking forward to spending even more time with them. They were funny, warm and welcoming and I felt lonely once they left.
I wasn’t alone for long though. An older lady who introduced herself as Aunt Beryl brought me a snack. She sat with me until she had to leave to start preparing dinner. I shamelessly pumped her for information on the club and she didn’t disappoint. I found out that the club was started by her father and passed to her brother and that her nephew was now the president. It was obvious she loved him and the club. When she left I fell asleep and later woke up feeling a whole lot better.
While I slept someone had been in and had removed the IV from the back of my hand giving me more freedom of movement. It meant I was strong enough to take my antibiotics by mouth and no longer needed it to be administered intravenously.
I also found a set of brand new pj’s on the bottom of my bed with a note saying if I felt strong enough I was allowed to shower but I had to keep my wounds dry. Underneath the note there was tape and a wide piece of plastic to put over the wounds on my side. I didn’t give a damn about keeping my head wound dry. I needed to wash my hair to get rid of the blood and icky stuff stuck in it. Someone in this place had to have a hair drier and I would ask whoever came into my room next to find me one.
Decision made I gingerly got out of bed, picked up the jammies and went into the bathroom. I was pleasantly surprised at the layout. There wasn’t a bath only a big glassed in shower with a bench seat against one wall. Perfect.
Stripping I dropped my grubby panties straight into the trash. The t-shirt was new and that I dropped into what had to be the washing bin. I very gingerly used the loo then washed my hands. Next was covering my wounds. I carefully stuck the piece of plastic, wincing as I reached behind my back. Twisting my body hurt like hell. But I got it done eventually.
Getting into the shower was easy, so was setting the water to a comfortable temperature. It was just a little on the hot side, exactly how I liked it.
It was when I tried to bend down to wash my legs that the pain hit. I moaned loudly and backed away until I could sit down on the bench seat. Breathing deep I sat with my eyes closed waiting for the pain to subside.
The next moment a warm body picked me up and sat me on his lap. Opening my eyes I looked into Jagger’s very worried eyes.
“What the fuck are you doing showering on your own, meisiekind (baby girl)?” He bit out as he took the wash cloth out of my hand.
“I felt strong and…and…and just what the hell are you doing in the shower with me?” I gasped but he ignored me as he soaped the cloth and started washing my legs and feet while holding me on his lap.
“You don’t get in the shower without me. You about gave me a heart attack when I saw you almost fall on your ass trying to get to the bench.”
“But…but you’re naked and I’m naked.”
He grinned. “Have to be naked to shower, sweetheart.”
“But…but we’re not like that. I’m not yo…”
He didn’t let me finish, shutting me up with a soft kiss on my lips.
“Shhh, Poppie (little doll), don’t worry about that now. Let’s get you showered and into some clean pj’s and back into bed.”
He ignored my protests as he gently but thoroughly washed me, only giving me the cloth to wash my private bits. Not that he considered my boobs private bits, he washed those with an intense look on his face. Then he stood me up and rinsed me and was about to lift me out of the shower when I stopped him.
“I have to wash my hair, Jagger. It’s so nasty. I can’t be clean all over and have filthy hair.”
He looked at my hair then at me. “Okay, put your arms around my waist and hold on, then tip your head back. Let me know if you’re feeling weak or if it hurts, okay?”
I gave a short nod and he gently pulled me right into his body…and holy shit. He was hard, rock hard and pressed up against my belly. I gasped when his cock jerked and my eyes flew up to his.
“Ignore my dick, I am. I’m hard because I have your naked body in my arms and I want you fucking badly, but I’m not going to do anything about it. Not today. When you’re stronger and your wounds have healed we’ll talk.”
And then he proceeded to wash my hair and ignored that hard as hell appendage against my belly. So gently and so carefully did he wash my hair it brought tears to my eyes. I closed my eyes and let the goodness of his strong hands in my hair soak into me.
Somewhere deep inside I knew I wanted more from this complicated man.
I didn’t even really know him but I knew that there was something between us, something I had never felt with anyone I had been with before.
And I wanted to explore it. I wanted more.
Once he was done he carefully squeezed the water from my hair then lifted me out of the shower. He wrapped my body in a big bath sheet and used a smaller towel to wrap around my wet hair. He gently moved me to the side and I watched in wonder as he quickly dried himself.
Dear heavenly bodies.
In the shower I knew he was built but standing there watching him and seeing what I had felt? It blew my mind. He was ripped, really and truly ripped. His arms and shoulders rippled with muscle as he moved and had me swallowing a soft gasp of appreciation before it slipped out. I dragged my eyes down over his pecs and rock hard abs and again I had to clamp my mouth shut. The man had an Adonis belt that led down to where his cock was still hard. A cock that intimidated me a little bit with its girth. It was heavy and thick with a slight curve and tapped the skin just below his belly button, and it was pierced. A pierced cock. I have never had a man who was pierced.
And then my mind went right there.
Thinking about what it would feel like when he slipped it inside me and rubbed up against my g-spot. My eyes widened as I watched him perfunctorily dry his balls and cock and this time I couldn’t stop the half sigh half moan that whispered past my lips.
He gave a soft laugh as he wrapped the towel around his hips, hiding his magnificen
t cock from view, but not by much because it was still clearly outlined beneath the towel.
I ripped my eyes away and met his heated ones.
“You like what you see, Poppie (little doll)?”
I could only nod because speaking right now was not possible. The drool pooling in my mouth would escape and it would not be an attractive sight. And why should I lie about finding his body attractive? Oh, bullshit on the attractive bit. He was the hottest man I had ever had the pleasure of seeing naked.
His long dark caramel brown hair hung in wet tendrils over his shoulders as he came up to me and pulled me into his arms. Then he started whispering against the side of my head, his breath warm over my partly towel covered ear.
“You liked what you saw as much as what I liked what I saw and felt. We’re going to get dressed, I’m going to dry your hair and then we’ll see about dinner. And if you’re up to it we’ll watch something on TV before we go to sleep. I’m not leaving you tonight, Poppie (little doll). I want to fall asleep with you in my arms. And yes, I know this is fast but it feels right.”
I could do nothing but whisper my agreement.
“I’d like that.”
“Good. And I want to introduce you to my dog. He insisted on coming with me and we’ll most probably find him camped out on your bed.”
Tipping my head back I smiled up at him. “If you want to introduce me to your dog you’ll have to let me go so I can get dressed.”
With a gentle hug he let me go and stepped back. He dropped his towel and I had to close my eyes to still my racing heart as he pulled on a pair of grey sweatpants. Slightly turning from him I did the same and pulled on my pj bottoms. He pulled the plastic that covered the dressing over my wound off and dropped it in the bin, not saying a word about the grubby panties. While gingerly pulling on the cami top I felt his eyes on me like a burning brand.
And I liked it. I liked it a hell of a lot.
Once we were both dressed he picked me up and carried me into the bedroom and gently set me down on the bed. And I saw the big dog lying at the foot of it, watching me with bright intelligent eyes.
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