That was news to him, and he was thrilled by it.
“It means a hell of a lot.”
“So you need something special. Like red-rose, I-love-you special?”
“You need a bigger hook than that to go fishing in my lake, little one.”
Isla was twenty-two and rebellious as they came, and because of her father’s relationship in the club, she was considered family. Like another nosy little sister.
“You’re no fun.” She came around the counter. “Any allergies?”
“I’m not sure, but I need something safe around kittens. And I’d like something that isn’t common. She’s unique, and the flowers should be, too.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere. I like a man on a mission. Tell me what she’s like.”
He thought about her question as he looked around, catching sight of the most gorgeous flowers he’d ever seen. Perfect. He pointed across the store. “Are those safe for kittens?”
What had started as a mission in romance competition ended up coming straight from his heart. Half an hour later he took the steps to Crystal’s apartment two at a time, reminding himself not to overwhelm her and sweep her into his arms. But it felt like forever since he’d held her, and he knew the moment he saw her iridescent smile and those sharp blue eyes that challenged and seduced him at once, he’d have a hard time holding back.
He prayed for willpower as he knocked.
The apartment door swung open and his raven-haired goddess stood before him in a gray sweater that hung off one shoulder, revealing a black bra strap with purple skulls on it, a black miniskirt with tiny white diamonds sewn into the hem, knee-high boots, and passion brimming in her smoky eyes. Holy fucking hell.
Restraint. Gone.
He hauled her against him, breathing too hard, holding her too tight, and hating himself for it. “Please tell me to kiss you.”
She narrowed her baby blues, pushing her hands into his hair, unraveling him with the possessive touch. “Stop talking and kiss me.”
Hearing the desire in her voice set his body on fire. He crushed his mouth to hers, and she returned his efforts with reckless abandon, tugging his hair to the point of pain that pierced his skull and headed south. She went up on her toes, pressing her soft curves against him and making him hard as stone. Desire, lust, and greed wound together, coiling inside him like the devil, urging him on. One hand pressed flat against her back; the other still clutched the flowers. He should try not to crush them, but right that second he didn’t give a damn about the flowers, or anything else other than finally—God, finally—having Crystal in his arms.
Fuck. He needed to slow down.
But how could he ever stop kissing her? She felt too good, tasted too sweet.
A tiny meow slipped through the war raging in his mind, and he felt Harley’s tiny claws climbing up his jeans, reminding him they were still on the landing outside her apartment.
Crystal whimpered as he reluctantly broke away and scooped up the cockblocking kitty. He reclaimed his girl with an arm around her, keeping her close, and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
CRYSTAL TRIED TO pull her lust-addled head together. She’d thought about Bear all day, and having Harley with her had only made her miss him more. Remembering his kisses, the sweet things he’d said, and receiving his thoughtful texts throughout the afternoon had made her even more anxious to see him.
“I hope you’re referring to stopping and not the kiss itself, because I wanted that kiss,” she assured him. “You can make it up to me later.”
He chuckled, but she couldn’t miss the relief washing over him. She didn’t want him to worry, but she loved that he did.
“We don’t want our little girl to go downstairs and get lost.” As they walked into the apartment, her heart melting at his use of “our,” he added, “Define later.”
God, that pushy side was so Bear! She loved it! “That’s to be determined.”
She was a little surprised that even after all she’d revealed, and knowing she wasn’t ready to jump in the sack, snarky, sexy comments still rolled off her tongue easily. She’d worried that the changes she was experiencing as she opened up to him might alter her personality, and she’d reinvented herself so many times, she wasn’t entirely sure what her real personality was anymore. Maybe her snarkiness was part of the real her after all. She smiled with the thought, because despite going from blond hair to jet-black and having to adopt a new name, persona, and fake dating history, she thought she was a pretty cool chick.
He pressed a kiss to the top of Harley’s head, making Crystal’s insides melt a little more. He was wearing the leather vest with the Dark Knights emblem on the back she’d seen him wear often, but tonight it made him look even more badass. Or maybe that was just because she was finally allowing herself to really, truly see all of Bear instead of keeping him at arm’s length. She’d even changed his contact name in her phone from Him to Bear, which felt really good.
She closed the door behind them and noticed he was holding a gorgeous bouquet of orchids. There must have been at least a dozen in varying colors. Awestruck, she said, “Biker boy, did you bring me flowers?”
He eyed the bouquet with a playful expression. “These were for Harley, but I guess you can have them.” He set Harley on the couch. The kitty looked up at them with sad eyes.
“She knows you just gave away her flowers,” Crystal teased. He handed her the flowers, and she inhaled their beautiful scent. Telling him about what had happened had brought out a softer side of both of them. She was surprised by how much she liked it, but her mounting emotions made her worry about how she’d come across. Too girly? Too weak? She went with what was comfortable and familiar, a tease.
“I’ve never been given flowers. Does this mean we’re going steady? Boyfriend and girlfriend—”
“It means you’re my woman.” He hauled her against him again hard enough that their chests bumped, making her laugh at his possessiveness. “Now you have to wear a choker with ‘Property of Bear Whiskey’ printed on it.”
“In your dreams.” She sat on the couch taking a closer look at the flowers, and he sank down beside her. “These really are gorgeous. Thank you.”
“How about a choker that says, Bear’s?”
She laughed. “How about I admit that I’m your girlfriend and you know it here.” She touched his chest over his heart. “Can that be enough for a possessive guy like you?”
“Babe, after all this time, I think I deserve the choker. But hell, I’ll take it.”
He leaned in for a kiss, and she couldn’t help but think he deserved a Boyfriend of the Year Award. He’d taken that role before she’d allowed him to, and yes, he was pushy, but he was also protective, and loving, and many more things that had kept her riveted by him for so long. Thank goodness he’d somehow known they were right for each other and had refused to give up. She wouldn’t wear a choker, but she was proud to be willingly on his arm from now on.
She smelled the beautiful bouquet again. “I didn’t even know orchids came in all these colors.”
He draped an arm over her shoulder. “Neither did I, and honestly, I had no idea these were orchids. By the way, they’re safe for cockblocker over there. I asked.”
She laughed. “We are not calling her that.”
“Maybe not out loud.” He whispered, “I love her, but she is one.”
Smiling, he pressed his lips to hers. “I wanted to get you something special.” He took the bouquet from her and pointed to one of the flowers.
“These gorgeous babes are still finding their way. They’re outgrowing their innocent yellow base, striking out on their own with the orange and dark red spots. They look tough, but a little unsure. Those say ‘Chrissy’ all over them. The little girl whose life was turned upside down and forced to grow up too soon in a harsher world than she deserved.”
Chrissy. He had listened to every word she’d said. She reached for Harley, trying to distract herself from the unexpected ru
sh of emotions. She’d never stood a chance of resisting him. He might be cocky and possessive, but he was equally tender and loving, funny and sweet, and she couldn’t believe that after all she’d been through, Bear was turning out to be the man she’d thought he was, and so much more.
He held her tighter, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.
He pointed to the pink and white flowers. “These delicate ladies?” he said in a voice so full of love she wanted to wrap it around her and snuggle inside it. “They were so smart, they knew how to blend in and fly under the radar. Look at them, so feminine and strong. They blow me away. Chrystina.”
“And these pretty little gals are bold and captivating.” He touched one of the blue and purple orchids. “They say, ‘Don’t fuck with me. I might be poisonous, but I’m too tempting to resist.’”
He paused long enough for her to forget how to breathe.
“Like you. Crystal.”
She pressed her lips together to keep her emotions from spilling out, but when he guided her face toward his with a gentle press of his finger beneath her chin, his serious gaze held her captive, and her eyes teared up.
“They say orchids are symbols of love and affection,” he said softly. “And the harder they are to find, the more love and affection they hold. When you put all these magnificent beauties together, you get the most unique flower on earth.”
He was looking at her as if he could see her innermost thoughts, and everything around them faded away. He was all she could see, smell, hear. When he took her hand in his, a familiar current traveled up her arm. Could it be possible to just live in this moment forever?
“Some people might see those bold colors and think they’re too much,” he said, bringing her back to earth. “They might see the dainty pink and white as too soft, or the others and think they’re too rough. But when I see them. When I see you. I see the woman who stopped me cold the first time I saw her. And when you opened that incredibly sexy, snarky, and often too-adorable-for-words mouth of yours, I knew I was in big trouble.”
For a long moment she didn’t move, didn’t breathe, didn’t think, just sat beside him, numb from the honesty written all over his face. She didn’t know how to handle this, and she turned away, overwhelmed and embarrassed by the feelings stacking up inside her. “I think I’m allergic to those saccharine lines.”
He drew her face toward his again. “Don’t do that.”
“Move?” She hated herself for being snarky. She hadn’t planned on reinventing herself ever again, but there was no denying the changes taking place inside her. She’d been hiding from herself, from the truth, from being judged, for so long, that the warmth and love he gave her made her feel vulnerable, and she didn’t know how to handle it.
“Don’t deflect.” His tone was pure control, telling her what to do, not suggesting.
Pure instinct made her scoff, and just as quickly, she regretted it. This wasn’t a reinvention born of fear or necessity. She wasn’t in survival mode. She wasn’t in any mode at all, and that was the most incredible feeling in the world. But it was also frightening, because she wasn’t sure who she was anymore. But when she looked at Bear, she wanted to find out. Desperately.
“I’m sorry. It’s—”
“Habit?” He lifted Harley from her lap and took her hand in his. “I get that. But if we’re going to be together—and we are, so don’t even pretend anything else is an option—I’m going to say what I feel. If I have to hold back my physical display of affection, my emotions have to come out in some way.”
“So, that scorching-hot kiss was holding back? Holy shit, Bear. Now I’m building you up in my mind to epic proportions you can never live up to.”
His eyes smoldered. “Wanna bet?”
She didn’t want to bet; she wanted to find out. “Is this a ploy? I have to endure these types of embarrassing, in-my-face compliments or sleep with you? And when we sleep together, what then? The sweet stuff stops? Like a catch twenty-two?”
He laughed. “What goes on in that beautiful mind of yours?”
“You don’t want to know. Trusting is a little hard, even when I don’t want it to be.” She pushed to her feet, her heart beating a mile a minute. “I’m going to put these in water.”
He followed her into the kitchen. “You’re wrong, Crystal. I want to know what you’re thinking about and what you feel. I want to know everything about you.”
He stood behind her as she filled a vase with water, and his arms snaked around her belly. He was gentle and comforting, wiping away the fear of the unknown.
But as he lowered his mouth beside her ear and whispered, “Talk to me, baby,” the desire climbing up her limbs created anxiety all its own.
She set the vase on the counter and leaned her head back against his chest.
“I’m not used to hearing those things, and I don’t know how to trust them. But I trust you. And the hardest part of all of this is that I’m not a weak person, and not knowing how to handle this makes me feel like I am. And that’s frustrating, because what I really want to do is kiss you. I want to turn around and have you lift me up onto this counter and kiss me until I can’t see straight like they do in movies. I want to wrap my legs around your waist without having to worry about if you’re worried about me, or if I’m worried about me.”
She turned around, her pulse racing, and said, “I just want to go with what I feel and stop thinking, and maybe that will help me accept the rest.”
In the next second she was sitting on the counter, Bear’s wide hips between her legs, his mouth swooping down over hers. The first touch of their lips was like jumping off a waterfall, and then she was soaring through the air. Her arms and legs circled him, embracing her freedom, her passion, her affection for the incredible man who was possessing more of her by the second. His hands moved like wind over her back, into her hair, down her arms, coming to rest on her hips. She felt his resistance, and she fell harder for him for holding back.
She grabbed his ass, letting him know she wasn’t afraid, and thank God, he slid his hands to her butt and did the same, bringing their bodies together. She was barely breathing into their kisses, lost in the pleasure of allowing herself to feel their heat—and enjoy it. Damn, did she enjoy it. I’m not broken. A rush of titillating energy whooshed through her, like nothing she’d ever experienced. Not even in their kisses. She was breaking free. Really, truly allowing herself to leave the past behind. The realization slammed into her, and she drew back from the kiss, panting and smiling and laughing like a crazy person.
She was crazy. Crazy for Bear Whiskey.
“I want to kiss you forever” rushed from her lungs.
She grabbed his head, plastering her mouth to his again, and felt him smiling into their kiss. He lifted her off the counter, never breaking their connection as he took a few steps, slowing to deepen the kiss. Her back met the wall with a thunk, and lust spiked up her spine. Her eyes flew open, and he drew back so fast it filled her up with him even more.
“I liked it,” she assured him, feeling as shocked as he looked. “That was intense and freaking hot. Like a shot of…Whiskey. I want more Whiskey, please.”
The gratified smile staring back at her reached all the way up to his eyes, turning to liquid fire as he took her in another incredible kiss. He carried her through the living room and sank down on the couch with her knees straddling him. She’d expected him to lay her down, to dominate her without thinking, but she realized he was giving her an escape. Giving her control. And in doing so, it made her want to give up control.
He pushed his hands into her hair, his mouth moving along her jaw, to the tender spot beneath her ear. “Sweet as sugar,” he whispered.
In the next moment he was devouring her neck, sending shivers of lust skittering through her entire body. She closed her eyes, reveling in the illicit pleasures she’d wanted for so long. Inhaling the heady scents of leather and potent male, she focused on the feel of his tongue, his lips pressing hard
against her skin, the scintillating graze of his teeth. He was hard beneath her, and when his mouth moved along her bare shoulder, her nipples pebbled tighter, burning with anticipation.
Eyes still closed, she followed the length of his arm down to his hand and brought it to her breast, whispering, “Touch me.”
He claimed her in another passionate kiss as he caressed her, teasing the sensitive peaks through her shirt. Tingling heat seared down the center of her body, pooling between her legs and drawing a long, low moan from her lungs. She moved his hand beneath her shirt, earning a heady groan from Bear that obliterated all her thoughts. His big, rough hand covered her breast, and she arched into him, wanting to feel his desire everywhere. He kissed her harder, rocking beneath her to the same rhythm she ground her hips, and when he took her nipple between his fingers and thumb, lust streaked all the way to the tips of her fingers and toes.
“Oh God that feels good.” She writhed against him, resting her forehead on his and using his shoulders for leverage.
He gathered her hair in his hand and sealed his mouth over her neck, sucking and kissing and driving her out of her mind. She’d dreamed of this—of him—but her dreams hadn’t come close to how incredible he felt. He slanted his mouth over hers again, urgent and ravenous, thrusting his tongue to the same pulse as his hips rose beneath her. When he squeezed her nipple, she couldn’t stop the stream of moaning, mewing noises coming from somewhere deep inside her. He caught her lower lip between his teeth and gave it a gentle tug.
“Ohgod” slipped out. “Again,” she pleaded.
He did it again, and then dipped his head, reclaiming her neck in an act of divine torture. She panted, caught up in the overwhelming sensations coursing through her. His hand dropped from her hair to the top of her ass, applying more pressure to their exquisite friction. Yes, yes, yes. She rocked harder and lowered her mouth to his neck, getting her first taste of his salty skin. She was powerless to resist her desires as she licked and sucked, earning another hungry groan from Bear, and several uttered curses.
Truly, Madly, Whiskey Page 11