He dipped his head beside her ear. “Okay, beautiful?”
“Yes,” came out with confidence.
He took his wallet from his pocket and tossed it on the bed. “Protection.”
She didn’t tell him she’d prepared, too. In her nightstand was an unopened box of condoms she’d purchased for tonight.
He guided her hand to the button on his jeans, silently seeking her approval. She worked it open quickly, and he stepped from his jeans, standing before her in only his tight briefs. This was the moment she’d dreamed about, the moment that had sent her scurrying back to her therapist to clear a path. But nothing could have prepared her for the way her heart expanded at the sight of Bear standing in her bedroom, ravenous for her.
When he lowered his mouth to hers again in a surprisingly gentle kiss, she went up on her toes, eager for more. He groaned into the kiss, and the raw passion in that sound unleashed the last of her tethers. Blood pounded through her veins as he lifted her leg to his hip, rocking his hard heat against her center. Yes, yes. She grasped at his back, but he was too broad, too big; she couldn’t find purchase. And then she was in his arms, kissing him as he carried her to the bed, tossed the decorative pillows to the floor, and tore back the covers.
He lowered her to the bed, his big body coming down over hers. Lord he felt good. And then his mouth was on hers, kissing her deeply, lovingly, masterfully. She wanted to memorize every second, every touch, every noise slipping from his lungs. His hands pushed beneath her ass, lifting and angling her panty-covered hips beneath him. His hard length felt glorious pressed against her, moving to a beat all their own. But the kiss—God, this kiss—intensified, shattering her ability to think at all. Just when she thought she couldn’t take another second of it, his mouth eased from hers, and he moved lower, kissing her breasts, her sternum, her belly. His hands hooked into the sides of her panties, and his eyes found hers again. That silent approval-seeking glance snagged her heart. She lifted her hips off the mattress, giving him the green light.
Flashing a devilish grin, he didn’t hesitate to take them off. He kissed her thighs, and every touch of his lips made her wetter, needier. He knew just how to draw out her pleasure.
He dragged his tongue along her thigh, and she grabbed his shoulders. “It’s insane how much I love your mouth.”
Spreading her legs wider, he finally brought his tongue to where she needed it most, accompanied by a gratified, purely male groan. That sound soared through her, leaving a trail of sparks beneath her skin. She bowed up, digging her heels into the mattress as he licked and kissed and brought his hands into play, taking her right up to the verge of madness. Her orgasm was just out of reach, taunting at her with a tug deep inside her belly. She grabbed his head, rocking and shifting, trying to guide his mouth where she needed it most—though she couldn’t be sure exactly where that magical spot was. Every slick of his tongue brought her closer to the edge. He countered her every move, taking her impossibly higher, until she was sure her body would shatter into a million little pieces.
“Please, Bear—”
As she said the words, he did something with his tongue, and his fingers, and her orgasm crashed over her in waves of exquisite pleasure. He sealed his mouth over her sex again, plunging his tongue inside her, and she rocketed to the peak again. And then he was tearing off his briefs, and gathered her in his arms. His wet beard crushed against her chin as he took her in another passionate kiss. She didn’t care that he tasted like her. She wanted to climb inside his mouth and experience everything it had to give.
She grabbed at the back of his hips, arching up, slicking her wetness against his shaft and earning another heady groan. Their mouths parted, both of them panting as he reached for his wallet and retrieved a condom. He kissed her softly, and when he gazed into her eyes she heard his silent question loud and clear.
“Yes,” she whispered confidently.
He sheathed himself and came down over her, kissing her cheeks, her forehead, her lips. His love for her seeped into her skin, burrowed deep in her bones, and when he said, “I love you, sweet girl,” she was so caught up in him, it was all she could do to say, “I know.”
He was smiling as their mouths came together, the head of his arousal pressing against her center. She wasn’t scared, wasn’t anxious, was only needful and wanting—and wishing her brain worked because I know didn’t begin to cover what she felt.
“Wait,” she panted out. He stopped so abruptly, she knew he thought she’d changed her mind. “I love you, too, Bear. So much. I just had to tell you.”
The smile that crawled across his face was worth the momentary heart attack she was sure she’d given him. “I know you do, sugar. I see it in your eyes every time you look at me.”
“You do?”
“I do, baby.”
Her heart was so full, her body so alive, she didn’t hesitate to pull him into another kiss. He entered her slowly, his strong arms cradling her as her body adjusted to the unfamiliar, and welcome, visitor. She could barely breathe as their bodies melded together for the very first time. He felt so good, so right. When he was buried to the hilt, they both stilled. His heart beat as crazily as hers. She opened her eyes and found him watching her, searching for that silent blessing he’d already so caringly sought time and time again. She couldn’t speak, could only hope her smile conveyed how very okay she was. She lifted her hips, letting him know she was ready for more. Ready for him.
She expected to feel awkward, to wonder if or how they’d find the right rhythm, but there was no room for worry. There was only Bear taking control, finding their rhythm for them, holding her, loving her, kissing her, and whispering the sweetest, sexiest things she’d ever heard. His body was hard and insistent; his touch was loving and gentle. Too swept away to think, her body took over, rising to meet him.
Every thrust of his hips came with a whisper of love: “Only you, baby. Feels so good. I’m yours, sweet girl.”
His hardness electrified her, his tenderness made her melt, creating a storm of uncontrollable passion. Wanting to savor the excitement, their closeness, the newness of the heady scent of their lovemaking, she dug her fingers into his arms, trying to stave off her climax. But the harder she resisted, the more consuming it became. Every thrust brought a rush of new and overwhelming sensations, and her body betrayed her, yielding to the searing need that had been building for months. Her core flooded with fire seconds before his name burst from her lungs in a cry of sheer ecstasy.
“Bear—”
He tucked his face in the crook of her neck as her body pulsed around him. Thrusting once, twice, he reared up, his face contorted in the clutches of passion as he followed her over the edge.
“Fuuck, baby. So sweet. So good.” He kissed her shoulder. “So right.”
She clung to him, dizzy with emotions, as they fell limply to the mattress wrapped in each other’s arms. He pressed his lips to hers, tucking her body tight against him.
“Hey, sweet girl,” he said tenderly, bringing her eyes up to his.
He was searching again, needing confirmation that she was okay, and she loved him even more for it.
She touched her lips to his and whispered, “Perfect.”
He took care of the condom, then rolled onto his back and pulled her on top of him, making her feel petite and special in his arms. She rested her cheek on his chest and closed her eyes. Her legs fell naturally between his, his sex nestled against hers. He curled one arm up behind her head, holding her as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. He pulled the blanket up over their waists, cocooning her in the safest, most loving position.
She snuggled in and closed her eyes, reveling in their intimate new world, and drifted off to the sure and steady beat of his heart.
Chapter Sixteen
BEAR LAY AWAKE with a purring kitty curled against one side and his beautiful girlfriend draped across the other. He’d thought of her that way for so long that as the sun crept in through the blinds, bringing her private
world into focus, he wasn’t surprised by the intensity of his feelings. He wanted to go to sleep with her in his arms every night and wake up with her every morning. He wanted to watch her creative mind at work, and cook with her, and take her on long motorcycle rides. He wanted to give her enough good memories to wipe away the bad. But tonight he had to bartend again, and if he honored his father’s demands and took on the expansion, he’d have little to no free time in the foreseeable future.
As he looked around her bedroom, his thoughts returned to last night’s conversation on the beach, and Bullet’s words came back to him.
You always do what’s right, little brother. It’s that simple.
Right for who? That was the question.
Bullet stood behind his convictions even when it was clear to Bear that where Dixie was concerned, his brother’s convictions were wrong. Did Bullet know something he didn’t? Or was he just as hardheaded as his father? He’d fight for his brothers even if the odds were 50:1. Club brothers, Truman, Quincy, blood brothers. Brotherhood was brotherhood. The difference between Bear and Bullet was that for the sake of their sister, Bear would stand up to the one man Bullet wouldn’t. And though he had no concrete evidence of what Bullet would do in a situation like his and Crystal’s, he had a feeling that in his brother’s mind, doing the right thing meant nailing the fucker who had attacked her to the wall and dealing with the aftermath of Crystal’s heartache later.
Crystal lifted her chin, smiling up at him with sleepy eyes, and his heart swelled. If that’s what Bullet thought, he’d be wrong. Bear had made his choice and he intended to honor it. Crystal’s well-being came before anything, or anyone, else.
They’d made love for a second time in the middle of the night after they’d woken tangled up in each other. He’d waited for her to take the initiative, not wanting to come across too pushy, and she had. Stepping back from the aggressive lover he’d always been had allowed him to feel more connected to Crystal and her needs. And that had deepened their connection and opened his eyes to other parts of his life that he’d been plowing through. It was time to figure out how to do the right thing where his father and Dixie were concerned. Had life always been this complicated and he hadn’t seen it clearly until Crystal had opened his eyes?
He lifted Harley from the bed and kissed her before setting her on the floor.
“Mm.” Crystal pressed her lips to his chest. “Does my Bear need sustenance?”
“Your Bear needs to hold you.” He gathered her in his arms.
She pressed her hips to his. “Little Bear has other ideas.”
He kissed her again, rolling her onto her back and deepening the kiss. “Don’t feel pressured by my body’s reactions to my beautiful girlfriend.”
She touched her lips to his again. “Thank you, but finally being honest with you about why I held back for so long freed me from being under its thumb. I promise, if there are times that I need to slow down, I will let you know. But I have never felt happier, or more in control, in my entire life.”
“Okay, then I won’t ask again.”
She smiled. “Yes, you will. You’re my pushy, caring Bear. But hopefully you’ll learn quickly and will let me own this decision sooner rather than later.”
“You can own that one.” He pressed a kiss to her chest, above her heart. “I only want to own this one.”
“We don’t own—we are one, remember? Now shut up and kiss me so I can see if my biker boy is as good in the morning as he is in the evening.”
She pulled him into a scorching kiss, and he showed her just how incredible morning lovemaking could be.
Later that afternoon Bear was traipsing through the kitchen of Whiskey Bro’s with Dixie, thinking about Crystal and Silver-Stone and wondering why he was wasting his time coming up with an expansion plan for the bar.
“I’ll call Crow and get a handle on renovation costs.” Bear leaned against the counter watching his sister take copious notes. She tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing the colorful tats on her shoulder. Her eyes were serious and focused, underscoring the differences in their interests for the project.
“I have ideas about how to reconfigure the kitchen, and I was thinking. Maybe we shouldn’t offer dinner food. If we just offer things like sandwiches and fries, then we don’t really need a chef. It’ll keep expenses down while still offering more to the customers.”
“I agree. Catering to a dinner crowd would turn Whiskey’s into a different type of place altogether, and I’m not sure that’s what any of us want.”
Dixie closed her notebook, and he could practically hear the gears in her mind turning. After fourteen years of working in the bar, he had none of that excitement left in him, whereas every time he walked into the auto shop he got a rush of adrenaline. The shop wasn’t just a job or just part of the family business he had to take over. It was the place he could see himself working thirty years down the line, and when he looked that far ahead, other than his family, there were only three other things he envisioned. Crystal, a family of their own, with snarky girls and badass boys, and his name attached to some of the most sought-after motorcycles in the world.
Chapter Seventeen
IF ANYONE HAD told Crystal that one day she’d be happy and in love, she never would have believed them. Even during all those months when Bear was claiming her and she was unknowingly falling for him, she had still expected the floor to drop out from under her at any minute. But it had been a week since they’d first made love, and every day that passed had brought them closer together. Her legs weren’t being kicked out from under her. They were becoming stronger, and she was learning that it was okay to take her trust to another level and rely on Bear.
Most mornings she woke up wrapped in Bear’s arms, with a happy flutter in her chest. She’d noticed that Bear’s need to throw threatening glances at every male they passed was easing, though it wasn’t gone completely. It helped that every time he did it, Crystal threatened to withhold kisses. Her hungry Bear was a very fast learner.
Crystal had discovered other, unexpected pleasures of staying overnight with the man she loved, like how nice it was to be a real couple. Sharing their deepest worries and their dreams. She’d learned that lying in his arms talking until the wee hours of the morning could be as intimate as making love. She enjoyed listening to his stories about the uncle he’d admired and still missed, and her heart broke over how conflicted he was about the offer from Silver-Stone. The fact that he hadn’t just walked away from his family’s businesses when he’d gotten the original offer was proof of his loyalty, but she worried for him. If he went his whole life without doing what he really wanted, wouldn’t he regret it? Maybe even blame his family? They talked about that, too, and it was clear that whatever decision Bear made would be what he thought was the right one.
On the nights Bear bartended, Crystal worked on the costumes for the boutique and went to sleep in a bed that felt too big, longing for him in ways she never imagined possible. Not for sex or the electricity that accompanied every kiss—although she missed those things, too—but for him. With the exception of a few of life’s frustrations, such as Bear’s dilemma over working with Silver-Stone Cycles or helping his family and her ongoing discomfort about visiting her mother, she felt happy and fulfilled.
Most of the time.
While she was no longer bearing the weight of her secret alone, there was no denying the stab of guilt she felt when she was with Gemma. Yesterday when she’d driven Jed to his attorney’s office she’d felt guilty for keeping secrets from him, too. One thing at a time. She’d resolved to keep her past to herself until after the wedding, but the wedding was still weeks away. Even though they’d had fun last weekend with the wedding cake tasting and work was going well, Crystal couldn’t fight the uncomfortable feelings building up inside her. How could she be Gemma’s maid of honor knowing she’d deceived her? Knowing Gemma thought she’d been sleeping around before she got together with Bear? She wanted Gemma to under
stand just how special Bear was, and for that to happen, she needed to be honest.
Mentally debating that situation, she pushed through the doors to the stockroom Wednesday afternoon, pulling the costume rack for their next party. Despite a minor meltdown by a four-year-old, their first party of the day had gone off without a hitch, and the hours had flown by. Their new warrior princess costume had gone over well with both the parents and most of the little girls, although two of the girls had chosen the frilliest, laciest costumes they offered. That had prompted Gemma to ask Crystal to design a costume highlighting those two elements.
“I’ve got it,” Gemma said from behind the counter. “We can design a pink and white costume like the old-time Victorian dresses. They have frills and lace. We can do entire themes and parties based on the Victorian era.”
She was so excited about their recent success, and about Bear and Crystal, that Crystal’s happy flutter was once again overridden by guilt. “Brilliant. Those dresses will take much longer to make than this.” She waved at her warrior princess outfit. “But we can definitely make them.”
She’d made two more costumes, and Gemma had begun spreading the word with an article in the boutique’s newsletter. Tru had been making up fairy tales for the kids since the night he’d rescued them, and he made up a fantastic story to go along with each costume for the newsletter. They already had orders trickling in. It felt good to see their hard work growing into something bigger.
Crystal parked the rack by the dressing rooms, trying to muster the courage to talk with Gemma.
“You have that look on your face again,” Gemma said.
“What look is that?” She joined her by the register and checked her cell phone for messages, smiling at the selfie Bear had sent of him and Lincoln.
“The cat-that-ate-the-canary look.” She peered over Crystal’s shoulder at the picture. “Our boys sure are cute.”
Truly, Madly, Whiskey Page 21