by Lilly Atlas
The next thing she knew, Acer was pressing into her, filling her with his heavy cock. She moaned as he seated himself to the hilt. He stayed still, deep inside her, and kissed her. It was a passionate kiss, full of all the emotion he could never voice.
She tasted her essence on his lips, a reminder of the pleasure she’d just experienced. Not that she needed a reminder, her muscles still twitched with aftershocks.
Without breaking the kiss, Acer pulled the knots out of her bindings, liberating her arms. He’d used a quick release knot. One pull of the rope by him, and she was free even though the bindings held strong through her fierce tugging.
She wrapped her arms around him the instant she could, drawing him close, loving the way his muscles bunched and flexed in her embrace. She stroked her hands over every surface she could reach.
“Thank you for trusting me.” His tone was so low she almost missed the words whispered into her neck. Had he meant for her to hear them? Probably not, but her heart soared just the same.
He rocked his pelvis into her, small movements that quickly became inadequate. When they both needed something more, he rose on his knees and filled his hands with her ass, lifting her to meet the increasing force of his thrusts.
She dragged her hands from his shoulders, down his chest, pausing to play with his nipple ring. When she gave it a light tug, he grunted and slammed his hips into her even harder.
With each drive of his shaft into her channel, the pleasure built until she was moaning once again.
***
~ ~ ~ ~
The heat of Fia’s tight pussy seared him until his eyes crossed. With her, he discovered something he’d never experienced anywhere else. And it wasn’t just the physical pleasure, which far surpassed any other, but it was an awe-inspiring sense of rightness. A feeling that he found where he belonged, where he should stay.
He shoved those confounded feelings aside and focused on the physical. Not hard to do. “One more, baby, give me one more.”
Fia moaned. “I don’t think I can, Acer.”
Oh, hell yes she could. He thrust in and out with furious strokes, his control beginning a slippery slide into non-existence. He yanked her hips up farther so he hit deeper inside and her clit bumped against his pelvis with every stroke.
“Oh my God,” she cried out, her hands fisting in the comforter on each side of her body. Her core clamped down on him, trying to keep him just where he was. He grinned. There’s the spot.
She did it again, squeezing his dick like a fist and he groaned. Fuck it. He surrendered to the madness, control flying out the window. With his hands full of her ass, he pummeled her with his cock. He dominated every aspect of the encounter, using his firm grip to slam his sex into her again and again.
She whimpered every time he bottomed out, her head thrashing back and forth on the pillow. “Acer.” Her voice was strangled, full of passion and hunger.
“I know, baby. Play with your tits.”
She released the comforter, and pinched and rolled her nipples. Around his cock, her walls began to spasm. She gave one more tug on her nipples at the same time he pushed, hard, into her and she let out a wailing cry. Her body shook and she convulsed around him.
“Fuck,” he cried out, her orgasm triggering his. His body stiffened and jolted over her as the pleasure crested. “Goddamn.” He collapsed on her and smiled when she let out a weak chuckle.
After a moment, he tried to roll to his side, but Fia held him tight. “Don’t move yet,” she whispered against his ear.
He used the last of his strength to push himself off her just slightly so as not to crush her. Lying with her like this, in the aftermath of the storm, was almost as good as the sex. He rested his head on her chest. As her heart rate leveled, the steady beat lulled him to near sleep. Fia’s breathing evened and she didn’t stir or speak. He assumed she was asleep and had just given himself permission to doze as well, when her voice startled him back to alertness.
“Acer?”
“Yeah, baby?” He lifted his head and looked into her somber eyes.
Her voice was low and a little sad. “I think…I think it’s time for me to go home.”
An unfamiliar ache settled in the left side of his chest. He’d fallen so far down the rabbit hole with Fia, he wasn’t quite sure what he’d do once she left. But he had to let her go. He freed her, and it was time to let her fly. It was what they agreed on when she first arrived.
“I know it is, baby. I know.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Jester cleared his throat. “Fia, I had an idea I wanted to run by you.”
She looked up at him, the fork freezing halfway to her mouth. What on earth could he want to discuss with her? She’d be leaving tomorrow. There wasn’t any time for her to do him any kind of favor.
Emily choked on her water. “Jester!” She shot daggers at her man with her eyes.
He winked at her and plowed on. “You ever think about getting a tattoo to cover your scars?”
Well, the man didn’t beat around the bush.
A loud crack had her and Emily jumping in their chairs. Foam oozed over the top of the beer bottle Acer slammed on the table, his expression an icy mask of fury. He’d been difficult to read since she announced her plans to leave last night. He’d acted upset, broody and distant, but hadn’t voiced his feelings one way or the other.
“Oh, my gosh, Fia, I’m so sorry.” Emily’s cheeks grew red and she looked about two seconds away from crying. The tick in Acer’s clenched jaw and his fisted fingers under the table were more concerning than Emily’s embarrassment. A physical fight at the dinner table wasn’t exactly how Fia imagined her last night in Arizona.
She placed her hand on Acer’s under the table, amazed at how the starch left his spine the moment she touched him. “Emily, please don’t worry about it. I never asked you to keep it to yourself and I wouldn’t expect you to keep anything from Jester. It’s not a secret. I’m sure everyone knows exactly what happened to me.”
The thought was uncomfortable, but the hot boil of shame she’d once felt dissipated to a low simmer. Thanks to Acer and his amazing group of friends, or really, his family.
She turned to Jester, who smiled, completely unrepentant. “Actually, I think I appreciate you not tip-toeing around it. I have thought about it a little, but not too seriously. It’s impossible to spend any time around you guys and not think of getting a tattoo.”
He snorted and ran a hand across the stubble on his chin. “It can be tricky, and the options vary depending on the integrity of your skin, but typically something can be done. Even if the scar tissue itself is too thick or would cause the ink to spread, a lot of times you can ink around it, blending it into the design.”
Huh. It was definitely something to consider. She loved Acer’s ink. It was hot as hell. Would he think it was sexy on her?
Not that it mattered. She was going home in the morning.
The man monopolizing her thoughts turned his hand over until their palms touched, and linked his fingers with hers. Always strong and supportive. Sadness threatened to swamp her and she forced it away. Plenty of time for that over the next few days. No point in wasting the last few hours on sorrow.
“How do you know so much about this, Jester?”
“He’s an amazing tattoo artist.” Emily smiled, her complexion back to its normal creamy color, and her pale eyes shining with pride in her boyfriend.
“Really? I had no idea.”
Jester shrugged and took a sip of his beer. “I can hold my own.”
Emily rolled her eyes. “The only time he’s modest.”
Acer laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m sure it won’t last.”
“Okay, fine. I’m pretty fucking good at it.” Jester leaned his massive body back in his chair, a smirk on his face.
“Do you have any tattoos, Emily?” Fia asked.
Emily rolled her eyes at the same time Jester said, “Fuck, no she doesn’t.”
Beside her, Acer laughed. “I don’t get it. What’s so funny?”
Emily sighed. “I’d love to get one, but he—” she jerked a thumb in Jester’ direction, “—won’t let me.”
Fia chuckled. “Jester, you have to have hundreds of tattoos. Why don’t you want Emily to get one?”
Jester looked at Emily as he spoke. He picked up her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. “Because I love all this smooth, sexy skin and I don’t want her to mark it up in any way.”
Emily shook her head, but her eyes shone with love. She winked at Fia. “I guess when he puts it like that, it’s something I can live with.”
Acer snorted. “You know you could get him to change his mind if you just bat those pretty eyes at him.”
Emily grinned. Seems like she didn’t really care about getting the tattoo. Who could blame her when Jester was so open with how much he loved her body the way it was. The same thing Acer had said to her so many times.
“If I decide to get a tattoo, could you do it for me?”
Jester tapped his beer bottle on the table twice before sipping again. “I could lay your ink, but I’m probably not the best one to work on a scar. Just haven’t done enough to have mastered it. I know a guy though.” He glanced at Acer. “Dude who did Lila’s ink. He’s fuckin’ amazing. Done tons of work with scars. People come from all over to have him ink over burns and shit.”
He looked at Acer as he spoke, as though he’d be a part of the decision. As though he and Fia were a package deal and his opinion mattered.
Her stomach rolled, the chocolate mousse settling like rock. The sad part was, it did matter. Even though he’d be out of her life in less than twenty hours, his opinion held more weight than anyone’s.
She bit back a sigh. Lila and Marcie couldn’t make it to dinner tonight. She was having breakfast with them on her way out of town tomorrow. Tonight would be her last night with Acer. She probably should have just left today, but she needed time to say good-bye and thank the girls. She also needed one more night with Acer, desperately. One more deposit for her memory bank. It was all she’d have after tomorrow.
A sharp rap on the door had Acer frowning.
“You expecting anyone?” Jester tensed, muscles on alert and ready.
“No.” He looked at Fia and she shook her head. No one was expected to stop by this evening.
Acer rose and pulled a pistol from the top of the refrigerator. The man had multiple weapons stashed around the apartment. “Don’t move.”
Fia rolled her eyes. “Yes, sir.”
~ ~ ~ ~
“Fuck me.” Acer rested his forehead against the door. There was no way this could possibly end well. He peered at the panel on the wall next to him. Terrance Caldwell still stood in full view of the security camera. Not a figment of his imagination.
He opened the door, but filled the entrance with his body, blocking Terrance’s path into his home. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“I—I, um.” He cleared his throat and ran a hand through disheveled gray hair. His expensive suit was rumpled, the shirt untucked, a missed buttonhole throwing the shape off kilter. “I need to speak with you.”
Acer ground his teeth together, biting back the words of hatred that threatened to escape. There was no way to keep Fia out of it at this point. He moved aside, and allowed Caldwell to enter the apartment.
“Dad?”
Goddamnit. Yes, sir his ass.
“Sorry, bro, she’s fast.” Jester stood behind Fia in the mouth of the hallway.
“What are you doing here? You look awful. Is something wrong with mom?” Dark circles rimmed both eyes and his skin had a grayish pallor to it, as though he hadn’t slept in weeks and wasn’t taking proper care of himself.
Not an ounce of sympathy stirred in Acer. Instead, he was glad to see the other man looking like shit. It was the least he deserved.
Caldwell ignored her and spoke to Acer. “She in on this? She know how you’re trying to destroy me? Ruin everything I’ve worked my whole life for?”
Acer risked a glance at Fia. Surprise flickered across her face, but she masked it, keeping her expression neutral.
“She has nothing to do with this, Caldwell.”
He turned toward his daughter, a sneer on his face. “You’re not going to try to do a thing to stop this?” His voice rose and spittle flew from his mouth. “Your gang-banger boyfriend threatened to ruin my entire life, my business, my reputation, my—hell, your family—and you’re just going to stand by and watch?”
“I don’t have a c-clue what’s going on right now.” Fia’s voiced wavered. “We have our issues, but you’ve never spoken to me like you did just now. And Acer has been amazing. He’s helped me so much more than you know.” Her confused gaze shifted from her father to Acer, millions of questions in her eyes.
Jesus, she must want to rip his balls off and stuff them down his throat. Acer couldn’t begin to imagine the feelings of hatred and betrayal she must be experiencing as she realized he kept information from her, but she didn’t turn on him. She didn’t scream and demand and explanation, she backed him up without even knowing if Acer was even in the right.
She trusted him.
He admired her so much in that moment, so much it was almost like he—
Fuck.
He loved her.
Fucking loved her.
And a giant bomb of his own making had just blown any chance he had with her straight to hell. He never should have kept any information from her. Caldwell sputtered, drawing Acer’s attention off Fia and back to him.
“You. You’re no daughter of mine. You’re a heartless bit—”
“That’s enough.” Acer stepped closer to Caldwell, so he stood just two feet away from the man, keeping the attention on himself. “Speak to her like that again and you’ll be leaving on a gurney. You’re obviously here for something more than whining in my living room. Start talking. You’ve got three minutes.”
There was zero chance Fia would leave the room if he asked her, so why bother? Besides, she deserved to know the truth. He should have told her when he filled her in on his own father’s sins.
Caldwell’s bluster evaporated like a balloon with the air let out of it. “You can’t release those photos. If it’s money you want, you can have it. Just don’t release the photos.” His shoulders slumped and he looked every bit the seventy-year-old man he was. The suave businessman who’d been compared to Richard Gere so many times was gone, in his place remained a defeated man.
~ ~ ~ ~
Photos? What photos? What the hell was going on? Fia sunk her teeth into her bottom lip to keep the hundreds of questions inside her mouth. Something big was happening. Acer wouldn’t go after her father for no reason. Sure, he’d been pissed on her behalf at the way her family had reacted after her kidnapping, but she didn’t think this was related. This had to be about the trouble his club was having with his own father.
What the hell had her dad done? And why the hell was she just finding out about it now?
“You’re gonna have to do better than that, Terry. You know I’m not interested in your money.” Hatred dripped from Acer’s mocking tone. “As I told you two days ago, the border is fucking huge. Move your apes to another state and burn the copy-cat cuts.”
“I don’t—I don’t have that authority. This isn’t my show.” His voice actually trembled and he stared at the floor. This wasn’t her father. The beaten-down man before he was unrecognizable.
It hurt to see him like this. Sure, they had their problems, but she never hated her family. She should have paid more attention to the escalating troubles between them, first her job, then her disagreement over how to handle her abduction, then their dissatisfaction with her association with Acer. She’d been blind to what was occurring right under her nose. What a fool she’d been. She just couldn’t conjure up sympathy for her father. If he was involved in illegal activities with Acer’s father, then he made his bed.
“No
t my problem.” Acer said. “My problem is uninvited guys on my turf.”
Acer was cool as a cucumber while her father fidgeted and squirmed more with each passing second. Behind her, Jester growled under his breath. If the situation wasn’t so tense, so confusing and messed up, she might have laughed. To those who knew him, Jester was like a giant joking teddy bear, but when you needed an enforcer, his size and stature was the perfect way to put the fear of God in just about anyone.
Sure enough, her father paled. He remained silent for long moments, then his shoulders slumped and his arms hung limp at his sides. “I’ve got something on your father. Something you can use. It’s the one thing that will make him back off. He just can’t know it came from me.” He stared at the floor as he spoke in a low, almost whispered voice.
Acer tensed. It wouldn’t be obvious to just anyone, but for someone who knew every inch of his body, it was. “Two and a half minutes.”
“He’s bleeding money. Hemorrhaging really. If this new hotel isn’t an immediate success he’s through.” His words were rushed, a slight panic in his tone.
Fia held her breath, not wanting to miss a word of her father’s confession. She shifted her gaze to Acer. How would he take the news of his father’s financial troubles?
Acer rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Nothing I don’t already know, Terry. You’re down to two minutes, and so far, you haven’t told me anything that a first grader couldn’t find with Google.”
Her father swayed on his feet and Fia had a momentary urge to stabilize him. Not all of her memories of her father were bad. It was only when she became an adult and made independent decisions that his disapproval and scorn became apparent. Unfortunately, it only grew. He believed women belonged at their husband’s sides, a fancy ornament to be looked at and appreciated. Especially rich women who didn’t have to work for a living. How Fia could break the mold and start a business—a business loosely associated with sex, no less—he just couldn’t wrap his mind around. And since he didn’t understand it, he had to put a stop to it. Her mother was too passive to ever stand up to her overbearing husband, so Fia had no support.