American Street Kings: The Complete Series

by Bella J

  I continued to push her back, into a corner cast in shadows, hiding us from the rest of the bar.

  She didn’t touch me, but she kissed me back. Her tongue lapped against mine as if she was searching for my taste like I was hunting for hers. She tasted sweet, like oranges, with a subtle trace of mint and heat all swept together in one mind-blowing kiss. The thrill, the thirst, and the urge to never stop was overwhelming. It had my insides tangled up in a vise of desire and hunger, a need to explore and push the limit with this woman who simply walked into my life uninvited.

  Her gentle moans might as well have been a wrecking ball, slamming against my chest, breaking my self-control into nothing but shattered pieces of lust. It was driving me mad, and I had to tear my lips from hers in order to catch my breath. Leaning my head against hers, I didn’t open my eyes. “Who. Are you?”

  “I’m not sure anymore.” Her breathing was as labored as mine, hot and heady.

  “I’ve never seen you before, yet now I see you everywhere I go. Why is that?” My hips flexed, wanting to feel the welcome pressure of her body against mine. Her only response was a soft whimper that rolled over her tempting, plump lips.

  “Why did you come back?”

  “I don’t know. It just felt like I had to see you again.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m reckless.”

  I moved my hand to her neck, my thumb gently stroking the hollow at the base of her throat. “Reckless is what I do, baby girl.”

  Leaning down, I kissed her again, covering her lips with mine. This time, I executed an insane amount of restraint, kissing her slowly and softly. But she met my gentle kiss with a nip of her teeth, biting my bottom lip, sending an electric jolt down my spine, crashing against my goddamn balls.

  I reached up and yanked the back of her head as I gripped her hair in my fist. “You’re playing dirty.”

  “And you’re teasing me.”

  I licked my lip, tasting my own blood, my cock twitching and aching. “Not teasing. Taming…right before I break you.”

  She lifted her chin, those exquisite sapphire eyes shining with a dare. “I’d like to see you try.”

  “To tame you…or to break you?”

  “Both.”

  I smiled while biting my bottom lip. “You’ve got trouble written all over you, buttercup.”

  “Yet here you are, desperate to get your fill of trouble.” She leaned back and pushed her hips out harder against my cock straining against the zipper of my jeans.

  “Gluttony has always been my sin of choice.” I traced circles around her throat with my thumb.

  She lifted her chin higher, exposing her neck more. “And here I thought it was lust?”

  “Oh, I get the feeling lust will be a mutual sin for us.”

  Her confident expression wavered, like my words had become a hammer, shattering the air between us into pieces of forgotten desire. She peeled her gaze away from mine, and I hated it. I wanted those indigo irises on me, nowhere else. I wanted to stare into them and hunt for every secret she kept hidden, to peel away the layers and uncover the woman I had yet to get to know.

  I took a step back, sensing she needed some space to breathe. “Let me buy you a drink.”

  Her eyelashes fluttered, and she pushed herself away from the wall, tucking a few strands of raven hair behind her ear.

  “Come on.” I gestured toward the bar. “Jack Daniel’s on the rocks, right?”

  A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Yeah.”

  I held out my hand, and she hesitated for a second before she finally placed her hand in mine. With a warm smile, I tried to reassure her, tried to settle some of the thoughts that were currently wreaking havoc inside her head.

  Guiding her through the crowd, my grip on her hand tightened with every step. As I got to the bar, Manic stepped up to us, a wide, smug-ass grin on his face. He leered at her from over my shoulder. “Oh, I remember you. Wraith, is it?”

  “Yeah.” She smiled. “And you’re Manic, right?”

  “You remember.” His smile was as big as fucking Texas. “Can I—”

  “Back the fuck up.” I stepped in front of him, blocking his view of her and glaring craters into his forehead. “She’s off limits,” I warned.

  He raised his hands in surrender, but the smug grin remained on his face. “Sure thing, boss man.” He winked at Wraith and showed some teeth with a smirk. Fucking asshole. I had to smile when he walked off. The guy sure knew how to fuck with me.

  Wraith moved in next to me as we reached the counter. “Did he just call you boss man?”

  Slightly uncomfortable with the topic, I pulled my hair out of my face, thinking of ways how to divert the conversation in another direction. “It’s an inside joke.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Okay.” There was no way she was satisfied with my answer. “So,” she started after I placed her drink in front of her, “why the warning?”

  “What warning?”

  “Last night, you said I looked like a smart woman, and that I should walk out of this place.”

  I raised a brow. “Yet here you are again.”

  She shrugged. “Seems I’m not so smart after all.”

  “Or you simply don’t know how to follow orders.”

  “Depends on who’s giving them.”

  The way her eyes gleamed, her tongue wetting her lips as she brought the glass to her mouth, it was all screaming sheer seduction. And I was falling for it hook, line, and fucking sinker.

  “Tell me something about you.”

  “Like what?” She placed the glass down.

  “Like what’s your real name?”

  She stilled. “Let’s just keep it at Wraith, okay?” She turned my way. “Besides, it’s not like Onyx is your real name either.”

  There was something in her eyes. It wasn’t a warning, or a threat. It was a plea, a desperation for me not to push the subject. It gave me the feeling she really didn’t want me—or anyone, for that matter—to know her name. And that made me want to know it so much more.

  Leaning on one arm, I studied her, my head already running in circles to think of a way I could crack through the hard bitch exterior…because I really fucking wanted to. “There’s something about you that makes me want to figure you out.”

  “Don’t waste your time.” She smiled, yet it didn’t reach her eyes. “Many have tried but failed.”

  “I won’t.” I slid closer, my lips already craving to kiss her again. “See, that’s the thing about me. I love the hunt more than I love the game. By not sharing your secrets with me, you’re only making me more determined to hunt for them.”

  She inched forward. “I dare you to try.”

  There it was. The magic fucking word. Dare. If a woman used that word around me, it was like flicking a switch inside my brain. That one simple word made my adrenaline spike, the thrill of the challenge prickling my skin.

  “I’ll make you deal.” I kept her gaze. “A race. If I win, you tell me your real name.”

  She licked her lips, and I already knew she was hungry for the challenge. “And if I win?”

  “I’ll let you kiss me again.”

  A soft laugh rolled over her lips. “You’re a confident man, aren’t you?”

  “I have reason to be.”

  “Oh, and you’re full of yourself too.”

  I leaned in, my cheek barely touching hers as I pushed my lips against her ear. “I bet you want to be full of me too.”

  “Oh, my God.” She pressed a finger against my chest and gently pushed me away as she straightened. “You have the worst pickup lines ever, you know that? Come on, let’s get this race over with so I can crush that mountain-sized ego of yours.”

  My dick could not have been any harder than it was right fucking then. Watching her walk out in front of me, sashaying those curvy hips, made the challenge so much more goddamn attractive. Deep down, I knew I couldn’t afford this kind of distraction right now, but what guy in hi
s right fucking mind would pass this up? I’d be an idiot to—which was why I rushed after her.

  The door slammed shut behind me as I stepped outside. It was a few minutes after midnight, the streets no longer crowded. There was a slight chill in the summer air tonight, and it felt good against my heated skin.

  Wraith was already on her bike, fastening her lid under her chin. “Come on, playboy, we don’t have all night.”

  “You really think you can beat me in my own back yard?” I grabbed my lid and hopped onto my ride.

  “I know I can.”

  “Confidence is really attractive on a woman. I might just let you win.”

  “Don’t you dare,” she warned, starting the ignition. “If I win, it’ll be fair and square.”

  “So, you don’t want me to go easy on you?”

  She pulled up next to me. “Nope.” Her eyes met mine. “Give me all you got.”

  Challenge motherfucking accepted.

  I looked down the road. “There are two sets of traffic lights. I’ve raced down this street enough times to know those lights are perfectly in sync with each other. One turns green, so does the other. At this time of night, they stay green for exactly thirty seconds. That gives us twenty-nine seconds to get from the first traffic light to the second before it changes.”

  She revved her engine. “First one to race across the green light wins.”

  “No. That would be too easy.” I shot her a coy grin. “At the second green light, turn left. The back street will curve and lead us straight back here, coming from the other direction.”

  She scrunched up her nose, excitement beaming in her eyes. “Ready when you are.”

  “Let’s do this.”

  We rode up to the first traffic light, and I revved my engine, shooting her a cocky grin.

  Wraith remained cool, with a slightly challenging smirk on her pretty face. It drew my attention to the tiny dimple just above the corner of her mouth.

  “On green.” I turned to the front. Even though I’d love to kiss her again, I wanted to know her name. I wanted to know something about this woman who kept crossing my path—which was why I was determined as fuck to win this race.

  The light turned green, and the roar of our engines cracked like thunder through the night. There were no words to describe the burn as adrenaline coursed through my veins, hearing the sound of her motorbike harmonizing with the sound of mine. The rush of air prickled my skin as we sped down the street, faster, and faster, and faster. I cranked the accelerator, keeping my eye on the green light of the second set of traffic lights. But by God, she kept close on my tail. I was so sure I’d win by a fucking mile, but she was fast proving me wrong.

  I glanced to the side, the street passing in one big blur. All I saw was her at my side, her raven hair blowing behind her as she steered her Harley, handling that amount of power like a goddamn pro.

  We made it in time to the second set of lights, turning left. But Wraith managed to get ahead of me as we swerved. Our engines sliced through the midnight air, excitement crashing against every bone. The back street was dimly lit, no cars or people in sight. With the curve of the road, I managed to catch up, putting us head-to-head on the final stretch back to the club.

  The more I thought about it, the more I convinced myself that I’d rather kiss her again than know her name. What was in a name, anyway? Definitely not a mind-blowing kiss with lips that tasted like fucking heaven.

  I snuck another glance in her direction. The thrill of the race was clearly painted across her face. The way she leaned forward, it was like she willed her bike to go faster, to fucking win.

  Kiss. Name.

  Name. Kiss.

  I couldn’t decide. I knew I could have gone faster and won this race. But I could not decide what intrigued me more. Knowing one of her secrets, or the idea of tasting her again.

  We were getting close to the bar, the sight of parked hogs coming into view. I had to make up my fucking mind, decide what I wanted from her here and now. The memory of our kiss, her scent, the way her tongue eagerly danced with mine was on repeat in my head. But like I told her before, I lived for the hunt. I wanted to figure her out, and a name was the first step in doing just that.

  Name.

  Newly lit determination had me speeding up, going full throttle, the prospects of knowing who she was urging me to get my ass to the finish line before her. But she held firm, refusing to lose. If I ever had any doubt about my attraction to this woman, all doubts had now been left behind at the first goddamn traffic light.

  Unfortunately for her, her determination to kick my ass at racing was slightly less than my resolve to piece the puzzle that was her together.

  We burned rubber those last few seconds, but I came in first. Just.

  She parked her Harley next to mine and took off her lid, her cheeks flushed from the rush. “For a second, I thought you were gonna let me win.”

  I shrugged. “I thought about it. The prospect of letting you kiss me again was real damn tempting.”

  She got off her bike, holding up a hand. “First, you kissed me. Second, you insult me by admitting it crossed your mind to let me win.”

  “I find it hard to believe a woman like you could be insulted so easily.”

  “Again with the a woman like me. Believe me when I say you don’t know me…at all.”

  I got off my bike and straightened next to her. “Time to hold up to your end of the deal. What’s your name?”

  “Wraith.”

  I took a step toward her. “Your real name. And don’t lie to me. I’m a very good judge of character.”

  “Oh, I highly doubt that.”

  Another step forward, and I put myself within breathing distance from her. She had to crane her neck to look up at me, her small frame lost in my shadow caused by the streetlight behind me. “Your name.” It was a simple request, yet an unyielding demand.

  She sucked her plump bottom lip into her mouth, the color in her eyes intensifying. For a second, I regretted my decision to not let her win because I really wanted to kiss her again, to be the one biting that fucking tempting bottom lip.

  “Dahlia.” Her voice was soft, her stone demeanor faltering for a second. “Dahlia Knight.”

  I smiled. “Dahlia. It’s pretty.” I reached out, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Dahlia,” I whispered, wanting to feel her name brush against my lips one more time.

  The way she stared up at me, her eyes painted the opposite picture of the tough-as-nails image she tried to portray. It was someone completely different staring back at.

  Her throat bobbed subtly as she swallowed, her lips glistening with sweet temptation. I was a strong man; I never doubted that. But right here, right now, I was weak with the urge to kiss her again.

  I dropped my hand to her waist and pulled her closer, crashing my lips against hers. The taste of her exploded in my mouth, uncontrollable desire blasting right through my entire body. My chest, my stomach, my motherfucking groin—it all ached with a need to consume this woman, to take everything she had, even if she didn’t want me to.

  With my hands on her waist, I turned, pushing her against my hog. The moan that rolled from her lips to mine ricocheted down my spine, only adding fuel to the fire burning in my core.

  I tore my mouth from hers, my tongue lapping down the side of her neck. My taste buds were drunk, intoxicated from her flavor. “Now that I know your name, I want to know more.” Her hands were on my bike, her palms spread as she steadied herself while I pushed my body against hers as hard as goddamn possible. “I need more of your secrets, Dahlia.”

  The sound that came out of her mouth right at that second was as powerful as a motherfucking hurricane, sweeping through me with such force, it fucking wrecked every shred of control I had.

  She lifted her arms, placing them around my neck, weaving her fingers tightly through my hair, kissing me harder.

  Goddammit. It felt like there was this ticking timebomb between
us about to go off at any second, and we had to consume each other as much as fucking possible before it exploded.

  My hands moved up her waist, and I didn’t think twice before reaching for her breast, palming it, kneading it, and not being fucking gentle about it. I was too lost. Too possessed with hunger and lust, wanting to bury myself inside her among all the secrets she kept hidden.

  “Onyx,” she whispered as I sucked the skin in her neck, my palm still working her perfectly sized tit. “We can’t—”

  “Don’t stop me.” I moved my lips up to her ear, my tongue sliding across her skin. “For the love of Christ, do not tell me to stop.”

  Her hips bucked, moved, like she was searching for something—something I was real desperate to give her. A groan echoed from the back of my throat, and when I felt her push her chest out, liking the way I touched and played with her tits, I lost it.

  Grabbing her waist and twisting her around, pushing my chest flush against her back, I wrapped my arm around her, reaching up to her throat.

  I dropped my other hand down her waist, and cupped her pussy through her jeans. With my lips against her ear and her sweet scent wrapped around me, I murmured, “If I had to slip my hand into your pants, what would I find?”

  I felt her throat move as she swallowed. “What do you think?”

  All it took was a flick of my wrist to pop the button of her jeans. She sucked in a breath, and I smiled with goddamn victory. “I bet your panties are soaked.”

  “Who says I’m wearing any panties?”

  “Jesus, woman.” I closed my eyes and groaned before slipping my hand down her pants.

  The second I felt her warmth, how fucking wet and swollen she was, I thrust my hips, pushing my dick against her ass, trying to alleviate some of the ache. God, it felt like my cock was about to burst—pun fucking intended.

  She reached up, wrapping her arm around my shoulder, and spread her legs slightly, as much as she could while standing. Her body had taken over, and it wanted me inside her. It wanted me to give her exactly what she needed.