by Marian Tee
Helios stiffened when MJ finally looked up. He had prepared himself for anger, hurt, and confusion. But instead MJ’s eyes were…twinkling, her lips curved in a good-natured smile as she said simply, “I guess I have a lot of growing up to do. You girls are so lucky.”
And that was that.
She handled it with such perfect grace that the other volunteers were unable to continue laughing at her. MJ had her back to him now, knees on the ground as she started cleaning the wheels of Yuri’s bike.
Helios wanted to go to her. He wanted to say he was fucking sorry for making fun of her. But he couldn’t. And when he saw Yuri kneel down beside her, he knew his pride would not let him say sorry to her anytime in the future. Not now, not ever. There was no need when she had Yuri by her side.
Kellion rolled his seat towards Helios. “Now you know what kind of girl she is, Helios. The kind who loves her guy enough to not walk out like any sensible girl would when an asshole like you shames her in public.”
****
“How do you know I like him?” MJ mumbled the question when Yuri followed her out of the garage. She had made her escape as soon as she could. Although she had tried her best to pretend that Helios’ taunting remark didn’t get to her, MJ knew she was in danger of breaking down.
“I know a lot of things,” was Yuri’s mysterious reply.
She glanced at him, trying to figure out his angle. Even though he had a mild unassuming manner to him, only a fool would have thought Yuri Athanas was a weak man. He was as powerful and as aggressive as anyone in the club. The only difference was that he preferred to be more subtle about it.
“May I be honest with you?”
She nodded.
“I had your background checked. It’s standard procedure for all members and volunteers of Afxisi.” When MJ paled, Yuri said flatly, “And yes, that means I know everything. I’ve seen your records as a juvenile delinquent, and I know about your father being in prison. But…there are a few things that I have not quite figured out yet.”
MJ didn’t speak.
“One. Why are you afraid of bikes?”
“Why does your father despise you so much?”
“And lastly, what made you like Helios so much? Did the two of you meet in the past and perhaps he’s forgotten it?”
MJ could only answer the last question. “No.”
“And that’s all you are going to say?”
Slowly, she nodded.
“Then we’ll leave it at that…for now. I know you mean him no harm. But I also think you’re keeping too many secrets from us, and that can lead to trouble. I think you will be good for Helios, but my loyalty is to Afxisi first.”
Yuri’s last words dwelled in MJ’s mind as she crouched down and worked on the bike’s rear wheels. Yuri had been nice enough to excuse her from working with the rest, telling her she could come back to finish the last of her tasks when everyone was gone.
Was she a threat to the club, MJ wondered as she squeezed a drop of cleaning gel into her rag before moving on to the other wheel of Yuri’s bike. What kind of trouble could someone like her cause? She was no one. And though James did hate her, it was unlikely he’d come after her. He would probably be glad to know he was rid of her.
A movement caught her eye and MJ froze, her hands tightening around her rag.
A shadow fell over her, followed by footsteps.
MJ whirled around, her hand raised in defense.
It was Helios.
MJ’s breath swooshed out of her, and she pressed her hand hard to her chest, trying to calm her heartbeat. “You startled me. I thought you were an intruder.”
The shocked look on MJ’s face had Helios gritting his teeth simply because he found it attractive. Practically everything MJ did had become attractive to him, Helios thought violently, and he didn’t fucking like it. He was like her stalker now. He – Helios Andreadis, the biker every girl wanted to have riding her in bed, panting after a little girl who had secret crushes like she was still in middle school!
Helios gazed disdainfully at what she was holding. “What would you have done if I were an intruder? Beaten me with a rag?”
She looked down at what she was holding. Oh. Drat it. She was holding a rag. MJ grimaced. Why did history have a knack for repeating the worst possible moments? Why couldn’t it be the best, like last night?
The thought, coming out of nowhere, immediately had her blushing.
Helios caught sight of MJ’s pink cheeks. “What is it?”
“Yuri…”
“Don’t say his name.”
Helios’ icy voice took her by surprise. “Wh-what is it?”
In a few swift strides, he was standing right next to her, and MJ’s breath caught when Helios gripped her arms hard. “You’re hurting me,” she gasped.
“What do you think you’re doing to me?” Helios snarled. “You’ve turned my life upside down. You think you’re going to get away with it?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re saying!”
His hold tightened. “Why are you here?”
“Yuri—” And then she couldn’t speak, Helios’ lips crushing hers in a punishingly hard kiss. Dimly, she knew it was not meant to give her pleasure, but it didn’t matter. This was Helios. The man who had given her hope all these years. His kiss, however it was given, would always bring her pleasure.
She did not even think of saying no, did not even think of trying to struggle or reject his touch. Instead, she opened her mouth to receive his kiss, her body shuddering when his kiss immediately became bolder, his tongue plundering her mouth as if he did not want to leave any part of her unclaimed.
When he lifted his head, his golden eyes blazed down at her. “Is he your secret crush?” Before she could answer, Helios shook her twice as he demanded again, “Is he?”
She wetted her lips. “Yuri…”
“I told you not to say his name,” Helios growled just before kissing her again. His fingers sank into her hair, gripping it, pulling her head back so he could kiss her more deeply.
It might only be fury fueling his passion, but she didn’t care. His kisses set her on fire, and she just wanted more. She wanted everything he wanted to give her, and so her arms went around his neck, tightening, her mouth soft and plaint under his, her tongue moving gently and sweetly against the fiercer strokes of his tongue.
“What are you doing to me?” Helios gritted out, the sweetness of her kiss undoing him. Guilt stabbed him at the way she gave herself to him so beautifully even after he had shamed her in public. Here he was, practically attacking her, and yet she was so wonderfully responsive in his arms.
“Look at me,” he commanded when he released her mouth. Breathing hard, he waited for her beautiful violet eyes to focus on him. “It doesn’t fucking matter if Yuri is your secret crush. You got that?”
She had a hard time understanding him. In the circle of his arms, surrounded by his heat and passion, all she could think of was how long it would take before he kissed her again. Before he touched her again and made her come.
“Answer me!” Unable to stop himself, he bent his head and sucked on her lower lip hungrily.
She gasped, her body shaking at the unexpected sensation that tore through her.
“Yuri will never be yours, so forget about him. He’s betrothed.”
The news stunned her, but she only looked at Helios, not really knowing what to say. Yuri’s betrothal meant nothing to her. It was Helios who mattered, but she had a feeling he wouldn’t welcome such a declaration.
Someone knocked on the garage’s back door. “Anyone there?” It was Yuri’s voice.
Her eyes widened. When Helios only looked at her, she opened her mouth to answer but the next thing she knew, Helios had pushed her to the floor, his hand covering her mouth. His body would have crushed hers completely if he did not have the reflexes to brace for his fall, his weight resting on one bent arm.
Helios took his hand off her mouth but
swiftly replaced it with his lips.
Her eyes flew wide open. Yuri was about to come in any moment. Didn’t he know that? She started to struggle in earnest then, but it only made Helios kiss her harder. His hands made short work of her clothes, pulling her tank top up, her bra down, and then he was cupping both her breasts with his large hands.
She moaned against his mouth, her body bucking against his.
The doorknob rattled. “Anyone in there? I forgot something inside, and I don’t have my key with me.”
Yuri’s words had her regaining her senses. She tried to push Helios off, but he retaliated by moving his head down and taking one nipple into his mouth. MJ bit her lip to keep herself from screaming. His mouth moved expertly on her breast, knowing exactly how to play and kiss with her nipple until she was writhing against him.
Was Yuri still outside?
She knew she should care, knew she should stop Helios, but oh God, it was impossible when he was kissing her so.
When Helios moved to her other nipple, worshipping it in the same addictive way, her surrender was complete.
Helios almost growled with triumph when he felt MJ’s hands relaxing and then moving towards his head. When she gripped his hair and actually arched her body towards him, he knew that he had her bent completely to his will. In this moment, her secret crush no longer existed. Yuri no longer existed. He was the only one that existed for MJ, and that was how he fucking wanted it.
He rewarded her surrender by biting her nipple, just hard enough for the pain to cause pleasure, and she jerked against him with every bite. His extremely rigid cock knocked against his jeans, and Helios knew he had to have more of MJ before his cock drove him crazy.
Reluctantly releasing her nipple, he bestowed one gentle kiss on each pink tip before kissing his way down. “Sssh,” he murmured when he felt her stiffening as he worked on the buttons of her jeans. Squeezing her thigh in reassurance, Helios unbuttoned her jeans and pulled it off.
When her legs were completely bare, he ran his hands over her silken thighs reverently, loving the feel of them. She was the sexiest little thing he had ever seen, and his cock ached more painfully at the sight.
MJ inhaled sharply when she felt Helios nuzzling her cotton-covered flesh. She couldn’t believe this was really happening, but she wished at the same time it wouldn’t stop.
She felt herself holding her breath again as he slowly pulled her panties out of the way. When he brought his face close to her sensitive flesh and took a deep breath, inhaling her scent, MJ hastily covered her mouth so she could scream against her hand.
And then she screamed and screamed because without any warning, he was suddenly licking her. There. Long, lush strokes. Swift, rough strokes. So many combinations that there was no way to predict how he would torture her next.
She clutched his head as her legs parted wide open, shameless in her need for him. She wanted more of his tongue on her pussy. Oh, God, how she wanted more.
Her uninhibited response tempted Helios so badly. He was so close to forgetting everything and wanted to just sink his cock into her. But he managed to restrain himself, knowing this was not the right place. If he was going to claim her, it would not be on the fucking floor of his garage. He wouldn’t take her like she was just anyone. Because she wasn’t.
She was everything he could not have – would not have.
But for now, she was his.
Her tiny sensual gasps told Helios she was near. Pushing his hands under her sweet curvy bottom, his fingers dug into the cheeks of her butt to bring her flesh up. He tongued her harder now. Faster. Rougher. He wanted her wild. So fucking wild that she would forget about everything.
Her hands dropped to the side.
She screamed, the kind of scream that only someone out of her mind with desire could scream, the kind that someone who no longer fucking cared about her secret crush could scream.
She was his.
She was his now, and Helios moved up so he could give MJ her reward. His lips closed over her clitoris. And then he started to suck.
The orgasm came out of nowhere, exploding with such strength she could have sworn she had really seen stars. She gasped, screamed, and moaned, torrents of pleasure gushing into her body over and over as Helios didn’t stop sucking on her clitoris.
Her eyes drifted closed as the tiny tremors in her body slowed. She vaguely felt Helios moving, and she couldn’t help but shiver when he touched her sensitive flesh, even if it was only to clean her up. Her eyes opened when he started to dress her. He gazed back at her, his eyes intense but unreadable, never leaving her face even as he got her back in her underwear and jeans.
When it was over, Helios helped her to her feet.
And then he said harshly, “Never get close to Yuri.”
Yuri again. Did he think she was not good enough for Yuri? The same way he didn’t seem to think she was good enough for him except for a quick…encounter? She said without thinking, “Try to stop me.”
Chapter Nine
“Try to stop me.” She moaned the words out just before knocking her head against the table. Thrice. “What the heck was I thinking, saying that?”
Yuri had no answer. He was too busy laughing.
She glared. He was Yuri Athanas. He was supposed to be everyone’s knight in shining armor. He was supposed to help her, not laugh at her.
When he finally recovered, Yuri saw that MJ was giving him a nasty look. With her shoulder-length hair tied back in pigtails – her payment for losing a bet to his younger sister – she looked more like an angry preschooler than someone who had been able to enslave one of the world’s most popular and hottest bike racers.
“I’m sorry.” His lips twitched as he spoke the words and he had to stop, feeling like he was about to be overcome with laughter once more.
MJ knocked her head against the table for the fourth time. “What am I going to do, Yuri? He hates me even more now, and it’s all your fault.”
The childish accusation only made Yuri smile. It had been a long time since he and the others were exposed to such innocence. Even Hallie was not this open or honest, and it was probably why his sister was just as fond of MJ as the rest of them.
“It’s not my fault and you know it.”
“He thinks you’re my secret crush.” MJ was able to say it out loud since she and Yuri were alone in the garage. The rest of the club was out racing.
“You should have told him the truth.”
“No way! Can you just imagine how he’d react?” She mimicked Helios’ perfectly clipped tone as she said in a gruff voice, “Who the fuck do you think you are? I. Am. Helios. Andreadis. The President. El Presidente. Shachou. Zong Tong. Il Presi—”
Yuri shook his head and said severely, “You are making fun of him now. Are you truly sure he is your secret crush?”
She couldn’t help but laugh. Whenever Yuri allowed his guard to be completely down, his English would go from casual to formal, his accent thickening. It was quite cute, really.
Yuri frowned. “And now you are laughing at me.” He gave her a gentle nudge on the shoulder. “Enough wasting time. Go practice.”
“Tyrant,” she mumbled even though she was already heading back to Yuri’s bike. She had woken up early this morning with a brilliant idea: she would conquer her fear of bikes and this would be her big love confession to Helios.
But now that she was here, having to actually ride a bike, it didn’t seem that brilliant of an idea.
“Whatever you are thinking right now, stop it,” he commanded firmly. “You are the master of this beast, not the other way around.” He forced her hands to grip the handlebars. “Keep your hands there until you are used to all the sounds and vibrations this beast is making.”
Looking at MJ tremble as she tried to stay calm on an unmoving bike, Yuri acknowledged the fact that she was not, at first glance, what would seem like the perfect companion for Helios. He knew that by letting her into their club, he had taken a huge r
isk. If she ended up hurting Helios for whatever reason, Yuri would never forgive himself.
But what if it was the other way around? The chance of MJ healing the wounds in Helios’ heart was a risk worth taking, surely?
“I want to puke,” MJ whispered.
“Control it.” He knew he was being too tough on her, but he had a feeling it was the only way to help her get past her fears. She looked terrified now. Vulnerable. At that moment, it struck him that he was also taking a risk with her. What if Helios ended up hurting MJ? Was he doing the right thing, pairing someone so innocent with someone made dark and bitter by the past?
Did MJ even know who Helios Andreadis really was? Yuri wondered. Did she truly understand what kind of man Helios was, even when he was still a boy, to have found the courage to move halfway across the world and build a billion-dollar empire all on his own?
Looking at MJ, Yuri knew that it didn’t really matter. MJ understood Helios in a way that none of them did, and she had a connection with the president that none of them could ever have. The only thing they had to work on was making Helios accept that MJ would not weaken him. Rather, she would be his greatest strength.
Easier said than done, Yuri thought a moment later when a customized silver Icon Sheene came roaring in, with a cold-looking Helios at the helm. A moment later, a bright pink Hubless Harley Davidson shot inside the garage, its driver expertly showing off as she made a 360-degree twist in the air before parking next to Helios’ bike.
Yuri slowly released his hold on MJ’s hands.
This…was not going to be good.
Three days later, and MJ was of the same mind.
“Horrible flirt,” she seethed out loud as she banged Helios’ pillows against each other, pretending it was Helios and Astrid Vergara’s heads she was knocking together. She hated them. She really hated them!
Unable to help it, MJ peered outside Helios’ bedroom window. All the officers were there, including Helios, and they were still practicing their routine with everyone’s favorite biker chick, Astrid.