by Hilliard, RB
Holding her fist up, she began ticking off all the things that were wrong with this situation. “You kidnapped me under the pretense that you were protecting me,” she said, extending her index finger. “Then you took my phone away so I couldn’t call for help and told me it was for my own good.” Her middle finger joined her extended index finger. “After that, you kicked a naked woman out of your bed and then forced me to sleep in that same bed.” Up went the third finger. “You then encouraged me to avoid telling the police what happened that night, but other than saying ‘Steele and his brother were having a family squabble,’ you wouldn’t tell me why.” Her pinky went up to join the others. Eyebrow raised, she asked, “Need I continue?”
“Please do,” Buck drawled.
Slamming her hands on her hips, she leaned in, and through gritted teeth, said, “Bad guys are after me. Don’t you get it? You, your brothers, their families, are all going to get hurt because of me. You know it, and I know it.”
Smiling, Buck lifted his hand into the air and slowly formed a fist. Popping up his index finger, he countered, “First of all, I didn’t kidnap you. I brought you to a safe place. A place where those goons, whoever they are, can’t touch you.” Middle finger up, he said, “I took your phone because there was a strong chance they could be tracing your calls.” Third finger shot into the air and Reyn rolled her eyes. “I forgot I told Tara to meet me in my room after work. Did I expect to find her naked in my bed? No, I did not. I didn’t sleep with her, so that makes it irrelevant at this point.” Reyn sputtered as his pinky finger shot into the air. “Carver will do anything to take down this club. He blames us for his father’s death and has made it his life’s mission to see that we all bleed for it. Steele and I didn’t want to scare you, therefore, telling you this on the night you discovered your dead fiancé’s body on your living room floor would have been a bad idea.”
Unable to stand it any longer, she corrected him. “He wasn’t my fiancé.” God that felt good to say.
Buck slowly arched a brow. “Really? Because that’s all you’ve talked about for the past three days.”
“That’s not true.” At his look of disbelief, she explained, “I was planning on breaking it off with him that night, but then Camille found out that he was going to propose, and I just couldn’t. I didn’t want to go home because I knew he was waiting there for me. I didn’t know what to do, so I stalled. By the time I made it inside, he was dead, and you know the rest.”
“Jesus, woman, so you said he was your fiancé out of guilt?”
“Almost fiancé,” she corrected, then changing the subject, said, “I left here because I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt.”
“The club can protect you. I can protect you. Why is that so hard for you to understand?” His growl made her flinch, which in turn hurt her ankle. She shuffled sideways and almost toppled over.
“Sit,” he ordered. Scowling at his bossy tone, she opted for the foot of the bed. Once she was settled, he said, “We called lockdown because there’s a threat against the club, not because of you.”
“I’m the threat, Buck, plus that’s not what Tara said.” Shit, she shouldn’t have said that.
Frowning thoughtfully, he murmured, “Fuck. I should have known. She’s the one who told you.” Reyn gave him a blank look. Of course, he took it as a challenge. “You can talk, or I can always go and get her.” Damn her big mouth. He would, too.
She crossed her arms over her chest and let out a frustrated huff. “Fine, but it wasn’t her fault. She brought me breakfast, and I manipulated her into telling me how to get out of here.”
“Tara doesn’t get manipulated, sweetheart. She does the manipulating.” He wasn’t wrong about that, but he wasn’t right, either. They’d used each other. “Look at me.” Grudgingly, she gave him her eyes. “You’re taking all of this on and you shouldn’t be.”
“If you’d tell me what’s happening, maybe I wouldn’t feel the need!” she exclaimed in exasperation. The stubborn man just sat there in silence. Ugh! “How do you expect me to trust you when you won’t tell me anything?”
“Okay,” he said on a sigh. “What do you want to know? I’ll tell you if I can.” Finally, they were getting somewhere.
“How did you know I was in danger that night?” She’d been wondering this for days now.
“I’ve been keeping track of you since you moved back.”
She blinked. “What do you mean you’ve been keeping track of me?”
A pensive look appeared on his face. Just when she figured he wasn’t going to answer, he said, “I put a camera outside your house.”
Her breath whooshed from her lungs. “What the hell, Buck? Why would you do that?” He didn’t respond. Seared by his icy-blue gaze, she whispered, “Why?”
“I don’t expect you to understand. Honestly, I don’t care if you do or if you don’t. Protecting you was something I had to do. It was . . . something I felt I owed you.” This had something to do with what Ax had said the other night, she just knew it.
Treading carefully, she asked, “What do you need to protect me from?” The vulnerable look on his face made her heart squeeze. “What do you need to protect me from, Buck?” she repeated.
“Fuck,” he growled. Dropping his head back onto the pillow, he quietly answered, “Me, this fucked up world, I don’t know.” Reyn’s stomach lurched. He was lying. He did know and so did she. All of a sudden, it made sense—this need to protect her, as if it was his life’s purpose. He felt responsible for what happened to her, but why?
“What aren’t you telling me?” Then it hit her, and she gasped. “They hurt you, didn’t they?” When he failed to respond, she whispered, “What did they do to you?” Ax’s words trampled through her head. If he could have gotten away, he would have warned you. “Look at me!”
Buck slowly lifted his head. His eyes came to hers and she tried not to flinch at his tortured expression.
Pushing onto her knees, she crawled up the bed. In a very unladylike motion, she threw a leg over both of his and straddled his lap. Cupping his face in her hands, she dropped her forehead to his. “Please tell me they didn’t hurt you because of me.”
“I’m okay,” he whispered. The thought that they’d hurt him cut deep.
Tears rolled down her face and onto his chest. “You let me go and they hurt you for it, didn’t they?”
She felt his warm hands at her wrists. “Look at me, baby.” She didn’t want to look at him. “Look at me,” he said more forcefully. It took her a minute, but finally she gave him what he wanted. Wiping her tears, he said, “After you left with Piper, I went home and popped open a beer. I could’ve run. In hindsight, I probably should’ve. My mistake was in thinking he’d come alone. Zeke was a bully and a pussy. I should’ve known he would bring backup. I thought I had him. I was seconds away from fucking up his world when he called in his boys.”
Reyn closed her eyes, wishing she’d been the one to kill Zeke. “What did they do?” It hurt to ask, but she had to know.
Stroking his hand across her hair, he murmured, “Shhh. It’s over. We lived. Do you hear me? They’re dead, but you and me? We survived.”
“Ax said you couldn’t get away. Why couldn’t you get away?”
“Fucking Ax,” he muttered.
“Tell me!”
“They put a hood over my head and took me to one of Dooley’s warehouses where they tied me up and beat the shit out of me. That’s all.”
Jerking out of his grasp, she shouted, “That’s all? That’s not all! Don’t you lie to me, Clay Buckson! What did they do to you?”
In a lightening quick move, Buck yanked her forward and sealed his lips to hers.
She started to fight him, but then thought, why? She wanted this. God help her, she wanted it all. The past, the present, and the future, just as long as it was with him. Was she scared shitless? Hell yes, but for once her fear wasn’t in control. She was. Reyn broke the kiss long enough to get her shirt off. Her
fingers fumbled with the clasp of her bra and she cursed. Buck, of course, found this funny. When the clasp finally released, she whipped off the bra and tossed it onto the floor.
“Jesus,” he grated, his eyes scanning over her body. The look of reverence on his face melted the last bit of reserve she’d been holding onto. Reyn moved to touch him, but before she could get her hands on him he grabbed her wrists. Her gaze snapped to his face and paused at the haunted look in his eyes. “Don’t. Not if you don’t mean it.” His gravelly, sexy rasp licked through her.
A million emotions crackled between them. She was captured. Held captive by his hands. By the look of adoration in his eyes. By the way he made her feel. Oh, she meant it. In fact, she’d never meant anything more. Hinging forward, she fused her lips to his. Her nipples pebbled as a loud groan ripped from his throat. Releasing her hands, Buck pulled her in tight. He ate at her mouth while her hands explored his body, his hard muscles dancing beneath her fingertips. She ached for him, ached for more.
On a strangled growl, he tore his lips from hers and began licking his way down her neck to her chest. Yes! she thought as he slowly sucked a nipple into his mouth. Hands in his hair, Reyn arched her back in an attempt to pull him closer. More. She needed more. Flushing from the heat of his touch, she began to move her hips in circles, to grind against his erection, Buck’s quiet “Fuuuuck,” only making it worse.
When he finally switched nipples, her head dropped back to her shoulders in a thankful sigh. A sigh that quickly turned into a gasp as she felt his large, callused fingers slip inside her panties. She was beyond wet. Buck didn’t mess around. No, he went exactly where she needed him to go, pushing her higher and higher, until she was panting for release. Never had she wanted to come more than she did in that moment. Shifting his mouth back to hers, he ground the heel of his hand against her oversensitive clit. Blinding pleasure blasted through her as she tore her lips from his and shouted his name.
Buck gave her all of three seconds to recover before she found herself flipped onto her back and him tearing at her panties. The animalistic look on his face sent tingles down her spine. It also made her pause. This wasn’t just a fling. There would be no take backs. No second-guesses. The last man she’d hooked her star to had taken her to hell instead of heaven. Did she dare risk it again?
As if sensing her hesitation, Buck paused. Hovering over her, his eyes filled with such immense desire, he asked, “Do you know how long I’ve waited for this?”
She thought of what he’d suffered because of her. How he’d watched over her and how safe he made her feel. She knew she was making the right choice. Smiling up at him, she reached for the waistband of his briefs, and whispered two words, “Off now.”
Chapter Seventeen
ALL BUCK HAD to hear were those two words to know Reynolds Walker was finally fucking his. Shoving off his briefs, he gave her a quick kiss. Then hinging sideways, he wrenched open the nightstand drawer and snagged a condom. Using his teeth, he ripped open the wrapper, and as fast as his fingers could move, he rolled it onto his aching cock. Talk about desperate. He was halfway to coming and he wasn’t even inside her yet. It didn’t help that her baby blues were fixed hungrily on him and watching every move he made.
Once the condom was securely on, he entered her. Jesus, she was perfect. Her tight walls cinched around him as slowly, inch by inch, he pushed inside. Buck felt as if he was being sucked into heaven—tight, warm, heaven. Either the geezer had a one-inch cock, or he would bet his left nut they hadn’t been having sex. Liking the thought of this, he gave another thrust. Fully seated, he dipped his head and gave her a bruising kiss. The sound of Reyn moaning his name while he was balls-deep inside her, felt like a fucking dream—one he never wanted to wake from.
Pulling back slightly, he softly whispered against her lips, “You are mine.” With her long blonde hair fanned across his pillow and her eyes hooded with lust, she looked like a goddess. His goddess. He slid his hips back just far enough to make her gasp, before plunging back in. “That means you’re in my bed, at my house, on the back of my bike, and in my life. Do you understand?” Blue eyes hazed with pleasure stared up at him. Buck wanted nothing more than to get lost in her body and in this moment, but he had to hear her say it. He needed to know she understood what this was and what it meant. “No more running. Are we clear?” Her nod wasn’t good enough. He needed to hear the words. “Say it.”
“Yes, now move,” she hissed, bucking her hips.
“Yes what?” he patiently asked.
“Oh my God, are you serious? Fine, I’m yours you giant—”
Crushing his mouth to hers, Buck gave one last roll of his hips and slammed home. Then he did it again. And again. Slowly, he picked up the pace. Their bodies moved perfectly together, as if they’d done this dance a thousand times before. Kissing, licking, touching, they couldn’t get enough of each other. He couldn’t get enough of her. Tingles erupted at the base of his spine as he powered in and out, her moans and groans driving him higher and higher. Buck knew Reyn was there when her perfect pussy clamped like a hot fist around him and her mouth opened in a silent scream. The spine-melding tingle suddenly gripped him by the nuts and he shouted as piercing pleasure shot through him. Reyn kissed his chest as he rode through the best orgasm he’d ever had and laughed when he collapsed in a heap on top of her.
Neither of them said a word as Buck dragged his ass out of the bed to dispose of the condom. Exhaustion hit him as he crawled back in.
Threading her fingers through his, Reyn quietly said, “You never answered my question. Why couldn’t you get away?”
Buck sighed. He knew she wasn’t going to let it go, so he told her, “They tied me up and left me there with no food or water. Three days later, someone found me. I was out of it, so I don’t remember much about it. I just remember that right before he unhooked the manacles from my wrists, he whispered that you were dead.” Her hand convulsed under his, and he turned to find her pain-filled gaze on him. “They released me from the hospital two weeks later. I made it home in just enough time to say goodbye to my mom.”
“God, Buck, I’m so sorry.”
“I am, too. She was an awesome woman. She would have loved you.” At the strange look on her face, he asked, “What?”
“My parents are going to think you’re the son of Satan,” she said, before busting into laughter. Then she rolled onto her side and snuggled in close. Slowly, they drifted off to sleep.
The sound of someone pounding on the door jerked them both awake. The room was dark, which meant Buck had slept longer than he wanted to.
“Do you ever get a full night’s sleep in this place?” she sleepily asked.
Buck gave her a kiss. “That’s what my house is for.” He flipped on the light as she levered up to one elbow.
“You have a house?” He started to answer when the door swung open and Ax walked in.
Reyn screeched and dove beneath the covers while Buck shouted, “Fucking knock, dickhead!”
“I did knock,” Ax responded, his eyes glued to Reyn’s covered form. “It’s about time you two got it on.”
Popping her head out from beneath the covers, Reyn asked, “Where are you going?”
Buck finished pulling on his boots, then leaned over and gave her another kiss. “It’s club business. Hopefully it won’t take long.”
“Yeah, we’ll be at the titty bar for a while, though. Buck is an animal when it comes to big titties,” Ax told her. Reyn turned to Buck with a questioning look on her face, and Ax laughed.
“Ignore the fucker,” Buck growled. “There’s food in the kitchen, though you might want to stay upstairs.”
“You’re letting me out of captivity?” she gasped. Buck wanted nothing more than to stay in this room and fuck the sass out of her. “Can I at least have the phone back? Camille is probably worried sick about me. He moved to his dresser and dug the burner out of his top drawer. Before handing it over, he made her promise not to do anyt
hing stupid.
At the last minute, they opted to take Ax’s truck to Angst instead of their bikes. The place was in full swing when they got there. Techno rap music poured from the place. At least, that’s what Buck called it.
“I hate synthesizers,” Ax muttered, as they made their way over to the bar. Buck hated dance music in general.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asked, eyeballing their cuts with interest. Ax flashed her a cheesedick smile, and Buck tried not to roll his eyes.
“Hey, darlin’, how’s your night going?” Ax drawled. “Can we get two Shiner Bocks?”
Smiling, she said, “Can’t complain. I’ll be right back with your beers.” While they waited for her to return, Buck took a glance around.
“Is it me or do most of the people in here look like kids?” he asked.
Ax sighed. “We’re getting old, brother. Five years ago, this was where it was at. Now? Give me a beer and some of Glenda’s broccoli casserole, and I’m as happy as a pig in shit.” Neither of them had to say it. Grizz’s death had changed them. What they went through because of it changed how they saw themselves as well as how they’d chosen to live their lives.
“Here are your beers. That’ll be $8.00,” the bartender announced.
Ax paid her while Buck pulled the picture of Vicky from his pocket. Slapping it on the bar, he asked, “Do you by chance know this woman?”
“Yeah, that’s Bonnie. She fills in for us sometimes.” That explained why they couldn’t find Vicky’s name on anything in the old lady’s house. Her name wasn’t Vicky. They should have known. “The police were here looking for her earlier. They said something about her grandmother dying and needing to locate the next of kin.” Shit. Fucking Carver.