Rafe (Devil's Flame MC Book 1)

by Romi Hart

  With a not so gentle prod to her ankles with his foot, he moved her legs apart, and his hard length caressed her folds, enticing and maddening at the same time. She tried to push against him, but he had her body spread so wide, she couldn’t move.

  As she waited, her anticipation growing with each passing moment, Rafe bent his head and licked up her spine, from between her shoulder blades up over her neck. Kira shuddered and whimpered, desperate now to have him fill her with his shaft. Sliding toward her opening, he taunted, his head pressing around the edges but not penetrating, and her wrists were too sore for her to tug against his grip and sink down on him. She waited, close to tears with her desperation before his lips brushed over her ear and he asked in a deep growl, “Are you ready for me?”

  “God, yes,” she groaned, so close to climax she thought she might die if he didn’t take her over the cliff soon.

  He chuckled, a dark, menacing sound that was delectable in that moment. “I love that you’re always ready and willing and pliable.” His teeth clamped down on the top of her ear, and she gasped as he drove home, thrusting deep inside her with one harsh movement of hips. Kira cried out as he stretched her to the breaking point, her pussy throbbing and weeping as she found another sweet release, her body quivering with the intensity of it.

  “I love how tight you are,” Rafe breathed across her cheek, and she soared even higher. “I’m going to fuck you until you’re a puddle in this tub.”

  She cried out as he punctuated his words with another rough, deep thrust, raising goosebumps on her flesh with his shiver. Slowly, he withdrew and pushed in again, repeating the motion until it was rhythmic, like a slow dance that kept things tight low in her belly with the growing pressure of yet another release. But the way his hands slid up and down her arms now, and then his nails raked gently up her sides, had her holding on, letting it build. She wanted a massive, nuclear explosion, and she was intent on holding it together until Rafe blew his top.

  But then Rafe pushed a hand between her and the tile, and his fingers found her clit, rubbing hard and fast. It was too much, and she screamed and bucked against him as she came so hard she thought her knees would buckle. She believed him more than ever about being nothing more than a puddle, and she felt his response as his cock twitched inside. And with a scream that melded with hers, he exploded, driving as deep as he could go and jammed her against the wall with the incredible force of it.

  He rested his body against hers, Kira caught between the cold wall and the heat of this incredible man as water continued to roll over them like a waterfall. Still, Kira was content not to move, and she delighted in the feel of him as her breathing eased and her mind slowed. When he finally backed away and slid out of her, she shivered, and Rafe pulled her under the spray, adjusting the tap so it was even warmer. He kissed her gently, slowly, drawing out the connection with languid movements of his tongue, and then he reached for the body wash, lathering it in his hands. He washed her reverently from head to toe, lingering a bit as he washed the sex from her thighs and folds.

  He rinsed her carefully, addressing her bruises gingerly, and then he shampooed and conditioned her hair. Kira couldn’t remember a time since she was five or six that anyone had done something this loving, back when her mother used to shower her. And it had never been so sensual and romantic then.

  When he finished, it was obvious Rafe didn’t expect anything in return, but Kira wanted to minister to him with the same respect and adoration, so she took the body wash in her hand and offered the same all over treatment. He had to kneel for her to wash his hair, and as she did, he caressed her hips and the swell of her ass, a look of complete awe on his face.

  He stood and rinsed the shampoo on his own, and then he turned off the water, wrapping her in a towel and helping her out of the tub. He slung another towel around his waist and smiled at her. “I made coffee.”

  Kira threw her head back, laughing. “So I smelled. That’s why I was getting out when you came in.”

  He growled and looked like he might eat her alive. “Getting off was better than getting out, wasn’t it?”

  “Very much so,” she replied. “But now, I really need that coffee, or I’m going to sleep all day and be up all night.”

  As she poured two cups, Rafe called out for Chinese, and they sat together in nothing but towels, sipping at the hot liquid. And it was then Kira realized she had no idea what came next.

  She’d spent years wishing her brother was dead, remaining as distant as she could, and doing what she could to piss him off. Now, he was gone. She could possibly go to prison for killing him, though she had a feeling that neither the Diamond Kings nor the Devil’s Flames would let that happen. But the fallout in her family was going to be devastating. This was the first time in generations that a Hawthorne hadn’t sat as president of the MC, and Kira had no machinations on getting involved with the Kings at all. She didn’t have any male relatives worthy of the position, so it seemed the dynasty would end.

  And if her family found out she was the one who’d put the bullet in Jake’s chest, they would disown her. Was she prepared for that?

  Part of her didn’t care, especially as she gazed at Rafe. In a way, he’d become her family. Whatever else was true, the two of them had similar tragedy and mutual trauma. And they’d bonded over their hatred of Jake, to the point that they’d battled over which of them would deal the killing blow. But there was more to it. They loved each other.

  So, where would that lead? And did she even need answers right now?

  “Penny for your thoughts,” Rafe said quietly.

  Kira realized she’d been staring silently into a void for several long minutes and blushed. “I’m just thinking about the fact that my only real purpose over the last ten years is gone. I’m not sure what I’m going to do next.”

  He reached across the table and took her hand, squeezing it. “I have an idea.”

  She tilted her head in question. “And what’s that?”

  “Stay with me.”

  Kira smiled. “I need to go home, Rafe. All my things are there, and I sort of miss my wardrobe. But I’ll stay the night if you want.”

  He nodded. “I do. And I’ll take you to your place tomorrow. Then, if it’s okay with you, we’ll pack you up and bring you back.”

  She blinked at him. “Wait. When you say you want me to stay, you mean…”

  “I mean,” he cut her off, leveling those intense jade eyes on her, “I want you to stay permanently. I don’t care if I have to pay off the remainder of your lease or pay the closing costs to sell your house. Whatever it takes to get you here, I’ll do it.” He leaned forward, his damp locks falling on his forehead. “I want you, Kira, and I don’t ever want to come home and not have you here, waiting for me. I want you in my bed and in my kitchen and on my couch. You’re mine, and I don’t want to ever question that. Please say you want that.”

  Kira was speechless. She hadn’t expected this hard, strong man who led such a solitary life outside of his MC to want something so domestic. “You want to live together.”

  He gave her a crooked grin. “Are you opposed to being my old lady?”

  Her jaw nearly dropped, and she just stared at Rafe. Nothing would make her happier than that confirmation of his love and respect for her. But she was still shocked. In her experience, there were two types of bikers – the kind that settled down early on and the kind that became a long term playboy. And despite Rafe telling her he loved her, she’d had a hard time considering he wasn’t the eternal bachelor, always looking for a new and exciting lay.

  This proved otherwise, and it went a long way in assuring her that, regardless of what else she decided to pursue now that her opportunities were wide open, she didn’t have to worry about losing the man she’d fallen for.

  Trying to keep her smile from splitting her face in half, Kira shrugged. “I don’t have a problem with that if you don’t.”

  “I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t something I wan
ted,” he told her. “I look good with you on the back of my bike. And I feel like I won the lottery every time you smile at me.”

  With a giddy feeling in her chest, Kira started to reply, but the doorbell rang, and Rafe excused himself to accept the delivery. The smell of egg rolls wafted ahead of him, making her mouth water, and then it went dry as he came back into the kitchen in all his half naked glory, still wearing that shit eating grin. “I’m starving. What do you say we dig in and then maybe pay Zeke a visit?”

  She nodded as he tore open the bag but told him pointedly, “You need to swing by the clubhouse first, assess the damage and see what’s going on. We sort of left before the dust settled, and the last thing we need is your boys angry at us for abandoning them.”

  Rafe frowned and sighed. “I guess you’re right. Are you up for that? I mean, you weren’t exactly in the best shape, thanks to your asshole brother. I don’t want you subjected to any skepticism or criticism if you’re not up to par.”

  But she just scoffed and bit into an egg roll, her eyes rolling back in her head as she moaned in appreciation at the greasy, tasty food. Swallowing, she told him, “I’m not afraid of your club, Rafe. There are plenty of individuals who are supportive of me, and I’m not some invalid who can’t stand up if anyone decides to say something nasty.”

  “Fair enough.” He shook his head, staring at her with wonder in his eyes. “I have to admit, I’m a lucky fucking guy. You are an amazing woman, and I don’t deserve you.”

  “Why not?” she asked, amused and concerned by his self deprecating statement.

  “Come on, Kira, I planned to use you, just like your brother did. I don’t deserve you.”

  She had to laugh softly. “If that’s the case, I don’t deserve you, either, because you were supposed to be a means to an end with my brother.”

  “It’s not the same. You weren’t plotting to possibly kill me,” he said, sounding chagrined.

  Kira stood and moved toward him, caressing his cheek. “And you obviously would never have killed me. You came to rescue me, Rafe. I think that negates the original plan. Maybe Fate decided that we deserved each other, regardless of our actions. I know I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

  Rafe sighed and pulled her forward to stand between his legs with his head pillowed on her chest. She toyed with his hair, and he groaned. “If you keep that up, we’re not going anywhere.”

  Swiftly and with a chuckle, she pushed out of his arms. “Then I guess we better focus on the food and getting dressed before Corey comes knocking at your door.” His expression showed the same reluctance she felt. If it was any other day, she probably would have pulled him into the bedroom and kept him there until dawn. But they had business to wrap up, and she would not start a precedent of being that old lady who needed too much attention.

  19

  The last thing Rafe expected as he led the way into the clubhouse with Kira in tow was to find Corey sitting at a table in the main room with Dylan and two more Diamond Kings. He’d gotten a text just as they were leaving his house, telling him he needed to get his ass up here, and he’d replied quickly that his ‘ass’ was already on the bike and headed in. But this wasn’t the greeting he’d imagined.

  Corey scowled, while Dylan nodded at him and Kira. His two minions didn’t move, both of them wide eyed and skeptical, maybe even jittery. Rafe couldn’t blame them after the beating the Kings had taken over the past few days. Even when it was people like Jake and Edgar involved, losing the two top men was a devastating blow, and the survival of the club hinged on its ability to find a leader who could help them recover quickly.

  Taking the empty seat next to Corey, Rafe pulled Kira possessively into his lap. He didn’t plan to let her out of his site, and he wanted Dylan to know she was still taken. He looked like he might want to try to win her back over to the dark side. “What’s going on?” he asked, gaze flitting back and forth between Corey and Dylan.

  His eyes fixed on Dylan, Corey replied, “This guy says he’s taking over the presidency with the Diamond Kings, and he’s not taking any challenges. I’m not sure how to feel about that.”

  Dylan, who maintained the stare down, spoke up. “I’m the highest ranking surviving member of the Kings, and I’m the only one with a backbone strong enough to come here, on your turf, and negotiate with you. I’m honest and thorough, and I don’t plan to run from any mistakes I make the way that coward of a leader did.”

  Rafe tended to agree, but he didn’t open his mouth. Corey’s eyes narrowed, and he felt Kira tense in his arms. She apparently had an opinion she wanted to voice as well but didn’t feel comfortable doing so. Corey inhaled and asked, “Why should I trust you, Dylan? You’ve always seemed like a Yes Man to me.”

  He spread his hands in surrender. “We do what we have to in order to survive sometimes, right? That’s all it was, surviving and biding my time. I’m going to clean up my crew, and I’m will work with you to pay whatever price is fair for the wrongs we’ve done as a club to your club.” He nodded toward Kira. “I think I’ve already taken the first step in reparations by cutting Chambers’ girl loose.”

  Corey’s head whipped around to Rafe and Kira. “Is that true? Did he let you go?”

  Kira nodded. “He killed one of his own, the guard on the door, to get to me. Then, he picked me up off the floor, cut the bonds, and gave me a knife and an escape route that was safe. I didn’t want to leave without Rafe, though, and he told me to take the gun off the dead guy and made sure I was steady enough to go.”

  “Well, hell,” Corey breathed. “Alright, Dylan. We’ll talk about reparations another day. For now, your deliveries have safe passage through our territory, but not our protection. We don’t deal with drugs and don’t want any part of your business.”

  “That’s fair,” Dylan agreed. “And we can negotiate whatever else later?”

  “As long as we’re at a truce, sure.” Corey didn’t seem completely convinced, but with the evidence he had before him, Rafe knew he couldn’t deny the opportunity to calm things and offer a temporary peace with the Kings. He also knew that, at some point, Kira’s family connection to the other crew could come in handy or even be vital to keeping that peace. But he didn’t want to discuss that now, considering he’d just extended his invitation for her to move in and be his on a permanent basis. It might cause doubts that he was still using her, and that was unacceptable.

  They shook on it, and then several of the brothers escorted Dylan and his men off the property, leaving Rafe alone with Corey and Kira. She went to the bar to pour a drink for the three of them, and Rafe asked, “So, what was the damage?”

  Pointing at the gash on Rafe’s arm, Corey told him, “Honestly, it looks like you took some of the worst of it. Couple of stab wounds and one gunshot. Mostly nothing.”

  Rafe tried not to look at the long, red mark on his arm. He’d considered getting stitches – Jake had sliced pretty deep. But caring for Kira had taken precedence, and now, the wound seemed to have closed over alright. It would scar either way, so getting stitches now would be a waste of time. And it had been worth it to get inside Kira and fulfill his baser needs.

  Corey rubbed the back of his neck, some of the tension releasing from his expression. “Congrats on getting your pound of flesh with Jake.”

  With a smirk, Rafe shook his head. “Yeah, I got my pound of flesh with my fists. But I didn’t kill him.”

  Corey frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Chuckling, Rafe told him, “Kira finished him off. She put the bullets in his chest, not me.” Corey gaped at him, taken off guard in a way he wasn’t usually surprised, and Rafe added, “I thought you should know because it just shows that she is definitely on our side. She’s not switching back and forth.”

  “I’m speechless,” Corey said, his gaze fixed on Kira as she gathered the drinks and started toward them.

  “Good.” He kissed Kira as she returned and passed out glasses with whiskey, and e
ven Corey smiled at her. “So, what’s next?”

  “Nothing for now,” Corey replied. “We’ll cool our heels and see how things go. We’ll take a giant chuck of cash from the Kings for reparations and keep an eye on them to see how long we keep the treaty going. That’s all we can really do.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me. I’ll take Dylan over Jake or Edgar any day,” Rafe said, draining his glass and wrapping an arm around Kira’s waist. “Well, if you don’t mind, I’m going up to see Zeke and fill him in, and then I’ve got a date with my bed for about three days.”

  “Yeah, whatever, Rafe. You’ll be here at ten tomorrow. We’ve got a meeting.”

  With a groan, Rafe turned to leave, Kira at his side. He’d be there, but he wouldn’t be happy about it.

  Fifteen minutes later, they strode down the corridor, hand in hand, toward Zeke’s hospital room. As they entered, Zeke wore a mischievous grin, and the nurse in there, Leigh, looked ready to blow her lid, her face red and her pale blue eyes full of indignation. “If you touch me again, you dirty bastard, you’ll get whiplash with how fast I’ll slap charges against you.”

  Zeke just shook his head and chuckled. “Well, that would be the first time I felt like it was worth the night in jail.”

  Huffing, Leigh stormed out of the room, stopping next to Rafe long enough to demand, “Get your handsy friend under control, or he’s out on his ass.”

  Raising an eyebrow at Zeke, Rafe smiled and asked, “Why are you torturing the staff?”

  “She’s hot, Rafe, and I promise, she’s playing games. She’s hot for me, and it pisses her off.”

  Rolling his eyes, Rafe told him, “Not everyone is that into you, brother.”

  He nodded toward Kira. “Apparently not. But I’ll give her a pass. She didn’t get a chance to feel the love before you had your turn. Maybe you should let her take a turn with me, and she might change her mind.”