The roar of the motorcycle coming to life shook me out of my pity party and I let my gaze rake over the man, taking a much closer look now that I had all this time. He straddled the monster of a bike, and I now noticed he was clad completely in leather. He zipped up his jacket, but not before I caught a glimpse of the broadness of his chest below, the tendrils of a tattoo snaking up out of the neck of his t-shirt. He had long flowing, black, curly hair that fell loose around his shoulders and sharp features that framed a rugged, handsome face.
I lifted my chin, a twinge of interest drawing me to him.
The vibrations from his bike rattled the window behind me and before I could stop myself, my feet were moving and in three seconds I stood beside him.
“Hey.”
“Miss?” he asked, cocking his head inquisitively. “Are you okay?”
I nodded slowly, my gaze locked with his, sizing him up and trying to decide very quickly if I thought he might be a killer. His eyes were a deep hazel that seemed to cut right through me. I swallowed hard, throwing caution to the wind.
“Can you give me a ride?”
“A ride?” he asked, half-amused, raising a brow.
“Yeah,” I nodded, slowly smiling as I imagined the wind in my hair, the vibrations of the bike ripping through my body.
Maybe that would work. Maybe that would make everything go away. Even if for just a few moments. Just a little release…
“Sure,” he nodded. He riffled around in a saddle bag on his bike, and pulled out another helmet. “Gotta wear this, though.”
Silently, I grabbed it and shoved it on my head. His hot gaze raked over me and he shook his head, a faint smile on his face. He unzipped his jacket and pulled it off.
“Put this on, too. At least your top half will be warm.”
I did as he said, pulling on the heavy jacket, instantly overwhelmed by the scent and weight of the leather. It felt absolutely delicious and a surge of joy shot through me.
Yes! I thought. More of that.
I flashed him a smile and threw a leg over the back of his seat, settling in behind him as I fastened the chin strap of the helmet. My stomach churned with nerves, but I pushed them away.
“Hold on tight, miss,” he said. I wrapped my arms around his waist, my breasts pressed against his back. I suppressed a moan and tried not to lean into him too much, feeling a surge of shyness.
“Wait — where are we going?” he asked, turning around to me.
“Five miles west on the 101, turn left on Hummingbird Way and right on Tumbling Brook. First house on the left.” Oh, my god, his eyes. They were deep with history, dripping in mystery. What had I done?
He nodded, put his helmet on and hit the throttle, shooting us forward with such a force that I tightened my grip around his waist and leaned into him, shyness and regret be damned.
I’d never been on the back of a bike before, but I pushed down the initial wave of fear, and the second, and the third — and did my best to ignore the shockingly frigid wind. It was like being belted with ice and whatever buzz I had before was quickly blown away, leaving me feeling more alert and alive than I’d ever felt in my entire life.
We roared down the near empty 101 for a few minutes, whipping past the empty gas stations and darkened storefronts, the ocean lapping at the shore in the darkness in the distance, the tall cliffs towering over the sea like arms embracing its wild, crashing waves.
His body was warm, waves of heat penetrating the thick leather wrapping my torso. It’d been so long since I’d been this close to anyone and my flesh ached for more. I wanted to melt into him. Close my eyes and just merge with that delicious warmth, become one with the rippling muscles that I could feel under my fingertips that clung so desperately to his waist, let the wind just carry me away…
It was all over too soon.
Within moments, we were pulling into my mother’s driveway and the harsh reality that I’d so desperately needed to forget was beaming at me again like a pair of headlights.
He drove up to the garage and shut off his engine. Reluctantly, I jumped off the back of the bike, the absence of his warmth hitting me hard.
Too hard.
We took off our helmets, and his eyes crashed into mine.
This is where I was supposed to thank him politely, hand him his helmet back, go inside and cry myself to sleep in my missing mother’s bed with my little whiskey buzz. I’d done it. I’d had my adventure.
I stood staring at him, mesmerized by his eyes, by the promise of escape that I saw there. His gaze was open, curious, and I realized that neither of us knew what was supposed to come next.
I leaned over, my lips crashing into his. He stiffened in surprise, but I didn’t retreat. Instead, I doubled down — parting his lips with my own, my tongue darting into his mouth daringly.
He moaned, his hand snaking around to the back of my head and quickly pulling me in. He was still straddling his bike, but he effortlessly removed himself without breaking our kiss, our lips still glued together, my head tilting back as he now towered over me.
He moaned and pulled away, his eyes searching mine wordlessly.
I stared back at him defiantly, lifting my chin daringly, smiling brazenly.
I grabbed his hand and led him to the front door without a word, the questions between us falling at our feet.
Quickly, I unlocked the door and pulled him inside, pushing him against the door as it closed and kissing him again, before he broke away once more.
“Are you sure about this? You’ve had a few drinks…”
I stared back at him, peering deeply into his hungry eyes.
“I’ve never been so sure of anything.” I nodded firmly, before kissing him again. He hesitated for two seconds, before diving in and giving me exactly what I so desperately needed.
His lips were white-hot.
When his hands reached up, cradling my face, it took all my strength to remain standing and not fall in a puddle of desire at his feet. His kiss deepened, his tongue searching mine urgently. I wrapped my arms around him, wanting him as close as I could get him, but there was way too much between us.
Desperation overcame me, and I pushed at his coat that I was still wearing until it fell off my arms and onto the ground with a soft thud.
He broke the kiss, ripping off his t-shirt in a flash and flinging it on the floor behind him. My eyes widened at the sight of his naked torso, slathered in tattoos and rippling with the muscles I’d felt earlier.
He looked like danger.
Like a bad idea.
Like the best bad idea I’d ever had.
“My god,” I said, shaking my head, wondering if I’d gotten myself in way over my head. He was a stranger, who could obviously snap me in half if he wanted to.
My eyes crashed into his and I realized snapping me in half was not what he wanted.
He was hungry.
He planned to devour me.
My heart skipped a beat and I swallowed hard. I’d come this far. There was no turning back now.
My fingers tugged at the hem of my blouse as I mustered all my courage and I lifted it slowly over my head until I was standing in front of him in nothing but my purple lace bra and jeans. His eyes dilated and he growled, a low, guttural sound that shot electricity straight to my center.
And then, he was on me again.
He scooped me up easily, sliding an arm under my knees and around my back before grunting.
“Bedroom?”
My head threatened to take over as I realized I had two choices — my mother’s room or Maddy’s room — both of which seemed wildly inappropriate.
“Couch,” I whispered. Effortlessly, he carried me over to the couch and laid me down, hovering over me, his lips finding mine once more and I sighed in relief that no other words were required. There was no way in the world I could explain myself right now.
All I could think of were his hands, landing on my denim clad hips and trailing up my side, the roughness of his
fingertips deliciously scratching my flesh before he cupped my breasts and squeezed gently. I moaned, arching my back, wanting more, needing more.
Expertly, he unhooked my bra, freeing my breasts to be assaulted by his lips that fell on my nipples. I whimpered, my fingers tangling in his long hair and pressing him into me. He landed firm kisses down my abdomen, kissing his way down to the edge of my jeans, until his tongue darted under the waist band teasingly as he began unfastening them. His hands grabbed them on either side, my hips lifting as he pulled them down my hips, taking my panties with them.
In seconds, I lay beneath him naked, staring up at him as he drank me in.
The thrill of the moment rushed through me. I’d barely me this guy half an hour ago, if that, and here we were naked together. I’d never experienced anything this reckless, this wild, this insanely hot…
He stood up, shaking his head in appreciation as he raked his eyes over my nakedness, his gaze so intense I swore I could feel it. I watched breathlessly as ripped the buttons of his 501’s open and pushed them down his muscular thighs, standing up and giving me a full view of his god given beauty.
Fuck.
My mouth fell open as I finally realized exactly what I’d gotten myself into.
A goddamned porn fantasy, that’s what.
Heat rolled from his naked skin, blanketing me below him as he leaned down to kiss me again, our bare flesh sliding together in an electric collision of skin. My hands found his shoulders, slipping down to his wide biceps and wrapping around his back, pulling him closer as our lips worked together, our bodies dancing together, pushing and pulling, moaning and groping and pressing and searching.
His tongue invaded my mouth deeply, before he pulled away again and kissed his way down my body, his lips trailing tiny hot kisses along my flesh, until he had me writhing under him, aching for more.
He finally landed on my sex as he pulled my thighs open. The heat of his mouth enveloped me, the velvety smoothness of his tongue coaxing every feeling of pleasure from my cells as he sank into me. I cried out in ecstasy, pulling his head closer as he slid his tongue inside, skillfully bringing me to the edge within seconds. Licking and sucking, his mouth worked against me, pulling waves of rolling pleasure from deep inside me until I lay beneath him a panting, whimpering mess.
He slowed down until he was sure I was done, lifting himself over my body and sliding into me with smooth, delicious precision.
“Oh, my god!” I cried out, wrapping my thighs around his hips as he slammed into me, the strength of his body ricocheting through me with each thrust. Over and over, he slid into me harder and harder until we were dancing together in an attempt to get closer and deeper. His hardness filled me deliciously, my body yearning for as much of him as I could get. I opened my thighs wider, begging him to give me more.
He slammed into me even harder, my entire body shuddering with the force of him until he lifted his head, a deep groan of pleasure ripping through his body as he exploded inside me.
He looked down at me, his eyes wide with pleasure, before he kissed me again, his lips soft and salty, his tongue languishing against mine as we came down.
Moonlight streamed in from the window, bathing our bodies with her pale light as he held me, our breathing slowly returning to normal. I took a deep breath, letting my head fall onto his wide shoulder, letting him hold the weight of my troubles for just a little while.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
COLT
I woke with a start, a soft fleece blanket thrown over my naked body as I lay on a strange couch.
The events of last night quickly rushed back and I lifted my head, looking around. My clothes were all over the place but I was alone in the living room. I jumped up and pulled on my jeans and grabbed the rest of my clothes from the floor.
The smell of coffee hit me and I looked around for the girl from last night. My eyes trailed around, spotting her through the window out on a deck, a cup of steaming coffee in her hands, her back to me as she stared out at the woods behind the house. She donned a heavy black sweater and black jeans, her wild curls wrangled into a messy ponytail.
I took the liberty of pouring myself a cup of coffee and headed that way.
As I reached the sliding glass door, I stopped at the sound of her crying. She wasn’t just crying, though, she was sobbing.
Fuck!
I knew I’d fucked up. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of some fragile, drunk girl.
I watched with a sinking dread as her shoulders shook, feeling guilty for trespassing on such a private moment. She probably just broke up with some dude, and here I was complicating things. The best thing I could do was just leave as quickly as possible and let this woman get back to her life. Hell, I’d be lucky if her husband didn’t come waltzing in the front door with a shotgun.
I looked back into the living room behind me, taking a quick inventory. My keys were lying by the front door, as well as my leather jacket.
The memory of her wearing it last night and letting it fall to the floor as I kissed her took my breath away. I reached back to check my pockets, and felt my wallet still firmly tucked into the back pocket of my Levi's.
I could easily just grab all my things and walk out, get on my bike and leave.
No awkward conversation necessary.
Just a quick one-night stand — an amazing one, at that — and that was all.
There was only one problem.
There was no way in hell I could leave a woman to cry alone.
Fuck! I thought again, shaking my head as I slowly opened the sliding glass door. She turned her head immediately, swiping a hand across her cheeks and attempting to flash me a smile.
“Hey,” I said. “You okay?”
“Oh, y-yeah,” she stuttered. “It’s nothing.”
I nodded, slowly, not wanting to pry.
“Anything I can do?” I asked. “Anything I did?”
“No, no,” she shook her head quickly. “It’s not you, really. I just…nevermind.”
She walked over and kissed me on the cheek, before stepping around me and heading back inside. I turned and followed, watching as she refilled her coffee cup and went to sit on the couch. The couch we’d done some very fun things on last night. My cock hardened at the memory of her splayed out naked in front of me, my mouth making her moan and scream so loudly, I thought she’d wake the neighbors.
“Okay,” I nodded. “Well, I guess I should be going…”
Awkwardness filled the air and I stood there staring at her. She was so much prettier in the sunlight, her elf-like features more prominent with her hair pulled back, her eyes a brilliant green, shining brightly and enhanced by tears threatening to spill from the edges.
“Sure,” she nodded. “Thanks for the ride.”
I wasn’t sure which ride she was referring to, so I just nodded slowly, flashing her a smile.
“Oh, sure. Do you want a ride back to pick up your car?”
“No, I’ll take care of it later,” she said, her voice quivering.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I mean, obviously she wasn’t. I felt like a dick leaving.
“I’m just going through some serious family stuff. I had a wonderful time last night. I promise this —,” she waved at her face, “— has nothing to do with you.”
“Well, that’s good, because I can’t remember the last time I made a woman cry…”
She smiled slightly and I remembered the way I’d felt watching her cry at the end of the bar last night. I’d have done anything to make her smile again, and I guess I did.
A twinge of guilt pierced my heart.
“Right,” I nodded. “So, um…yeah.” I looked around, feeling awkward as fuck. She obviously didn’t want to talk about what was wrong or she’d have spilled it by now. So, here I was, standing in a stranger’s kitchen, about to do the walk of shame out to my bike. She wasn’t opening up and she hadn’t touched me since I woke up, outside of the quick peck on my cheek.
> If she wanted me to stay, it would have been obvious.
And it was not obvious at all.
Fuck.
I turned away from her — away from those eyes — and stretched my shirt over my head and shoulders, suddenly wanting the armor and protection my leathers provided. Anything to keep her from seeing the hurt look in my eye.
I hated feeling vulnerable. It was rare as hell, but here it was.
And how fucked up is it that my vulnerability was all about protecting her? I felt like shit because I couldn’t do anything to save her.
A fucking savior complex is what it was. Goddammit.
You’d think being locked up for five years would have taught me a fucking lesson.
She’s a grown ass woman. She didn’t need me. She’d gotten what she needed from me — and I was pretty fucking sure I’d left her satisfied, at least — and now it was time for us to move on.
What did I expect? Breakfast in fucking bed?
Hell, she hadn’t even let me into her bedroom. She’d fucked me on the couch, like a proper one-night stand.
It was almost impressive. If it hadn’t been me on the receiving end, that is.
I grabbed my jacket and shrugged it on, bent over and retrieved my keys from the floor, and the vision of her eyes widening in pleasure as I’d taken my shirt off in that very spot last night flashed through my head.
I was hyper-aware of the fact that she wasn’t stopping me from leaving, either. Her fine ass was firmly planted on her couch, in fact. I shoved my keys into my pocket and turned around to look at her one last time.
I faked a smile, gave a little wave and she did the same.
“Well…,” I hesitated, giving her one more chance to say something, do something — anything, “I guess I’ll see you around.”
Really? See her around? Mentally, I kicked myself. Where the hell was I going to see her? All I did was work. This whole thing was a fucking fluke.
“Yeah,” she said, and I thought for a second I heard a quiver in her voice, but she sat stoically in place.
CHASING SUNSHINE: GODS OF CHAOS MC (BOOK THIRTEEN) Page 6