by Harley Wylde
“I’ll help you heal, Shell. Whatever it takes.”
She curled against me and I ran my fingers through her hair. She wanted the real me? I wasn’t sure she could handle it. The last thing I wanted to do was scare her. I never wanted to see fear in her eyes when she looked at me. My fragile girl was stronger than she realized, but I knew she’d have limitations. Not just now but possibly forever. We’d just have to figure out where the boundaries were.
I rolled to my back, taking her with me so that she sprawled across my chest. “Ride me, pretty girl. Show me what you’ve got.”
She placed her hands on my chest and lowered herself onto my cock. When she’d taken every inch, she wiggled a little. I watched her, waiting to see what she’d do. Determination flashed in her eyes and she raked her nails over my nipples. I bucked my hips and held onto her, my fingers digging into the soft globes of her ass.
“Tease,” I said.
I smacked her ass, making her gasp and jolt. It seemed to set her free. Whatever had been going on in her head took a back seat as she raised and lowered herself, each stroke getting faster and harder, until she was riding me like I was her prize stallion. And fuck did it feel incredible.
I reached up and cupped her breast, rolling her nipple between my fingers before I pinched and tugged on it. Shella tossed her head back, her back arching. I tugged on her other nipple and worked my other hand between us, using my thumb to rub her clit.
“Talon! Oh, God. Don’t stop!” Her movements became erratic and frantic as she chased her orgasm. When she came, I felt the heat of her release. I growled and toppled her to the bed, then flipped her onto her stomach. Yanking her hips up, I rammed into her.
Shella cried out and clawed at the bedding. I couldn’t seem to stop, couldn’t hold back. I needed to be gentle with my broken butterfly. Needed to be calm. The feel of her, the smell of her arousal, hit me like a fucking hurricane and unleashed something inside me. I slammed into her, taking her hard. I gripped her hips, keeping her still as I took what I wanted. There was a buzzing in my head, a haze settling over me. Sweat slicked my skin and I didn’t stop, couldn’t slow down.
I took her. Fucked her. And as I came inside her, I smacked her ass and marked her as mine. Even the red handprint wasn’t enough. Some primitive part of me wanted to rub my cum all over her. I felt completely out of control. Insane. Drunk on my need for her.
“Jesus fuck.” I tightened my hold on her, my cock still hard. I pulled out and turned her to her back, bending her knees and pushing her legs wide apart. I plunged into her, fucking her like a rabid beast. “Mine.”
Her bed creaked and groaned, protesting the rough treatment. Every time I bottomed out into her hot little pussy, the word mine sounded in my head. I came again, so fucking hard I nearly blacked out. My heart pounded against my ribs and I tried to catch my breath. When I was able to focus on her face, I traced her lip with my thumb before kissing her.
“I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to… fuck. I don’t even know what the hell just happened. It’s like something inside me snapped and I needed to mark you like a fucking dog or some shit.”
She wrapped her fingers around my biceps and gave me a soft smile. “It’s okay, Talon. You didn’t hurt me.”
“You’re my wife, Shell. I shouldn’t have taken you like that.”
“Hey.” She reached for my cheek. “I told you I didn’t want you to hold back. You think I haven’t heard the rumors about you? The club whores aren’t exactly quiet. They’re catty bitches and like to spout off about the guys they’ve been with. I know what you’re into, and as long as we can ease into things, I’ll be fine. I was a webcam girl, after all. It’s not like I’m all sweet and innocent.”
Deep down, I knew if those fuckers hadn’t raped her, she wouldn’t have started screwing random guys or gone as wild as she had. She’d probably have saved herself for someone special, maybe even married them. Part of me was glad she was here, lying under me, and would soon wear my property patch. But the slightly less asshole side of me wished she’d never gone through that and could have had a normal life.
“I don’t give a shit what you’ve heard, or what they claimed. None of them matter, Shell. I won’t cheat on you. It’s just you and me, baby. If I go too far, ask too much of you, all you have to do is tell me and I’ll back the hell off.”
“I want all of you, Talon. Everything. The good. The bad. We’re in this together, right?”
I nodded. “All the way, butterfly.”
A strange look crossed her face. “Why a butterfly? Because I didn’t stay in one place too long?”
I smoothed her hair back. “No. I always thought of you as this vibrant, delicate butterfly when you were a teenager. Those assholes tried to break you, but you’re still as amazing as ever. Even more so now that I know what you’ve survived on your own. So you’ll always be my little butterfly.”
She bit her lip so hard I worried she’d draw blood.
“Come on. Let’s clean up again and figure out dinner. I want to hit the road early so we need to get a decent night’s sleep.”
She sighed and nodded. “All right. But if they say anything at the compound when they see me, don’t get in a fight over it. I’m a big girl. Whatever they have to say, it’s only words.”
“Sticks and stones?” I asked, thinking of the verse I’d heard as a kid.
“Something like that.”
She fucking amazed me. So beautiful. Strong.
And I was the lucky bastard who got to call her wife.
Chapter Five
Shella
I hadn’t known what to expect when I got home. I’d thought maybe we’d go to Slash’s house first. Instead, he stopped in front of the clubhouse and got off his bike. Great. I hadn’t had time to prepare myself. I needed armor before I faced the men inside, especially my dad. Did he even know I was coming home? Did he care?
My stomach twisted as I stared at the building in front of me. Was I ready for this? It seemed I didn’t have a choice. Slash approached my car and opened the door, reaching in to unbuckle me. He took my hand and helped me from the car, not releasing me as we walked up the steps and through the clubhouse doors. It was still a little early for a party to be in full swing, but there were several club whores around, music blasted from the speakers in the corners of the room, and smoke hung heavy in the air. I waved a hand in front of my face, thinking this was probably the last place I needed to be while I was pregnant.
Slash held onto me, leading me through the small crowd of people. Badger sat at the far end of the bar, a bottle of beer in front of him. He’d picked at the label and it hung halfway off, the condensation sliding down the bottle to pool on the bar top. Slash stopped next to him, waiting for Badger to acknowledge him. When he turned toward us, I saw the President patch on his cut. It was bittersweet. I loved Badger like a brother, but the fact my dad had stepped down left me feeling a little hollow. I knew Grizzly was getting older. It made sense he wouldn’t rule this place forever, and yet it felt wrong seeing that patch on someone else’s cut.
“See you found the prodigal daughter,” Badger said.
“Yeah,” Slash said. “Told Griz so he knows already. Need you to call Church tomorrow.”
Badger’s eyebrows arched. “You telling me what to do?”
Slash’s hand tightened on mine. “I’m claiming Shella. Need to make it official and can’t do that without taking it to the table.”
Badger eyed him, then me, his gaze sliding down to our entwined fingers. He stood and tugged me away from Slash, giving me a hug. “Good to have you home, Shella.”
“Thanks, Badger.”
“You okay with him claiming you?” he asked.
I lifted my left hand, letting him see the wedding ring. “More than. I guess the question is whether or not the club is okay with it. I know I’m not exactly anyone’s favorite person around here.”
He grunted and eyed me up and down. Yeah, it was no secret the clu
b wasn’t ready to welcome me home with open arms. Slash might have been looking for me, and maybe my dad had at first, but the others? They’d moved on with their lives.
“You had some growing up to do.” Badger sat again. “If Slash married you, then I guess you figured your shit out. Unless there’s something else going on? You in trouble? Some reason you’d need a husband quick like?”
He saw far too much, and I hoped my expression didn’t give anything away.
“Any reason you think I wouldn’t want her for my own?” Slash asked.
Badger slid his gaze to Slash and didn’t say anything. Great. Even my brother-in-law wasn’t overly thrilled I was here. Or at least, he didn’t understand why Slash would want me. If we couldn’t win Badger over, how the hell would we get the club to accept us?
“We’ll discuss it later,” Badger said. “You can ask the club to approve her as your old lady, but we’ll vote on it. Can’t promise they’ll be inclined to accept her. Not after the shit she pulled before.”
I swallowed hard and backed up a step. It seemed not all was forgiven, even if Lilian had said she wasn’t mad at me anymore. I’d known what would happen when I came here. It’s why I’d stayed away for so long. I should have never let Slash talk me into this. The moment he went to sleep, I should have run and kept running.
“I shouldn’t be here,” I said softly. I drew back farther and briskly walked out of the clubhouse. This might have been home at one point, but it was clear it wasn’t anymore.
Stupid. You were so stupid to think things would be okay.
I reached my car, yanking open the door. Before I could get in, a hand slammed against the window and the door shut. I gasped and whirled, not knowing who had followed me. Dragon glared, his eyes hard and cold. I couldn’t blame him. Because of me, Lilian had nearly died. She could have lost their babies. It was clear no one had told him I was coming back.
“Why the fuck are you here?” he demanded.
“Slash brought me home.”
He leaned in closer, towering over me. I pressed back against the car. I didn’t think he’d hurt me, but… I’d been gone a long time. If I’d changed, surely other people here had too. And if there was one thing I’d heard about Dragon, it was that he’d do anything for Lilian. If he saw me as a threat to her or his kids…
“I’m not here to cause trouble,” I said.
“Your sister may have forgiven you, but I haven’t,” he said. “You should have stayed gone.”
My throat burned with unshed tears. So much for words not hurting me. No fucking way would I ever let him see me cry. I bit my tongue, trying to hold myself together. I waited, hoping he’d back off and let me go. He’d never been the type to hit a woman, and I didn’t think he’d start now. I just couldn’t be sure.
“What the fuck is going on?” a harsh voice demanded.
I whipped my head that direction and saw Demon. The moment he recognized me, a scowl crossed his face. It was clear I didn’t have any friends here. Badger might have hugged me, but even he wasn’t sure I’d be accepted as Slash’s old lady. Now Dragon and Demon both glared at me, clearly wanting me far from here.
“Get the fuck away from my wife,” Slash said, his voice a low growl as he stomped toward us. I hadn’t even heard the doors to the clubhouse open.
Dragon jolted. “Wife?”
“Yeah, asshole. You’re scaring the shit out of her,” Slash said, coming closer. He yanked Dragon away from me and curved his arm around my waist, tugging me tight against his side.
“You married her?” Dragon asked. “Why the fuck would you do that?”
I felt the tension in Slash and knew if I didn’t say or do something, he’d likely start throwing punches. For whatever reason, he felt protective of me. Even before he’d known what had happened, he’d still come for me when no one else had.
“Can we go home?” I asked softly. “Please.”
His hold on me loosened and he helped me into my car, pausing to kiss my cheek. “You know where the house is. I’ll be right there. Don’t even think of unloading this car without me.”
“All right.”
He shut the door and faced off against Dragon and Demon. I backed out and turned down the road that led to his house. He wasn’t far from the clubhouse. Even though he was the VP for the club, his home wasn’t overly large. Or it didn’t seem to be from the outside. Even though it was two stories, it wasn’t as wide or deep as some of the other homes.
I parked under the double carport and went through the side door. His kitchen was a decent size, and far cleaner than I’d have expected from a bachelor. His microwave doubled as a vent over the stove. Both were a shiny black. The fridge was also jet black and looked almost new. The counters were a textured slate gray, and the cabinets were a charcoal gray. Even the floor was gray tile. The only color was on the walls. A shade of teal or blue that I couldn’t quite label, they somehow fit the color scheme nicely and still made the room have a masculine feel.
A little breakfast nook was across the room, a round table and four chairs in front of a window. Another small window was over the kitchen sink. I moved farther into the house, wanting to explore my new home. The front entry had the same gray tile. The steps going to the second floor were stained black and sealed so they had a slight sheen to them. The floor in the living room was a rough wood that had a driftwood type appearance. Weathered. Pretty. He had a black leather couch and armchair. Even the wood furniture was black.
“Does he have something against color?” I mused aloud. I went past the stairs and opened a door just beyond the living room wall. The space was empty, the floor covered in a thick gray carpet. Another door was tucked under the stairway and I found a half-bath with a pedestal sink and toilet. A plain glass mirror hung over the sink.
Heading to the second floor, I opened all the doors. Two more empty rooms that I knew were supposed to be bedrooms, the same gray carpet in both, a full bath, and then the master suite. And it was definitely a suite.
I entered the room and took it all in. The bed was a huge monstrosity, hand-carved posts reaching to the ceiling. It had been stained like the stairs, and the bedding was a mix of grays, white, and black. It looked big enough for four people to comfortably lie in it, and I wondered why he needed so much space. Then decided I might not want to know.
A long dresser took up a wall, easily six feet in length. An armoire was against the wall opposite the bed, the doors slightly ajar. I pulled them open farther and saw a flat screen TV inside, as well as four drawers under it. I shut the cabinet and went to the window that looked out over the side yard. He had two comfy chairs and a small table facing the window, a book lay open on one of the chairs.
Going into the bathroom, I marveled at how large it was. A double sink with lots of drawers and cabinets underneath, the toilet was off to the side in a separate room with a door that closed. The tub looked big enough for two and had jets along the sides. I ran my fingers over the clear glass of the shower. A perfect square, I saw a small built-in bench on one wall, as well as floor-to-ceiling small shelves in one corner, most of which were empty.
Two doors drew my attention and I opened them, my jaw dropping when I realized they were his and hers closets. Not exactly huge, but plenty big enough. The rods formed an L-shape and there were built-in shelves low to the ground, most likely for shoes. Slash’s closet had a bunch of jeans hanging up, as well as a few sweaters and two button-down shirts. He had at least three different types of Harley Davidson boots in the bottom, and a dressier pair of ankle boots, although I had a hard time picturing him wearing those. He had two black leather jackets, and several hoodies on the rack as well.
“Find what you’re looking for?”
I squealed and spun to face him. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
He smirked. “Obviously.”
“I was just checking everything out. If this is going to be my home, I thought I should know where everything was.” I folded my arms, feel
ing defensive. Yes, I’d been snooping, but if we were married could it really be considered being nosy?
“I brought up two of your boxes. I’ll get the other two if you want to put some things away. There are several empty drawers in the dresser and I’m sure you found your closet.”
I looked around again before focusing on him. “Do you have something against color? Nearly everything is monochromatic.”
“I’m not that great at matching shit. Anything you don’t like, you can change. Want to paint the walls? Let me know. I’m not going to let my pregnant wife wield a paintbrush, but I can take you out somewhere and have a Prospect paint the place.”
“What about a soft aqua in the bedroom?” I asked. “If you don’t want it on all the walls, maybe at least an accent wall?”
He tugged me against him, placing his hands at my waist. “Whatever you want, Shell. This is your home now. You can make any changes you’d like.”
I worried at my lower lip. “Will it be my home if they don’t accept me as your old lady? Or will I be asked to leave the compound?”
He gripped my chin. “Baby, they’re going to accept you just fine. You let me handle it.”
“Are you going to tell them?” I asked. “About what happened. Before.”
His thumb lightly rubbed my skin. “Yeah, baby. I’m going to tell them. They need to know. For one, we all fucked up. The fact you were hurting and none of us fucking saw it? You bet your ass I’m letting them know. Your behavior was a cry for help, and we were all fucking deaf and blind to it.”
“I don’t want their pity.”
He kissed me, his lips soft against mine. “My beautiful butterfly. No one will pity you, although they’re going to be pissed at themselves for not realizing you needed help. Especially your dad.”
I clung to him, cuddling against his chest. He made me feel safe. Wanted. It had been so long since I’d felt those things. I hoped he was right. If I had to give him up, the one man I’d always wanted, it would tear me apart. But I refused to come between him and the club.