My breath is coming in pants, and I expect him to lay down next to me, or crawl off of the bed, what I don’t expect is for him to wraps his fingers around my hips and yank them back. I let out a yelp of surprise when his mouth touches my center.
His tongue moves fast against my clit, and it only takes a few flicks of it to send me over the edge. I come on a cry, my thighs shaking as I push my pussy closer to his face. The scruff from Free’s beard feels amazing scraping my skin, and once I catch my breath, I whisper his name, Mason, on an exhale.
Free moves around behind me but I’m completely frozen in my spot—ass in the air, cum dripping down my ass crack, and attempting to catch my breath. I hear his footsteps a few seconds later and moan when the warm cloth slides over my back, then ass, cleaning up his cum from my body. I definitely need to get to a doctor, soon.
He lies down on the bed, reaching for me, wrapping his hands beneath my armpits and then pulling my body up the bed and against him. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone,” he announces.
“I know.”
Free clears his throat. “I need to know that you’re going to be okay if it’s a few weeks,” he announces. “I got you a phone earlier today. I’ll call you and I programmed a few numbers in there for you,” he explains. “One of the numbers is the clubhouse, you have any problems at all, you don’t hesitate. Someone will answer, and one of the guys will be able to get to you.”
“I’ll be okay, Mason,” I say quietly into the room.
He grunts, holding me closer to him. “You were almost taken from me, Kitten. The last thing I want to do is leave you alone right now. You’ll have a brother standing guard at all times. He’ll be outside of this house, and he’ll take you wherever you need to go. The grocery store, whatever,” he explains.
“Is that necessary? I mean you caught Jack, there’s nobody else that even knows I exist,” I say.
I feel like I’m going to be a burden. He said himself that he doesn’t know how long he’ll be gone. There is no way I can ask some stranger to watch over me, and to take me to the grocery store, and to run errands like that, for the next few weeks.
Free snorts. “It’s necessary, Whitley. I can’t leave you unprotected. I won’t leave you unprotected,” he announces.
His words are final, and I decide not to argue with him. I know what happened to Gemma, and even though I doubt anything that horrific would happen to me, I would rather him feel at ease with the upcoming trip, than upset the entire time.
Turning my head, I place my lips on his chest in a kiss. The hair on his body makes my nose tickle, but I don’t mind. I like that he isn’t smooth.
Lifting my hand, I run my fingers through the hair at his chest and close my eyes. We have things to do around here, but this quiet moment lying naked beside him feels more important than anything else.
Free’s hand slides down my back and he grabs a handful of my ass, squeezing me gently. I feel his breath against my hair, as I move my head, placing my cheek back on his skin. “I just want you safe,” he announces to the room.
I nod, my fingers still playing in his chest hair. “I know, Mason. I understand.”
“We don’t know who else survived that raid. Jack could have lied when he said he was the only one. We don’t know who else has files on every woman the way Zachary did. Then there was Jack’s talk of some leader, we just don’t know enough, Whitley.”
Placing my hand flat on his chest, I slide it down until I get to his stomach and wrap my arm around to hug him. I don’t speak or answer him. He isn’t wrong. There could have been other survivors. However, I don’t think any of them even knew I existed. Zachary kept me pretty well hidden from the rest of the compound, and I was and am grateful for it. I’m not even sure how Jack knew about me, but I doubt anyone else did.
“I love you, Mason,” I say.
It’s too soon, I’m sure. He probably thinks I’m some silly child, for even saying the words. It’s how I feel though, and I want him to know that before he leaves on this trip. I want him to know that I love him, that I’ll be waiting for him to return. His arms flex, but he stays otherwise silent, and my feelings shouldn’t be hurt, but they are.
Mason’s fingers dance up my spine and gently trace the cursive on my shoulder. His lips press against the top of my head, but he doesn’t return those words, and maybe he never will. Can I be satisfied with that? I frown, not because I can’t, but because I can.
For the past three years, I thought I would be bred, like an animal, to some man, or men, who could give two-shits about me. However, all that has changed now. I have Mason. Although we aren’t in this perfect, healthy, relationship. I know that what we began as was anything but. I was this thing, for him to save, this weakling.
I’m not just some helpless creature to ease his guilty conscious anymore. I wholeheartedly believe that he knows that about me, even if his natural reaction and response will always be to protect me. I truly believe that he cares for me, now.
He may never love me, or maybe one day he will.
That doesn’t mean that I can’t tell him that I love him, and that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care for me. I believe that he does. He doesn’t just see me as a thing anymore, I’m Whitley, his Kitten, and that is all that matters. He cares for me and takes care of me, I’m his as he is mine. That is all that matters, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that I need to tell him how I feel.
His fingers glide over to my hair and he plays with it, sifting them through and feeling the strands. “I never said those words, not to anyone, except maybe my mama when I was a kid,” he murmurs. “Never even said them to Gemma. She was my girl, and I liked her, but I was too young and still playing around to fall that deep into anyone,” he explains.
“You don’t have to say it back. I just wanted you to know how I felt.”
Free tugs on a strand of my hair, and I lift my head to look up at him. “I know I don’t have to say it back, Whitley. I’m not going to. Maybe one day I will, but you know I’m not there. I do know, that what I feel for you is stronger than what I’ve felt for another woman in my life. Maybe that’s love, fuck, I don’t know. What I do know is that you’re mine. That to me says more than a couple words ever could.”
I nod my head, pressing my lips together and biting the inside of my cheek to keep from crying. I don’t know why I feel like crying, he isn’t voicing anything that I don’t already know, but I suppose hearing the words aloud, is what is making me emotional.
He lifts his head, leaning forward and presses his lips to my own. Releasing my teeth from my cheek, I open my mouth just as his tongue slides inside. I moan, my nipples tightening as his tongue fucks my mouth. Free’s hand moves to the back of my head, gripping my hair in his fingers, and positioning me how he likes.
He breaks the kiss with a grunt. “Fuck, if I was ten years younger, I’d fuck you again right now. You drained my dick, Kitten,” he chuckles.
I smile, pressing my lips to his, then moving to kiss down the column of his neck. His fingers tighten in my hair as I move down his chest, swirling my tongue against each nipple as I do. Eventually, his hand falls away from the back of my head and I press my lips against the tip of his cock.
“Let’s see if I can’t help this situation,” I grin.
He shakes his head with a laugh. “Have at it, Kitten.”
That’s how we spend the rest of our moving day, and weekend—in bed. I doubt we did anything we’d planned on, but I decided if he was going to be gone for weeks, we were going to have some fun before he left. And that is exactly what we did.
My body was aching by the time he left Monday morning, but I didn’t mind, I had weeks to recover.
“I’ll miss you, Kitten,” Free rasped as he wrapped his hand around the side of my neck.
Something inside of me screamed and begged not to let him leave, but I tamped it down. He had to go, this is his job and livelihood, and what he doesn’t need is some crying female begg
ing for him to stay at her side. I decided that I was probably just scared to be without him. He’s pretty much been at my side since he snatched me up from the compound.
“Take care of my woman,” Free grunts to the man at my side.
Ice lifts his chin but doesn’t speak. “Be good, Kitten,” Free grins, touching his finger to my nose before he turns away from me.
I watch as he straddles his bike, I can’t take my eyes off of him, not even to look at the man who is to be my guard for the next few weeks. Nobody and nothing else in the world matters but memorizing Free’s dark features. I feel like Iam being overly dramatic, but I don’t care. I’m allowed to be in my own mind, anyway.
I watch until his bike disappears and then I let out a sigh. Turning around, I walk into the house without so much as a hello to my bodyguard.
CHAPTER TWENTY
FREE
My gut turns with each mile I place between myself and Whitley. I should have told her over the weekend that I loved her, it’s how I feel. She took the words straight from my mouth, but I’m too much of a pussy to admit them aloud. I love her. I love this little nineteen-year-old girl, and it should feel so fucking wrong, but it doesn’t—it feels the opposite, it feels fucking right.
Pulling into the clubhouse parking lot, I’m not surprised to see Snake standing next to his own parked bike. I ride up next to him, before killing the engine, and kick my stand down then I throw my leg over and dismount.
“You all good to go?”
Lifting my chin, I nod. “Ice is at the house, thanks for sending him over,” I murmur.
“Ice’ll be there during the day, and I have a prospect for night duty. Things have been quiet, I don’t anticipate anything going down, but after the Jack scene, she needs a man on her,” he says.
“Thanks, brother,” I grumble.
Lifting my hand, I scrub it down my face, the anticipation of leaving twisting in my gut even more. Something ain’t right, but I don’t know what, and I can’t not go based off of my gut alone. I shake my head, hoping it’ll shake whatever I’m feeling outta my system, but it doesn’t.
“We got your girl handled, just get your ass down to Idaho, handle shit, get back up north to Regina, then haul ass home.”
“Truck ready?” I ask, lifting my chin toward the warehouse.
Snake nods once. “I’ll take your bike and store it, just load up and get out so you can make good time. Sooner you get there, sooner you can get back to your woman.”
“Yeah,” I grunt.
Snake reaches out, wrapping his fingers around my shoulder and giving it a squeeze. “Happy you found someone, brother. Maybe I haven’t been the most supportive, but I can tell she’s good for you,” he mutters.
“Wanna share cookie recipes, too?” I ask.
Snake’s hand drops from my shoulder and he flips me off with a wide smile. “Maybe, fucker,” he chuckles. “Call me when you stop for the night. Heard the ATF has been cracking down on shit lately,” he calls out.
I lift my hand in a wave and jog toward the truck in the warehouse. My shit was packed and loaded up before I moved over to my new place with Whitley, in preparation for today. I start the truck, inhaling a deep breath, wishing my fucking stomach would calm the fuck down.
Driving out of town, toward the border it doesn’t get any better. Reaching for my phone I call Whitley, hoping it will ease whatever the fuck is wrong with me.
“Hello?”
Clearing my throat, I speak. “You doing okay, Kitten?”
She laughs softly, at my obvious paranoia. “I’m fine, Mason. I’m just going to clean things up around the house, and make a list of things I might need,” she explains.
“I left you money, buy whatever you want, Kitten.”
Whitley hums. “Be safe, come home soon.”
We say our goodbye’s after I agree to do as she requests. If I can make this trip in a week, I’m going to try my best. I can’t believe that I already fucking miss her.
I shake my head at myself.
What a fucking lovesick tool I am. Jesus Christ, I need to punch my own self in the face for being a fucking idiot.
WHITLEY
With my list in hand and a restless night’s sleep, I suck in a deep breath as I open the front door. I have a doctor’s appointment today, and I would like to go get some things for the house. Not much, just some groceries and a few household items.
“Ice?” I ask, in a shaky voice, turning my head to the side.
He turns to me, his eyes bright blue, but cold, harsh even. “Yeah?” he growls, causing me to jump.
“I need to go to the doctor, and the store,” I explain on an exhale.
He tilts his head to the side, his eyes scanning my body, then moves them back up to my face. “Don’t look sick,” he states.
Shaking my head, I give him a wobbly smile. “Not sick, just a checkup,” I try to explain.
He grunts, pushing off of the wall. “C’mon then,” he announces.
I follow behind him toward this single cab, lifted, square bodied blue pickup truck. He walks over to the driver’s side and climbs inside. I quickly wrap my hand around the passenger’s side door and yank it open. It takes more force than I’m used to, but it does eventually creak open. Climbing inside, I try not to flash him my panties as I do, then I slam the door closed behind me.
“What time’s your appointment?” he asks.
Clearing my throat, I try to make sure the tremble is gone before I speak. “Noon,” I nod, looking straight forward.
He doesn’t say anything else. He drives into town, and I hold my breath the entire time. My eyes widen in surprise when he pulls into the Cash Bar parking lot.
“Lunch,” he announces, opening the car door, sliding out and slamming it closed.
I watch him walk away for a few seconds before I quickly scramble out and follow behind him. The bar isn’t extremely busy when we walk in, and I’m glad. I tug down my dress, knowing it’s plenty long enough but feeling a bit out of place anyway. Ice strolls straight forward until he decides on a table and plops down in a chair. I hear it groan under the pressure of his body, and I quickly sit across from him.
A woman walks up to my table. Looking up, I’m not surprised to see that it’s Traci, the same woman who was here when I came for lunch with Free a while ago. “Water again?” she asks with a wink.
“Yes, please,” I smile.
She doesn’t even ask Ice what he wants, she turns and walks away quickly, returning a few minutes later with a beer and a water. “Know what you want, Sugar Pop?” she asks.
I don’t even think about my order. “Burger please,” I smile. She smiles at me, writing down my order.
My eyes move down the length of her and freeze. Ice has his hand between her legs, sliding up the inside of her bare thigh. I quickly shift my gaze to the side, trying to avoid seeing something that is obviously intimate.
Ice’s chuckle breaks me from my staring contest with the ground. Lifting my gaze up to him he smiles. “Me and Traci are casual. She likes her space, and so do I. Same goes for orgasms,” he announces.
I wrinkle my nose, which only makes him laugh a little harder. I watch him, when he isn’t looking terrifying, he’s really very handsome. I glance over at the bar where Traci is watching him as well. She doesn’t just want to take her orgasm and go, I can tell by the look in her eyes. This is her man, or at least she wants him to be.
“She’ll be okay with you spending time alone with me?” I ask, curiously.
He leans back in his chair. “Not her keeper, and she’s not mine. That doesn’t matter though, because you are claimed and marked,” he grins. “Plus, you’re too young for me, I like them a little older.”
My face burns hot, and I look down, trying to hide what assuredly is a bright red face. Traci appears a few minutes later, and places down our plates. I’m unable to look her in the eye, but if she notices, she doesn’t mention it. I watch her hand glide over Ice’s shoulder as
she strolls away. I don’t mistake the way Ice’s head turns to watch her as she makes her way back to the bar, either.
I don’t say a word, because I know they are more than casual, but maybe they haven’t admitted it to themselves yet. I feel like they will, soon, hopefully.
Ice and I finish our lunch in silence and I excuse myself to go to the bathroom to give he and Traci time to say goodbye to one another. When I return, they’re just stepping away from an embrace, and Traci is wiping her lips.
We leave the bar and head back to his pickup truck. The doctor’s office is next and I’m worried. I can’t remember the last time I went to a doctor, maybe for a physical for high school?
I hold onto my purse, which contains the fake ID’s that Free gave to me last night. I don’t know where he got them, and I didn’t ask, but I’m now the proud owner of a driver’s license, a birth certificate, and a social security card.
Ice parks in front of the clinic and his eyes slide to mine. “I’m not going in there with you,” he states.
I smile, rolling my eyes. “Afraid?” I challenge.
He shakes his head refusing to speak. I slide out of the pickup truck, and walk away from him, and into the doctor’s office. It smells just the way I remember them smelling. My nose wrinkles as I write my name on the check-in form, and then go find a seat.
The waiting room is empty and I’m thankful for it. I don’t want to sit in here with a bunch of other women, who I know will probably be silently judging me. Okay, maybe they won’t, but this whole thing makes me feel uncomfortable—which is silly and stupid.
“Whitley?” a female voice calls out.
Looking up, I give the nurse a shaky smile. She looks a few years older than me, wearing a pair of pink scrubs, and her blonde hair is wrapped up in a bun. It’s her smile that immediately comforts me though, it’s kind and almost sweet.
Flamed with Courage: Notorious Devils (Cash Bar Book 3) Page 16