by Lilly Atlas
Striker’s erection nestled against her core and she moaned into his mouth. Before long, it wasn’t enough. Striker pulled her from the wall and propelled her forward, bending her over the back of the couch.
She gripped the top of the cushion and felt him yank her pants down. A thrill of excitement rippled through her as the sound of her panties tearing filled the room. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the tattered remains fly over the couch. Against the fabric, her nipples hardened, and her pussy clenched in anticipation of his invasion.
“Don’t make me wait, Striker.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, he powered into her with one strong thrust. “God.” He groaned. “You’re wet.” It was as though he finally believed everything she’d said when he felt the proof of her words in her body’s response. He sagged, and rested his head on her back, his shaft embedded deep within her.
“Because I want you.” Her voice was fierce. “Fuck me, Striker. You need this. I need this. We almost died or worse today. I need to feel you inside me, to feel alive. We’ll deal with the rest of the bullshit later. Right now I just need to feel you move inside me.”
Not waiting for him, she drew her hips forward, then pushed pack and impaled herself farther on his cock. After that neither of them spoke. He hammered into her furiously, as though he could imprint himself on her, and she reveled in it, meeting him thrust for thrust.
With adrenaline still coursing through them and emotions running high, there was little room left for finesse and patience. It was raw and intense; he fucked her like a man possessed. It wasn’t long before she came with a sharp cry as ecstasy flooded her system. The pleasure Striker gave her on top of the fear from earlier propelled her into an orgasm so powerful tears fell from her eyes.
Above her, a primal roar rang out, and knew the encounter had been just as earth shattering for Striker. Exhausted, Lila’s arms were unable to bear her weight anymore and she collapsed over the back of the couch. Her breaths came in ragged pants, made more difficult when Striker’s heavy body landed against her back as though he couldn’t hold himself up either.
He must have heard her crying because he suddenly drew back. “Oh my God, Lila, did I hurt you? I knew—”
She stood, managed an awkward turn, and almost laughed at the picture they made. Striker’s pants were down at his knees, his now soft cock dripping with their combined fluids, and his bruised face held an expression of concern. Her jeans were down as well, only barely past her ass, and who knew where the remains of her panties ended up. Lila was afraid to catch a glimpse of her hair. It had to be a tangled mess.
The look of self-loathing on Striker’s face made her heart squeeze. “No, Striker,” she said. She stepped into him and wrapped her arms around his powerful body. “You gave me exactly what I needed.”
He stood still, and didn’t return her embrace. “But you were crying.”
“It was intense,” she answered with a shrug.
Finally, he relented, and enfolded her in his arms. He brought his mouth to hers for a deep kiss that ended when they heard the rumble of pipes coming down the street. “That will be Hook and Jester. I’m not sure how long I’ll be, but they will stay the whole time.”
She watched as he made himself presentable again. There wasn’t enough time to shower, and she’d never admit it out loud, but she liked the idea of him wearing the scent of their love making for the rest of the night. She, however, planned to shower. It would at least give her something to do besides stare at Hook and Jester while Striker was gone. For now, she righted her clothes so she was decent when they came in the house.
Striker was so handsome. He moved with the easy confidence of a man secure in his power and position. It hadn’t been long, but he’d become everything to her, and she already felt she needed him in her life just as much as she wanted him there. The thought was a bit unsettling for someone who had gotten used to being in charge and independent.
He looked up as he finished buckling his belt. “We have a lot to talk about when I get back. I need to think about some things before this goes any further.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I’ve never cared enough about a woman to want to do right by her. And that’s what I’m doing now, trying to do the right thing for you, Lila.”
“Who the hell do you think you are?” she spat out, anger surging at his statement. “You don’t get to decide what’s right for me, Striker. I do that. So think all you want, but think about what it is that you want, not what you think I need. I’m perfectly capable of making those decisions for myself.”
He chuckled and held up his hands in surrender. “My bad. I’m sorry.”
Lila blew out a breath and her anger dissipated. “Let me just say one thing and then we can talk when you get back.”
“Okay.” He eyed her as though he thought she was trying to trap him.
“I sat in a room by myself most of the time I was in the Grimm’s clubhouse. It gave me a lot of time to think, and I had decided that this thing between us was over. I was going to tell you as soon as I got away from them. And then I saw you, and your brothers, who came from all over to help you, and I realized I was being a fool. You have a family that loves you, and will have your back no matter what. If you weren’t deserving of that, you wouldn’t have it. They respect you, and love you because you’re a good man, Striker. I realized that instead of pushing you away because I’m afraid or because it might be difficult, I need to pull you closer. There’s strength in numbers. Together, and with your family, we can have something important.”
She couldn’t believe it when she saw Striker’s eyes fill. “Christ, Lila. There isn’t a thing about you I don’t think is amazing.”
A pounding on the door interrupted anything further he might have said to her.
“It’s open,” he hollered.
Seconds later Jester and Hook entered the room. Lila was sure they could sense the tension. It was so thick it was practically visible. She didn’t care who saw them. Being taken by Snake changed her outlook on the small things. Lila grabbed Striker and pulled him to her for a passionate kiss. She wanted him, and wasn’t above playing dirty to get him. Might as well send him off on a positive note.
When the kiss ended she shifted her head so her mouth was pressed against his ear. “I love you, Striker.” It may have been a mistake to make herself so vulnerable to him, but she wanted him to know what he’d be walking away from if he chose to do so. Her vision blurred, and she turned away before he could respond.
Rattled by her own weepiness, Lila walked into the bathroom. She locked the door behind her and turned on the water to give it time to warm up. After stripping down, she stepped in the steamy shower, and finally let the tears flow.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Striker couldn’t believe what had just transpired between him and Lila. The most emotionally charged sex of his life, culminating in one of the most intense orgasms he’d experienced, all initiated by him being a colossal asshole. There was a mountain of unsaid words between them, and he had so much to make amends for, he wasn’t sure where to begin.
The entire time he’d been raging at her, Lila fought for them, instead of fighting him, and she looked gorgeous doing it. Face flushed with suppressed anger, eyes shining with what he now knew was her love for him. Her body had been taut with tension, a body he’d been unable to keep from touching, taking.
“Lila holding up okay?” Hook was the first to break the silence. The concerned look on his face spoke volumes. He’d always been very protective of women. It went back to a bunch of shit from his childhood. It was no surprise that the first question he asked was about Lila’s wellbeing.
Striker shook his head, and rubbed a spot on the left side of his chest where a small ache had formed. “I don’t know, brother. Some serious shit went down today. I don’t think she’s had a chance to process it all.”
“How about you? You holding up?” This time the inquiry came from Jester.
“Don’t know that
either, bro. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Shouldn’t take long.”
“Don’t worry, Striker, we’ll watch over your woman.” Hook spoke again.
“Thanks.” He bolted into the kitchen, snagged his gun off the table, and strode back out the front door as Jester and Hook plopped down on his couch to wait for Lila.
Wrung out after her crying jag, Lila dragged herself out of the shower. She was sure Jester and Hook didn’t care what she wore, so she threw on a pair of yoga pants and one of Striker’s many Harley Davidson Tshirts. As she pulled the soft fabric over her head, the smell of him surrounded her and made her feel embraced by him, something she needed in this uncertain time.
She toweled off her long hair, and secured it up in a high ponytail. Since she wasn’t in the mood to dry it fully or put on makeup, it looked like she’d run out of ways to avoid going out to the living room.
With a fortifying breath, Lila opened the door to the hallway and started toward the den. Both men looked up as she came down the hall, staring at her as though they were expecting her to break down. “Hey, guys. Can I get you a drink or anything?”
Jester rose and walked to her. He slung a long arm around her shoulders, and steered her toward the couch where he encouraged her to sit. “No, doll. We can help ourselves if we want something. Sit and relax. By the way, you look about nineteen in that outfit. I like it.” He bobbed his eyebrows up and down at he as he spoke.
His antics had the desired effect, and she laughed, easing the tension in the room and the tension in her body. “Thank you, Jester. I needed that.”
“You doing all right, honey?” Hook asked.
Lila took a moment to answer. “I think so. Can I ask you guys a question?”
Hook raised an eyebrow at her.
“What happens now? With the Grimm Brothers I mean? I kinda zoned out at the end when I was sitting on Striker’s bike.” Her stomach clenched while she waited for his response. If he told her they were still in danger from Snake, she might just break down.
Hook rubbed a hand over the stubble on his chin. “Well, hon, I’m not going to lie to you and tell you we’re all best buds now, but I think things will be calm for a while. Snake agreed to abide by the terms of the deal we set with Jackal.” He shrugged as he continued. “His word probably means shit, but he’s got enough on his plate with taking control of his club.”
“What do you mean?”
“From what I’ve heard, the Grimms were pretty split as far as loyalty, half loyal to Jackal, and the other half helped Snake overthrow him. I’m guessing he cleans house, and gets rid of Jackal’s supporters. Whether he’ll replace them or not remains to be seen. He’ll be too busy dealing with his own shit to mess with us for a while. Some of those guys are not gonna go quietly.”
Lila blew out a breath. “Good. That’s good.”
Hook leaned back on the couch, and propped his feet up on the coffee table. “Are you gonna be able to make peace with what you saw go down today?”
“You mean the guy you turned over to the Grimms? Does it really matter how I feel?”
Jester joined in the conversation. “It matters to Striker. We are all aware when we patch in, that the MC becomes our life, our family. Everything we do is in support of the club. We are also aware of what happens if we betray that patch.
“We don’t run drugs Lila. That’s something our club decided long ago because of the violence and destruction it brings to the community. Not to mention we’d become an easy target for the cops. We are far from saints, but we don’t seek out violence.”
Hook took over where Jester left off. “To commit an act that goes against the charter is bad enough, to commit an act that harms our club, and puts our families in danger, is an unforgivable offence.”
Lila nodded, she understood all this, and even accepted it. Didn’t make the situation any less horrifying.
“Trust me, Lila,” Jester said. “The guy that did this did so fully aware of what would happen if they got caught. If Snake didn’t claim him we’d have taken care of it ourselves.”
“Jester.” Hook’s voice held a note of warning.
Lila waved him off. “It’s okay, I truly get it. I’m not going to freak out over this, nor will I tell a soul.” She paused, not sure if she wanted to continue.
“What is it, hon?” Jester asked.
“I’m just worried about Striker.” She was a little embarrassed to put her emotional cards on the table in front of them, but she’d started down this path, and might as well see it through. Lila cleared her throat. “I mean this was a serious betrayal by someone he trusted. Yesterday the guy was a brother, today he’s a traitor, and now he’s probably dead. I know he feels some kind of misplaced responsibility as your vice president.”
Hook huffed out a laugh. “Hon, you’re going to make one hell of an ol’ lady.”
Her eyebrows drew down. “How so?”
“Here we are, all worried you’re going to think we are a bunch of barbaric murderers, and you’re mostly concerned about how Striker will deal with all this. You’re a good woman, Doc.”
Her face heated as they both looked at her with respect and appreciation.
“It does wear on him, a lot,” Hook said. “Having your goodness in his life is going to bring him peace, help him sleep at night. I’ve already seen it calming him.”
Lila looked away as she recalled their earlier argument. Her presence in his life seemed to be doing the exact opposite. Striker appeared overly troubled by her, not comforted as they claimed.
Jester shifted to the couch, and sat next to her. One baseball glove sized hand reached out, and drew her head to his shoulder. “Whatever you’re thinking, knock it off. I don’t know what happened before we got here.” He chuckled. “Though I can guess by the torn panties on the floor over there.”
“Jester! What is it with you?” She buried her face in the bulk of his arm as the humiliation of him catching them for the second time washed over her.
Jester threw back his head and cracked out a laugh. “I get a kick outta making you blush, Stitch. But let me finish. I don’t know what Striker said to you, but I want you to remember one thing. All this shit that’s happening? Worst part for Striker is that it touched you, that he couldn’t protect you from it.”
“Jester’s right, Doc. Give him time. Striker will pull his head out of his ass.”
Exhaustion set in, and her eyelids became heavy. “What makes you think he has his head up his ass?”
“I’ve known him a long time, hon. I can guess how he’s reacting to his feelings for you. Go ahead and doze off, Doc. We’re not going anywhere until Striker gets back.” Hook rose from the couch. “I’m gonna grab a beer. Want one, Jest?”
Jester nodded at Hook, snatched the remote control from the coffee table, and skimmed channels until he found a documentary on something motorcycle related. Lila didn’t bother to pay attention.
She allowed her eyes to drift closed, and curled her feet up on the couch, with her head against Jester’s substantial shoulder. The events of the day caught up with her, and she felt drained, both emotionally and physically. She should probably head on into bed, but wanted to be out in the den when Striker returned. Not to mention, she wasn’t sure which bed she should sleep in tonight.
Chapter Thirty
The scene that greeted Striker when he walked through the door had him smiling his first genuine smile since leaving the clubhouse with Lila the morning before. No one noticed him, which allowed him a few seconds to observe the trio.
Jester sat in the center of the couch with Hook at the right end. The TV was on with the volume turned down low, just loud enough to make out what was being said. A UFC fight played on the screen, and the guys argued over who was a better fighter in voices barely above a whisper. Lila lay curled up on her side with her head pillowed on Jester’s shoulder as she slept. Someone had covered her with a blanket.
He liked to give Jester shit for being affectionate with Lil
a, but it was in a brotherly manner, and there wasn’t anyone he trusted to take care of her more than the two men on his couch. There was no way in hell Jester would ever try to move in on his woman.
Both men glanced up at him as the door clicked shut. Without a word, he entered the living room and scooped Lila up off the couch. He took a moment to enjoy her soft, warm weight cradled in his arms as he moved toward his bedroom.
“Striker?” Her voice was groggy with sleep, and slightly confused. “You’re back?”
“Yeah, baby, I’m home. I’m going to tuck you into bed, then I gotta talk to the boys for a few minutes, but I promise I won’t be long.”
When he reached his room, he nudged the door open with his foot, and turned to fit them both through. Gently, he laid Lila on the mattress, and brushed soft kisses over her face.
Lila looked at him with troubled eyes. “I wasn’t sure you’d want me in here tonight.”
“I always want you, Lila. It was never about me not wanting you,” Striker whispered, and kissed her once on the mouth. He hated that he put doubts in her mind about how much he desired her. “Wait up for me.”
When he reached the living room, both men stood, and Hook nodded his head toward the front door. “Want to talk outside? I could use a smoke.”
“Sounds good.”
They filed out the door and stood in the driveway. The air still held a hint of warmth from the heated day. Hook pulled out a pack of cigarettes and inclined it toward Jester who grabbed one.
“What the fuck, man?’ Striker asked as Hook stuffed the pack into his pocket.
“You think your doctor lady is going to let you smoke?” Hook laughed as he asked the question.
Striker made a point to look around dramatically. “You think she’s watching out the window? Give me a fucking cigarette.”