by Lilly Atlas
“So fucking good,” he managed to say even though his brain was going haywire.
Bobbing on his dick, she drew him farther into her mouth with each pass, until, by the fifth go around, he hit the back of her throat. Given that she was out of practice, she gagged slightly, her throat muscles squeezing him and making him cry out. “Shit,” he said. “I almost came right there.”
With her mouth stuffed full of him, she giggled, and he groaned. There was a good chance he’d die right here buried halfway down her throat. She fingered herself as she sucked him in, again and again, her fingers increasing speed in time with her mouth.
At his sides, Jig opened and closed his fists until he could no longer resist the need to dive his fingers into all that thick hair. Sweeping it away from her face, he gathered it into a ponytail high on her head, giving him a better view of both her mouth on him and her hand between her legs.
He held her hair firm, taking some of Izzy’s control as he guided her mouth along his cock, but she didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she groaned at his rough hold and rocked her hips on her hand. Jig watched every move she made. The visual, the heat of her mouth, the strong suction, and her moans of pleasure had him racing toward orgasm faster than ever before.
“Fuck, Iz,” he said as she swallowed and squeezed the head of his cock just the right way. He widened his stance as his gut tightened and his balls drew up tight. “I’m about to come, baby. You want to bail, now’s the time.” He tugged her hair, letting her know what he meant.
She shook her head and grabbed his hips, sinking him all the way to the back of her throat. Then she swallowed again and sucked the cum straight out of him.
Jig’s hand tightened in her hair. Hell, he was probably pulling too hard, but as the orgasm hit, he lost the ability to control his muscles. He bent at the waist, riding out the spasms and holding himself deep in her mouth as she rocked his world.
It seemed to last longer than ever before, but eventually, he stilled and began to soften in her mouth. Izzy pulled back, a look of triumph strong on her face. Licking her lips, she rose to her feet.
Jig didn’t give her a chance to say anything. He kissed her, not caring he could taste himself on her tongue. Then, before she could react, he lifted her, carried her to the bed and tossed her in the center. The moment her back hit the mattress, he spun her and shoved her face down on the bed. She huffed out a startled laugh as she landed.
“You come yet?”
“What?” she asked peering over her shoulder. Her dark eyes tracked him as he climbed up behind her.
The picture she made was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. All that dark hair spilled over the tanned skin of her toned back. The generous, firm swell of her ass leading into long, shapely legs. She was worlds better than any centerfold he’d ever seen.
“Did. You. Come. Yet?” he asked in a harsh voice. Playtime was over. He was back at the wheel, and she was going to take everything he gave her.
“No. Not yet.”
“Good. I don’t want you coming until I’m inside you.” He ran his hand down the center of her spine, enjoying the little shiver that coursed through her.
Izzy chuckled. “You just came like the world was ending there, bubba. Guess I’m going to be waiting a long time for my turn, huh?”
Jig’s lips twitched. Little smartass. Easily dealt with. He cracked his palm across her ass, eliciting a sharp yelp and that narrowed-eyed look that stirred his blood. “Don’t even think ab—"
He did it again, and her breathing increased like it did in a fight. She was trying to control herself. Resisting the urge to give in to the desire. He reached between her legs. Completely drenched. She may not want to like it, but she fucking loved it. “Done with the sass?”
One terse nod was the only answer she gave before she turned her gaze forward. Not acceptable. For this to work, she had to admit she could give up control and enjoy it. He’d given up control for her a few moments ago…mostly.
Jig wrapped her hair around his fist and tugged her head back. She moaned and tried to pull away, but he held her firm. “You’re still a badass, Izzy,” he whispered against her ear. “What we do in here can never take away from that. I will never think anything less of you. But you don’t have to be tough and hard with me all the time. You can give in to this other part of you, and no one will ever know. Just you and me, sweetheart.”
He loosened his grip enough that she turned her head and met his gaze. Relief, uncertainty, lust, and compliance were what he read from her.
Pushing back to his knees, he palmed her ass and squeezed, hard. Even with just his hands on her, he was in heaven. “Why do you think I had you lay on your stomach? I’ll be hard again in two minutes looking at that ass.” Halfway there already, he couldn’t tear his eyes from the round globes. He leaned down and bit into the flesh of her ass.
“Jig,” Izzy cried out then moaned.
He did it again, then again until she was squirming beneath him and grinding her pelvis into the bed.
Searching for the relief only he could give her.
“Jesus,” she said, panting as her head dropped down to the bed. “I’ve never let—what the hell are you doing to me?”
“I’m letting you be you. No walls. No masks. Just you. Just me.”
She swallowed audibly and in a soft voice said, “Please, Jig.”
Goddamn did he love the sound of her begging. He was sporting a raging erection once again, as though it’d been ages since he’d last come, not five minutes.
“Please what?” he asked. Sure, he was pushing her. She’d probably never asked for it in her life and would have knocked any other man six ways to Sunday. But he wasn’t any other man. He was the one who wanted to peel back her layers and reveal the core of what made her who she was.
In her presence, he was raw and exposed and would accept nothing less in return for however long it lasted.
“Please fuck me,” she said, voice rife with need.
Shit, he needed to see her. As though she was nothing more than pint-sized, he flipped her to her back. “Hands up,” he ordered.
She hesitated, but just for a fraction of a second before placing her hands above her head, giving him her trust, giving up her control.
“Keep them there.” Jig grabbed one of the pillows next to her head and shoved it under her ass. Next, he fished a condom out of the nightstand and rolled it down his cock, gritting his teeth against the pleasure his own hand brought. Then he fisted his cock, stroked twice, and ran it through her folds, making sure to tap against her clit.
She cried out and begged again. “Please, Jig. Now.”
“You sure you’re ready for this? You sure you can handle me, Iz?”
She lifted her head and looked him straight in the eye. “I can handle every single part of you, Jig.”
They both knew she was referring to more than his need to fuck hard. She was accepting his past, his pain, his fucked-up head, the dangerous present they were living in and maybe, just maybe, the future.
The need to possess her raged within him, and he slammed home in one powerful thrust.
“Yes,” Izzy cried as he gave her what she’d been begging for.
Jig completely lost himself in the woman who took him at face value and cast no judgment. The woman whose walls he was knocking down. The woman who was crawling so deep inside him he could feel her flowing through his veins. Never before had he felt so connected to another woman on such a raw, primal level.
Not even his wife.
And what the fuck was he supposed to do about that?
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“DID YOU MAKE the call?” Stephanie asked, her voice giddy with excitement.
Izzy smiled and spoke above the noise of her tattoo machine. “I did. I told Mav I locked myself out of the shop and couldn’t get a hold of Jig or Rip. He’ll be here in fifteen minutes, and I’ve got about ten left on your tat. You holding up okay?”
“Yeah, I’m
good. I mean, it’s not like getting a massage, but it’s not as bad as I feared either.” She was face down on the table while Izzy inked the phrase Through every dark night, there is a brighter day onto her shoulder. The quote obviously held significance for Stephanie and Maverick. On top of that, the ink looked terrific on Steph’s tan skin. Instead of writing it straight across her friend’s shoulder, Izzy started the words at the outer edge, where her shoulder met her arm and followed the natural curve of Stephanie’s body in one long line.
Gorgeous.
Below the quote was a date. A few months ago. A large part of Izzy was dying to know what made that date so significant, but her personal policy was to never ask. Not all clients wanted to share the personal nature of their choice, and she’d never want to make them uncomfortable. Even if they were friends.
“Mav’s gonna lose his shit,” Steph said of her heavily tattooed boyfriend. The man would have to grow some extra limbs if he wanted any more ink. “I’m so freaking excited. We met under rather intense circumstances, both taken prisoner by the Gray Dragons on the date there.” She sighed. “Got pretty dicey for a while. Both of us were injured, Mav far worse than I was. But we wouldn’t have ‘us’ if it wasn’t for that experience. Today is definitely a brighter day even with Lefty’s shadow looming over the club.”
Wow. That was more than Izzy could have imagined. If the rambling was any indication, Steph was nervous about Maverick’s reaction to the tattoo. Izzy just grunted her agreement but was too much in the zone to carry on more of a conversation. She worked for another five minutes, then wiped the area she’d just completed. “All finished.”
“Yay!” Stephanie practically bounced off the table. “Can I look now? It’s been so hard to not be able to see it while you were working. Can I look?”
“You bet.” Izzy pointed toward the floor length mirror. “Have at it. I can take a picture for you too if you want to see it closer.”
“Oooh, yes, would you?” She stood in the middle of the store holding her shirt over her bare chest. Rip wasn’t due in for another hour, and no walk-ins had shown up that morning, so it was just Izzy and Steph.
“Yeah, where’s your phone?”
“In my bag. You can grab it,” Steph said as she twisted her head around trying to get a better view.
“Here.” Izzy handed the phone to Steph who used her thumb to unlock it. “Turn around and hold still a second.”
A laugh bubbled out of Stephanie. “I’m so excited I’m buzzing with energy. Not sure I can be still.”
“You’re good.” Izzy snapped a few pics then returned the phone to Stephanie.
“Oh, man, Izzy. This is absolutely perfect. You are seriously amazing.” Stephanie squealed like a kid on Christmas morning.
“Thanks. I actually love doing quotes. Some fonts can look so beautiful.”
Still holding the shirt across her front, Steph tilted her head and gave Izzy a sly smile. “So, I’ve been here for two hours. Think I’ve held out long enough. What the hell is going on with you and Jig?”
What was going on with her and Jig? That was the question on her mind constantly. They ate together, they watched television together, they fixed her broken faucet together, they slept together, and they fucked in every corner of her house. They also had this intense connection that allowed her to let her guard down and show Jig parts of herself she hadn’t known existed. Then there was him spilling his guts about his past, a past not even his brothers fully knew.
She didn’t allow herself to delve too deeply into it. For now, what they shared was enough, but Izzy felt a tugging on her heart the more time they spent together. And that was unacceptable and would have to be dealt with sooner rather than later.
“We’re…friends,” she said and then winced because it sounded like a crock of shit, even to her.
Stephanie burst out laughing. She laughed until her eyes watered and she could barely breathe.
“It’s not that funny,” Izzy grumbled as she began to clean up.
“Oh, but it is. You two can’t keep your hands or lips off each other, but it’s fine. You can keep your little secrets for now. Just know that with this group, nothing stays buried for long.” She flashed a toothy grin.
“It’s not my fault he’s so damn sexy.”
“No,” Steph said as she walked closer. “It’s not. But it is your fault the man is smiling for the first time since I’ve met him. And it’s your fault he’s laughing, hanging out more, and seems to be actually enjoying his life. I’d say that’s completely your fault.”
Tears filled Izzy’s eyes. Shit. She blinked and stared at her equipment. She didn’t fucking cry, and hearing that Jig was doing so well wouldn’t be the thing that made her do it for the first time since her mother died.
She cleared her throat. “Thanks.” It was all she could manage.
Stephanie winked and nodded. Then the jangle of bells announced Mav’s arrival.
“Busy Izzy, what’s going on? I thought you were lock—babe?” He stopped a few feet in the door and whipped his head back and forth between Steph and Izzy. “What are you doing here? And without your shirt on.” Then he staggered back with a hand over his heart as though he’d been shot. “Holy shit, is that dream I had the other night about to come true? I told you about it. The one where you and Izzy were naked and you—”
“Maverick!” Stephanie held up her hand in a stop motion while Izzy cracked up. Maverick never failed to say something ridiculous and borderline inappropriate.
Okay, over-the-line inappropriate, but hilarious nonetheless.
“Your little fantasy did not and is not going to happen,” Steph said, shaking her head at Maverick’s dramatic pout. “Sorry to disappoint you.”
“Well, if you’re not going to get naked and eat strawberries off each other, what are you doing here?”
Izzy snorted and mouthed, “Strawberries?”
With a roll of her eyes, Steph said, “It’s better not to ask. You learn to just smile and nod.” Which she did in a very staged fashion.
“You two are too much.” Izzy walked her dirty equipment over to the autoclave.
“All right,” Mav said. “Enough bullshit. What’s really going on?”
Steph bit her lower lip and spun on one heel. “What do you think?” The woman had handled the needle like a pro without an ounce of trepidation, but now her voice shook. Mav’s opinion meant everything to her.
Behind her back, Izzy crossed her fingers and held her breath.
“Holy shit,” Mav said on a harsh exhale. He rushed across the room and straight to Stephanie. When he reached her, he traced a finger across her skin below the fresh tattoo. “Jesus, baby.” He visibly swallowed, his voice choked with emotion.
“Do you like it?”
“I fucking love it. You—” He rested his head between her shoulder blades, took a deep breath, then whispered something in her ear. A glowing smile appeared on Stephanie’s face just before she spun and threw her arms around his neck.
“I love you so damn much, Maverick,” she said.
“Love you too, babe.” Then they were kissing in a not-fit-for-public make-out session. Izzy averted her eyes. Not because of the show, nah, she was down with a little visual porn, but the depth of feeling and love between the two was more than she could bear.
She hadn’t had much experience with successful couples, and it was clear these two were one of the ones that would make it.
They loved each other.
Not infatuation, or lust, though they had that in spades, but a deep love and connection the world could see. They needed each other to survive.
And it fucked with Izzy’s mind too much for her to keep watching.
After a few minutes of pretending she wasn’t seconds away from a live sex show, she rolled her eyes. “Okay, you two crazy kids, let me get that tattoo dressed and go over the after-care before you start rolling around on my floor naked. Then I’ll be forced to clean up all the vomit that will
come from my mouth because, Mav, no one wants to see you naked.”
Stephanie laughed, and it killed their make-out session. Mav didn’t have an ounce of fat on him. Nor did he have the muscular bulk of his brothers. Not to say he was a slouch. No, he was definitely as hot as the rest of them, and she’d heard he was scrappy as hell. But it was always fun to kid the kidder.
“Do your thing, Iz, so I can take my woman home and fuck her.” He scratched his chin as though deep in thought. “Though I might not be able to wait that long. Izzy, you mind if we go fuck around the side of your building?”
“Jesus, Mav,” Stephanie said with a shake of her head, but Izzy didn’t miss the flash of interest in her gaze.
“Fine by me as long as I can’t see or hear anything. And as long as you don’t have her back against the wall. I get a little cranky if you mess up my work five minutes after it’s done.” Just as she finished speaking, the sky opened up and rain pelted down.
With a shrug, Mav snapped his fingers. “Oh, darn. Guess that’s out of the question. My woman’s a screamer anyway.” He winked at Stephanie who was now bright pink and trying to hide her face.
Izzy laughed as she dressed the tattoo. Spending the morning with Steph had been more fun than she’d expected. By the time the ink was covered, she’d reviewed the after-care and was ready to send her friends on their horny way. She and Steph hugged, kissed cheeks, and promised to have a girl’s day soon. Well, a girl’s day plus their respective biker shadows.
After they left, Izzy finished cleaning up, then the bell jangled and the prospect watching her popped his head in. It wasn’t someone she’d seen before, a newer guy whose name she was embarrassed to admit she couldn’t recall. “Hey, Izzy, I’m fucking starving. Mind if I run out to grab some food? I’ll be twenty minutes tops.”
Jig wouldn’t like it, but Rip was due any moment so she shouldn’t be alone for more than thirty seconds. “Nah, go ahead. It’s fine.”
“You want something?” what’s-his-name asked.
“No, I’m good. Thanks, though.”
He disappeared, and she got back to her cleaning only to have the bell ring out again.