Slate (Rebel Wayfarers MC)

by MariaLisa deMora

  Within fifteen minutes, they were on the highway headed east into Ohio. Ruby was a steady driver, keeping her bike within inches of the painted fog line unless there was debris to avoid. The further they rode, the more relaxed Slate became. This was something he’d been missing—the caress of the wind on his face, that low, underhand wave towards other bikers on the road…no decisions, no problems to fix, no puzzles to put together, just the ride.

  He cut his eyes over to Ruby, and saw her face looked as peaceful as his felt. For all she’d said she wanted a job in the clubhouse, maybe what he’d asked her to take on was too much. He hadn’t realized how much stress she’d been carrying until now, when it was gone. She caught him looking at her and raised an eyebrow quizzically. He gave her a thumbs-up, which she returned, and they rode on.

  Idling into the parking lot of a bar in Toledo a couple hours later, Slate laughed at himself. He hadn’t expected them to ride so far, but it had been such a good run he’d decided simply returning would be anticlimactic. So they’d eat lunch here before they headed back home.

  Home. As he backed into a parking space, he realized he’d thought of Fort Wayne as home for the first time. Not the clubhouse, because he would be moving out and into a house soon—his room there was merely transient, and didn’t matter—but the club, and his brothers...they had become home to him over the past few months. Looking over at her, he realized Ruby was his home too.

  Waiting for her to settle her bike, he sat still for a minute. Theirs were the only bikes in the lot; not wanting any issues about wearing their colors, he’d picked a neighborhood bar near the hockey arena downtown, instead of one of the biker bars.

  He strolled in ahead of Ruby, picking out a booth near the back and guiding her towards it. She slid across the bench with her back to the wall, and he sat down beside her. He ordered them a draft beer each, along with burgers and fries. Like normal with Ruby, he carried the conversation, telling her stories about the Mallets players who frequented Jackson’s back in Chicago.

  If he hadn’t been paying close attention, he would have missed the look that flitted across her face when he talked about his friends and their experiences. He was at a loss for what would have caused it, but knew asking her directly was a mistake, and would cause her to close off.

  “…then Jason was holding Daniel in a headlock, shoving marshmallow cereal into his mouth and shouting about him being a fucking lucky charm.” Slate laughed. “It didn’t end well for Jason; that’s for sure. He never knew cereal could cause that bad a rash if it was shoved into tender bits.” There it was; that was the look again.

  “I think DeeDee met Jason; you should ask her about his crazy shit,” Slate continued, watching the look flash across her face again. Yeah, DeeDee was on her mind; she was probably worried about the hookup last night. He’d seen Jason leaving early this morning. “I’d like to take you to Chicago someday soon, so you can meet my friends and brothers there. I know a lot of them have been to Fort Wayne already, but I’ve kept them so busy you haven’t really gotten to know them.” He picked up his burger, taking a bite and letting silence settle on the table. “Why’d you run last night, Ruby?” he asked softly.

  After a few minutes, Ruby cleared her throat and he looked down at her, then went back to eating. He saw the tip of her tongue dart out, moistening across her bottom lip as he groaned silently, feeling his cock twitch and begin to swell. She ducked her head, saying softly, “Sorry.”

  “For what, baby?” Slate asked, confused and turning to face her in the booth.

  “You’re mad,” she said quietly.

  His head jerked back in surprise. “What? No, I’m not, Ruby. Why do you think I’m angry?”

  She raised her eyes to his. “When you are mad, there’s this muscle that twitches in your jaw. That’s how I know.”

  He sat for a moment, then shook his head. “That might be, but I’m not right now.” He watched her face, “I’m fucking hard, baby. I want you. You licked your lips, and all I can think of is you in my bed with your mouth wrapped around my cock. I’m not angry...I fucking want you.”

  Her breath caught, her body going very still. She clearly wasn’t thinking when she pulled her bottom lip in-between her teeth, biting on it softly. Slate groaned out loud this time, reaching over to tug it gently out of her mouth with one fingertip. “And now, I want to bite that lip,” he said softly, bringing his mouth near her ear to whisper, “and lick it and kiss you...because I want to taste you, baby, but you gotta give me some indication of what you’re thinking, Ruby.

  “I’ve been shutting myself down for months now, but I still fucking want you, seems like more and stronger every day, but I won’t go there unless you tell me to. I need to hear it from you so I know if you are leaning the same way. If you want...me. I’m not a hearts and flowers guy, but you have to know you are killing me.”

  A slow smile spread across her face, lighting it from within. She ducked her head, and then looked up at him again. “Yeah?” she questioned.

  “Yes, baby,” he reassured her, struggling to remain still as he sat beside her. He felt her hand come to rest on his thigh as she bit her bottom lip again.

  Slate reached down, plucking her fingers from his leg, and brought her hand to his mouth, running his lips across the backs of her knuckles. He nipped at them, and then kissed each finger in turn. She twisted her hand in his, cupping his jaw in her palm. “Slate, I want to ask you something,” she said, still looking at him with that smile on her lips.

  He looked at her, waiting patiently as he brought her palm to his mouth, softly kissing it. He opened his lips, dragging his tongue across her palm, sliding her thumb into his mouth, biting and sucking gently. He smiled at her as she gasped softly, still waiting for her to continue. “I would like to have my own room,” she finally said.

  Surprised, that wasn’t what he expected. Stalling, he murmured against her skin, “Your own room?” and continued his assault on her palm and digits. She squirmed a little in the seat as he softly bit the pad of her thumb.

  She took in a breath, whispering, “Yeah,” and pulled against him, trying to free her hand. In a rush, she said, “You are almost ready to move into your apartment, DeeDee will be moving out of the clubhouse soon, and I don’t want the suite...it’s too big. I’d like to have my own room, so I can keep my stuff in one place.” She stared at him, a look of fear chasing across her features when he didn’t immediately respond. “Slate, you aren’t going to make me move out when DeeDee does, are you? Do you want me to leave?”

  He watched as her breath came faster, not sure why she was nearly panicking. “No, baby, you don’t have to leave. Fuck, you are in charge of assigning rooms, so just give yourself whichever room you want. Get a prospect to help you set up furniture, and buy anything we don’t have in storage you need.”

  He stared at her, waiting for her breath to even out, thinking to himself, Fuck it—she’ll never know if I don’t tell her plainly. Speaking evenly, Slate told her, “But, baby…what I want is you in my bed. I want nothing more than you in my room until I move out, and then you with me in my house...our house. I want to come home to you; I want to make love to you…I simply want you.”

  He placed her hand back on top of his thigh, finger and thumb encircling her wrist and stroking slowly upwards, then back down. Releasing her, Slate reached for his burger and began eating again. He nearly choked when Ruby raised her chin, looking him in the eye as she said, “I want that too, Slate.”

  A slow smile broke over his face, lifting the edges of his mouth and crinkling the corners of his eyes. “I’m going to kiss you now, Ruby,” he warned her, moving towards her.

  “Okay,” was all she said as she leaned into him, tilting her face to meet his. Slate fit his mouth over hers, kissing her softly and slowly. His tongue teased along her bottom lip, seeking entrance; she opened to him, and his tongue slid along hers as he tasted and explored her mouth. Slanting his mouth across hers again, he reached a ha
nd up and tangled his fingers into the curly hair at the back of her head, using that grip to hold and guide her responses. Slate ate at her mouth, trying to get his fill of touching her, kissing her, savoring her...after wanting her for so long. Fuck, he had to slow down before he scared her.

  God, she tasted good, a little citrusy, a little spicy, and hot as hell. He was having a hard time catching his breath, so he broke off the kiss, resting his forehead against hers, struggling for control. Running his nose along the edge of her jaw, he licked and nibbled the column of her throat, softly kissing just below her ear. “Slate,” she murmured.

  Like him, her breathing sounded like she’d just run up a flight of stairs. Her hand slid up his thigh, and he growled low in his throat, freezing her movement. His lips moved against her skin as he said, “Baby, unless you want me to bend you over this table and fuck you, you won’t move that hand again.”

  He brought up his hand, splaying his fingers across her throat and cheek. He wrapped his thumb around the underside of her jaw, tilting her head for another kiss. This was softer and sweeter than the desperate ones that had gone on before; there was more give and less take, but he boldly possessed her mouth with his.

  His heart jerked and stuttered when she took his bottom lip between her teeth; she tugged gently as she mock-growled at him. His eyes flashed open to find her green ones staring into him, humor tilting the corners as she smiled around his lip still gripped in her teeth. Slate’s hand tightened on her jaw, and he saw those eyes darken with arousal, her mouth opening as he felt her small hand slowly stroking up his chest.

  “Ruby, baby, slow now. Goddamn...slow...down. I don’t want to rush this; I want you in my bed, where you feel safe, where I can take my time. Not taking you for the first time in an alley in fucking Toledo,” he ground out, settling back away from her by only a few inches, “and I’m not looking for casual, baby. We do this, then you are mine…” he paused, his thumb stroking her throat up and down, “…mine, baby.”

  She nodded at him, never breaking her gaze from his. “So no room,” she agreed, and kissed him back.

  After the two hour ride back to the clubhouse filled with heated glances, he stood and watched Ruby back her bike in beside his, her eyes holding his gaze as she took off her cut and stored it in her saddlebag. Taking the two steps to her, he lifted her off the bike, sliding one palm under her ass, and the other around her back as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

  Kissing her deeply, he paid little attention to the prospect opening the door for them. Slate strode through the clubhouse, ignoring the dozen members arrayed around the room. He was focused entirely on Ruby, her cheek tight against his face as she moaned, running her fingers through his hair. She used her grip to pull his head closer and flexed her hips against him, her heat searing his rigid cock behind the fly of his jeans, seemingly as desperate as he was to get closer.

  Taking the stairs two at a time, he retraced his steps from the night before, going to his room and closing the door behind them. Slate stopped in the middle of the room, realizing he wanted to simultaneously keep holding her like this and strip off their clothes, and he laughed softly against her throat. “Baby, I’m going to put you down, but you don’t get to leave this room. No more running,” he whispered. “I want to see you.”

  He loosened his hold, allowing her to slide slowly down his front, her shirt rucking up in the front as it caught on his belt buckle. Slate reached down to grab the hem, pulling it over her head and tossing it on the dresser. Ruby ran her hands down his cut, slipping underneath to shift it off his shoulders. He caught it in one hand and draped it across the chair that stood next to the bed.

  Reaching one hand behind his head, he grabbed the collar of his shirt and tugged it off, then reached down to her jeans, unsnapping the waistband with the fingers of one hand. Ruby smiled up at him, saying softly, “Boots,” as she settled to her knees in front of him. Her small hands helped him remove his boots and socks, and then she was laughing as she tipped over backward to pull her own boots off.

  He groaned out loud as she tilted her face up at him, one hand raised for his assistance as her hair cascaded down her bare back. He took in the sight of her—breasts barely contained by a lacy white bra, belly exposed where her jeans gaped open, teasing him with a glimpse of white lace panties, her feet bare, and that mane of red curls wild around her face.

  “God, baby,” he ground out as he reached down for that outstretched hand, pulling her to her feet and up against him. Her hands were working at his jeans, and she gave a little shimmy as her own slid down her legs to the floor. Unselfconsciously, she stepped on the hem to pull them off her legs all the way, pushing the denim fabric of his down his legs at the same time. His cock slid into view, turgid and hard, slapping against his belly as it sprung free, and she reached for him.

  Slate gathered both her hands into one of his, stopping her. “I won’t last, baby, not if your hands are on me right now. When I come, I want to be buried deep inside you.” She gave a gasp as he growled the words into her ear. “Get on the bed, Ruby,” he said, releasing her. He eyed her as she sat and then moved up the bed on her ass using her heels and hands; she watched him as he stepped out of his jeans.

  “Ruby,” he said softly, putting one knee on the bed and crawling up to stretch out beside her; he wrapped an arm around her to drag her to his side. “Baby, I need you to know I’m not fucking around here.” He draped her over his chest, tipping her chin up with one finger so he could see her face. “I don’t do casual. I won’t do public, and I will not fucking share. I want you bare too, because that’s reserved for my woman. I need to hear you say what you want, because if we aren’t on the same page, this ain’t happening.” Her eyes grew big and round, and she rested her forehead against his chest, nodding. “No, baby, not good enough. I need the words, Ruby. This means something to me, and you have to fucking know that.”

  He heard her throat click as she swallowed, and he watched her lick her lips before speaking in her low voice, “It’s not casual for me either, Slate. I’ve never felt anything like this before. I want you. I’ve wanted you since the first time you came to Fort Wayne. I’ve never been with a club member, and I’m clean. I haven’t had sex for nearly three years. I want to be with you, and I don’t share either,” her voice went soft, “but I’m not on birth control.”

  His arms tightened around her as he asked, “Do you want babies?”

  She flinched, but said, “Well...yes, someday.”

  He nodded and kissed the top of her head. “I want to see my babies growing in your belly. I want to watch you become ripe and round, and I want to hold our children. If you get pregnant, I’ll be far from upset, baby. From your belly to the breakfast table, I want that.”

  Slate ran his hands down her back and side, shifting her off him as he sat up to tug her panties down her legs and toss them aside. Unfastening her bra, he slid the straps down her arms and discarded it as well. Rising over her on one elbow, he captured her face in his hand, pulling her effortlessly into another kiss. Stroking her tongue with his, he ravished her mouth, biting and sucking on her lips until they were puffy and sensitive as her hand clutched at his bicep.

  Pulling back, he watched his fingertips trail down her throat and across her chest, stroking the sides and bottom of her breasts with his knuckles. She was so soft her skin felt like silk against his fingers. Palming her breasts, he rolled one of them in his hand, feeling the nipple pebble and tighten against his skin. I could eat her up, he thought.

  Lowering his head, he slowly licked across a nipple, then blew on it, the chill from his breath making it harden even more. Tweaking the peak with his rough fingertips, he pinched softly, listening as her breathing became erratic.

  Moving his attention to her other breast, he sucked her deep within his mouth, feeling her hands wrap around his head, cradling him there. Ruby arched her back, pressing up into him, and he smiled against her skin, nipping with his lips and teeth just
to hear that catch in her breath again.

  He slipped one hard thigh between her legs, pressing firmly against her soft, red curls, and he felt her shudder beneath him. Her hand curled around his shoulder, touching him as her head pressed back into the pillow; she made a soft noise in the back of her throat as her hips moved against him involuntarily. Slate smiled against her skin again, moving his mouth down across her belly, slowly licking and kissing from side to side, shifting his mouth down bare inches at a time.

  He paused for a moment, surprised by the ink on her ribs. He hadn’t known she had a tattoo. It was a small piece, but she had memorialized her best friend with their names twined in ribbon, ‘Lockee & Melanie’ with the word ‘Sisters’ connecting and binding everything together. “Beautiful, baby, that’s beautiful. I love that you care so fucking much,” he whispered against her skin, tracing the ribbon and words with his tongue and fingertips.

  “Scooch up a bit, Ruby,” he said, moving down further in the bed. His hands captured her hips as she moved at his instruction, and he trailed his tongue across her belly, hipbone to hipbone, and back again. Moving between her legs, he pushed his hands underneath her ass, lifting her to his mouth as he spread her labia wide with his thumbs. Pressing his nose into her curls, he took in a deep breath, savoring the scent of her arousal. “God, so fucking pretty, baby,” he murmured, his lips against her inner thigh.

  Beginning with the tight little rosebud between her cheeks, he licked and laved every inch of her with his tongue, dipping inside her pussy before swirling back around her opening. He wanted this to be slow and smooth, teasing her with the sensation of his mouth and hands on her.