by Jayne Blue
My heart hammered in my chest as I felt Kellan’s eyes still on me. I shouldn’t have looked back. I should have turned back to Justin or dipped low in a bow. We’d finished our set and it was time to break. I did look back though. Kellan’s gaze raked over me and he couldn’t hide the naked lust in his eyes. I knew he saw the same thing in mine. I couldn’t help it. My breasts rose and fell as I struggled to catch my breath. Heat coursed through me and went straight to my core, settling between my legs.
I wanted him. I couldn’t deny it. Didn’t want to. Even though I knew it was a terrible idea. It wasn’t just me I had to think about. Nothing good could come from messing with Kellan Carter or getting in any deeper with the Great Wolves M.C. than I already had. I knew it in my head, but my heart and every other part of me didn’t care.
The lights went down and Justin pulled his guitar strap over his head.
“That was quick thinking, cuz,” he said. “Our first big night ends in a brawl and I’m thinking that would have been the end of this gig.”
Breathless, I nodded.
“You okay?” he asked.
I nodded again. Tim and Bruno had already hopped off stage and headed for the bar surrounded by their new female groupies. Three or four more lingered at the end of the stage waiting for Justin.
“I’m good,” I said. “I just need a little air. It’s hotter in here than I’m used to.”
“Uh huh,” Justin said, holding his pick between his teeth as he set his guitar down in its case.
“Go on,” I said, plastering a smile back on my face. “Have a little fun tonight, Jus. I can take care of myself. Did you see that redhead at the back table? One more song and I’m pretty sure she’d have flung her panties at you. In fact, remind me to duck. I’d hate to get caught in the crossfire of that.”
Justin smiled. I was covering for my own heated state, but he did deserve to have a little fun.
“Yeah. I saw her. You really don’t mind if I go let her buy me a drink?”
I slapped him on the back. “Give me the keys to the love mobile. Just don’t stay out too late.”
“Hmm, you either.”
Justin hopped off the stage and ran a hand through his hair. I couldn’t help but laugh as I caught the side of his face just as he threw his killer smile at the redhead. Yeah. He was going to be out very late.
Suddenly, my throat felt dry as sandpaper but I had no desire to head out to the bar myself. Instead, I went back through the kitchen. When I got to the break room, Kellan was waiting for me with that smolder in his eyes that shot heat straight through me.
Chapter Nine
“Hey,” I said. “Great crowd tonight.”
He nodded. “You owned them. You always do, don’t you? What you do on that stage is amazing.”
I smiled and walked around him to the small fridge against the wall. I leaned down to open it and grabbed a water bottle. When I rose, Kellan hadn’t moved. He leaned against the wall near the door, watching me.
“And that was quick thinking, what you did back there. That dickhead would have gotten out of hand if you hadn’t drawn attention to him like that.”
I twisted the cap off the bottle and drank. The water was cool going down but it didn’t help. My skin was on fire being so close to him, even though he was on the other side of the room. Kellan watched every move I made. The air between us seemed charged.
“You need anything? Dinner? A drink? You can have anything you want.”
I pressed the water bottle to my temple. Right about then, I missed The Sand Bar. At least there, I could have jumped in the lake to cool down the sizzle between us.
“I’m good,” I said. “But kind of beat. I think I’m going to just head home.”
Kellan’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t party with the rest of your band?”
I started to peel the plastic label off the water bottle. “Not a lot, no. It’s okay. I’ve got the van. Justin and the others look like they won’t have any trouble finding a ride home.”
Kellan walked toward me, his eyes darkened and narrowed. “It’s late, Mallory. It’s dark out there.”
I laughed. “You afraid the big bad wolf is going to follow me home?”
“He just might.”
My heart froze in my chest for a fraction of a second, then started to hammer. Kellan froze too. I think what he said had just kind of slipped out. But now that it had, it was out there. If either of us took another step toward each other, if we said anything, I didn’t think I could ignore the rising heat between us. Every inch of my body cried out to touch his.
“I should go,” I said, but my voice sounded so far away like it came from someone else.
“I’m walking you to your car,” he said. It wasn’t a request.
I nodded. “Thanks.”
I downed the last of the water and tossed the bottle into the blue bin by the door. Kellan stood stock still as I brushed past him and gripped the door handle. I kept my eyes straight ahead and walked out into the parking lot. I could feel him behind me, his body heat prickling my spine.
“Thanks,” I said again. God, this guy had me nervous, like some teenage girl. He’d done nothing but act like a gentleman so far. Tonight anyway. Somehow though, that made it even worse. I didn’t want him to act like a damn gentleman. I wanted him to press himself against me and pick up where we left off. I knew what happened the last time we’d been alone together like this on a moonlit night. The memory of the way he touched me simmered my blood. When I turned to face him and say goodnight, I saw the glint in his eyes and knew in an instant he was thinking the same thing.
He threaded his thumbs through his belt loops, but from the corner of my eyes, I saw his fingers twitching. The air seemed to crackle between us.
“I’m glad you did what you did,” he said. “But I don’t ever want you to do it again. That dickhead at the back of the bar could have hurt you too easily. He was bigger, stronger, and faster. I don’t care what happens in the bar, as long as you’re safe.”
I ran a hand through my hair and tried to focus on anything other than Kellan Carter’s sexy mouth. “I’ve done things like that a thousand times, Kellan. It’s part of the job when you play gigs like this.”
“Not in my house,” he said, his voice stern. “I mean it, Mallory. If I can’t keep you and the other girls who work for me safe from creeps like that, I might as well shut the doors right now.”
“We are safe. Nobody got hurt. I was just in a position to see what was about to go down first. That’s all. And you’ve got something good going on here. I don’t think I really appreciated it until tonight. These people were here to spend money. Real money. I can see what you’re trying to build. This isn’t some thug biker bar.”
Kellan started to smile and my heart stopped.
“Er . . . sorry. You’re not a thug. Um . . . are you?”
He threw his head back and laughed. God, the rich sound of it sent warmth straight to my toes. I needed to get the hell out of here and fast. One more minute near him, or if he touched me, I wasn’t going to be able to be the smart, sensible one.
I turned and climbed into the van while Kellan held the door for me. “I’ll see you tomorrow night,” I said. Kellan nodded and closed the van door. He took a step back and watched me. My heart pounded hard. I slid the key in the ignition and turned it.
Nothing happened. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I turned the key again. The car made a sickening lurch and a series of clicks, but nothing else happened.
Fuck. Seriously fuck. Not now.
“I think your battery might be dead,” Kellan said.
“I’m going to kill Justin,” I muttered into the steering wheel.
“Don’t do that. Much as I could do without the angst, I have to admit that guy sells tickets just as much as you do.”
“Yeah, but see, here I was just about to make a clean getaway.”
“Ah. Is that what that was?”
I shook my head and crashed
my forehead against the steering wheel. The van made a sickening honk that sounded more like a dying goose. Kellan’s low laughter was like liquid velvet.
“Come on,” he said, opening the door again. “Hop down. I think Brax and one of the prospects can handle giving you a jump. You sure this piece of shit is roadworthy? I’d feel better if you just let me drive you home.”
Or better yet, let me stay. I knew it was on his mind as much as mine. I took Kellan’s offered hand and climbed out of the driver’s seat. The second I felt his skin on mine, my heart started pounding again. His eyes locked with mine and my breath hitched.
God. There were a thousand reasons why I should have pulled away. It would have been the smartest thing to do. Other people depended on me. If things went wrong, it wouldn’t just be me that might lose. But when I lifted my eyes to meet Kellan’s, everything else fell away.
I wanted him. Burned for him. I just knew that this was going to happen between us . . . had to happen between us. We could dance around it week after week, or we could just give in to it. For the second time when I was alone with Kellan Carter, I didn’t want to be strong. Didn’t want to be sensible or smart or responsible. I just wanted to feel.
He searched my face. A muscle twitched in his jaw. Something flared behind his eyes as if a fuse had been lit. He let out a low growl then gripped my upper arms and brought me to him. “Fuck it,” Kellan whispered right before he brought his lips down to mine and set my world on fire.
His strong hands slid around my waist and pulled me to him. I groaned as I brought my fingers up and splayed them across his solid chest. He was smooth and hard, leather and sin. Before I knew what was happening, he had me pressed against the brick wall of The Wolf Den. Here we were again. Me with my back against the wall while Kellan groped beneath my shirt. His skillful fingers found my nipples. My breath went out as he tweaked them, making them pebble and harden, and my whole body ached with desire.
I would have let him take me then and there. Just like the other night at the boathouse. But this time, Kellan had a little more self-control than I did.
“Not here,” he said, his voice ragged with lust.
We stumbled together along the side of the building. I pulled at his shirt, jerking it up as I searched for his belt buckle. He ran his fingers through my hair, gripped my ass and pressed me against him. The hard bulge in his pants dug into me and my fingers grew more urgent as I unzipped his fly.
Somehow, we made it to the side door and staggered through it, our arms, legs, and lips still entwined with each other. Kellan turned from me for just a second to close the door. I backed against the wall, pressing my hands flat behind me; my chest heaved. My lips were swollen with his kisses. Again, I had a moment where I could have turned back. We could have both come to our senses and said goodnight. All I had to do was say it. I didn’t know Kellan at all, not really. But I trusted he was an honorable man. If the same thought ran through his head, he didn’t act on it. Instead, he turned back and came to me. I gasped as he grabbed me with one quick, fluid motion and lifted me so I wrapped my legs around his waist. And that was the end of sensibility and self-control.
Then we crashed through the door at the other end of the hall into the apartment Kellan kept here. I clawed at him, ground my hips against him. My sex throbbed and my breasts ached, straining to be free. Somehow, we made it to the bedroom. Kellan set me down hard on the edge of the bed.
My chest heaved as he stood over me. He cocked his head, his eyes flashed with hunger as he slid his arms out of his cut and tossed it to a chair in the corner. Then he pulled his t-shirt over his head. What I saw left me breathless. His chest was ripped perfection with a webbing of ink across one shoulder, a howling wolf’s head over the other.
He dropped his shoulder and started to come to me. I couldn’t stand another second without having him inside me. Before I could even think, I dropped to my knees in front of him. I wanted to unwrap him like a present and taste him.
“Mallory,” he gasped. I smiled up at him.
“Let me,” I said. I finished unzipping his fly and jerked his belt free of the loops in one fluid movement that left him gasping. I liked it. Big and strong as he was, he towered over me like an oak tree. But his fingers trembled as he caressed my cheek. I wanted to see how far I could push him before he lost control.
I pulled his jeans down over the swell of his hips. His erection bobbed before me, huge and hard. Gently, I gripped him by the base and pumped him with my fist. Kellan threw his head back and let out a groan. A bead formed at the head. Heat shot through me, settling between my legs. I let go of him long enough to pull off my tank top and unhook my bra. My breasts swung free and Kellan reached down to cup one, kneading it with his fingers until it was my turn to groan.
Then, I was on him. I closed my fingers back around his shaft and opened my mouth wide to take him in. He was so thick and hard. He filled me. I stroked and sucked as Kellan swayed before me. I felt shameless and wanton, on my knees before him. God, I wanted this. Wanted him. I reveled in the pleasure I gave him. Still it wasn’t enough. As I sucked him, I fumbled with my own jeans and wriggled out of them.
Kellan threaded his fingers through my hair and pulled me down on him even farther. I struggled to keep my mouth around him. I looked up at him; his eyes were hooded and glazed as he basked in the pleasure I gave him.
Still, I wanted more. I pulled at his jeans and drew them down even further as Kellan swayed above me. I wanted this. I wanted to rock his world and knock him straight off his feet. Then, I knew he’d do the exact same thing to me. For now though, I wanted the control.
I peeled his jeans down further and ran my hands down the back of Kellan’s powerful thighs. His posture changed. Kellan went rigid and his hands tightened where he held my head.
“Mallory.” His voice came out a choked whisper just before my fingers moved down past his knees. I felt something hard beneath my palm on his right leg. I closed my hand around it and drew my mouth off him as I realized what it was.
I leaned back on my heels and looked up at Kellan. His face was hard as he searched mine. A metal rod protruded beneath Kellan’s right knee where his calf should have been. I kept my eyes locked with his as my heart tore a little for him. Or it would have, but Kellan didn’t flinch. He didn’t pull away. He just stared down at me, gauging my reaction. Then, my eyes caught the silver chain that hung around his neck. In my lust, I hadn’t noticed it before, but dangling from the end of it was a shiny silver dog tag.
Slowly, I rose to my feet. Kellan’s eyes stayed hard as he hooked his hands under my elbows to help me up. I walked around Kellan, trailing my hands around his sculpted back. He stood like a statue except for his heaving breaths. His swollen cock bobbed before him. I went back down to my knees and drew his jeans off the rest of the way. Slowly, he stepped out of them and the cuff holding the titanium rod where his leg used to be.
My heart beat so hard, I thought sure he could hear it. I stood before Kellan. He was magnificent. I ran my hands along the colorful tattoo he bore along his right hip. It swirled down his leg, ending just before cloth covering the end of his knee. A cruel scar cut through his quad, just above the knee. Slowly, deliberately, I went down to my knees before him again. Kellan lowered himself until he was seated on the edge of the bed.
As I knelt before him, I knew he was issuing a challenge to me. Would it matter? Could I handle it? God, yes. He was beautiful. Strong. Perfect. I crawled forward and took him in my mouth again. Kellan dropped back on the bed until he lay flat on his back. I sucked and swirled my tongue around him.
My pussy throbbed with desire. I didn’t know how long I could wait before I brought him into me. Kellan groaned and ran his hand over the back of my head, drawing himself even deeper down my throat.
Then, sucking hard, I drew myself off him and stood before him. I slid out of my soaked panties and let him inspect me the same way I had done to him. Fair is fair. He was sculpted perfection. Eve
ry muscle, every scar formed the cruel beauty that made him who he was. If he was brave enough not to hide anything, I could be too. Kellan raised himself up on his elbows and looked at me. Goosebumps raised my flesh as his eyes traveled over my shoulders, my trembling breasts, the slope of my stomach and settled down to the glistening folds between my legs.
He reached out and pressed a finger against me, making me shudder as he dipped it deep, teasing me. I didn’t mean to hide anything from him and I couldn’t. He could feel exactly how primed I was. His eyes flashed and a slow, satisfied smile spread across his face. I could pretend to be in control, but Kellan Carter owned me.
I couldn’t take another second. I came close to him. Kellan settled his hands on my hips as I climbed on the bed and straddled him. Slowly, I lowered myself down until I felt the turgid tip of his cock pressing against my slick entrance.
Then Kellan’s grip on my hips tightened as he guided me down. He stretched me, filled me, claimed every inch of me.
“Oh God,” I cried as I took in the full length of him. We stayed locked like that together for a moment, neither of us moving. Kellan’s eyes met mine and the look he gave me opened me to him every bit as much as his throbbing cock inside me.
And then I couldn’t hold back another second. My sex swelled and throbbed. My juices flowed and drenched the both of us. Kellan kept his hands on my hips, guiding me as I drew myself up and down the length of him.
Oh. He felt so good. I was soaked. Slick with desire. Sweat beaded between my breasts as Kellan reached up and sucked my left nipple. I fucked and bobbed up and down. I wanted to go slow. I wanted to savor every second of this but my body betrayed me. I’d been kidding myself when we started, thinking I could push him to the edge of self-control. It was the other way around and he knew it.
As Kellan held me fast, I pumped and ground on top of him. I threw my head back and would have lost my balance if Kellan hadn’t kept me seated.