by A. M. Myers
“Tate,” he warns, arching a brow at her and she holds her hands up in front of her like she’s completely innocent.
“Hey, just tell your boys to stop being dumb assholes and then we can avoid this whole situation in the future.”
“Kodiak is a fucking saint,” he mutters before shaking his head and turning to me. “I’m Blaze, by the way, president of this club.”
I nod, shaking his hand. “Ah, yes. I’ve heard all about you.”
“What have you told her?” he accuses, leveling a mock glare at Tate and she takes a step back.
“Don’t look at me. I would never speak ill of my favorite member of this club.”
“What was that?” Lincoln growls, sneaking up behind Tate and scooping her up in his arms as she squeals. Blaze chuckles, watching them, before turning to me.
“Don’t worry. You’ll get used to all of this soon enough.”
I scoff, shaking my head. “If you say so.”
“The truth is, Rowan, this club and everyone in this room is family and there isn’t a single person here who wouldn’t drop everything to be there for you at a moment’s notice. And, yeah, we can be overwhelming at first but we really do mean well.”
“I believe that,” I tell him with a nod. “Besides, there is no way in hell my brother would have ever brought me here if he didn’t trust you all whole heartedly.”
Lincoln nods as he sets Tate back on her feet and pulls her into his body, wrapping his arms around her. “You’re damn right I wouldn’t.”
“Come on. Let me introduce you to everyone else,” he says, motioning for me to follow him. He leads me to a group of men before introducing me to each of them before turning to a man who flashes him a scowl as he introduces him as his son, Nix, before pointing to the woman at his side. “And this is my daughter-in-law, Emma.
I nod to them and paste what I hope is a friendly smile on my face. “It’s nice to meet you guys.”
“You too, sweetie,” Emma says, her smile way more sincere than mine feels. Blaze and Nix hold each other’s gazes for a moment before Blaze sighs and turns back to me, pointing toward the bar.
“And that’s Streak. He’s also good people but he’s in a shitty mood tonight so maybe just wait until tomorrow to say hi.”
My gaze meets Streak’s across the room and I nod as a wave of warmth washes through me. It feels like his green eyes can see right through all my defenses. After all of the shit I’ve been through lately, I shouldn’t be thinking about what it would feel like to kiss him but I am. In fact, when I’m not staring at his intense eyes, I’m looking at his full lips and wondering how they would feel against mine. There is a strange fluttering feeling in my chest and my cheeks heat as I meet his eyes again and the hint of a smile shines back at me.
God, can he tell what I’m thinking?
Can he see that every time he looks at me, all I can think about is getting closer to him?
Blowing out a breath, I force myself to look away from him and turn back to the group.
“Man, I’m just saying,” Chance says, a mischievous smirk on his face as Lincoln glares at him. “Imagine if both those babies are girls. Not only are you going to have to deal with twice the amount of boys trying to get at your daughters but I have a sneaking suspicion that they’ll both be just like their mama.”
Blaze rolls his eyes. “Lord help us all.”
I join in their laughter as I look over at my brother and his wife. When he called me a couple of months ago to tell me the news that Tate was pregnant with twins, I was so excited for them but I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. I couldn’t see Lincoln as a dad until I realized that he’s been a dad for most of his life, ever since ours died and he stepped up to do whatever it took to take care of Nora, Mom, and me. If anyone deserves the happiness he’s found now, it’s my brother.
“What about you, Rowan?”
I blink and glance over at Smith, who is looking at me expectantly. “Huh?”
“You got any plans now that you’re here?”
“Hell no,” I answer with a laugh as I shake my head. “I’m just happy to be out of my damn car.”
Moose nods, taking a sip of his beer. “See? This is why I love to ride.”
They all start talking about their bikes and how much they love the feeling of being on the open road when Tate nudges me and motions for me to follow her. We slip away from the boys and she leads me across the room to a large metal door before pushing it open. A professional grade kitchen comes into view and I let out a low whistle.
“Fancy.”
She scoffs as she pulls open a refrigerator. “It’s necessary since we usually have a lot of people to feed. Now, what sounds good?”
“What do you have?”
“There is leftover spaghetti from lunch,” she suggests and I nod. I heat up the pasta and sit down at the island in the middle of the room before digging in and she plops down next to me with a sigh.
“So, this boyfriend…” she prompts and I look up from my plate, arching a brow. “I want to hear the whole story.”
I laugh. “Why?”
“Because depending on how big of a douche he was, I may just need to hop on a plane,” she answers with a smile and I laugh again.
“I don’t think they’ll let you bring your taser or gun on board.”
She sighs. “Shit. That’s true… whatever, I can get creative. Tell me anyway.”
I relay the whole story to her, starting with the shitty night I was having at work but careful to leave out where I was working since I’m sure if Lincoln found out I was stripping, he would lose his damn mind. When I finish, she beams at me with pride on her face.
“Well, if it had been me, things would have gotten much more violent but I am proud of you for telling him where he could stick it. It’s just a shame that none of those shards of pottery landed sharp side down in that whore’s chest.”
A startled laugh spills out of me as I look up at her and shake my head. “I didn’t feel like dealing with the blood so it’s probably for the best.”
We laugh and as I finish my food, she fills me in on how things have been around here but remains pretty tight-lipped on this threat she mentioned when I first got here. It’s annoying but if nobody fills me in soon, I’ll demand answers from Linc. When I’m finished with my dinner, we wander back out into the main room. Someone has started playing music and a few of the couples are paired off, dancing together in the middle of the room like we’re at some kind of middle school dance while others are lounging on the couch, talking. Tate tells me she’s going to find Lincoln and I nod, turning back to look around the room as memories of Ash and his betrayal flick through my mind. It’s not even that I’m all that upset about losing Ash… I mean, I am but not as much as I should be, which tells me all I need to know. I think it’s mostly a pride thing combined with the fact that I lost someone else from my life so close to my mom’s death. I don’t wish him any ill will but I am furious that he made me look like an idiot and embarrassed that I didn’t see what was really going on. And, on top of all that, to find out Holly wasn’t the first girl he cheated with was just icing on the cake.
Gritting my teeth, I grab a bottle of dark liquor from the bar and sneak up the stairs when no one is watching, hoping to get just a few moments of peace and quiet. And maybe a distraction from my own thoughts. I take a sip from the bottle as I wander down the hallway, wandering aimlessly past locked doors on each side of me. The room at the very end of the hall is wide open and before I tell myself that I shouldn’t do it, I step inside and look around. It’s a little messy but I’m not all that surprised and there is a desk in the middle of the room with three computer monitors on it. The thing is massive and it dominates the space. In one corner are a stack of files and I barely resist the urge to snoop through them before turning to take in the rest of the room. A full-sized bed is shoved into one corner and it looks like it hasn’t been made… ever. Clothes litter the floor but I wouldn’t say t
hat the room is all that messy, just… well lived in. It’s obvious that someone spends a lot of time in here and I wonder whose room I just wandered into.
“Find anything interesting?”
I whirl around, my heart jumping into my throat as I come face-to-face with Streak. His hands are shoved in the pockets of his jeans and he’s staring at me with curiosity mixed with something else, something intense that makes my stomach feel all fluttery. His jade green eyes bore into mine as he takes a step toward me, eliminating the space between us, waiting for an answer. I shrug.
“Not really.”
He places a hand over his heart and his face crumples in mock hurt. “Are you saying I’m boring?”
“Pretty sure that never came out of my mouth,” I answer and he nods as his gaze drops to my mouth and his tongue darts out to wet his bottom lip. Heat rushes through me as my body screams in protest over the fact that he’s not pressing up against me right now. My thoughts jump to the bed behind us and my heart thunders in my chest.
Did someone just suck all of the air out of the room when I wasn’t looking?
“So, you’re in my room because?” he asks, arching a brow as he waits for my reply and I shrug as I take a step back, moving around him to look at a bookcase built into the wall by the door. Anything to stop myself from climbing him like a goddamn tree.
“Just bored, I guess…” I say, irritated by how out of breath I sound and the way my skin is zipping with need. I touch one of the knickknacks on the shelf, pretending to inspect it. “I’m Rowan, by the way.”
“I know.” His voice is soft but he’s closed the distance between us again so I hear every word perfectly and his warm breath ruffles my hair. I spin around, backing into the bookcase as I look up at him. A few things rattle behind me but I can’t pretend to care. There is something about him, something that makes me feel like he understands a part of me that most people can’t even see and when our eyes meet again, all the shit I’ve been through in the past month fills my mind like he called it to the surface. It’s hard to believe it’s only been a month since my mom died when it feels like it’s been years, each day dragging on as I try to wade through my grief and that’s not even taking into consideration what Ash did to me.
Jesus Christ.
I need to get control of myself.
“Rowan?” he asks, snapping me out of my thoughts. I look up at him and he flashes me an expectant look.
Shit, did he say something?
“Huh?”
He takes his thumb and drags it over my knitted brow and I realize that I’ve been scowling at him this whole time. “What are you thinking about?”
“You don’t want to know,” I tell him as I turn away and lift the bottle to my lips, taking a long sip. It’s a terrible idea but right now, I just want to forget and feel something other than… this. When I glance back at him, he tilts his head to the side and it’s like he is looking right through me again. It feels like someone has zapped me with a live wire and I fight the nagging urge to tell him what he wants to know for a moment before giving into it. Sighing, I meet his gaze. “It’s just been a hell of a month.”
He nods, releasing a heavy breath. “Yeah, I know the feeling.”
“I suppose the healthy, mature thing for us to do would be to talk about it to someone who might understand what we’re going through,” I reply, studying his face and I swear, the air between us crackles. He flashes me a lopsided grin as he braces his hands on the shelves next to my hips and nods.
“You’re probably right… but what if I don’t feel like being mature and healthy tonight?”
My breath catches in my throat and he leans in closer, almost like he is being drawn to me, like he has no control over this either and my heart hammers relentlessly as my skin aches to feel his hands on me. I’ve never been this attracted to someone in my life and I am so desperate to feel good. Setting the bottle down on the bookshelf behind me, I lean back on one of the shelves, placing my hands right next to his so they barely brush as I arch my back and meet his gaze. His eyes are darker and full of all sorts of dirty thoughts, commanding me with just a look to give him the green light. I’m more than happy to comply.
“Then you should probably lock the door.”
“Thank fuck,” he growls, one hand diving into my hair as he closes the distance between us and slams his lips to mine, his kiss so intense and demanding that I see stars. He reaches out with his other hand and shuts the door before locking it and slamming me up against the bookcase. I moan when he grinds his hips against mine, every inch of my skin on fire as he slips one hand up behind my back and starts kissing down my neck. My nipples press against the fabric of my bra, aching for some attention as I drop my head back and gasp for air. Just when I think I can’t take anymore, he pulls back and a whimper of frustration slips past my lips.
His eyes meet mine, wild and needy, and his breathing matches mine as he shakes his head. “I need to say something.”
“I don’t want to talk.” I reach up and wrap my hand around the back of his neck, pulling him back to me and he comes willingly, groaning as we connect again. His tongue flicks my bottom lip and tangles with mine as he grabs my ass with both hands and pulls me against him.
“Fuck,” he gasps, pulling away again. “I have to say this before we go any further.”
I roll my eyes, trying to get closer to him. “Then fucking say it.”
“I just need you to know,” he replies, moving closer to me like he can’t stop himself before leaning in to kiss my neck again. A shudder racks my body and I close my eyes, ready to lose myself in him but he pulls away again. “This is only sex.”
“Yeah, okay.” I nod, urging him to kiss me again. Honestly, that’s perfectly fine with me and I don’t know why he felt the need to say anything in the first place.
“No, listen. We can have fun together but you need to know that this is never going to go anywhere. I’m never going to fall in love with you.”
My entire body stills as my thoughts screech to a halt. I look up at him and narrow my eyes. “I see… and you felt the need to tell me this why?”
He tries to say something but I hold my hand up to stop him.
“Is it because you were going to fuck me with your “magic cock” and I would suddenly lose every single brain cell I ever had? Or did you assume that just because I have tits and a vag that sex equals love for me?”
When he tries to speak again, I place my hand over his mouth and shake my head. The more I think about all the assumptions he just made about me and whatever this thing is between us, the more fired up I get.
“You know what? Forget it. All I wanted was to forget my shit for a while and do something that felt good but if that’s too much for you to handle, you can fuck right off.” I try to free myself from his grasp but he refuses to release me and when I glance up at him, the look in his eyes makes me feel fucking needy all over again. Not that I’ll give into it. Squaring my shoulders, I send a glare in his direction and try to wiggle out of his grasp again. “Let me go.”
His answering growl hits me right in the stomach and my pussy clenches at the almost feral look on his face as he cups my cheek and forces me to turn toward him again. We lock eyes and he holds my gaze for a second before we crash together again and this time there is no stopping us. His hands are everywhere as he leaves a trail of teeth marks down my neck and when I moan, he slaps his hand over my mouth.
“You gotta be quiet, sweetheart,” he admonishes with a smile that is full of promise and my heart jumps into my throat. Writhing against him, I whimper. My body is swamped with a need more intense than I’ve ever felt before and I don’t know how much longer I can wait. He moves his hand from my mouth, replacing it with his lips as he drags my shirt up my belly and only pulls away long enough to rip it over my head. As he starts dragging his tongue down the side of my neck, I suck in a breath and reach for his belt, my hands shaking and my chest feeling like it might explode. He kisses bac
k up to my lips and grabs a fistful of hair before pulling back to look in my eyes. “In a few minutes, you’re going to feel the urge to scream my name… don’t call me Streak.”
I nod, frantically. He could ask for just about anything right now and I would probably agree. “What should I call you then?”
“Travis,” he answers, smirking as he pops the button of my jeans and slips his hand down the front. His fingers brush over my clit and I gasp, gripping his t-shirt as my head falls back and my hips roll forward. My belly clenches as he starts flicking his fingers back and forth over the sensitive bud. The satisfied expression on his face tells me that he is just teasing me, taking his time to build me up but I don’t know how much more I can take. My body is strung tight, every inch of my skin screaming for attention as my belly clenches.
“Oh my God,” I breathe, my eyes rolling back in my head as he moves lower and slips two fingers inside me, massaging my inner walls with precision. The boy knows what he’s doing and I swear, I couldn’t be more thankful of that fact than I am in this very moment. Leaning in, he sinks his teeth into my neck before softly kissing the same spot. He adds his thumb into the mix, circling my clit as he crooks his fingers and hits the perfect spot. My entire body tenses and I cry out as my release rolls through me, prompting him to seal his lips to mine. The fist in my hair tightens and he gives it a tug, adding another element to the already stellar orgasm. Wave after wave of pleasure roll through me, my pussy gripping his fingers tightly, and I wonder if it’s ever going to end.
Jesus Christ.
Is this what it feels like when you die? Because I’m pretty sure that is what is happening to me. I’ve never felt anything like it but at the same time, I still want more. What kind of fucking sorcery is this and where in the hell did this boy come from?
Travis pulls back to study my face before laughing. “You want more?”
“Oh, I’m nowhere near done with you,” I tell him after I catch my breath, unzipping his jeans and dropping to my knees in front of him. The hand in my hair is gentler as he watches me pull his jeans down and wrap my fingers around his thick cock. He groans and his eyes roll back in his head at the simple touch and I smile, feeling powerful. I run the tip of my tongue up the underside of his length from the base to the tip and when I see the look of bliss on his face, I vow to myself that we will be doing this again. Frequently, if I get my way. Besides, after the month I’ve had, I deserve all the fun and mind-blowing orgasms I can get.