by Debra Kayn
Within seconds, he'd removed his shirt, and dropped his jeans to his upper thighs, while she stood naked in front of him.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and lowered her to the stairs. The carpet failed to mask the hard angle pressing into her back or the slippery downhill slope of the steps. She braced her elbows on the upper step to keep from sliding away.
He smiled and dipped his head, kissing her hungrily on the mouth. She graced his lips with kisses.
He nibbled her lips, pressing his whole body between her legs. Breathless, she widened her thighs. His hardness nudged her sex. Her back arched, and her mouth came away from him.
"Condom," she rasped.
He stopped and retrieved a condom from his wallet, letting the leather swing on the chain dangling from his undone belt. Poised over her, he rolled the condom on. She gasped for breath, already imagining having his thick, hard cock deep inside of her.
Lee kneeled on the lower step and braced his arms above her. She planted her hands on his naked chest, and when he plunged inside of her, she scrambled to hold on to him. Hooking her ankles behind his ass, she leaned back and gave him room to move.
He thrust back and forth, teasing her. The slow pressure with light, controlled strokes drove her crazy until she swung her arm down and grabbed his ass, pulling him deeper inside her.
Her signal for more shattered his self-control and he fucked her hard and fast. Her head went back as she lost her hold on him and instead dug her fingernails into the carpet at her hips to keep from losing her position. He lowered his mouth to her exposed neck, sucking hard, marking her. His cock stroked a primal spot inside of her and she moaned loud, her whole body hotter, tighter, winding to an impossible high.
She hissed through her teeth, tottering on the edge. Her eyes fought to close and she clamped her legs, hooking her feet behind his thighs.
"Don't stop." She panted, out of her head.
All those times he remained close to her, but out of reach of her hands culminated. She had him. Inside, outside, surrounding her, and she never wanted him to leave.
She climaxed hard, muffling her scream. The frustration of fighting her attraction and the stress of knowing he expected sex, and wondering how she was going to talk him out of it disappeared with each jolt of pleasure coursing through her body.
He'd taken away her worry. She shuddered, going higher. The risk to her job, her refuge with the club, and even her heart paled in comparison to the emotions Lee brought out in her. She was free. For the first time in five years, she acted on her own desires and let herself enjoy the butterflies, the fear, and the excitement over flirting with danger.
Lee thrust faster. Panting, she hung on to the catapult of pleasure that continued to rock her body. Almost giddy over the sovereignty that came with letting herself live for the moment, she stroked Lee's face, wanting to remember how he looked with his gaze focused on her, open to receiving and unselfishly giving.
Then his legs, his arms, his abdomen stilled as he came. He lowered his head and groaned against her neck. His hand went underneath her back, cushioning her spine against the step. His heart hammered against her chest.
She wrapped her arms around him and held him through the shudder that had her squeezing her eyes closed against the magnitude of what she'd done.
"Doll?" he whispered into her ear.
The low vibration of his voice calling her warmed her stomach even more. "Hm?"
He pulled back slightly to look at her face, gently brushing the hair from her eyes. She memorized the half-grin he gave her that melted her reserve against him.
Then he sighed and dropped his head to her forehead. He rubbed her nose with his. Everything would be all right. She had no idea how she knew or why, but she believed it with her whole heart.
She caressed his back lightly with the tips of her nails, wanting to keep him inside her and stay with him longer. But, he heaved himself off her with a groan and removed the condom. He looked around, and then walked down the steps and into the bathroom.
Her bra lay on the railing, her shorts on the floor, and her panties at the base of the stripper pole on the other side of the room. She pushed off the stairs and scrambled to gather all her clothes and put them on.
Headlights flashed inside the room. She yanked down her tank top and stared in horror at the windows with the drapes wide open. Consumed with everything Lee, she'd missed the Silver Girls leaving and the bikers removing the cleaning supplies, and now she'd overlooked her public displays of more than affection. She'd had sex in the middle of town, where anyone could've walked or drove by and caught a clear view of her and Lee on the stairs.
Heavy boots thunked against the hardwood flooring in the hall. She turned and pointed behind her as Lee walked into the lobby. "The drapes are open."
He glanced behind her. "You want me to close them?"
"I think it might be a little late." She rubbed her hands over her face. "I can't imagine how many people might've seen what we were doing."
His body went rigid and he reached into his front pocket for his cell. "Considering in two days you'll be stripping down to nothing, are you really worried about what the town saw tonight or are you worried about them knowing you screamed my name a few minutes ago?"
Her arms fell to her sides. "Are you serious?"
He held up his finger and put the cell to his ear. "Yeah?"
While he listened on the phone, he picked up his T-shirt and stuffed a corner of the material into his back pocket. She smoothed her tank over her stomach and waited for him. The last thing she needed was a bunch of rumors started about her. She tried to stay out of the limelight, not become this week's gossip.
"Got it." Lee disconnected the call, opened the back off the battery, and removed a flat piece of plastic.
He looked around the room, his gaze landing on the fireplace, and strode over and crushed the plastic under the heel of his boot.
"What are you doing?" She rubbed her arm.
The other men used a pay-as-you-go cell for whatever reason they deemed necessary. They never destroyed them after a phone call the way Lee had.
"Let's go." He picked up the pieces, held them all in his hand, and walked over to the door. "I'm going to take you over to the bar and have one of the MC brothers drive you back to the club."
She gazed around the room to make sure she hadn't left anything behind and approached him. "Is there something wrong?"
"Nope," he said, lifting his chin for her to go through the door.
She walked out to the sidewalk and then followed Lee across the street. Halfway across, he squatted down and dropped the pieces and his cell phone in between the grates on the drain cover.
"Uh, why did you break and throw away your phone?" she asked.
He gathered her hand and kept walking. "Too full of static. It must be the wrong service provider for this area. I'll get a new one from Kurt."
She had no time to question him further, because Lee hurried her down the block, escorted her into the bar, and passed her over to Kurt. She barely had time to breathe.
Lee leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Thanks."
Thanks?
Really, he told her thanks.
Just thanks.
The he walked out of the bar, leaving her with Bantorus MC and the Silver Girls. She let Kurt lead her to the table they were all sitting at, and she smiled when people looked at her. She answered when someone spoke to her. She nibbled on the hamburger placed in front of her.
It wasn't the first time she pretended that everything was okay.
She bit off half the French fry. He'd told her thanks. What an asshole.
Chapter Ten
The militia's private shooting range nestled off the road leading to Saddle Ridge sat locked down tight for the night. Lee parked his Harley outside the gate, in the spot Tango instructed, and scaled the six-foot fence without any trouble. He removed his pistol from the back of his jeans and walked in the grass, staying of
f the gravel path. He wasn't taking any chances the meeting was a set up.
Ahead of him, the covered area for the rifle range sat to the left and the open pistol range to his right. He searched for any movement in the shadows. The phone call from Tango came at the worst time. He wasn't one to stick around after sex, but he'd left Shari in the lurch without any explanation for his abrupt exit.
Shari's irritation with him came through loud and clear. He'd left her twice now, one on his own accord, and one because his work came first before any personal time.
Once he returned to the club, he planned to take Shari up to his room and do a repeat of earlier. Spending time with her kept her safe, and sex with her kept his mind focused and calm. If Tango had information for him tonight, he'd need to stay on top of things.
"Took you long enough," a male voice said.
Ted Tango stepped out into the open. Lee kept walking and met him halfway between the two shelters. He was damn glad to see his supervisor.
While Tango's short hair was a little grayer and the lines on his face deeper than the last time they had a meeting, Tango appeared strong and alert. At six foot two, Tango's age didn't enter into the equation of being qualified. He could take down anyone, and not break a sweat.
"Two months without a meet. I thought your ugly ass was dead," Lee said, shaking Tango's hand. The firm grip from his supervisor a reassurance that they were both working on the same side.
"To the rest of the world, I am." Tango pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to Lee.
Lee waved him off. "I hope this visit is about you telling me the agency is ready to put this war to bed once and for all, and I can get the hell out of here."
"Not quite." Tango lit the cigarette, inhaled, and blew a long stream of smoke out his mouth. "If everything goes according to plan, we're looking at four to six weeks. We've finally got a guy inside the state penitentiary, and talks going around that Los Li wants this summer to be a repeat of the last two for the Federal Charter."
"Fuck," Lee muttered. "The club's growing, but we're still working with probates and prospects."
"What about the original Bantorus MC in Pitnam?"
Lee shook his head. "Things have been calm there for a few years. Our leaders are getting older. Rain, Dad, Torque, would send the whole fucking lot of them up here to Idaho if we need help, but..."
"What, son?"
"I won't risk their lives on something we can handle." Lee looked Tango in the eyes. "You're sure it'll happen here?"
"My source says it will," Tango said.
"What makes your source reliable?"
"Her name's Lou Lou Kohl. She seems to have realized she's getting older and wants to set things right in case anything happens to her while she's locked up," Tango said.
"Sounds like a stripper name."
Tango chuckled. "Close. She's a dried up prostitute doing time for a double murder."
"Great," Lee mumbled. "Her credentials don't mean shit."
"She has a reason to make sure nothing happens to Bantorus MC," Tango said.
Lee shook his head. "Don't tell me one of the guys from Bantorus spent a few hours with her a long time ago, and she's still pining away for him."
"She's your sister in law's mother," Tango said.
"Risa?" Lee crossed his arms and received an affirmative nod from Tango. "When's Los Li planning on arriving in Federal?"
"Soon, and then it's just a matter of bringing in the different squads."
Lee grunted. "I need a better answer than that. My family needs protected."
"That's all I can give you. As soon as I hear anything more, you'll be the first one I contact," Tango said.
In the distance, a coyote yipped, starting a chain reaction along the ridge. Lee walked a few paces, trying to make sense of all the mutual connections to Los Li. The current news was starting to sound like taking down the Mexican mafia was going to be a damn family reunion.
Tango lowered his voice and said, "How's my niece?"
Lee stopped and met Tango's gaze. "She's fine. I arrived in time to learn she had the wild idea to open up the strip joint in Federal. I couldn't nix the idea at the table without explaining my reasons. Doors open on Friday. Best I could do was make it a condition that I'm there during the hours they're in operation to watch over her."
"Jesus Christ." Tango planted his hands at his waist and kicked his boot against the ground. "Stripping? What the fuck is Bantorus MC doing that they can't keep my girl safe and secure?"
"You knew she was dancing before she turned bitch," he said. "Considering the club has no idea the connection between you and Shari, and the guys in Federal weren't around back when you were with Lagsturns, you have nothing to hold against them. Hell, does your niece even know how you've manipulated her life?"
A growl came from Tango's direction. Lee refused to back down. For whatever reason, Tango needed to know dropping off a grown woman who was a blood relative into a mining town and not keeping in contact with her was a bad idea. Shari's decisions fell on Tango's back. Family came first, and he'd fallen down on the job. No matter the circumstances, Tango should've put Shari first.
"Listen. You know she's not doing anything she doesn't want to do if she's with Bantorus. She's a grown woman...alone." Lee waited until Tango knocked the coal off his smoke and pocketed the butt. "She stays within Bantorus, regardless if she's stripping or not. She's protected."
"Yeah. I get it." Tango rubbed the end of his nose. "I had to cut all contact with her when I let Los Li believe I was dead. She was safe. To pull her out and situate her somewhere new would start the whole process over again."
Lee nodded. "It'll be over soon."
Tango reached into his pocket, and then stuck out his arm to Lee. "Put this somewhere that she'll find it without her knowing you put it there."
He took the offering and glanced down. A pocketknife, no longer than three inches lay in his hand. "What's it for?"
"She'll recognize it and know it's from me. I need her to know I'm alive," Tango said. "Now get out of here. I'll contact you again when I have a solid date of the takedown."
Energy pushed him to walk away. Lee pocketed the knife. They were close. For the first time in his life, he'd have the peace of knowing his family would be safe. The Mexican mafia would hurt no one he loved again.
"Hey," Tango called.
Lee stopped and turned around. He could barely make out Tango's tall, lean shape in the night.
"Protect her with your life," Tango said. "She's all that I've got left."
Lee raised his hand, giving his promise, and continued to walk to the Harley. Scaling the fence, he caught his arm on the razor sharp edge. Ignoring the sting, he let the blood run down his arm and trickle off his fingers. Blood was life, until it stopped flowing.
As long as he was bleeding, he had a job to do. His concern now was making his rude exit tonight up to Shari, and keeping her alive until the war was over. A scratch wasn't even payback for what he'd done to her.
He'd gone ahead and fucked her, knowing she was under his watch. He sat the Harley, wiped his hand off on his jeans, and started the engine. Afterward he had her on the stairs in the Sterling Building. He'd wanted to go back for more when he got the phone call from Tango. That realization knocked him back a step.
He thought one time with Shari would be enough to satisfy him. One time wasn't even close to knocking off the edge. He wanted inside of her again, and needed that euphoria that came over him when she was around.
Because of his lack of self-control with Shari, Lee second-guessed why Tango wanted him to guard her. Not many people knew what he went through on an hourly basis. Tango not only understood, but he stood beside Lee during every single take down.
Lee roared down the road. His head pounded and for once, the wind, the vibrating numbness, the solitude that usually came from a solitary ride and let him escape his problems remained out of reach.
With the old back roads mapped in his he
ad, he let the motorcycle take him in the direction of the clubhouse. In twenty minutes, he pulled up to the gravel lot, parked the bike, and nodded to Big Dawg. Inside the club, music blared. The men lounged around, beer in hand, and smiles on their faces. He gazed across the room and his muscles clenched.
The Silver Girls danced—their arms flailing, their expressions exuberant, and then they'd stop, converse, and start dancing all over again. Lee took in everything at a glance, and then focused on Shari.
She stood at the end of the line of women. Her full lips, he could still taste on his own lips, moved to either the song or the steps she performed. Her brow creased and her feet stopped. She began again, arching her back until her hair swept the floor. His balls tightened in pleasure. Tango had a right to be concerned. Shari didn't belong in a strip club dancing for any man's pleasure.
Before he thought of what he was doing, he walked straight across the room. He stood in front of her.
"Did you get something to eat?" he asked.
Shari stumbled and caught herself. He reached out, but she stepped back. The scent of strawberries wafted toward him and he took in the tight ponytail, still wet from her shower. She'd already washed the scent of him off.
"Yeah, I had dinner." She lifted her foot behind her and grabbed her ankle, stretching her leg. "If you'll excuse me, I need to practice."
"Doll, if you think you need to practice stripping—which I can tell you that's bull shit, you can do that up in my room," he said.
She narrowed her eyes. "No, thanks."
"Sure?" He moved closer and she backed away from him again. This time he knew there was more going on than trying to soften her up for ditching her earlier. "Hey, I had something to take care of earlier. It couldn't be helped. I hurried back to take you upstairs."
"I need to practice my routines." She walked past him and stood at the end of the line to get away from him.
He stalked to the other side of the room where his MC brothers gathered. Ink pushed a chair toward him, and he turned it around and sat on it backward. He wasn't going to chase Shari. If she had a bug up her ass over some pre-conceived nothing that he'd cater to her, she could come to him.