Shade was still between my legs, his pants wide open and my skirt up around my waist. We’d just had the best sex of my life and my brain wasn’t quite ready to start working again. Still, it felt like there was something really important I’d forgotten.
Condom, Wonder Woman pointed out acidly.
Oh my God, I was so stupid. That was the curse of the McBrides—men made us so fucking stupid.
“‘Wow’ is good,” Shade murmured in my ear, giving me a soft kiss. “Holy fuckin’ shit works better. What the hell just happened?”
“I don’t know, but I kind of want to do it again,” I admitted, mind racing. “Next time with a condom. I have some in my purse. Does that make me sound slutty? Never mind, I don’t care. I totally want to do that again. A lot. But only if you don’t have a disease. I can’t believe we didn’t use a condom.”
Shade shook his head slowly. “Me either. I always suit up.”
“Thank fuck for that,” I said fervently, the filter between my brain and mouth completely overloaded. “That was really good sex. Like, the best sex. I remember that I’m supposed to be pissed at you but right now I can’t remember why. Oh, and I’m disease free too. For the record. And I’ve got an implant, so there’s that.”
No fucking way I wanted to end up like my sister.
Shade reached down, tracing the edge of my face and then trailing his fingers down between my breasts. My push-up bra and tank top served them up on a platter, but we hadn’t had time to go there yet.
Did I want to go there?
Yes. Yes, I did. He might be a pig and all sorts of wrong, but the damage was done. I was only human—not even Wonder Woman could hold out forever, not in the face of that kind of chemistry.
Shade’s eyes darkened as he found my nipple. I shivered, wishing I’d brought my purse out with me. Then the music from the bar suddenly got louder, breaking the spell. Must be the band starting their next set.
Band.
Bar.
“I’m still at work!” I shoved Shade away as I sat up, grabbing the bottom of his T-shirt to wipe at my wet, sticky thighs. Oh my God, I really was a slut. A dirty bar slut. Even worse, I was a bar slut who had to go back to work with a biker’s come all over my legs, because that’s how I rolled. “This is a new low for me.”
Shade snorted. “What’re you so worried about? You’re with me—your boss won’t have a problem with it. Let’s get the hell out of here and do it right. You know, in a bed with a little more privacy.”
“Tempting,” I told him, which was the truth. “But that’d be screwing over Suz and Sara, and I’ve got a feeling that in a month you won’t even remember my name. Then I’ll need one of them to cover a shift for me for something important, like taking care of my nieces, and they’ll tell me to fuck off. Unless you plan to stick around and take care of my nieces?”
Shade stared at me, blinking. I realized it was probably the first time a woman had ever talked to him that way.
Good girl, whispered Wonder Woman.
“Don’t get me wrong,” I said, tugging my skirt into place. Ugh. I seriously needed to wash my hands. “Theoretically, it’d be great to do this again, and that part with the bed sounds nice. I just really need to get back to work right now before I get in trouble. That whole thing with Rebel was bad enough—I don’t want to make the same mistake twice. You’re just getting laid but this is my life. I can’t afford to let you fuck it up.”
With that, I hopped off the table and left him behind.
“Are you okay?” Sara asked, slapping her tray down on the bar pass-through. She’d watched me come back from my break with anxious eyes, but it’d taken half an hour before we managed to run into each other at the bar. “I saw Shade following you outside.”
“Three more pitchers and a round of shots for table seven,” I shouted at Bone before answering her. “Yeah. We totally had sex on the picnic table.”
Sara’s mouth dropped. “Seriously? I mean, that’s what I was imagining, but still…are you okay? He’s hanging with his club and you’re waiting tables. Shouldn’t you guys be talking or something?”
“How much time did you spend talking with Bone after you guys did it?” I asked her, feeling sick to my stomach. All that empowerment I’d felt on the outside was fading fast, now that he was back to flirting with the college girl groupies. Sara rolled her eyes.
“He didn’t even offer me a ride home,” she said. “And yet I keep working here.”
“Where else are you gonna work?” I asked, shrugging. “We’ve got the bar, the grocery store and the gas station. The gas station’s drug central and the grocery store’s full up. This is our reality.”
Bone came over with two pitchers, setting them on the pass-through. We both glared at him.
“What?” he asked.
“Fuck off,” Sara snapped, walking away. Bone stared at me, eyes full of questions, and I offered him a tight smile.
“She’s on the rag. We all are. Permanently.”
“Jesus, what did I do?” he asked.
“Not a damned thing,” I told him. “That’s sort of the problem. Where are my drinks? Table seven wants their booze.”
The rest of the night flew by.
I half expected Shade to up and leave with one of the college girls. That’s what men did, or at least what the good ones did. The bad ones got you arrested while they robbed liquor stores. Instead he stuck around, waiting patiently as the bar cleared out and I finished cleaning up my tables.
As for me, I was conflicted. The sex had been good. Really good. I wanted more of it, and given the fact that Shade was still here, he did too. This was something I could wrap my head around.
What I couldn’t wrap my head around was voluntarily letting another man in my life at this point, even casually.
One night won’t kill you, Wonder Woman said, surprising me.
But I thought we hated men?
No, we hate being traded for motorcycles, she replied. And with your track record, a one-night stand is the best bet. Doesn’t mean it can’t be a hell of a night, though. One time Batman and I—
“You ride your bike?” Shade asked, his lips brushing my ear. He’d come up behind me, pinning me against the bar with his hands. Bone had already given the last call and the lights were up. Most of the customers were gone.
“I ride it every night,” I said, still torn. “Don’t worry—it has lights. Nobody’s going to run me over.”
“Leave it here,” he said. I felt his breath against my cheek. Smelled him all around me. My legs shifted restlessly, remembering how he’d felt deep inside. “Come back to the clubhouse with me.”
I knew I should say no. Tell him I had to watch my sister’s kids tomorrow, but for once Hannah didn’t need me. She had the day off. My Saturday was totally free until six that night, when my next shift started. We’d already had sex—the damage was done. Why shouldn’t I have some fun along the way?
“Okay,” I said slowly. I turned in his arms, determined to set some firm boundaries. Unfortunately, this meant my breasts were pushing up against his chest and his strong thighs brushed mine, which was distracting. “But there are a couple things you should know first.”
“What?”
I took a deep breath.
You can do this, Wonder Woman reminded me.
“No offense, but I have bad taste in men,” I said, staring at the little dip at the bottom of his throat. Shade was tall. Big, too. Muscular. There was no way to forget the difference in our sizes or how much stronger he was than me. Not up close like this. “Really bad taste in men. That’s why I’m absolutely, positively not looking for another relationship. Rebel might’ve been my boyfriend, but I was very clear with him. We had no future together and that was the way I wanted it…and even that turned out to be too much. He asked me to do a favor for him and you know how it ended, so whatever we do, I’m not going to be your girlfriend or even your friend with benefits. This is strictly about sex. One night only, an
d we’re using condoms this time. Oh, and a ride home. I need a ride home after the sex. But that’s it.”
Next to us a man snorted with laughter. I glanced over to find Dopey, his club brother, listening in. Delightful. I decided to ignore him, turning back to stare steadily at Shade’s throat because I didn’t quite trust myself to meet his eyes.
“I think that’s the strangest thing any woman’s ever said to me,” Shade finally replied.
“I’m just being straight up. I know myself and I know what I don’t need, and that’s a man. They always cause trouble in my life. Always. History doesn’t lie.”
“Okay, then I’ll be straight up, too,” he replied. “I think you know this already, but I’m the national president of the Reapers MC. Technically I’ve got a home base—an apartment up in Moscow, at least for now—but I spend maybe eight, ten weeks a year there. The rest of the time I’m traveling, spending time with different chapters. These men are my brothers and I’ll do anything for them. I don’t have time for playing house with a woman or picking out china patterns. I just wanna fuck you again.”
Nothing he said surprised me, but the words still caught me off guard. Even after my little speech, I still hadn’t expected him to be so honest. Rebel hadn’t been honest with me. Neither had Trevor or my dad or any of Mom’s other husbands. Randy had lied his ass off to Hannah.
“All right, then,” I said, hardly believing what I was doing. Anticipation flared and I felt almost giddy as I looked up, finally meeting his gaze. “Let’s do it. Let’s go to your clubhouse and have one night of crazy monkey sex and absolutely not make any promises to each other.”
Dopey started laughing again and Shade flipped him the bird, offering me a slow smile.
Riding through the darkness with Shade was amazing.
This time I didn’t worry about whether I was holding him too tight or what might happen after we got there. I knew exactly what would be happening. We’d go to his weird little room in the bunkhouse and fuck like bunnies. So what if people gave me knowing looks and smirks? This time I wouldn’t give a shit because I was in control.
When I’d ridden with him before, I’d wondered what he would feel like buried deep between my legs. I’d felt the hard muscles of his stomach and speculated.
Even had a few sex dreams.
The reality would be even better, which I knew for a fact because we’d already had sex. Me and him. Down and dirty. Fantastic, raunchy Sexual Intercourse with a capital “I” and zero strings attached.
I’d blow him off afterward like a gangster, because that’s who I was.
A motherfucking gangster.
Well, more of a gangster/waitress hybrid, with a strong sense of responsibility, but still fairly badass as these things went. Not that I had any delusions—if I allowed myself even a hint of feeling toward Shade, he’d destroy me. This was clear. That was why I’d be keeping emotion out of it, a decision that was surprisingly liberating.
This is why men avoid relationships, I realized. Because they’re full of baggage and baggage is heavy.
By the time we pulled up to the Reapers’ clubhouse in Cranston, it was after four in the morning and everything was quiet. There were a few bikes parked out front, but not many.
“Where is everyone?” I asked Shade, who threw an arm around my shoulders. Dopey unlocked the door for us.
“Home,” he said. “Home or in bed. They’ll be back this afternoon for a barbecue.”
“Oh,” I said, vaguely disappointed. The last time I’d been here the place was a full-on den of debauchery, and I’d been scared shitless they’d expect me to join in. Now I was ready to join and they weren’t even here.
“Don’t worry,” Shade said, leaning over to give me a long, slow kiss. “You won’t be bored. I promise.”
We passed through the same greatroom I’d seen before, and then back through the courtyard. The fire was dead and the tents were gone. The lights were off in the bunkhouse, too. Dopey peeled off into one of the first rooms, clearly off duty for the night, and then we were there.
Shade’s room.
Just me, him and the same bed I’d slept in before.
“So you don’t really live here?” I asked. I already knew the answer, but now that we were actually about to do this thing, I felt weird and awkward. I needed to fill the silence.
“Nope,” he answered, carefully taking off his leather vest and hanging it on a hook on the wall. “Got a place up north, remember?”
“So how long are you in Cranston, anyway?”
Shade turned to me, his mouth quirking. “Get over here.”
“What?” I asked, suddenly nervous.
“Get your ass over here,” he repeated, taking a step forward and sliding his hands down and around my waist. He tugged me gently into his body, the thick length of his cock digging into my stomach. That awesome chemistry between us kicked in again and the weirdness disappeared. I felt a tightening between my legs—a physical anticipation of the satisfaction I knew he’d give me. Reaching down, I slipped my hands under his shirt and then tugged it upward because I still hadn’t seen his bare chest.
Shade held my gaze as my fingers slid along his skin. I found his nipples, grazing them lightly as his eyes darkened with desire. He had a Marine Corps tattoo over his pec and I traced it, wondering what his story was.
Does it matter? The two of you are just having sex. You aren’t going to share stories, remember?
“Got that in Iraq,” he said, as if reading my mind. “One tour. Didn’t see any action for the first nine months, so I guess I had something to prove. Got the tattoo on leave and felt pretty badass about it. Then things fell to shit when I went back, and I learned that tattoos aren’t what makes you a badass. Not even a little bit. Lot better men than me didn’t make it.”
“You surprise me,” I said.
“How’s that?”
“Usually guys want to brag about how tough they are.”
“Usually girls want relationships,” he countered. I blinked up at him and then smiled. Shade’s eyes darkened and he leaned down, lips tracing the side of my neck.
“Guess I don’t fit the stereotype,” I whispered.
“Startin’ to pick up on that.” His hands slid into the waistband of my skirt, pushing it down along with my panties. I kicked them off. Shade reached around my hip and down between my legs from behind, finding my wet warmth waiting for him as he slowly backed me to the bed.
I fell onto it suddenly, bouncing as the big biker grinned, ripping his shirt over his head and then reaching for his fly. His cock sprang free and I saw it for the first time—really saw it. Long and hard and unusually thick around the middle. Damn, no wonder it felt like he’d fucked me deeper than Rebel ever did. The guy was hung.
“We’re using a condom this time,” I reminded him firmly. “Just in case you had any doubts.”
“Hell, yes,” Shade replied, kneeling down on the floor between my legs. He caught my hips, scooting me toward the edge of the bed, then draped my legs over his shoulders. Wooohooo! “Sorry I didn’t earlier. Don’t know what the fuck I was thinking.”
“Both our faults,” I acknowledged, sighing as his fingers spread me open, the heat of his breath hitting my clit like a tangible touch.
Then his tongue grazed my center and the whole world narrowed. His touch was sure, his tongue clever and quick. You know, like he was into it, not just trying to get me off or convince me to do the same for him. Nope. Shade traced my clit and then sucked it like he had all night, which I supposed he did. I don’t know how long he kept it up, but it was long enough that I came once and nearly came again before he raised his head.
Moving up my body, he lifted my shirt and bra, pulling them off completely before taking my mouth. I tasted myself on his lips as he kissed me hard. Grabbing his ass, I dug my fingers into the tight muscles as he rubbed his cock against my center. The oral thing had been great but I wanted more. Now. Turning my head, I broke free from his kiss.
/>
“Condom,” I gasped, wondering where the hell I’d dropped my purse.
“Fuck, I almost forgot again,” Shade muttered, shaking his head. “You got a magic pussy or something.”
I laughed as he leaned over me, reaching across the bed toward the dresser, awkwardly pulling out one of the drawers. He grabbed a string of condoms, ripping open one of the packages. The slick rubber fell out and hit my face and I burst out laughing.
Shade started laughing too, and then I helped him roll the condom over his cock, giving it a couple pumps for good measure. Seconds later, he’d lined it up with my opening.
Then he thrust deep and I forgot everything else.
Chapter Thirteen
For the second time that week I woke up in the Reapers MC clubhouse. I wasn’t sure what time we’d finally gone to sleep, but it was well after the sun came up. Holy shit, but Shade knew what he was doing in bed… Not only that, he gave pretty good post-sex snuggle for a one-night stand. Rolling over, I felt a hint of soreness between my legs, a glorious ache that reminded me just how many different ways he’d found to make me come.
Now he was gone.
I sat up slowly and looked around the room. It was every bit as faded and anonymous as I remembered it, like a hotel that rented by the hour. I’d had a really good time, but looking at the light outside, I knew it was over.
I should find my clothes and catch a ride home before I did something stupid to fuck it up. Something like telling him I didn’t want it to end, because it’d been good. Too good. The last thing I needed was to fall for the guy—didn’t matter how nice our snuggling felt.
Yours Truly was officially off the market.
I found my bra and tank top hanging on the edge of the dresser, where he’d tossed them. The skirt and panties were harder to locate, but I eventually discovered them under the bed, in a dried puddle of something very questionable.
I managed to brush the dust bunnies off the skirt, but no matter how much I shook the panties, I couldn’t bring myself to put them on. I didn’t know what that brown stuff on the floor was, but I was pretty sure I didn’t want it touching my coochie.
1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Fourteen Page 48