by Chloe Plume
“I’ll think about it.” I handed my pool cue to Ink.
Ink began chalking up while Mayhem racked another table. Another night out at a crap hole bar. It felt almost like things were back to normal.
Except they weren’t.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Winter. I’d never been with a girl like that and never would again. Just the sheer bliss of her breathy sighs and lusty moans drove me close to rapture. My heart beat faster thinking about the way her eyes closed, her lips parted, and she quivered against me as she came.
I’d never been inside a girl who felt that good. She fit all of me inside her, warm, velvety, and tight. It’s like we were made to fit together, our bodies clutching, grasping, and grinding out wave after wave of pleasure. We were meant for one another.
“Have you reached out to Winter yet?” Ink asked, as if on cue. “You two didn’t leave on the best terms after the funeral.”
“Yeah, that’s over now,” I said, a little too nonchalantly.
“Seems like a pretty flippant way to end your first real relationship, don’t you think?” Ink questioned, his eyes focused and his expression urgent.
“I know, I know…” I searched for words. “With everything going on, this wasn’t the right place for her. She doesn’t belong here.” I leaned against the wall, thoughts of Winter flooding my mind, trying to convince myself. But for the millionth time, I couldn’t.
Because she does belong here. With me.
“You obviously care about this girl,” Mayhem pointed out. His words were surprisingly gentle and his expression was tender and wistful. I almost didn’t recognize him. He went from killing machine to gentle giant.
He walked up to me and his eyes narrowed, fixed on something not quite there. For a moment he stood absorbed by some distant thought. Finally, when he spoke, I heard a tinge of sadness in his husky voice.
“Take it from me,” he counseled. “I’ve been there, made mistakes. You find a girl like that, you don’t let her go.”
I tried to imagine what led him to say something like that. I wondered who could possibly have gotten through to a tough-as-nails guy like Cage. Something or someone was buried with permanent depth in his past. It was a part of him as much as anything else.
I didn’t have time to wonder about his past though. I had my own future to worry about.
“I’m sure you two can wait on those beers a little longer,” I said, practically sprinting out the door.
Cellphone in hand, I did some digging and found out when and where she’d be. The car roared as I revved the engine. I’d barely make it, but I had to. I had one chance, and text just wasn’t going to cut it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Winter
“Boarding Gate 3”
The speaker blared and I pulled up my suitcase behind me. I hesitated one last time before handing over my ticket.
What’s done is done.
I don’t know what I was expecting. My father never came back. Frank never came back. And now Rev.
So far my relationships had been a series of failures. I couldn’t help but see a pattern, as if the universe were telling me I wasn’t enough of a fully developed human being to sustain anything meaningful in my life.
And maybe that was true. I had no idea what I wanted to do with myself. The closest I got was with Rev. Thinking about how to set up those CSA’s and help people in Desert Haven was the first thing I’d been excited about in a long time. He was passionate about it. And the feeling of our mutual enthusiasm escalating as we worked together was incomparable. I’d never experienced anything that satisfying.
Except the sex.
I shook my head. That was over now. I stepped through the gate.
“Winter”
I heard my name. I heard his deep voice reverberate down the gangway. It had to be him.
When I passed back through to the front of the gate, he was there. His shirt was sweaty like he’d been running and he panted, face flushed, struggling to get the words out.
“Winter, I made a huge mistake.”
“Rev, I...”
He raised his hand up, caching his breath. “I want you there with me, Winter. More than anything. I’m facing an avalanche of danger and confusion, and I want to protect you. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
He put his hands on my shoulders and drew me closer. His eyes were wide open, looking deep into me. I felt his grip on me tighten and his intensity shot straight into me.
“But more than that, I can’t do it without you. I know my life is crazy and unpredictable. I know I’m reckless and stubborn. I don’t have a perfect plan laid out for us. So, I know we’re going to have to struggle each and every day to figure things out.”
I put my hands around his waist and drew myself up against his heaving chest. The pounding in his heart and the warmth of his body soothed me. “I don’t have any answers either, Rev. I’m trying to figure out who I am and what I need. But the closest I’ve gotten is with you.”
“Damn it, kitten, I love you.” He gathered me in his arms and kissed me deeply. “I don’t know what I was thinking going on without you. I need you more than you know.”
“I want to be right there next to you,” I murmured, my voice hushed against his chest. “Through all of it—the blood, sweat, and the tears. No matter what you decide to do.”
“And no matter what dream you end up following, Winter, I’m here for you. When you figure it out, wherever life takes you, we’ll be there together. Because it’s just you and me. I want all of you. Every single day.”
My heart swelled with emotion and I struggled to hold back tears.
Rev’s face softened. “We’d better get going, kitten.” He smirked, diffusing the tension with his easy-going self-assurance. “I parked in the security lane, so my car’s probably being towed.”
We didn’t make it very far before his hands were on me. One hand kept driving while the other roamed up my skirt, fingertips sliding my underwear down my legs.
“Rev!” I objected. “Not while you’re driving, you’re going to get us killed!”
“Then I’ll die a very happy man,” he quipped.
Suddenly, he veered off the highway and we were back on the lookout, high above the stretch of desert and under the cover of night.
“I think we’re going to need some privacy,” he said, unbuttoning his shirt.
He didn’t have to tell me to get in the backseat this time. I scrambled with anticipation.
He slid down next to me, the press of his body sending chills up my spine. Strong arms wrapped around my shoulders as he gathered me close. He quickly unbuttoned my blouse and practically ripped off my bra.
“I fucking missed these breasts,” he said, caressing my nipples and watching them harden underneath his fingertips.
“And this fucking ass,” he groaned, taking a handful of my cheek and squeezing until I yelped. “You have no idea what you do to me, Winter.”
His fingers trailed between my legs as his mouth dipped down to kiss my stomach and my hips. He slid my panties off as he teased at my inner thighs. I arched my back and he pulled off my skirt.
I groaned, spreading my legs as his fingers burrowed into my center. He dipped in and out, spreading my wetness. He pressed, teased, and hit all the right buttons with those beautiful hands.
I writhed, arching closer to his body.
More.
I wanted him deeper. I wanted him everywhere.
“I love how you twist and squirm with my fingers inside you, kitten.” His voice was gruff and heavy with lust. “I’m going to make you scream for my cock. You’re going to beg to be fucked.”
My legs went up over my shoulders as he took my center in his mouth.
Yes. There.
Heat flashed over every inch of me. He parted my labia with his tongue and worked deep into my recesses. His mouth rubbed, sucked, and plucked at me with brutal intensity.
“Don’t stop…” I begged.
I gasped out his name and broke into a million pieces. My inner muscles convulsed under the pressure of his warm mouth. He held my legs in place as I rode out the orgasm, my hands grasping frantically at every corner of the car interior. Finally, I collapsed.
“I’m not done with you yet, kitten,” Rev said, a roguish grin running across his face.
He pulled off his pants and eased between my legs, even as I sagged against the backseat, exhausted from my climax. He held the base of his erection with one hand as he steadied himself with the other. I watched him work himself into me, inch-by-inch, thick and throbbing.
“Fuck…you’re so tight.” He groaned. “My God, Winter, you’re so tight.”
The fullness sank in. My inner walls squeezed against him as he stretched me further and further. He propped himself up higher with his arms to either side of me, pushing more of his cock inside.
I wanted to take all of him. Right until his balls pressed against me and he was buried completely between my legs. And he gave me that and more, pressing his body down on mine until he reached a depth I’d never felt before. I burned from his size. Then it quickly turned to pleasure.
He began to stroke. His cock pumped slow, then faster. His pace was perfect. Sweat dripped from his body as he went harder. He throbbed inside me, grunting with primal lust as he adjusted the angle of his thrusting to delve even deeper inside me.
He watched our bodies slapping together and his eyes went wide and wild. He began to thrust fast and sharp into my softness. His body was a blur of muscle and violent desire. He pressed my legs back until my knees touched my ears, hammering away without mercy.
“Come for me,” he commanded. “Come all over my cock.”
More. More. More.
I wanted to scream. I wanted him to fuck me and never stop. My body squirmed and twisted from the pleasure, but he held me in place underneath him.
“Please, more…” I moaned.
He squeezed my thighs together between his arms, trapping me in a cage I never wanted to get out of. And then he pounded me, taking me rough and hard.
I lost my mind as the white heat of my orgasm ripped through me.
He whispered in my ear, “I want all of you, forever. You’re mine.”
And then he followed, marking his claim. He let go with a loud roar as he erupted with a final piercing stroke. Heat flooded through my body as he filled me up. I felt his cock tightening and expanding as my muscles clenched against him, milking him as he spurted.
He fucks me like he possesses me. Like he owns me.
And I love it.
Chapter Twenty-Four
REV
I ran my hands through her mussed hair as she lay in my bed still panting heavily.
“You know, I like you with the just-fucked hair,” I teased. “It’s very becoming.”
She stuck her tongue out at me.
My hands traveled over the curves of her smooth body. “Just saying. It turns me on.”
“Not everything’s about turning you on, Rev,” she said, resting her head on my chest.
I arched my eyebrows. “Well, that’s a downer.”
“Like you have any trouble getting it up.” She trailed her finger down my chest and above my waistline. “You know there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
“Shoot.”
“What the hell kind of name in Revon?”
“Right,” I smiled. “Always so curious, kitten. It’s Old English. The Gryffin family had deep roots in medieval England, before they went across the pond.”
“So you’ve got, like royal blood or something?” she asked. “An ancient, noble family type thing?”
“Ha…more like peasants looking for food and starting over in America. Sorry to dash your dreams.”
She smiled.
God damn, she was cute when she smiled.
My cock stirred to life. It never rested long after fucking Winter. She really did bring out the best in me.
“I guess that’s why my father’s such a hard ass,” I added. “My great-great-great-however many greats-grandfather built something out of nothing and every generation’s added to that.”
“It’s tough having all that family pressure,” she assured me. “But it’s your life, remember that.”
“No need to remind me,” I pointed out. “I’m about as far away from the tree as an apple can fall.”
Winter snuggled closer, nestling against me. “So, ‘Revon.’ That’s a form of ‘Raven.’ You know, it’s funny, because in medieval times ‘Raven’ was a nickname that meant ‘dark-haired, thieving person.’”
I chuckled, deliberately running my hand through my dark-brown hair. “Yeah, that’s an interesting coincidence alright. Speaking of which, I think I’m going to work for Gryffin Transportation, eventually head-up the security division.”
Winter almost choked on her laughter. “You? That’s pretty darn ironic, don’t you think?”
“Oh yeah, but the heists are behind me now. Mayhem’s looking to bring the family together and he has a good point about influencing the business instead of just rallying against it. I can do more from the inside. Not to mention, I can finally get a little money coming in. Maybe we can find a place of our own.”
Winter bit her lip.
Fuck, when she does that it drives me crazy.
My cock stirred.
“Speaking of which,” she divulged, “I took a look at a few places on the outskirts of Desert Haven.”
“Oh did you…” I smiled. “Hopefully something within the realm of possibility for our budget.”
“I’m not gonna lie, the best option is a fixer-upper. It’s a small cottage right near the mountains, not too far from the Gryffin ranch actually.”
I wavered. “Which probably means it’s too far out of budget. I doubt they’ll be paying me that much right away.”
Winter grinned. “What? Nepotism’s not what it used to be.” She sat up and tossed her hair back.
Shit, I want to grab a handful of that right now…
My erection strained painfully. I was about to tear out of my boxer-briefs.
“I’ll take a job in town,” Winter offered. “I passed my CPA, so there’s gotta be some small business that can use my help. Together, I think we can swing it.”
I smirked. I never before thought about shacking up with a girl I met two weeks ago. That’s for sure. What a crazy ride.
“Well, the way I see it, a bigger place means more places to have sex—so, I’m in.”
Winter rolled her eyes. “Always a class act.”
“You have no idea.”
I pushed my hand between her thighs and pressed against her mound. She gasped as I drove my forefinger inside of her and teased her clit with the pad of my thumb.
She moaned deliciously. “We’re going again. That was quick.”
“It’s like I told you kitten.” I grasped her thighs and pulled her towards me. “You do things to do me.”
“What are you doing?” She breathed out the words in surprise.
“Getting a better view.” I spread her thighs apart and seated her on my fully erect cock.
Her head tossed back, she moaned as I held her hips and shoved up into her pussy.
“Ride my cock,” I ordered.
She didn’t disappoint. She rode me like a horse. Her body jerked up and down, her tits bouncing with each stroke.
I reached up and squeezed her breasts together. She leaned in and I devoured her chest, licking, sucking, and nibbling her sweet little body.
Her long hair fell over my face as she gyrated on my cock. I grabbed it in handfuls and pulled her down on top of me.
“I need to fuck you harder,” I grunted, taking control.
I began to jerk in and out of her. Fast, hard strokes. She was mine. All
mine. I needed to be the only one she ever wanted.
My hand reached behind her ass and stroked her tender, swollen nub. I pounded into her, lifting my hips off the bed and plowing so fast my balls slapped against her.
She screamed my name.
I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight, yelling as I came.
You and me, forever.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Winter
Not Too Long After…
The house was perfect. Though, it hadn’t started that way. The staircase was coming apart, the blue paint on the outer walls was stripping off in ragged sheets, and the plumbing was a giant leaky mess.
Rev and I put a lot of elbow grease into making it habitable. But we couldn’t have done it without Ink and Mayhem. Well, honestly it was all Mayhem. He demolished and rebuilt entire sections of drywall with ease. Rev and I had given it several unsuccessful attempts before Rev swallowed his pride and asked for help.
The interiors turned out beautifully. While Rev and I hunted down some low cost furniture with immense help from my Aunt Sylvia, Ink worked his magic painting the walls. I couldn’t believe the detail on the light blue marble finish he applied to the bathroom. He’d worked over the cottage’s stucco exterior with some kind of textural technique that left it looking like it belonged in a storybook.
I’d found a job in Desert Haven helping an old bed-and-breakfast reorganize to compete with some of the bigger corporate hotels that were springing up all over town. I put my accounting education to good use, but the job involved a whole lot more than that. The owners, an adorable older couple, began to trust me with some general management responsibility. I hoped to be running the place for them in no time.
So, Rev and I were managing to get by. Though, we had to put off forming the Community Supported Agriculture organizations. We hoped, in time, we could convince businesses to put money back into the community in the form of joint ownership initiatives. But, so far Gryffin Transportation wasn’t interested—though Rev was working on that—and the newer corporations in town weren’t clamoring for the opportunity either.
But I was happy. More than just happy, I felt genuinely fulfilled. Our life together was taking shape and direction. Though there was one last thing I needed to do.