In the Dark

by Alana Sapphire

“Calm down, Reaper. I cut myself shaving.”

  I look closer and decide it’s plausible. Then it hits me that I’m kneeling between her legs, her soft, supple flesh in my hands. I can’t resist. I trail my fingers lightly up her calf and pause at the back of her knee, making small circles with my fingers. Her sharp intake of breath urges me on, so I take her ankle and gently kiss my way up.

  “Did you shave anywhere else?”

  “Yes,” she says, her breaths coming hard and fast.

  “Where?”

  I sink my teeth into the flesh just above her knee and she gasps.

  “My underarms.”

  Little tease. With a smile, I do the same to the next leg. She curls her fingers into my hair with a moan.

  “Anywhere else?”

  “Mm hmm.”

  I kiss my way farther up. Her legs tremble and she whimpers. I smell her. I’m so fucking close; I can almost taste her. Jesus Christ, a woman has never smelled this good to me before.

  “Here?” I take a deep breath and lift my head before I do something I shouldn’t. She’s staring down at me, eyes hooded, lips parted, chest heaving. I feel like all the blood in my body has pooled into my dick and it’s about to explode. I slide my fingers into her hair and pull her closer until her lips are an inch from mine. “Well?”

  “Yes,” she whispers.

  Jesus.

  “Bare?”

  “Yes.”

  Jesus Christ.

  “You’re going to kill me, Raven.”

  I kiss her softly, savoring her taste. Her lips part and I slip my tongue inside. She wraps her arms around my neck, whimpering as our tongues tangle. I leave her lips, kissing down her neck and sternum. She quivers, whispering my name. I swear, every time I touch her, she makes me feel like the biggest, baddest motherfucker on the planet. God, I can’t wait to sink my dick deep inside her. I rest my forehead on her chest and try to get my body back in check. Hard enough to do without her tits a breath away from my lips. I put some space between us, but she keeps her hands on my shoulders.

  “Gage, will you hold me? Please?”

  “Hold you?”

  “You know, lie down, put your arms around me…hold me.”

  I guess I can do that. I kick off my shoes and climb onto the bed. She does the same and snuggles up next to me, placing her head on my chest. I curl my arm around her shoulder and stare up at the ceiling. This is a new experience. Can’t say it’s unpleasant, though. Actually, it’s pretty nice.

  ***

  A vibration in my pocket wakes me up. Shit, I fell asleep. So did she. Her head is still on my chest, her breath warm on my skin. Her arm is around my waist and her leg is thrown over mine. Waking up to her, also not unpleasant. As a matter of fact, I don’t want to move and risk waking her up.

  “Your phone’s ringing.”

  Too late. Instead of moving away, she yawns and burrows in closer. I fish the phone from my pocket and see two missed calls from E. As I’m about to call him back, he rings again.

  “E.”

  “You need to get to the Kitty right now, bro.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Some shit’s going down. We need you.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  I try to move and she tightens her arm around me. I’ve never had a woman do that before. Never had a woman just wanting me to hold her, to be in my arms. Then again, I’ve never given any of them the opportunity. I hate to admit it, but I like it.

  “I gotta go, doll.”

  She groans in disappointment and loosens her hold. I pick up my Glock from the nightstand and tuck it into the back of my jeans. As I grab my shirt off the floor, she sits up, rubbing her eyes. Even half-asleep she’s gorgeous. I wouldn’t mind returning to find her in my bed.

  “You wanna stay until I get back, or you wanna go home?”

  “What time is it?”

  “Almost one.”

  “I should go. I can’t believe I fell asleep.”

  “Me, neither.”

  She slips on her sandals, picks up her jacket, and follows me out of the room and down the stairs. On the way down, I call Ron.

  “Stay here. Ron’s coming to pick you up.”

  “Okay.”

  “Text me when you get home and I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Since when did I get so big on communication? Shit.

  “’Kay.”

  God, I can’t resist her, bed hair and all. I pull her into my arms and kiss her. The moment our lips touch, she moans. Her fingers curl into my shirt the way they always do. It’s as if she can’t get me close enough. As much as I want to stay right here, I can’t. I pull back and smile down at her.

  “What?”

  “Congratulations. You just became the very first woman I’ve ever slept with.”

  I don’t know why that would please her, but she smiles.

  “So I’m the first on your bike and the first you’ve slept with. Good to know.”

  As I kiss her forehead, I just know there are going to be a lot of firsts between us. “See ya, doll.”

  I head for the door but stop in my tracks when she calls after me.

  “Be careful.”

  It hits me right in the gut. She cares. I’ll decide later if that’s a good or bad thing. “I will.”

  I walk to my car, feeling an overwhelming force trying to drag me back inside. I fight it, barely winning, and hop into the Beamer. Whatever’s going on at the club, it’s serious enough for E to call me. As soon as I drive through the gates of the quiet community, I floor the pedal, hoping I’m not too late.

  I get there and there’s a long line of cars waiting to get out. What the fuck is going on? Inside, I find E pacing nervously. Razor, Motor, Crow, and Venom are standing around, looking worried.

  “E.”

  “Bro. Some chick came in with two guys with guns. They have Nita up in the office.”

  “The fuck? They say what they want?”

  “She’ll only talk to you. Had to tell everybody there was an electrical problem and shut it down. Comped all their bills.”

  Fuck this shit. No one fucks with my family or my money.

  “Crow, Razor, gimme your guns.”

  They hand them over and I pass one to E. I stick it into the side of my jeans, making it obvious. E does the same. We head up to the office and I knock on the door.

  “It’s Gage.”

  The door cracks open and a huge, black guy points a Beretta in my face. E and I raise our hands and he slowly backs up, letting us in. Cassidy Martin. Stupid bitch. She’s standing there with a silly grin. Another giant of a man stands next to her, pointing a gun at Aunt Nita, who’s tied to a chair looking scared as hell.

  “Toss the guns.”

  I drop Crow’s gun, E drops Razor’s, and we kick them away. Idiots don’t even pat us down.

  “You okay, Nita?” She nods and I turn to Martin. “What’s this about, Cassidy?”

  She jerks her head toward the bathroom.

  “Let’s talk.”

  I take a cautious look back at my aunt and then walk to the bathroom. Cassidy follows and closes the door behind her. I turn to her, raising a curious brow.

  “Hi,” she says, nervously tucking her hair behind her ear.

  “Hi? You’ve got two guns trained on my aunt and you greet me with hi?”

  “I was never going to hurt her. I just…why do you have to make me resort to drastic measures to get your attention?”

  The bitch is a fucking psycho. At first she was an annoyance, but now she’s pissing me the fuck off.

  “That’s what this is about? You want some dick?”

  “Yes, I mean no. I want you. I can’t stop thinking about you, Gage.”

  “Really? ‘Cause I haven’t thought about you once. Can’t even remember what your pussy felt like.”

  And that’s the truth. I remember fucking her in her office, but that’s about it. She was hot – long, red hair, green eyes, and curves – the way
I like my women. And she was throwing herself at me, so I caught her. But that was it. Pussy was forgettable.

  She moves closer, her eyes dropping to my crotch.

  “Maybe I should remind you then.”

  “No, thanks.”

  She freezes and stares at me in shock. “Wh…why? I don’t understand.”

  “Look –”

  I’m about to break it down for her when I hear Nita scream. I push past Cassidy and fling the door open. One of her goons is standing before Nita, who’s now crying and sporting a busted lip. I see red. All fucking shades of red. But mostly the deep, dark shade of blood.

  “You put your hands on my aunt?”

  “Bitch has a big fucking –”

  I put a bullet between his eyes before he can finish the sentence. E reacts quickly, capping the next fucker before I can. Cassidy screams. I grab her neck and force her against the wall. Her eyes are wide in fear, tears beginning to form. She’s lucky she’s a woman.

  “Listen, bitch. This ends now. I don’t want to hear from you or about you. Don’t call the club and harass Nita. Do not try to contact me for any fucking reason. If I even hear a whisper of your name, you end up like those two. Got it?”

  She nods vigorously, the tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “You mention anything about what happened tonight to anybody but God, you’re dead.”

  “I won’t! I promise!”

  I release her and she runs through the door, smashing into Crow. He grabs her and I nod to him so he knows it’s okay to let her go. E has untied Nita and she rushes over, throwing her arms around me. And then she smacks me.

  “The fuck was that for?”

  “I told you to keep it in your pants.”

  She leaves the office in a huff and I shake my head. Maybe she’s right. It’s my dick that got us into this situation.

  “Clean this shit up,” I tell the guys.

  As I drive away from the club, I find myself wishing I’d left Raven in my bed. I’d be heading back to her now instead of an empty house. Fuck it. I’ll just head to the clubhouse and crash for a few hours.

  I check my phone and see her message.

  R: I’m home. Getting into bed. Wish I was still in yours…

  Fuck me.

  G: Are you still awake?

  After a few minutes and no reply, I figure she’s asleep. But then my phone buzzes.

  R: Sorry. My hands were a little busy ;)

  Holy fuck. Is she…? Does that mean what I think it means? I dial her number and she answers with a moan.

  “Jesus Christ, Raven. Are you touching yourself?”

  “Mm hmm.”

  A soft whimper goes straight to my dick and I’m instantly hard. Her moaning continues, and I have to prop the phone between my ear and shoulder so I can adjust myself. “I shouldn’t have told you to do that.”

  She gasps and a vivid image of her pops into my mind. She’s lying in bed, legs drawn up, fingers in her wet, tight pussy. Fuck me.

  “Why?”

  “Because it should be me. My hands should be the only ones to make you come.”

  “I was thinking about you.”

  Fuck. Her breathing changes; it’s heavier, coming in short puffs. A series of breathless whimpers has me releasing my dick. I felt like it was going to break in two the way it was straining against my jeans. I grab it, squeezing the base as I listen to her pleasuring herself.

  “Oh, God,” she whispers. “I’m…I’m going to…”

  “Come on, doll. Let me hear you.”

  “Oh, my God. Gage!”

  I never knew I could want someone so much that I physically ached. My dick, my balls, my head, my whole fucking body is thrumming with pain. No other woman, no pain meds can help me. Just her. She’s like fucking Ibuprofen. No, stronger than that. More like Hydromorphone.

  She giggles and lets out a satisfied sigh while I’m left with a stiff dick and nowhere to put it.

  “Oh, wow.”

  “It was that good, huh?”

  “It was wonderful.” She sighs with what I’m sure is utter contentment.

  “And what about me?”

  “What about you?”

  “You’ve left me with quite an obvious problem.”

  “One that’s easily solved.”

  “We can’t.” Now it’s my turn to sigh.

  “You know, I did some research earlier and found out an interesting bit of information. Not sure if you’re aware of it.”

  “What’s that?”

  “The age of consent in Georgia is sixteen. We don’t need to wait.”

  Fuck. When did that happen? If I turn around now, I can be at her place in fifteen minutes tops. The tires screech as I make a U-turn but I don’t get far before I stop on the side of the road. Fuck! I slam my palm on the steering wheel. When the fuck did I grow a conscience?

  “I can’t, Raven. It just doesn’t feel right.”

  “Well, it doesn’t have to be me.”

  “What are you saying?”

  She takes a deep breath as if preparing herself to say what she wants to.

  “There are plenty of women who can help you out.”

  “And you’d be fine with that?”

  “You’re the one who doesn’t want a relationship. Are you saying you’re going to be a monk for the next couple of weeks?”

  “I’m trying, Raven.”

  “Yeah, well...let’s see how long you last.”

  I can do it. It’s not like I’m some horny teenager who can’t keep it in his pants. I can wait. I will wait because I know she’ll be worth it.

  “I have work tomorrow. I’m gonna go to bed.”

  “Okay, doll. Good night.”

  “G’night.”

  I contemplate her words all the way to the clubhouse. She actually expects me to fuck around and she’s not being a bitch about it. It’s crazy, considering what I just went through with Cassidy, and all the jealous bitches I’ve had to deal with in my lifetime. Is Raven just trying to play hard or could she be the exception to every rule? So far, she hasn’t conformed to any conceptions I have of women. She hasn’t even come close.

  I’m only semi-hard by the time I drive through the gates, so I’m able to tuck my dick back in my jeans. Inside, the party’s winding down. I navigate through passed-out bodies and make my way to the bar where Motor and Lonnie are sitting. Booker hands me a beer as I sit on the stool next to Motor.

  “Tough night, Prez?” Motor asks.

  “Yeah. Had to handle some shit.”

  Lonnie walks over to me as I take a pull of my beer.

  “Maybe I can help you relax.”

  She slides her arms around me, biting her lip seductively. I grab her wrist and pull her to a quiet corner.

  “There’s some shit we need to get straight.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “This brother you want to claim you. It’s me, right?”

  Her eyes brighten, her expression hopeful as she gazes into my eyes.

  “Gage, I’m so glad you finally realized –”

  “Listen to me. You’ve been around here long enough to know that I’m not that dude. I’m not looking for an old lady. You need to set your sights somewhere else.”

  Somewhere far, far the fuck away.

  “But, Gage –”

  “No buts. I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I gotta be straight. Get that thought out of your head. You and me ain’t gonna happen. Got it?”

  She nods weakly and I head to my room, leaving her standing there. Britney tries to intercept me but I wave her off. Even she won’t do it for me tonight. Only one woman can, and I can’t have her yet. I grab my phone, punch ‘Georgia age of consent’ into the search bar, and sure enough, a big, fat ‘16’ stares me in the face. I can kill a man without blinking, but taking something I want, which is totally legal, is grating on my morals. Fuck my life.

  CHAPTER 15

  ***Raven***

  I wipe the sweat from
my forehead with the small towel I have thrown over my shoulder. It’s fucking hot in the kitchen. I have a newfound respect for the kitchen staff. One of the cooks is sick and I volunteered to help out. Apparently, I volunteered to work in Hell. As Sheila shouts out an order, I add some spices to the black beans I’m working on.

  “Girl, that cake you made is a hit! Some dude just bought a whole one.”

  I turn to Sheila with a shy smile. Her brown eyes are twinkling as she smiles back.

  “Really?”

  “Really. You gotta give me the recipe. I’m gonna try it out on Johnny. I swear I’m gonna grow old waitin’ on that man to make a move.”

  “He’s a fool. You’re gorgeous, for Christ’s sake.”

  And she is. Long brown hair, perfect skin, and she has more curves than I do. Nice ass for a white woman, too. She’s only a few years older than me, but from her stories, she’s quite…experienced.

  “Thanks, sweetie. I’m gonna get back out there.”

  Just after the lunch crowd, Millie comes in and peeks over my shoulder. I’m making sugar cookies, but decided to make use of my artistic abilities and have been cutting out different shapes.

  “Wow! You’re really good, sweetheart.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I got someone out here who wants to give their compliments to the chef.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you. Come on.”

  I wash my hands and wipe my face as I head out to the dining area. I wonder who it could be. Millie nods toward the end of the counter and I turn to see Mr. Hunter regarding me with a grin. My girly parts tingle and I return his smile as I approach him.

  “Hey, babe.”

  Babe. He called me ‘babe.’ I don’t know how I’m still standing on these jelly legs.

  “Hey.”

  “I just had one of the best meals I’ve eaten in a long time. Imagine how much better it was when I found out that you made it.”

  I blush, staring down at the floor. “Thank you.”

  “Seriously. It was so good I might have to get you to cook for me every day.”

  “Stop.”

  I link my arms behind me, dragging the tip of my Keds back and forth on the tiles.

  “Look at me.”

  I slowly lift my gaze and stare into his baby blues.

  “What are you doing later?”