Rough Ride

by Archer, Gillian

  “There you are, beautiful.”

  I stiffened at the words before it sank in who was delivering them.

  Ruslan.

  Ruslan was here. At my work.

  My eyes scanned the crowd frantically for security or Roscoe, but I found no one but gamblers and bored tourists around me. I bit my lip as I let my empty tray fall to my side. “What are you doing here? I wasn’t expecting to see you. I’m working.”

  “And I wasn’t expecting to see you dressed like this. What are you doing, moya zvezda? How can you let everyone see you dressed like a hooker? It is unacceptable.”

  I shook my head, stunned at his commanding tone. Why did he think he got a vote? Like his opinion mattered to me. My heart pounded in my ears, and I couldn’t seem to get my mouth to work, so all I could do was glare back at him.

  Ruslan’s lip curled with his sneer. “You must give your notice immediately. I cannot have everyone looking at my woman dressed like this.”

  “I’m not your woman.”

  “What?” Ruslan’s eyes narrowed. “I thought we had an understanding.”

  “We haven’t even spoken in, like, three weeks. Why would you think we’re together? I’m with Bam.”

  “Yes. She is.” Bam’s voice came from somewhere above my head just before his arm curled around my waist. “And I thought we had an understanding after we spoke Sunday.”

  Ruslan’s eyes darted between me and Bam before he rose from the slot machine. “I wanted to hear it from Amber’s lips.”

  “Now you have.” Bam’s arm tightened around me and I sank into his embrace as he continued. “She’s club property—protected. So no more gifts, no more threats, no more love letters. She’s done with you.”

  Ruslan brushed his hands down the lapels of his suit as he faced us. “When you change your mind, moya zvezda, I will be waiting.”

  Bam’s fingers bit painfully into my waist, and I knew he was fighting the urge to plant his fist in Ruslan’s face. I covered his hand with mine and rested my head on his chest as we both watched Ruslan leave. Then I turned to Bam and looked at his face. He was totally intact. Only a hint of red shaded his cheek, which I put down to his anger over Ruslan. “You’re here. And in one piece. What happened?”

  “Everything’s fine. We can talk about it later. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m fine. Dealing with overzealous customers is all part of the job,” I joked with a slight smile.

  If it were possible, Bam’s expression went darker. I held my breath as I waited for him to say something biting about my job, but he only shook his head. “It was my fault. I was relieving Roscoe, and we both missed Ruslan’s approach. I’m sorry, kitten. It won’t happen again.”

  “It’s okay. I’m okay. I’m just so happy to see you.” I put both my arms around him and hugged him as tight as I could with my tray still in one hand. It was then that I noticed that Bam was still wearing his True Brothers vest. I pulled back as my heart gave an unsteady thud. “You’re still wearing your colors. Does that mean you’re still a Brother?”

  “Yeah, kitten. I told you everything’s fine. Finish your shift. I’ll fill you in later.”

  “Okay,” I whispered, even as happiness coursed through my body.

  “I’ll be sitting over there at the bar if you need anything.”

  I nodded as I squeezed him one more time before letting go. Bam tossed me a smug little smile, then turned and walked in the direction of the bar. The grin on my face was so big it practically enveloped my face. Ruslan’s brief appearance fell to the back of my mind. All I could think about was Bam and the fact that he was here and safe. Nothing else mattered.

  Suddenly I couldn’t wait for my shift to end. But for a whole new reason.

  I was gonna screw his brains out the second we got to his place.

  I turned around and there was a new sway to my step as I looked for thirsty gamblers.

  * * *

  —

  Bam was waiting for me when I cleared the locker room doors. I jumped into his arms and planted the biggest, wettest kiss on him. We were both panting when I finally pulled back and whispered. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Bam’s laugh was deep and dirty as we practically sprinted down the hall, across the street, and up the four flights of stairs, holding hands the entire time. Anticipation and lust coursed through me as I stayed pressed to Bam’s side. We didn’t even need to discuss who was driving. He led to me to his bike and climbed on, passing me a helmet while he strapped his on. Helmet buckled onto my head, I jumped on behind him and wrapped my arms around his trim waist. In moments we were blasting down the parking garage ramp, then onto the Reno streets.

  The stitching from Bam’s vest bit into my breasts. I couldn’t believe he was still wearing it. Things were finally going our way—he had the club at his back, we were together—life was finally starting to look up after this long, dark year. I grinned into Bam’s back. Maybe this thing between us could work out after all.

  I was split between my sudden optimism and my continued horniness. And Bam’s motorcycle wasn’t helping. The vibrations from the engine had me throbbing. The slightest movement from Bam had my nipples tingling. I was one huge erogenous zone, so much so that it wouldn’t take much to send me over. But I didn’t want to cheat Bam by letting him miss out on my first orgasm as an official couple. So, I rested my cheek against his back as the wind whipped through the ends of my hair. And I just held on.

  Minutes later we pulled into the parking lot of Bam’s apartment. He let the engine idle as I swung off and unhooked my helmet. Bam pulled his off and his long Viking hair fell to his shoulders. The purr of his engine covered my groan. He could’ve been on a cover of a romance novel—all that hair, the muscles, and tattoos. And he was all mine.

  Bam grabbed my hand, and our rush into the building was more frantic than ever. I laughed with delight as we ran through the parking lot and up the flight of stairs to his place. He didn’t even pause next to the elevator anymore. He knew me so well. And it was probably quicker this way. When we reached his door, he pulled me to him and gave me a quick, hard kiss, then broke away and muttered a curse under his breath.

  “I can’t kiss you how I want and fit the key into the fucking lock.”

  I buried my face into his neck to muffle my laughter as he stabbed frantically at the doorknob.

  “Finally,” Bam muttered as he grabbed me and shoved us both through the open door. We staggered inside as his lips claimed mine in a torrid kiss, wilder than any other. His lips pressed against mine, and I opened them to him. Clutching at his back, I struggled to hold myself up as my head swam since my body was tingling all over. Even his hand on the small of my back felt good.

  I groaned when his lips cruised down my neck, and he nibbled here and there. All the while, he was pushing my clothes off. His hands were eager and hungry as he pushed my jeans down my legs. We staggered backward toward his bedroom, and I tripped as the fabric wrapped around my shoes.

  With another muttered curse, Bam caught me and hoisted me into his arms as he crossed to the kitchen. “I can’t fucking wait. Stupid bed is too far away.”

  Standing a short distance away from the counter, Bam dropped me onto my jeans-covered feet, then pressed against my back until I slumped forward and braced my arms against the counter. He kicked against my feet so I widened my stance, then muttered, “Perfect.”

  I had about a second to wonder at our new position. Did he really mean to take me against the counter because he couldn’t walk ten feet down the hallway? And then I heard a telltale crinkling behind me. I looked over my shoulder and found Bam, still entirely clothed with only his fly undone and his cock out. He rolled a condom down the long, hard length, then threw me a wink.

  “You ready to rock and roll, baby?”

  “Are you kidding me? Really, Ba
m? Here?”

  “What’s wrong with here? I’ve been picturing you all week bent over my counter looking back at me just like you are now.” Still holding his dick in one hand, he bent over me and teasingly plucked at one of my still covered nipples.

  I felt an answering throb between my legs and closed my eyes. “Oh God.”

  “Or even better, how about after, we put you up on this here counter, spread your legs, and let me eat you until neither one of us can stand it? Do you like that, baby? You want to be my meal tonight?” His hand plucked and twisted my nipple until I wasn’t capable of a coherent thought, let alone forming some words to answer him.

  I jumped slightly when I felt his condom-covered cock probing between my thighs. Looking. Searching. Teasing me. I couldn’t help myself. I arched my back and helped him find his home.

  We both groaned as he sank deep inside me. He didn’t stop until I felt the press of his zipper against my ass. Bam’s breath was hot against my cheek as he whispered, “I’m gonna need you to hold on, kitten. It’s gonna be a bit of a rough ride.”

  His withdrawal was slow and steady, and he hesitated a moment before he pounded back in. And then I couldn’t do anything but hold on like he’d said. He set a furious pace, pounding in and out, driving inside me as we both panted. The only sound in the quiet apartment was our slapping flesh and my low moan. I let go of the bar with one hand and searched for that bundle of nerves between my legs. My fingers brushed against Bam’s balls as he swung up into me, and he bit off a curse. I flattened my hand so it brushed against me and him as he pounded inside me.

  I was close. So close. I closed my eyes and bit my lip. Seconds later I saw a flash of white behind my eyelids as I went over. Shudders shook my body with my orgasm, and my knees went weak. Bam abandoned his hold on my breasts and clutched at my hips as he pounded into me. Once. Twice. Three more times. On the fourth he let out a noise that sounded suspiciously like a sob, then burrowed his head into my hair as his body shook behind me.

  We stood there motionless as aftershocks quaked through our bodies. I was half afraid to move because movement seemed to feed them, and I wasn’t sure how many more I could take. Finally, after a few moments, Bam stood and stepped away from me. His cock pulled out of my body with a soft slurp.

  Still holding me by my waist, Bam turned me until our fronts collided. I wrapped my arms around his neck and smiled up at him. “Ready for round two?”

  Bam laughed. “You have to be shitting me. No way can you be ready for more. You had at least three orgasms by my count.”

  “I don’t know if you can count those aftershocks as separate orgasms. Not really the same thing. It’s like one big one, then a littler one, then a littler one. So really you only get credit for the first one.”

  “I made you come like a banshee while standing in the kitchen. Do I seriously not get credit for that?”

  “You’re the one who said something about eating me out on the countertop. Kinda got my hopes up. It’s sad to find out that you’re all talk and no follow-through.”

  “I’ll show you follow-through.”

  I squealed and turned to run, only to trip over my bound feet, still covered with my jeans. I pitched forward, my arms windmilling, but I couldn’t find anything to grab onto. I landed with a grunt and skidded a few inches on my knee and right palm. Then I turned and glared at Bam “Really? You couldn’t catch me?”

  Bam snorted, then tried to cover it with a cough as he rubbed his hand over his face. He bent down and picked me up, cradling me in his arms. “Sorry, kitten. You were too fast for me. Are you okay?”

  “Nothing wounded except my pride. And maybe a little rug burn on my knee.” I ran a finger over my reddened skin, and Bam’s brow wrinkled.

  “Shit, that’s not good. You didn’t even get your battle wound in the fun way. Let’s go put some antiseptic cream on your knee.”

  “What about eating me out on the countertop?”

  “After the cream,” Bam retorted as he carried me down the hall to the bathroom.

  I was mostly joking. After his hot lovemaking against the bar, I wasn’t really up for more.

  But I did like to tease him.

  * * *

  —

  After an hour, some cream, and another round of Bam between my legs, we were lying on our backs in his bed. This was the part of the night I loved the most. Don’t get me wrong, Bam in action was hot as hell, but I loved knowing that I was the only one who got to see him like this—when he was all soft and vulnerable. It was the time of the day when we shared our thoughts and hopes, and I got to snuggle into his big, muscular arms.

  “So, you never told me what happened at the meeting. I assume everything’s okay with the guys, and we’re still together?”

  “Yeah, babe. It’s all good.” Bam gave me a bare bones description of what’d happened when he claimed me as his old lady. He had to explain the darkening bruise on his cheekbone.

  I sat up on my elbow and turned Bam’s face so I could examine it in the moonlight. “He sucker punched you? Why?”

  Bam shrugged and brushed away my prodding hand. “I’m fine. It’s a guy thing. I shouldn’t even be telling you this much about the meeting, but since it’s about you I’m making a onetime only concession. You can’t tell anyone about this shit. Clear?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Crystal. So, Tank punched you. Did you at least punch him back?”

  “Didn’t really have the chance. And I was afraid it’d turn out into an all-out brawl, since Maverick was at my back. I didn’t want Mav to get hurt.”

  “So, the guys didn’t want you to be with me unless you committed? That’s—that’s just so…”

  “Sweet?”

  I snorted. “Insulting is what it is. I’m a grown adult. I think I get to decide for myself who is in my bed.” I paused and looked down at the bed I was in. “Or whose bed I sleep in. Whatever. It’s my body, my decision.”

  “No one’s arguing that. It wouldn’t have been an issue but for the fact that I’m a Brother. That vest means something. Our brotherhood means something. You don’t just screw around with a Brother’s daughter. If your dad was alive, he would’ve been the one to kick my ass, then make sure I made a commitment to you. But since he wasn’t there, Tank did it for him.”

  I sighed. “You’re right. That’s sweet…and insulting.”

  “You’re thinking too hard.” Bam wrapped an arm around my shoulders and urged me to lie back down next to him.

  “I still can’t believe you were willing to give it all up for me,” I murmured as I lay in the cradle of his arms. “They’re your entire life. Your family.”

  “They’re yours, too. And now I don’t have to give them up.”

  I snorted. “You make it sound incestuous when you put it like that.”

  “Shut up and go to sleep,” Bam muttered, but gentled his command with a soft kiss to the top of my head.

  I gave a quiet laugh and decided to obey him. This time.

  He had fucked me into exhaustion, after all.

  Chapter 19

  Bam

  I was twitchy as I waited in the clubhouse parking lot for my partner to show up. Tonight was a big night—over a year in the making. We were finally going to get our biggest revenge on the Wild Riders MC after all the shit they pulled last year. Sure, we’d gotten our eye-for-an-eye revenge when we turned Bear—the fucker behind the whole attack—over to the Bratva, but it wasn’t enough. They’d killed Amber’s dad—Stitch, one of our own—torched our motorcycle shop, and almost blown up our nightclub. Tonight was the beginning of the end. They’d fucked us, and we were going to fuck them back harder.

  We all had our assignments. And Axle was fucking late. He and I were kinda the lynchpin of the whole fucking operation. Without us, the job couldn’t go down. Where the fuck was he? I leaned against
the chain-link fence and scowled. We had ten minutes to get into position before the whole fucking thing fell apart.

  Almost as though I’d conjured him with my frustration, his beat-up old Ford pickup truck rolled into the lot. I pushed away from the fence and walked over to where he was idling. Pulling open the door, I swung inside and slammed it shut behind me. Axle didn’t wait to exchange pleasantries; he tore out of the lot like we were late and everything hung in the balance. Mostly because it did.

  “Nice of you to finally show up.” I folded my arms over my chest and scowled.

  “Nice of you to finally man up and claim Amber.”

  “What the fuck does that have to do with anything?”

  Axle took a corner too fast, and I slammed into door. It seemed like the kinda thing he’d do on purpose. Ass.

  “You’ve been sniffing around her for weeks. Or do you think you’re so smooth that no one noticed that you took the majority of guard duty shifts? You couldn’t have been more fucking obvious if you tried.”

  “I liked Stitch—he was a great guy—and I didn’t like the idea of that fucking Bratva asshole trying to move in on True Brothers’ property. It didn’t take a fucking genius to figure out that Stitch would’ve hated that. It had nothing to do with Amber at first.”

  Axle snorted. “If you think I’ll believe that, you’re more naïve than any fucking biker should be.”

  “It’s the truth. I don’t give a shit if you believe me or not. We couldn’t stand each other at first. She didn’t want anything to do with me.”

  “Now that I’ll believe.”

  “Just get us there already. We’ve only got a few minutes until the checkpoint.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out my black leather gloves. After pulling them on, I rubbed my hands up and down my jean clad thighs. I was already pretty twitchy, given what was about to go down. I really didn’t need the mindfuck from Axle right now.