Running Wild (Hell Ryders MC Book 1)

by J. L. Sheppard

  She reached into her pocket and handed it to him. He opened the door, walked inside, and set her on the countertop. His gaze met hers, and then he barked, “Don’t. Move.”

  He closed and locked the door. She unwrapped his cut from her waist. The next instant, he was beside her, lifting her leg to analyze the burn. The mark was red and already swelling. He let out a string of curses and then met her gaze. “First aid kit?”

  “In the bathroom under the sink.”

  In seconds, Jace returned, set the kit on the counter, and opened it. He rifled through the contents until he found burn ointment. He spread it lightly over the swelling and bandaged it. His narrowed, pissed-off eyes then met hers. “If you wouldn’t’ve been in such a fuckin’ rush to get away from me, it wouldn’t’ve happened.”

  Like he could blame her for wanting to get away from him. One minute he did and said the sweetest things, and the next he was pissed off and being an asshole. “Leave. Cuss is supposed to watch me, not you.”

  He slammed his fists against the counter beside her so hard it trembled under her. “I’m supposed to watch you for the next week. Your brother’s orders.”

  Shit. Shit. Shit. She had to look at him and smell him for an entire week and pretend she wasn’t hurt, pretend he hadn’t used her?

  A flood of tears hit her eyes. She held them back and looked away from him. “I think Ty won’t mind considering what happened last night.”

  He lifted her chin with his index finger, forcing her to look at him. “You gonna tell him?”

  “It doesn’t serve any purpose except get you in hot water with Ty and the club. I wouldn’t do that, but you have to understand I can’t and I won’t fucking look at you after what happened.”

  “Don’t give a fuck. I gave your brother my word, and I’m keepin’ it.”

  Tears she held drifted down her cheeks. “Why are you doing this to me? Why do you want to hurt me? Does it thrill you to know you fucked me and left? Do you want to relive your conquest that badly?”

  He flinched. “I didn’t fuck you, and I didn’t fuckin’ leave you. I fuck taps. I don’t fuck you.”

  Exhausted, drained, and in no mood to argue, she wiped her tears and hopped off the counter. He grabbed her waist, lifted her, and set her back on it, positioning himself between her legs against the counter. Her skirt hiked up. She made a futile attempt to pull it down as much as possible, then fought the urge to push at him. No point. He wouldn’t bulge.

  “When I fuck, I don’t eat her out. When I fuck, I don’t go fuckin’ slow, and after I fuck, I don’t cuddle.”

  “Whatever you say, Trig,” she snapped. “I was fucked, so I know.”

  “Stop cursing. It isn’t you.”

  “I have to because it seems there’s no other way for you to understand me!”

  He grasped her hands tightly and held them at her sides. “I understand you just fine. Everything that comes out of your mouth I hear ’cause I listen ’cause I can’t do anything but listen. Everything you’ve ever said, I’ve memorized ’cause I hear it over and over again. It’s like your voice is on instant replay inside me. You’re all I fuckin’ hear, all I fuckin’ think about. I close my fuckin’ eyes, and it’s you I see. You’re all up in my shit, and you won’t fuckin’ go away no matter what I do, no matter how hard I try. It’s like you’ve fuckin’ seared yourself into me. So yeah, I fuckin’ listen, and you aren’t fuckin’ anyone but me. Had a taste, and I’m not letting you go ’cause I want more. I’ve decided I’m gonna fight for more. I want all of it, all of you, and it means you don’t go to bars and dance with anyone but me ’cause you aren’t fuckin’ anyone else. Get me?”

  Her jaw dropped. She felt like she’d been punched in the stomach, unable to wrap her mind around everything he’d said. He wanted her again? Why? She looked down at her legs to gather her thoughts. Part of her was thrilled, but the rational side of her knew she shouldn’t be. It was too unbelievable, didn’t make sense. He’d left. He didn’t leave a note or wake her. He’d just left.

  “It didn’t mean anything. I—”

  He tensed. “Did you not just hear what I said?”

  “You’re doing this for Ty.”

  “I was doing anything for Army, who’d saved my ass one too many times, it’d be me not thinking about his baby sister’s legs, ass, tits, and beautiful fuckin’ face, a sister’s who’s off fuckin’ limits.” He leaned into her, his lips grazed hers.

  She shuddered.

  “And I fuckin’ tried, but then you kissed me, and I couldn’t stop. You let me taste you, very inch of you, and I still taste you in my mouth, so I want more.”

  “You left.” She heard the accusation in her voice.

  “It’s Saturday.”

  “I know what day of the week it is, Trig,” she snapped.

  “Had to get Della.”

  Shit. Della. That’s why he’d left? To pick up his niece?

  He leaned closer, eyes flashing. “I didn’t want to leave, but I had to get Della. I didn’t want to wake you because you were sleeping, and you looked like a fuckin’ angel naked and cuddled up next to me, but I had to leave ’cause Della has no one else.

  “So I woke you, knowing there was a good chance you’d fuckin’ regret what we did, but I did it anyway. I told you, you looked beautiful. You fuckin’ smiled at me and pressed up against my thigh, and then I told you I had to get Della, that I’d be back, and you fuckin’ smiled again and said ‘okay’ like you wanted me to come back.

  “I left here grinning like a fuckin’ idiot because I thought you wanted me back. I called you at noon because I didn’t wanna wake you, and you ignored my call. You ignored all my calls. Then I find out you’re with Cuss at the bar. I show up, and I find you dancing with college boy. It couldn’t be more clear, Alyssa. I get it, but don’t fuckin’ play the victim.”

  What? He woke her? Why couldn’t she remember? She was a heavy sleeper, but she would’ve remembered Jace, except he’d said it play by play like it actually happened. Why would he lie? He just admitted he liked her, had for a while. Men didn’t make declarations like that, not unless it was true, not unless he really wanted her, and he had called four times.

  She believed him. The ache in her chest lessened. Her stupid, foolish heart made the decision, but she didn’t care.

  Remembering the last part of his rant, she asked, “Why would I play victim?”

  He released her hands, pulled away from her, and leaned against the wall. The muscle in his jaw twitched. A pained look streaked his face. “’Cause I’m a biker and you’re you. You regret being with a man like me, and feel guilty about it, so you chose to forget everything I said last night, everything I meant, and convince yourself you were just a tap I’d left.”

  It stung he thought so little of her. She looked away from him. “Can’t believe you’d think that.”

  He took a step in her direction. “I could say the same, Allie.”

  Damn. He had a point. She had judged him. Never mind the fact she didn’t remember him waking her, he called four times. She couldn’t remember Wyatt ever calling her four times in one day. In fact, no man had ever called her four times in a single day.

  Oh, God. She’d done this, judged him, made herself believe the worst because she was insecure and couldn’t believe a man would want her because none wanted her for more than a trophy. All it did was lead to an argument and end whatever they could’ve been. No way a man, any man, would deal with what she dished out. He’d cut his losses while he could.

  She buried her face in her hands and sighed heavily. “I don’t remember you waking me. I didn’t pick up your calls because I couldn’t stand to hear your voice thinking that it didn’t mean anything to you.” She lifted her head and met his stare. “Last night, I believed you when you said it meant something, but then I woke up alone, and there was no note, and I couldn’t remember you waking me. I still don’t.”

  He held her stare for a long moment, then closed the distanc
ed between them, positioning himself between her legs. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he cupped her cheek with the other and pressed his lips against her forehead. After a moment, he drew away slightly to meet her stare. “We’re doing this. You and me. We’re gonna do it right. We keep it quiet till we’re ready, then we’ll tell Army and the club.”

  With her heart in her throat, she nodded.

  He waited a split second, his eyes scanning her face, and then he smiled his amazing smile, and claimed her lips. He kissed her long and hard.

  One kiss was all it took. Before she knew it, she was panting against his mouth, pulling his shirt off, and unbuckling his jeans. He kissed her lips and trailed down her neck until he reached her breasts. Gripping her shirt, he yanked it off with such force it ripped, and then he buried his face in her chest. Her arms around his head, she wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing herself against his throbbing shaft.

  With his hand firm on her lower back, he whispered, “Gonna be quick, baby.”

  He pulled a condom out of his pocket, slid his pants and boxers down his thighs, and rolled the condom on. He then tugged her panties off, wrapped one arm around her waist, pushed her into the length of him, filling her. He did all that right there, on the counter in her kitchen.

  His eyes holding hers, she gasped, gripping his shoulders for support.

  “Fuck, baby. Heaven.”

  She couldn’t do anything but hold on to him as he moved out of her and into her again and again, the corded muscles in his neck tight. She moaned, and then he grabbed the back of her neck and tugged her against his lips.

  He broke away from the kiss, gasping, staring straight into her eyes, thrusting inside her. “Come for me, baby. Let me hear you come.”

  The power he had over her, his words alone threw her over the edge.

  Her body spasmed. Her walls clenching him, she came so hard the world melted away. Everything melted away but him. His dark eyes staring into hers, his body moving into hers, his shafted buried inside her. He was all she saw and all she felt.

  “Damn fuckin’ beautiful,” he whispered, then groaned.

  His cock pulsing inside her, a look of utter satisfaction flashed across his face. He yanked her against him, flattening her chest against his. His breath at her neck, his arms almost too tight around her, he held her for several moments. Both of them panting, and then he kissed her softly.

  Pulling away from her lips and resting his forehead against hers, he let out a slew of curses. His jaw set, his eyes hard.

  “W-what’s wrong?” Her voice quiet and soft while she tried to catch her breath.

  He cupped her cheeks. “Fucked up.”

  Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach.

  “Shouldn’t have done that.”

  Her stomach turned.

  “I couldn’t fuckin’ help myself. You look so beautiful in that skirt and those fuckin’ shoes, sitting on the fuckin’ counter—”

  “What?”

  “Our second time, should’ve taken you in bed and—”

  He thought she needed a bed? He couldn’t be more wrong. “I loved it,” she blurted. “I like a change of scenery, and I like it…hard and fast. It…makes me feel like you can’t get enough.”

  He fought a smile. Then he ran his thumb across her lips. “Give it to you whenever, wherever, and however you want it. That’s a promise, baby.”

  She quirked a brow. “I want it in the shower. Now.”

  He laughed. The sound so rich and deep it sent shivers down her spine.

  Jace lifted her and strode into her bathroom where he proceeded to give it to her, hard, fast, and in the shower.

  ****

  Allie sprawled across his chest. Her hand lay firm over his heart, her head resting on his chest, her beautiful eyes on his, she smiled. He had one hand in her hair, the other under his head. He smiled, too.

  He’d kept his promise, giving it to her in the shower. Against the wall, her legs wrapped around his waist, one hand on her hip, the other pressed against the wall as he buried himself inside her.

  Amazing.

  It had only been half an hour, and he could go again. He knew in his chest, he’d never tire like he’d never tire of the sight of her eyes on his, smiling like she was now.

  He was in heaven. He had Allie. She wanted him, maybe not as much as he wanted her, but she did. She wanted to give them a try.

  He hadn’t meant to confront her in the bar, force her onto his bike, but seeing her with college boy, something inside him snapped. If he couldn’t have her, no one would, so he’d carried her out, given her his cut, and taken her home on his bike.

  She didn’t understand the significance of it. A biker didn’t give anyone his cut, not a woman he couldn’t stop thinking about, not even his old lady. Bikers gave their old ladies their own cuts. Another thing bikers never did: they didn’t put a woman on the back of their bike unless they were claiming her. He’d done both, then admitted so much. He hadn’t meant to.

  Thinking she’d ditched him, it was the last thing he wanted to do, but everything she said riled him. In those heated moments, logic and pride failed him and anger spoke. He acted like a fucking wuss. Then again, he’d acted like a wuss all day, glancing at his phone every ten minutes, waiting for her call. When everything had been said and done, he couldn’t find the will to care because she was sprawled on him, looking at him, smiling.

  Her gaze drifted away from his, and then her smile faded.

  “Allie?”

  Her gaze shot to his. She smiled weakly. Allie was like an open book, every thought showed on her face, so he surmised she thought of something she probably didn’t want to talk about. This, them, meant something to him, so he’d push. She needed to be honest or it’d never work, and he wanted it to work. He needed it to work.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “You’re not going to be with anyone else, right?”

  He shot up in bed, taking her with him, and shifting her until she straddled him. “Allie, I said we’re doing this. It means I don’t date anyone else. I don’t sleep with anyone else. Means you’re it.”

  When she didn’t say anything else, he added, “The same applies for you. I don’t share.”

  “You’ve shared—”

  He shook his head. “Never shared a woman in my life. Some of the guys may be into fuckin’ the same woman at the same time, but not me. Don’t share.”

  She shrugged. “Yeah, but what about the women at—”

  “That’s casual sex. It wasn’t exclusive. They knew it, and I knew it.”

  “But they’re around, and no one will know we’re together, so…won’t you be tempted?”

  “No,” he said immediately. He couldn’t blame her for asking. Bikers had reputations, and he’d had his share of women, but never a steady one. It wasn’t just about him. It was about her, about the fact she’d been burned before. “Haven’t had sex since I met you.”

  Her eyes widened. “What about the woman I caught you with?”

  “Never had sex with her, and I only tried ’cause I wanted to forget you.”

  Her hands at his chest, she pushed away. “What…I…”

  Maybe he shouldn’t have said that. Maybe it was too much, too soon. In his defense, compared to everything else he’d admitted, this wasn’t much news.

  Instinctively, he tightened his arm around her waist holding her against him. “Told you this shit, Allie.”

  Her brows drew together. Shaking her head, she whispered, “You never—”

  “Told you you’re all I think about. Told you no matter what I do, I couldn’t get you out of my head. Told you I caved when you kissed me ’cause I wanted you so bad.”

  “Yeah, but you didn’t say when. I mean…that was like a month and a half ago. You make it sound like…all this time—”

  He held her gaze. “Yeah, baby, all this time.”

  Her eyes softened and drifted from his. She trailed a finger along the scar on the side
of his lip, then met his gaze again and smiled. “Me, too.”

  Those two simple words made his great night the best one ever. He smiled, kissed her, and then lay down, bringing her with him. She laid her cheek against his chest, her hair spilled around him. She closed her eyes. Before she did, he caught her smiling.

  Maybe he was a fucking wuss, but he was also the luckiest trailer trash on earth.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Hey, Allie!” Mia yelled over the loud chaos that consumed the daycare during lunch time.

  Allie spotted her and smiled.

  Mia called her incessantly Sunday, demanding to know what happened between her and Jace. She hadn’t answered the first five calls because she’d been too busy with Jace. They’d slept in, had a round of insanely hot sex, and she made lunch. They watched a movie and went for round two. Afterward, they fell asleep. When she woke, he lay on his side, his arm and leg thrown over her.

  Needing to use the restroom, she wiggled herself away from him, and spotted the large tattoo on his back, the Hell Ryders’ logo, a set of angel wings burning in flames, beautifully intricate, and lifelike. The wings went from his shoulders down to his lower back. In between, he had the skull and under that, near his lower back read, “Hell Ryders.” Curious, she’d shifted, moving to his side to admire the tattoo there. A black portrait of six soldiers inscribed Army Free: Lives Lost, Never Forgotten. Waking a short time later, he caught her admiring his tattoos and grinned.

  While she made dinner later that night, he left to get a change of clothes and returned half an hour later with a week’s supply. They showered together and had round three. Before bed, round four. He was insatiable, and in regards to him, so was she. She hadn’t been able to stop smiling all day.

  In the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but wonder how long it would last. She’d never felt for any one like she did for Jace. It scared her. It was too soon to feel how she felt, feelings that she hated to admit felt like the forever kind. Maybe, it was her inexperience. She’d only had two boyfriends, two lovers, and never slept with either of them in such a short period of time. Maybe it was just a physical thing, and her heart wanted it to be more.