by Em Petrova
Her family…
She realized the man had Alexus laid out on the ground not far away. She dropped to her knees beside her and touched her pale face. Her sister’s eyes fluttered but didn’t open right away. After what felt like forever, she sucked in a quick breath and opened her eyes.
“What happened?” Alexus’s gaze landed on Selena. “Sis!”
“Oh my God, are you okay? You hit your head.”
“It hurts but I don’t think it’s bad. What’s happening?”
“Hold still. Don’t move until they tell us to.” She gestured to Blade and the other Dark Falcons member.
“Are you with them?” Alexus asked. “Are they Diesel’s club friends?”
She nodded.
“And Diesel?” Alexus pushed into a sitting position.
Selena stared at the corner of the building where they were hiding. Everything in her ached to go to her man and ensure he was safe and alive.
Instead, she looked up imploringly into Blade’s eyes. “Please go help him.”
“Only if you promise you won’t try to play superhero the minute I walk away.”
“I won’t!”
As if this wasn’t the tense and volatile situation it was, he shot her a grin and took off running to the fight.
Selena bowed her head, trembling with visions of what could happen to Diesel. “I haven’t told him I love him. But I love him, Alexus. I can’t lose him.”
“Oh sis…you won’t.” She wrapped her arms around her, and they took comfort in each other.
What might have been an hour or mere minutes passed and Diesel appeared in front of her. She followed his steel-toed boots up to familiar calves, hips, that broad chest…and his face.
A cry escaped her, and she jumped to her feet. He yanked her against him and kissed her hard and soundly.
Tears hit the surface of her eyes and threatened to spill out. “I’m so glad you’re safe!”
“Me too—so I can warm your ass with my palm when I spank you for going against my wishes to stay put. What the hell were you thinking putting yourself in that danger?”
She cut off his tirade with another kiss, going onto tiptoe and clinging to his shoulders. “You’re right.”
“Damn right I am,” he grumbled between plundering passes of his tongue.
“And I love you.”
He went dead still, cupping her face and planting his other hand on her lower back. He raised his head and met her gaze. “Selena…”
“I do, Judd. I love you with all my heart, and not only because you saved me. And my sister too.” She glanced at Alexus, who had been given a bottle of water from their guard.
Diesel searched her eyes. “I messed up with you before, but now I know that you won’t sit back and allow any man to be in the driver’s seat. Today proved that if nothing else. God, to think of what might have happened…”
She pressed soft kisses to his jaw and up to his lips. The kiss they shared was long and deep.
When they pulled away, he searched her eyes as if afraid he’d never be able to do so again. “I love you more than my life, Selena. And my only goal will be to show you how much. Every single day. For the rest of our lives.”
She leaned into his hold, eyes closing on the roughly spoken words that would forever be her heart and soul.
The cringey, poorly-sung notes of “Happy Birthday” drifted through the club. Diesel didn’t know if his ears would bleed or if he would tear up from the touching sentiment of everyone here to celebrate his birthday.
He looked from his brothers and their old ladies and girlfriends, to his sister Lily and his nephew Brady, and finally landed on Selena’s beautiful face.
His heart gave a hard tug at the look of love in her eyes. The song came to an end, and he leaned forward, gathered his lungs full of air and blew out every single candle.
Applause rang out, and beers were raised in his honor. Then Brady escaped his mother and wound up in Diesel’s lap poking his finger into the thick frosting on the cake.
“Let’s get you a piece, champ.” He chuckled as Lily removed him from his lap. They sat at a nearby table to wait for one of the honeys to slice up Diesel’s cake for the masses.
When he got his slice, he twitched his head toward Selena. She followed him to a corner of the crowded room.
“Happy birthday,” she said to him.
He grinned. “Best one yet.”
“You have so many people who love you.” She took a bite of rich chocolate cake.
“The most important one is sitting in front of me.”
She flushed and glanced down at his words. He found her still shy about their relationship and yet fierce in her love for him when alone. And her blushes only made his heart beat for her more.
“After the party, I have a gift for you at home.”
He arched a brow. She must have seen the intense desire in his stare, because her face turned a dark red hue.
Reaching out, he caught her hand. “I’m sorry to tease you that way.”
“You don’t even have to say a word and I know what you’re thinking. It’s your eyes, Diesel.”
“Only because you know me.” He pushed away the empty cake plate. “What do you say we start our own celebration now?”
She glanced around at the party in full swing. A few guys had pulled out some guitars and were set up at the front of the room. Two honeys lingered in front of them, swaying their hips in time.
Selena followed his gaze. “Why do they do that? Throw themselves at you guys?”
He riveted his attention on her. “Because they hope to gain any guy’s attention and become a permanent fixture here among the Dark Falcons. They want the protection. Many seek a sense of family. We come from all walks of life here.”
She nodded. “It’s a lot for me to take in. I have been on my own since I graduated from community college. I don’t know how to sit back and allow someone to take care of me.”
He squeezed her fingers and brought them to his lips. When he brushed a kiss across her knuckles, she shivered. “This isn’t about you giving up control to me, honey. It’s a partnership between you and me. I want you to know I respect your career goals.”
She chuckled. “I don’t even have a job now.”
“But you’ll find one and when you do, you’ll be amazing at it. Look at Fiona.” They both pivoted to see Fiona seated on Dixon’s lap feeding him cake. “She’s the most independent woman I’ve ever seen—before you, that is. She will mop the floor with any man at The Painted Pig, but when it comes to her man, she’s there for him.”
Selena nodded.
“Catarina is a full-time paramedic. Aarica works with special needs children. I don’t want to harness you, honey. You had the wrong impression of the Dark Falcons and what we want from the women in our lives.”
She took it all in. “If you can slip away, I want to be alone with you.”
Her soft tone hardened his cock, making his jeans fit a little more snug than before. He stood and drew her to her feet as well. Saying goodbye to everyone took another half hour.
Blade thumped him on the shoulder. “You know we’ll be celebrating your birthday for hours without you.”
Diesel chuckled. “You damn well better have a few shots for me.”
“After you have your private party, come on back to the clubhouse and I’ll pour.” Blade reached for his whiskey.
“I might do that.” He wondered if he’d ever be able to pull himself away from Selena once he had her alone in his arms, though.
What felt like endless minutes later, they left the clubhouse. He went on high alert, scoping the parking lot for dangers that weren’t there now that they’d taken care of Kenzo and his cronies. He still remained close to Selena as they crossed the lot to his bike. Looking into each other’s eyes, they fastened their helmets in place, climbed on the bike and took off down the highway.
He didn’t immediately take her to his house. Instead, he took advantage of th
e good weather and sunshine, navigating the curvier road that led toward the mountains.
Thinking of what could have happened to her still threatened to bring him to his knees, but she was here, with her arms locked around his waist as they took the curves in sync.
When he felt the release of stress that only the open road and his engine could provide him, he headed for home. The minute he cut the engine and turned to Selena, a burning hunger hit.
He flicked the strap fastened beneath her chin and pulled off her helmet. Before she could even gasp in surprise, he was kissing her. Thrusting his tongue into her mouth. Sweeping her off her feet into his arms and carrying her to the front door.
They fell inside together, fighting with buttons and zippers. His leather cut hit the floor, the Dark Falcons patch face up. He stepped over it and walked her through the house to his bedroom. The instant he flattened her on the bed and plucked at the hook holding her bra in place, she cradled his face in her hands.
Smoothing her thumbs over his jaw, she looked into his eyes. “Thank you for getting me safe. And Alexus too.” Her sister was in rehab a short distance away.
“You had a hand in both, honey.” He dropped a tender kiss to her chin as he slipped his hand into her loosened bra cup. Her nipple puckered at his touch, and he skimmed a fingertip over it, back and forth, until it beaded into a tight gem.
He pushed his throbbing cock against her cotton-covered pussy. She moaned out.
“I never got you out of my system, Selena. I couldn’t if I tried.” He ran a hand down her bare side, hooked his thumb into her panties and divested her of them.
Naked, wet and panting for him, she raised her head to stare at him as he worked his way downward, dropping kisses as he went. As he reached the treasure laying beneath her short curls, he groaned with dark need.
He worked a fingertip into her pussy and dipped his head to tongue her slick folds. She came off the bed, instantly tense. Pleasure and need drove him to lick and finger her to a peak so big that any fears she harbored against being with him would vanish.
She shuddered. Cried out. Twisted the sheets in her small fists. When she bucked into his mouth and came apart with a rough cry, he drew on her tight bud with his lips until she collapsed to the mattress.
Slowly, he eased his finger free, dripping wet, and smoothed it down to her pucker.
She gasped at the surprise touch that he’d never explored with her before but planned to again.
He gained his knees, and gripping his cock at the base, guided it into her tight entrance.
Heaven and hell wrapped in one tight sheath. He tossed his head with a growl and churned his hips.
Selena clung to Diesel’s bulky shoulders as he sank his cock into her body again. And again. Need spiked and her breaths came fast. Tingles of her last release seemed to net together into one constant thrum of pleasure, so when her next orgasm hit, it caught her by surprise.
Ecstasy pounded her core. Diesel’s mouth found hers, and he edged little cries from her with each swirl of his tongue.
She felt him stiffen and knew he was close. She opened her eyes to watch his face as his release rocked through him. Dark sparks shot from his eyes as he held her gaze. Each jet of cum filling and overflowing her pussy towed her under.
When she surfaced from the moment, emotion burned in her chest.
“I love you so damn much.” He buried his face against her neck.
Stroking his hair, she soaked in the bliss of being in her man’s arms. “I still have to give you your birthday present.”
He raised his head with a grin. “You just did.”
She giggled. “Let me up and I’ll get it out of my purse.”
First, he kissed her lingeringly and then he sucked her nipples until she was gasping and burning for more. But he rolled off her, giving her the chance to slip out of bed and grab her purse, which had been dropped inside the front door.
She returned to the bed to find him propped on a pillow, naked and chiseled with his thick erection in his fist. Her stomach hollowed at the erotic sight. “Starting the party without me?”
“I’m too turned on. You do this to me, honey.” As he spoke, he rolled his cock head through his fist, squeezing a bead of juices from it.
Her insides squeezed at the sight, but she wanted to get the gift into his hands before she straddled him and rode that impressive cock.
She sank to the bed beside him and placed the small, wrapped present on his chest.
He released his cock, and it bobbed on his abs. He reached for the present and sat up in order to open it.
When he pulled that off to reveal a big knuckle ring with a black onyx stone and silver engraving on the sides, she realized she was holding her breath and sucked in deeply.
His gaze jerked to hers. “Jesus, Selena. This is engraved with the Dark Falcons logo and my initials. When did you get this done?”
“More than a month ago.”
He froze.
“Before our argument. Before all of this.”
He made a grating noise in his throat as he cleared it. Looking into her eyes, he said, “It’s fucking beautiful. I love it.” He slid it onto his ring finger, and it was a perfect snug fit as she had planned it to be.
She leaned over to admire it, her hair falling over one shoulder. He caught it up and moved it aside to expose her throat to his lips. As he teased a warm path up and down her neck, she twisted her body to align it with his and did what she’d been aching to do—she threw her leg over his hips and sank over his cock in one slick glide.
She’d never walk away from him again.
Epilogue
He might stay drunk the rest of the week. Or month.
Blade raised his glass to his lips and sipped the good whiskey. It blazed a path down his throat, where it blazed as a small fire in his stomach.
Across the room, Rio’s little sister Juliette sat with some of the other ladies, laughing. He couldn’t fucking take his eyes off her and hadn’t been able to for the past two weeks the woman had been coming along to the club with her brother.
Juliette was a fucking ray of sunshine, granting her heart-stopping smiles to anybody she passed. Her big blue eyes and freckles spoke of an innocence that he had no business thinking about let alone touching.
He drank too much. He’d earned his nickname of Blade from the scar he bore on his hand, a result of a bad attitude and worse decision years ago when he got into it with some guys outside a bar. Thirty-six stitches had puckered the skin on his hand and left him with a stigma for the rest of his days.
Tonight, she wore a warm red top that clung to her full breasts but was high enough at the neck to not reveal much skin. What did he expect from a kindergarten teacher? Why the hell was she even hanging out in a place like the Dark Falcons clubhouse? She should be at some elite country club, being treated to elaborate dinners.
All things Blade couldn’t give her.
He was a fucking common laborer, hauling bricks and concrete from one place to the next for a living. Sure, he made the materials into something beautiful by the time he was done, but he couldn’t lay a rough, callused finger on a woman of Juliette’s caliber.
Besides, Rio would have him buried in the back yard the minute he made a move toward his sister. How could he begin to explain to his best friend that he wanted his baby sister with everything in his goddamn body?
He shifted in his seat, and her eyes flashed toward him. Big. Blue. Luminous. He couldn’t look away…and she didn’t either.
Lifting a hand to her hair, she tugged at a lock. After watching her these past weeks, he knew she did that when she happened to catch him staring at her. He assumed it was a nervous reaction, but she was too polite to tell him to stop.
Hell, he didn’t know if he could. Even if she kicked him in the balls, he’d get off his knees and settle in the nearest chair to watch her again.
Maybe he was a sick pervert, lusting over her. Of course she was well over eighte
en, but his fantasies of having something soft, priceless and good in his life had long ago been beaten into the dark recesses of his mind.
The son of a killer didn’t deserve those things.
Face it, Blade. She’ll never be yours.
He downed his whiskey, scraped his chair back and walked out of the clubhouse. But damn if he didn’t feel Juliette’s stare follow him until the door slammed shut behind him.
THE END
UP NEXT: BLADE
Blade dropped out of high school.
He drinks too much.
He’s the son of a killer.
And he’s in love with a woman so sweet that even looking at her too long will taint her.
Yet Titus, aka Blade, can’t seem to stay away from the clubhouse, where his best friend’s little sister has been hanging out lately. Laying a hand on her would mean strained ties with his buddy…and besides, Juliette is far too good for a man like him.
When Juliette isn’t teaching kindergarten during the day, she is sitting at the Dark Falcons clubhouse. She also can’t keep her eyes off a man named Blade. The scar he sports on his face doesn’t come close to the ones she sees in his eyes. Trouble is, he won’t make a move toward her.
Then Blade turns to her for help, and Juliette will never be the same. Except bald desire isn’t enough to last for more than one night…or is it?
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Em Petrova
Em Petrova was raised by hippies in the wilds of Pennsylvania but told her parents at the age of four she wanted to be a gypsy when she grew up. She has a soft spot for babies, puppies and 90s Grunge music and believes in Bigfoot and aliens. She started writing at the age of twelve and prides herself on making her characters larger than life and her sex scenes hotter than hot.
She burst into the world of publishing in 2010 after having five beautiful bambinos and figuring they were old enough to get their own snacks while she pounds away at the keys. In her not-so-spare time, she is fur-mommy to a Labradoodle named Daisy Hasselhoff.