by Debra Kayn
She reached up and ran her fingers through her hair, a soft smile came over her face. "I'll wash all the conditioner out and then switch places with you."
He grabbed the bar of soap and washed his body while he waited. Then, he swapped places with her and rinsed off the suds. Her hands landed on his back. He exhaled in pleasure. A woman at his back, who had his back, washing his back.
He was a simple man, his needs few. A woman to wash his back meant everything to him.
When she finished scrubbing and rinsing him off, Heather wrapped her arms around him from behind. He shut off the water and slid the door open. Instead of handing her a towel, he dried her off. By the time he'd finished, he'd dripped dry and walked her pliable body to bed. She was too exhausted for anything but sleep.
She scooted clear to the wall and grabbed his wrist when he put his knee on the bed. "I put the box of condoms in the drawer of the nightstand before I took a shower."
"We can wait. You need to rest," he said.
Her pupils dilated. "I'll never rest until you're inside me, honey. Please."
He trailed his finger over the top of each breast, watching her chest rise as she inhaled swiftly.
"I need you," he whispered.
"I'm right here," she murmured.
He laid down beside her, tangled his fingers in the wet hair at the back of her head and brought her face toward him. "Heather, I —"
She laid her finger on his lips. "I understand."
His chest spasmed, and he closed his eyes until the fluttering eased. Nobody ever knew what he was feeling, but his instincts told him Heather was the one person who had a good idea of what kept the silence and shadows in his life.
He had blood on his hands. His brother's blood. She took what little she understood and accepted him. Nothing else mattered.
He kissed her, hooking his hand underneath her knee and spreading her legs. Kissing his way down her body, he licked the warm pulse at her neck. Then left light kisses along her collarbone. Taking his time, he wanted to touch every part of her body. Savor, feast, indulge, keep.
Heather arched against him, and he pulled back and gazed down at her. "I'm so sorry."
She cupped his face. "There's no need for you to say anything."
"Yeah, there is," he whispered. "I'm sorry, sassy."
She closed her eyes an extra beat and then opened them again. "I am, too."
He lowered his head, took her nipple into his mouth, and sucked. His eyes closed voluntarily. Perfect in every way, she moaned as he teased her with his tongue. Half intent to please her and half seeking comfort from her.
With his hand, he caressed between her legs. Heather sank her hands into his hair. He raised his gaze to her eyes and moved down her body over her breasts, her nipples, her stomach, and settled between her legs without breaking eye contact. Every detail about her ingrained in his head over the time they'd been together.
Each sigh that came when he touched her.
The way her shoulder lifted when she was cute and flirty.
How her lips pursed when stubbornness hit her.
Her sneaky way of ogling the front of his jeans when she thought he wasn't looking.
"Rod..." She stretched. "Please."
He lowered his head to her sex.
She exhaled with a moan.
He smiled against her, positive he'd never tire of the ego boost she gave him each time they were together. With her, he could forget about the outside world. It was just her and him.
Heather writhed underneath him. Her hands came to his hair, and her upper body leaped off the bed. He continued. A lick here. A nip there. Until, he gave her what she cried for and zeroed in, taking her all the way and reminding her of who she belonged to.
She moaned his name as her thighs clenched around his head, trembling with the power of her orgasm. He slowed, bringing her down softly. Her body jolted with each swipe of his tongue.
She inhaled a shuddering breath and collapsed, arms thrown out to the side. He crawled up on the bed, stretched over her to open the nightstand drawer. She watched him remove a condom and put it on before settling back between her legs.
He kissed the curve of her jaw. "I belong inside of you."
He hardened even more at finding the heightened desire in her gaze returned, and his balls pulsed.
She ran her hands up his arms, over his shoulders, and something happened in her face he'd never seen before. She claimed him, their relationship, their current situation without question, without judgment or disgust. She handed him her trust.
Her lips parted, her eyes grew glossy, and her eyelids struggled to stay open. He moved his hips, barely touching his cock to the entrance of her pussy when her eyelids fluttered again.
She gasped as he moved ever so slowly. Empowered, he plunged into her wetness and groaned. In and out. His body tightened, and he fought to keep control. His cock hardened to a level he'd never experienced when her leg curled around his hip. So fucking tight, she sucked him in, and he never wanted to leave.
As urgency grew, he pumped faster. She clawed his shoulders and eased her head back. Eyelashes fluttered. Mouth open. Breath panting. He stared, waiting. When she grasped her second release of the night and melted underneath him, he drove into her.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
He didn't miss a stroke.
He loved her.
He.
Loved.
Her.
She collapsed onto the bed, arms spread, head rolling on the pillow. His toes curled. He'd done one thing right knowing she was here with him, satisfied for the moment.
He lowered himself to his elbows, cradling her head in his hands. A full body sigh swept through him as he caught his breath. She added her own moan of contentment underneath him, and he kissed her cheek, whispering in her ear, "Love you, sassy."
"I love you, too," she whispered back. "We're going to be okay."
He closed his eyes and enjoyed the way she kept rubbing her hands along his sides. Eventually, his arms gave out, and he flipped to his side, taking her with him. He removed the condom and dropped it into the wastebasket beside the bed.
Slowly, the silence overcame him. He held her tighter as reality crashed in. Her love cushioned his fall.
"I want you to move in with me," he said.
She raised her head, and her hand stilled. "Are you serious?"
"I want you in my life as my woman, sassy." He stared straight up at the ceiling, making sure he said the right words. "I know you're getting to know your dad all over again and you like living at the duplex with Swiss and Gia, but I promise you, I will never stop you from having a relationship with your family. They're welcome here, and you can go over there any time you want to see them."
"Why?"
"Because I love you," he said.
"No, why are you asking me now? Tonight?"
Everything inside of him wanted to give her the right answer. He had one chance to convey everything he was feeling and what she meant to him. He was a biker. The words escaped him.
Instead, he used the one thing he had, pure determination to make sure he spent the rest of his life with Heather.
"Because a life without you is full of bullshit. I've seen it. I've lived it. Now I want sweetness when I come home, nights out with the club, and my woman at my side. I want to throw the tennis ball to Girl out in the yard and watch you laugh when she refuses to play fetch. I want your arms around me when I'm riding, and no matter how much you tell me a big bed is better for sleeping, we're keeping mine because I like to have you close to me." He turned his head and kissed her forehead. "Say yes. I need something to look forward to when I close my eyes tonight."
She molded her body to his side, hooking her leg around his thigh. "Yes."
"Yeah?"
She sighed softly. "Of course."
"Even the part about keeping my bed?"
"I've grown fond of sleeping with you on t
his bed." She stretched and kissed him deeply. When she pulled her mouth away, she said, "Dad and Gia can keep my furniture at the duplex. I'm sure one of the Ronacks members could rent the other side."
He lifted his head. "You've thought about moving in with me before?"
"Once or twice." She snuggled down against him and laid her head against his chest.
He put his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. Her confession shouldn't have surprised him, but it had.
Lost in his thoughts about the things he'd need to do tomorrow to get Heather's belongings brought to the house, he had to keep reminding himself that they were no longer under house lockdown. He could give her everything she ever wanted. No longer would he have to secure the property, but he would because she deserved to be protected. No longer would he need to escort her to and from work, but he would because he wanted that riding time with her. No longer would he need to have Swiss ride with them, but he would because Heather's father was the most loyal friend he had and deserved to be in his daughter's life.
It almost never happened. The second he spotted her tied up on the floor and his brother armed above her, he'd felt what it was like to lose her. Nothing mattered anymore. His life no longer existed. Then his brother forced him to pull the trigger.
"He won," he said into the silence.
"Hm?" Heather lifted her head. "What did you say?"
He kissed her forehead. "Nothing, go back to sleep."
He'd underestimated his brother. After all the years of running, hiding, and trying to stay two steps ahead of Tim's sadistic games, his brother finally completed what he'd wanted to do Rod's whole life.
Tim had forced Rod into participating in his suicide when he held Rod's hand and pushed his finger down on the trigger. His brother understood that Rod would forever wonder if he could've stopped him or if at the end of the day, he would've killed his own brother under his own terms.
Rod swallowed and closed his eyes. Only he knew the truth about how he would've handled today if given a choice. But, Tim had taken that choice away from him.
The same way his brother had taken Rod's childhood away. His mother. His security. His peace of mind.
In the end, he'd lost.
Epilogue
Three months later —
Heather stepped out of her car behind Pine Bar and Grill balancing a tray of four large Grandmaster coffees. Her large fringed purse bounced against her hip, and she kept three empty cash bags tucked under her arm. At the back door to the bar, she rearranged everything to hook her fingers in the handle and back her way into the building without spilling anything.
Raelyn had called her, Gia, and Bethanee in early because the cleaners hadn't shown up as scheduled.
She'd offered to bring them all coffee while they worked because they would all need the caffeine later when the bar opened for business.
The main room remained dark. She put the drinks down on the closest table.
"Hello? Raelyn?" She took her purse off her shoulder and set it down. "Anyone here?"
The lights came on and a chorus of 'Happy Birthday' shouts echoed in the room. She jumped back, covered her chest, and gazed at the roomful of people. There was Raelyn, Mel, Battery, Bree, LeWorth, her dad, Gia, Rod — she melted and smiled, shaking her head at how Rod must've let it slip that today was her twenty-seventh birthday. Every member of Ronacks Motorcycle Club, plus wives, girlfriends, and even the women who attended the parties at the clubhouse were packed in the bar.
"Oh, my God, you guys. I can't believe you. Nobody was supposed to know it was my birthday." She walked into the middle of the room, spotted a white and lavender frosted birthday cake, and looked up at Rod. "Was this your idea?"
Rod shook his head and motioned his chin to his right. She swept her gaze to the other side of the room and found her dad watching her. A soft gasp escaped, realizing he was responsible for the surprise and tears blurred her vision.
"Dad?" She walked around the table and stood in front of her father. She'd purposely told Rod last night that she didn't want to do anything for her birthday because their lives were just getting back to normal. The main part of going low-key was because she wanted to skip the disappointment of her dad forgetting her birthday. He'd never celebrated the yearly event with her growing up, and she'd never received a card or present in the mail from him. "Did you do all this?"
The room quieted. Her stomach fluttered, taken completely off guard by the array of love and being at the center of attention.
"Happy birthday, baby." Her dad wrapped her in his large arms and cushioned her against his chest. In her ear, for her only, he whispered, "Missed too many birthdays. I wasn't going to let this one go by without letting you know I love you."
She framed his face with her hands. "I love you so much."
He kissed her cheek. "Go cut the cake, so the guys can eat and get back to work."
"Oh, they all took time off?" She shook her head laughing. "I can't believe this. You. Everyone."
Raelyn hustled her to the table. She cut the cake up while Bethanee put the pieces on plates for Gia to pass around. Rod stayed at the bar, on his stool, and watched over her. She couldn't wipe the smile off her face. She'd never imagined a party for her with all the bikers surrounding her. Her family had grown in the last year to a size that still took her by surprise. She was blessed.
Raelyn took the knife from her. "There's presents on the counter. Don't worry about opening them now. The men need to take off since your birthday fell on a Wednesday. I'll have a couple of them load everything in the trunk of your car for you and you can take them home and enjoy yourself."
"I can't thank you enough for letting my dad do this for me." She hugged her friend. "I was all prepared to start cleaning when I walked in."
"No cleaning and no working on your birthday. It's a rule. Go home. You've got the day off, and I've heard Rod has the day off, too." Raelyn left her side.
Overwhelmed, Heather accepted hugs from everyone. By the time she got a break, she looked for Rod and found him holding Dukie to his chest. The little boy wore a party hat, and Rod was busy snapping the elastic string under Dukie's chin making him laugh.
"Look at you two having fun." She leaned against Rod's other side. "Did you get a piece of cake, Dukie?"
"Cake!" Dukie held out his arms toward Heather.
Rod pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "He's got cake on the bar, but he's too excited to eat with everyone here."
She took Raelyn's son from Rod and put him on her hip. "Did you know about my dad throwing the party?"
"Not until the club meeting this morning." Rod rubbed her back. "Happy?"
"Incredibly happy." She whispered. "If I think about...ugh, I feel like I'm going to start bawling."
Rod chuckled. "Don't do that. Swiss was nervous about pulling off the surprise. He wouldn't even let Gia pick up the cake because he wanted to make sure it was perfect."
"I can't believe this," she whispered. "Lavender is my favorite color. It's been that color since I was little."
Raelyn approached them. "Okay, presents are in the car. I'll take this little man and see if Mel can get him to eat before it's time to go upstairs and play with the babysitter."
Heather handed Dukie to his mom. "Thank you again for everything."
"You're welcome, honey." Raelyn winked as she walked backward. "It's not every day a person turns twenty-seven."
Rod whistled. Heather turned toward him. "What was that for?"
"I robbed the cradle." He leaned away when she play-punched his arm.
She looped her arm around his neck. "Have you noticed Raelyn talks about Mel a lot?"
"No."
She lifted her brow. "He's been staying upstairs in one of the spare rooms for over four months."
"What are you getting at?" Rod held her hips between his thighs.
She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "I think more than security is being run in the bar when it closes."
&n
bsp; He tugged her forward. "You think too much."
"I'm just saying...Mel...Raelyn. It could happen."
"How about we get out of here and see if it can happen at home. The customers are going to walk through the door soon."
Heather looked around the room. Most everyone had already left or were headed toward the door. "I need to talk to my dad again, but I don't see him."
"Maybe he went outside to have a smoke," said Rod, standing up. "I'll walk you out and then follow you home."
Outside, her dad leaned against the building smoking a cigarette with Gia pressed against the front of him. Heather held Rod's hand and went to speak with her dad again.
Emotions stuck in her throat, and she swallowed them down. "Thank you again, Dad. I'm blown away that you did all this for me. You, Ronacks, Gia, have given me a big family."
Gia stepped back and let Heather's dad put his cigarette out. "Are you guys heading out?"
"Yeah. Apparently, I have the day off and so does Rod." She laughed. "This is crazy, and I'm so happy."
Her dad's squint deepened. "I got something for you in my pack."
"What?"
"I'll get it and meet you at your car." Her father walked off.
Heather looked at Gia and raised her brows, but Gia only shrugged. She walked with everyone to the car where her dad handed her a yellow Manilla envelope. "Am I supposed to open it now?"
"Whenever you want," said her dad.
Gia pointed at Heather. "Open it now."
"Okay." She slid her finger under the flap and put her hand inside, pulling out a piece of paper. She looked down. No, not a paper.
A photo of her and her dad.
It was a side view picture of them facing each other. Her head was tilted up, and she was talking to her dad. Her dad was looking down into her eyes. While not the most flattering picture of herself, the expression captured on her dad's face spoke of the love he had for her. His mouth was soft, his eyes softer, and he adored her. She had his full attention. Attention she'd craved growing up and missed out on, and he was giving her all the feelings he'd saved for her until now.
She sniffed, wiping under her eye before she dripped any tears on the photo and ruined it.