by Jessie Cooke
She helped him make it to the office door and when he knocked Le Singe yelled at them to come inside. He was sitting at the desk, on the phone, and he motioned at them with his hand to come in further and take a seat. Patrice helped Gabe into his seat first and as she took hers, they heard Le Singe say, “So you’ll spend the night in New York?” Gabe and Patrice looked at each other when he then said, “Okay, boss, let me know if y’all need anything. I got things here until you get back.” He ended the call then and before Gabe had a chance to say anything Patrice said:
“Is he going to Maine?”
Le Singe raised an eyebrow and looked from her to Gabe. After a long pause he said, “You look pretty good, but I hear that gator was just a pup.”
Gabe laughed. “He was a teenager at least, and a big one at that.”
Le Singe chuckled. “Yeah, right. So what can I do for the two of you?”
“You can answer my question,” Patrice said. Gabe bit his bottom lip and watched Le Singe’s face. The Jokers didn’t abuse women the way the Mad Men did...but they definitely made a difference between men and women when it came to business.
“If the president of this club wanted you to know where he was, I imagine he’d tell you, miss.” Then obviously dismissing her, he looked back at Gabe. “Once again, you need anything? Need some of the girls to look after you or...?”
“He’s got me to look after him,” Patrice said, standing up and sending a rush of anxiety to Gabe’s chest. He had a feeling Patrice was going to have a hard time fitting in with the Jokers, and he hated that, because he really hoped to have a future with her...and his club. Before Le Singe could snap back Gabe struggled to his feet and said:
“I’m good. I just wanted to check in and let you know I’ll be staying with Patrice this week. My phone took a shit out in the swamp, but I’ve got the burner that Blackheart sent to the hospital for me for now if you need me.”
Le Singe stood up too. “Okay, but let us know if you need anything.” He looked at Patrice then and said, “Ma’am.” Patrice looked like she wanted to tell him what to do with his “Ma’am,” but instead she forced a smile and said:
“I’ll take good care of him. You have a nice day.” The walk back to the car was less than pleasant and Gabe could tell by the way she threw the crutches in the back that the ride back to her place was going to be even less so. Knowing when to keep his mouth shut, he sat silently until they pulled up in the driveway of her house almost forty-five minutes later and she said, “I’m going to Maine. This is about me and my mother. I deserve to be a part of it.” Suddenly the pain in his leg was throbbing in his head. Leave it to him to find a stubborn woman. Her confidence was part of her hotness to him, but he was going to go through hell getting the rest of the club to agree with that.
14
Patrice’s little place was beautiful. She had it filled with comfy-looking furniture, plants, and artwork that Gabe suspected hadn’t been cheap. But he barely got a glimpse of any of it before she tore into her bedroom and started throwing things into a bag. He almost felt sorry for the jeans and blouses that were ripped from their neat positions on the hangars in the closets and tossed ruthlessly onto the bed. He stood in the doorway and watched her for several minutes before finally saying, “I’d like to go with you.”
She stopped what she was doing and looked at him, almost as if only just remembering he was there. “No,” she said, picking up a blouse she’d shoved into the bag and suddenly folding it gently. “You’re not in any shape for a two-day trip in the car.”
“Okay, then let’s fly. Blackheart is spending the night in New York tonight so he won’t be there until tomorrow. We can take a six-hour flight and probably beat him there.” She stopped her folding and looked back up at him. Her pretty blue eyes held a suspicious glint...eerily like the one his president got in his when he thought someone was taking him for a ride.
“He’s not going to be happy about me showing up. You’re willing to risk pissing him off at you for helping me?”
Gabe shrugged. He didn’t like the idea of Blackheart being pissed at him, but Patrice was going, no matter what he said or did and he couldn’t stand the idea of her going alone. She might not need him, especially in his current state, but he wouldn’t be able to sleep knowing she was alone in Maine, chasing a potential “bad guy” who would push her mother off a balcony...and encountering the president of the Jokers, who was going to be madly pissed as soon as he saw her there. “He’ll get over it. I’m going. Even if you don’t let me go with you, I’ll fly out and find you. Le Singe will tell me where Blackheart went if I ask when you’re not around.”
“And why is that?” she asked, folding her arms. He’d renewed her anger, like throwing water on a pissed-off cat. “Because you people live in the dark ages and still think women are ‘too delicate’ to think for themselves?”
“I’m sorry, I know it seems that way. It’s just that the club is real traditional in a lot of respects. They don’t look at it like women are stupid or whatever...just that we’re protecting them from the bad stuff...”
“Oh, give it a rest. It’s the twenty-first century and trust me, there are a lot of women who could put anything any of you men in that club do to shame...”
“I’m not arguing that point, just trying to tell you how they think and where the rules come from.”
“I don’t give a shit,” she said. “This is my life he’s poking his head into and I’m not going to sit back like a princess in a gilded castle and let him be the Knight in Shining Armor. He didn’t even want to admit that he’d fucked my mother and made a child—I should trust him on this?” Gabe could see the tears swimming in her eyes and he began to realize her anger with Blackheart was about a lot more than his leaving her out. Somehow, Patrice had imagined things differently in her head, that Blackheart would open his arms and simply welcome her into his family. But that wasn’t the way it worked with Blackheart. Ever since he found his father dead, and killed the man he thought was responsible, any trust or respect anyone got from him was hard earned...even if she had his face. Gabe stood quietly and waited for her to calm down. Finally she took a deep breath and said, “Fine, I’ll call the airlines and see how early we can fly out in the morning. Can you find out where he went, exactly?” He wasn’t absolutely positive Le Singe would tell him now, but he wasn’t going to tell her that.
“Of course,” he said.
It took a few hours, and Gabe had to call Lowlife, who as the Road Captain was on the road with Blackheart. He pretended to just be checking in, letting them know he was out of the hospital, and leaving it like that would get him into even more trouble. But he had a driving need to help Patrice, so he was willing to accept his consequences for that; he just hoped Blackheart would forgive him. Patrice booked them a seven-hour flight from New Orleans into Portland. From there they’d have to rent a car because the town Blackheart and the guys were headed to was a little place about an hour and forty-five minutes from Portland known as Lincolnville. There was one post office, an inn, and a couple of restaurants in the coastal town, and apparently it was where Patrice’s mother lived before returning to New Orleans and dying.
Once that was all finished, Patrice ordered Chinese food in, and they were finally seated in her comfy little living room, eating, if not still silently. He tried to act completely interested in his food because he didn’t know what to say, but finally she seemed to shake off her anger and by the time she cleaned up the supper mess she was bringing him his pills and talking about setting him up so he could shower and she could change his dressing. Normally, he’d have a problem with being treated like a kid, but the idea of her helping him shower greatly appealed to him.
Patrice helped him back to the master bedroom and he watched while she went into the bathroom and laid out two fresh towels and what looked like enough supplies to change his bulky dressing. Then she leaned in and started the shower, holding her hand underneath the water to check the temperatur
e until it seemed to satisfy her. Then she pulled a small trash bag out of one of the drawers and pulling up a small wooden stool she said, “Have a seat and let me cover that.” It was hard for him to reach the low stool, but he finally managed. Patrice covered his bandages with the plastic bag and used tape to secure it at the top and bottom. When she stood up she said, “You need help getting undressed?” He almost said yes, without thinking, but he didn’t want to push his luck.
“Nah, thanks...I can do it.”
“Okay,” she said with a smile. “But if you need help into the shower, or out of it...or anything...I’ll be right outside; just yell at me.”
“Thanks.” Already sexually frustrated, he let her help him back to his feet and watched her leave. He peeled off his shirt facing the mirror and was almost taken aback by the bruises and scratches all down right side of his body. He knew he was sore, but hadn’t noticed them; they had to be from getting tossed back and forth in his tangle with the gator. Next, he peeled off his shorts and boxers and then carefully, on one foot, he pulled the shower door back open and hobbled in. The warm water felt good on his sore body and for several minutes he leaned one hand into the tile and let the spray massage his skin. When he lifted his head he reached for the shower gel she had on the little caddy, noticing that it said “Spring Flower Fresh,” before popping the lid. His aching cock had begun to release the blood that accumulated in it before, until he smelled that. It was how Patrice smelled, like being out in the middle of a field of flowers, and he loved it. He poured some into his palm and when he tried to put it back on the shelf, it slipped out of his hand and fell to the floor, striking his sore foot before it bounced off and hit the tile under his feet. His strangled cry brought Patrice flying back into the bathroom.
She froze for a second at the glass door but recovered quickly and pulled it open. “What happened? Are you okay?” Her eyes were on his face, but once again his entire body was reacting as if she had her hands all over him. He forgot about the pain in his foot and without thinking, he leaned forward and pressed his lips into hers. For a second, she froze and he started to pull back, but suddenly her arms were around his shoulders and clothes and all, she was inside the small shower space with him. The kiss was amazing, long and sweet, tongues tangled and lips caressing each other. His hands were in her already damp hair and he slid one of them down the side of her face to her shoulder, using his thumb to caress her collarbone. Patrice was breathless when she pulled out of the kiss and looked up at him with those sexy blue eyes. With what looked like an embarrassed grin she said, “Maybe I should take my clothes off?” It was phrased like a question, so Gabe answered her immediately:
“Absolutely. You want some help?”
She smiled again and moved his hand back to the wall. “I’ve got this. You hold on.” He did, but he didn’t take his eyes off her. First, she pulled her blouse off over her head, tossing it over the top of the shower frame into the bathroom floor. Underneath it she had on a light blue lace bra. The tops of her breasts swelled out of the cups and Gabe caught a gasp in his throat as he watched her reach back and unclasp it. He was holding his breath when she pulled it off with one hand, but that came out in a loud rush and she smiled at him again. She had to step back to take off her pants, but that was okay because it gave him an even better view. The jeans took her some time to peel off, but then she was left in nothing but a pair of tiny blue panties that matched the bra she’d been holding, and Gabe’s full heart was in his throat, keeping him from being able to swallow, and making it hard for him to breathe. By the time she finally pulled those panties off he was so hard that it was painful, and he’d forgotten about any pain, anywhere else in his body.
“God, you’re so beautiful.”
She ran her eyes over his body, causing him to shudder, before stepping forward enough so that he could feel her hard nipples against his chest. She reached her arms up around his shoulders again and pressed his head down so their lips were almost touching and said, “So are you. I have to confess, I never peeked...but damn, baby, now I’m regretting it.”
Gabe laughed and kissed her again. This kiss was even hotter and more passionate. The feel of her naked body sliding against him with nothing but the warm water between them was almost enough to make his head explode. Patrice let her lips slip from his and he felt them on his cheek, and sliding down toward his neck. Gabe let his head drop back slightly, giving her access to his neck, and she didn’t disappoint. She took her time, kissing and sucking her way across it before letting her mouth drop even lower toward his chest. She kissed across that too and his breathing was already coming in short gasps even before he felt her drop to her knees. He’d had his eyes closed but ripped them open when he felt her at his waist. She smiled up at him, and then as he watched she licked across his stomach and then with an even bigger smile, she opened her lips and let the tip of his rock-hard cock slide in between them. It felt amazing but watching her do it was even almost better. She brought her hand up and wrapped it around his shaft. He groaned when she slipped it up and down slightly and then slowly, and sexily, took in the rest of his cock an inch at a time. He kept one hand on the wall to hold himself up, but dropped the other one down, and finally got to ball all that dark hair up in his fist. While Patrice sucked, licked, and even nibbled at his cock, he pulled at her hair and used it to move her incredibly hot mouth where he wanted it.
She took her time pleasuring his cock and licking and sucking between his legs. But when she finished, she stood up and Gabe was happy to be able to reach her beautiful breasts. He’d dreamed for weeks about what it would feel like to wrap his hands around them. They fit perfectly into his big palms and he loved the contrast of his calloused skin against the satiny softness of hers. He caressed and massaged them, pressing his palms hard into the nipples and making her gasp, before finally holding onto the wall again, and leaning down to take one of them into his mouth. She moaned loudly as he began to suckle, and using both of her hands she held onto his head, tangling her fingers up in his shoulder-length brown hair and arching her back. The sounds she was making were almost as sexy as her body was and he worked harder at pleasuring her for that reward. When he changed breasts, he dropped his free hand down between her legs, and a big moan escaped his throat and caused the flesh he had in his mouth to vibrate. She was so wet, not from the shower water, but silky wet. The lips of her pussy were puffy and warm, and she took a step so her legs were open far enough that he could fit his entire hand between her thighs and use his fingers to open her lips. She gasped and leaned into him, like she was having a hard time staying on her feet when he skimmed across her swollen clit. He felt her light kisses to his shoulder turn into nips and when he at last slipped one of his thick fingers up inside of her she cried out his name and he felt her body tense, the velvety muscles of her pussy clamping down and holding onto him.
“Oh Jesus,” she whispered, shaking all over. His second finger caused another loud moan and she held onto his arms with both hands while he moved them in and out of her. She was gasping and panting but ultimately she reached down and pushed his hand away before turning to face away from him, and that was the second he realized he hadn’t brought his bag in with the condoms. She was pressing her butt back into him and his cock, as if it had taken on a life of its own, was aiming for her opening, trying desperately to get inside. In a voice that even he didn’t recognize, he was finally able to choke out:
“Condom?” He felt and saw the change in her and she stood up straight and turned to look at his face.
“Jesus,” she said, breathlessly. “I got so carried away...I don’t have one.”
“There’s some in my bag,” he told her. She gave him a little smile and shake of her head, but she left him there and was back in less than a minute with an open package in her hand. She handed it to him and while he put it on, she turned off the now cool water before stepped back into the shower. He was treated to another passionate kiss before she turned around again
and at last he was able to slide his cock in between her sexy thighs and into her opening. The feeling of being inside of her was unlike anything he’d ever felt before. He had to bite his lip, and hard, to keep from coming as soon as her pussy wrapped around his cock. He fit her perfectly, and his head was swimming by the time he rested one hand on her hip, and began to move his own so that his cock slipped in and out of her. She was warm, tight, and wet...and she felt so much better than he’d ever imagined she would, and he’d imagined making love to her, a lot. While he drove his cock in and out of her, she pushed her hips back into him and they fell into a slow, sexy rhythm that made him bite down on his lip even harder.
He followed her lead, and when she increased the rhythm and movement of her body, he increased his. His hips were slapping into her round behind and the sound of it was like music, with only the sounds of their moaning and breathing to harmonize with. Gabe did his best not to end it all too soon, but the second he heard her cry out his name, and felt her let herself go, he lost all control. He had an orgasm unlike any he remembered ever having before. It shook his entire body, and staying upright on one leg was almost impossible. He wrapped his hands around her body and she pressed hers into the wall, and they slow danced against each other until both of them were able to breathe once again. It was by far the best sex he’d ever had. He didn’t know if it had to do with how sexy she was, or how long he’d waited, or the fact that he’d never had shower sex before, and he didn’t care. All he could think about at that moment in time was that he couldn’t wait for it to happen again.
15
Blackheart, Lowlife, and Le Pirate made it to Lincolnville at about 8:30 on a Wednesday morning. It was funny, after being so used to the constant hustle and bustle of New Orleans, to see the quiet little town. There was a kiosk selling lobster rolls next to a pier where lobster traps were being unloaded from a fishing boat. An old wooden boat filled with flowers marked the entrance to the town next to it, and a homey-looking inn sat across from that. Next to the inn were a few souvenir shops, a real estate office, and a pizza parlor. Across from that were two seafood restaurants and one that boasted of “Down Home Family Cooking.” Blackheart was starving, so he stopped his bike in front of that one and the other men followed. Of course, other than the post office further up the street, it also looked like it was the only place open yet in the sleepy little town.