by Jayne Blue
I smiled. “No thanks to you, yes.”
He came to me, setting the mugs down on the nightstand.
“Let me look at you,” he said. He pulled the sheet down. After everything we’d done together last night, I felt a little bashful in the cold light of morning. God. No. It had to be past noon.
“Turn over,” he said. I did. I lay on my stomach as Torch rubbed my shoulders. He reached for the nightstand, where I kept some body lotion. I groaned with pleasure as he rubbed it in everywhere, including my sore bottom.
Then he kissed me everywhere, as well.
Feeling bold again, I turned to my side. I reached for him. Torch brought my hand to his lips and kissed my palm.
“I’ll run you a bath,” he said. “It’ll help.”
“I’m okay,” I said. “Really. That was ... I mean ... I never ...”
Storm clouds came into Torch’s eyes. I knew without him even having to say what put them there. He was jealous of even the thought of me being with another guy. With Torch, I’m not even sure I can describe what I experienced. It was like he knew me. Every inch of me. Every fantasy, every urge. How could he know I would like it that way? So rough. So ... kinky? That I could become so … He’d done things to me I’d only ever read about in trashy books my mother had always told me you could go to hell for reading.
“I’m okay,” I said again. “But I wouldn’t hate a bath. Will you ... come in?”
He smiled. A moment before, I’d grown shy about being naked in front of this man again. Now, I didn’t care at all.
“I’ve got to check in at the Den. Do you have to be anywhere?”
“Actually, no. I’m not on tonight. And Uncle George is out of town on a deposition. He took his law clerk for that. I’ve got the day off.”
“Good,” Torch said, rising. “I want to see you later tonight. You up for that?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I’d like that. Will we go somewhere or would you like me to order in?”
Torch was already in the bathroom. He didn’t hear me over the water running. The steam wafted through the door.
I padded across the hall to join him. Torch had his back to me. He wore his jeans but was shirtless. He hunched over the tub, testing the water temperature. In the full light, I saw. I couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped my lips. Torch stiffened and straightened his shoulder. Slowly, he rose to his feet and turned to me.
There was nothing to say yet. I went to him. He clenched his fists, and for a moment, it seemed like he might push me away. But he didn’t.
Last night, in the dim light and with his darker tattoos covering most of it, I hadn’t seen the scars covering his left shoulder and all the way down to his ribcage.
Torch had been burned. Badly. The skin was grafted and healed, but I didn’t need to have a medical background to know these had been severe third-degree burns. Likely life-threatening.
“What happened to you?” I asked. I reached around him and shut off the water.
“It was a long time ago,” he said.
“That’s not an answer.”
He clenched his jaw and kept his fists at his side.
“Torch,” I said. “What happened between us last night. That’s not ... I’ve never shared something like that with anyone. You ... I know what that was. You made me say it. I felt it. You made me …”
I hated that I couldn’t find the right words. I hated that I even had to say them at all. But I’d exposed the deepest parts of myself to him. I knew I was asking him to do the same.
Torch came to me. He threaded his fingers through my hair and kissed me.
“Sydney,” he whispered.
I pulled away. “I don’t even know your last name! Or your real first name!”
He smiled. “Thomas.”
Satisfied, I kissed him back. “You don’t have to be afraid of anything with me either,” I said. “I meant what I said last night and this morning.”
Heat grew between my legs as Torch kissed me again. He threaded his fingers through mine, and brought my hands up, pinning me against the wall. How did he do it? With just a look or a touch or ... lord have mercy, a kiss, he could have me wanting and wet, ready to forget everything but him.
I nipped his lip. It surprised him. He pulled away and regarded me. He kept my arms pinned above me. In spite of myself, I felt my hips writhe toward him. But I had to stay focused.
“What happened to you?” I asked. “Tell me. This can’t be just a one-way thing, Torch.”
He didn’t let me go, but he loosened his grip. Instinct told me he needed me like this. If he were going to let his guard down with me even a little, he’d need to feel in control. I grew even wetter thinking how much I could learn from him if I let him tie me up all the way.
“Tell me,” I whispered.
He pressed his forehead to mine. “It was a long time ago. I was a kid. Someone tried to hurt somebody I cared about. I stopped him. And I set his house on fire.”
“Who did you care so much about?” I asked. “Was it your mother?”
Torch straightened. Still, he kept my arms pinned above me. I knew what he needed. It was as if my body ... my soul became attuned to his. His needs. His fears.
“I’ll never hurt you,” I said. “Whatever you need ... Torch ... tie me up, then tell me the truth.”
His eyes ignited with dark passion. For an instant, it was as if he’d gone feral. Yes. I’d hit on it. That’s what he needed.
“She was ... they were my foster parents,” he said.
“I’m so sorry,” I said. “Oh ... Torch.”
He let me go. What he had said was so basic. Almost clinical. And yet, I suspected there were few people in the world, if any, who knew even that much about him.
“I have to go,” he said, finding that wicked smile for me.
“But I’ll come back. Tonight. And I’ll bring some rope.”
“Oh!” I swear I almost had a spontaneous orgasm just thinking about it.
“You better get in there while the water’s warm, baby,” he said. He gave my aching bottom a slight pinch then left the room.
I followed him as he grabbed his shirt and cut and slipped them on. I leaned against the door frame as he found his boots.
“What time?” I asked. “I’ll order in.”
“I’ll text you,” he said. “It might be late.”
He came to me again and kissed me. Then he strode across the living room and let himself out the door.
Thomas, I thought, then froze.
I ran to the window. I shielded my naked body with the curtain and looked down. Torch was already mounting his Harley.
Thomas. Shit. I didn’t even think to ask him whether that was his first name or his last.
Chapter Seventeen
Torch
I went to Colt. I owed him my life in so many ways. He knew me about as well as anyone did. I found him alone in his office at the Den.
“You wanted to see me?” he said. He had his feet up on the desk, but that was the only casual thing about his demeanor. His eyes stared straight through me. It wasn’t by accident; he didn’t ask me to sit.
“Prez,” I said. “I did something that I think maybe you’re not going to like.”
“So you probably should have told me about it before you did it,” he said.
I didn’t like twisting in the wind like this but knew I had it coming.
“Sydney Bailey,” I said.
“I figured,” he said. He pressed his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose and let out a hard breath.
“Sit down, Torch,” he finally told me.
I did.
Colt sat up and leaned on the desk with his elbows. “How deep are you?”
“She matters to me,” I said. It was the simplest way to put it.
“Does George have any clue?”
“I don’t know. I doubt it.”
Colt rolled his eyes. “Right. Torch, anybody with a pulse can see how you look at that girl
. George had a front-row seat last night. And he knows you’ve been taking her home the nights she works. Trust me. He knows.”
“Has he said something to you?” I asked.
“Not in so many words,” Colt answered. “But he’s made it very clear his niece is here under his protection. And it’s pretty obvious that little fact is causing issues for him within his own family. They want her back.”
“She won’t go,” I said, my back going up.
“What’s the deal? Why is she so dead set against having anything to do with her parents? Was she hurt?”
“Nothing like that,” I said. “At least, not that she’s told me. She’s just tired of being told what to do. And she’s figured out there are more important things than money.”
“Torch,” he said. “Far be it from me to tell any man in this club where to stick his dick. But this one’s complicated. It’s not a good time for me to have to go lawyer shopping. There’s a saying about shitting where you eat.”
There was also some hypocrisy in his words. Amy had been the ex of our former club president. The guy was an evil bastard who deserved to die for what he did to Amy. But Colt bent just about every club rule when he hooked up with her. Same with Kellan. His wife Mallory was our headliner. She brought serious bank through the doors every weekend. But I wasn’t going to throw any of that in his face. Colt was a smart man. He already knew.
“You in love with her?” he asked.
I didn’t know how to answer. I’d never been in love with a woman. Not in the way everyone else talked about it. I just knew that the thought of anyone or anything hurting Sydney turned my blood black. I would kill for her. I knew it in my soul.
“I don’t know,” I answered. “I know she’s on my mind all the time. Things are, I don’t know, simpler in my head when I’m with her.”
“You’ve been through hell and back, brother,” Colt said. “I want you to be happy. You know that. I’m not your dad. I know that too. You don’t need my permission. But I know you. Christ, Torch. In all the time I’ve known you, you’ve never even dated. I mean, you’ve gone through your share of club bangers, but not lately. Lately, you’ve been living like a damn monk. If this girl makes you happy, I’m glad. Hell, I’m ecstatic. But I’m gonna need you to figure out real quick whether it’s the real thing or not. I’ll have your back, no matter what. You don’t even have to ask. It just ... the trouble better be worth it. You know?”
I did know. If this was just about me getting my rocks off, there were far less complicated options. Only I knew it wasn’t just that. I said Sydney was all I could think about. That was a crock of shit. I damn near couldn’t breathe without her anymore. She consumed my thoughts. I wanted her near me. Under me. On top of me. What we shared last night was just the beginning of where I could take her. I felt her need for it as well. Sure, I’d made her tap into her wild parts, but something deeper happened to me. I felt more in control of myself. Like she’d helped me harness the demons inside of me for an hour or two. Now I craved it. I craved her.
“I know,” I said. “And the last thing I want to do is make trouble for you or the club. So I won’t. I need some time to figure out how far I want to take this with her. And I’ll be damn careful she’s on the same page. For now, I think she is. I’m not looking to hurt her, Colt. I think I’d die before I let that happen.”
Colt broke into a slow smile. “Shit, Torch. You talk like a man in love.”
I couldn’t answer. I didn’t know how.
“Listen,” he said. “There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about. I need you to take a ride down to Cincy. We just made a deal with another bar down there. Sammy’s. I don’t expect any trouble. But the Hawks used to have a foothold down there. I just want you to go talk to the owner. Make sure he knows the Wolves are gonna make sure things go smooth once he starts selling our GWMC brew. Two-day trip. There and back. I want you to leave tomorrow morning.”
“You got it, boss,” I said. “It might be good for me to clear my head.”
“Yeah,” Colt said. “Why don’t you take your girl with you? It’ll get her out of George’s sight, and maybe you can figure out how deep you’re planning to go with her. When you come back, I’ll need an answer. You think you can do that?”
Two days with Sydney on the back of my bike? Yeah. I think I could do that.
I rose and offered Colt my hand. He shook it. His eyes were hard, and they told me everything I needed to know. If I was serious about Sydney, he’d back my play. But I had two days to decide. In or out. Her uncle was too important to the club for me to fuck this up.
I just hoped I wouldn’t let any of them down.
Chapter Eighteen
I called Sydney as I left Colt’s office. She answered on the first ring, and my heart flooded with heat at the sound of her voice. I woke her up. She’d been sleeping off the night I’d given her. Damn. I liked her that way. Worn out. Happy. Just as eager to see me as I was to see her.
“Can you pack a light bag?” I said. “Just a change of clothes. A toothbrush. That sort of thing.”
“Sure. Where are we going?”
Dammit. Just like that. I didn’t have to ask. She was ready. She trusted me. I told her. I left out Colt’s ultimatum. If I still wanted her by the time we came back, that was one thing. If I didn’t or wasn’t sure, I’d have to end it.
“Never been to Cincinnati,” she said. “How long does it take to get there?”
“Five hours or so,” I said. “We’ll stop along the way. You’ve never been on the bike that long. It can be rough if you’re not used to it. It’s better to break you in easy, but I think you’ll be okay.”
Her sexy laugh got me hard all over again. “Was that what last night was? You breaking me in easy.”
Fuck. Even as she said it, I knew I had no intention of going gentle with this girl ever again. The rougher I got, the more turned on she seemed to get.
“Baby,” I said. “Be ready by, say, seven? I’ll pick you up after dinner. We’ll ride an hour or two then stop somewhere. We’ll do the rest of the trip in the morning. You good with that?”
“I’m looking forward to spending some time with you,” she said.
“Me too,” I said after a pause. It was hard not to put my guard up with her. With anyone. I don’t know if she knew that.
We hung up, and I went upstairs to my apartment. I didn’t need much. I kept the pouch on my bike packed with most of what I needed. It was an old habit, but one I’d never break. I was ready to bug out at a moment’s notice. There had been times in my life where I needed to.
I spent the day checking with distributors and shipment schedules for Colt. We were selling like crazy in Traverse City. At this rate, we’d recover the start-up costs for the new microbrewery way ahead of schedule.
I grabbed a quick sandwich from the kitchen, and before I knew it, it was almost seven. I checked in with Colt one last time, gassed up, then headed over to Sydney’s apartment.
She was waiting for me on her stoop, a small drawstring bag hanging from her shoulder.
“I like it,” he said. “A chick who’s ready when I say.”
A blush came into her cheeks as she stood up. “I think I proved I’m capable of doing as I’m told.”
Fuck. She had. Last night she’d done everything I ordered her to and begged for more.
She slipped her arms around my neck. She was so soft. Her body fit against mine. I watched her drink in the scent of my leather. I had a vision of stripping her naked and having her wear it. Fuck. Later I’d have her do just that. I wanted that picture on my phone.
“Did you eat?” I asked. “We can stop.”
“I’m good,” she said. “I’m kind of excited about hitting the road. You’ve never taken me on the highway before.”
Her thrill was genuine, I could see it in her eyes. I took her bag and tucked it into my pouch. Then I handed her a helmet. Sydney put it on and climbed on the back of the bike.
&nb
sp; Damn, it felt good to have her there. I decided I liked it second only to being inside of her. I loved the way she wrapped around me, molding herself to me.
We took the bridge over to the Interstate. It really was beautiful, with the colored lights twinkling and reflecting in the water.
Sydney’s unabashed laughter warmed my blood as I picked up speed. Traffic was light. For a little while, we had the road to ourselves.
We flew. She matched my movements. Squeezing me harder as I took the curves. I was gentle with her, not going as fast as I normally would. But I felt Sydney dig in her heels. She yelled in my ear.
“Faster!”
The engine roared as I tapped into the true power of the bike.
It hit me like a thunder crack, straight through my heart. This. Tonight. With my girl on the back of my Harley. For the first time in my life, I felt ... happy.
I slowed as we got near Findlay. We’d been riding for about an hour and a half. I pulled off to a campground I knew. I’d brought a blanket, and I wanted to show Sydney the stars.
I parked, then took her hand, leading her down to the small, man-made pond at the base of a hill.
“Are we alone?” she asked.
“Pretty much,” I said. “The cabins are way over there. You can see the smoke from a couple of campfires. I like it here, though. It’s quieter. I know the owner. We can rent one of the empty cabins for tonight.”
“Can we stay out here?” she asked.
I tilted my head. “You serious? You don’t strike me as the roughing-it type.”
She sat on the blanket and looked up, marveling at the stars.
“I’ve never done it before,” she said. “It’s warm enough. I don’t know. It just feels ... right.”
I sat down beside her. Things grew easy between us. She put her head on my shoulder and yawned. She was right. Out here was better. I’d already scoped the place out. We were completely alone.
She did get a little chilly, though. I took off my cut and put it around her shoulders. It looked good on her. I couldn’t shake my fantasy of seeing her wear only it. We’d get to that if I wanted. I knew.