by J. A. Owenby
“I’m sorry that we’re asking you to keep our secret,” I said to Zayne. “We didn’t mean for it to happen. I have feelings for him, and I just need a little bit of time to settle into the new relationship before we talk to my sister and Pierce. You know as well as I do that shit is going to hit the fan.”
“Yeah. I do, and I don’t want to be anywhere around when it does.” Zayne rubbed his chin, his green eyes piercing me.
“Let me get dressed, and we can all go back to the house and get everything aired out.” Vaughn squeezed my shoulder and left the room, leaving me with Zayne.
An awkward silence settled between us, and I rubbed my arms, attempting to chase away the unhappiness that had descended over me.
“Do you love him?”
My head jerked up. “Don’t you think that’s an incredibly personal question?”
Zayne stood and shoved his hands in his jean pockets. “I don’t care how personal it is. You’re in a huge mess right now, scared for your life. If you’re toying with my man, we’ve got a problem.”
I squared my shoulders, my chin jutting upward. “I hate to admit it, but I respect you for watching his back, but you don’t intimidate me. I’ve managed a room of abusive bikers and soothed their frayed nerves. I’ve worked with the FBI, survived an abduction, and fucking lived to tell about it. I’ve been passed around at sex parties like salt and pepper, fucked every way you can possibly imagine, and walked away intact. I deserve to have something good in my life. I deserve to be treated well and loved. To answer your question, I wasn’t sure where this relationship was going, but after last night, I’ll fight with everything inside me to hang on to that man. He is everything good and pure, and he owns my heart. Do with that what you will, but don’t ever accuse me of playing him again.”
Vaughn entered the room, shock twisting his expression. Without saying a word, he held out his hand to me, and I took it.
“That was pretty clear,” Zayne said a bit sheepishly.
“Let’s go. I need a shower.” I grabbed my purse and helped Vaughn lock up the house. Zayne made a dash to his car and pulled out before we even reached the Mercedes.
Vaughn opened the passenger door for me, and I slid into the seat. Once in the driver’s side, the car purred to life, and he buckled his seat belt. We stared at each other.
“I know you heard what I said, and I stand by it. It was nothing but the truth, but I’m not ready to say it yet. Give me a little more time.”
“Take all you need, babe.” He kissed me, slid his Ray-Bans into place, and pulled out of his driveway.
I smacked my forehead with the palm of my hand. “How did this happen?”
Vaughn tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “Zayne has a key. They all do. Mom, Pierce, and Sutton. We keep an eye on each other’s house if we’re away on an assignment. When you didn’t answer your phone and I didn’t either, he thought something was wrong and let himself in. It’s never been an issue before, and I was …” He blew out a big breath. “For the first time in a long time, I was so happy last night that nothing else existed.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Really.” He grabbed my hand and brushed his lips across my knuckles.
“Me too. I want more of that with you. A lot more.”
An infectious grin broke out over his face, and I found myself smiling because he was happy. This was definitely a new one for me, and I loved it.
“I have a confession,” I said softly. “I asked Sutton about you every time we talked. I had to disguise it a little and ask about Zayne, as well, but I just wanted to know how you were. I thought about you every day, and I won’t lie, you’re the first guy that’s ever turned me down, but something inside me respected you for not taking advantage of me. The more I learned about you, the more my feelings grew. I wanted to find an excuse to visit just so I could see you … but I didn’t think you wanted to have anything to do with me, so I never talked to Sutton about coming up.”
Vaughn pulled up to the facial recognition system at Sutton and Pierce’s. The gate opened, and he squeezed my hand while he parked. He pushed the power button and faced me, removing his sunglasses.
“Are you telling me that over the last ten months, you’ve felt more for me?” His fingers trailed down my cheek.
“Yes. I didn’t date anyone. I mean, I wasn’t in a good place, but even when I’m not, I get laid. But you … when you told me I deserved more … it stuck with me. A part of me wanted that. The other part was used to turning to sex as an escape.” I purposefully omitted my near romp with Coen right before moving to Spokane. Coen was definitely a distraction from all of the hell in my life. “Last night, Vaughn.” I shook my head. “It was the most beautiful night. I’ve never experienced such a deep connection with a guy before.”
“I feel the same. You’re different. You’re my missing half.” He lifted my chin and brushed his lips against mine.
“I need to shower. I smell like amazing sex.” I grinned. “You should shower with me.”
“Since Zayne already knows, I’m going to take you up on it. First I need to let him yell at me.”
“I’m sorry.” I leaned my forehead against his. “If my phone hadn’t been on silent, none of this would have happened.”
“Don’t blame yourself. I think we just need to decide when we are going to tell everyone. And … I’m pretty sure I know the answer, but I need to hear it. Are you all in this relationship with me? We’re risking a lot, and if you’re not sure yet or—”
I placed my finger on his lips. “I’m all in. I realize shit will hit the fan, but they’ll have to get over it. I’ve waited for you long enough. I’ve waited to be happy long enough. I’m not letting you go.”
Vaughn unfastened my seat belt and pulled me into his lap. I laughed as I straddled him. “Was it something I said?” I feigned ignorance, placing my hand on my chest and batting my eyelashes at him.
He responded with a passionate kiss that turned me into jelly. “You keep this up and I won’t be able to walk in the house,” I said.
Vaughn grinned and smoothed my hair. “I’ll carry you anywhere you want to go.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. For now, let’s face Zayne so we can have some playtime.” I winked at him, opened the car door, and slid off his lap.
Vaughn locked the Mercedes, and we walked through the front door. Zayne was sitting in the recliner, waiting for us. My stomach dropped. Talking about disappointing the people we loved was different than having to deal with the wrath.
“Maybe I should leave you two alone.” I glanced up at Vaughn, seeing what he needed me to do. I wanted to support him, but I also wanted him and Zayne to have the time they needed to work this out.
“Stay. At least for a minute. You need to hear this.” Zayne stood, his green eyes pinning me with his intense stare.
16
I squirmed internally. This wasn’t going to be fun, and it was just Zayne. What in the hell would happen with Pierce and Sutton?
Vaughn and I sat on the leather couch and waited for him to speak again.
“Dude.” Zayne flipped a brown lock out of his face and placed his hands on his hip. His pocket watch tattoo flashed with new color. He must have had it freshened up recently. The blue and green were beautiful, and I examined his ink more closely.
“You’re one of my best friends, and you know I’ll always have your back, but you’ve gotta get your head out of your fucking ass.”
Vaughn stood, his fingers clenching into fists. “What the hell?”
Zayne raised his hands. “I’m not looking to beat the shit out of each other over this, but you need to listen to me. Yeah, I have a key to your place, but your front door was unlocked, and your alarm system was off. Anyone—and I mean anyone—could have walked into your home and killed you both. Not only do we have enemies, which puts Claire in danger, but someone tried to kill her the other night at the party. She has people after her, and your fucking house wasn’t locke
d.”
Vaughn blinked rapidly as the harsh reality slapped me in the face. We’d been so wrapped up in each other, we’d not taken precautions.
“It was my fault,” I interjected. “I should have taken care of that while he was in the bathroom.” I realized my attempt at helping Vaughn was lame, but I had to try.
“Babe,” Vaughn said, returning to his seat. “You don’t even know the code.”
“I should have locked the door behind us. I’ve done that for years, and I just … I lost my common sense last night. I put both of us in jeopardy.”
Vaughn’s head hung down and he sighed, then his attention landed on Zayne. “You’re right. I’m her bodyguard and I didn’t protect her. I left her wide open. It won’t happen again.”
“I just want you both to stay alive. I can’t tell you how much it fucked me up. I stood at your bedroom door this morning, terrified I’d open it and find both of you dead. At that point, I had enough information to take an educated guess that you two were together.”
“I’m sorry.” I said. “I didn’t mean to scare anyone. Zayne, this is new, and we just wanted some time to be to ourselves before we told everyone. I know Sutton and Pierce will pop their tops. We needed to be sure about our relationship and what we wanted before we shared it.”
“Are you?” Zayne’s gaze fell on me, regret flashing in his eyes.
I swallowed the lump of emotions that had welled up in my throat as Vaughn’s words came back to life. Zayne was interested in me.
“I can’t speak for Vaughn, but … I am. I’d still like to wait a little bit, but I’m not planning on changing my mind. Honestly, I’ve had feelings for him since Pierce and Sutton’s wedding. It was just bad timing, and I didn’t realize he felt the same about me.”
Vaughn glanced at me, and I gave him a reassuring smile.
“We don’t like hiding anything from the people we care about, Zayne. I thought the time that Pierce and Sutton were away would give us the space we needed to figure out our relationship. Plus, how to tell them. I needed to make sure Claire and I were on the same page, too. Now that I know we are, then I’ll speak to Pierce and Sutton as soon as they return.”
Zayne finally sat back down in the recliner, his attention bouncing between the two of us. “All right. I’ll give you some time to take care of this. Until then, you have my word—I won’t say anything.”
My shoulders relaxed a little. Hiding my relationship from Sutton was still fucking with me, but at least we were on our way to correcting it.
“Thanks, man. Since we were woken up suddenly, we need to shower.”
Zayne nodded. “I’m going to hit the gym, but while we’re all here, I’ll set the alarm first.”
I stood, and before I realized what I was doing, I flung my arms around Zayne. “Thank you, Zayne. This means a lot to me.”
He hugged me briefly, then dropped his arms. I didn’t miss the sadness in his expression before he walked away.
I looked at Vaughn and tilted my head to the stairs. He nodded and followed me silently. I assumed he was processing our morning just like I was. Without a word, I pulled a clean G-string, T-shirt, and shorts from my dresser while Vaughn shut and locked the door behind us. I placed my clothes on the bathroom counter and grabbed two plush towels from beneath the sink. Vaughn joined me, and I turned on the shower. I stared at him, my heart beating wildly, but in a good way. For the first time in my life, I felt safe with a man other than my father or Pierce.
I tugged my dress over my head and let it drop to the floor. Vaughn’s eyes darkened with desire as he watched me. Even though I was sore from last night’s activity, my core throbbed with need. For him.
I shimmied out of my thong. Vaughn’s attention landed on my full breasts and shaved pussy. My tongue darted over my bottom lip. I sauntered toward him and poked his chest with my finger.
“I understand that we made love last night, but today, I want you to fuck me. Hard.”
His eyes widened briefly.
“First, I need to finish what I started.” I popped open the button on his jeans and unzipped them. I sank to my knees and freed his long, hard shaft. I glanced up at him as I licked the precum off the tip of his cock. Running my tongue up the length of him, I stroked him firmly.
“God, you’re amazing.” He held on to the wall while he watched.
I tugged his pants and boxer briefs down, allowing better access to him. I ran my tongue around the head of his dick and sucked on him slowly. I eased the length of him into my mouth until he hit the back of my throat. I cupped his balls in my other hand and massaged them.
“Jesus!” He tossed his head back while I continued. He rocked back and forth, gaining momentum as I brought him to the edge.
“Stop!” He gently pushed me away and backed up. “Fuck. Give me a second, babe.” He peered up at the ceiling and steadied his breathing.
I stood, waiting for him to regain control.
He took a long stride toward me, his expression fierce as his face hovered above mine.
“You swear to me if I trigger you at any time, we stop. You tell me immediately. Promise me.”
“I will.” I placed my hand on his chest, then tugged his T-shirt over his head.
Vaughn kicked off his jeans, scooped me up in his arms, and slid the shower door open. Thick plumes of steam welcomed us. He backed me up to the bench, letting the water cascade over us. In one quick motion, he faced me toward the wall and pressed me against it. I flattened my hands against the tile, my breath coming in shallow gasps as my body greedily anticipated his next move.
“Spread your legs,” he commanded, his deep voice sending shivers over my body. “What’s off-limits?” His fingers traced the small of my back.
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”
He growled his response and nipped at my ear with his teeth. “Who does this belong to?” He teased my clit while he waited for my reply.
Oh, God. What this man was going to do to me. “You.”
He pumped his finger inside me, then slipped another one in. I whimpered when he pulled them out of me. He sat down on the shower seat, the droplets of water beading and running over his chest and abs. “Come here.” He grabbed his cock and stroked it. My eyes took in every delicious inch of him. “Sit.” He pointed toward the other bench, and I did as he said, loving every minute of him taking charge.
I leaned against the wall and spread my legs, revealing my pussy. My hand slipped between my thighs, and I eased myself apart for him. “It’s all yours, baby. Taste it, suck it, and fuck it any way you want.” I massaged my clit while he stroked his dick again.
“I need to touch you. Come here and bend over.” I flicked the water out of my eyes, then curled over his lap. He dug his finger into the flesh of my ass cheeks, and I groaned.
“You like that?” He asked.
“Yes.”
He gave me a little smack, the pain sending waves of desire through me. He spread my cheeks apart and released a moan. "Your little ass looks so tight.” He shoved a few digits inside my pussy, my juices slicking up his hand. “Oh yeah, you’re so wet for me.” Moving his finger up, he pushed against the entrance of my puckered hole. I lifted my hips and bumped against him, easing him inside me.
“Vaughn, fuck me,” I panted.
I didn’t think it was possible, but his cock grew even harder beneath me.
“More,” I begged.
He shifted on the seat, gaining better access to me. Ecstasy swirled inside me as I moved against him.
“You’re so goddamned tight,” he growled. He picked me up, and I straddled him, then he shoved his shaft into my pussy. I moaned while he continued to finger fuck me at the same time.
I rocked against him. “Harder.” I dug my nails into his firm shoulders and rode him hard. He thrust deep inside me, panting.
He grabbed my wet hair and jerked my head back, pumping into me. I closed my eyes, surrendering entirely to him, bucking against him as fast as I c
ould. Stars exploded behind my eyelids while my core clenched around him, and I called his name.
“That’s my girl.”
I collapsed against him, breathless. He eased his finger out of me, and I crawled off him and sank to my knees. The hot water pelted my back, and I peeked up at him.
“You’re not wearing a condom, so you can come on my tits or in my mouth.” Even I had some limits. I was on the pill, so I wasn’t worried about getting pregnant, but I preferred condoms until I knew my partner was clean. That didn’t mean I hadn’t had plenty of sex bareback, but I’d also been tested monthly, and a lot of the MC guys were, as well.
He shifted his hips forward and guided my lips to his shaft. I peeked up at him through wet eyelashes while I moved my fingers beneath his balls, locating his sensitive spot. I massaged it, sucking him harder. He moaned and held my head in place as he nearly bucked off the seat. His hand smacked the shower wall, and he exploded in the back of my throat. I stroked him, watching this gorgeous man come undone.
Vaughn opened his eyes, and I licked him clean. He immediately pulled me into his lap and wrapped his arms around me. Kissing my temple, he rocked me without speaking.
I curled up against him, reveling in the after-orgasm cuddles. Finally, I looked up at him. “I want to make you happy.”
He kissed the tip of my nose. “I’ve never been this happy in my life. I’m not saying that because we just had amazing sex, Claire. I’m just as content making love to you as I am having rougher playtime.”
“Well, I like both. There’s not much I’ve not tried.”
“I understand that, but I’m not expecting you to perform for me. I only want us to do what you’re comfortable with. I do need to make something clear, though.”
“All right. What is it?”
17
“To me, we’re exclusive, and I don’t share.”
There was nothing I could do to stop myself from smiling. “Thank you. I don’t want that life anymore.”
“Good. We should get washed up and put some clothes on. I’ll cook us some lunch.”