Wrecker threw his head back and laughed while Slayer smirked at me. “How the hell did you manage to get this sweet girl to agree to go out with you?”
“Wasn’t fucking easy. It took me a year and about one hundred dollars in donuts,” Nickel laughed, smiling down at me.
“You made him wait a year, darlin’?”
My face heated, and I buried my face into Nickel’s chest. “She totally made him wait. Son of a bitch, I think I like this one,” Wrecker laughed.
“Shut the fuck up and watch the fireworks,” Nickel said, annoyed. “You okay, baby? I can tell these guys to leave, if you want.”
I shook my head no, not wanting Nickel to have to choose between his friends and me. “I’m okay. I just didn’t expect them to ask that.”
“Yeah, these assholes don’t have any manners. You’ll get used to it.” He brushed a quick kiss on my lips and laid back down on the edge of the blanket. He stretched his arm out again, and I put my head on it, curling into his body.
Wrecker and Slayer leaned back, drinking beer and talking.
A loud boom sounded, making me jump. “What the hell was that?”
“That would be Maniac. He always does a countdown. I bet he’ll do one each minute until the fireworks start.”
“He scared the crap out of me,” I laughed, realizing I had thrown my leg over Nickel and was holding on tightly to him.
“I’ll keep you safe, baby,” Nickel promised.
I rested my head back on his arm and prayed to god I was ready for whatever came my way.
**********
Chapter 6
Nickel
The fireworks were close to being over, and all the oohs and aahs Karmen was making at each display were going straight to my dick. All I wanted to do was toss her on the back of my bike and head back to her house where I could have my way with her.
“Oh, look at that one!” She pointed up to the sky as the huge firework crackled off, leaving light trails in the sky.
I had never seen her so happy and carefree before. She had a grin permanently on her face the whole time, beaming up at the sky. When she wasn’t pointing up, she would rest her hand on my stomach. Every time she moved her hand, it took all my willpower not to grab it and rest it back on me.
“Here comes the finale, baby.”
She turned her head at me, her eyes huge, “You mean it’s going to get better than this?”
“Hell yeah. You haven’t seen one of Maniac’s finales. You’re going to love it.”
She turned her attention back to the sky, amazed. I couldn’t remember the last time I had seen someone so entranced by something so simple. Karmen had an innocence about her that scared the living shit out of me. I was so jaded and hardened from all the shit I had seen that watching Karmen made me stop and see things through her eyes.
“That was incredible! I had no idea you could make fireworks into shapes.” She looked up at me, her eyes wide with excitement, and a grin spread across her face.
“Yeah, it’s pretty fucking cool, baby. You ready to get out of here?”
“It’s going to take forever to get out of here.” She surveyed the park, watching everyone pack up their blankets and shit.
“Not on my bike, baby.” I stood up, holding my hand out to her. She grabbed it, and I hoisted her up and kissed the top of her head. “Wait right here,” I said, walking her over to the corner of the blanket.
“Leave the fucking blanket. We’re going to wait for Maniac to get done. He’s got Ginny with him tonight, and she’s always got friends who are always up for a good time.” Wrecker laid down on the blanket, sprawling out.
“Thanks, brother. There should be a couple of more beers in the cooler. I’ll see y’all tomorrow.”
I grabbed Karmen’s hand and led her through the massive crowd that was slowly surging to the parking lot. She was glued to my back, not wanting to get crushed by the mass of people. We passed several brothers who were at the fireworks hanging out. I nodded at each of them, not wanting to stop for small talk. I saw them every day in the clubhouse. Right now, I was focused on getting out of here with Karmen.
We made it to the bike, and I quickly strapped the helmet on her head and straddled the bike. She scrambled on behind me and wrapped her arms tight around my waist. “Hold on, baby girl.”
She rested her chin on my shoulder and kissed my neck. “I will,” she whispered into my ear.
A tremor rocked through my body at her touch, and I cranked up the bike, revving the engine. That was the first time she had willingly touched me, and it drove me insane.
I maneuvered the bike through the cars that were at a standstill waiting to get on the road and pulled onto the street.
“Wow, I guess driving your bike tonight was a good idea,” she laughed.
“I wouldn’t breathe a sigh of relief yet; we still need to get around the long line of cars in front of us,” I pointed out.
“Go down the next side street. We can take the back way to my house.”
I spotted the next street up. “Hold on.” I revved the engine, deciding there was more than enough room to squeeze in between the stopped cars. Karmen squealed, ducked her head in my back, and wrapped her arms around me tighter.
After we had maneuvered around the cars, we shot down the side street in the direction of her house.
“Man, even though it’s over eighty degrees, it sure does get cold on your bike.” She slid off the motorcycle, unhooked her helmet, and rubbed her arms.
I grabbed the helmet from her hand and hung it on the handle bars. “Sorry, baby. I should have told you to bring a sweatshirt.” I swung my leg over the bike and leaned against it.
“Um, so I had a good time tonight. Minus the whole getting trampled on by that drunk guy. Your friends seem nice.”
“They’re more than friends, baby. They’re my brothers. I’d do anything for them.”
“Oh, well. It’s nice that you have people like that in your life.” Her eyes darted to the left, not wanting to make eye contact with me. I knew there was more to Karmen than what I had seen the past year. There was something beneath the surface that I didn’t think anyone saw.
“You got anyone like that in your life, baby?” I pulled a cigarette out of the pack in my pocket and grabbed my lighter.
“Those will kill you,” she said as I lit the end.
“So will fifty million other things.” I smirked. I blew out a cloud of smoke away from her and stared her down. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“You don’t always need people in your life.”
“Seems pretty lonely. What about your girl? The one who works with you.”
“Nikki? I’ve known her since I was fourteen. She’s a friend.”
“What about your family?”
“I don’t have any family. I’m freezing, I’m going to head in.” She turned around and moved to the front door.
What the hell just happened? “That’s it? Not even a goodbye?” I called.
“I’m not saying goodbye. I’m just going in. I never said you couldn’t come,” she said over her shoulder with a smile spread across her lips.
Well, I’ll be damned. She wasn’t blowing me off after all. I grabbed the keys out of the ignition and followed Karmen through the door and up the stairs to her apartment.
“You want some coffee?” she asked, opening the door and tossing her purse and keys on the table next to the door.
“Sure,” I said, shutting the door. I looked around her apartment, taking in the small touches that I could tell were glimpses into who Karmen was.
She slipped into the kitchen, kicking her shoes off on the way. I heard her putter around, grabbing mugs down and running the water.
“You can turn the TV or radio on if you want,” she called.
I walked over to the radio and hit play on the CD player, wondering what kind of music she listened to. Bob Seger came pouring out of the speakers singing “Turn the Page.”
“Baby, you listen to Seger?” I asked, amazed. I imagined she listened to some indie, whino band.
“Yeah, I like classic rock. Segar, Doobie Brothers, Tom Petty.”
Huh, didn’t expect that. “I didn’t imagine someone your age to like that kind of music.”
Her laughter bubbled out of the kitchen, “How old do you think I am?”
Oh shit. This could be a loaded question. “Twenty-three.” Better to go lower than high.
“Nope. Close, though. I’m twenty-five.” She walked out of the kitchen carrying a cup and handed it to me.
“You’re not having some?” I asked, grabbing it from her.
“It’s a Keurig. My cup is brewing right now.” She sat down on the end of the couch and folded her legs underneath her. “I’m surprised you picked the radio instead of the TV.”
“I don’t watch a lot of TV. I’m always out doing something for the club, so I don’t have time to get caught up in shows.” I sat down on the other end of the couch and took a sip of my coffee. Strong and black. Just the way I liked it.
“Hmm,” she hummed, folding her hands in her lap. I watched her nervously fidget, not knowing where to look. The carefree girl from the park had disappeared and shy, nervous Karmen was back.
“Why’d you run when I asked you about your family?” Probably not the best question to ask when she was pulling away from me, but I wanted to know.
“I didn’t run; they’re just not something I wish to talk about. My mom left when I was a baby; my dad isn’t around, and my Grandma is dead.”
“There’s no one else?” she shook her head no and walked back to the kitchen.
I leaned back into the couch, going over what she had just said. So she had a family, but she didn’t think they were family. I had to assume her dad must have done something bad for her to say she had no family. Maybe that was why she was so guarded. “I’m sorry, Karmen,” I called.
“Nothing to be sorry for. I obviously didn’t win the parent lotto,” she laughed and reappeared in the living room. She sat back down on the couch and stared down at her coffee cup. God dammit. One second, Karmen was open and talking to me, and then the next, she shut down and wouldn’t even look at me.
“Karmen,” I called. Her eyes slowly lifted to look at me. “Why won’t you look at me? What’s going on in that head of yours?”
She set her cup down on the coffee table and looked me right in the eye. “Truth?” I nodded my head yes, wanting to know. “What the hell are you doing here?”
I reared back, shocked by her question. “You want me to leave?” I set my cup on the table next to hers and stood.
“No! That’s not what I meant.” She stood and rubbed her hands down her jeans. “I mean, I can’t understand why you want to be here. Why…just why!” she said, throwing her hands up in the air. “It doesn’t make any sense!”
I shook my head and ran my fingers through my hair. “Karmen, I don’t know why you think it doesn’t make sense. I like you. I’d like to think that the feeling is mutual.”
“But what doesn’t make sense is why you like me. I am nobody. I can count on one hand the number of dates I’ve been on in my entire life. FYI, that is counting tonight. I’m not skinny, and I’m not fat. I’m not pretty, and I’m not ugly. I’m just…just ME! I’m seriously starting to question your sanity.”
I tilted my head back and looked up at the ceiling. “I can’t believe this shit. Normally, it’s the chick trying to convince me to go out with her, not this shit.”
“How I feel is not shit!” she snapped back. She shoved her hands through her hair, causing it to stick up and fly all over the place.
“How you feel about this is shit. Close your eyes,” I ordered.
“I’m not going to close my eyes.” She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her leg out.
“Do it.”
“No, this isn’t—”
“Do it, now!” I thundered. Her eyes snapped shut, and she bit her bottom lip. She stood there, her body slightly trembling and I’m sure terrified. “Do you want to know why I’m here?”
She nodded her head yes, not speaking. I walked around her, my eyes traveling up and down her body, and I grabbed her hand and pulled it behind her back. I tugged her to me, eliciting a gasp, and wrapped my other arm around her waist. “I’m here because I want you. You’ve driven me crazy the past year, and I can’t take it anymore.”
She gulped at my words and looked over her shoulder at me. “So it’s just sex you want?”
I shook my head no and leaned down, my lips a breath away from her ear. “If all I wanted were sex, I’d have you bent over this couch already, taking what I wanted.” Her body trembled, and I knew my words were making her want me. “You make me want more. More than I’ve ever had.”
“I don’t have a lot to give,” she whispered.
“You have more inside you than you know. I can tell you use your past as an excuse to hide away. I’m not going to let you hide anymore.”
“There are things about my past that you don’t know. My dad killed someone. My mother knew right away she didn’t want me, so she left.”
“None of that matters to me. Your mom doesn’t know what she’s missing, and your father’s past has nothing to do with you.”
She leaned back, resting her head on my shoulder. “I want to hear you, Nickel, but I can’t. I can’t let go to trust.”
“Just stop thinking, baby. Just feel.” I trailed kisses down her neck as she tilted her head to the left, giving me permission I needed. “Feel my lips on your soft skin, baby.” She moaned, a tremor running through her body. “Tell me to stop now, or I won’t be able to later.”
She shook her head no and flattened her hand against my hip. “Please don’t stop, not yet,” she pleaded.
I spun her around and wrapped my arms around her. “Do you know what you’re asking, baby? I keep going; I make you mine.”
Her eyes clouded with lust, and she rested her arms on my shoulders, “I’m scared that I don’t want you to stop. I shouldn’t want this.”
“Trust me, Karmen. I promise not to hurt you.”
She leaned up on her tiptoes, stretching to meet my lips. “Don’t stop, Nickel,” she whispered.
I crashed my lips down on hers, finally taking what I had wanted for so long—her complete submission. She molded her body to mine, rocking her hips into me. I grabbed her ass, lifting her up, and she wrapped her legs around my waist as we devoured each other. I had never tasted a kiss so sweet before. I couldn’t tell where Karmen began and where I ended. “Bedroom,” I gasped, ripping my lips away.
She pointed over my shoulder down the hall, her head buried in my neck while she sucked on my ear. I moved in the direction she pointed, my fingers digging into her sweet ass, itching to touch all of her.
I kicked the door open, and Karmen reached over, flipping the light on. “Bed, now,” she panted.
I stumbled over to the bed and tossed her down. She bounced on her back and scrambled to her knees, kneeling in front of me. “Last time for me to stop.”
She put her hands on my fly, her fingertips gripping the zipper. “No stopping now, handsome.”
She yanked the zipper down, and I held my breath. Holy shit.
**********
Karmen
I don’t know what the hell Nickel was doing to me, but I knew the last thing I wanted him to do was stop. I slid the zipper down, slowly exposing the cotton of his boxers. The button flicked open easily, and I tugged his jeans down.
He slowly hissed as his pants hit the floor, and I tugged on the waistband of boxers. He grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and tugged it over his head, tossing it on the floor. “Wait.” He pulled my hands away and held them over my head. “Slow down, baby.”
Holding my wrists with one hand, he reached down with the other and pulled up my shirt. “Keep your arms up.” He pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it over his shoulder. His gaze devoured me, his nostrils flaring as
his eyes raked over me. “So fucking perfect,” he growled.
“Touch me, Nickel,” I pleaded. He lunged at me, pushing me back onto the bed, his hands roaming, trying to touch me all at once. I delved my fingers into his short hair, holding on as he ravished my breasts.
“This needs to come off,” he mumbled, his lips not leaving my skin.
I leaned forward, snaked my arms under me, and quickly undid the hooks. He ripped it off before I had a chance to lay back down. I arched my back as he teased my nipples—his tongue, and teeth, tugging and pulling, driving me insane. “Nickel,” I gasped, when his rock hard cock dug into my leg.
“I need you, Karmen. Fuck me, I need you so much,” he vowed. His hands quickly unbuttoned and unzipped my pants and tugged them down my legs. He pulled them off and slowly climbed back up my body, trailing kisses as he moved.
“This can’t be real,” I murmured, looking down at the gorgeous man who was kissing my body like his life depended on it.
“It’s real, baby girl. Get used to it.” He yanked my panties down, tossed them over his shoulder, and sat back on his heels. “Fuck,” he moaned, his eyes roaming over me. He pulled his boxers off, balancing from knee to knee. “Your sweet body laid out before me…I don’t know how long I’m going to last.”
“There’s always next time.”
“Damn straight, baby. Now, spread those legs for me.” I slowly opened my legs. My eyes shut as he trailed a finger up my leg, his destination clear.
“I wonder if these lips taste as sweet?” he wondered. I felt him move between my legs, a tremor running through my body at the light touch on my thighs. He parted the lips of my pussy, his finger zoning in on my clit, flicking it. “You’re so wet for me, baby, and I’ve barely touched you.”
I moaned as he circled my clit with his finger, almost giving me what I wanted, but keeping it out of reach. “Nickel, please,” I begged.
“All mine,” he whispered. I opened my eyes just in time to see him lower his head between my legs. His tongue flicked my clit, and I dug my hands into the bed, trying not to scream.
Fallen Lords MC: Books 1-3 Page 4