by Wilder, L.
When his hands dropped to my waist, pulling my hips closer to his, I could feel the growing bulge of his arousal. “You got any idea how much I’ve missed this?”
I couldn’t answer. With his every touch, waves of need jolted through me, every kiss fueling my desire for more, and I was too caught up in the moment to speak. Gus had a way of doing that to me. With just one simple kiss, he could make every nerve in my body come alive. Now was no different. His hands greedily moved under my shirt, caressing my bare breasts. The feeling of his hands on my body lit a spark of desire inside of me, igniting a fire that burned deep within. I inched closer, rocking my hips against him as I tried to chase that feeling. I was quickly losing myself in him when he lowered his mouth to my ear and whispered, “No one has ever gotten to me the way you do, Samantha. No one.”
He stepped back, just long enough to slip off his cut, then he was right back on me, kissing me and making me hungry for more. I reached for his cotton t-shirt, carefully pulling it off him. Once it was gone, I took a moment to just look at him. He was a sight to behold, so unbelievably hot, and I couldn’t imagine wanting him more than I did at that moment. I was still appreciating the view when his hands dropped to the hem of my t-shirt. He carefully eased it over my head, then tossed it to the side. His eyes slowly roamed over my body, making me suddenly feel insecure. It had been years since he’d seen me this way. I knew I looked quite different, and I feared that he wouldn’t find me as attractive as he had when I was younger. Before I realized what I was doing, I wrapped my arms around myself, trying in vain to cover my body. Gus reached for my hands and growled, “Don’t try to hide from me, Samantha. I want to see you. All of you.”
“But …”
“You’re beautiful. Every fucking inch of you.”
Hearing the passion in his voice as he spoke those words gave me the courage to lower my hands. I stood there, feeling the heat of his stare on my body, and I couldn’t stop myself from squirming. I’d never felt so wanted, so desired. When the last of his resistance broke, he reached for me, his hands roaming over my bare skin, only stopping when he reached my breasts. I licked my lips in anticipation as he lowered his mouth to my nipple, his tongue flicking across the tip before his lips surrounded it. My breath quickened as he released me from his mouth, and took a step back, eagerly grabbing me by the waist and turning me to face the desk. I felt him twirl his hand around the length of my hair, gently tugging it as he said, “I need inside you. Can’t wait a second longer.”
A rush of anticipation surged through my body as I leaned forward and placed my palms on the smooth, wooden desk and waited. Goosebumps prickled against my skin when I felt him place his hands on my outer thighs. A small moan echoed through the room as his thumbs hooked in the waist of my lace panties, and he dragged them slowly down to my ankles. As I stepped out of them, I felt his rough fingertips trailing upward between my legs, and my breath caught as fingers found my center, circling my sensitive clit. I heard the clink of his belt buckle and the slide of his zipper, and I groaned while he continued to torment me with his fingers.
Suddenly, I felt his thick erection slide between my legs as one of his hands grabbed my hip. He reached between us and positioned himself at my entrance before thrusting inside me with one hard, smooth stroke. A hiss escaped his lips as my body squeezed around him, adjusting to the fullness. I moaned in pleasure, relishing the feeling of him buried inside of me. His hands reached up to cup my breasts as he began shallow thrusts, readying me. He rolled his hips in an anguishing rhythm as my fingers grasped at the edge of the desk in desperation. His hands moved down to still my hips as he began driving into me with longer, deeper strokes. My body trembled and my breathing became ragged when my climax approached. I gasped as one of his hands reached around to tease my clit. The gentle pressure of his finger overwhelmed me and sent me over the edge.
“Don’t stop,” I cried while the waves of ecstasy rolled through my body. The pleasure was so intense, my legs momentarily buckled. His strong hands held me upright as my body contracted around his hard cock. His thrusts were relentless as he quickened his pace, chasing his own release. I began to rock my hips back into his, wanting him to be as satisfied as I was. I felt his cock swell inside me when he reached his orgasm. His growl echoed in the room as his rhythm slowed. Moments later, he slowly eased out of me, then bent down and lifted me into his arms, carrying me over to the bed.
He eased down next to me, pulling me close as he told me, “Don’t go getting too comfortable. I’m not done with you just yet.”
I smiled as I asked, “You’re not?”
“Not even close.” He leaned towards me as he pressed his lips against mine, kissing me slow and soft. That kiss led into another, and then another. It wasn’t long before we were making love again. We took our time, savored every moment, and when we were done, Gus looked over to me and said, “Even better than I remembered.”
“Yeah, I think you might be right.” I nestled closer to him as I placed my head on his chest. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“Missed you, too. More than you know.” He kissed me on the forehead, then said, “As much as I hate to, I’ve gotta get back to the others. We have a few more things we need to take care of before we head back.”
“Head back?”
“Yeah, babe. We’ve already stayed longer than we should have.” He started to sit up in the bed as he continued, “I need to get back home. See about things there.”
I tried to hide my disappointment as I watched him get up and begin putting on his clothes. When he went to put on his cut, I pulled the covers up over me and sat up on the bed. “How soon do you think that will be?”
“A couple of hours. Maybe less.”
“That soon?”
“Yeah. We should have things wrapped up here by then.” He came over and kissed me, then said, “We’ll talk more later. For now, get some rest.”
While I had no idea what that talk would entail, I nodded and muttered, “Okay.”
And just like that, he walked out of the room and closed the door, leaving me to stew in my thoughts. For a brief moment, I considered doing like Gus had suggested and try to get some rest, but there was no way I was going to be able to sleep. He was leaving. He and the others would be going back to Memphis in a few hours, and I had no idea what that meant for the two of us. I loved him. I’d never stopped loving him. I hated the idea of us being apart. I didn’t think I could bear it—not again. With a heavy heart, I got up and went to the bathroom for a hot shower. Once I was done, I put on some fresh clothes and started packing. Seeing that all I had were the things that Gunner had bought for us, it didn’t take long for me to gather it all. By the time I was done, August and Harper had returned from getting breakfast, and I went over to help them get ready to go.
We were just finishing up when Gunner came to the door. “Are you guys all set?”
“I guess so.” August turned to me as she asked, “Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I started towards the door as I told her, “Let me go grab my things.”
I followed August and Harper out to the parking lot. Gunner was loading their things into Hawk’s SUV when we walked up. I gave him my bag, then waited as a young woman took a moment to say goodbye to Harper. I’d find out later that she was Gabriella, the woman who’d been locked in that room with my granddaughter. It was clear from Harper’s expression that she was sad to see her friend go. Harper never took her eyes off her as she walked over to Riggs’s SUV and got inside. As she closed the door behind her, something told me we hadn’t seen the last of Gabriella. Once they were done talking, the brothers each came over to send us off. It was hard to say farewell to them, especially after how good they’d been to us, but it was nothing compared to the moment when Gus came over to say his goodbyes.
I was overcome with emotion as I watched him make his way over to August and Harper. It was clear from his expression that it wasn’t going to be easy
for him to tell his girls goodbye. While I couldn’t hear exactly what he was saying, the way he looked at August with such love in his eyes made my heart ache for him. He was such a good man. He’d given our daughter her life back, and I would always be grateful to him for that. He said a few last words to them both, then started walking over to me. I wiped the tears from my eyes and inhaled a deep breath, trying my best to collect myself as he approached. It seemed like we were the only two people in the world as he looked at me and said, “This is going to be harder than I thought.”
“I don’t want to say goodbye.”
“Then don’t.” He wrapped his arms around me as he pulled me close, hugging me tightly as he whispered, “I’m not going to push you, Samantha. I know you have a life here.”
“But what if I don’t want that life anymore.”
“That’s a decision only you can make.” He released me from our embrace as he looked down at me and said, “Take your time. Make the right one. I’ve been waiting for you to come back to me for twenty-five years, Samantha. I can wait a little longer.”
“Okay.”
He leaned down and gave me a soft kiss, then led me over to the passenger side of the SUV. Once I was inside, he closed the door and headed over to the others. I never took my eyes off of him as Hawk pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main road. I felt as if my heart would shatter into a million pieces when I couldn’t see him any longer. Seeing how distraught I was, August suggested that I stay with her for a few days. Even though I didn’t want to intrude on her and Gunner, I didn’t think I could stand to be alone, so I agreed. When we got to the house, Hawk and Gunner went inside to make sure it was safe. It wasn’t long before they returned to let us know that the coast was clear. Since I’d already been to the house, I knew it was a bit of a mess, but with all of us working together, we were able to get things picked up relatively quickly.
As soon as we were done, August got busy unpacking their things while I went into the living room and sat down on the sofa. It didn’t take long for my mind to drift to Gus. I thought back to our last few moments together. He wanted me to take my time making a decision about going to Memphis to be with him, but I didn’t need time. I knew what I wanted. I wanted a life with him, the life I was meant to have all those years ago. It would take a great deal of courage to pack up and move back there, but when I thought about how good it felt to be in his arms, I knew it would be worth it. I was sitting there and staring at the blank television screen when August came over and sat down next to me. “Are you okay?”
“No, but I will be.”
“You’ll see him again, Mom.”
“I know. I’m just upset with myself for waiting so long to set things straight between us.” I’d always known that I loved Gus. I spent years longing for him, crying myself to sleep and praying that it would get easier, and eventually, it did. I was able to let myself push the thoughts of him to the back of my mind, only allowing them to resurface in moments of weakness. I should’ve never let myself forget. I should’ve held on to those memories, and maybe they would’ve given me the strength to go to him years ago. “I’ve spent so many years wishing things could’ve been different. I should’ve done something sooner, and then I wouldn’t have wasted so much precious time.”
“You can’t change what’s been done, but you and Gus have a second chance at happiness together.” She placed her hand on mine as she told me, “I know he cares a great deal for you, Mom. He’s not the kind of man who’s just going to let you slip through his fingers again.”
I looked over at my daughter, so smart and brave. I’d made my mistakes, but I’d done a good job raising her. She’d made a good life for herself and her daughter, and now, she had Gunner in her life—a man I knew loved her dearly. She’d found her happiness, and it was time for me to let go and find mine. I knew it might come as a surprise to her, but I was curious to see how she would react when I asked, “Would you think I was crazy if I told you I was thinking of going to Memphis for a while?”
“What do you mean ‘for a while’?”
“A few months … just long enough to see if there’s anything left of what we had all those years ago?”
A soft smile crossed her face as she answered, “No, I don’t think that sounds crazy at all.”
“I’m not saying that’s something I would actually do, but it’s something to think about.” I suddenly felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders, and I could actually breathe again. A mix of excitement and hope rushed over me as I told her, “I’ve always loved Memphis, and I have friends there …”
“Mom, it’s a good idea. You should do it.”
“I think I will.”
“Good!” She leaned towards me and gave me a hug as she said, “I want you to be happy, Mom.”
“I want the same thing for you.” I looked over to the window and watched as Gunner pushed Harper in the swing. He was a handsome boy with a smile that was contagious to all, and it meant the world to me to see how good he was with my girls. “He’s a good boy, August, and he’s clearly crazy about you and Harper.”
“I’m pretty crazy about him too.” She stood up and headed towards the door as she said, “I better get out there and give Cade a hand.”
“Okay.”
I stood up and walked over to the window, watching the three of them together. They all looked so happy. Seeing Cade and August together reminded me of Gus and myself when we were younger—so in love, with the world at their fingertips. I would do anything to be able to go back to that point in our lives, but that time had come and gone. While our past was long behind us, there was still hope for our future, and I looked forward to seeing what it would hold for us both.
CHAPTER 14
Gus
Leaving August and Harper was hard, damn hard, but leaving Samantha was almost unbearable. All the way home, I kept fighting the urge to go back, but then I realized how lucky I was to have something that was so hard to say goodbye to. I tried to hold on to that thought as we made our way back to Memphis. When we finally made it home, I gave the boys the afternoon to get settled in, but that’s all I could give them. We had another run coming up, and there were issues that needed to be handled at the garage. Not only that, but we still had to decide what we were going to do about Gabriella, so I told them to all return at six the following morning for church.
Once they all dispersed, I called Moose into my office. After he caught me up to speed on things around the club, I gave him the rundown on everything that had happened when we were gone—how Polito’s men had taken Samantha from the house, and how we’d managed to get her back unharmed. As soon as I was done talking, he asked, “So, where’s Samantha now?”
“She’s at August’s place.”
“You didn’t bring her back with you?” he pushed.
“Moose, don’t start.”
“I’m not saying a damn thing.” He crossed his arms as he leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling. “I’m certainly not going to say that you fucked up by leaving her there.”
“Moose,” I warned.
“And I’m not gonna say that you’re gonna regret it, because you already know that.” He looked back over to me and asked, “Don’t you?”
“I know that forcing her to do something she’s not ready for, isn’t the answer. She has to come to me on her own or not at all.”
“That didn’t work out too well for you the last time.”
“The situation was different back then.” There was no hiding the aggravation in my tone as I growled, “Besides, there are more important things to discuss than my private life.”
“Such as?”
“Such as … anything else,” I snapped. “Anything. The club. The garage. Gabriella. Clay. You name it.”
“Who the hell is Clay?”
“Viper’s nephew. He’ll be coming down in a few days.” I ran my hand over my beard as I continued, “Apparently, he’s gotten himself in some trouble,
and Viper was hoping a fresh start might do him some good.”
“So, he’s going to prospect for us?”
“That will depend on him. I’ve never laid eyes on the kid.” Moose knew better than anyone that I wouldn’t let just anyone prospect, so he shouldn’t have been surprised when I said, “He’ll have to prove himself before I’ll even consider it.”
His eyes narrowed as he asked, “The boys know he’s coming?”
“I haven’t mentioned it just yet, but I’ll get around to it,” I assured him.
“Any idea what you’ll do with him when he gets here?”
“I’ll set him up in one of the empty rooms … put him to work at either the garage or the restaurant. Something to keep him busy until I get a feel for him.”
Moose nodded. “Sounds like a good plan.”
I glanced over at the clock and was surprised to see how late it had already gotten. I still needed to unpack and prepare for the following day, so I stood up and told him, “I’m gonna call it a night. I’ll see you back here first thing in the morning for church.”
“I’ll be here.” As he started towards the door, he turned back and asked, “Are you at least gonna call her?”
“No. I made my position clear when I left,” I answered. “Either she decides to come on her own, or she doesn’t come at all.”
“And if she does happen to come?”
“Then, I’m never letting her go.”
A smile crossed his face. “Now, that’s what I wanted to hear.”
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
After Moose left, I went down to my room, put away my things, and took a long hot shower. I crawled into bed and was thankful that I was too exhausted to think. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out. The next morning, I woke up well before sunrise. I tried to roll over and catch a few more minutes of sleep, but it was no use. My mind was already racing, and like most mornings, there was no shutting it off. I laid there for a short while, then pulled myself out of bed and got dressed. By the time I made some coffee, checked things in my office, and made a couple of calls, the brothers had started rolling in. I made my way down to the conference room, and as soon as everyone was gathered around the table, I said, “I know we have a lot to cover, but before we get started, I wanted to thank you all for your help with taking down Polito. You went above and beyond to prove your loyalty to me and this club, and I will be forever grateful.”