by Jessica Ames
Fourteen
Carla
When I wake, it takes me a moment to realize why Finn is wrapped around me like a vine. We slept together. Holy shit, we slept together…twice.
The things that man did to me yesterday and last night should be illegal. He is talented when it comes to his tongue and fingers… his cock too.
I can’t believe I slept with a biker. So much for keeping my distance, for never going there with any club members. I broke my own rules, but I don’t have any regrets. What we did yesterday was nothing short of amazing. I’m a woman who appreciates good sex, and that’s exactly what Finn delivered. The man lives up to his name as the cockiest bastard in my dad’s club and he has reason to be one. I’ve never had sex so good. He’s amazing in bed, and I think he knows it.
I peer up his body at him and smile. His eyes are closed, his head tipped slightly to the side on the pillow. He looks so adorable asleep. His hair is ruffled from the night before and his breathing is soft and even.
I don’t want to wake him, so I pull the blankets back, careful not to jostle him and as I start to climb out of the bed, he snags my wrist.
“Where are you going, Kitten?” he asks, his voice adorably sleepy.
“I need to pee,” I tell him. His eyes are open now, but heavy. He pulls me down for a kiss. His mouth is soft, gentle and I melt against him as he takes it, claiming me, before he releases his hold.
“Now you can go.”
I roll my eyes at him. “Bossy ass.”
“Get used to it,” he tells me.
I head into the bathroom, do my business, and when I emerge, he’s sitting up in the bed, the sheet pulled up to his hips. My mouth waters at his bare chest, a few tats covering his otherwise clean skin. The man is delicious.
“See something you like?” he asks, a little smug.
I toss my head and walk over to my bags. “Not really.”
“Kitten, don’t torment me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I sass back.
“Get your ass back in this bed. I need you, baby.”
My legs move before I can think better of it and I climb on top of him. His fingers go instantly into the back of my hair, tangling in the strands there as he pulls me in for another kiss. I can feel his hardness against me and I love that I can bring this kind of reaction from him.
“We need to get back on the road,” he mutters, sounding like he’d rather do anything else but get back out there.
“Can’t we just stay in bed for a week?”
I feel his smile against my lips. “I wish, Kitten, but we need to get home.”
Home. Could New Jersey be home to me again? I’m not sure. I don’t want to think about what happens once this road trip is over. He says he wants me, but will that still hold true once the reality of our situation comes to the forefront?
I try not to think about it.
For now, I’m just going to enjoy being with him and see where this takes us. I don’t have the best luck with men. The last guy I fell for was in love with someone else. It wasn’t Chance’s fault. I should have known better than to pursue a man who was so hung up on his ex he came to town to stalk her, but I couldn’t stop myself falling for him. He’s an easy guy to love, with that charm and wit. Finn reminds me of him. He has that same cocky demeanor, but there’s a hint of danger that lies in him that Chance doesn’t have. I know Finn’s life isn’t roses and rainbows. The club isn’t recruiting good ol’ boys.
It should turn me off, but if anything, it makes me hotter for Finn. I didn’t know I was a thrill-seeker until now.
“Where are we heading to next?” I try not to let my disappointment show, but it must because he grins.
“Indianapolis. It’s about four hours away. We’ll stop there for lunch and then head on to Pittsburg. That’s a six-hour ride, so it’s going to be a late night.”
I want to ask him what the rush is to get home, but I don’t. I’m not sure I want to know what the answer might be, but this will be the longest journey we’ve done in one day. Is he trying to get rid of me? Did he have his fill and now he’s done?
Something must show on my face. He snags my hand.
“Whatever you’re thinking, Carla, stop.”
“I’m not thinking anything,” I lie.
He shakes his head. “I can see those cogs turning in your head, questioning everything. I want you safe. On the road we’re exposed. We shouldn’t have stayed here as long as we have, but we both needed this rest.”
I snort. “Is that what we’re calling what we did?”
He smirks. “Baby, you can call it whatever you want as long as it was good for you.”
“It was good,” I confirm.
His mouth brushes mine before his forehead dips to mine. “I wish we could stay here forever.”
I wish that too, but real life is nipping at our heels.
We get on the road and head for Indianapolis. I cling to Finn, my arms wrapped tightly around his back as the bike roars up the highway. It’s cooler, so I’m wearing my leather jacket. He’s in a hoodie. I can feel the hardness of his belly beneath my fingers, even through his clothes and I wish we were back at that motel room, naked.
I push those thoughts aside. Now isn’t the time to be thinking about getting naked with Finn.
We reach Indianapolis around two in the afternoon and stop for something to eat. The city is sprawling and has a homely feel despite its size. I like it immediately, but it’s just another stop on a route that is coming toward the finish line. I don’t want the journey to end, but I’m looking forward to getting off the back of that damned bike. I swear my ass is never going to look the same and my thighs ache from being in the same position for hours. The only upside is how close it puts me to Finn’s back. I like riding behind him, even if I’m hurting. I’d prefer to do it for fun, though, not necessity.
We head into a small restaurant and are seated in the window. As soon as my ass hits the chair, he grabs my hand over the top of the table, making my heart skip a beat as he skims his thumb over the back of my hand.
“What are you ordering, Kitten?”
“I’ll have a burger. What about you?”
“Same.”
Chatting to him feels easy. Even if there’s silence between us it doesn’t feel awkward. I’m falling head over heels for him and there’s nothing I can do but embrace it. I want him in my life and when we get to Jersey, I have no idea what a relationship between us would look like, but I know I want to try. He fills a hole inside me that I didn’t even know was there, and it scares me the depth of feeling I have for him after just a few short days, but when you know, you know. I guess I know.
He lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses my knuckles. “What I’d give to be in a motel with you right now.”
Heat pools in my belly. “Yeah? What would you do to me?”
He leans forward on the table and says quietly, “I’d fuck you until you screamed my name.”
I swallow hard at the promise in his voice and I realize I want that with him. I want it all. The house, the kids, the white picket fence, and it should scare me to death, but it doesn’t. I feel like I’m supposed to be at Finn’s side, and nothing is ever going to change that.
Fifteen
Rooster
We get back on the road and start the six-hour ride toward Pittsburg. We have to cross two borders—Indiana into Ohio, then Ohio into Pennsylvania. We won’t hit Pittsburg until after nine p.m., maybe later and we won’t head into the city itself, but stay somewhere on the outskirts. I love my bike, but I want to stop riding and spend time with my woman, and she is mine. I’ve claimed her and I’ll claim her formally when we get back to the clubhouse. She’s not pushing me away, which I take as a good sign, even despite the fact I know she’s not keen on getting involved with bikers. I know she feels the same heat searing her when we touch that I do. I just hope it’s enough to keep us together.
I love the feel of her behind me, but as the
sunsets and the temperature drops, I can feel her trembling at my back. Her hands are freezing. I can feel them even through my clothes, ice against my warm belly. Keeping one hand on the handlebars, I use the other to pull her hands under my jacket, against the heat of my sides. She leans her chin on my shoulder and I hear her yell a “thank you” in my ear. I’ve never wanted to take care of a woman before, but with her, I want to protect her from everything, even something as small as the cold.
We ride for what feels like forever, the winking headlamps of cars using the highway blazing into the backs of my eyes until I’m starting to feel heavy-eyed. I’m grateful as hell when we reach the outskirts of the city.
I find a hotel close to the highway, so we can get straight back on it tomorrow without navigating the busy morning traffic, and check into a double room. I don’t even bother with the pretense of needing a twin. She’s sleeping in my bed next to me. Even so, when we step inside the hotel room, I expect an argument.
“One bed?” The questioning lift of her brow has me chuckling.
“We both know we’re going to sleep together, baby.” I shift my shoulders. “I didn’t see the point of wasting time getting a twin room.”
“You’re a little presumptuous.”
Her haughty tone is fucking adorable.
“I’m right, though, aren’t I?”
She doesn’t deny it, which has me grinning. She wants me as much as I want her and what she wants is to be in the bed, with me.
“We’re not cuddling.” She points a finger at my chest, her mouth pulled into a smile as she moves into the room to check out the space.
“Kitten, that’s the best part of sharing a bed.”
Carla snorts and ducks out of the bathroom before she moves to the bed. I watch, enthralled by her curves, her beauty as she sinks onto the edge of the mattress and lifts a foot to unzip her boots.
She peers up at me. “What are we doing here?”
I drop our bags by the door and straighten.
“I thought that was obvious.”
I need to work on my game if she’s not sure what we’re doing.
“Finn, be serious for a moment.” Her eyes flash irritation that doesn’t sit right with me.
“I can’t. It’s not in my DNA.”
“I can see that,” she says, softening her tone.
She’s a contradiction. One moment she seems like she wants to kill me, the next she’s soft as putty. I don’t know what to do with her.
“Let’s order room service and then get some sleep. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”
“It’s been a long day every day,” she interjects with a wry smile. She’s not wrong. This trip has been fun—more than fun, in fact—but it’s been hard, too. I’m definitely starting to feel it. I love my bike, but there is a limit to how much time I want to be on it when I have a beautiful woman I could be giving my attention to instead.
I chuckle. “Hopefully, the company has made it a little more bearable.”
“I guess.”
I scowl at her teasing, which earns me a chuckle, but I love that she feels comfortable enough to give it me back. Most women fawn all over me and try to force things. Carla doesn’t do any of that. She’s just herself, no apologies, and that’s refreshing. It’s one of my favorite things about her, in fact.
I order room service while Carla showers. By the time it arrives, my belly is grumbling loudly. We sit together at the small table in the corner of the hotel room and eat, the setting feeling intimate. The longer we sit there the hungrier I get for something that isn’t on the menu.
“Stop looking at me like that.” She pushes a forkful of food into her mouth.
I can’t stop looking at her. Carla is fucking stunning, and she’s mine. I love knowing that.
“Like what?”
“Like you want to devour me whole,” she whispers.
I grin. “What makes you think I don’t want to do that, Kitten?”
She smiles as she ducks her head. “You’re a flirt.”
“I only flirt with you, baby.”
Her eyes roll, which makes me laugh again.
I lean across the table and capture her mouth, tasting the food she just ate on her tongue. She whimpers against me as I tangle my fingers into her hair, pulling her closer. I could kiss her forever. She has the sweetest mouth and I love touching mine to it.
“What was that for?” Carla demands, a little breathless.
“Do I need a reason?”
“I suppose not.”
As soon as we’ve finished eating, I stack the plates on the tray and leave it outside the door of the room. Then I head into the shower.
When I come out of the bathroom, Carla is already in bed, curled under the covers, the TV on some random movie.
I move around to the other side of the bed and pull the blankets back before sliding under them.
“Come here, Kitten,” I order and she moves so she’s snuggling into me. I feel like the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet right now.
“Mmm, this feels nice,” she sighs out the words.
I stroke her hair out of her face. “Yeah, it does.”
“I wish we could stay like this forever.”
I wish it too, but the real world is only a five-and-a-half-hour ride away. Tomorrow evening, we’ll be in New Jersey. I have no idea what happens then, but the only thing I do know is I’m not giving her up. I’ll fight anyone who tries to make me, including her father and my president.
Sixteen
Carla
The last day of our journey is shrouded in a heavy sadness. As much as I’m looking forward to sleeping in a bed that isn’t in a motel or hotel, I’ve loved the little bubble Finn and I have been in. I don’t want to get back to normal, or at least the club version of normal. There’s nothing normal about the Savage Riders.
The thought of this trip ending fills my stomach with lead, makes my heart heavy and my head hurt.
There’s a somber mood as the bike roars up the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I cling to Finn like he’s my lifeline, like I’m scared to let him go, probably because I am. These last few days have been the best of my life. I don’t want things to change, but they’re going to. I don’t want to lose this connection we have.
As we get closer to New Jersey, Finn’s demeanor changes. He’s more on edge, his eyes constantly going to the side mirrors of the bike, as if he expects trouble. The real reason for our road trip smacks me in the face, reminding me this wasn’t about having fun. There’s real danger here and somehow, I forgot that while we were on the road.
I feel myself stiffen in response to his mood. Factories and industry start to come into view, dotting the horizon. We cross the river and familiar sights assault me, sights I haven’t seen in years. Things have changed, but stayed the same too. It’s the same neighborhoods, different stores on the corners of each street, but the same feel. I watch smoke chug into the air from a tall tower on the horizon and snuggle deeper into Finn’s back.
We head into a built-up area filled with businesses and he turns the bike down a side street that I know leads up to the clubhouse. I’ve taken this road so many times, it’s like second nature to me. It feels normal, but weird at the same time.
The Savage Riders’ clubhouse is a squat single-story building that sits behind a chain-link fence. The club’s insignia of a crowned skull with bike handles coming out of either side of its head hangs over the door and there’s a group of men with leather vests called cuts standing near the main entrance.
My eyes go to the rows of bikes parked in front of the building, shiny chrome reflecting the late afternoon sunshine. Finn pulls his motorcycle into the first available space and cuts the engine. I climb off, ignoring the eyes watching me as I do and once my feet are back on solid ground, I tug my helmet off.
Finn kicks down the stand and gets off, removing his own helmet. He secures both to the back of the bike while my eyes move over the clubhouse frontage, my heart starting t
o beat a little faster in my chest. This is one place I didn’t think I’d see again. I had no intention of ever coming back here. Dad tends to come to Temecula to visit me, but after doing that ride across the country, I’m going to make more effort to fly to Jersey. It was a rough few days.
Days that were only made better by the company.
I know my dad loves riding, but it was hard even for seasoned riders going that far. I can see the toll it’s taken on Finn. He looks like he could sleep for a week.
“Carla!” At the sound of my name, I glance up and see Dad moving toward me.
My father looks like me, with the same dark hair, though his has a smattering of salt and pepper in it, and we have the same nose and full mouth. I didn’t get much of my mom, who was blonde and tiny, and it is just as well because she didn’t stick around very long after I was born. I’m glad I don’t remind my father of her.
Dad looks amazing for his age, even with the hint of gut he has that wasn’t there last time. Clearly, all that takeout and beer is catching up with him.
He takes me in with a critical eye before he throws his arms around me and pulls me in for a bone-crushing hug that leaves me breathless.
“Missed you, sweetheart.”
“I missed you too, Dad.” I run my hands over his back, reassured by the solidness of him. Since we got into New Jersey, I’ve been feeling on edge, something that was made worse by Finn’s edginess. I don’t know what is going on with the club, but I want to find out.
“Come inside. I’ll get you something to eat and drink.”
As I go to move, Finn snags my wrist. “Find me when you’re finished.”
It’s not a question but a demand.
I feel my father’s eyes boring into the side of my head at his words.
“Finn—”
“Finn?” Dad interrupts. “What the hell is going on here?”