by Naomi West
“No!” Venus clutched his arm, her fingers cool and soft against his skin. “That’s not right. I want him to live. I know he’s done some truly horrible things, things that I’ll probably never forgive him for, but killing him isn’t going to solve anything. It’ll only make me more like him.”
Blade wanted to argue with her and point out that killing Jet would actually fix a lot of things. It would most likely solve his problem with the Skulls, and it would free her from having to live under his rule. But he was her father, and Blade understood that. “All right. We won’t go that direction. But we’ve got to do something. This is about to turn into a war between the Fangs and the Skulls, and I don’t want you to get caught up in it.”
She sighed again, this one sounding more frustrated than pitiful. “I talked to him about it. He refuses to talk to his lieutenants about it, but I should’ve expected that. Jet doesn’t think he’s done anything wrong, and he says the territory in dispute actually belongs to the Skulls. There isn’t anything I can do. I can’t fix anything.” She put her face in her hands and sobbed.
Blade leaned forward and wrapped her in his arms. It might not’ve been the thing to do. She was the daughter of the enemy, after all. But she clearly needed help, and nobody else was going to give it to her. If there was anyone else in the Skulls she trusted, she hadn’t mentioned it. No, Blade had the distinct feeling that he was the only thing Venus could rely on.
11
The night was growing long. Venus was surprised when she happened to glance at her clock and found that it was already past midnight. What time had Blade arrived? She couldn’t be sure, but she knew he’d been there for hours. When he’d wrapped his arms around her, they’d both ended up on the floor next to her bed. He’d held her as she cried, stroking her hair and murmuring comforting nonsense.
That hadn’t been what she’d expected from Blade. Yes, she’d wanted his help, even though she’d ended up denying the help he offered. She wasn’t interested in killing Jet and becoming just as much of a piece of shit as he was. But simply having him here was far more consolation than she’d imagined. The big tough biker had reacted with sympathy toward her tears, something she’d never really experienced in her life before.
“I’m going to slip down to the kitchen. I’m thirsty.” She unraveled herself from his arms and stood up shakily.
Blade started to get up as well. “I’ll go with you.”
“No.” She put out a finger, and that was enough to stop him. “I haven’t been paying attention to where the guards are. They won’t be surprised to find me in the kitchen at midnight, but you’re a completely different story. I’ll be right back. I promise.” She slipped out and closed the door quietly behind her, smiling to herself over the fact that she had a boy in her bedroom. She was twenty-six, and he had to be in his early thirties, but still. There was something fun about the idea, especially since Blade was the enemy. She might be hitting her rebellious stage a little late, but she was still going to enjoy it.
The light over the kitchen sink was enough to see by as she padded to the fridge and retrieved a couple bottles of water. Her eyes were so tired from crying, as though the tears had soaked her skin in exhaustion. She needed some sleep, but more than that she wanted to continue talking to Blade. For a long time, they’d done nothing but hold each other. When she’d finally calmed enough to start talking again, he’d told her more details of his own childhood.
At first, Venus had thought he was doing that to distract her from what she was currently going through. But the more he talked, the more she began to understand just how parallel their lives had been. His mother had remarried a horrible man who only showed his bad side when she wasn’t looking. Nobody suspected Blade of killing his stepfather because nobody understood the depths of the abuse he suffered. It was a burden that only Blade carried, and it was part of why he’d joined the Skulls. He’d needed a place to belong, a place to figure out who he was.
For Venus, she’d lost her mother at a very young age. It was only due to a few photos that she even remembered what her mother had looked like. There were times when she’d been glad Jet had never remarried, because she didn’t want some woman stepping into their house and pretending to be a new mother to Venus. But Jet alone was bad enough, and unlike Blade, she hadn’t yet managed to get away from him.
Blade made a very unlikely ally, but at least she had one.
Making her way back up the stairs and to her room, she was almost surprised to find that he was still there. Blade was a man of action, a leader, not the kind of man who stayed in a young woman’s room all night whispering about secrets of the past. But he was there, having gotten up from his position next to the bed and now lounging comfortably in her desk chair. He gave her a concerned glance as she came back in the room. “Everything all right out there? No unexpected encounters?”
Venus shook her head. “None. Either Jet’s not coming home tonight, or he’s going to be incredibly late.” She handed him the bottle of water and opened the other one for herself, grateful for the crisp coolness of it after having cried so hard.
“Good. That’ll make it much easier to keep my promise not to kill him.” Blade took a drink and smiled grimly. “You know, this is no small thing that you’re asking me to do. Jet deserves to die after what he’s done to you and to your friend, not to mention everything else he’s done connected to the Skulls. I know he’s your father, and I’m not trying to press you on that, but you have to understand there are probably many more men than just myself who want to kill him.”
The thought put an unexpected lump in her throat, but not the kind that made her want to cry. It was just nervousness and worry, and why shouldn’t she be feeling that? She’d been under Jet’s wing her entire life. “If it does come to war,” she said softly, her throat dry despite the water, “please protect him. I know he doesn’t deserve it, but he’s the only family I’ve got.”
Blade set the water bottle on the desk and stood up, unfolding his tall form from the chair. He was magnificent as he towered over her, with that dark hair shaved on the sides and a little wild on top. His pale green eyes were clear and bright, allowing her to see into their depths instead of masking his thoughts with anger and hate like her father’s. His well-muscled shoulders and arms were no doubt more than capable of killing a man, and yet he’d used them to reach out and comfort her. Blade was the leader of a motorcycle club and by all rights not any different than any other man she knew, and yet he was. Her heart tumbled in her chest as she realized what was happening.
“I’ll do what you ask,” Blade said softly, slowly stepping closer, his eyes fixed on hers hypnotically. “But you need to know that I’m not doing this for him at all. It’s entirely for you.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, tipping up her chin to continue to meet his gaze as he came to stand directly in front of her. Venus didn’t resist as his arms came around her waist and pulled her against him, the hardness of his body making her forget everything else they’d talked about. He was strong and lean and protective. He was safety, and yet he was danger. She broke away from his eyes in an effort to keep herself rooted in reality, but then she found herself tracing the large knife tattoo on his forearm. There was undoubtedly a story behind it and his name, and somehow Venus knew she’d have plenty of time to figure it all out. Blade was a much more complicated man than she ever could’ve imagined, and she wanted to know everything about him.
“Venus.” His voice was husky, soft, urgent, and it pulled a string of energy through her body as she felt the rumble of it in his chest.
She looked up, seeing that his eyes were now focusing on her lips. Venus ran her hands up his arms and wrapped them around his neck as he pulled her even closer, his mouth covering hers. It was a sensation that brought her both peace and excitement, and she wanted more.
Fortunately, Blade was interested in more than just a chaste kiss. His fingers gently but determinedly gripped the flesh around her waist as
he continued to kiss her, exploring the corners of her mouth and keeping her pressed tightly against him. He convinced her lips to open, to let him dive even further into her.
She felt his tongue slide against her own, and it sent a shiver of excitement down to her breasts and below. Venus returned the favor, wanting to taste him. The pleasure of their tangled tongues and lips was intriguing, erotic, and she wanted more.
But for a moment, she remembered where she was and whose house they were doing this in. She pulled away quickly, putting her hand over her mouth and staring at Blade in horror. “I’m sorry.”
He’d let her slip out of his grip, but now he reached for her again. His brows were drawn together in confusion, but his eyes were still sympathetic. “What on earth do you have to be sorry for? I sure didn’t mind the kiss.”
Venus twisted away from him. “But this isn’t safe,” she argued in a whisper, suddenly listening for footsteps in the hall. “Jet could come home any minute. He’d call his men in here, and you’d be no match against a whole group of them. You have to go.” She pointed at the door, fear overtaking her body.
Blade moved toward the door, but he only reached out to turn the lock. He then reached behind him and flicked off the overhead light. Only the lamp by her bed was lit now, casting a soft glow around the room. “Is that better?”
She wanted to tell him yes. That kiss had been phenomenal, and far better than she’d ever imagined it would be. But she couldn’t stop imagining heavy footsteps in the hallway, the door bursting open and slamming against the wall behind it. Jet would come storming in, his men at his back, their guns all leveled at Blade. There would be nothing Venus could do to stop it. Even if she were to get her own gun out of her nightstand drawer, she could never do it fast enough to save Blade. She’d felt the gun at his hip, and she had no doubt he knew how to use it, but that wouldn’t be enough either. Blade would go down in a blaze of gunfire. Venus could only hope she would be lucky enough to go down as well.
Still halfway caught in her gruesome fantasy, she gaped at him. No words would come.
Blade came back to her, folding her in his arms. He didn’t try to kiss her this time, just pressing her against his chest. “Venus, it’ll be all right. There’s nobody here, and nobody has any reason to think I’m here. It’ll be okay.”
She closed her eyes as she pressed her cheek into his chest. How did this man feel so good when she hardly knew him at all? He’d only recently come into her life, and every other man she’d known had only been interested in using her as a pawn. Venus allowed herself to melt against him for a moment, wanting so badly to believe him.
Finally, she pulled back so she could look up at him. “Are you sure?”
His face was soft as he touched her jaw with his fingers. “Yes.” Blade bent down to kiss her once again. He started gently, becoming more insistent as she kissed him back.
There were so many reasons she should tell him to stop and get out of her room at once, including his own safety. But it was like Blade had worked a spell over her, one she couldn’t resist. She couldn’t say no, and she found she didn’t even want to.
12
Blade wasn’t sure he could stop himself, even if Venus had insisted he leave. He understood her fears, and they weren’t completely illegitimate. He was on enemy territory, and if anyone found out he was there they could both be killed in the matter of a few minutes.
But she was so enticing, and neither his hands nor his lips were interested in stopping. He once again deepened their kiss, enjoying the sensation of her tongue against his. She moaned as he pressed her close, and the hardness in his jeans was more than he could bear. Virgin or not, he needed her desperately. His body acted of its own volition as his hand roved up the back of her shirt and expertly unsnapped the back of her bra. He felt her gasp in his mouth, but she made no move to pull away.
Her breasts were soft and full under her tank top. Blade slid his thumbs over her nipples, feeling them harden under his touch, and he wondered if she was as turned on as he was. Her arms were still around him, but she was a much more delicate woman than she appeared to be. It gave him a brief moment of compunction, and he pulled his mouth away from hers. “If you want me to stop, then you need to say so right now. I want you, Venus.”
Her body gave him the answer even before her words did as she sucked in a deep breath and pressed her chest harder against his touch. “Yes,” she whispered shakily. “I want you too.”
That was all he needed. Blade pulled her tank top up over her head and tossed it to the side, his breath shortened in awe of just how gorgeous those naked breasts were. He bent his head to flick his tongue over her nipple, sucking in her flesh as his hands worked her shorts off her hips.
Venus had been stiff and tense for a moment, but now that she’d told him she wanted this just as badly as he did, things seemed to have changed for her. She trailed her fingers down his neck and across his shoulders, arching her chest forward to keep contact with his mouth as she found the hem of his shirt. He broke away to allow her to take it off, closing his eyes as she explored his arms, his abs, the planes of his back.
Having gotten her shorts out of the way, Blade experimentally ran his fingers just inside the waist of her silk panties. He wanted to study every aspect of her body, staking his claim and ensuring she was his. Considering that she’d just reached for his belt buckle, it was clear to him that the feeling was mutual. Blade pulled back and turned her around with a flick of his hand against her hip. She turned easily, nearly falling, but he pressed her close. He flattened his palm against the flat of her stomach and skimmed it down until his fingertips touched that most secret place between her legs.
Venus rolled her head back against his shoulder and let out a moan and he slid his finger gently up and down in her slit. She was already wet for him, and as much as he was enjoying the foreplay he didn’t know how long he could hold out. He trailed kisses down the side of her neck and along her shoulder, bringing his left hand up to massage her breast. She’d made him forget all the trouble and danger of being here, because he had something so much more important to attend to.
Blade pressed his hardness against her luscious backside as he spread her thighs and entered her with one finger. She was just as hot and wet as he’d imagined, and he felt her body go weak against him. “Is that all right?” he asked, surprised at how strangled his own voice sounded.
“Oh yes,” she whispered, her breath coming in short puffs.
He bit his lip as he let a second finger join the first one, moving gently but steadily. Venus had to be the most captivating woman he’d ever met. There was an added excitement in knowing he was crossing boundaries no man had dared to trespass before. The room had become pleasantly hot, and he was dizzy with excitement.
Slowly, regretfully, he slid his fingers out of her and pulled her panties the rest of the way off her. Blade picked her up and placed her on the bed, pleased to see the sultry look in her eyes. He could spend hours just running his tongue over her flesh, but his manhood was more insistent. Blade hovered over her for a moment as the tip of his head found her entrance, watching her face as he pressed in.
Venus’ eyes widened and her body tensed at his sudden presence. He thought he saw the glimmer of tears. Blade kept still, fighting his urges. “Just relax,” he whispered. “I promise I won’t hurt you, and it’ll make it much easier.”
He felt her body slowly melt, though he knew it was an effort for her. Blade thrust slowly at first, wanting to make good on his promise not to hurt her. But damn! She felt so good around him as he sank inside her, and he wanted to bury himself to the hilt and pump her so hard the bed shook. Instead, he glided in and out until he felt her hips moving in sync with his. Her eyes had closed, and she really was relaxing now. Blade dared to plunge himself a little harder, just enough to make her breasts quiver against his chest, and Venus smiled.
“How’s that?” he murmured, liking the way her body looked and felt underneath
his.
Venus moaned slightly as she arched her hips up into his. “Wonderful,” she purred. “I don’t think you have to be so delicate with me anymore.”
“You shouldn’t tell me that.” He ran his teeth along her shoulder in a gentle bite as he drove into her a little harder, still holding himself back. She was enjoying it, and she wanted it harder but was fresh and untested. The last thing he wanted was to scare her off, especially because he wanted to do this again and again.
Every breath she pulled in came out as a sigh, and Blade felt her walls rippling around him. “That’s it, baby. Come for me.” He hadn’t taken a girl’s virginity since he’d been a teenager, back when he’d only really known how to please himself. But the idea that she might have an orgasm her first time turned him on even more than he already was, something he’d have thought impossible. He felt his own erection engorge further at the thought.
“Oh!” Her eyes flew open and then snapped shut again as she thrust up into him. Venus dug her nails into his back as she came, her body demanding all of him. Blade gladly accommodated her, shoving himself against her as his balls tightened. The sensation of her coming around him was unbearable but in the most enjoyable way possible. He bit back a roar as he emptied himself into her.
They lay together, panting, for a long moment. Blade rolled over but kept his arms wrapped around her, not wanting to her to get even an inch away from him. “Are you all right?” he asked, his entire body throbbing.
She snuggled herself against his chest. “Yes. Much more than I thought I’d be. Thank you.”
