by Romi Hart
“Fuck, that’s hot,” Zeke whispered, the words a reward in themselves as his hips jerked, pushing the length of his erection deep into her hip. She was already pouring, her need for him all the greater after having looked death in the face. She wanted to feel, to know that he still wanted her, and as his mouth dipped and trailed up and down her chest and stomach, she felt his passion returned.
Somehow, he managed to get his pants off and, before Leigh knew it, he was over her, inside her, with her legs wrapped around him. He thrust deep, hard, and rolled his hips to draw his head over the sweet spots along her inner walls. She cried out, her orgasm quick and heavy as it coursed through her with fire and ice. She clasped her hands around his neck and drew him into a kiss, wanting to feed him the incredible delight he brought her.
He pounded into her harder, as if satisfied to have her come first and desperate to get to the finish line. Leigh didn’t blame him, ready for the crest herself, and when they exploded together, she saw sparks, the room tilting and swirling around them like some amusement park ride as she let it overtake her.
He rolled to the side, drawing her body against his, and she reveled in the comfort and absolute joy that radiated through her. She considered the merits of staying here, not moving for the rest of the day, but she doubted that was a possibility. Zeke had things to do, and she was suddenly starving.
Nuzzling her nose into his neck while she ran her hands over the smooth expanse of his torso, she told him in a gravelly voice, “I need to get up and find some food.”
“You don’t have to move. I’ll have one of the prospects pick something up and bring it back. What do you want to eat?” he asked, stroking her arm up and down and leaving a trail of goosebumps.
She sighed. “I don’t know. I’m too hungry to think. But I have to get to my apartment, get some clean clothes that actually belong to me. The dress is Rory’s. We went out last night, and I let her dress me because…” She trailed off, not wanting to relive the moment she thought her heart had died.
“Because of me,” he finished for her, sounding miserable. “I’m so sorry, Leigh.”
“Don’t apologize anymore. You’re here, aren’t you?” She didn’t want to think about any of it more deeply, or she would panic, and she was too exhausted for that. “Anyway, I need real clothes that belong to me, something comfortable to wear.”
“We’ll take a couple of the brothers with us as lookouts later. If you need something to wear right now, you can borrow a tank top and a pair of boxers. But I sort of like you naked.”
This time, Leigh laughed, but it was short lived. “I appreciate your appreciation. But no matter what, I can’t lie here and do nothing all day.” She tried to roll away, but Zeke caught her waist and rolled with her, again looming above her with the sweetness of his weight resting on top of her. She considered wriggling her hips to see what would happen, but she didn’t have to, his cock already starting to swell.
He kissed her nose and smiled. “I didn’t intend to lie around and do nothing. There are plenty of things we could do in a horizontal position that are far better than nothing.”
The idea was more enticing than she wanted to admit, and she took a deep breath, tracing his lips with one finger and watching the bliss that softened his features. She could wallow in her self pity for what had happened to her last night, or she could rejoice in what she had right here in front of her. The question was, how often would she look at Zeke and remember that he brought danger into her life, that regardless of what he was or was not involved in, others sought to draw him and his club into those tasteless things by any means necessary?
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Zeke. He’d proven today that he would go to any lengths to save her and bring her back to safety. But did she want bodyguards following her around to prevent her from being drawn into a dangerous situation in the first place? And how effective would that be?
Later, she told herself. She’d think about all of this later. For now, she wanted to pretend everything was normal, that there were no madmen out to destroy the Devil’s Flames, that she hadn’t been kidnapped and held hostage, and that she and Zeke could live like a normal couple.
Grunting, she shoved at his shoulders, despite the roiling desire that was growing inside her. She had another hunger to take care of. “Food first,” she told him pointedly. He looked disappointed, and she laughed as she stood and went over to his chest of drawers to rummage through for a tank top and boxers that would fit her. “Don’t grumble. I’m not going to make you take me out. We can order something in. But I need to get up and move around before I fall into a funk.” The remainder of the hangover she had didn’t help matters.
He sighed. “Okay, you win. I’ll get one of the prospects to grab us something.” He pushed to his feet, and she noticed he barely even limped. It had been such a joy to watch him improve, and she wondered how long it would be until it was so under pronounced even she couldn’t perceive the difference.
She swallowed hard, her smile fading, as she reminded herself that, too, had come from the life of a biker. She didn’t just have to worry about her own safety. She had to concern herself with Zeke’s. And that hit her like a ton of bricks.
As he dressed, kissed her, and went in search of someone to pick up food, intense fear settled over her. She could plan out the rest of her life with Zeke all she wanted, and based on his lifestyle, it could all be shattered, taking him away from her in a heartbeat. Scenarios ran through her head, with Rafe and Kira showing up at her door with the horrible news, or with Zeke bleeding to death in her arms.
The idea of something happening to Zeke bore even greater devastation than the thought of her own death, and Leigh felt a tear escape one eye. What if they had a child together someday, only for Zeke to miss out on his or her growth and success in life? Could she even handle being a single mother?
She was getting ahead of herself, she knew. She called it ‘future tripping’ but couldn’t help it sometimes. And with this experience, being in the hands of someone who had no qualms about killing her, she felt like she deserved to be a bit panicked.
But she couldn’t let Zeke see it. He had obviously suffered his own grief and guilt, and she wouldn’t compound it. He had tried, and he hadn’t exactly failed, since he’d saved her. But Leigh wondered if he would always have the connections and reinforcements to get out of a dire situation.
By the time he returned, she’d dressed, and she’d dried the single tear that had fallen. And she’d forced herself to breathe normally, pushing aside all her trepidation and all the analysis that she tended to spend too much time and effort on. Instead, she greeted him with her arms around his neck and a smile as she locked eyes with him. Those silvery orbs were always her undoing, a color she’d never seen anywhere, on anyone else.
He smiled back, one arm around her waist and the other hand pushing hair out of her face. “I’ve got a full Italian spread, homemade, coming in about thirty minutes.” He winked. “One of our boys gets sent home with his mama’s leftovers all the time, and she’s full blooded Italian. He gets sick of it and throws it out half the time, and I told him we needed something delicious that would give us a great deal of stamina.”
Leigh’s mouth watered. “I can’t remember the last time I had authentic home cooked Italian food. That sounds delicious.”
He nodded. “I thought you’d enjoy that.” He looked concerned, and Leigh braced herself. What was he going to tell her now? “We have a meeting tonight, and I have to be there. It’s nothing dangerous, just to firm up the plans we’ve started to make sure the Ravens can’t hurt anyone else. They’ve been a problem for a long time, and we’re all done with it.”
Leigh wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that. “So, you’re going to meet with a bunch of other clubs that have problems with the guys that took me. Zeke, they know you’ve been talking to these other clubs, and they think you’re trying to steal the loyalty of these other clubs from them. What if one of
the people you’re meeting with is reporting back to them and has something planned tonight?”
“Like a double cross? The same kind of thing that caused this bum leg?” he asked grimly. She nodded, and he shook his head. “First of all, it was the Ravens and the old leader of the Diamond Kings who planned that. Jake’s dead, and the Ravens aren’t invited. But we already know there’s a leak somewhere. We’ve got men on the outside, who haven’t been involved in the negotiations, watching for an attack. If anyone tries, they’re not going to get very far. Trust me, this is safe.” He scowled. “It won’t always be safe, but this time, I promise, everything is going to be fine.”
She still couldn’t wrap her mind around it and feared that, after this meeting, everything was going to change. What if these were the last few hours she had with him?
For once, she put the future out of her mind. With so many unknowns, Leigh realized she needed to live in the moment, to appreciate the time she had, here and now, with Zeke. Smiling, she relented. “Alright, I’ll try not to worry too much.”
He chuckled. “It’s kind of nice knowing someone is here, worrying about me. I don’t think I’ve ever had that before.” He kissed the tip of her nose and swatted her ass. “Come on, let’s go get something to drink while we wait for our food.” His eyes ran up and down her body with a gleam of appreciation. “I can’t say it hurts my feelings to show you off and make all my brothers jealous. Maybe we won’t go get your clothes today.”
Blushing and shaking her head, Leigh followed him out into the bar. Today, whatever he wanted to do, she’d try to comply.
* * *
Leigh watched with concern as Zeke, along with Rafe, Corey, Eli, and Harrison, mounted their rides, preparing to head out. She chewed on her pinky nail, a former nail biter with a habit she’d shed after college with a great deal of effort. But her worry ate her alive, and even as she winced, getting down to the quick, she couldn’t stop herself and merely moved on to another finger.
She’d spent the day in luxury, eating her fill of the glorious Italian food and then making love for hours in the bunkroom, until she was too sore, Zeke was too stiff, and they were both walking funny. They’d headed out with two prospects to gather a small suitcase full of clothes and sundry items from her apartment so she could stay at the clubhouse for a few days, until things were settled. Even the prospects seemed to believe that was going to happen with no casualties, though Leigh couldn’t convince herself of the same.
By then, it was time for the guys to ride out, and Leigh thought she might explode from the pressure of her anxiety. She breathed at regular intervals, in through the nose and out through the mouth, to avoid the panic attack she knew would ensue otherwise. Another issue she’d managed to resolve in her senior year of college that had kicked back into high gear since meeting Zeke.
Zeke reached out to her, and she stepped toward him, glancing at Rafe as he kissed Kira goodbye. How could she deal with this sort of thing? Sure, she’d been in this situation before, had grown up with bikers in her family. But Leigh couldn’t see this sort of fear ever easing, no matter how many times she faced it.
Kissing her soundly, Zeke told her, “It’s not a short ride, so it’ll be late when I get back. Probably after midnight. I know you have to work tomorrow. Should I wake you up?”
She nodded. She probably wouldn’t sleep until he returned safe anyway. How much sleep would she lose worrying about him over the course of time? Putting that question aside, she told him emphatically, “I don’t care what you have to do. I want you to stay safe and come back in one piece.”
He grinned broadly. “Hey, Nurse Curvy, I always come back in one piece, even if I’m a little broken.” She didn’t laugh, and his smile faded on a sigh. “Okay, that was a bad joke. Don’t worry your pretty little head too much, okay? This isn’t my first rodeo.”
And it wouldn’t be his last. That was the most terrifying part.
With that, he kissed her again and kicked on the engine, waving as he rode out with his crew. Kira came over and stared after the group, but she didn’t seem as anxious. “You’ve got to learn to relax,” the other woman said. “It’s hard, at first, and it’ll stay hard, if you let it. But you have to accept that these guys can handle themselves, and when the shit hits the fan, they can still fight their way out and come home.”
“Don’t you worry that, one day, Rafe won’t come home?” Leigh asked in a small voice.
“It’s always a possibility, but if I waste time dwelling on it, I miss out on all the good stuff. Besides, I try not to put negative thoughts about it into the universe. Law of attraction, right? Think positive, and only positive things will come to you.”
Leigh could probably do better about that. Together, they turned toward the clubhouse, and Leigh asked, “Do you think this meeting tonight is safe?”
Kira shrugged. “Safer than most. They’re trying to figure out who their rat is so they can dispose of him quickly and efficiently before they launch their attack against the Ravens. That could be a little dangerous, but they’ve covered their bases, so it shouldn’t be a big deal.” Eyeing her carefully, Kira asked, “Do you want to maybe hang out, watch a movie or something? Distract yourself, take your mind off things?”
But Leigh didn’t want a distraction. No, she needed to focus, to get her mind straight. A part of her still feared the worst, and she needed to reconcile that or else change her path in life. “Thanks, I think I’m going to take a nap.” She parted ways, heading toward Zeke’s bunkroom, which she supposed was now hers as well, and locked herself in.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she clenched her hands together to stop them from trembling. She felt stuck. She was crazy about Zeke, and it was hard to imagine a future without him. But at the same time, aside from the danger that hung over her own head based on the fast and reckless way bikers lived, she would constantly have to worry about his well being. It wasn’t like being with a lawyer. It wasn’t even like having a relationship with a construction worker or a cashier. Sure, there were potential dangers on every job, but most professions didn’t involve a daily unknown threat hanging over your head.
And just as she couldn’t stand the idea of living without Zeke now, she knew that time would only solidify that need. If she lost him later, it would hurt more. And her heart had been broken already, more than once. Could she withstand another round, another ache in her chest that was beyond her control?
Leigh had to weigh out the benefits of a flourishing relationship with a man she adored versus the consequences of that same relationship, with a man who could be lost at any moment, or could bring down serious repercussions on both their heads. She had a career, she had friends, she had a life. Maybe it wasn’t everything she wanted, but she couldn’t continue to live freely if she connected herself to the Devil’s Flames, could she? As it was, she would already have an entourage until Zeke deemed her world safe again.
But would she feel safe, without the protective detail?
This was maddening, and Leigh felt rage building inside. She had accused Rory last night of being the instigator and, therefore, the reason she suffered so much pain. But her friend had only supported her in something she already wanted to do and just couldn’t admit to herself. Leigh had wanted Zeke from the moment she stepped foot in his hospital room and had been in denial until Rory pointed out what should have been obvious. And from there, Leigh had only followed her own heart’s desire.
But as usual, her heart had led her into a situation she wasn’t sure she could handle. This one was different from all her other mistakes, in that she had something she could cherish because of it. But for how long? And how much agony would it cause if she lost that thing? She needed to decide if she was built to withstand the hardship or not, and she needed to figure it out before Zeke came home.
17
“We should have rented out a banquet hall and required everyone to come in black tie,” Rafe muttered, laughing under his breath.
&nbs
p; Corey snorted. “That would mean requiring a shower and shave, too. Something several of these guys obviously aren’t anxious to do.”
He was right; the place reeked of sweat and dirty bodies, and as Zeke looked around, he could tell that hygiene wasn’t a priority for all MCs. These were the leaders, the councils, the heads of each faction, and if this was representative of how these brotherhoods presented themselves, it was a wonder they were still alive. Some of them looked like they were steps away from creating the next bubonic plague.
Flanking him to the right, Dylan grunted. “If any of the Kings showed up in my presence in that state of filth, I’d have a group strip him down, scrub him with steel wool, and teach him a lesson about pride in appearance.” Zeke raised an eyebrow at him, and he smiled darkly. “I’m not a monster, but I won’t tolerate insubordination, and I expect my club to respect me with cleanliness.”
Steel wool. That was quite the threat, Zeke thought with a smile. He’d remember that one when he needed information someone was reluctant to give. At the moment, he had to focus. He didn’t trust many of the attendees at this meeting, no matter what agreements had been made. Someone in this crowd was a mole, and that meant the situation was intense and not nearly as safe as he’d promised Leigh.
But what could he do? He couldn’t tell her just how dangerous it was, and he hoped like hell Kira wouldn’t share the details with her. Over time, he’d slowly acclimate Leigh to his way of life and let her grow accustomed to the fact that there were no guarantees. You lived for the day and didn’t count on tomorrow.
The milling around didn’t last. No one really wanted to be here, and they were only banding together to remove something more vile than they found each other to be. So, seats were taken, and Dylan and Corey stood at the head of the room, having been the instigators of this whole process. Of course, Harrison had been the one communicating with an outside source, but at least he hadn’t crossed the line and taken action without consent.
