“Sweetie, I kill the woman, and they’ll know it was me. Instead of getting my kid like I want, they’ll be putting me away for the rest of my life. Not caring I’m simply doing the world a favor by ending her life. Then Tor will be in the system and it’ll all be for nothin’.”
Still, I’ll form a plan to make sure I never see her again, and neither does Tor.
Fern stirs in my arms, and I glance down to where she’s lying with her head pressed into my chest.
I tilt my head enough to brush my lips against the top of her head. “Wake up, beautiful, we’ve got things to do today.”
“I don’t wanna get up,” she mumbles sleepily and snuggles deeper against me.
“I’m sure you don’t, but I wanna spend the day with you before goin’ back to the club to check on Tor,” I state, needing her to understand my reasoning. If she does, I bet she’ll start getting her ass moving.
At the mention of Tor’s name, Fern opens her eyes and meets my gaze. “Are you sure you really want to do this?” she asks.
“Yeah, sweetie, it’s what I want. I don’t trust any other woman besides you to help me with this.” I really don’t trust anyone to do this for me and not expect something in return.
“Okay,” she mumbles and goes to get up. She gets off the bed, heads toward her dresser, and proceeds to grab some clothes.
“We’ll leave in thirty minutes. Pack a bag we’ll go out on to Alligator Point after,” I tell her as I climb out of bed fully naked without a care in the world. Fern turns around and looks at me, ready to ask me something, but when she sees my naked body, her cheeks flush beet red. I don’t give a fuck, though. She is about to be my wife, after all.
Pulling the bike into a parking spot, I put the kickstand down and hold a hand out to help Fern off the back.
I’m officially a married man. I made vows to her, the ones I spoke aloud and the ones I made to myself. I intend to make sure Fern gets back to her happy, laughing self. I miss having her around.
Since meeting her months ago when we first moved to town to help my VP out, I took to her, and she became one of us very quickly. More than that, she started to become something to me. Now she’s my wife, even if it’s temporary. I’ll do what I have to in order to bring the light back into her eyes. It’s still there. I saw a glimpse of it last night and right now as I meet her gaze.
“That was fun,” she says, taking off the helmet. “Can we do it again sometime?”
“Anytime you want.” I grin, savoring the smile beaming across her face. “Come on, let’s go have some fun. Just you and me before we let the real world in. You’ll meet Tor later when we go to the clubhouse.”
Fern’s smile falters. “Umm . . .”
“Nope, don’t even try to pull away, beautiful.” I reach out, grab her hand and pull her against my side. No way in hell I’m about to let her shut down on me. “It’s just you and me right now, no need to pull away,” I say gently.
“Okay,” she whispers, her hands clenching my shirt tightly.
“Good girl,” I mutter and press a kiss to her lips tenderly. I step back, take Fern’s hand and grab the bag she packed out of my saddlebag. The two of us walk toward the beach. I let her go when we reach the dressing rooms. Fern goes in to change, and I slip my boots, cut, and tee off. I unbuckle my belt, slide my jeans down, and kick them off. I already had my board shorts underneath. The sun beams down on my shoulders, feeling good. I’ve always been one for being out in the sun. Growing up, I spent a lot of time out in it. Hell, being a Nomad, I could spend hours riding the roads with only the sun shining down on me.
It doesn’t take long for Fern to come back out, and as she does, I notice she put on a black tunic to keep herself covered.
Taking her hand, I guide her out onto the beach.
We place our stuff down, and I guide her to the water. Fern hesitates at first, but the cool water touches her feet, and she instantly relaxes.
Fern glances around us and sees no one is very close. After she realizes this, she turns back to face me and smiles. I swing her up into my arms and carry her out into the water, where the two of us swim and laugh, and I hold her close to me.
I wish we could spend the entire day here, but eventually, I need to get back to the clubhouse. A Prez’s work is never done.
At least now I’ll be doing it with a beautiful woman by my side. One who’s going to help change not only my life but Tor’s too.
Chapter Eight
Fern
If I’ve learned anything for sure over the last couple days, it’s how Runes is a man of action. Not that I mind. We went to the courthouse this morning and sealed the deal. I’m hoping it’ll make as much of a difference as he wants. He’s made it apparent his son is the center of his world, and while he isn’t talking about Tor’s abuse in-depth with me, I can sense the way he feels ashamed for what happened. I’ll tell Runes time and time again this isn’t on him, but I know why he’s being so hard on himself. As a parent, it’s your job to keep your child safe. He must feel like he let Tor down. Regardless, at least he’s here for him now.
Now we’re at the beach, and Runes put up an umbrella he rented when we got here, so the sun isn’t too bad on me. We put moisturizing sunscreen over every bit of my skin from head to toe, and now I’m lying down on a beach towel, enjoying hearing the seagulls call to one another. We spent a good amount of time in the water when we first got here, but the only thing I want to do now is enjoy the moment.
The water crashes against the sand, and I lie here with my eyes closed, listening to the calming sounds. God, this feels great, just being out in the sun, not hiding. It’s the first time in weeks I’ve been out in the public eye, but Runes made sure to find a somewhat secluded part of the beach for us to go to. There are people off in the distance, but they’re far enough away I don’t think they’d see my scars in detail.
“When are you gonna take this off?” Runes tugs at my tunic, and I’m sure he’s teasing me.
I crack open an eye and look at him, seeing he’s messing around. “All you want is a good look at my boobs and ass.”
“Damn straight, I do. You’re all mine now, sweetie. I wanna get a look every chance I can.”
“Then do it at home, I want to keep my tunic on,” I murmur, closing my eyes.
“Fern, look at me.” Runes order is said with an authoritative voice, so I open both eyes and look right at him. “I know why you’re wearin’ this, and it’s not ‘cause you just wanna keep it on. Stop doin’ what I know you are.”
Fuck. I hate the way he calls me out. He knows I’m covering myself up because I don’t want anyone to focus on me. Sure, the other people are off in the distance, but still . . . I don’t want to be so exposed. It’s hard enough being insecure about this. I don’t want everyone to see my insecurity, because they will. In fact, there’s no denying it.
It would be totally different if I was insecure about my ass because it’s thick and big. Granted, I love my big bum, but that would be a circumstance where it would be inside my head, and no one would ever have the slightest inclination. But my scars? They’re not so easy to hide.
“I’m not going to instantly feel better about my body. It’s going to take time.” I’m stern with Runes but for good reason. I don’t want him thinking I’m not trying here. The fact I’m out of the house shows how much I’m attempting right now.
“I know, but it’s about bein’ comfortable with makin’ yourself uncomfortable. You’re with me, sweetheart. You don’t gotta feel bad about anythin’, all right? Your skin is a part of you like my tats are a part of me. They’re art. That’s what I think when I look at you, that you’re marked with art. Your scars tell a story the way my tats do. Only, you completely trump me. Ask me what I think about ‘em.” Runes smirks at me, raking his eyes up and down my body.
“What do you think?”
“You’re a survivor and your burns tell your story. And I don’t just think it, Fern, I believe it.” I take my hand and grab Rune
s’s, giving it a squeeze in thanks.
“Thank you for being so kind to me,” I say, meaning every word. I knew from the moment we started messing around a few months ago he was a good guy, but what I didn’t know was how big his heart was. Sure, the situation we’re in is anything but normal, but I’m damn glad he asked me to do this. Being together is showing me more of the side I’m learning to appreciate about him. I appreciated it before, but now I love it. Hell, before the fire, he made my heart flutter and my stomach tighten up. Now it’s only growing. I can see myself falling for this guy, and there’s no way I can deny it.
“You don’t need to thank me for anythin’. Your company is enough.” Runes smirks, running his thumb on top of my hand.
I know we got married so we can get Tor away from his mom permanently, but the negative voices in my head make me wonder if he’s doing this all for show. Did he bed me last night to pull me into this marriage? I want to think he didn’t, how he couldn’t be capable of such a thing, but until we get to know more about each other, I won’t know for certain.
“Want to go back in the water?” I ask him. Releasing his hand, I stand and pull off my tunic. Runes is right. It’s about being comfortable being uncomfortable. I need to push myself a little bit each day in making these baby steps, and eventually, it won’t be so bad.
“Thought you would never ask,” Runes cackles. He rises and captures my hand once more, and we walk out into the water. We get about chest-deep, and a massive wave comes crashing down on top of us. I don’t know how it happened. Were we not paying attention? The moment I bob my head out through the surface, I brush my hair back and wipe the water from my eyes. Runes is laughing, getting a good kick out of what happened. I don’t know what comes over me, but I join him, and God, it feels good.
He looks me right in the eyes and what he says rocks me to my core. “I don’t think you’ve ever looked more beautiful.”
Chapter Nine
Runes
“Runes, do you want to invite your brothers over for dinner?” Fern asks from the kitchen.
I tilt my head in her direction from my spot on the couch, seeing her perfectly from where I am. My cock stands to attention at the sight of her. Fern is moving around naturally in the kitchen, prepping dinner for the evening. She’s wearing one of her summer dresses that falls all the way to the floor, but it conforms to her body like a second skin.
It’s been a week since Fern and I got married on the spur of a dime. Other than Fenrir, she’s the only one who knows what Tor’s been through. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with it, but it’s not my story to tell. My son’s privacy means a lot to me, and I won’t have him feeling like I broke his trust.
After the wedding, Fern said it would be best if we moved into her house to make sure it looked good on paper. She’s become as adamant as I have about proving we’re a loving, doting family to the courts. Tor didn’t seem to mind the move. Why would he? I know what he went through was traumatic for him, but he’s a damn good kid and knows a good person when he sees them. Fern and Tor hit it off right off the bat, which has made all of this easier. I was worried about it at first, but thank Gods, it didn’t backfire. I understand she and I have a good ten-year age gap between us, but I’m drawn to the woman. I swore after leaving Tor’s mom I’d never lock myself down again.
Tor’s mom and I went to school together. She was the wild child that made every guy in the school want her. At the time, I had a claim to her. Hillary’s parents never cared much if she stayed out all night or not. Then I knocked her up and everything changed. I wasn’t ready to settle down, but I knew I needed to do something. I married her, went into the Army, did two tours, and it was enough for me.
The last tour was more than enough. I lost brothers, men I thought of as friends. It was horrible and it still haunts me.
I stand from my chair, inwardly shaking the demons away while I stalk after Fern in the kitchen. My brothers don’t know I married Fern, and she hasn’t said anything to anyone. I only told them Fern got two roommates, me and Tor, to help her around the place so she can finally start to feel normal again.
Closing in on Fern, I lock gazes with her while I corner her against the kitchen counter, placing my hands on either side of her. In the past week the two of us have been married, I haven’t fucked her again. I’ve wanted to more than anything else, but I needed to make sure Fern felt comfortable having Tor and me in her space constantly. Now with Tor out of the house visiting a friend, I can do what I’ve been dying to do. Sink deep into her tight wet hole, the one that feels better than anyone else I’ve ever fucked.
“Runes,” she whispers as her tongue comes out to lick at her bottom lip, fixating my gaze on her mouth. I can’t help but stare at her luscious lips, the ones I want wrapped around my cock. It can wait, though. First, I want to savor every inch of her delectable body.
In the house, I’ve at least talked Fern into not wearing long sleeves. “It’s just you, me, and Tor here. Be comfortable, and you know I think you’re beautiful.” I told her after we first moved in. Fern should be comfortable in her own home. Plus, we live in Florida, and it’s fuckin’ hot here.
“I want to be inside you,” I share. My eyes drop to her beautiful mouth, and her lips part. “Tell me you want the same thing. I want you again, Fern. Now that I’ve had a taste, I don’t wanna stop.” Everything I’m telling her is nothing but the truth. I thought giving her time to heal after the fire was the answer, but it fucked everything up. I should’ve been here with her the entire time. Maybe then she wouldn’t feel the way she does about herself.
“Runes,” she says breathlessly.
I grin, taking that as my answer.
Tilting my head to Fern’s, I capture her lips with mine. I slide my tongue into her mouth, spearing in to twine with hers.
Fern moans against my mouth and her hands cling to me, urging me on.
Fuck, yes.
Moving my hands from the counter, I place them at her hips, yank up the long skirt of her dress and lift her to sit on the counter. I step between her legs, remove one of my hands from her waist, and undo my jeans just enough to release my hard and throbbing cock.
She mewls lightly, and I groan against her mouth. I slide my hands up her thigh, aiming to tug on her panties. Only, she’s not wearing any. What a sinful little devil. My sinful sweetheart.
Fern is absolutely made for me.
Wrapping a hand around my cock, I sink into her slowly. At first, I give Fern a chance to adjust to my size. Once I’m finally seated fully inside her tight body, I break the kiss, wanting nothing more than to see her beautiful face. More than anything else, I crave to see it when I make her come. I want to watch her eyes roll back and bliss rush through every limb of her body.
“Runes.” Damn, I love the sound of her breathy voice. Settling inside her, I thrust deep with each calculated movement, savoring the hitches I earn with each one. All too soon, I have her coming around my cock. Her walls clench around my cock tighter than I thought possible. I groan and recapture her mouth as her pussy pulses around me, demanding my release.
Slowing to a stop, I pull away from her mouth and meet her gaze the moment she opens her eyes. “That, sweetie, was worth waitin’ every damn minute.”
Fern smiles brightly and her smile goes straight to my cock, making me stiffen all over again.
“Do you really want me to invite my brothers over for dinner tonight?” I ask, hoping she’ll say no.
Before Fern gets the chance to answer, the sound of Tor’s car pulling into the driveway reaches my ears.
Damn. I was hoping I could have a little more alone time with Fern. Tor went out with some friends he met the other day when he was looking for a part-time job. He found one at a garage that took him on. Probably hired him since it’s one of the few businesses we’re interested in. It’s great for me. I can have my kid nearby whenever we take over, which will probably be soon.
Grinning at Fern, I pull from her wet s
tealth. “I’ll make up for it tonight. Promise.”
Fern smiles, and I help her off the counter. Her dress slips back into place while I slide my semi-hard cock into its confinements.
“I’m holding you to that, Runes.” She smirks lightly, and excitement dances across her eyes.
As much as I love hearing her call me Runes, I wonder what it’ll be like to have her call me by my actual name, Erik. Stepping into her space once more, I slide a hand over her side, up until I cup the side of her face. “Tonight, I wanna hear you screaming my name. I’m not talkin’ about my road name either. I wanna hear you calling me by my real name,” I inform her, without telling her anything else.
Fern’s mouth shifts into an ‘o’, but she doesn’t say a word in response because the front door creaking signals Tor’s inside.
“Fern, Dad, I’m home. What’s for dinner?”
I love the kid, but sometimes his timing sucks.
“I better get dinner finished,” Fern mutters, turning around to get back to what she was doing.
“Yeah, sweetheart, you do that. I’ll call the boys and tell them to come over,” I grumble, place one last kiss on her lips and leave her to it.
While Fern cooked and got everything ready, I called my brothers. I had some spare time, so I called up my lawyer so we could chat about the custody case. Thankfully, she was able to pull some strings and get the case put in front of a judge sooner than I expected.
We’re set to go in front of the judge in two weeks. It was the soonest she could get, which is fine with me. The moment court’s over with, I’m making sure Hillary disappears.
Shit, even Fern told me her true feelings the other day after Tor talked to her. She didn’t go into details, but the look on her face told me everything I needed to know. That, and the fact Fern reiterated Hillary needed to die. I, for one, was surprised by how easily Tor opened up to Fern. Then again, she has that personality where you just wanna talk to her about anything and everything. Or maybe she has a way with us Pearson men.
Sinister (Raiders of Valhalla MC Book 2) Page 4
